The Ukrainian army announced today, Thursday, that it has achieved "partial success" in combat in the southeast and eastern parts of the country, stating that its forces continue to carry out offensive operations there. Andrii Kovaliv, spokesman for the General Staff, stated that Ukrainian forces, which began to repel Russian military troops this month, are reinforcing the positions they reached after attacking the villages of Rivnopil and Staromayorsk in southeastern Ukraine.
The Ukrainian military media center quoted Kovaliv saying that Ukrainian forces are attacking small residential areas in Bilohorivka and Dibrivka in the east. He added, "Intense fighting is ongoing towards Lyman, in areas northwest of Dibrivka, and near the forests of Serebryansk, and north of Hryhorivka in the Donetsk region."
He also mentioned that Ukrainian forces are resisting Russian attacks in the areas of Lyman, Bakhmut, Avdiivka, and Marinka. Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar pointed out that her country's forces are containing the Russian forces on the eastern front and not allowing them to advance "even a meter." Maliar said, "Our defensive forces continue to effectively contain the advance of Russian troops," indicating that Ukrainian forces are "gradually moving forward on the southern front," where they reclaimed several villages last week. She added, "We have achieved partial success. We are pushing the enemy to retreat."
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, speaking to Interfax news agency today, stated that Moscow sees no need to recruit more volunteers for what it describes as a "special military operation" in Ukraine. TASS news agency also reported that the Russian Defense Minister mentioned that an average of 1,336 soldiers are signing contracts to join the army daily.
