MOSCOW, August 10. /TASS/. Ukrainian assault groups supported by armor pushed into the northern part of Urozhainoye in the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) but retreated suffering casualties after Russian artillery and air strikes, acting DPR Head Denis Pushilin said in a live broadcast on the Soloviev Live TV Channel on Thursday.
"At some point, the enemy even managed to gain foothold in the northern part of Urozhainoye. Characteristically, combined assault teams from three-four Ukrainian army brigades were employed in this case," the acting DPR head said.
"In this case, armor was also employed but as soon as the enemy gained foothold in the northern part of Urozhainoye, corresponding artillery and air strikes were delivered against it. The enemy sustained casualties while its military hardware remained on the spot and it had to retreat to its previous positions," Pushilin said.
The Ukrainian military has been regularly attempting to seize Staromayorskoye west of Urozhainoye, he said.
"It cannot be said that we have improved our positions there but the enemy has also failed to achieve any success there. But such attempts occur regularly," he said.
Russian forces have been successfully advancing daily in the Krasny Liman and Kupyansk areas lately, denying the enemy the possibility to gain any foothold and create strongholds. Russian forces are also advancing in the Avdeyevka direction where they are persistently pushing forward to take control of the community while sparing their personnel, the acting DPR head said.
Heavy fighting continues near Kleshcheyevka, a community important as a commanding height for control of Artyomovsk (called Bakhmut by Ukraine), Pushilin said.
"It can’t be said that the enemy has been completely driven out but it is already hardly holding ground. Our fighters are doing well and are true heroes. Actually nothing has remained of Kleshcheyevka and the entire ground there has been ploughed all over by shells from both our and the enemy’s [strikes]," the acting DPR head said.