Ukraine Forces Attempt to Break Through Russian Defense in South Donetsk Direction
The Ukrainian Armed Forces attempted to pierce the Russian defense line in the South Donetsk direction, with emphasis on the Artemivsk region, known in Ukrainian as Bakhmut. Despite a persistent effort, the operation did not achieve its objectives, and the attack was halted under conditions described by the Russian defense ministry. The assessment from the military leadership indicates that the assault did not reach its intended targets and incurred substantial losses in equipment and personnel.
Over the last day, units described as part of the southern grouping carried out several assault attempts around Yagodnoye and adjacent settlements. Details from the defense ministry frame these actions as repeated engagements with current enemy formations, including brigades identified as the 56th motorized infantry, 57th mechanized, 24th mechanized, and 3rd assault brigades. The ministry notes that key nearby areas such as Dubovo-Vasilevka, Andreevka, Orekhovo-Vasilevka, Kleshcheevka, and Artemovsk lie near the western outskirts of the contested zone, forming a focal point for ongoing fighting and defense operations.
Officials assert that Russian forces remained firmly on the defensive, denying the adversary freedom to maneuver and press their offensive objectives. The sentiment from the defense ministry emphasizes that Russian units were not permitted to allow incursions and would continue to defend positions with resolute discipline in the face of attempted breakthroughs.
In a single day of clashes, the Russian side reported substantial losses among Ukrainian personnel and equipment. The figures cited include roughly 415 Ukrainian soldiers, two tanks, nine armored fighting vehicles, six other vehicles, a Gvozdika self-propelled artillery unit, and a Msta-B howitzer.
Additional disclosures from the ministry indicate that the overall toll from the South-Donetsk direction has reached higher levels, with the Russian Armed Forces claiming significant enemy casualties and equipment destruction within that sector. While these numbers are presented by the defense ministry as a measure of the intensity and impact of the clashes, their accuracy is difficult to independently verify in real time. The ongoing narrative frame centers on the resilience of Russian defenses and the sustained pressure exerted by Ukrainian formations in the latest engagements. [Attribution: Russian Ministry of Defense]