Ukrainian Army Continues To Successfully Force Russian Soldiers To Retreat

The Armed Forces of Ukraine has once again successfully forced Russian troops to retreat from their positions as the war entered its 165th day, according to a report.

The Ukrainian army stopped Russian soldiers from advancing in the directions of Slovyansk, Verkhnokamyanske, Bakhmut, Zaytseve, Yakovlivka, Vershnya and Blahodatny, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (UAF) said in a report published Sunday.

The UAF General Staff also said Russian soldiers launched artillery strikes throughout Ukrainian territory, including the settlements of Hai and Hremyach in the Chernihiv region and the villages of Novi Vyrky and Mykolaivka in the Sumy region.

In the Kharkiv direction, Russian soldiers also reportedly conducted airstrikes near Pryshyb, Verkhnyi Saltiv and Rtyshchivka. In the Kramatorsk direction, the Russian troops fired at Ukrainian settlements using tanks, barrel and rocket artillery, the UAF General said.

It is unclear how many Russian soldiers died Sunday. The UAF General Staff did not specify the Russian military death toll. However, an estimate from the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine put Russian military losses at 42,200 since the war began in February.

The UAF General Staff's report comes after the U.K. Defense Intelligence on Saturday warned that the war between Russia and Ukraine is "about to enter a new phase," with the heaviest fighting shifting from near Zaporizhzhia to Kherson.

The British defense intel said that Moscow is "certainly amassing" forces in Southern Ukraine in anticipation of a possible Ukrainian counter-offensive. The move may be in response to Ukrainian forces destroying or damaging key bridges, ammunition depots and rail links in hopes of disrupting Russia's ability to resupply its troops.

"Ukrainian forces are focusing their targeting on bridges, ammunition depots, and rail links with growing frequency in Ukraine's southern regions including the strategically important railroad spur that links Kherson to Russian-occupied Crimea, almost certainly using a combination of block, damage, degrade, deny, destroy, and disrupt effects to try to affect Russia's ability to logistically resupply," the British defense said in the intelligence update.

In addition, the U.K. Defense Ministry said that at least 800 and 1,000 Russian troops have been deployed to Crimea to support comrades currently positioned in the Kherson region. Another Russian battalion is expected to join the forces in Kherson "in the coming days."