Ukraine war briefing: ‘Hottest situation’ around Pokrovsk, says Ukrainian military

Ukraine’s army general staff reported intense Russian attacks in the Pokrovsk area of the Donetsk region on Sunday, creating the “hottest situation” along the frontline as the invaders pushed for gains. In an update, the general staff said: “The enemy has already attacked our positions 35 times today in the areas of Novooleksandrivka, Vozdvizhenka, Progress, Lozuvatskyi, Novoselivka Pershoya and Yasnobrodivka … The situation remains tense near Novooleksandrivka, Novoselivka Persha and Progress, where six clashes are still ongoing. Our defenders restrain the enemy.”

In the Kharkiv area, Russian forces attacked positions in the Hlyboky and Vovchansk districts three times, the update said . “On the Kupyansk direction, the enemy was also repulsed three times near Pishchany and Stelmakhivka. Suffered losses and withdrew.” In the Lyman area, there were eight Russian assaults in the area of ​​Makiivka and Grekivka. Other attempted advances took place around Seversky, Kramatorsk, and in the Toretsk area it was “tense” with locations near North and New York under attack.

The Institute for the Study of War thinktank said Ukrainian forces had recently regained lost positions near Vovchansk, north-east of Kharkiv city , while Russian forces advanced near Avdiivka, to the north of Donetsk city.

Russia’s defence ministry said its forces had taken control of the village of Urozhaine in Ukraine’s Donetsk region . Ukrainian bloggers also said Ukraine’s forces had relinquished control of the village, south-west of the Russian-held city of Donetsk. Ukraine’s military said fighting was still going on. Reuters, which reported the development, said it was not able to independently confirm the Ukrainian or Russian reports.

The general staff of Ukraine’s armed forces said Russia had launched 18 attacks on Urozhaine and other nearby localities . It made no mention of the village in a later report. DeepState, a popular Ukrainian military blog, reported Urozhaine’s capture on Sunday, saying Russian forces had launched “mass assaults on the south of the village”. It described the loss as a “defence collapse” the cause of which would have to be investigated.

Returning to Ukraine from the Nato summit in Washington, Zelenskiy touched down in Ireland to meet with the taoiseach, Simon Harris . Zelenskiy’s office said on social media that they had discussed support for Ukraine, cooperation in demining, and cybersecurity. “Thank you Ireland for supporting the peace summit in Switzerland! I thank the prime minister for his great personal attention and involvement in efforts to return children home.”

China and Russia’s naval forces have begun a joint exercise at a military port in southern China, according to the official news agency, Xinhua. It comes a few days after Nato allies called Beijing a “decisive enabler” of Russia’s war against Ukraine. The Chinese defence ministry said forces from both sides recently patrolled the western and northern Pacific Ocean and that the operation had nothing to do with international and regional situations and did not target any third party.

Russia last week used more than 700 glide bombs, more than 170 attack drones and almost 80 missiles against Ukraine, Zelenskiy said . “The scale of decisions to protect life should correspond to the scale of this evil. Each partner can influence the situation, can strengthen the defence against terror. And Ukraine is grateful to all our friends who do just that. Together we will overcome evil.”