Ukrainian media located the image based on, among other things, the impressive church in Klishchiyivka, a town south of the city of Bakhmut in the Donetsk region. There has been heavy fighting around the village in recent weeks.
The Ukrainian Ministry of Defense has not yet officially announced Klishchiyivka’s release. The site was occupied by the Russians in January 2023. According to its own statements, the Kiev military recently recaptured the nearby town of Andriivka. According to the photos, not much is left of the place as a result of the intense fighting.
Ukraine’s capture of Klishchiivka would significantly worsen the tactical situation of the Russian occupiers in Bakhmut, who now risk being held in a pincer position from the south and north. The Russians and Ukrainians fought for Bakhmut for a good six months. On the part of the Russian armed forces, mercenaries from Wagner’s private army were mainly used here. At the end of May, Russia declared the city conquered.
According to US Chief of Staff Mark Milley, Kiev “did not fail” in its counteroffensive. “They didn’t fail. I know there are some comments that this offensive failed in some way. It didn’t,” Milley told US broadcaster CNN in an interview broadcast on Sunday. There have been partial successes and Ukraine also has great combat power. The counteroffensive progressed more slowly than expected, Milley said. But she was “steady”.