Ukraine said it had regained a territorial advantage on Friday in a counterattack around the hotly contested eastern city of Bachmoet. Also on Thursday, the Ukrainian army was able to advance further towards the city.
“The enemy is continuing its attacks inside the city,” Sergei Cherevati, head of the eastern armed forces, told state television.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian forces pushed the Russians outside the town and continued to advance towards it. “The situation in Bachmoet is difficult but under control,” Cherevaty said. “We can see and anticipate the enemy’s intentions, prepare for them.”
Russian forces have been trying to take the strategic city of Bachmut for months, but appear to be losing momentum. They controlled most of the city which was almost completely destroyed, but Ukrainian forces have advanced from the north and east in recent days to encircle the Russians.
Moscow is moving thousands of troops to Bachmut for reinforcement, said Ukraine’s Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar. “The enemy cannot win with quality, so he tries with quantity,” he wrote in a Facebook post. “Russian troops continued to attack, resulting in losses far greater than ours.” (Belgium)
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