Ukraine intercepted a Russian advance near Avdiivka in the east of the country on Tuesday night. However, the Russians would regroup further south. “Our defense is holding up,” says military spokesman Dmytro Lykhovyy.
The Ukrainian army intercepted a Russian advance near Avdiivka in the east of the country on Tuesday night. However, Russian troops would regroup in an area further south. “Our defense is holding up,” says military spokesman Dmytro Lykhovyy. “The enemy is making enormous efforts, but is not making any progress.”
On Tuesday morning it became clear that the Russian army was continuing its ground offensive in eastern and southern Ukraine. The Ukrainian General Staff reported 63 battles along the approximately 1,000 kilometer long front. After the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from the town of Avdiivka in the industrial Donbass region, the focus of fighting shifted south to the town of Novomykhailivka, southwest of Donetsk, a military spokesman said.
Odessa, on the Black Sea, attacked with drones
On Tuesday night, Russia once again attacked the Ukrainian Black Sea region of Odessa with combat drones. The Russian military has used 22 attack drones against Ukraine, the Ukrainian Air Force said. Air defense intercepted 18 of these drones. Initially there was no information about possible damage or victims.
At the same time, Russian sources on the annexed Crimean peninsula reported Ukrainian attacks near the city of Kerch. Remotely controlled drones would be used in the air and at sea. The extent of these attacks could not initially be estimated. Ukraine has been defending itself against a full-scale Russian invasion for more than two years. The 741st day of war will be counted on Tuesday.
In February, Ukraine was forced to withdraw from Avdiivka
After months of fighting, the Ukrainian army had to evacuate Avdiivka in mid-February, which since 2014 had been a frontline town against Donbass' neighboring Russian-controlled metropolis of Donetsk. In the days that followed, Russian troops continued their advance and captured several villages. A Ukrainian military spokesman said on Monday that it was now possible to stabilize the front northwest of Avdiivka. “The enemy’s advance has stopped,” Dmytro Lykhovy, spokesman for Ukrainian troops in this sector of the front, told Kiev television. This military information could not initially be independently verified.
Russia has accumulated large reserves near Novomykhailivka, southwest of Donetsk, Lykhovy said. The number of Russian attacks is increasing there – he reported up to 30 battles per day. Above all, Ukrainian troops lack artillery ammunition to defend themselves against Russian attacks. They are also largely unprotected against bombing raids by Russian fighters.
30 million tons of cargo transported across the Black Sea
Despite Russian threats, Ukraine transported nearly 30 million tons of cargo through its Black Sea shipping corridor in just over six months. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said this in his evening video speech. “This is remarkable in times of war,” Zelensky said in Kiev. “I am grateful to everyone who works in our ports and on ships, and to everyone who guarantees the functioning of the maritime corridor and its safety.”
The cargo volume almost reached the mark of 33 million tons of grain, which was exported from July 2022 to July 2023 under the so-called Black Sea Grain Initiative. In August 2023, Ukraine established its own maritime corridor from its seaports to the Turkish Strait – without Moscow's security guarantees. The route has been heavily used since then, although there have been some Russian attacks on freighters and it remains a residual risk.
Lithuania will join and financially support the Czech initiative to acquire artillery ammunition for Ukraine. Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte said in Vilnius that she promised this to her Czech colleague Petr Fiala in a telephone conversation. The prime minister of the EU and NATO Baltic country did not initially provide any additional information. According to President Petr Pavel, the Czech Republic has the opportunity to purchase large quantities of artillery ammunition for Ukraine from third countries. However, the country is looking for partners who contribute to the costs of bulk purchases. (APA)