The Ukrainian military has repelled 60 Russian attacks and shot down six UAVs since Sunday, according to the general staff in Kiev.

Russian forces were most active on the fronts of the Donetsk region (east), according to the same source, while the city of Kherson (south) suffered massive artillery hits.

The hottest spot on the front remains the town of Bakhmut, in Donetsk. The commander of Ukraine’s armed forces in the eastern part of the country, Oleksandr Syrsky, accused Moscow’s forces of using “scorched earth” tactics like in Syria.

“Buildings and positions are destroyed by airstrikes and artillery. The situation is difficult but under control,” General Sirski said. According to the same senior Ukrainian officer, Ukrainian forces are “heroically” resisting Russian attacks on the city and have decimated the mercenaries of the Wagner mercenary company, forcing the Russian military to now deploy regular army special forces units.

General Sirsky’s statements are in direct contrast to those of the head of the private military company Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, in which the “musicians” (the mercenaries of his company) are advancing and that Ukrainian forces are struggling because they have lost supply routes.

Moscow remains determined to capture the entire Donetsk region, its declared goal since the start of the war in February 2022.

The British Ministry of Defense noted yesterday that emphasis has recently been placed on the cities of Marinka and Abdiivka, but with “minimal” gains. Marinka is 20 kilometers southwest of the city of Donetsk and is practically destroyed. However, it is an important logistics hub.