UKRAINE’S SMASHING WIN
Crushes Russian bid to cross Kharkiv river
Satellite imagery showed a brutal blow dealt to Russian forces in eastern Ukraine this week — dozens of burnt-out shells of tanks being all that remained of a Russian attempt to cross the Siverskiy Donets River east of Kharkiv.
Ukrainian successes north and east of the nation’s second-largest city this week have opened up a new phase in the war, as both the Russian border to the north and the Kremlin’s supply lines to troops in the Donbas region are now potentially in range of Ukrainian artillery.
The dramatic turnaround in the region was highlighted Thursday by the UK Ministry of Defense in its latest intelligence update.
“Despite Russia’s success in encircling Kharkiv in the initial stages of the conflict, it has reportedly withdrawn units from the region to reorganize and replenish its forces following heavy losses,” the UK agency said.
But Russian troops were mounting a resistance Thursday, according to Ukrainian authorities.
“In the direction of Kharkiv, Russian army units are regrouping and trying to prevent the further advance of our troops in the direction of the state border of Ukraine,” defense ministry spokesman Oleksandr Motuzyanyk said. “To this end, the occupiers launch unceasing artillery attacks on our troop units in order to inflict human losses, as well as to damage weapons and military equipment.”
The regional governor of the Kharkiv oblast said Russian rocket artillery hit the city’s suburbs, killing one and wounding three.
Ukrainian officials would not confirm how close their forces had gotten to the Russian border.
‘Very difficult’
Russia’s retreat has begun to make it possible for some residents to return to recaptured villages around Kharkiv. But areas remain unsafe — littered with mines and booby traps, and still within Russian shelling range.
Both sides reported strikes overnight across the border. Ukrainian officials reported shelling from the Russian town of Tyotkino; Russia said Ukraine hit Solokhi near Belgorod.
The news came as:
Between eight and 12 Russian missiles hit the oil refinery and other infrastructure in the Ukrainian industrial hub of Kremenchuk Thursday, the acting governor of the central Poltava region said.
Ukraine’s deputy prime minister, Iryna Vereshchuk, said “very difficult negotiations” are ongoing to evacuate 38 seriously wounded fighters from the besieged Azovstal steel plant in the ruined Ukrainian port city of Mariupol, in exchange for Russian prisoners of war.
Petro Andrushchenko, an advisor to Mariupol’s mayor, said Russian forces had blocked all evacuation routes out of the city. He said that some residents of the city — which has been under varying levels of siege for more than 10 weeks — have begun cooperating with Russian authorities in return for food and water.
Meanwhile, fierce fighting continued across the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine.
Ukrainian authorities said Thursday that Russian forces had opened fire on Ukrainian positions “along the entire line of confrontation” and attempted to storm several cities in the region, but were repulsed.