KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukrainian troops have withdrawn from the village of Urozhyin in the eastern Donetsk region, officials said Thursday, surrendering another frontline position as Russian forces blast Ukrainian defenses with a relentless onslaught.
The village was reduced to rubble and “it was impossible to hold positions there,” Nazar Voloshin, a spokesman for local ground forces, told The Associated Press in a written statement, without saying when the withdrawal had taken place.
Russia captured the village of Urozhyin early in the war, which began after Russia launched a full-scale invasion of its neighbor in February 2022. Ukrainian forces retook the village almost a year ago, with the Russian Defense Ministry claiming that troops had recaptured the village a few days earlier.
Russian attack leaves thousands in Ukraine without electricity and waterhttps://t.co/Fta9rDYsJy
— Breitbart London (@BreitbartLondon) July 6, 2024
As Russia continues its summer offensive, it has deployed devastating firepower, leaving towns and villages in ruins and hampering Ukrainian defenses. Despite valiant defenses, analysts say Ukrainian forces are being pushed back in some places along the front line by larger and better-equipped Kremlin forces.
Ukraine’s military capabilities have improved since the U.S. Congress approved a long-awaited military aid package this spring, but they have not yet arrived fast enough to thwart a Russian attack, especially in Donetsk.
European leaders met in Britain on Thursday to discuss European security and further support for Ukraine.
Kiev is pursuing a “bow but don’t give in” strategy to buy time until it can get more Western arms and ammunition to the front line. Military officials and analysts say ceding some territory has allowed Ukraine to fight from a better-defended position.
