Russia violently attacks Avdiivka, Robotin, Ukraine speaks out
Ukraine announced on Monday that Russia was violently attacking the eastern town of Avdiivka and the southern village of Lobotin, which have been at the center of fighting in recent weeks.
Neither side has made significant progress on the battlefield in recent weeks as Moscow’s invasion drags on for 22 months.
In recent weeks, Russia has focused its efforts on the industrial hub of Avdiivka in the Donetsk region, which is now believed to be largely surrounded by Moscow’s forces.
“The enemy continues to carry out offensive operations near Avdiivka,” the Ukrainian military said in a statement.
The newspaper announced that Moscow’s forces had launched “more than 150” attacks on Ukrainian military positions in villages surrounding the town.
A day earlier, Ukraine announced it had “repelled” 20 attacks around Avdiivka.
Kiev does not report gains or losses in the region.
However, the US-based Institute for the Study of War announced over the weekend that it had “confirmed Russian military advances northwest and southeast of Avdiivka.”
Moscow controls territory to the north, east and south of Avdiivka, which is located just 10 kilometers (6 miles) from the Moscow-controlled city of Donetsk.
In the south, Kiev said Russian forces “carried out about 20 attempts to recover lost positions near Robotyn in the Zaporizhzhya region, without success.”
Ukraine announced a strategic victory in its counteroffensive by recapturing the small village of Robotyn in August.
But since then, Russia has attacked Robotin, and Ukraine appears to be struggling to hold on.
Meanwhile, Russian military bloggers reported that Ukrainian positions established on the Moscow side of the Dnipro River are stable, despite Russia’s efforts to oust them.
Ukrainian troops reportedly achieved a tactical success earlier this month when they crossed into an occupied riverbank in the Kherson region and established a position in the Klinky settlement.
A Wargonzo Telegram account close to the Russian military said: “Russian troops counterattacked in Klinki with artillery support and regained some of the positions.”
“However, the Ukrainian military’s foothold in this village remains extremely stable,” the report added.
Source: guardian.ng