As outgunned Ukrainian troopers battle to carry again bloody Russian assaults on land, Ukraine mentioned on Wednesday that its forces had struck yet one more highly effective blow towards the Russians at sea, sinking a big Russian touchdown ship off the coast of Crimea earlier than daybreak.
The Ukrainian army launched footage of the strike, which it mentioned had resulted within the sinking of the 360-foot-long touchdown ship Caesar Kunikov, its fourth-largest touchdown ship taken out of motion within the conflict, presumably complicating Russia’s logistical efforts in southern Ukraine.
The Ukrainian claims couldn’t be instantly confirmed, however when NATO’s secretary basic, Jens Stoltenberg, was requested concerning the assault, he referred to as Ukraine’s marketing campaign on the Black Sea a “great achievement.”
“The Ukrainians have been able to inflict heavy losses on the Russian Black Sea Fleet,” he mentioned at a information convention in Brussels. Russia has misplaced greater than a 3rd of its fleet because the conflict started, in line with Ukrainian officers and army analysts.
Russia declined to touch upon the assault.
On the similar time, nevertheless, Ukrainian floor forces discover themselves in maybe their most precarious place because the opening months of the Russian invasion.
“The enemy is now advancing along almost the entire front line, and we have moved from offensive operations to conducting a defensive operation,” Ukraine’s prime army commander, Gen. Oleksandr Syrsky, advised the German outlet, ZDF, in his first interview since being promoted to the post last week.
The epicenter of the present preventing is across the battered metropolis of Avdiivka, a longtime Ukrainian stronghold in japanese Ukraine. Russian forces have damaged via Ukraine’s defenses to enter town in a number of places and are threatening to chop off the primary provide line for Ukrainian defenders.
Kyiv has dispatched reinforcements, however troopers preventing there have mentioned it’s unclear how lengthy they will maintain out. A rising scarcity of ammunition has compelled native commanders to ration their fires, making it tougher to push again the Russian advance.
