WESTERN PERSPECTIVE
Russia takes Ukrainian town in advance on Pokrovsk
Russia said on Sunday its forces had taken full control of a town in eastern Ukraine as Moscow's forces advance on the strategically important city of Pokrovsk and seek to pierce the Ukrainian defensive front lines.
Russian forces, which control about a fifth of Ukraine since invading in February 2022, are advancing in eastern Ukraine in an attempt to take the whole of the Donbas, which is about half the size of the U.S. state of Ohio.
Russia's defence ministry said its forces had taken the town of Novohrodivka, which lies 12 km (7 miles) from Pokrovsk, an important rail and road hub for Ukrainian forces in the area. The town had a population of 14,000 before the war.
Yuri Podolyaka, an influential Ukrainian-born, pro-Russian military blogger, published maps showing Russian forces attacking beyond Novohrodivka in at least two places less than 7 km (4 miles) from Pokrovsk.
The General Staff of the Ukrainian military, in a report issued on Sunday evening, gave details of fighting throughout the Pokrovsk sector, including Novohrodivka.
It said 29 attempted Russian advances had been repelled, with seven skirmishes continuing. "Our troops are taking measures to maintain designated positions," it said.
But an interview with a Ukrainian officer broadcast last week by U.S.-funded Radio Liberty said Ukrainian forces had abandoned Novohrodivka on grounds that the positions there were not favourable for defending it.
Popular Ukrainian war blog DeepState said Russian forces had captured the village of Nevelske, to the southeast.
Reuters was unable to immediately verify battlefield reports from either side due to restrictions on reporting in the war.
President Vladimir Putin said last week that a Ukrainian incursion into the Russian region of Kursk had failed to slow Russia's own advance in eastern Ukraine and had weakened Kyiv's defences along the front line in a boost to Moscow.
Ukraine's top military commander said on Thursday that Kyiv's incursion into the Kursk region was working. Russian forces, he said, had made no progress in their advance on Pokrovsk for the previous six days.
He said that one of the objectives of the Kursk incursion was to divert Russian forces from other areas, primarily Pokrovsk and Kurakhove. Russia had diverted large numbers to Kursk, but was also strengthening the Pokrovsk front, he added.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has said the Kursk operation was also to prevent Russian forces from crossing the border in the opposite direction.
Russia currently controls about 80% of Donbas. Given the speed of recent Russian advances in the east, some Russian war bloggers have raised concern about the army overreaching itself.
Putin ordered tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine more than two and a half years ago in what he calls a special military operation. Ukraine and its Western backers have vowed to defeat Russian forces and expel all Russian troops.
RUSSIAN PERSPECTIVE
Russian forces liberate DPR’s Novogrodovka
Russia’s battlegroup Center has liberated the settlement of Novogrodovka in the Donetsk People's Republic, the Defense Ministry said.
"The settlement of Novogrodovka in the Donetsk People's Republic has been liberated by the battlegroup Center. Russian servicemen defeated the manpower and equipment of the Ukrainian 47th mechanized brigade, 144th infantry brigade, the 49th assault battalion and the 109th territorial defense brigade near Dzerzhinsk, Shcherbinovka, Kleban-Byk, Mikhailovka, Krasnoarmeysk, Grodovka, Galitsynovka and Dimitrov of the Donetsk People's Republic," the ministry said.
It added that Russian forces also repelled eight counterattacks by the Ukrainian 32nd, 100th mechanized, 59th motorized infantry, 142nd infantry, 25th airborne brigades and 14th National Guard brigade. According to the ministry, the enemy losses amounted to up to 560 servicemen, a tank, a US-made MaxxPro and two Kozak armored fighting vehicles, two cars, a 152 mm Msta-B howitzer, a 152 mm D-20 gun and three 122mm D-30 howitzers.
Also the Defense Ministry said that Russian servicemen have hit a temporary deployment site of Ukraine’s Special Operations Center South.
