Kyiv
CNN
—
Ukrainian officials have cautioned that Russia is carrying out offensive actions across much of the front line. Ukraine’s military is working to maintain its positions as its ammunition starts to diminish, and United States funding continues to be stalled in Congress.
The fighting is fierce in the northeast along a stretch of territory at the meeting point of the regions Kharkiv and Luhansk. Ukraine recently announced the withdrawal of its forces from the Kharkiv village of Krokhmalne to secure more strategic defensive positions on higher ground. Reports indicate that Russian forces are continuing to advance in the area.
The General Staff of Ukraine’s army revealed that Ukrainian forces have encountered 13 attacks near Krokhmalne, as well as on Tabaiivka to the northwest of the village, and on Stelmakhivka to the south.
“The enemy is concentrating on a significant number of artillery attacks, attempting to move forward,” a spokesperson for Land Forces Command informed Ukrainian television regarding the situation near Krokhmalne.
The frontlines, predominantly situated in eastern and southern Ukraine, have been relatively static for several months after Ukraine’s counteroffensive was largely repelled by heavily fortified Russian defenses last summer. However, the recent Russian offensives coincide with Ukraine’s critical shortage of ammunition, as the war approaches its two-year anniversary.
Ukrainian forces are also encountering increased pressure further southeast in the area around Bakhmut, which was the main focus of Russia’s winter offensive a year ago. Russia’s efforts have been focused in the southwest of the city, around the mostly destroyed villages of Klishchiivka and Andriivka, according to Sergeant Oles Maliarevych of the 92nd Separate Brigade.
“The adversary is amassing forces…they attack every day,” Maliarevych stated in an interview with Ukrainian television.
Reuters
A Ukrainian serviceman prepares 155-mm artillery shells near the front line in Zaporizhzhia, amid Russia’s attack on Ukraine, on January 14, 2024.
Maliarevych emphasized the significant threat posed by drones, which have had an increasingly substantial impact on the battlefield over the past year. He mentioned that the Russians have a substantially larger number of drones than Ukraine, and some are equipped with night vision.
Klishchiivka and Andriivka represent the easternmost edges of Ukraine’s limited territorial gains around Bakhmut, the land recovered in September as part of Ukraine’s counteroffensive.
However, Ukraine’s gains last summer were modest. In an attempt to disrupt Russia’s land corridor to Crimea, Ukrainian forces aimed to push south from the town of Orikhiv towards Tokmak, but only managed to reach Robotyne, slightly over 20 kilometers (12.4 miles) south.
Oleksandr Shtupun, a Ukrainian military spokesperson responsible for operations in the south in Zaporizhzhia region, stated that Russia’s efforts are focused on reclaiming territories taken back by Ukraine.
“Overall, the invaders are very active, they have increased the number of offensive and assault operations. For the second consecutive day, they have been conducting 50 combat engagements daily. The adversary is active in all directions,” Oleksandr Shtupun expressed.
“In Zaporizhzhia region, the adversary is attempting to regain lost ground.”
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