Ukraine Army Successfully Forces Russian Soldiers To Retreat In Four Directions, Inflicts Significant Losses

A soldier takes a photograph of his comrade as he poses beside a destroyed Russian tank and armoured vehicles, amid Russia's invasion on Ukraine in Bucha, in Kyiv region, Ukraine April 2, 2022. Reuters / ZOHRA BENSEMRA

KEY POINTS

The Ukrainian army forced the Russians to retreat from the directions of Southern Buh and Slovyansk
Fighting between the Russian and Ukrainian armies is ongoing in Avdiivka
Ukraine says more than 43,900 Russian soldiers have now been killed in the war

The Armed Forces of Ukraine on Tuesday successfully forced Russian soldiers to retreat in four different directions as the war entered day 174, a report said.

The Ukrainian army prevented Russian soldiers from advancing in the directions of the Southern Buh river and Slovyansk. In the direction of Kramatorsk and Bakhmut, the Russians suffered massive losses due to the fierce defense of the Ukrainian army, forcing them to withdraw, according to the report from the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (UAF).

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Hostilities are still ongoing in the Avdiivka direction in the eastern Donetsk region. The Russian forces in the region have been accused of shelling the towns of Avdiivka, Krasnohorivka, Alexandropil, Vodyane, Opytne, Novokalynove and Novobakhmutivka, as well as carrying out airstrikes in Maryinka.

The UAF General Staff noted that Novomykhailivka, a village in Donetsk Oblast, has been targeted by Russian airstrikes.

The UAF General Staff did not detail how many Russian military personnel were killed in Tuesday's battle. However, an estimate from the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine put the Russian army's total military death toll at 43,900 as of Tuesday. As per the estimate, the Russians have lost a total of 1,880 tanks since the war began in February.

Ukraine continues to engage in a counteroffensive with the aim of retaking occupied territory and creating "chaos within Russian forces" by cutting off Moscow's supply lines, Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak told The Guardian.

During the interview, Podolyak also added that the Ukrainian army could launch more attacks within the next "two or three months" similar to the strikes that hit critical Russian infrastructure since the start of the month.

On Aug. 9, several large explosions rocked the Saki Air Base in the annexed region of Crimea, which has been occupied by Russia since 2014. The airbase is home to Russia's 43rd Independent Naval Attack Aviation Regiment. Moscow claimed that the explosions were caused by an accidental detonation of ammunition stores. However, Ukrainian officials suggested that their army was involved in the attack.