Current:Home > InvestRussia’s assault on a key eastern Ukraine city is weakening, Kyiv claims, as the war marks 600 days-LoTradeCoin
Russia’s assault on a key eastern Ukraine city is weakening, Kyiv claims, as the war marks 600 days
View Date:2024-12-23 23:45:43
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — A dayslong attempt by Russian forces to storm a strategically important city in eastern Ukraine appears to be running out of steam, Kyiv officials claimed Monday, as the Kremlin’s war entered its 600th day.
Ukrainian forces repelled 15 Russian attacks from four directions on Avdiivka over the previous 24 hours, the Ukrainian General Staff said.
That compared with up to 60 attacks a day in the middle of last week, according to Vitalii Barabash, head of the city administration. The slackening suggests the Russian effort to capture Avdiivka has “deflated,” Barabash said.
A Washington-based think tank broadly concurred with that assessment. “Russian forces continued offensive operations aimed at encircling Avdiivka … but have yet to make further gains amid a likely decreasing tempo of Russian operations in the area,” the Institute for the Study of War said in analysis published late Sunday.
Russia’s ambassador to the United Nations, Vassily Nebenzia, told a U.N. Security Council meeting last Friday that the ramped-up attacks in the east amounted to a new stage in Moscow’s campaign in Ukraine.
With the looming onset of wintry conditions that will limit military operations, both sides have been seeking battlefield breakthroughs that could invigorate their efforts and raise morale.
Ukraine launched its own counteroffensive about four months ago. It has made some headway but the limited success has underlined the daunting challenge of taking on the Kremlin’s more numerous forces.
Kyiv’s Western allies insist that their military and financial support for Ukraine will continue, even as the Israeli-Hamas war rages and competes for resources.
U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said Sunday the Biden administration will ask Congress for a combined aid package for Ukraine and Israel worth more than $2 billion.
Ukrainian officials have said their troops are holding out against fierce Russian efforts to wrest control of Avdiivka, a heavily fortified city.
Avdiivka lies in the northern suburbs of the city of Donetsk, in a region of the same name that Russian forces partially occupy. Avdiivka’s location grants Ukrainian forces artillery advantages over the city and could serve as a springboard for them to liberate Donetsk.
It is not possible to verify battlefield claims by either side. Misinformation and disinformation have played a central role in the war.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, in an interview with the China Media Group released Monday, claimed that Ukraine’s counteroffensive has achieved “no results so far, only massive losses.”
Meanwhile, Russian children’s rights ombudswoman Maria Lvova-Belova claimed Monday that her office has helped 35 Ukrainian children reunite with their relatives in Ukraine and other countries.
Lvova-Belova, who was indicted along with Putin by the International Criminal Court for war crimes connected to the deportation of children from Ukraine, claimed Russia never opposed reuniting children with their families.
Qatar’s foreign ministry issued a statement saying it had been involved in recent family reunifications through its embassy in Moscow but it provided no details.
___
Follow AP’s coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
veryGood! (98743)
Related
- 'Climate change is real': New York parks employee killed as historic drought fuels blazes
- Martin Amis, acclaimed British author, dies at 73
- Harry Styles Called Emily Ratajkowski His Celebrity Crush Years Before They Kissed in Tokyo
- Codex Sassoon, oldest near-complete Hebrew Bible, sold at auction for $38.1 million
- It's about to be Red Cup Day at Starbucks. When is it and how to get the free coffee swag?
- Designer in Supreme Court ruling cited client who denies making wedding site request
- U.S. citizen and Army veteran Nicholas Maimer killed in Ukraine
- Zelda fans are taking the day off to explore 'Tears of the Kingdom'
- Jenn Tran's Ex Devin Strader Throws Shade At Her DWTS Partner Sasha Farber Amid Romance Rumors
- You Returning for a Fifth and Final Season as Joe Goldberg's Killer Story Comes to an End
Ranking
- Jimmy Kimmel, more late-night hosts 'shocked' by Trump Cabinet picks: 'Goblins and weirdos'
- The father of the cellphone predicts we'll have devices embedded in our skin next
- This high school senior's science project could one day save lives
- Temporary ceasefire reached in Sudan fighting, U.S. says
- Are Dancing with the Stars’ Jenn Tran and Sasha Farber Living Together? She Says…
- As world leaders attend G7 summit in Hiroshima, atomic bomb survivor shares her story
- Amazon Reviewers Call These On-Sale Wrist Towels a Must-Have Beauty Hack
- Kate Spade Jaw-Dropping Deals: Last Day to Save 80% On Handbags, Satchels, Totes, Jewelry, and More
Recommendation
-
Japan to resume V-22 flights after inquiry finds pilot error caused accident
-
Firefly Lane Trailer: Your First Look at Tully and Kate’s Emotional Reunion
-
Dresden museum jewel heist thieves jailed for years over robbery that shocked Germany
-
Olympic Gymnast MyKayla Skinner Expecting First Baby With Husband Jonas Harmer
-
Tennessee fugitive accused of killing a man and lying about a bear chase is caught in South Carolina
-
Here’s Why TikTok Is So Obsessed With e.l.f. Makeup — and Why You Will Be, Too
-
Blake Lively Scores Funny Points by Roasting Wrexham Soccer Fan in Hilarious Video to His Girlfriend
-
Kate Spade Jaw-Dropping Deals: Last Day to Save 80% On Handbags, Satchels, Totes, Jewelry, and More