Russian Forces Expand Donbas Assault But Suffer Huge Losses

Russian forces were pushing to encircle two cities in eastern Ukraine on Wednesday, part of an all-out assault to take control of the Donbas region that is making progress, but at a cost for Moscow, Ian Lovett reported for the Wall Street Journal.

Photo Insert: A warehouse with up to 180 Russian troops inside, two tanks, five infantry combat vehicles, three armored personnel carriers, three artillery systems, three mortars, and three unmanned aerial vehicles were destroyed.

Fighting was centered around two cities on either side of the Siverskyi Donets River: Severodonetsk and Lysychansk. The two cities are among the easternmost parts of Donbas that Ukrainian forces still control, Lovett said.

The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said in its May 24 update that Russian troops “are instead attempting to secure smaller encirclements and focus on Sievierodonetsk.”

This change in strategy is allowing for gradual advances, but at the expense of abandoning several intended lines of advance and deep encirclement of Ukrainian forces in eastern Ukraine, Kyiv Independent reported. Ukrainian forces are also likely conducting a controlled withdrawal southwest of Popasna near Bakhmut to protect Ukrainian supply lines against Russian offensives in the southeast of Bakhmut in Donetsk Oblast, the ISW wrote.

Ukraine's military reported that up to 180 Russian troops were killed, 19 pieces of equipment destroyed in the east on May 24.

Ukraine’s Operational Tactical Group East reported on Facebook that in its area of command Russian forces carried out three attacks on the same day but Ukraine’s forces fought back and destroyed a warehouse with up to 180 Russian troops inside, two tanks, five infantry combat vehicles, three armored personnel carriers, three artillery systems, three mortars, and three unmanned aerial vehicles.

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