While kyiv has asked its troops to withdraw from Lysytchansk, the pocket of resistance held between the Russian positions by the Ukrainian army is shrinking more and more under the infernal pressure of the Kremlin gunners. This Sunday, heavy shelling on Slovianks caused many deaths and injuries. In this region, Nicolas Tonev, special envoy of Europe 1, had met on June 20 a young Ukrainian deputy officer at the head of a tank company.
Tanks destroyed
Two weeks ago, Lieutenant Mikita went on the attack on the Lyssytchansk road to repel the Russians, but this Saturday afternoon, some of his tanks were destroyed, an exclusive testimony on this Donbass front at the microphone of Europe 1.
“What bastards…” whispers the lieutenant. On the video, Mikita and his crews have just discovered, shocked, two of their heavy tanks destroyed. Fortunately, the men are safe. “My tanks were destroyed by artillery near Barkhmout,” says Mikita, in a voice of emotion that has nothing to do with the self-confidence of before the bombardment.
Advance of the Russians
Despite the cover of the forest, the Russians hit exactly on the armored vehicles, therefore with good intelligence, either aerial by drone, or with relays on the ground. The place of destruction of the tanks, near Bakhmout, shows a significant setback compared to the area where Europe 1 had met the lieutenant two weeks ago.
This is the direct proof that this pocket of Ukrainian resistance is sunk in the east and that in the west, towards Sloviansk and Kramatorsk, the danger is more and more important for tired troops forced to retreat before Russian firepower.