Russian Federation (RF) ground troops are attacking at scattered locations without advancing, and are likely still concentrating forces for a future major offensive in the Donbas region, a Ukrainian army situation report said on the morning of April 14. In the Donbas region itself, RF armor and infantry probed Ukraine Armed Forces defensive positions in the vicinity of three towns namely Slovyansk, Popasna and Kurakhove, as well as launching a full-dress assault on encircled Ukraine Armed Forces (UAF) troops in the city of Mariupol.
At all locations Ukrainian forces held their ground, the statement from the Army General Staff (AGS) said. UAF units destroyed one RF tank, four infantry fighting vehicles, one artillery piece and six trucks in the engagements, the statement said.
Ukrainian news media reported fighting at those locations took place but there was no independent confirmation of the RF equipment claimed destroyed by the UAF.
Presidential Administration spokesman Oleksiy Arestovych in a Wednesday evening TV interview said that elements of a Marine brigade that attempted to break through RF lines around Mariupol had reached UAF positions, but had suffered some losses, both killed and captured. He claimed the escaping unit was still combat capable. News and social media repeated Arestovych’s claim but did not offer outside confirmation.
A Wednesday evening joint statement from formations still inside Mariupol, including both UAF Marines and elements of the Azov National Guard Regiment, said Ukrainian troops defending the RF-blockaded Azov Sea port will not surrender and will fight to the last.
The AGS statement said army intelligence has observed RF forces massing, particularly in the eastern Kharkiv and northern Luhansk regions. Both Ukrainian and international observers have for almost two weeks been forecasting a major RF offensive in those sectors.
Outside Donbas in the Kherson sector, UAF units appeared mostly to be trading artillery fire with RF formations, with both sides digging in. Official statements and local news agencies reported only two real RF attempts to advance in the vicinity of the villages of Oleksandrivka and Osokorivka. They were unsuccessful on both occasions.
