Ukraine repels Russian attacks on five fronts as Putin resorts to old weaponry and reserves

Ukrainian forces beat attacks on five points across the war frontline on Sunday as Russia’s troops resorted to using old weapons and equipment while shelling the frontline, military officials said in the latest update from the battlefield. At least two people were killed and a dozen more injured in Russia’s shelling of the southern Kherson region. The attacks were repelled in five areas of the eastern front – Kupiansk, Bakhmut, Lyman, Avdiivka, and Marinka – along the 1,000km-long (600mile) front, the general staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said in its evening report. A total of 33 skirmishes were recorded during the day by Ukraine, the battlefield update added. Russian forces also mounted six air attacks and 20 strikes from multiple-launch rocket systems (MLRS), inflicting casualties among military personnel and the civilian population, the general staff said, calling the situation difficult. Russia has scaled up its presence in the eastern hotspot of the conflict and deployed its reserves north of Bakhmut to stop Ukraine’s advancing counteroffensive in Donetsk oblast, the spokesperson for the Eastern Group of Forces Illia Yevlash said on Saturday. He confirmed a total of 774 Russian strikes on the Kupiansk and Lyman direction which had seen intense fighting in the past week. The eastern and southern parts of Ukraine have seen the majority of Russia’s offensive in the continuing invasion since February and have now become the two key theatres of Kyiv’s counteroffensive. In southern Ukraine, troops have been repelling Russian forces in an inch-by-inch fight by capturing clusters of villages as they pushed toward the Sea of Azov to cut Vladimir Putin’s access to a land bridge created by Russian forces controlling the areas of south and east. Russian troops have now started using older weaponry – howitzers and cannons – in an evidence that Ukrainian forces had been successful in knocking out enemy equipment, spokesperson for troops in the south Oleksandr Shtupun told national television. "Sadly, the Russians have plenty of equipment," he said. Top military officials said Russia was continuing to mass its reserves. "Our troops are performing their assignments with the aim of proceeding with our advance,” general Oleksandr Syrskyi, head of Ukraine’s ground forces, said. He had met troops and commanders engaged in offensive operations near Bakhmut which was taken by Russian forces in May after months of battles. Read More Ukraine-Russia war – live: Putin inflicts ‘terrible’ shelling as Kyiv warn of record drone attacks Days after deadly missile strike on Ukrainian cafe, grief and a search for answers ‘You can still smell the blood’: Inside the village where more than 50 were killed by a Russian missile Footage from inside Kharkiv apartment captures aftermath of deadly strike What are Russia’s Iskander missiles? The weapon which killed 52 following funeral near Kharkiv