Ukraine has repelled more than 80 Russian attacks in a single day, the military said on Sunday.
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine wrote in its Sunday operational update on Facebook that Russia had launched multiple attacks on key Ukrainian cities, including Limansky, Bakhmutsky, Avdiiv, Maryinsky and Shakhtar. However, many of those attacks failed as Ukrainian troops blocked 83 Russian advances on Saturday.
The repelled attacks are the latest indication of Russia’s stalled war since Russian President Vladimir Putin launched his “special military operation” against Ukraine last February. Despite initial fears that Ukraine would quickly fall, its troops responded with a stronger than expected defensive effort, weakening Russia’s military assets.
After more than a year of conflict, fighting continues to focus on the easternmost regions of the eastern European country. Military analysts have pointed to a lack of motivated troops and problems with the chain of command within Putin’s armed forces as reasons why his invasion failed.
Ukrainian soldiers are seen on a tank March 10 near Bakhmut, Ukraine. Pictured here is Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday. The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said on Sunday that its forces repelled more than 80 Russian attacks in a single day.ANATOLII STEPANOV/AFP via Getty Images; Contributor/Getty Images
Ukraine announced Sunday its military had allegedly prevented a significant number of troops from making advances in key areas including Bakhmut, which has seen some of the war’s most intense fighting.
“Despite human losses, the Russian Federation continues to wage aggressive war. The enemy’s main efforts are focused on attempts to fully capture the Donetsk and Luhansk regions. To achieve its goals, the offensive actions on Limansky, Bachmutsky, Avdiiv, instructions from Maryinsky and Shakhtar. Last day, our defenders repelled 83 attacks in this area of the front. The epicenter of the fighting remains Bakhmut,” the post said.
Russia has not confirmed these blocked attacks, and Newsweek has not been able to independently verify Ukraine’s claims. In addition, it remained unknown how many total offensives were carried out by Russian soldiers and how many were successful.
The General Staff further reported that Russia had launched 11 rocket attacks, four of which targeted civilian infrastructure in Zaporizhia, the site of Europe’s largest nuclear power plant. Russia also carried out 16 airstrikes and 99 shells from jet-fire systems, according to Ukraine.
Additionally, Ukraine said it shot down 10 “strikes in occupier concentration areas,” including at least one Shahed-136 drone, a weapon provided to Russia by Iran, one of its closest allies amid the widely condemned invasion .
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Ukraine war update: Analysts say Russia’s Bakhmut offensive has slowed
Ukraine’s claims come after analysts said Russia’s offensives in Bakhmut have slowed this week. Both militaries have engaged in an intense battle for control of the Ukrainian city that some say would bring Russia a symbolic rather than a strategic victory. Russia has touted its advances in the city amid reports of fighting elsewhere, fighting alongside the paramilitary entity, the Wagner Group.
Bakhmut was one of the cities where Ukraine claimed to have successfully blocked some Russian advances over the weekend.
The UK Ministry of Defense wrote on Saturday that Russian soldiers have carried out the lowest number of offensives in the city since January, pointing to a temporary depletion of the “combat capability of the deployed formations to such an extent that even local offensive actions are currently unsustainable.” are .”
Newsweek has emailed the Russian Defense Ministry for comment.