For the first time, the Ukrainian military has said Russian forces have begun blowing up bridges to slow down a Ukrainian counter-offensive in the northeast.
In its latest operational update, the General Staff said on Saturday that in the Tsyrkuny and Rusky Tyshky area east of Kharkov, “the occupiers blew up three road bridges to slow down the armed forces’ counter-offensive actions.”
DailyExpertNews cannot independently verify the claim.
In the past two weeks, Ukrainian forces have recaptured a number of villages north and east of Kharkov, making it more difficult for Russians to deploy artillery against the city and block Russian supply lines to armed forces in Donetsk and Luhansk. †
Kharkov is close to the Russian border and was one of the first cities to be attacked when Russia invaded.
Rest in Russian Offensive: The General Staff said for the second day in a row that there had been few offensive actions by Russian forces, but that artillery fire and aerial reconnaissance continued.
Some Ukrainian officials believe that Russian units are pausing before launching the next phase aimed at securing all of Donetsk and Luhansk.
Outside these two regions, the General Staff says, the Russians have continued shelling the southern city of Mykolaiv. North of the city, Ukrainians claimed they had destroyed “a warehouse containing ammunition and up to 20 units of enemy military equipment.”
Russia’s “Victory Day”: Tensions are mounting ahead of May 9, known as Russia’s “Victory Day,” which marks Moscow’s victory over Nazi Germany. Western officials have warned that Russian President Vladimir Putin could formally declare war that day, allowing him to mobilize reserves and step up the Russian attack.
Leading up to the day, Russian forces occupying Ukraine’s Kherson region have increased checkpoints and patrols, the Ukrainian General Staff said.
The Russian-appointed deputy head of Kherson’s military administration, Kirill Stremousov, said on Friday that residents will be allowed to hold Russian passports. Also on Friday, a senior Russian official was in the region with the leader of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic.
