In the Bakhmut sector (Donetsk Oblast, eastern Ukraine), the Ukrainian Armed Forces continue to hold the initiative, recapturing the positions to surround Bakhmut and drive Russian troops away from the town, Colonel Serhii Cherevatyi, spokesman for the Eastern Group of Ukraine’s Armed Forces, said during the national news telethon, Ukrainska Pravda reported.
The Ukrainian army is slowly advancing near Andriyivka, Colonel Serhii Cherevatyi said. The possible liberation of this settlement would significantly improve the tactical position of Ukrainian forces and allow the Ukrainians to build on the success and eventually dislodge Russian troops from Bakhmut, Cherevatyi said.
“Andriyivka, as well as any settlements around Bakhmut that will be recaptured, allow us to complete the operation to encircle Bakhmut or drive the enemy out,” Cherevatyi said. “We continue to liberate our land by hundreds of meters every day. Over the last week, the count has gone up to kilometers, and when the time comes, it will go up to tens of kilometers.”
According to Cherevatyi, the priority of the Ukrainian military command is a progressive advance that allows to minimize casualties among Ukrainian troops, while “inflicting maximum damage and losses on the enemy.”
Over the past 24 hours, 95 Russian soldiers were eliminated during the fighting near Andriyivka, 187 were wounded, and three were taken prisoner, Cherevatyi reported.
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