Ukraine’s army chief, Col. Gen. Oleksandr Syrskyi, has reported that Ukrainian troops were forced to retreat from three villages in the eastern part of the country due to attacks by Russian forces. The situation on the battlefield is worsening as Ukrainian forces await much-needed arms from a large U.S. aid package to reach combat zones. Russian forces are continuing to attack along the entire front line of more than 1,000 kilometers, with fierce battles taking place west of Avdiivka, a city they took in February after a long fight.
The Russian forces have engaged up to four brigades in various directions, attempting to develop an offensive west of Avdiivka and Marinka towards Ukrainian-held cities like Pokrovsk and Kurakhove. Ukrainian Defense Forces have moved to new frontiers to preserve the lives and health of their defenders. However, a Washington-based think tank has predicted that Russian forces are likely to make significant tactical gains in the coming weeks due to ammunition shortages that are hobbling Ukraine’s defense efforts.
The Institute for the Study of War’s latest assessment indicates that Russian forces have opportunities to push forward in key areas and threaten cities that are crucial to Ukraine’s eastern defenses. Despite these efforts, the think tank does not anticipate Kyiv’s defensive lines to collapse in the near term. The Russian Defense Ministry confirmed that Moscow’s troops had taken a village north of Avdiivka, as President Joe Biden promised to send U.S. weapons shipments to Ukraine, marking an end to the battle with Republicans in Congress over the aid package.
On another front, Russian drones struck the Ukrainian city of Mykolaiv, damaging infrastructure and setting a hotel ablaze early Sunday. The strike caused serious damage to the hotel and heat-generating infrastructure in the city but fortunately resulted in no casualties. The Russian state agency claimed the target was a shipyard and a hotel housing mercenaries fighting for Kyiv, but these claims could not be independently verified. The Russian Defense Ministry also reported downing 17 Ukrainian drones overnight in different regions of Ukraine.
Russian shelling on Saturday and overnight wounded at least seven civilians across Ukraine, with reports of a woman being pulled alive from the rubble of her destroyed home in the Kharkiv region. The ongoing conflict continues to take a toll on civilians in Ukraine, with attacks and bombings causing casualties and damage to infrastructure. The situation remains precarious as both Ukrainian and Russian forces engage in battles across the front lines, with international aid playing a crucial role in supporting Ukraine’s defense efforts.
