Newly arrived American military hardware, including Bradley infantry fighting vehicles, played a key role as Ukrainian forces halted a Russian offensive near Avdiivka and launched a counterattack.
After months of intense fighting, Ukrainian forces withdrew from Novomykhailivka days ago, having destroyed 314 Russian tanks/AFVs, inflicting devastating losses on Russian troops.
The Russian military is planning strategic advances west from Novomykhailivka and aims to bypass the heavily defended Vuhledar, seeking to reduce its high casualties.
Despite a surge in attacks South-west of Donetsk (806 in March vs 721 in Feb), no notable territorial gains made. Attacks increased in this sector but declined overall across frontlines.
"There are more daily assaults in Novomykhailivka than on the Avdiivka front, but our defense holds strong," emphasized Dmytro Lykhovii, as Ukrainian forces face increased Russian offensive.