Â鶹´«Ã½

Skip to main content

Ukraine says it repels attacks as Russia tries to retake land near Bakhmut

Satellite images provided by MaxarTechnologies show the theatre and stores in Bakhmut, Ukraine, on May 8, 2022, top, and the same buildings demolished on May 15, 2023, bottom. (Satellite image ©2023 Maxar Technologies via AP) Satellite images provided by MaxarTechnologies show the theatre and stores in Bakhmut, Ukraine, on May 8, 2022, top, and the same buildings demolished on May 15, 2023, bottom. (Satellite image ©2023 Maxar Technologies via AP)
Share
NEAR BAKHMUT, Ukraine -

Ukraine said on Friday it had repelled attacks by Russian forces trying to recapture land they had lost around the devastated eastern city of Bakhmut, where Kyiv says it has inflicted heavy Russian casualties.

A Ukrainian mortar unit near the city told Reuters it had advanced this week, but was facing heavy fire from Russian forces who appeared to have significant strength in manpower and stocks of ammunition.

"The fire was intensive this week. Our forces pushed forward a little, stopped near the canal. It's hard to push them (the Russians) out of there," said a soldier with the call sign Medvid, which means "bear" in Ukrainian.

The unit's troops said they were firing around 100 mortar rounds a day at Russian positions. They said their location could not be disclosed.

Ukraine says it has made small advances this week on the flanks of the city in the industrial Donbas region even as Russia's Wagner private army has inched closer to capturing the city itself.

Deputy Ukrainian Defence Minister Hanna Maliar said the Russian forces had gained some ground inside Bakhmut in fierce fighting but did not control the city.

"The enemy is trying to regain what they have lost... but our forces are repulsing the attacks," she said in televised remarks. "It's very difficult to carry out combat missions there and every metre (of advance) is like 10 kilometres in other conditions."

She said the Russian forces had made "some progress" inside Bakhmut but did not say how far forward they had advanced.

The head of Russian mercenaries fighting in Bakhmut said the city was unlikely to fall in the next two days. Ukrainian soldiers, he said, were holed up in a makeshift "fortress" in the south of the city.

Moscow regards its assault on Bakhmut, a city of about 70,000 before Russia's full-scale invasion nearly 15 months ago, as an important part of a campaign to capture the rest of the industrial Donbas region of eastern Ukraine.

Ukrainian Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov told Ukrainian news portal RBK that Russia had taken up to 70,000 casualties in and around Bakhmut including dead and wounded.

The assertion could not be independently verified. Russia says Ukraine has sustained heavy losses in the area.

Additional reporting by Pavel Polityuk; writing by Tom Balmforth; editing by Timothy Heritage

CTVNews.ca Top Stories

Infectious disease physician Dr. Isaac Bogoch says whooping cough is most risky for unvaccinated infants, children and older people.

Local Spotlight

Cole Haas is more than just an avid fan of the F.W. Johnson Wildcats football team. He's a fixture on the sidelines, a source of encouragement, and a beloved member of the team.

Getting a photograph of a rainbow? Common. Getting a photo of a lightning strike? Rare. Getting a photo of both at the same time? Extremely rare, but it happened to a Manitoba photographer this week.

An anonymous business owner paid off the mortgage for a New Brunswick not-for-profit.

They say a dog is a man’s best friend. In the case of Darren Cropper, from Bonfield, Ont., his three-year-old Siberian husky and golden retriever mix named Bear literally saved his life.

A growing group of brides and wedding photographers from across the province say they have been taken for tens of thousands of dollars by a Barrie, Ont. wedding photographer.

Paleontologists from the Royal B.C. Museum have uncovered "a trove of extraordinary fossils" high in the mountains of northern B.C., the museum announced Thursday.

The search for a missing ancient 28-year-old chocolate donkey ended with a tragic discovery Wednesday.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police is celebrating an important milestone in the organization's history: 50 years since the first women joined the force.

It's been a whirlwind of joyful events for a northern Ontario couple who just welcomed a baby into their family and won the $70 million Lotto Max jackpot last month.