Russian troops advance in Donetsk as Ukraine retakes positions in Luhansk

Russian troops are advancing southwest of the strategic town of Bakhmut, the epicenter of fierce fighting in the east of the Donetsk region, trying to gain a foothold in neighboring Luhansk, where the Ukrainian army holds out and has already liberated 13 settlements.

“The situation at the front is difficult. Despite the extremely heavy losses of the Russians, the occupiers are trying to advance in the Donetsk region and gain a foothold in the Luhansk region, to gain a foothold in the Kharkiv region, they are planning something in the south.” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned.

However, the president assured that the Ukrainians maintain the defense of these territories and do not allow the enemy to “achieve their goals.”

Concentration of efforts in Donbass

As the General Staff of Ukraine pointed out in its part of the war, “the main efforts of the enemy are still concentrated on offensive operations in the area of ​​​​Bakhmut and Avdiivka,” where a number of settlements were subjected to tank, artillery and even air fire.

In the Luhansk region, practically controlled RussiaAccording to Oleksiy Smirnov, the first deputy head of the military-civilian administration of the region, Ukrainian forces continue their counteroffensive.

“Currently, 13 settlements of the Luhansk region have been liberated. Demining is essential for the safe provision of social services to residents and the restoration of functioning critical infrastructure,” he said.

For its part, the Russian army today said it had taken control of three new cities in the Donetsk region of Ukraine.

“During the offensive of the Russian troops in the direction of Donetsk, the settlements of Belogorovka and Pershne Travna of the Donetsk People’s Republic were completely liberated,” a representative of the Ministry of Defense said. RussiaMajor General Igor Konashenkov.

In addition, the military spokesman said that Russian troops today occupied the city of Andreevka, located ten kilometers south of the strategic city of Bakhmut.

The capture of Bakhmut would open the way for the Russian army to Slavyansk and Kramatorsk, the main Ukrainian strongholds in Donetsk.

minor advances

The American Institute for the Study of War (ISW) found that “Russian forces advanced marginally around Bakhmut” but noted that “it is unlikely that they advanced at the rate claimed by Russian sources.”

According to the think tank, “it is unlikely that Russian forces around Bakhmut will quickly place the city under imminent encirclement.”

The Ukrainian president ridiculed promises of a Russian advance in the east of the country, saying that “they said they would take the Donetsk region in spring, summer and autumn. Winter is starting this week.

Chief of Staff of the Presidium UkraineFor his part, Andrei Yermak condemned that the Russian mercenary company Wagner was sending Russian prisoners hired by this private military company to the front without weapons and equipment.

“They are taken to positions without weapons, as if they were meat. Then they bring weapons to them almost before the order to attack. They are given a rifle, but without bulletproof vests and helmets, and they begin to storm our positions,” he said.

Yermak pointed out that Wagner sends hundreds of such people to the front every day in the hope that they will be able to weaken the defense of Ukraine, and behind the backs of “this cannon fodder” Russian professional soldiers are hiding.

Big losses on both sides

Zelensky confirmed that as a result of these violent confrontationsRussia You will lose a hundred thousand soldiers this year and God only knows how many mercenaries.”

The Ukrainian military command today estimates Russia’s losses during the war at more than 88 thousand people, while Russia officially recognized about 6 thousand dead in its ranks and estimates the loss of Ukrainians at more than 61 thousand people.

While both sides avoid talking about their losses, the issue became a point of contention this Wednesday after European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen posted a video on Twitter in which she estimated 100,000 casualties in the ranks.

He later edited it to remove this statement.

Bohdan Senik, a spokesman for the Ukrainian General Staff, declined to confirm this figure, stressing that it was “classified information and with restrictions on distribution.”

“However, if what the president of the European Commission said serves to condemn the aggressor country, we can only support actions that will lead to legal punishment of those who commit genocide of the Ukrainian people,” he said.

(As reported by EFE)

OUR PODCASTS

Espacio Vital: Dr. Cesar Munaiko, Executive Director of Public Health Surveillance CDC at the Ministry of Health (Minsa), explained that avian influenza viruses could cause a pandemic. He said that there are two types of the virus: low pathogenic and highly pathogenic, which infect birds, poultry and in some cases infect humans. A person can become infected, but very rarely. In the United States, a case with fatigue was identified, but it could be controlled, it happens, but rarely, the specialist specified. He also pointed out that the H5N1 virus was found in pelicans, which is why Senasa issued a health alert, however H5N1 identification was not found in poultry, only in pelicans. He warned not to handle a dead bird, so he advised not to approach dead or sick birds.

Fernando Carvallo selects information and shares his vision of national and international news. sign to our Las cosas newsletter, as they should be reading your daily columns.