Ukraine Army 'Strongly Repulsed' Russian Offensive, Forcing Them To Retreat In Taramchuk-Vodyane

Russian forces initially tried to capture Kharkiv early in their assault on Ukraine but were pushed back and have been shelling mostly northern residential districts of the city since

KEY POINTS

The Russian army attempted to improve their tactical position in Taramchuk and Vodyane
The Russian army also suffered massive losses in the Mykolaivka-Vyimka directions
The Ukrainian army repelled assaults by Russian troops around Bakhmut town

The Armed Forces of Ukraine on Thursday successfully forced members of the Russian military who attempted to advance in eastern Ukraine to retreat, according to a report.

The Russian army reportedly tried to improve their position in the directions of Taramchuk and Vodyane in the Donetsk region when the Ukrainian army conducted a fierce defense and pushed them back.

"With offensive actions, the enemy tried to improve the tactical position in the Taramchuk-Vodyane direction. It was strongly repulsed and retreated," the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (UAF) said in a report.

In the Mykolaivka-Vyimka directions, the Ukrainian army also successfully fended off Russian troops attempting to advance their positions, causing massive losses to Moscow's military and forcing them to retreat.

The Ukrainian army had also repelled assaults around the town of Bakhmut, Donetsk. The town has suffered from heavy Russian artillery fire over recent days.

"The occupiers launched an offensive in the directions of Volodymyrivka–Soledar, Pokrovske–Bakhmutske, Pokrovske–Bakhmut, Klynove–Bakhmut, Semihiria–Zaitseve, Semihiria–Kodema and Holmivskyi–Zaitseve," the UAF General Staff said. "The invaders did not achieve any positive results in any of the offensive directions and withdrew with losses."

The UAF General Staff did not specify how many Russian soldiers were killed Thursday. The Kremlin has also not released an official military death toll. However, an estimate from the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine put the Russian death toll at 44,300, with 200 new deaths reported on Thursday.

The report comes as the Ukrainian army continues its counteroffensive operations in hopes of retaking territories in the south that are currently occupied by the Russian forces. In Kherson, the Ukrainian army has forced the Russian military command to flee after their supply routes were destroyed, Kherson Oblast Council Deputy Head Yurii Sobolevskyi said in a 24/7 national joint newscast, as quoted by BBC Ukraine.

The Kherson Oblast State Administration last week said the families of Russian military personnel living in the region have been mass deported as the Ukrainian army's counteroffensive continues.

In Crimea, Ukraine has claimed responsibility for at least three explosions that targeted and destroyed the Saki air base, an ammunition depot in Maiske and an airfield in Gvardeyskoe.