Both sides in the conflict in Ukraine have reported fighting north of Sloviansk in the Donetsk region, and the Russian state news agency TASS claims that a key village in the area has been captured.
In Kherson: The Ukrainian military reported advances in the southern region of Kherson, with several videos showing Ukrainian units among the wreckage of Russian armor.
In Donetsk: The military’s General Staff said there had been heavy Russian fire against several settlements north of Sloviansk, where Russian forces have been trying to break through for weeks.
Air strikes in Bohorodychne: Ukraine’s military said there had been an air strike near the village of Bohorodychne, on the southern side of the Siverskiy Donets river, about 20 kilometers (12 miles) north of Sloviansk.
The Russian state news agency TASS quoted a source close to the Luhansk People’s Militia as saying Bohorodychne had been taken, and said that “the organization of a powerful bridgehead for the offensive on (Sloviansk) continues.”
The Ukrainian military said that its soldiers “successfully repelled the enemy assault in the direction of Krasnopillia,” which is five kilometers from Bohorodychne.
It also said there were “signs of enemy units preparing to intensify combat operations in the Kramatorsk and Bakhmut directions,” two other important urban areas. “Assault and army aviation became more active.”
Separately the regional military administration in Donetsk region said “the shelling does not stop,” naming seven towns that had been hit. It said that dozens of buildings were damaged.
To the west of Donetsk city, the Ukrainians said “another offensive attempt by the occupiers in the direction of Mariinka has completely failed.”
Away from Donetsk, the General Staff said that shelling and tank fire had hit half-a-dozen settlements around Kharkiv in the northeast.
The southern front has become more active in recent days. On Monday, one Ukrainian unit (the 60th Infantry Brigade) published video from the settlement of Ivanivka in northern Kherson, with one of the soldiers saying: “We received an order to take this position, so we did and are still holding it.”
What happened over the weekend? Ukrainian forces hit at least two Russian garrisons behind the front lines in Kherson.
The General Staff said Monday: “The destruction of enemy command posts of various levels and ammunition depots is taking place.”
And the military’s Operational Command in the south gave further details about one of the strikes, saying that a pair of attack aircraft had hit a command post in Kherson city. It claimed that 38 Russian personnel had been killed and 10 units of equipment, including howitzers and a portable anti-aircraft missile complex had been destroyed, as well as two ammunition warehouses.
Geolocated videos from Kherson at the weekend showed two substantial fires in and close to the city.
