Vladimir Putin’s forces have made further gains in at least three locations along the eastern front in Ukraine – including for the first time in several months an advance in the northern Kharkiv region – highlighting again Kyiv’s need for ammunition and weapons from the United States and other allies.
Russia’s tactical advances are now daily and reflect the new tempo on the battlefield since the fall of the industrial town of Avdiivka in February.
The gains are generally modest -– from a few hundred meters of territory to perhaps a kilometer at most – but they are usually taking place in several locations at once.
Meanwhile, Ukraine’s losses are being accompanied by criticism from influential military bloggers and analysts of the armed forces’ official battlefield updates.
One of Russia’s main efforts is in the Donetsk region. Ukraine’s DeepState monitoring group, which updates daily changes in frontline positions, shows Russian forces pushing forward in eight different locations along 20-25 km of the frontline in one 24-hour period.
Military bloggers on both sides have reported that Russian forces have crossed a watercourse and taken control of the settlements of Semenivka and Berdychi – which Ukrainian army chief Oleksandr Syrskyi confirmed in a post on Telegram on Sunday. Russia had deployed up to four brigades in offensive operations in the area, Syrskyi said.
A few kilometers to the north, Soloviove is now also reported to be in Russian hands, and the tiny settlement of Keramik is at least partially so as well.
Russian forces have made a significant advance in Krasnohorivka, capturing the strategically important industrial area in the heart of the city. The Russian flag was symbolically raised on a building within the industrial area, an event that was publicly shared. Additionally, they have consolidated their positions in Netailove and Georivka, according to reliable reports. Furthermore, there is no official confirmation that Arhankhelske is completely under Russian control; a video shows the Russian flag atop the northernmost building in the town. A similar scenario unfolded in Kotlyrivka: soldiers from the 47th Armored Division announced in a video recorded on the outskirts of the village that it had been fully captured. The situation at the front remains volatile and dynamic.
