“Losses in their own ranks”
Ukraine: Russian attacks repelled in south-east
07/17/2022 11:59 am
Cities and towns in the Sloviansk and Donetsk regions came under massive Russian artillery fire once more. But the attempts to conquer further territories fail. According to the Ukrainian army, it can fend off the attackers – and speaks of falling morale on the part of the enemy.
According to their own statements, the Ukrainian armed forces successfully repelled attacks from the Russian side in the Sloviansk region in the eastern region of Donetsk. The general staff in Kyiv announced that there had been massive artillery shelling on military and civilian infrastructure in various towns. The enemy, however, had no success, recorded many losses and withdrew once more following resistance from the Ukrainian side. The information cannot be independently verified.
The Russian military also fired massively with artillery in the direction of Siwersk and Bakhmut in the Donetsk region. Dozens of towns were affected by the attacks. “In view of the heavy losses in their own ranks, the majority of the occupation forces’ units are in a very bad moral and psychological condition and are looking for a way to avoid participating in further hostilities,” the Ukrainian General Staff report said.
The Russian Defense Ministry recently announced an expansion of the attacks in eastern Ukraine. After capturing the Luhansk region, Russia next wants to wrest the Donetsk region from complete Ukrainian control. The head of the Ukrainian military administration for the Luhansk region, Serhiy Hajday, said that two more villages there are under Kyiv’s control. He contradicted reports from Moscow that Russia had completely taken over the Luhansk region.
Meanwhile, according to British information, the Russian military is strengthening its defensive positions in the occupied areas of southern Ukraine. Troops and equipment would be increased between Mariupol and Zaporizhia and in the Kherson region, the Foreign Ministry said on Twitter in London, citing recent reports from military intelligence. Security measures would also be increased in Melitopol.
