Town hall on Russia’s war in Ukraine

The Ukrainian military says that Russian forces attempted unsuccessful assaults along several parts of the front lines in the north of Ukraine— including along the border of Kharkiv and Luhansk regions — an area where the Russians have been trying to break through for several weeks.

The forests west of Russian-held Kreminna have seen fierce fighting since the Russians brought reinforcements into the area in December. But they have been unable to reach open land around the towns of Torske and Zarichne, which would bring them closer to larger cities in the Donetsk region. 

There has also been fierce fighting further north, around the town of Svatove, but the front lines there have changed little. 

“We did have escalation a few days back both in Svatove and Kreminna sectors. It was really hard on us when they attacked. It was quiet today though since our defenders have repelled powerful attacks in all directions, destroyed lots of manpower and equipment,” Serhiy Hayday, head of the regional military administration in Luhansk, said.

“They (Russians) have retreated to regroup I guess, to pull in some equipment,” he added.

Hayday said that the Russians “throw a company of heavy equipment and a company of infantry on the offensive at the same time. They used to attack with one to two tanks plus a single platoon, now it’s more than that.”

Meanwhile in the east: In its daily update Thursday, the military’s General Staff said that Russian forces continue to attack in several locations around the city of Bakhmut, where Ukrainian units are trying to keep access to the city open. It said 13 settlements in the area had come under fire.

Unofficial military accounts say that heavy fighting persists to the north and northwest of Bakhmut, where Russian units — including Wagner paramilitaries — are trying to take higher ground and tighten their grip on access routes into Bakhmut.  

Col. Yuriy Madyar of the 28th Separate Mechanized Brigade said in a video message that “the situation on the northern flank is becoming more difficult. This is where they want to make possible encirclement of Bakhmut.”

He said Ukrainian units “are strongly holding the southern flank.”

“Northern outskirts of Bakhmut were dynamic last night, it is now more quiet, so we’re preparing for the night ahead … Southeast direction as well as south and southwest sectors are under constant enemy pressure.”

The Ukrainian military also says cross border mortar and artillery fire continues in the north, with several places in the Sumy, Chernihiv and Kharkiv regions affected. Some analysts assess this fire is to fix Ukrainian defending units in the north, preventing them from being redeployed to the Donetsk region, where much of the heaviest fighting is concentrated.

In the south, the Ukrainian military claims that in the Russian occupied city of Melitopol, school children are taking the oath of “junior soldiers” (Yunarmiya).

And in Maripuol, it claims, “The occupiers are persuading locals to engage in equipping positions around the city in exchange for food rations, causing a humanitarian crisis.”