Russian forces “are promoting intense fire” as a multi-pronged offensive takes shape in three regions, according to the Ukrainian military leadership. The General Staff of Ukraine’s Armed Forces said on Thursday that the Russians were focusing on trying to make a breakthrough in the Izium area of eastern Ukraine.
Located in the Kharkiv region, the city of Izium has become a stage for Russian forces as they try to advance through the neighboring regions of Donetsk and Luhansk.
“To strengthen the advance group, the occupiers also transferred air units to the city of Izium,” the General Staff said in its daily operational update.
One of Russia’s goals is to advance the Lyman settlement, which is close to the industrial and transport hub of Sloviansk, according to the Ukrainian military official.
“The enemy has improved its tactical position, trying to develop an offensive in the village of Lyman,” said the General Staff, and is preparing to cross the Seversky Donets River.
Images emerged on Wednesday (27) showing that a bridge over the river had been destroyed.
To the southeast, near the city of Donetsk, “the main efforts are focused on surrounding the Defense Forces,” the General Staff said, with the cities of Mariinka and Ocheretyn under attack.
In the Luhansk region, the Russians are attacking the small town of Orikhove, according to the General Staff.
Serhii Haidai, head of Luhansk’s regional military administration, said Russia’s offensive near Orikhove was not successful. But the city of Lysychansk, about 28 kilometers away, was hit hard, with 13 buildings destroyed.
“All the hits in Lysychansk, 99% are in residential neighborhoods, houses, markets and shops,” Haidai said.
Haidai said the Severodonetsk hospital was still functioning, despite being bombed on Wednesday.
In southern Ukraine, according to the Ukrainian military, the Russians are using an airfield in Melitopol as a base for Su-25 attack aircraft, Ka-52 attack helicopters, and Mi-8 transport and combat aircraft.
The military has acknowledged that the Russians have made incremental progress in the Kherson region as they try to advance towards the town of Mykolaiv. “The enemy has gained a foothold in the area of the Tavrijske settlement,” and is bombing nearby villages from there, he said.
The General Staff said on Wednesday, a Russian plane and six drones were shot down, while on the ground five tanks and other armored vehicles were destroyed.
some background: As part of the second phase of its invasion, Russia has said it wants to secure all of Ukraine’s eastern regions of Donetsk and Luhansk – parts of which Russian-backed separatists have controlled since 2014 – and consolidate a land bridge linking Russia’s Rostov region with Crimea, which Russia captured from Ukraine eight years ago.
Source: CNN Brasil
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