Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Oleksandr Syrskyi, reported on April 17 that Ukrainian troops have recaptured around 16 square kilometers of land near Pokrovsk in the Donetsk region over the past few weeks.
There has been a significant deceleration in Russia’s offensive activities following continuous territorial advancements in eastern Ukraine over several months. As reported by the battlefield surveillance organization DeepState, Russian forces have slowed their progress.
captured
merely 133 square kilometers in March, marking the smallest monthly total since June 2024.
The territories retaken by Ukrainian forces encompass regions close to the communities of Udachne, Kotlyne, and Shevchenko, as stated by Syrskyi. This statement came following his three-day trip to the Operational-Tactical Group Donetsk, which he referred to as the most formidable unit within the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
Ukraine
.
“Over the course of three days, I visited almost all brigades of this most powerful grouping of the Ukrainian Defense Forces, which bears the brunt of the enemy’s spring offensive and destroys its best forces and means,” Syrskyi said.
According to
Syrskyi
Ukrainian troops are successfully repelling approximately 30 Russian attacks every day in thePokrovsk area.
Donetsk Oblast
causing substantial damage to
Russian troops
.
While visiting, Syrskyi convened with frontline commanders at their posts and went over strategic plans alongside Brigadier General Oleksandr Tarnavskyi, who leads the operational-tactical unit. He mentioned that issues concerning logistics, munitions provision, and battle coordination present onsite were being tackled.
Even with ongoing Russian attempts to force Ukraine’s forces out of Donetsk,
Luhansk
oblasts and reach the administrative borders of these regions, Syrskyi said those objectives remain unfulfilled.
“We continue our defensive operation, carry out counteroffensive actions, and are achieving certain successes,” Syrskyi said.
By late 2024, Russian troops had taken control of roughly 60% of Donetsk Oblast and nearly 98.5% of Luhansk Oblast.
Moscow does not fully control any of the four Ukrainian regions – Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson – that it
illegally claimed to annex
in 2022. According to media reports, including from The Moscow Times, Russia is
seeking
full control over these regions in the negotiations on ending the war with the
United States
, beginning in March 2025.
Read also:
‘ Putin thinks he holds the advantage ‘ — Ukraine prepares for another potential major Russian assault this spring.
