The Ukrainian military says Russian forces have diverted resources to fight for the key city of Bakhmut in the eastern Donetsk region, but have made no progress.
brig. Deputy Chief of the General Staff Oleksiy Khoromov said at Thursday’s briefing that the situation in the east remained difficult for Ukrainian forces, as Russian forces carried out offensive actions on several fronts, including Bakhmut, Avdeevka and Kupyansk. released in September.
“The enemy’s main efforts were concentrated in the direction of Bakhmut,” Khoromov said. “Around Bakhmut, the Ukrainian garrison is resisting enemy attacks up to 20 times daily, who, hiding under artillery fire, relentlessly attack our army positions.”
“In order to concentrate artillery fire around Bakhmut, the enemy has deliberately reduced the number of attacks on our positions in the direction of Kherson and Zaporizhia in recent weeks, while ammunition was delivered in the direction of Bakhmut and Lyman. ” said Khoromov.
Lyman is another Donetsk settlement liberated by Ukrainian forces at the end of September.
“More than 40% of enemy artillery fire along the line of contact from Kupyansk to Mariinka is directed in the direction of Bakhmut,” Khoromov said.
Other advancements: Kholomov said Ukrainian troops were making gradual advances towards the city of Kreminna in the eastern Luhansk region. The city fell to the Russians in the spring.
Ukrainian troops have advanced up to 2.5 kilometers (more than 1 mile) in the direction of Kreminna this week, Kholomov said. Ukrainian officials say the area has been heavily mined by the Russians.
Kholomov also said that Russia has begun preparing a defensive line around the city of Luhansk “in case the Ukrainian Defense Forces break through the defensive borders of the Russian occupying forces on the Svatove Kreminna line and bring hostilities closer.” claimed. range.
Hromov said trained troops continued to move into occupied Ukrainian territories following Russia’s partial mobilization. He said troops from the Russian Territorial Reserve were deployed in the southern regions of Zaporizhia.
“We are tracking the movements of enemy forces. There is currently no significant threat of aggressive grouping in the Zaporizhia sector.”
