Ukraine advances near Bakhmut amid heavy fighting; Russian attack kills three in Odesa

Heavy fighting continues in the eastern region of Donetsk as Ukrainian forces advance towards the city of Bakhmut, which fell to Russian control last month. Despite Moscow’s claims that Kyiv’s forces have made no progress on the front lines, Ukraine’s east military command spokesperson, Serhiy Cherevaty, announced on Saturday that their forces had advanced 1.2 kilometres near Bakhmut within the past day.

Cherevaty explained their success by stating, “We took advantage of the enemy’s rotation measures and the fact that units which entered do not know the area fully, and failed to conduct appropriate reconnaissance and coordination. We struck. We have been carrying out assaults for several days.”

In a separate incident, the military command of the Black Sea port of Odesa reported that at least three people were killed in an overnight Russian drone and missile attack. Eight Russian drones and two missiles were shot down during the assault.

Ukrainian Deputy Defence Minister Hanna Maliar commented on the situation via the Telegram messaging app, saying, “The situation is tense on all areas of the front.” Maliar also identified the eastern areas where fighting has been particularly intense, including Lyman, Bakhmut, Avdiivsky, and Mariinka.

Over the past several days, Ukrainian forces have made significant gains around Bakhmut, aiming to encircle the city that has been devastated by months of conflict.

Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed that the Ukrainian counteroffensive has resulted in “significant” losses for Kyiv’s forces, adding, “Not in any of the directions have they achieved their goals, this is obvious.”

Meanwhile, Russia’s defence ministry reported that it continues to repel Ukrainian attacks in the southern region of Zaporizhia, which is home to Europe’s largest nuclear plant. Ukrainian officials have remained relatively quiet about the situation in Zaporizhia, but the head of the president’s office confirmed that a junior nurse and a plumber were killed by Russian shelling of a hospital in Huliaipole, located in the region.

Journalist Daniel Hawkins in Moscow told Al Jazeera that Moscow has been eager to provide updates on front-line events over the last 72 hours. According to Hawkins, videos have surfaced showing destroyed German Leopard tanks and US Bradley Fighting Vehicles in Zaporizhia. He expects that “battles are going to be ongoing for the next few days as Ukrainian forces probe Russian defences and try to break through.”

In addition, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced his intention to speak with Russian President Vladimir Putin soon, urging him to withdraw troops from Ukraine.