The Russian military has made “significant” progress in the Zaporijia region of southern Ukraine, Moscow-appointed Governor Evgeny Balitsky said on Tuesday.
“Our units have made significant progress northeast of Novopokrovka,” the Russian occupation official said via the social network Telegram, at a time when Russian forces intensified attacks along the entire front.
“The situation is tense, but our men continue not only to maintain defenses but also to advance gradually,” he added, stating that Ukrainian forces suffered “significant losses.”
This is the first breakthrough claimed by a Russian officer in southern Ukraine since the Ukrainian counter-offensive was halted.
Novopokrovka is a village northeast of Robotyne that was recaptured in August by Ukrainian forces who hoped to advance into the area and then move south towards the Sea of Azov.
In its morning report, the Ukrainian army general staff said it had repelled Russian attacks in the area, without providing further details.
“In the Zaporijia region, defense forces prevented three enemy attacks in areas north of Pryutne and west of Novopokrovka,” he continued.
According to the same source, the Ukrainian army is preventing attacks on a large part of the battle front.
In the area of Avdiivka, an industrial city in the east that has been the target of a major Russian offensive since October, Ukrainian units have “repelled 42 enemy attacks”.
Around Bakhmut, an area where fighting lasted for almost a year and a half, Kiev said “fourteen enemy attacks were repulsed”, as well as in the Mariinka area.
This information being spread today by Moscow and Kiev has not yet been verified by independent entities or journalists.
Meanwhile, the Russian Ministry of Defense reported that air defense systems today shot down a Ukrainian Tochka-U missile over the territory of the Belgorod region, on the border with Ukraine.
“Today at 5 a.m. (2 a.m. in Lisbon), an attempt by the Kiev regime to carry out a terrorist attack on targets on the territory of the Russian Federation using a Tochka-U tactical missile was foiled,” said a statement. according to the Ministry of Defense.
According to the Russian military, the missile, with a range of up to 120 kilometers, was destroyed over the Belgorod region, which borders the Ukrainian regions of Sumi and Kharkov.
Belgorod Governor Vicheslav Gladkov said that according to preliminary data, there were no casualties or damage at the site where the fragments of the intercepted missile fell.
Gladkov added that 23 impacts of artillery shells and mortar mines were recorded in the region on Monday, but they caused no casualties.
Source: DN
