Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar announced that the country's army had captured the heights in Bakhmut and succeeded in encircling Russian troops stationed in the city.
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| Ukraine situation: Kiev occupies high ground around Bakhmut, fires dozens of military recruiters; Russian army surrounded? In photo: Ukrainian soldiers drive tanks near Bakhmut. (Source: Reuters) |
Ms Maliar said Russian troops were now unable to move around Bakhmut on the eastern front as Kiev launched flanking and high-altitude attacks. With Kiev advancing on the outskirts of Bakhmut, Russia was trying to draw Ukrainian troops out of the area by attacking the Kharkiv region, according to Ukrainian officials.
Earlier, on August 10, Ukraine ordered the forced evacuation of thousands of civilians from 37 towns and villages in Kupiansk, in the Kharkov region, located north of Bakhmut.
The local military authorities said the evacuation was mandatory but people could stay if they signed a document saying they did so at their own risk. "Given the difficult security situation and the increasing number of shelling by Russian forces, you have the opportunity to evacuate to a safer place," the authorities said.
Residents were asked to evacuate to Kharkov, where they had the option of moving to safer areas.
Meanwhile, the Russian Defense Ministry said it had gained momentum in Kharkov.
Russian Telegram channel Voyennaya Chronica reported that the Russian army is only 7km from Kupiansk and the city is now within artillery range.
“The main focus of the Ukrainian army is the southern front and Russia is focused on the east. Russia is penetrating two main areas – Kupiansk and Lyman. It is a nightmare,” said Ms. Maliar.
* Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on August 11 decided to fire the heads of all regional military recruitment centers across the country , citing corruption allegations that could amount to treason.
In a statement posted on social media after a meeting with senior military leaders, President Zelensky wrote: "We are firing all regional military commissioners. This system should be run by people who know exactly what a military conflict is and why skepticism and bribery at this time are treason."
According to President Zelensky, a review of military recruitment centers across Ukraine has revealed signs of occupational abuse ranging from illegal enrichment to helping men of military age cross the border despite wartime bans.
Ukraine has long made the fight against corruption a top priority, as it waged a counter-offensive and sought membership in the European Union (EU).
* On August 11, the Russian Defense Ministry announced that its forces had attacked a position of "foreign mercenaries" in Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia region, after Kiev said a Russian missile had hit a hotel on the evening of August 10, killing one person and injuring 16 others.
Local media reported that the damaged building was the Reikartz Hotel in the city center of Zaporizhzhia on the banks of the Dnipro River.
* Russia said on August 11 that it had destroyed a Ukrainian drone on the western outskirts of Moscow , the latest in a series of air attacks on the Russian capital.
"This afternoon, Kiev carried out a terrorist attack using drones on a facility in Moscow and the attempt was thwarted," the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement. There were no casualties or damage in the incident, the statement said.
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