Russia Sets Sights on New Ukraine Target

Russia is upping its attacks on the Donetsk village of Novomykhailivka, according to the Ukrainian military, as Moscow bears down on Ukrainian defenses standing in Russia's path westward.

Russian forces were "somewhat more active" on Monday around the settlement of Novomykhailivka, south of the Russian-controlled village of Marinka, said Captain Dmytro Lykhovyi, the spokesperson for Ukraine's Tavria group of forces deployed in eastern Ukraine.

Russia has also upped its activity around villages southwest of Novomykhailivka, Lykhovyi told rolling Ukrainian news in remarks reported by Ukrainian media.

Fighting is very intense and difficult around Novomykhailivka, Yaroslav Chepurny, a spokesperson for Ukraine's 79th Separate Airborne Assault Brigade, told Newsweek on Monday. Russia is attacking Ukrainian positions with both infantry and armored vehicles, he said.

Newsweek has reached out to the Russian Defense Ministry for comment via email.

Ukraine's military said early on Monday morning that its forces had fought back against Russian attacks in Novomykhailivka, as well as the nearby settlements of Krasnohorivka and Heorhiivka, to the north and the west of Marinka. Kyiv registered 25 Russian assaults on this part of the frontlines in the past day, Ukraine said.

"Enemy forces want to advance and to continue pressing on the villages of Novomykhailivka and Heorhiivka and near the city of Krasnohorivka," Lykhovyi said.

Russia's Defense Ministry said on Monday that it had repelled an attack from the 79th Airborne Assault Brigade around Novomykhailivka. Ukrainian forces lost up to 180 fighters along this stretch of the frontline in the past day, Moscow said.

Ukraine said earlier this month that Russia was concentrating resources around Novomykhailivka.

Geolocated footage from earlier this month suggested that Russian forces had advanced in Novomykhailivka, according to the U.S. think tank the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).

Russia has thrown resources at Ukrainian defenses close to the Moscow-controlled regional capital of Donetsk, Donetsk City, for months. In mid-February, Ukrainian forces withdrew from the strategic settlement of Avdiivka, to the northwest of the city, and Russian forces have inched westward in the weeks since.

Russia has also consistently attacked southwest of Donetsk City, and seized control of the village of Marinka in December 2023.

Moscow has also launched what the ISW think tank dubbed a "cohesive multi-axis offensive operation" close to the northeastern cities of Svatove, Kreminna and Kupiansk—a key railway hub.

Russia is "having some success" in this sector of the frontline, the commander of the 13th Brigade of Ukraine's National Guard told Newsweek in late February.

Russian forces have advanced southwest of the decimated settlement of Vuhledar, southwest of Novomykhailivka, the ISW evaluated on Sunday.

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