MOSCOW, June 5. /TASS/. Ukrainian troops attempted an offensive near the village of Vodyanoye, west of Avdeyevka; most of them have been rebuffed but fighting continues, Denis Pushilin, acting head of the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR), said on Monday.

"In recent days, the enemy has been attempting to counterattack in the Avdeyevka direction. Rather substantial enemy forces tried to win a foothold near the settlement of Vodyanoye. After fierce fighting, the foe was repelled, at least partially. However, fighting continues," he said in an interview with the Rossiya-24 television channel.

According to Pushilin, Ukrainian troops attempted an attack on another settlement west of Avdeyevka but were pushed back. "The enemy attempted an offensive on the settlement of Opytnoye but was rebuffed, sustaining losses," he said.

Pushilin’s adviser Yan Gagin said earlier on Monday that the Ukrainian army had stepped up operations along several sectors of the line of contact near Donetsk, with Marinka, Ugledar, and Avdeyevka remaining the hottest spots

Ukrainian troops have turned the city of Avdeyevka into their stronghold, using it to shell the cities of Donetsk, Makeyevka, Yasinovataya and their environs.