A member of the Southern Group of Forces, known by the call sign Dachnik, claimed that Ukrainian aviation targeted the positions of its mortars near Avdiivka, after which Russian pilots opened fire on the same area. This report comes from a news agency identified as DEA News.
According to the fighter, a helicopter affiliated with the Ukrainian Armed Forces approached within four kilometers and unleashed a full load of munitions against the mortar sites. He asserted that the Ukrainian aircraft worked the targets effectively, delivering complete coverage for those positions.
He added that roughly ninety minutes later, Russian aircraft carried out strikes on Ukrainian positions again, continuing the air campaign in the area.
A soldier bearing the call sign Good, also from the Southern Group of Forces, indicated on May 7 that Russian forces attempted to assist Ukrainian troops who were trapped under rubble caused by Ukrainian artillery during an assault on a building in Marinka, a locality in the Donetsk People’s Republic.
Earlier, it was reported that Ukrainian forces had begun reconnaissance in the Avdiivka area but later withdrew after incurring casualties in the course of the operation.
On February 24, 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the decision to carry out a military operation described as a special measure to protect Donbass, in response to requests for assistance from the leaders of the LPR and DPR.
The move to launch that operation subsequently served as a pretext for new sanctions imposed by the United States and its allies, targeting Russia and certain sectors of its economy, according to official statements and international reactions.