Ukraine: war of attrition on the southeastern front and intense fighting in the Donbass

In a house on fire following a Russian bombardment in the city of Kherson, January 29, 2023. AFP - GENYA SAVILOV

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At least three dead and six injured Sunday, January 29 in Russian bombardments on Kherson, in southern Ukraine.

Further east, in the Zaporizhia region, in an area under Russian control, local officials say four people were killed by a Ukrainian strike on a railway bridge.

If on the south-eastern front, Russians and Ukrainians are engaged in a war of attrition, in the Donbass, on the other hand, the fighting remains intense, with now two hot spots.

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The towns of Bakhmout and Vougledar are under " 

", according to President Zelensky.

Further south, the mining town of Vougledar is the subject of fierce fighting.

The head of the separatist Republic of Donetsk, Denis Pushilin, claims that the Russian army has advanced there and even settled in the eastern part of the city.

A spokesman for the Ukrainian army, Yevguen Ierine, ensures, for his part, that the Russian attacks in the area have failed.

Another hot spot, 150 km further north, the city of Bakhmout, which the Russian army has been trying to take for more than six months.

Denis Pushilin believes that it is "

" to talk about an encirclement of the city by Russian troops.

► To read also: Faced with the demand for new weapons from kyiv, Westerners at the risk of escalation

Artillery duels around the Dnieper

The Kremlin insists that Donbass must be liberated, just like the regions of Zaporizhia and Kherson which it annexed in the fall.

In these two southern regions, the fighting was less close together, but the two armies engaged in artillery duels on either side of the Dnieper.

Since withdrawing from the city of Kherson, Russian soldiers have controlled the left bank of the river.

Some villages find themselves under heavy fire, shelling or sniper fire, depending on the width of the river, regularly causing civilian casualties.

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