Kyiv: Russia fails to storm Ukrainian positions in 3 fronts, fierce fighting ongoing

Russia unsuccessfully tried to storm the positions of Ukrainian forces in the Kupiansk, Lyman, and Svatove directions, as “fierce and serious” battles rage on in a “tense” situation, Kyiv’s army said.

“As for the east, the enemy's biggest attacks are really on the Kupiansk and Lyman directions, but they are also trying to storm the Svatove direction. Today we have been repelling enemy attacks there all day… these are very fierce and serious battles, and we must understand that the situation is tense,” Ukrainian Deputy Minister of Defense Hanna Malyar said.

She added that in Bakhmut direction, Ukrainian forces were advancing along the southern flank despite the fact that the enemy has increased artillery fire. On the northern flank, Russia was trying to retake previously occupied positions but was not successful.

Additionally, she said that Ukraine's defense forces were destroying Russian defensive and offensive potential so that they could not seize the tactical initiative. Initiative in war refers to the ability of a military force to dictate the terms and pace of the conflict, often by taking proactive, offensive actions.

Malyar said: “Our Ukrainian Armed Forces have the task of moving forward and liberating our territories, and the fulfillment of such a task is always linked to the need to destroy the enemy's defensive and offensive forces, so the enemy is trying to seize the initiative, because now we have the tactical initiative and we are advancing.”

She added: “But this is a shaky situation and it is constantly necessary to defend this status of the party that now has the tactical initiative. Therefore, our soldiers destroy their potential every day so that they cannot seize this initiative and put up as little resistance as possible. Because the resistance to our offensive actions both in the east and in the south is unprecedentedly high. And the fact that electronic warfare stations are being destroyed, weapon depots are being destroyed, enemy missile launchers are things that were supposed to fight against us, they were supposed to be moved here, but thanks to our Armed Forces, this will not happen.”

Read more:

Ukraine says second armed rebellion in Russia ‘not too far off’

After Moscow drone attacks, Kyiv says more war coming to Russian soil

NATO jets monitor as 3 civilian ships run through Russia’s naval blockade of Ukraine