the situation on the ground on day 63
Russian forces are advancing in eastern Ukraine, where they have taken several localities, and are targeting Western arms depots and their means of delivery, while in the west, fears of an overflow of the conflict in Moldova are growing.
Ballast
kyiv on Wednesday recognized an advance by Russian forces in eastern Ukraine, with the capture of several localities in the Kharkiv region and in the Donbass.
From Izium, already under their control, the Russian forces lead an assault in the direction of Barvinkové, further south. They took the locality of Zavody and the northeastern suburbs of the locality of Velyka Komychouvakha, the Ukrainian Defense Ministry said in its morning report.
Further east, towards Lyman, the Russian army captured the locality of Zaritchne and “made assault attempts near Iampil”, he continued.
Near Severodonetsk, one of the major cities in the region with 100,000 inhabitants before the war, forces from Moscow have taken control of the town of Novotochkivské and are leading an offensive towards Nyzhnie and Orikhové, according to the same source.
Since the start of the Russian invasion on February 24, the Ukrainian army has rarely recognized Russian advances or the capture of localities.
Russian air activity is concentrated in the south and east of the country in support of land forces, underlines the British Ministry of Defence, which specifies that “Ukraine retains control of most of its space aerial”.
South
The Russian army said on Wednesday that it destroyed in a strike a “large quantity” of weapons delivered to Ukraine by the United States and European countries.
“Sheds with a large amount of foreign weapons and ammunition, delivered to the Ukrainian forces by the United States and European countries, were destroyed with high-precision Kalibr missiles fired from the sea at the aluminum plant of Zaporizhia”, in the South-East of Ukraine, indicated the Russian Ministry of Defense.
He did not specify which weapons were destroyed in the strike.
The Russian military also claims to have carried out airstrikes against 59 Ukrainian targets, including 50 where troops were located and four ammunition depots.
“Russia continues to target Ukrainian military targets and infrastructure across the country,” according to the British Ministry of Defence.
The road and rail bridge spanning the Dniester estuary and linking the Odessa area to the Romanian border, hit on Tuesday, was again targeted on Wednesday morning, according to the CEO of Ukrainian Railways.
Transdniestria
The confused and worrying situation seems to be deteriorating in western Ukraine. Authorities in the pro-Russian breakaway republic of Transdniestria in Moldova said on Wednesday that a village bordering Ukraine hosting a major Russian ammunition depot had come under fire after being overflown by drones.
“Last night, several drones were spotted over the village of Kolbasna”, according to the Transdniestrian Interior Ministry, adding that on Wednesday morning, “shots were fired in the direction of Kolbasna from Ukraine”. without causing casualties.
Moldova fears an overflow of the conflict in Ukraine into its separatist region of Transdniestria, supported by Moscow.
The self-proclaimed “republic” of Transdniestria seceded from Moldova in 1992, after a short war against Chisinau. Since then, around 1,500 Russian soldiers have been stationed there.
In recent days, fears that the conflict in Ukraine could spread to Transdniestria have multiplied, after a Russian general claimed that the Kremlin offensive in Ukraine was aimed at establishing a corridor towards this separatist region.
Separatists said a series of explosions occurred Monday and Tuesday in the self-proclaimed “republic”.
Human losses
There is no overall civilian death toll. In Mariupol alone, the Ukrainian authorities speak of 20,000 dead, due to the fighting but also to the lack of food, water and electricity.
Russia is “ready to cooperate” with the United Nations to “relieve” civilian populations in Ukraine, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov assured Tuesday during a press conference with UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres. in Moscow.
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