Ukrainian army says it has advanced on the eastern front line
The Ukrainian army has reported advances on the eastern front line amid persistent challenges posed by drone swarms that hinder troop movements, with Kyiv launching a recent offensive, code-named Operation Vivaldi, along the extensive 1,250-kilometer (800-mile) front line, reports BritPanorama.
Ukraine’s Third Army Corps stated on Monday it has recaptured an additional 51 square kilometers (20 square miles) from Russian forces, bringing the accumulated total to 176 square kilometers (68 square miles) since the operation’s inception several months ago.
To breach Russian defenses, the corps has reportedly repurposed Soviet-era BTR-60 armored personnel carriers into kamikaze vehicles, effectively targeting and destroying robust Russian fortifications. This operation has also involved the use of ground robots in assaults on Russian positions.
These claimed advances occurred in the Donetsk region, an area where the larger Russian military has sought, but failed, to gain complete control.
As of now, Russian officials have not made any immediate comments about the Ukrainian claims.
Simultaneously, Russia’s Defense Ministry reported that its troops had captured the villages of Novovodiane in Donetsk and Ulanove in the northern Sumy region.
These assertions from both sides remain unverified independently.
Ukraine hits targets in southwestern Russia
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed that long-range strikes on Russian territory successfully targeted two defense plants in the Tula and Voronezh regions, as well as oil facilities in Krasnodar, all situated in southern and western Russia.
These assessments suggest Ukraine’s long-range drones continue to focus on critical Russian fuel depots and industrial facilities that underpin Moscow’s military and economic operations.
Reports indicated that Ukrainian drone attacks overnight resulted in fires at three infrastructure sites within the Krasnodar region, according to local emergency services, although specific locations were not disclosed.
Meanwhile, the Russian Defense Ministry claimed that air defenses intercepted a total of 254 Ukrainian drones during the same night.
