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| Anatolii Stepanov/Agence France-Presse/Getty Images |
Russia’s bloody, monthslong efforts to advance in Ukraine’s east has yielded little. ‘The enemy has made almost no progress.’
The Russian assaults begin at 5 a.m. and last all day, according to Ukrainian troops in and around the eastern city of Avdiivka. Inside the city, airstrikes level buildings and drones drop grenades. On the outskirts, Russian artillery pummels Ukrainian trenches, then infantry try to advance.
“They send a group of five. They get killed. Then they send two more groups of five, who climb over the corpses of the others,” said Yuriy, a 22-year-old Ukrainian soldier in the area. “They’ve gained some territory, but it’s not strategically significant.”
Months after Russia dialed up its offensive in the eastern Donetsk region, the Kremlin is still searching for something to call a victory.
The Russians’ primary target, Bakhmut, has been decimated by eight months of artillery assaults and street battles, but Ukraine still holds a small piece of the city.
Battle in the East
Russia has struggled to advance against Ukrainian troops in eastern Ukraine
A February assault on Vuhledar, 80 miles to the southwest, ended with the loss of 1,000 Russian troops in two days, according to U.K. defense officials.
Moscow hasn’t captured a major Ukrainian city since summer. Its largest prize this year is Soledar, a town with a prewar population of 10,000 just outside Bakhmut, which Wagner fighters seized in January.
Even if Moscow takes Bakhmut, it is far short of its goal of taking control of all of the eastern Donetsk and Luhansk provinces and might have exhausted itself in trying to do so. Russia hasn’t achieved the kind of breakthrough that Kyiv is hoping its own forces can achieve in an offensive that is expected to get under way in the coming weeks.
Avdiivka, 40 miles south of Bakhmut, is the latest example of Moscow’s struggle to gain ground in the east.
Though Avdiivka is surrounded on three sides, Ukraine still controls the entire city, as well as the western road used to resupply it. The Russian assaults have caused heavy casualties on both sides but haven’t moved the line much. ---->READ MORE HERE
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| Handout via REUTERS |
A huge fire in Sevastopol in Ukraine’s Russian-occupied Crimea destroyed over 10 petroleum product tanks with a total capacity of 40,000 tons of fuel for the Russian Black Sea Fleet, the spokesperson of Ukrainian military’s Main Intelligence Directorate or HUR, Andriy Yusov, told RBC-Ukraine on April 29.
Yusov told the Ukrainian media outlet that the incident was “divine retribution” for the 23 civilian who died in an April 28 Russian missile attack on the city of Uman. Five of the civilians killed in the Russian attack were children.
“This punishment will have long-lasting implications,” said Yusov, referring to the fire at the oil depot.
“It is recommended that all residents of temporarily occupied Crimea get away from military facilities and facilities that provide support to the aggressor’s army without delay.”
Yusov added that Ukraine is aware of the embezzlement of petroleum products and other corrupt actions by officials of the occupation authorities at this and other similar Crimean sites, which “undoubtedly expands the possibilities of the Ukrainian Security and Defense Forces.”
An explosion occurred early in the morning on April 29 in the Kozacha Bay near Sevastopol. Immediately, a massive fire broke out at a local oil depot, and thick black smoke rose from the scene. --->READ MORE HEREFollow links below to +++++relevant+++++ and related stories:
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