According to their own statements, the Ukrainian troops have slowed down the Russian advance in the east of the country with fierce resistance.
The soldiers repelled the enemy’s attempts to cross a river and encircle the city of Severodonetsk, said the governor of the Lugansk region, Serhiy Gajday, on Saturday. In the north, Russian forces withdrew from the city of Kharkiv, according to Ukrainian sources.
“Fierce fighting is currently going on on the border with Donetsk region, on the side of the city of Popasna,” said Gaiday. According to the governor, the Russian troops suffered heavy losses in soldiers and equipment an entire Russian battalion refused to attack because they saw what was happening.” Aerial photos showed dozens of destroyed armored vehicles on the riverbank, as well as wrecked pontoon bridges.
Russian troops suffered heavy casualties after Ukrainian forces repulsed their attempt to cross the river, the British Ministry of Defense said. The maneuver speaks “for the pressure under which the Russian commanders are to advance their operations in eastern Ukraine”. The ministry stated that the Russian armed forces “have not made any significant progress despite the concentration of their forces in this area”.
According to the Ukrainian army, it also succeeded in driving the Russian troops out of the northern city of Kharkiv – which had been a priority for Moscow. In the Kharkiv region, “enemy efforts are primarily focused on ensuring the withdrawal of its units from the city of Kharkiv,” said a spokesman for the Ukrainian General Staff.
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