The Ukrainian army is currently in an “extremely difficult” situation facing Russian forces who are on the offensive in eastern and southern Ukraine after seizing the town of Avdiivka this weekend, recognized Monday Kiev. “The situation is extremely difficult at several points on the front line, where Russian troops have concentrated as many reserves as possible. They are taking advantage of the delay in aid” from the West to Ukraine, declared President Volodymyr Zelensky in his daily message.
The Ukrainian head of state added that his country lacked artillery and needed anti-aircraft defense as much as longer-range weapons, also believing that the blockade of the border with Poland by truckers and farmers Polish witness to the “erosion of solidarity” towards his country.
The main information:
- Ukrainian army in “extremely difficult” situation facing Russian forces, recognizes kyiv
- Five civilians were killed by a Russian strike in the Sumy region, located in the northeast of the country, close to Russia
- The two French humanitarian workers killed in Ukraine in a “deliberate attack”, says their NGO
- Russia claims new success in Ukraine after the capture of Avdiivka
- Ukraine “outraged” by new actions of Polish farmers
Russia claims new success in Ukraine after the capture of Avdiivka
Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed a new military success on Tuesday with the capture of a bridgehead built with great difficulty by Ukraine in the south, a few days after the “chaotic flight” of Ukrainian forces from Avdiïka. The Ukrainian army managed last year to form a bridgehead on the Russian-occupied bank of the Dnieper, a perilous operation that Moscow has since tried to put an end to. “This is indeed the case, Krynky has been cleared, we de facto control the entire bank,” declared Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, after the Russian head of state asked him, following images broadcast by the Russian media and an officer’s report, to confirm that this bridgehead had been conquered.
This announcement comes shortly after Russia captured Avdiivka, a town in eastern Ukraine, after months of fighting. If Ukraine said it had ordered its troops to withdraw from the ruined city to “save lives”, Vladimir Putin for his part mocked a “chaotic flight”. “This chaotic flight took place at the moment when the command of the Ukrainian army gave the order to withdraw to its forces which were already on the move and leaving the locality,” declared Vladimir Putin.
The Russian president considered that this order to withdraw had been given “for political reasons, in order to conceal this movement and give it the appearance of an organized withdrawal”. “It was actually a literal leak,” he added.
The two French humanitarian workers killed in Ukraine in a “deliberate attack”, says their NGO
The two French humanitarian workers killed in early February in southeastern Ukraine were victims of a “deliberate attack” carried out by drones, the Swiss NGO for which they worked said on Tuesday. The day after this attack on February 1, French President Emmanuel Macron denounced a “Russian strike” constituting a “cowardly and undignified act”.
The team of six collaborators from Swiss Protestant Entraide (Eper, Heks in German) was attacked while on a mission to assess the humanitarian situation in the region surrounding the town of Beryslav, on the north bank of the Dnieper River. , near the front line. “As they were leaving Beryslav, they were suddenly attacked by drones,” the NGO said in a statement.
Ukraine “outraged” by new actions of Polish farmers
Ukraine’s state-owned railway company said Tuesday it was “outraged” by new actions by Polish farmers who opened two Ukrainian wagons and dumped grain on the ground to protest what they consider unfair competition. “Ukrzaliznytsia is outraged by these actions of Polish protesters and calls for an end to these illegal actions,” the company said on Facebook, adding that it had sent a request to this effect to “Polish law enforcement.”
Russians attack from the east and south
On the battlefield, Russian soldiers, who have just obtained their first major territorial gain since the capture of Bakhmut in May 2023 by conquering Avdiïvka, in the eastern region of Donetsk, went on the attack in the east and the south, explained the Ukrainian army.
In the southern part of the front, “the enemy made 10 unsuccessful attempts against the positions of the (Ukrainian) defense forces in the area (of the village) of Robotyne. Here the situation is changeable, the enemy is inflicting heavy fire “, said Dmytro Lykhovy, the spokesperson for the Ukrainian military in this area.
Multiple Russian attacks in “small groups”
According to him, the Ukrainians repelled assaults launched “with a significant number of armored vehicles” but the Russians are now attacking with “small groups” supported by armored vehicles and an air force which is “actively operating”. “These offensive attempts have been stopped, the enemy has been eliminated on the outskirts of Robotyne,” assured General Oleksandr Tarnavsky, the commander of Ukrainian troops in the region. The Telegram channel DeepState, close to the Ukrainian army, reported on Sunday evening that the Russians had managed to break through the Ukrainian defenses a few kilometers east of Robotyne.
This village, now like many other localities completely razed by artillery fire, was recaptured from the Russians in August, which was described as an important success by Ukraine in the counter-offensive it had launched in summer. Russian attacks on this part of the southern front began this weekend as the Russian army captured Avdiïvka, some 150 km northeast of Robotyne, after four months of repeated assaults.
Five civilians killed by Russian strike on Russian border region
Five civilians were killed by a Russian strike in the Sumy region, located in northeastern Ukraine and bordering Russia, the Northern Command of the Ukrainian army announced on Tuesday. The tragedy occurred as Russia intensified its attacks in several areas east and south of the front line in Ukraine and has just taken control of the industrial town of Avdiivka, after four months of tough fights.
“According to preliminary information, five civilians were killed” in the village of Nova Sloboda, wrote the Ukrainian army on Telegram, referring to artillery fire and a drone attack on this locality located about ten kilometers from the Russian border.
The capture of Avdiivka, “an important victory” for Putin
In the Donetsk region, the Russian army has “improved” its positions, in particular it has “completely liberated the Avdiivka coking plant”, the last sector held by the Ukrainians before their withdrawal, Moscow officially announced on Monday. In the Avdiivka area, “the Russians are regrouping, they have achieved their tactical objectives” and “they will probably transfer units (from Avdiivka) to other sectors”, underlined Ukrainian spokesperson Dmytro Lykhovy.
Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke of an “important victory” after the capture of Avdiivka, a few days before the second anniversary of the start of the Russian invasion, on February 24. In Selydové, 30 kilometers east of Avdiïvka, this Ukrainian defeat revives distressing questions among the population: should they flee now or hope that the Ukrainian forces, in difficulty, can save them?