Escalation of Battles in Donetsk and Significant Advances by Russian Forces

Russian military units made important progress on the Marinka front in Donetsk on Sunday, threatening Ukrainian defenses in the southwestern outskirts of the town, according to the "Novosti" agency. "Novosti" released a video of an attack on a Ukrainian fortified position in the area, where a Russian reconnaissance group found four Ukrainian soldiers. Only one of them attempted to resist, who turned out to be a mercenary from Georgia. Once he was mortally wounded, three Ukrainian soldiers immediately surrendered without attempting to aid him. Earlier, the Ukrainian army reported that Russia had launched unsuccessful attacks near the village of Yahidne over the past day, after the "Wagner" group claimed to have captured the village located in eastern Ukraine where fighting is ongoing. The General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces stated, "Russia continues to focus its attack along the front lines of the entire city of Bakhmut, where the village of Yahidne is located." The ongoing battle for control of Bakhmut, whose population has decreased from 70,000 to 5,000, is witnessing some of the most exhausting fighting in the year-long conflict.