Ukraine thwarts Russia's attempts to cross river in Luhansk; destroys pontoon bridges

In a key development, Russia on Wednesday claimed that it lost nearly an entire battalion while attempting to cross the Siverskyi Donets River that runs between the separatist-held region of Luhansk and the Donetsk region in Eastern Ukraine. As the war rages on in its 11th week, Zelenskyy’s troops thwarted Russian attempts to cross the river by blowing up two pontoon (floating) bridges near Bilohorivka. Satellite images accessed by geospatial intelligence firm Blacksky and shared by Ukrainian Defense Forces depict the destroyed bridges. Several other images also indicate charred Russian tanks. 

A report by Forbes stated that 1000 personnel and nearly 50 vehicles were destroyed by Ukrainian artillery. The rapid destruction of the armoured vehicles, along with the bridge itself, underscores Russia’s deepening woes as its troops try, and fail, to make meaningful gains in eastern Ukraine’s Donbas region. Notably, the “liberation of Donbas” was announced as part of Russia’s primary goal in phase II of its ‘special military operation.” 

“We still assess Russian ground force in the Donbas to be slow and uneven,” an unnamed U.S. Defense Department official told reporters on Tuesday. The Russians’ inability to cross rivers might explain their sloth.

South & East Ukraine witnesses increased attacks on Day 78 of invasion

This comes as the Russian invasion entered its 78the day on Thursday with increased attacks on the south and east Ukraine. On Monday, as both the countries marked Victory Day, Ukraine's Operational Command "South" claimed that Russian forces fired at least six cruise missiles on the southern port city of Odesa. In their latest operational report, they further stated that the missiles were launched from a multi-role Russian SU-35 fighter jet from the Black Sea. Notably, Russian troops have been attacking Ukrainian port cities and the Snake Island near Crimea from crucial naval positions. 

In the aftermath, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called upon the international community to take immediate steps to end the Russian blockade of Ukrainian ports. As Putin’s forces continued to strike Odesa, Zelenskyy emphasised that many countries were already on the brink of food shortage due to a lack of Ukrainian agricultural exports. He warned that the situation could become “frightening” over time if Moscow continued to annihilate Ukrainian ports. 

(Image: AP)

With inputs from agencies