Al Ahli extends perfect start with 5-1 victory over Al Shorta    Mitrovic's hat-trick leads Al Hilal to 3-0 victory over Esteghlal    Tourism Development Fund launches "Tourism Empowerment" programs to enhance sustainable growth of SMEs    Saudi crown prince, Tunisian president review bilateral relations in phone call    SFDA Chief visits premier biotechnology and medical firms in China    Al-Khereiji: Collective action in combating terrorism is a must for achieving stability and prosperity    Saudi Awwal Bank becomes the Kingdom's first bank obtaining ISO certification for quality management system in operations    Spanish flood rescuers focus search on underground car parks    10 cooperation agreements signed during Saudi-Turkish Business Forum in Istanbul    Saudi Arabia's non-oil revenues grow 6% in 9 months while Q3 budget posts SR30 billion deficit    Quincy Jones, titan of US music, dies aged 91    Domestic violence should not be taboo subject, says Queen Camilla    Slavery reparations not about transfer of cash, says UK's Lammy    Pro-EU leader claims Moldova victory despite alleged Russian meddling    Enhancing zakat, tax, and customs compliance takes center stage at the Zakat, Tax, and Customs Conference 2024    Neymar expected to join Al Hilal squad for AFC clash against Esteghlal, says coach Jesus    Al Qadsiah secure 2-0 victory over Al Ettifaq in first Eastern Derby since 2021    Hidden sugars in Asia's baby food spark concerns    HONOR unveils pre-order of the stunning HONOR MagicBook Art 14 Featuring an ultra-slim design, HONOR Eye Comfort Display and AI Cross-OS WorkStation    Teri Garr, Young Frankenstein and Tootsie star, dies at 79    India puts blockbuster Pakistani film on hold    The Vikings and the Islamic world    Filipino pilgrim's incredible evolution from an enemy of Islam to its staunch advocate    Muted Eid celebrations for millions of Nigerian Muslims    Exotic Taif Roses Simulation Performed at Taif Rose Festival    Asian shares mixed Tuesday    Weather Forecast for Tuesday    Saudi Tourism Authority Participates in Arabian Travel Market Exhibition in Dubai    Minister of Industry Announces 50 Investment Opportunities Worth over SAR 96 Billion in Machinery, Equipment Sector    HRH Crown Prince Offers Condolences to Crown Prince of Kuwait on Death of Sheikh Fawaz Salman Abdullah Al-Ali Al-Malek Al-Sabah    HRH Crown Prince Congratulates Santiago Peña on Winning Presidential Election in Paraguay    SDAIA Launches 1st Phase of 'Elevate Program' to Train 1,000 Women on Data, AI    41 Saudi Citizens and 171 Others from Brotherly and Friendly Countries Arrive in Saudi Arabia from Sudan    Saudi Arabia Hosts 1st Meeting of Arab Authorities Controlling Medicines    General Directorate of Narcotics Control Foils Attempt to Smuggle over 5 Million Amphetamine Pills    NAVI Javelins Crowned as Champions of Women's Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) Competitions    Saudi Karate Team Wins Four Medals in World Youth League Championship    Third Edition of FIFA Forward Program Kicks off in Riyadh    Evacuated from Sudan, 187 Nationals from Several Countries Arrive in Jeddah    SPA Documents Thajjud Prayer at Prophet's Mosque in Madinah    SFDA Recommends to Test Blood Sugar at Home Two or Three Hours after Meals    SFDA Offers Various Recommendations for Safe Food Frying    SFDA Provides Five Tips for Using Home Blood Pressure Monitor    SFDA: Instant Soup Contains Large Amounts of Salt    Mawani: New shipping service to connect Jubail Commercial Port to 11 global ports    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Delivers Speech to Pilgrims, Citizens, Residents and Muslims around the World    Sheikh Al-Issa in Arafah's Sermon: Allaah Blessed You by Making It Easy for You to Carry out This Obligation. Thus, Ensure Following the Guidance of Your Prophet    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques addresses citizens and all Muslims on the occasion of the Holy month of Ramadan    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



