Armed Forces of Ukraine already have fire control over Bakhmut-Horlivka highway

"Intense fighting continues in the area of the Eastern Group of Troops. I can say that the struggle is dynamic, but the types of operations are different: while we are defending ourselves and trying to hold back the enemy's onslaught in Kupyansk-Lyman direction, we have success and continue to push them back in Bakhmut direction," Illia Yevlash, head of the press service of the Eastern Group of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, said during the United News telethon, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

He informed that the enemy had hit the positions of our defenders 1,100 times over the past day. In particular, 576 artillery strikes were recorded in Bakhmut direction, the Russian troops used tactical and army aviation five times, and 10 combat engagements took place.

"We continue the offensive operation on the southern flank of Bakhmut. We have success near Andriyivka, Odradivka, Kurdiumivka," Yevlash noted.

According to his data, enemy Pion self-propelled gun and Lancet UAV were destroyed over the past day.

"The greatest concentration of enemy forces is currently observed in Lyman-Kupyansk direction – more than 110,000 personnel. Also, the enemy keeps a large number of armored vehicles, artillery systems and multiple launch rocket systems there. However, we have not recorded any combat engagements in this direction for about a week. But this does not mean that there are no military operations. The enemy continues to shell the positions of the Armed Forces. Over the past day, the enemy launched 552 artillery strikes in this direction and used aviation 17 times," Yevlash said.

He emphasized that the enemy focused on Kreminna areas, where 190 strikes were launched and aviation was used 10 times. The Russians also used artillery more than 150 times near Siversk, in the area of Bilohorivka and Rozdolivka.

According to Yevlash, the enemy is not giving up its goal to completely capture Luhansk and Donetsk regions.

"The enemy is intensively trying to regain the lost positions in the liberated Andriyivka and Klishchiyivka because they are very important from a tactical point of view. It is 7 km from Klishchiyivka to Bakhmut. Exposing this flank gives us an opportunity to strike more at the concentration of personnel, the enemy's command posts, and equipment. The access to Andriyivka and Klishchiyivka gives us the opportunity to get closer to the Bakhmut-Horlivka highway, which is already under our fire control. Mortars and anti-tank guns already reach this area. Therefore, the enemy’s logistics in this direction has already become much more difficult and will get complicated further," Yevlash said.

He emphasized that the Armed Forces of Ukraine continued to move forward with much smaller forces compared to the enemy.

"Although the enemy has air supremacy, they suffer 7-8 times more losses while defending than we do while going on the offense," the spokesman said.

As reported, the liberation of Klishchiyivka in Donetsk region created a bridgehead for the Armed Forces of Ukraine, which will allow for the development of further offensive actions.