"Over the past day, Russian forces hit the temporary deployment site of Ukraine’s Special Operations Center South, workshops of production, assembly and equipment of drones, accumulations of enemy manpower and military equipment in 127 areas," the ministry said.
Russian air defenses have shot down four Hammer aerial bombs and 23 Ukrainian drones over the past day, the ministry added.
"Air defenses shot down four French-made Hammer guided bombs, four US-made HIMARS rockets and 23 drones," it said.
Russia’s battlegroup Dnepr has eliminated up to 50 Ukrainian servicemen over the past 24 hours, the ministry added.
"The battlegroup Dnepr defeated the manpower and equipment of the Ukrainian 39th coastal defense, the 37th marine, and the 121st, 124th territorial defense brigades near Gavrilovka, Veseloye, Otradokamenka, Novokairy, Antonovka and Dneprovskoye in the Kherson Region. The Ukrainian losses amounted to up to 50 servicemen, an armored combat vehicle and five vehicles," the statement said.
Russia’s battlegroup South has eliminated up to 625 Ukrainian servicemen over the past 24 hours, the ministry said.
"The battlegroup South continued advancing deep into the enemy's defense and defeated the Ukrainian 24th, 54th mechanized, 10th airborne assault brigades, as well as the 12th National Guard brigade near Chasov Yar, Zaliznyanskoye, Grigorovka, Seversk and Katerinovka in the Donetsk People's Republic," the ministry said.
According to it, the Ukrainian armed forces lost up to 625 servicemen, a Kozak armored fighting vehicle, eight cars, a Strela-10 launcher, two UK-made 155 mm FH-70 howitzers, a US-made 155-mm M777 howitzer, a 152 mm D-20 gun, two 122 mm D-30 howitzers, a UK-made 105 mm L-119 howitzer, an electronic warfare station, as well as six field ammunition depots.
Russia’s battlegroup East has eliminated up to 130 Ukrainian servicemen over the past 24 hours, the ministry noted.
"The battlegroup East took more favorable lines and positions, defeated the Ukrainian 58th motorized infantry and 72nd mechanized brigades, as well as the 102nd and 105th territorial defense brigades near Velikaya Novoselka, Zolotaya Niva and Dobrovolye in the Donetsk People's Republic. The enemy lost up to 130 servicemen," the ministry said, adding that Ukraine has also lost four cars and a UK-made 155 mm howitzer.
Russia’s battlegroup West has eliminated up to 550 Ukrainian servicemen over the past 24 hours, the Defense Ministry said.
"The battlegroup West has improved its tactical positions, defeating the manpower and equipment of the Ukrainian 14th, 53rd, 54th mechanized, 77th airmobile, 3rd assault brigades, as well as the 114th territorial defense brigade near Kovsharovka, Petropavlovka, Kupyansk-Uzlovoy, Kruglyakovka, Borovaya, Lozovaya in the Kharkov Region and Serebryanka in the Donetsk People's Republic," the ministry said.
According to the it, the enemy lost up to 550 servicemen, a US-made M113 armored personnel carrier, a Kozak armored fighting vehicle, six cars, a Polish-made Krab 155 mm howitzer, two 122 mm D-30 howitzers, and a US-made 105 mm M119 gun. Anklav-N and Quertus electronic warfare stations, as well as six field ammunition depots were also destroyed, the ministry added.
Russia’s battlegroup North has eliminated up to 160 Ukrainian servicemen over the past 24 hours, the ministry said.
"In the Bryansk, Liptsov and Volchansk areas, the battlegroup North defeated the manpower and equipment of the 57th motorized infantry brigade, 82nd airborne assault brigade, 34th marine brigade, the 113th territorial defense brigade, the 3rd National Guard brigade, and the 4th Ukrainian Border Guard Service detachment near Goptovka, Okhrimovka, Sosnovka, and Volchansk in the Kharkov Region. The Ukrainian military lost up to 160 servicemen and a 122 mm D-30 howitzer," the ministry said.
Reuters/Tass