Russia claims to have captured another village near Avdiivka. The Ukrainian military fears a major offensive in the coming weeks

The Russian army, which is gaining ground in front of the Ukrainian forces in difficulty, claimed on Monday the occupation of a new village, Semenivka, located on the eastern front of Ukraine where it is rapidly advancing, informs AFP, according to Agerpres.

The Russian Ministry of Defense said in a statement that it has “liberated” this locality located northwest of Avdiivka, a fortress town in the Donetsk province captured by Russian troops in February. After losing this symbolic city, the Ukrainian army was forced to remain on the defensive, being in crisis of troops and ammunition. Kiev now fears an intensification of Russian offensive actions in the coming weeks.

On Sunday, the Russian army also claimed the occupation of a village also in the front sector in the Avdiivka area, the village of Novobahmutivka, located close to the village of Oceretîne, located on a high ground and which it largely controls, which provoked criticism of of the Ukrainian army among Ukrainian military bloggers.

Thus, the “DeepState” Telegram channel, close to the Ukrainian army and followed by more than 700,000 people, accused the command of the 115th Motorized Brigade for “the collapse of the defense in the entire region, causing considerable losses.”

Russian troops continue to advance towards the city of Ceasov Yar, the eventual conquest of which would allow them to threaten the Ukrainian redoubts of Sloviansk and Kramatorsk, key cities for controlling the entire Donetsk province.

The commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian army, General Oleksandr Sîrski, admitted on Sunday that the situation on the front “deteriorated” and that Russian troops, more numerous and better equipped, achieved “tactical successes” in several areas.

According to General Sîrski, the Russian army “concentrated its efforts in several sectors, thus creating a significant advantage in terms of forces and means”, in order to “try to take the strategic initiative and break through the front line”.

After half a year of internal disputes, the United States approved nearly 61 billion dollars in new funds for Ukraine, but in addition to Western military aid, the Ukrainian army needs new soldiers to fill its ranks.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, who last year dismissed all the commanders of the country’s military commissariats in order to eliminate a vast corrupt system through which eligible men evade conscription, reduced the age of conscription from 27 to 25 and promulgated on April 16 a new mobilization law, which eases the procedures for incorporation and toughens the penalties against those who try to evade it.

During this time, the authorities in Kiev aim to repatriate the men who are fit for the army, but who managed to leave the country, although the martial law adopted with the launch of the Russian invasion stipulates that men between the ages of 18 and 60 are prohibited from leaving the territory national. As part of this effort, Ukraine last week suspended consular services for citizens who are of mobilization age and living abroad, except for those necessary to return to the country.

Publisher: CS