Russian troops trying to encircle Huliaipole – military spokesperson
Ukrainian forces recorded more than 35 combat engagements on the Huliaipole axis over the past day, while Russian troops intensified remote mining and air strikes on nearby settlements.
Ukrainian military spokesperson Vladyslav Voloshyn announced this on television, according to an Ukrinform correspondent.
"The Huliaipole sector is one of the hottest along our entire line of contact, and particularly in the south – this is where we record the highest number of combat engagements," Voloshyn said.
He specified that more than 35 clashes took place on this axis in just the past day.
"Specifically on the Huliaipole axis there were more than 35 such engagements, including about 15 directly in Huliaipole itself," Voloshyn said.
He stressed that the city has effectively turned into a gray zone where the enemy is actively using remote mining.
"Huliaipole now looks more like a gray zone, where the enemy has decided – in order to prevent assault actions by Ukraine's Defense Forces, to stop us from conducting search-and-strike operations and from pushing their entrenched groups out of the city – to remotely mine the part of the city where we are operating. That means scattering both anti-personnel and anti-tank mines there. It is mainly remote mining," he said.
In addition, according to him, Russian forces are trying to encircle the city from different directions.
"The enemy is attempting to envelop Huliaipole both from the north and from the south. That is why a large number of combat engagements are now taking place on the outskirts of Huliaipole," Voloshyn said, listing the settlements of Varvarivka, Zelene, Dobropillia, Zaliznychne, and the outskirts of Huliaipole.
He noted that fighting continues around the clock and that Ukraine's Defense Forces are conducting active counteractions.
"Combat engagements are ongoing there day and night, quite intense, but Ukraine's Defense Forces are trying to destroy the enemy and counterattack whenever they have the opportunity," he said.
Voloshyn also added that the enemy has sharply increased the number of air strikes.
"Over the past several days, the enemy has stepped up air strikes using guided aerial bombs. […] We are already seeing around 15 such strikes, and all of them are against settlements located close to the line of contact," he concluded.
On January 22, the enemy made 37 attempts to advance on the Huliaipole axis in the areas of Solodke, Varvarivka, Huliaipole, and toward Zelene and Dobropillia.
Photo: General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces