War in Ukraine
Ukrainian withdrawal from several villages in the south
After heavy artillery fire, Ukrainian troops had to withdraw from villages near Hulyaypole. Other spots are hotly contested.
In the Zaporizhzhia region of southern Ukraine, Ukrainian soldiers had to abandon five villages after heavy fighting with Russian troops. To the northeast of the town of Hulyajpole, the towns of Jablukowe, Rivnopillja and Solodke are also closely contested, Army Group South said on Facebook. The troop withdrawal order was issued after “effective destruction of all shelters and fortifications” following intensive artillery fire.
Military observers have previously reported Russian breakthroughs on this front and the Russian army has claimed to have captured several places.
Ukraine has been fighting the Russian invasion for more than three and a half years. Especially in the Kharkiv and Donetsk regions of eastern Ukraine, Ukrainian armed forces have been slowly but surely retreating under months of Russian pressure.
dpa
