Ukraine claims progress after difficult week of fighting against Russia

In a “difficult” week for Kyiv’s counteroffensive against Russian forces, Ukraine claimed on Monday that its troops had won more ground along the eastern and southern fronts. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy termed this as success. Heavy battle last week resulted in the Ukrainian military regaining 37.4 square kilometres (14.4 square miles) of land, according to deputy defence minister Hanna Maliar. She claimed that Kiev’s forces were moving forward in eastern Ukraine’s Bakhmut direction and that Russian forces were advancing in the Lyman, Avdiivka, and Mariinka directions in the eastern Donetsk region. Ukraine had reclaimed nine square km over the past week along the eastern front “as a result of improving the operational (tactical) position and aligning the front line”, Maliar said.

NATO readies military plans against Russia

A senior NATO military officer declared on Monday that Russia’s military is battered but by no means defeated in the conflict in Ukraine and outlined the biggest revision to the alliance’s military strategy since the Cold War should Moscow dare to escalate hostilities. “They might not be 11 feet tall, but they are certainly not 2 feet tall,” the Chair of the NATO Military Committee, Admiral Rob Bauer, told reporters. “So, we should never underestimate the Russians and their ability to bounce back.” U.S. President Joe Biden and his NATO counterparts are set to endorse a major shakeup of the alliance’s planning system at a summit in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius next week. NATO, as an organization, does not provide weapons or ammunition to Ukraine. It’s sought to avoid being dragged into a wider war with nuclear-armed Russia. At the same time, it is massively reinforcing the security of member countries near Russia, Ukraine and Belarus. Around 40,000 troops are on standby from Estonia in the north down to Romania on the Black Sea. About 100 aircraft take to the skies in that territory each day, and a total of 27 warships are operating in the Baltic and Mediterranean Seas. Those numbers are set to rise. Under its new plans, NATO aims to have up to 300,000 troops ready to move to its eastern flank within 30 days. The plans divide its territory into three zones – the high north and Atlantic area, a zone north of the Alps, and another in southern Europe. In the south, Ukraine has regained 28.4 square km of territory, bringing the total area of recaptured territory along that front to 158.4 square km, Maliar added. “Last week was difficult on the front line. But we are making progress,” Zelenskiy wrote on the Telegram messaging app. “We are moving forward, step by step! I thank everyone who is defending Ukraine, everyone who is leading this war to Ukraine’s victory!” Russia, which began its full-scale invasion in February 2022, said at the weekend its forces had repelled Ukrainian attacks near villages ringing Bakhmut and in areas further south, particularly near the hilltop town of Vuhledar. It also reported success in containing Ukrainian troops in the northeast. Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said on Monday that a brief mutiny by the Wagner mercenary group last month had not affected Russia’s “special military operation” in Ukraine. “The provocation did not affect the actions of army groups (involved in the operation),” he told a ministry meeting.

Ukraine says Russian troops advancing

Earlier on Sunday, Ukraine said that Russian troops were advancing in four areas in the east of the country amid “fierce fighting” but reported its forces moving forward in the south. Deputy Defence Minister Ganna Maliar said that Russian troops were advancing near Avdiivka, Mariinka, Lyman and Svatove. “Fierce fighting is going on everywhere,” Maliar wrote on social media, adding: “The situation is quite complicated”. Ukrainian forces have made gradual progress in their counteroffensive launched last month but have so far failed to produce a major breakthrough and have urged Western allies to escalate pledges of military support. Maliar also said Ukrainian troops were advancing with “partial success” on the southern flank of Bakhmut in the east and near Berdyansk and Melitopol in the south. In the south, she said Ukrainian forces faced “intense enemy resistance, remote mining, deploying of reserves” and were only advancing “gradually”. Read all the Latest News , Trending News ,  Cricket News , Bollywood News , India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.