Ukrainian troops repel 12 Russian attacks near Mariinka - ISW

The Ukrainian army is actively defending itself from the aggressor's attacks and successfully conducting counteroffensives in certain areas of the combat front.

This information is provided by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).

Situation in Kharkiv and Luhansk regions

The General Staff of Ukraine reported that Russian military formations tried to break through the defense near Masiutivka without success, and did not carry out further actions in the area of Kreminna.

Colonel General Oleksandr Syrskyi, the head of the Ukrainian Land Forces, said that Ukrainian soldiers continue to repel all attempts by Russian troops to break through near Novoselivske, Torske, Bilohorivka and Spirne.

Russian bloggers spread information that Russian troops had entered Bilohorivka from the northeast and were trying to limit Ukrainian forces in the area, as well as in Masiutivka. However, ISW was unable to obtain visual confirmation of this information.

According to Russian sources, the occupiers are preparing an offensive on Siversk. The area around Kreminna is one of the few places on the front line where Russian troops continue to advance, so it is possible that they are concentrating their forces to attack in this direction in order to create conditions for a potential offensive on Siversk.

The Russians claim that Ukrainian forces launched a HIMARS strike on Almazne in Luhansk Oblast on May 28. Geolocation imagery shows the impact of the strike.

Fighting in the Donetsk region

As of May 29, the intensity of the Russian offensive near Bakhmut and its surroundings remained extremely low. The General Staff of Ukraine reported that the aggressors conducted unsuccessful offensives northeast of Orikhovo-Vasylivka and in the direction of Ivanivske. The Russian side is not conducting an offensive in the Bakhmut direction.

Deputy Minister of Defense of Ukraine Hanna Malyar noted that Russian regular troops continue to control the positions of the Wagnerites in Bakhmut itself, as well as on the outskirts of the city. She added that Ukrainian troops hold positions on the southwestern outskirts of Bakhmut and did not attempt to advance in the area on May 28 and 29, focusing on other important tasks.

A Russian blogger claimed that the Ukrainian Armed Forces had made some progress toward Klishchiyivka and that Russian troops had attacked in the area of Khromove. Ukraine's General Staff reported that Ukrainian troops repelled 12 Russian attacks near Maryinka.

According to reports, Russian troops are trying to capture Ukrainian military strongholds near Avdiivka. On May 29, a Russian blogger noted that the aggressors were attacking in the direction of Pervomaiske and Pivdenne.

In addition, Russian troops conducted limited ground attacks to the west of Donetsk region. Ukraine's General Staff stated that Russian troops conducted unsuccessful offensives near Velyka Novosilka.

On May 29, the advisor to the mayor of Mariupol, Petro Andriushchenko, said that the Russian side had recently intensified the construction of fortifications around Mariupol and was bringing logs to the city to build dugouts. He also stated that a Ukrainian strike on the outskirts of Mariupol on May 28 resulted in the deaths of 100 Russian soldiers and 40 more wounded.

"Southern Vector".

The mayor of Melitopol, Ivan Fedorov, reports that the Russian military continues to set up defensive lines on the outskirts of Melitopol, Zaporizhzhia region, which are sufficient to accommodate "military equipment and war memorials." He emphasizes that they are camouflaging their equipment and soldiers in the Bogatyrsky forest near Melitopol.

From Russian sources, we hear claims that the Russian military repelled limited Ukrainian reconnaissance activities on Ukraine's southern front.

On May 28, the adviser to the head of the Kherson regional military-civilian administration, Serhiy Khlan, reported that Chechen military units of unknown origin were operating on the Arabat Spit in Kherson region to prevent desertions among Russian troops.