The commander of the Ukrainian armed forces, Oleksandr Sîrski. Credit: Ukrinform / Shutterstock Editorial / Profimedia
The head of the General Staff of the Ukrainian army, Oleksandr Sîrski, said on Saturday that his forces are facing a new attack targeting a key city on the eastern war with Russia, while Moscow said progress in a south-west sector, Reuters reports.
After the initial-failed-to Kiev from the first weeks of the invasion launched in February 2022, the Russian troops focused on conquering the entire Donetk region of eastern Ukraine. The city of Kostianti Intrivka was a major target.
The Ukrainian forces have defended the city for months in front of Russian attacks, but this week the regional governor urged the residents there to evacuate the area as the infrastructure gives up.
Commander Sîrski said on Telegram on Saturday that the area around KostiantiNivka is marked by heavy battles.
“The enemy is heading for Kostantiacka, but, apart from suffering numerous losses, he has not done anything,” says Oleksandr Syrskyi.
“The aggressor tries to pierce our defense and advance along three operational sectors,” added the head of the General Staff of the Ukrainian army.
A spokesman for Ukrainian forces in the East, Viktor Trehubov, told Ukrinform that the cities of Kostantiacka and Pokrovsk, in the west, were “the main battle arena and strategic ambitions of the Kremlin.”
Sîrski also said that Ukrainian forces have resisted a strong attack near the village of Yablunivka in the northeast of the Sumyî region, where the Russian forces tried to set a buffer area inside the Ukrainian borders.
Also on Saturday, the Russian Ministry of Defense said that Moscow forces occupied Cervona Zirka, a village in southwest, near the administrative limit of the Dnipropetrovsk region.
Russia controls about a fifth of Ukrainian territory
The slow advancement of Russia in eastern Ukraine, with Moscow by claiming villages every day, led to the destruction of cities and infrastructure.
Moscow insisted that progress to a resolution of the war, which lasts 40 months, depends on Ukraine's recognition of Moscow's control over four Ukrainian regions – Lugansk, Donetsk, Zaporojie and Herson.
The Russian forces control about one fifth of the territory of Ukraine, although they do not fully own any of the four regions.
In recent weeks, Moscow has said that his troops have made progress in areas adjacent to the Dnipropetrovsk region, which are near the Donetk and Zaporojie regions. Ukrainian officials denied the reports of the Russian part.
