From Le Figaro with AFP
Published 2 hours ago, updated 37 minutes ago
Ukrainian soldiers take part in military exercises in Zhytomyr region, Ukraine, Jan. 30, 2024. GLEB GARANICH / Portal
The Ukrainian army reported heavy exchanges of fire with Russian forces in Robotyne, a city in southern Ukraine that was recaptured during the spring counteroffensive.
The Ukrainian army reported “heavy fire” from Russian forces on Monday, February 19, near Robotyné, a town in the Zaporizhia region of southern Ukraine that was recaptured during Kiev's summer counteroffensive. “The enemy made ten unsuccessful attacks on the positions of the (Ukrainian) Defense Forces in the Robotyne region. Here the situation is fluid, the enemy is firing heavily,” said Dmytro Lykhovy, the Ukrainian military spokesman for the area.
According to him, the Ukrainian army repelled attacks “with a significant number of armored vehicles,” but the Russians are now attacking with “small attack groups in addition to armored vehicles” and “actively operating” aviation. The Telegram channel DeepState, which is close to the Ukrainian army, reported on Sunday evening that Russia had managed to break through the Ukrainian defenses near Verbové, a few kilometers east of Robotyná ©.
According to Rybar, another broadcaster close to Russian forces, Russia has gained a foothold in the southern suburbs of Robotyne. The AFP was unable to verify this information on the battlefield. Robotyné was recaptured by Russian forces in August, which Kiev considered a major success in its counteroffensive against Russian forces.
These attacks on this part of the southern front began this weekend when the Russian army captured the town of Avdiëvka, about 150 km northeast of Robotyné, after four months of repeated attacks. In the Avdievka sector, “the Russians are regrouping, they have achieved their tactical objectives” and “they will probably move units (from Avdievka) to other sectors,” spokesman Dmytro Lykhovy said.
Zelensky's visit to the front
For its part, the Russian Defense Ministry said it had “completely liberated the Avdiivka coking plant,” which sits on 340 hectares north of the city and was the last sector held by Ukrainian soldiers before their withdrawal. The Russian army has also “improved” its positions at the front in the Donetsk region, the ministry added in its daily report, without mentioning the Robotyní area. ©.
For his part, President Volodymyr Zelensky visited a brigade defending the Kupiansk region on the Northeast Front, where the Russians have also been on the offensive for several months. Volodymyr Zelensky particularly mentioned “the supply of equipment, ammunition and other urgently needed goods to the units,” as the presidency explained, at a time when there is a cruel shortage of weapons and ammunition in Ukraine.
The Ukrainian Air Force also shot down two Russian SU-34 and SU-35 fighter jets “that attacked our positions with guided bombs,” said the commander-in-chief of the armed forces from Kiev, General Oleksandr Syrsky.
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