In a statement on Wednesday, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said that Ukrainian troops are facing challenging defensive operations on parts of the eastern front due to the bitter winter cold that has set in. However, he noted that forces in the south are still conducting offensive actions.
This comes after Russian troops launched offensives on different sections of the front line in Ukraine’s east this autumn, attempting to advance on the devastated town of Avdiivka and in the northeast between the towns of Lyman and Kupiansk.
Zelenskiy also mentioned that the weather and defense are both difficult on the Lyman, Bakhmut, Donetsk, and Avdiivka fronts, while offensive actions continue in the south.
The snow and freezing temperatures, which were about minus 5 degrees Celsius during the day on Wednesday and expected to drop lower, may further complicate operations on the battleground. The fighting is now moving into an attritional phase.
It is worth noting that Russia launched a full-scale invasion in February 2022 and currently controls nearly a fifth of Ukraine. In response, Kyiv launched a counteroffensive to retake the occupied territory this summer, but has not managed to force a major breakthrough.
Since mid-October, Avdiivka has faced waves of attacks followed by temporary lulls, according to the Ukrainian military. The head of the “Tavria” military command confirmed on Wednesday that Russian troops had “dramatically increased” the number of assaults and airstrikes.
Commander Oleksandr Tarnavskyi said on Telegram that Ukrainian forces are steadfastly holding the defense in the Avdiivka direction, while continuing their offensive on the southeastern Melitopol front.
In their morning readout on the battlefield, the General Staff reported that troops were also holding onto the bridgeheads secured on the eastern side of the River Dnipro, which was occupied by Russian forces in the early days of their invasion.
It is important to note that Reuters could not independently verify the frontline reports.
(Reporting by Yuliia Dysa; editing by Tom Balmforth and Bernadette Baum)
