As battles continue around the strategic city of Bakhmut, which has seen fierce confrontations for months and has become an obstacle to Russian advances in neighboring areas, attention turned yesterday to southern Donetsk, where Moscow has intensified its assault aiming to seize the city of Ugledar. In this context, Ukrainian Army spokesperson Denis Pushilin confirmed that Russian forces are attempting to capture the eastern towns of Bakhmut and Avdiivka but are making no progress. He stated that they have lost many armored vehicles and tanks and have suffered significant casualties during the fighting, contrary to reports from Russian officials. Meanwhile, the commander appointed by Russia in the part of the Donetsk region controlled by it announced that most Ukrainian troops have withdrawn from a metal factory west of Bakhmut and that Russian forces are making progress.
With the arrival of advanced Western tanks to Ukraine ahead of an anticipated counter-offensive, Moscow has sent hundreds of new and refurbished tanks to the conflict area. Russia announced yesterday the downing of an American smart bomb recently supplied to Kyiv.
**Diplomatic Developments**
On the diplomatic front, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky extended an invitation to Chinese President Xi Jinping to visit Ukraine. A spokesperson for the U.S. State Department stated that the United States supports the creation of a special court for crimes of "aggression" against Ukraine. In another context, the International Olympic Committee issued recommendations for the gradual return of athletes from Russia and Belarus to international competitions as neutrals, despite opposition from Ukraine and the head of the Russian Olympic Committee, with both sides describing the move as unacceptable.
