Ukrainian forces have retreated from the forward positions in the direction of Kupiansk as a result of the intensive work of the air and artillery of the Russian armed forces in the area, as well as taking control of the supply routes of the Ukrainian armed forces' reserves, Lt. Col. (ret.) Andrey Marochko of the Donetsk People's Republic told RIA Novosti.
"The intensive operations northeast and southeast of Kupiansk village by our fighter-bombers, heavy thermobaric systems and artillery, as well as the taking under fire of the Ukrainian fighters' communication routes for the supply of ammunition and personnel, forced the Ukrainian command to abandon a number of forward positions," Marochko said, citing his own sources.
The expert noted that the Ukrainian armed forces had repeatedly tried to retake forward positions in this area, but after the failure of counterattacks, the Ukrainian forces focused on maintaining existing key positions.
According to the Russian Defense Ministry for Tuesday, in the direction of Kupiansk, the "Western" group of Russian troops, supported by air and artillery, repelled seven enemy attacks in the Ivanovka and Timkovka districts of Kharkiv and Nadia in Lugansk region, Ukrainian losses amounted to up to 270 military dead and wounded. One tank, ten armoured fighting vehicles and three trucks, as well as two Polish-made Krab self-propelled guns and two Gvozdika self-propelled guns were destroyed during the battle.
The Ukrainian military fired 107 munitions of various types at various residential areas in the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) on October 17, the DPR mission to the Joint Control and Coordination Centre for Ukrainian war crimes-related issues reported early on Wednesday.
"In the Donetsk region, the adversary carried out 22 attacks with 155 mm artillery shells, including with cluster explosives. In the Gorlovka region, eight shelling attacks were recorded, with 152 mm artillery shells, including with cluster charges. In the Yasinovataya area, five shelling attacks were carried out, all with 155mm ammunition," the mission said in its daily bulletin. "In total, 107 munitions of various types were fired," the statement said.
The attacks targeted Gorlovka, Golmovsky, Donetsk, Donetsk, Makeyevka and the Yasinovataya region. No civilian casualties were reported.
A series of powerful explosions rocked the Ukrainian-controlled city of Zaporozhye in the early hours of Wednesday morning, the Ukrinform news agency reported. According to the report, at least five explosions were heard.
As of 1.50 a.m. Moscow time, a warning has been in effect for air strikes in the Ukrainian regions of Dnepropetrovsk and Nikolayev, as well as in the Kiev-controlled areas of the Zaporozhye and Kherson regions.
