Ukrainian forces continue their offensive in Bakhmut sector – military spox

Serhii Cherevatyi, spokesman for Ukraine's eastern military command, said this on Ukrainian television, Ukrinform reports.

"Today, on the eastern front, the enemy cannot operate over our positions. He only operates from distant positions. He carries out about 20 strikes per day, and, as a rule, these are either Mi-24 or Ka-52 attack helicopters, Su-25s, or newer Su-35s. This is a powerful strike force, but not a key one, and we are coping with it well," Cherevatyi said.

According to him, Ukrainian defenders are currently more bothered by rocket artillery, but Ukraine's defense forces continue their offensive in the Bakhmut sector.

"We have two key sectors left - this is the Bakhmut sector where our troops are putting heavy pressure on the enemy, destroying their personnel and equipment. The enemy desperately offers resistance, using all types of artillery. They struck our positions 580 times in the last 24 hours. There were five clashes, three enemy air raids. During the fighting in the Bakhmut direction, 56 occupiers were killed, 104 were wounded, and five were captured. Three enemy T-72 tanks, an armored car, three IFVs, a BMD, D-30 howitzers, three field ammunition depots, an unmanned aerial vehicle and two Lancet kamikaze drones were destroyed," Cherevatyi said.

Speaking about the Kupiansk sector, he noted that here the enemy is trying to break through Ukrainian defenses, but the decision to strengthen this direction allows Ukrainian forces to keep the situation under control.

"Kupiansk is a sector where the enemy tries to seize the initiative, trying to act aggressively and break through our defenses. However, due to a set of measures that have been taken, including the fact that the commander worked directly in this area, orders were given, defense was strengthened, the situation, though difficult, is under control. We know the units of the enemy, their commanders, their intentions, so we act so as to disrupt their plans," Cherevatyi said.

According to him, the enemy carried out 16 air raids in the Kupiansk direction over the past 24 hours.

"In the past 24 hours, the enemy launched 559 artillery strikes on our positions in this sector, more aircraft were used, including against civilians. He made 16 air raids over the entire area and four attempts to attack our positions. Repelling the attacks, 30 occupiers were destroyed, 110 were wounded. Three tanks, a D-20 howitzer, an Orlan-10 UAV, seven cars, three field ammunition depots and three enemy dugouts were destroyed," the spokesman said.

When asked about changes in the conduct of hostilities by the Russians, he noted that the enemy's tactics have not changed significantly.

"They have been acting for a long time not proactively, but reactively, that is, reacting to a change in the situation, to our actions, and using everything they had. Their main problem is personnel," Cherevatyi said.