Kiev (EFE)
In his usual nocturnal message to the nation, Zelenski has announced that “in the south, we are advancing and in the east our defenses are consolidating.”
In addition, he has thanked the military who carry out these operations at different points on the front, especially in the Donetsk province and in the south of the country, where according to the president, the Kiev forces are “destroying the enemy.”
“In the Kupiansk area, whatever the terrorists are planning there, we will destroy them,” he declared, referring to this front town in the northeastern Kharkiv province, where Russia appears to have intensified its activity by deploying assault units. made up of common prisoners.
Offensive operations in Liman and towards Melitopol and Berdiansk
For its part, the Ukrainian General Staff reported this morning that the Ukrainian Armed Forces “continue to carry out offensive operations” in the direction of Melitopol and Berdyansk, cities occupied by Russia in southern Ukraine, and in the Liman area, in the country’s eastern Donetsk province.
The General Staff note speaks of “partial successes” in the surroundings of the towns of Rivnopil and Staromayorske, located in the southwest of Donetsk, near the administrative border with Zaporizhia, and from where Ukraine intends to advance south towards Melitopol. and Berdiansk.
In this area of the front, the Ukrainian forces “have consolidated” their positions on the recently recaptured ground.
In addition, kyiv troops have hit enemy targets with artillery fire.
“The enemy uses reserves, tries to restore lost positions. At the same time, he suffers heavy losses, ”says the military report on the situation on this section of the front.
As regards Liman, in the east, he also speaks of “partial successes” in the area of Bilogorivka and Dibrova and says that the Ukrainian forces have managed to consolidate their new positions.
The counteroffensive slows down
Ukraine focuses its counteroffensive, which began two weeks ago, in three different areas of the front located in Donetsk, in Zaporizhia and near the area where these two eastern and southern provinces, partially occupied by Russia, intersect.
But after a few days in which it recovered several towns, the attack actions seem to have slowed down and the Kiev authorities speak this week of “advances” without specifying the kilometers conquered as they did at the beginning.
In addition to holding out, Russia continues to try to gain positions in the east and is fighting to drive Ukrainian forces off the ground they have recently gained in the south.
Ukrainian experts contacted by EFE say of this initial phase of the counteroffensive that it seeks to identify the enemy’s weak points and open gaps in the Russian defense lines before Kiev puts the bulk of its attack units in the fray.