The Ukrainian military has reported little change to the front lines, but heavy firing by Russian forces in several parts of the front line in the Donetsk region.
The General Staff reported that during the last day more than 45 enemy attacks were repelled, especially Lyman, Bakhmut, Avdiivka and Mariinka.
It said there were 17 airstrikes and more than 20 attacks with multiple launch rocket systems.
“In the direction of Bakhmut, the enemy is trying to take full control of the city of Bakhmut and continues to assault it,” the General Staff said.
West of the city, Ukrainian defense forces repelled about 20 enemy attacks, according to the General Staff.
Oleksandr Syrskyi, commander of the Ukrainian Ground Forces, posted on Telegram that in Bakhmut he had met with “soldiers and commanders who destroyed the myth of the invincibility of Wagner fighters and Russian paratroopers.”
Syrskyi referred to the possibility of a future counteroffensive and said that “the advance of our entire army depends on what each soldier is doing right now in his section of the front.”
Some of the heaviest fighting is northwest and west of the city of Donetsk, as the Russians continue their months-long efforts to dislodge Ukrainian defenses at Avdiivka and Mariinka. The General Staff said that around twenty attacks had been repelled.
“There are also some operational successes of our army in the Donetsk area. Our army has taken some positions. They have taken a more strategic and favorable position,” said Oleksii Dmytrashkivskyi, army spokesman in that area.
He also noted that Russian special forces had been introduced into the area.
“The enemy is trying to attack our positions between Avdiivka and Marinka. These attempts do not stop. It should be noted that the enemy has suffered quite heavy losses,” Dmytrashkivskyi said.
He also stated that the Russians “do not have the same amount of equipment and, as they themselves say, are on a ‘diet’ of assault ammunition.”
A video on social media showed both sides engaging in heavy gunfire in the Avdiivka area, which the Russians have surrounded on three sides.
Denis Pushilin, leader of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic, stated that Russian forces were still advancing in the direction of Avdiivka.
“It is still premature to talk about an encirclement, but the situation is becoming, if not critical, then extremely difficult for the enemy… After clearing Kamianka, our units are advancing further. There are difficulties with the terrain, which also have to be overcome, and there are also similarities with the weather conditions. But these difficulties are mutual, both for the enemy and for us,” Pushilin said.
