PUSHING FORWARD

Ukraine Claims Advances in Bakhmut as Major Fightback Against Russia Begins

“Our main task is to damage the enemy as much as possible.”

Kyiv’s forces are making advances in eastern Ukraine, a military spokesperson said Friday, as the beginning of the country’s counteroffensive against Russia gets underway. Speaking in a television broadcast, Colonel Serhiy Cherevaty claimed Ukrainian units have been striking Russian troops for “several days” around Bakhmut following the Wagner mercenary group’s withdrawal from the city. He said some groups had advanced over 1 kilometer in a single day. “Our main task is to damage the enemy as much as possible and knock out his combat potential, as we did before with the Wagner terrorist units,” Cherevaty said. “Now we do it with motorized rifle and airborne units of the enemy.” He added that 120 Russian troops were killed, 163 wounded, and 11 captured over the course of 24 hours.