Ukrainian authorities collect debris after a Russian rocket attack in Kharkiv, Ukraine, on Thursday. (Sergey Bobok/AFP via Getty Images)
The Ukrainian military has reported another day of heavy artillery and rocket fire by Russian forces in the Kharkiv and Donetsk regions, accompanied by airstrikes. But he says the Russians have failed to gain ground in any region, not even in the south.
In Kharkiv, “the enemy unsuccessfully tried to advance in the direction of Velyki Prohody – Pitomnyk with assault actions,” the army’s general staff said. The area is about 20 kilometers (about 12 miles) north of Kharkiv.
In one of the most intense battles in Donbas today, the General Staff said another attempt to break through Ukrainian lines along the Luhansk-Donetsk border had failed. “Ukrainian soldiers repulsed the offensive in the direction of the Lysychansk – Ivano-Daryivka refinery. The enemy suffered losses and retreated,” he said.
In the direction of Sloviansk, Russia launched artillery fire on areas north of the city, the General Staff said.
“The Russians have been constantly shelling the city for 20 days. As a result of today’s shelling, two people were injured,” Sloviansk Mayor Vadym Liakh told Ukrainian television. “There has been no water supply in the city for two months, and 15% of the residents have no electricity due to bombing.”
“22,000 people remain in the city. If the shelling increases, more people will want to evacuate,” Liakh added.
The area around the town of Bakhmut was also shelled again on Thursday and there were also airstrikes, the General Staff said.
In the south, the Russians had tried to launch an assault along the border of the Mykolaiv and Kherson regions, he said, but had been repulsed. This area, around Andriivka, has seen increased fighting in recent days, but no change in current positions.