Ukraine war: Kiev says troops are advancing on the eastern front

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By Yaroslav Lokiev in London and James Waterhouse in Kiev, BBC News June 5, 2023

Updated 1 hour ago

photo caption,

For months, Bakhmut has been in the Donetsk region at the center of heavy fighting (file photo)

Deputy Defense Minister Hana Malyar said that Ukrainian forces had advanced around Bakhmut, describing the eastern city as “the epicenter of the fighting”.

It did not say whether the long-awaited counterattack had begun.

Separately, the Russian military said it had repulsed a new offensive in the eastern Donetsk region on Monday.

Bakhmut has been in the center of fierce fighting for months. It has little strategic value – but it is symbolically important for both Kiev and Moscow.

Monday’s claims have not been independently verified by Ukraine and Russia.

In the early hours of Tuesday, air raid sirens sounded across Ukraine, with officials in Kyiv reporting that air defense systems were operating in the capital’s region.

Ms. Maliar said, in a post on social media, Monday, that “despite the fierce resistance and the enemy’s attempts to hold his positions, our military units advanced in several directions during the fighting.”

At Orekhovo, Vasolivka and Paraskovivka, it said Ukrainian forces had advanced from 200 to 1,600 meters (656-5,250 ft), while at Ivanevsky and Klychevka they advanced between 100 and 700 meters (330-2,300 ft).

All four villages are located several kilometers from Bakhmut. The battle for the city in the Donetsk region was the longest and bloodiest of the war.

President Volodymyr Zelensky, in a video address late Monday evening, thanked the Ukrainian fighters for delivering “the news we are expecting” in the direction of Bakhmut.

“The enemy knows that Ukraine will win,” he said.

Earlier today, Ukrainian military sources told the BBC that a series of small armored offensive operations were under way.

The Russian paramilitary group Wagner claimed to have captured the city in late May. In recent weeks, some analysts have indicated that Kiev forces are trying to encircle Bakhmut and detain Russian units.

A major Ukrainian counter-offensive has long been expected, but Kiev has already said it will not give advance warning of its start.

There has been a marked increase in military activity, with Ukraine claiming marginal gains elsewhere on the front line.

The latest reports are seen as a fresh sign that the expected Ukrainian pressure may be starting.

Photo source, the press service of the Armed Forces of Ukraine

photo caption,

A video released by the Ukrainian military claims to show a military vehicle near Bakhmut. The BBC has not verified the date of the photo

Meanwhile, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Monday that a new offensive by Ukrainian forces in Donetsk had been repulsed.

In a statement carried by state media, it said that the attacking side had suffered heavy losses, and that 28 tanks – including eight German-made Tigers – had been destroyed. This has not been verified by the BBC.

The head of the Wagner Corporation, Yevgeny Prigozhin, publicly mocked the Russian Ministry of Defense, calling its statement “wild fiction.”

This comes a day after Moscow announced that a “large-scale offensive” by Ukraine in the Donetsk region began on Sunday, but was unsuccessful. The Ukrainian military said it had no information about such a major attack in the area.

A video clip of what Russia described as a battle in Donetsk showed military vehicles under heavy fire in the fields. Russia says it killed 300 soldiers and destroyed 16 tanks.

“We do not have such information and we do not comment on any kind of fraud,” a Ukrainian army spokesman told Reuters.

There has been a significant increase in Ukrainian messaging about when and how their counter-attack may be shaping up.

Ukraine has been planning such a move for months. But she wanted as much time as possible to train troops and receive military equipment from the Western allies.

Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said his country now had enough weapons for a counterattack but would not comment on whether it had begun, Reuters reported.

Officials in Kiev cautioned against public speculation about the attack, saying it could help the enemy.

“Plans like silence,” the Defense Ministry said in a recent video. “There will be no announcement of the start.” The picture showed well-armed and masked soldiers holding their fingers to their lips.

It will take Ukraine some time to achieve its goal of liberating the territories Russia occupied nine years ago.

There is a lot at stake because the government in Kyiv needs to show the people of Ukraine — and Western allies — that it can break through Russian lines, end the effective military impasse and reclaim some of its sovereign territory.

The claim was made by the Russian Freedom Corps (FRL), which described the announcement as a joint statement with the Russian Volunteer Corps (RDK).

Both groups want to overthrow Russian President Vladimir Putin and oppose the full-scale invasion of Ukraine he launched in February last year.

Russia has blamed Ukraine for the recent attacks on its border lands, but Kiev denies direct involvement.

Meanwhile, President Zelensky met British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly in Kiev on Monday.

Zelensky said the couple discussed expectations from the upcoming NATO summit in Vilnius in July and Ukraine’s peace proposals.

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