(Kyiv) The Russian army, which is gaining ground against Ukrainian forces in difficulty, claimed Monday the capture of a new village, Semenivka, located in a sector of the east of the country where it is advancing rapidly.
The Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement that it had “liberated” this locality, northwest of Avdiivka, a fortress town taken by Moscow in February.
Since the capture of this symbolic city, the Ukrainian army has been forced to remain on the defensive, due to a lack of men and ammunition.
Especially since its own summer counter-offensive failed, and Kyiv now fears that Russia will strengthen its attacks on the front in the coming weeks.
Moscow had already claimed on Sunday the capture of another village in the Avdiïvka area, Novobakhmoutivka.
This village is located near that of Ocherytne, quickly invaded this week by Russian forces who currently control most of it according to observers, which has sparked criticism from Ukrainian military bloggers.
The Telegram channel DeepState, close to the Ukrainian army and followed by more than 700,000 people, blamed the command of a unit deployed there, the 115e motorized brigade, for “the collapse of defenses throughout the region, causing considerable losses”.
On Sunday, the commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian army, Oleksandr Syrsky, admitted that the situation on the front had “deteriorated”, the Russian troops, superior in weaponry and soldiers, having achieved “tactical successes” in several areas.
According to him, the Russian army “concentrated its efforts in several sectors, thus creating a significant advantage in terms of forces and means”, in order to “attempt to take the strategic initiative and break through the front line”.
The head of Ukrainian military intelligence Kyrylo Budanov predicted last week that the situation would worsen around mid-May and early June, which will be a “difficult period” for Ukraine.
Ukraine fears an even more powerful Russian summer offensive.
Even though the United States finally approved in April a package of $61 billion in aid that had been blocked for months due to political wrangling, problems remain numerous.
In addition to Western aid whose sustainability seems less and less certain, the country is struggling to replenish the ranks of its army.
Volodymyr Zelensky promulgated a controversial law on military mobilization in April, intended to facilitate the enlistment of new recruits.
Ukraine claims to counter numerous Russian attacks in the east
Ukraine claimed Monday to have repelled 55 attacks in the east, in the Donetsk region, after admitting the day before a deterioration of the situation on the front line.
Moscow claimed over the weekend the capture of a new village in eastern Ukraine, Novobakhmutivka, as Kyiv’s forces eagerly await the arrival of crucial US weapons.
The Ukrainian army said it had “repelled 55 attacks” in several villages north and east of Novobakhmutivka. Among these localities is Otcheretyne, where violent fighting was reported on Sunday.
These villages are located north of the town of Adviïvka, taken by Russian soldiers in February. Moscow’s forces have since advanced deeper into the Donetsk region.
Further south, Ukraine says its troops “continue to contain the enemy” in several locations west of the Russian-controlled city of Donetsk, including in the town of Krasnogorivka.
Kyiv claims that Russian forces, “with the support of aviation, attempted 15 times to break through the defenses of our troops.”
Krasnogorivka is located about twenty kilometers west of Donetsk and constitutes an important stronghold for Kyiv.
The area has become more vulnerable since the fall of Marinka and Avdiivka, and increased fighting has been reported there in recent weeks.
The commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian army, Oleksandr Syrsky, said on Sunday that his men had withdrawn to new defensive positions further west in certain sectors.
Kyiv also warned that Russia would try to achieve some victories before May 9, a patriotic holiday which commemorates the victory over Nazi Germany.
reference: www.lapresse.ca