Russian forces reported fending off a Ukrainian company-sized assault aimed at the Soledar-Artemovsk axis. This information was conveyed by Vadim Astafiev, the press center chief for the Southern Group of the Russian Federation’s Armed Forces, according to DEA News.
Astafiev noted that an attack intended to push the tactical group of a Ukrainian company in the Soledar-Artemovsk direction had been blocked. He described the effort as unsuccessful and stated that Ukrainian forces did not achieve their objective in this encounter.
According to the briefing, air defense crews with the Buk-M3 system from the Southern Group intercepted two missiles fired by the HIMARS launcher. In a separate engagement near Avdievka, a rifle squad from a special forces unit reportedly shot down a Ukrainian Fury unmanned aerial aircraft.
Additionally, the Russian side claimed to have destroyed ten transport vehicles and five self-propelled 155-millimeter guns, along with three mortar firing positions belonging to the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the vicinity of the Gornyak settlement. The press center head also stated that a detachment from the 110th Separate Mechanized Brigade of the Ukrainian army was eliminated along the Maryinsky corridor.
A further claim reported two unsuccessful attempts by Ukrainian forces to return to combat positions near Pobeda village, with the objective of stabilizing their operational posture being unmet.
In related remarks, Denis Pushilin, a former deputy head of the Donetsk People’s Republic, asserted that Ukrainian forces sought to breach Artemovsk’s wings to complicate the city’s defensive situation. The remarks reflect ongoing assessments of the operational environment and the strategic aims attributed to Ukrainian actions in the area.