Ukraine recaptures 40 square km in Bakhmut sector, liberation of Urozhayne ongoing – Defense Ministry

Ukraine’s Deputy Minister of Defense, Hanna Maliar, reported the information.

"Currently, there is a certain decrease in the number of attacks and ammunition used by the enemy in the east, but this does not mean that the enemy has abandoned its plans. The enemy is currently regrouping and trying to restore its lost capabilities. Fighting continues. Over the past week, the liberated territory in the Bakhmut sector increased by 3 square kilometers, bringing the total area liberated in the Bakhmut sector to 40 square kilometers," said Maliar.

The Russian army is trying to stop the advance of the Ukrainian Defense Forces and restore the lost position in the areas of Kurdyumivka, west of Klishchiivka and Andriivka. 

Russian troops are trying to capture Marinka and encircle Avdiivka.

"Our defenders are preventing the enemy from implementing their plans, but it is not easy. Hot fighting continues. The situation there is tense and complicated. In addition, the enemy is constantly making unsuccessful attempts to regain the lost position in the area of Staromayorske," added the Deputy Minister of Defense.

Ukrainian defenders in the Kupyansk and Lyman directions managed to hold the Russian offensive and inflict significant losses on them.

The situation in the Kupyansk and Lyman directions is tense. Russian forces are constantly attacking, and the Ukrainian Armed Forces are repelling the attacks.

In the Kupyansk direction, Russian troops are reinforcing the minefield along the border in the Belgorod region, looking for weaknesses in Ukrainian defense.

In the Lyman direction, Russian troops storm ourUkrainian positions near Serebrianka forestry, Donetsk region, but are unsuccessful.

In the south, the Ukrainian Defense Forces are advancing in the Melitopol and Berdyansk directions. Fighting continues there. 

Ukrainian defenders have succeeded in the direction of Urozhayne, south and southeast of Staromayorske, Donetsk region, where they are consolidating their positions: "In the course of the offensive, the Defense Forces of the Tavria direction continue to liberate the village of Urozhayne."

The Ukrainian counteroffensive

On August 2, the Ukrainian Defense Forces drove Russian occupiers out of their positions near Avdiivka, Donetsk region. The Ukrainian Armed Forces hold back the Russian offensive in the Kupyansk and Lyman directions.

Brigadier General Dmytro Hereha, Commander of the Ukrainian Armed Forces Support Forces, said that in the occupied territories, Russian forces have set up a multi-echelon system of engineering barriers, which consists of several strips of 10 to 40 km each with a fairly high density. This causes difficulties for the Ukrainian Defense Forces in conducting offensives in the southern direction.

On August 5, 30 clashes took place between the Ukrainian Defense Forces and Russian troops at the front, and Russia lost 590 soldiers, 5 tanks, and a MLRS. 

On August 6, Budanov assessed the Ukrainian Armed Forces' counteroffensive: the military's advance in the Bakhmut direction is slightly faster than in the south.

As of August 9, it was reported that Ukrainian Defense Forces have taken back over 40,000 square kilometers of our land from the Russian invaders since February 24, 2022.

On August 10, it was reported that the Defense Forces had partial success near Urozhayne and Staromayorske, and were entrenched near Bakhmut.