The Russian army confirmed on Saturday that its forces are still in the Ukrainian town of Andriivka, south of the destroyed city of Bakhmut on the Eastern Front, after the Ukrainian General Staff announced their withdrawal from it on Friday.
The Russian Ministry of Defense said in its daily bulletin, “In the Donetsk sector, the enemy continued to carry out offensive operations trying in vain to expel Russian forces from the towns of Kleshchievka and Andriivka”.
On Friday, the Ukrainian army announced the liberation of Andriivka in the Donetsk region, noting that Ukrainian forces during offensive operations inflicted heavy losses on the enemy in terms of personnel and equipment.
However, the Russian announcement raises more confusion about the reality of the situation in this small town, after Kiev announced this week that it had taken control of it.
On Friday, a spokesman for a Ukrainian brigade fighting battles on the ground told Ukrainian television that Andriivka had become completely destroyed as a result of the battles.
In a video posted by the aforementioned brigade on Telegram on Saturday, confirming the Ukrainian army’s control over Andriivka, Ukrainian soldiers are shown advancing between charred trees, small destroyed houses, and thick smoke.
The battle of Bakhmut is the longest and most fatal since the war began in February 2022.
Russia announced its control of this city in May after it was subjected to widespread destruction as a result of battles and bombing operations.
In addition, the Russian authorities announced on Saturday that five civilians were killed and another wounded in several Ukrainian strikes on Donetsk and the town of Svetlodarsk, located 30 kilometers southeast of Bakhmut, in territories under Russian control.
