Russian forces launched their largest assaults in eight months in eastern Ukraine’s Donetsk region last week, with a focus on cutting off key supply routes and forcing a mass Ukrainian retreat. At the same time, Ukraine successfully targeted Russian energy infrastructure and occupied Crimea, indicating progress in degrading Russian air defenses.
The Russian assaults concentrated on central and southern Donetsk, with a line about 130km long where they prevented Ukraine from establishing entrenched defences and advanced slowly at a high cost to their own troops. British military intelligence estimated high Russian casualties in May and June, but the exact numbers could not be confirmed.
Russia aimed to cut off key highways supplying Ukrainian garrisons, with recent battalion-sized assaults near Donetsk city and Vuhledar being thwarted by Ukrainian forces. However, Russia did succeed in taking territory, seizing several villages and advancing towards strategic locations.
In response, Ukraine conducted successful deep strikes inside Russian and occupied territory, targeting Russian airfields and military infrastructure with missile and drone strikes. These strikes inflicted significant damage on Russian military assets and disrupted their operations.
Overall, the conflict in eastern Ukraine intensified last week, with both sides making gains and suffering losses. Despite the high intensity of the fighting, Ukrainian forces managed to prevent significant Russian advances and maintain control of key locations. The situation remains dynamic, with both sides continuing to engage in military operations in the region.
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