Ukraine said Monday that it had thwarted over 50 Russian attacks in the eastern Donetsk region, a day after it admitted to a worsening situation on the front line.
Moscow over the weekend announced that it had captured the eastern village of Novobakhmutivka, as struggling Ukrainian forces await the arrival of crucial U.S. military aid following months of deadlock in Congress.
The Ukrainian army said it had “repulsed 55 attacks” in several villages north and west of Novobakhmutivka. These included the village of Ocheretyne, where heavy fighting was reported on Sunday.
The villages lie north of the city of Adviivka, which was captured by Russian troops in February. Moscow’s forces have since pushed deeper into the Donetsk region.
Further south, Ukraine said its forces “continue to hold back the enemy” in several settlements west of the Moscow-held city of Donetsk, including the town of Krasnogorivka, which has served as a key stronghold for Kyiv.
Ukraine said Russian forces had “with the support of aviation, tried 15 times to break through the defenses of our troops.”
Krasnogorivka has grown more vulnerable since the fall of nearby Marinka and Avdiivka, with reports of increased fighting in recent weeks. Ukraine’s commander-in-chief Oleksandr Syrsky said Sunday his troops had retreated to new defensive lines further to the west in some areas.
