Ukraine announces a general offensive and progress on several fronts

MADRID, 24 Jun. (EUROPA PRESS) -

The Eastern Group of the Armed Forces of Ukraine has launched this Saturday an offensive on the Orijovo-Vasilivka, Bajmut, Bohdanivka, Yagidne, Klishchiivka and Kurdiumivka fronts that have resulted in advances in all these directions, as reported by the Deputy Minister of Defense Ukrainian, Hanna Maliar.

Maliar has highlighted that the Russian forces have tried to advance in the directions of Kupiansk, Limansk and Marinsk, but "they have failed", according to the Ukrainian news agency UNIAN.

Likewise, Maliar has reported "intense fighting" in the south with Russian forces "on the defensive" and making "great efforts" to stop the offensive of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Maliar's report also includes "significant losses" in personnel, weapons and equipment by the Russian Federation.

This same Monday, the liberation of territories in the Donetsk region that had been occupied by pro-Russian forces and, later, by the Russian Army, since 2014, has been reported.

Specifically, the deputy commander of the eastern operational command, General Oleksander Tarnavski, has indicated that the Ukrainian forces have liberated areas close to Krasnogorivka, a small city located just 15 kilometers from the capital Donetsk.

"The advance of our forces continues," the communication officer of the 79th Air Assault Brigade, Yaroslav Chepurni, told the newspaper 'Ukrainska Pravda'.

The operation has also been confirmed by the Army spokesman for the front, Valerii Shershen, who has qualified that the liberation really took place a week ago, and that until now it had not been disclosed "for certain tactical reasons".

It should be remembered that two weeks ago, the Russian government launched a Ukrainian counter-offensive -- later verified by the British Ministry of Defense -- in an effort by Kiev to expel Russian forces from the eastern and southern fronts of the war.

Shershen ratified that these territories belonged since 2014 "to the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic", near the capital and right now they are the scene of a demining and equipment transport operation.

"Our assault units advanced quite unexpectedly for the enemy. Throughout this week, the enemy has been taking all measures to get us out of these positions, but all to no avail," the spokesman said.

Shershen has understood this advance as an operation of "symbolic significance for us, a turning point and an improvement of Ukraine's tactical positions on the front."