While Ukrainian militants continue to surrender in the Azovstal plant in Mariupol, the Russian-led forces continue to advance on the main front lines in the Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics.
In the Kharkiv region, Russian units are fighting for the buffer zone along the Russian border and for full control of the left bank of the Seversky Donets River in the area of Stary Saltov. No significant advances of the Armed Forces of Ukraine have been recently reported.
The Russian Armed Forces launched a counter offensive on the village of Ternovaya. Fighting continues in the area of Staritsa. Ukrainian units are strengthening their positions in the area of Cossack Lopan and Stary Saltov. To the south, the front lines remain unchanged in the area of Chuguev and Balakleya.
In the area of Izyum, the Russian-led forces resumed their advance to the west. Having secured their positions in the town of Velikaya Kamishevaha, they moved towards the village of Grushevaha.
Positional clashes continue to the south of Izyum and east of Oskol. Some progress of Russian forces was reported in the area south of Yampol. They reportedly advanced towards the village of Ozernoe located nearby.
In the area of Liman, the AFU are almost surrounded. After the Ukrainian military blew up a dam across the Seversky Donets River, they cut off the way to retreat for their units in Liman.
On the outskirts of the city of Severodonetsk, massive artillery shelling on the Ukrainian military positions continues. Russian-led forces took control over the villages of Schedrischevo to the north and Sirotino to the south of the city. The forest area on the north-eastern outskirts of the city was also moped-up. Fighting continues in the Voronovo area in the south-east of the city. The LPR units are likely attempting to cut the AFU grouping in Severodonetsk which counts about 3-4 hundred servicemen, from their comrades deployed in Lisichansk. In Lisichansk there are reportedly more than 10000 of Ukrainian fighters.
Clashes continue along the road leading to Lisichansk from the south-eastern direction. The joint Russian-led forces took control of half of the village of Toshkovka. Fierce battles continue in the area between Orekhovo and Gorskoe.
In the area of Popasnaya, Russian-led forces are surrounding the AFU in various settlements. Defense of the Armed Forces of Ukraine was broken through in three directions at once. The villages of Troitskoye to the south, Tripillya and Vladimirovka to the west, Kamyshevakha railway station and Vladimirovka to the north fell under DPR control.
Fighting is going on in Kamyshevakha and Vrubovka. The AFU groupings in Gorskoe and Zolotoye are almost half surrounded. Fighting is going on for Novaya Kamenka. The Russians reached the outskirts of Soledar.
In the city of Mariupol, about two thousand Ukrainian militants have already surrendered at the Azovstal plant. They are not the only Ukrainian servicemen who have laid down their weapons.
Over the past day, twenty servicemen of the 95th airborne assault brigade surrendered on the front lines in the Donetsk People’s Republic.