Zaluzhnyi: Ukraine holds defense, regains positions in 'some areas'

Ukrainian troops recaptured previously lost positions and gained a foothold "in some areas" along the front line, Commander-in-Chief of Ukraine’s Armed Forces Valerii Zaluzhnyi said on Feb. 11. He didn't specify the areas.

Zaluzhnyi said that Ukraine’s defense is holding, keeping Bakhmut, a city in Donetsk Oblast, under control, and taking measures to stabilize the front line around this city.

The fiercest battles are currently raging in the area of Vuhledar, and Mariinka, towns that sit about 150 kilometers southwest of Bakhmut, where Russia carries out up to 50 attacks per day, he reported.

Russian troops likely fled and abandoned at least 30 mostly intact armored vehicles in a single incident after a failed assault around Vuhledar, the U.K. Defense Ministry reported earlier on Feb. 10.

According to the Institute for the Study of War, Russia’s recent failure in Vuhledar points to the poor training of the newly mobilized Russian soldiers.

Ukraine’s intelligence claims that Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered his troops to fully occupy Donetsk Oblast, about half of which is currently under Russian control, by March.

Despite the ambitious goal, Russia’s advance has been slow in Donetsk Oblast since its forces lack the munitions and maneuver units crucial for successful offensives, according to the U.K. Defense Ministry.

Editorial: Arming Ukraine won’t escalate war. Reluctance to do so will

The Kyiv Independent