The Ukrainian military admitted that Russian forces managed to make small gains near the Donetsk cities of Soledar and Vershyna in eastern Ukraine. Russia has been making a push into this Donbas region in recent weeks, but with limited gains. According to a Thursday evening update from the General Staff of Ukraine, other attempts by Russian forces to “carry out attacks” in the direction of Yakovlivka, Bakhmut and Semyhiria had “failed.” “Enemy units retreated here with losses,” he said. The Ukrainian military continued to report intense long-range artillery, missile and airstrikes across most of the front line.
