A Ukrainian army field pontoon bridge (Photo: Defence Blog).
In a statement updating the war situation on April 19, Lieutenant General Igor Konashenkov, spokesman for the Russian Ministry of Defense , said that the country's military had destroyed a Ukrainian pontoon bridge in the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic (DPR).
"In the settlement of Seversk Maliy in the Donetsk People's Republic, a pontoon bridge of the Ukrainian army across the Seversky Donets River was destroyed. In the Avdiivka area, a command/observation post belonging to a battalion of the 110th Motorized Rifle Brigade was also put out of action," Konashenkov said, revealing that the pontoon bridge was used to deliver supplies to Ukrainian defense forces in areas of intense fighting in Donetsk.
According to the spokesman for the Russian Defense Ministry, over the past 24 hours, coordinated strikes by Russian warplanes, missiles and artillery hit 98 troop concentrations and military equipment in 133 areas. In the Konstantinovka settlement in Donetsk, a fuel depot of the 17th Ukrainian Tank Brigade was also destroyed.
Also on April 19, Lieutenant General Konashenkov confirmed that pro-Russian forces had captured three more areas in Bakhmut, thereby controlling about 90% of this strategic city.
"In Donetsk, our assault teams have captured three more areas in the northwest, southwest and center of the city of Bakhmut over the past 24 hours," a spokesman for the Russian Defense Ministry confirmed.
According to Konashenkov, additional Russian paratroopers have been deployed to the area to support the Wagner private military company’s offensive. Currently, paratrooper units are in charge of attacking the northern and southern sides of Bakhmut.
A spokesman for the Russian Defense Ministry also revealed that the Ukrainian army had launched a counterattack in Bakhmut over the past day. However, this effort was stopped by pro-Moscow forces there.
Besides Bakhmut, on the Donetsk front, fierce fighting continued in Kupyansk and Krasny Liman.
In Kupyansk, the Russian military claimed to have eliminated two assault groups, 120 soldiers, a tank, two armored vehicles, two military vehicles and a Grad multiple rocket launcher. In Krasny Liman, the Russian offensive also cost Ukraine 75 soldiers and two armored vehicles.
Russian air defense forces also announced that they had shot down a Ukrainian Su-25 fighter jet in the Vuhledar area of Donetsk. In addition, four HIMARS missiles and six Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles were also shot down.
The Ukrainian Ministry of Defense has not yet commented on the above information.
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