Andriivka captured by the Ukrainians

Andriivka captured by the Ukrainians

Ukrainian troops captured the village of Andriivka, which was under Russian control, near the city of Bakhmut in the east of the country, according to the military authorities of Kyiv.

"During the assault operations, Andriivka in the Donetsk region was captured," according to today's report of the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, reports Reuters.

Andriivka is located south of Bakhmut, the site of one of the bloodiest battles since the start of the Russian attack on Ukraine in February last year.

The General Staff also reported partial success near another village south of the city, Klischievka.

Senior military officials in Kyiv claim Ukraine is inflicting heavy losses on Russian forces on the southern front in an effort to retake territory near Bakhmut. Ukrainian reports speak of fighting in many parts of the eastern front, but without confirmation of significant breakthroughs in the three-month counteroffensive, reports Reuters.

Ukraine's progress has been much slower than last year, when Kyiv regained territory in the northeast, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and other officials reject Western criticism that the three-month offensive has been too slow and hampered by strategic mistakes such as the misplacement of troops.

Russian Defense Ministry announced that Russian forces repelled eight attacks in areas south of Bakhmut. Ukraine's Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar said Ukrainian forces captured three villages south of Bakhmut, including Andriivka.

"Progress has been made there," Maliar announced on Telegram. Russian forces captured Bakhmut in May after months of fighting that left the city in ruins. Since then, Ukrainian forces have been attacking Russian positions, especially south of Bakhmut.

Maliar did not mention the towns of Avdiyivka and Marinka, further south in the Donetsk region, a day after she said both had come under heavy Russian attacks. On the southern front, where Ukrainian forces have focused on capturing more villages in their advance toward the Sea of Azov, Maliar said Russian troops have suffered significant losses during attacks on key cities.

Russian casualties, Maliar said, "significantly reduce their ability to defend themselves," reports Reuters.