Russian offensive in eastern Ukraine continues after 54 days of war
Kyiv, Apr 18 (EFE).- Intense Russian attacks continue in southeastern Ukraine, in the Donbas region, as well as the attempt to block the city of Kharkiv (east) and the offensive to control Mariupol (south), the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense reported Monday, marking 54 days since the start of the war.
The ministry posted on Facebook that the Russians have continued to carry out large-scale armed aggression were completing the formation of an offensive group in the eastern zone of operation, referring to Donbas.
The Russian military also continues to launch rocket attacks on critical infrastructure targets in Ukraine.
The Ukrainian Army has identified, according to sources, troops from Belarus who continue to carry out support tasks between the border of Belarus and Ukraine in the Brest and Gomel regions in support of Russian operations.
Across that border, the Russians evacuate wounded forces and damaged elements of their army after fighting with Ukrainian troops.
The ministry underlined that Russian occupiers continue the partial blockade of Kharkiv and have been continuing to launch attacks on Ukrainian troops.
Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, has been heavily bombed by the Russians for days.
Its control is essential for Russian troops to control the bordering regions of Luhansk and Donetsk, both self-proclaimed independent republics recognized by Moscow.
The port city of Mariupol has been besieged since the beginning of the Russian invasion of the country on Feb.24, and of its half a million inhabitants, there are barely 100,000 people left, who, according to various NGOs, are victims of a humanitarian disaster.
Moscow is trying to take control of this virtually destroyed city to establish a corridor for its troops that would connect Crimea, territory it has controlled since 2014, with the pro-Russian regions of the Donbas.
It is in this area (Donetsk and Lugansk) that the Ukrainians repelled, according to these sources, 12 enemy attacks, destroyed 10 Russian tanks, 15 armored units and five automobile units, as well as five artillery units, among other materials. EFE
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