Russian Forces Are Not Able To Make Advancements, Says Ukraine; Russia Refutes

Britain's Defence Ministry said that the Russian forces lost numerous armoured vehicles and tanks while making only 'marginal progress'.

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Ukraine's Military on Wednesday said that though the Russian forces are making continuous attempts to capture the bombed-out eastern Ukrainian towns of Bakhmut and Avdiivka however, they aren't making any progress.

The pro-Moscow officials on the other hand are countering Ukraine's claim saying that they have been advancing, reported news agency Reuters. 

The General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in a statement said that the two towns along with other communities in the industrial Donetsk region are at the centre of Russia's relentless attacks.

"The enemy continues its assault on the city of Bakhmut. However, our defenders courageously hold the city, repel numerous enemy attacks," Reuters quoted him as saying.

He further said that the Ukrainian forces had successfully countered 57 attacks on Bakhmut as well as some other towns.

Britain's Defence Ministry said that the Russian forces lost numerous armoured vehicles and tanks while making only 'marginal progress'. The Russian-installed leader of the part of Donetsk region under Moscow's control, Denis Pushilin however said that most Ukrainian forces had pulled back from a metal factory in Western Bakhmut and Russian forces were making progress. 

As advanced Western battle tanks started to reach Ukraine ahead of the anticipated counter-offensive by its forces, Russia's RIA news agency reported that Moscow had sent hundreds of new and refurbished tanks to its troops.

Russian ally Belarus confirmed it will host Russian tactical nuclear weapons, saying the decision was a response to Western sanctions and what it said was a military build-up by NATO member states near its borders.

US President Joe Biden indicated he would be concerned by the move. But the United States said on Tuesday that it had not seen any indications that Russia was closer to using tactical nuclear weapons in Ukraine.

Rafael Grossi, head of the United Nations nuclear watchdog, said in a Reuters interview that his work on forging an agreement to protect the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine was still alive. On the eve of his expected visit to the plant on Wednesday, he described the situation there as very dangerous and very unstable.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy visited two northern towns and trenches near the Russian border on Tuesday. While addressing the public about Russia's invasion he said it "Reminds the world that Russian aggression could be ended considerably more quickly than is sometimes said.”