Russian forces have taken control of two front-line villages in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region, as reported by a Ukrainian army sergeant on Monday. This comes as part of a series of assaults in Russia’s summer push to overpower battlefield defenses in the region.
Furthermore, attacks in Russia’s Kursk region by the Security Service of Ukraine, also known as the SBU, caused power outages in several substations, according to a statement from the General Staff of Ukraine. This statement followed Russia’s claim of thwarting a nighttime drone attack from Ukraine.
Chief sergeant Oleh Chaus of Ukraine’s 47th Separate Mechanized Brigade described how Russian forces continuously pressed to capture the villages of Vovche and Prohres using a large number of troops. The Russian Defense Ministry has recently claimed control over the villages, although the Ukrainian General Staff has not officially commented on this.
These villages are located approximately 20 miles northwest of Avdiivka, a city in Donetsk that was seized by the Russian army earlier this year. This victory marked the Kremlin’s most recent significant triumph in the ongoing war.
Russia’s overwhelming military advantage has forced Ukrainian forces to repeatedly retreat from defensive positions to avoid capture or casualties.
Deputy battalion commander Oleksandr Shyrshyn confirmed the capture of the villages and attributed the setbacks to poor troop training, low officer capabilities, motivation, and inadequate weaponry.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy described the situation in the Donetsk region as “extremely challenging.” Russia’s strategy of attritional warfare, combined with powerful assaults on Ukrainian defenses, has resulted in gradual gains for the Kremlin.
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Ukraine faces significant challenges against Russia’s larger army along the approximately 600-mile front line.
The Russian troops are intensifying their efforts to breach Ukrainian defenses around Pokrovsk, a town that used to have a population of around 60,000 before the war. The Ukrainian General Staff reported 52 recent attacks in the area over a 24-hour period.
Additionally, Russian air defenses successfully repelled a barrage of 39 Ukrainian drones over multiple regions. Ukraine claimed responsibility for strikes in the Kursk region.
Ukraine’s General Staff reported power outages in certain districts following explosions near substations. The attacks were carried out by the Security Service of Ukraine’s Special Operations Center and other Defense Forces components.
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Russia’s Defense Ministry reported intercepting and destroying the drones near the border regions as well as in the Leningrad region. Damage was inflicted on a power plant, a bridge, and a power line by drone debris.
Ukraine’s use of advanced drone technology in targeting critical infrastructure deep inside Russia is aimed at increasing the cost of the war for Moscow and disrupting its military operations.