Ukrainian Armed Forces now control over half of Klishchiivka and advance further

This update comes from Maksym Zhorin, a former commander of the Azov regiment and a major in the AFU.

"More than half of the town is under Ukrainian control. There are only a few streets left where the enemy is attempting to gain control, but they haven't been very successful," he stated. 

Zhorin noted that Russian troops are consistently attempting to retreat gradually.

"Along the Klishchiivka - Andriivka - Kurdyumivka line, the enemy is suffering significant daily personnel losses and is compelled to retreat after their attacks, establishing new positions in an attempt to hold ground," he explained.

In terms of advantage, the Ukrainian infantry clearly holds the upper hand in this area today.

"The Russians struggle against our infantry. While they may have an advantage in artillery, aviation, and even drones in some aspects, when they engage our infantry in close combat, they consistently face defeat. They are always forced to withdraw with losses. At times, they attempt to resist and hold their ground, but it almost always results in the same outcome: casualties, capture, and retreat," observed Zhorin.

According to him, Russian troops can hardly use their equipment in this area anymore.

"We've created such conditions for the enemy that they can barely utilize their equipment recently. Tanks, IFVs, and all their military hardware, particularly the paratroopers, have been largely destroyed," he stated.

The situation south of Klishchiivka remains challenging, but the Ukrainian Armed Forces are applying pressure, making it difficult for Russian troops to resist.

"I believe that in the near future, they will have no choice but to abandon the railway road completely. Their situation is genuinely dire. We've even witnessed some panic at certain positions, where they sometimes attempt to escape. Recently, we observed a rather telling scenario when the 'Akhmat' unit was supposed to reinforce one of the enemy's positions we were assaulting, but they ended up waiting for a very long time, and never showed up," recounted Zhorin.

Zhorin emphasized that Russian troops are finding it challenging to retain their positions, primarily because they are unable to withstand the constant pressure exerted by Ukrainian aircraft units and assault groups.

• The Ukrainian military continues its offensive and has achieved success near Klishchiivka in the Donetsk region and in the Zaporizhzhia region.

• Serhiy Zgurets mentioned that the encirclement of Bakhmut, or the Russians' "gesture of goodwill" from the city, is nearing its completion.