Russia denies advances by Ukrainian forces along front line
Published in The Saudi Gazette on 12 - 05 - 2023

Russia's defense ministry has denied reports by pro-Russian sources that Ukrainian soldiers have made advances on the front line in east Ukraine.
Yevgeny Prigozhin, head of the Wagner mercenary group fighting on the Russian side, accused regular Russian troops of abandoning positions around Bakhmut.
Russian military bloggers reported Ukrainian advances or troop movements in several areas on Thursday.
Ukraine's president said earlier it was too early to start a counteroffensive.
"With [what we already have] we can go forward and, I think, be successful," President Volodymyr Zelensky said in an interview for public service broadcasters who are members of Eurovision News, like the BBC.
"But we'd lose a lot of people. I think that's unacceptable. So we need to wait. We still need a bit more time."
The expected attack could be decisive in the war, redrawing frontlines that, for months, have remained unchanged. It will also be a crucial test for Ukraine, eager to prove that the weapons and equipment it has received from the West can result in significant battlefield gains.
In a statement, Russia's defense ministry said: "The individual declarations on Telegram about a 'breakthrough' on several points on the frontline do not correspond to reality."
"The general situation in the special military operation zone is under control," it added.
According to Prigozhin, the situation "on the flanks" at Bakhmut, the ruined city at the center of bloody fighting for months, was "developing in line with the worst of the predicted scenarios".
"The territories that we have been taking for many months at the cost of the blood and lives of our brothers-in-arms, covering dozens or hundreds of meters a day, are now being abandoned, practically without a fight, by those who should be holding our flanks," he said.
Pro-Kremlin Russian war correspondent Sasha Kots claimed that Kyiv's much-anticipated counteroffensive had begun.
Ukrainian tanks were on the Kharkiv ring road heading towards the border with Russia, he said, quoting "trusted" sources. His claims could not be independently verified.
"There are low loaders in the columns carrying Western [tank] models among others," Kots added.
"In other words," he said, "Kiev [Kyiv] has decided to aggravate the situation along the northern front in parallel with the start of offensive actions on the flanks of Artyomovsk [Bakhmut]."
Another Russian war correspondent, Alexander Simonov, wrote on Telegram that Ukrainian forces had broken through near the village of Bohdanivka, close to Bakhmut, taking "several square kilometers" of ground.
Ukrainian military analyst Oleksandr Musivenko said Kyiv recognized that the anticipated counteroffensive might not necessarily defeat Russia "in all occupied areas".
He told Ukrainian NV radio there was every possibility the war could continue into next year.
"It all depends on how the battles develop. We can't guarantee how the counteroffensive will develop," he said.
An unnamed senior US military official told CNN that Ukrainian forces were preparing for a major counteroffensive by striking targets such as weapons depots, command centers and armor and artillery systems to prepare the field for advancing forces.
Ukraine's spring 2022 counteroffensive in the southern and north-eastern parts of the country was also preceded by air attacks to "shape" the battlefield.
But the shaping operations could take many days before the planned offensive gets underway, CNN quoted the senior US military official as saying.
Western officials estimate between 20,000 and 30,000 Russian troops have been killed or wounded at Bakhmut, while Ukraine's military has also paid a heavy price.
Russia's defense ministry also said it had stopped several Ukrainian attacks throughout Thursday and said an ongoing battle near Malynivka, in eastern Donetsk, involved both air and artillery forces.
Since Russia invaded Ukraine on 24 February of last year, thousands of civilians and combatants have been killed or injured, cities and towns have been destroyed in fighting, and nearly 8.2 million Ukrainians have been registered as refugees in Europe, with 2.8 million of them in Russia. — BBC


Clic here to read the story from its source.