The situation in the eastern Ukrainian cities of Avdiivka and Marinka “remains very difficult," with Kyiv's troops holding off constant Russian attacks, a Ukrainian military spokesperson said Saturday.
“Shelling there does not stop around the clock,” the official, Oleksii Dmytrashkivskyi, said on Ukrainian national TV. “Thanks to the good work of our artillery, none of the enemy's attacks were successful.”
Russian forces have “stormed” Ukrainian positions 24 times in the area during the last day, Dmytrashkivskyi said. He claimed the assaults were “not successful” and Moscow's troops have retreated each time.
Russia has launched fewer attacks lately on a third town, Vuhledar, which is located further southwest of Marinka, according to the spokesperson.
Some background: Avdiivka, which is home to a large smelting plant, has been battered by heavy fighting for months. The town is largely destroyed, though about 1,800 civilians still remain in the town despite efforts to persuade them to leave, according to local officials.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky visited Avdiivka during a Tuesday tour of the frontline region.
The town is surrounded by Russian troops from three sides, but Ukrainian forces still control the routes to the west.