The Russian offensive is advancing slightly in eastern Ukraine.

On Thursday, January 18, the authorities claimed responsibility for the capture of a very small town in the Donetsk region, illustrating the increased pressure exerted by Moscow's forces on the front for several weeks.

"In the Donetsk area, active operations carried out by units of the 'South' group made it possible to liberate the village of Veseloïe" [Vesele in Ukrainian, Editor's note], indicated the Russian Ministry of Defense in its daily operations bulletin in Ukraine.

This locality, where around a hundred inhabitants lived before the Russian assault almost two years ago, is located around twenty kilometers northeast of Bakhmout, a town conquered by the Russians in May 2023 following a bloody battle against the Ukrainian army.

Also read Counter-attacks from Russia: nothing is going well for the Ukrainian army?

Since then, Ukrainians and Russians have been clashing along this front line which has barely moved since kyiv's summer counter-offensive a few months ago ended in failure and very limited gains, mainly concentrated more to the south.

Ukrainians in need of ammunition and weapons

Strengthened by having resisted multiple Ukrainian assaults, the Russian authorities have been more optimistic in recent weeks, at a time when the national economy is now largely oriented towards the production of arms and munitions intended to support the offensive.

Vladimir Putin again affirmed on Tuesday that his men have "completely" the initiative against the forces of Kiev, who for their part are loudly demanding ever more ammunition and anti-aircraft systems from their Western allies, in the midst of internal tensions in the United States. United and within the European Union.

On Thursday, Ukrainian Defense Minister Roustem Oumerov warned of the “ammunition shortage” that his army is facing, according to him, deeming the problem “real and pressing”.

With AFP

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