“The Latest on Russian-Ukrainian Conflict: Avdeevka and Mariinka Hold, Heavy Fighting in Bakhmut Direction”

The Ukrainian Defense Forces now hold and control Avdeevka, in Marinka the enemy met strong resistance in the town. This was written by the Deputy Minister of Defense Anna Malyar, writes UNIAN.

She emphasized that now it is hottest in three directions – Avdeevski, Mariinsky, Bakhmutsky.

Malyar noted that the Avdeevski and Mariinsky directions also have the general name “Tavrichesko direction”. This is the area of ​​responsibility of General Alexander Turnavski.

“There is heavy fighting going on there now. The enemy seeks to control Avdeevka and Mariinka. The enemy has concentrated its main efforts in the direction of Avdeevka and is trying to capture the city. But our fighters firmly hold the line and control Avdeevka,” said the deputy minister.

According to her information in Mariinka, the enemy entered the city.

“The fighting was actually in the centre, but our defense forces made the enemy’s task very difficult. Faced with strong resistance in the city, the enemy directed his efforts to the flanks around the city – to the north and to the south,” Malyar commented.

She noted that the enemy suffered significant losses in these directions – both in manpower and equipment, but did not stop.

As UNIAN reported earlier today, Malyar spoke about the operational situation in the Bakhmut direction: the Russians understand that they cannot win, so they increase the number of personnel and hope for an advantage in heavy artillery.

She noted that very heavy fighting continues in the Bakhmut direction. Russian troops continue to attack at the cost of heavy losses, which “disproportionately exceed” Ukrainian losses.

At the same time, the ASU holds the lines of the “aircraft” area in Bakhmut. In the suburbs of Bakhmut yesterday, the rate of advance of Ukrainian troops was slightly reduced. At the same time, the enemy is unable to regain lost positions. Defenders reflect all enemy attacks in that direction.

According to the head of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, at the beginning of the full-scale invasion, the Russians used an average of 60,000 shells. He also believed that, logistically at least, the Alliance countries were not ready for war.

Russian troops fired up to 30,000 different projectiles into Ukraine during the day, compared to an average of 60,000 at the start of the full-scale invasion, Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov said, Interfax-Ukraine reports.

“The Russians used up to 60,000 shells of various calibers against the Ukrainians day and night. According to our estimates, they are already using 25-30,000 projectiles of various calibers per day,” he said.

The head of the Ministry of War believes that, at least in terms of logistics, the countries of the Alliance were not ready for war.

He praised the current procedures in NATO, calling them “correct, logical and wise”, but added that all this is not for wartime.

“The regime under which we had to supply the armed forces of Ukraine was not ready for this,” Reznikov said, adding that, fortunately, NATO officials already know this.

Russian troops are adapting to the war in Ukraine by using new infantry tactics and – given past failures – implementing new means of protection such as thermal camouflage.

PMC Wagner was also reported to have purchased tens of thousands of “game helmets” from China, circumventing the sanctions. Secret Pentagon documents say that in early 2023, mercenaries from the Wagner paramilitary group also tried to buy weapons in China, but failed.

Kiev is actively training units of the armed forces of Ukraine to force the Dnieper, reports the American newspaper Washington Post and quoted by foreign agencies.

According to the publication, the maneuvers take place twice a week using boats and pontoon bridges.

The Ukrainians are also secretly testing their ability to cross the Dnieper and train units for a possible landing on the banks of the river.

The article also quotes a statement by Ukrainian General Mykhailo Drapatoi that the special forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine were trying to cross to the left bank of the river to carry out diversionary operations, but the landing was stopped by Russian troops. In addition, the publication notes that the Ukrainian military has begun building barges to transport heavy weapons.

“You will be killed immediately if you try to swim across the river. About 20-30 people can easily capture a piece of territory of 100 meters, but then the artillery will bury them in 15 minutes,” admitted Ukrainian colonel Roman Kostenko.

The Armed Forces of Ukraine missed the chance to organize a counteroffensive in the Zaporozhye region. The acting governor of the region, Yevgeny Balitsky, added that the enemy’s readiness for a counteroffensive is currently quite low.

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