Russia turns Bakhmut into “a total ruin”

General view of the city of Bakhmut, in the Donetsk region of Ukraine, on January 26. (Photo: Yan Dobronosov/Reuters)

Heavy fighting continues around Bakhmut, in Ukraine’s Donetsk region, as Russian forces continue their offensive towards the key eastern city, the Ukrainian army said Tuesday.

Over the past 24 hours, several cities and towns in the Donetsk, Luhansk, Kharkiv, Kherson and Zaporizhia regions have been shelled by Russian forces, the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces said, adding that Russian forces “continue to shell settlements near the state border, causing civilian casualties and the destruction of private property.”

Donetsk region

In the last 24 hours, the Ukrainian armed forces repelled attacks near Bakhmut, Avdiivka, Vuhledar and other cities in the region, where the situation remains “difficult”, the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and regional authorities said.

Chaotic isolated attacks continued throughout the night along the defense line around the city of Avdiivka, the regional military administration said on Tuesday.

Shelling was also reported in other cities and communities in the region, causing damage to residential buildings. Three civilians were injured in the region in the last 24 hours, according to the regional military administration.

Luhansk region

The situation in the Luhansk region also remains “difficult,” the Luhansk regional military administration said on Tuesday.

Over the past day, Ukrainian forces repelled Russian attacks in the Novoselivske and Bilohorivka areas, regional authorities said.

In the city of Luhansk, Russian forces are using the maternity wards of two hospitals to treat wounded servicemen, the Ukrainian military said.

“The enemy continues to suffer heavy losses and has started to use additional civilian medical facilities to house wounded Russian invaders,” the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces stated.

“Because the enemy uses two maternity hospitals to care for wounded Russians in the city, it is only possible to give birth at the Luhansk Regional Perinatal Center, which severely lacks space and creates risks and unfavorable conditions for childbirth,” he added. .

Kharkiv region

A 62-year-old civilian was killed in the city of Vovchansk as a result of shelling, the military administration of the Kharkiv region reported Tuesday. An 83-year-old woman was injured. Her condition is moderately serious, according to regional authorities.

The shelling also damaged the police department building, apartment buildings and warehouses.

In Kupyansk, a regional building of the Ukrainian Railways and private homes were damaged, according to regional authorities.