Ukraine counterattacks, Russian troops withdraw from some positions in Bakhmut

General Oleksandr Syrskyi. Photo: Pravda

Reuters and Pravada news agencies quoted General Oleksandr Syrskyi as saying: "The situation in Bakhmut is quite complicated. At the same time, in some areas of the city, Russian forces faced counterattacks by Ukrainian units and abandoned some positions." According to this commander, fighting in Bakhmut is continuing and Russia has not succeeded in breaking through the Ukrainian defenses.

General Oleksandr Syrskyi added that Ukrainian defense forces also repelled all Russian attacks on the Lyman front.

On the 432nd day of the conflict, Ukrainian troops repelled more than 30 attacks by Russian ground forces on Lyman, Bakhmut, Avdiivka and Marinka, the Ukrainian General Staff said on May 1. The fiercest fighting took place in Bakhmut and Marinka, in the Donetsk region.

Russia has not yet commented on the information provided by Ukraine.

Russia launches missile attack, disrupting Ukraine's weapons production

The Russian Defense Ministry said on May 1 that its military had launched a large-scale missile attack on Ukraine's military industry, disrupting the production of weapons and ammunition.

RT news agency quoted the Russian Defense Ministry's announcement at a press conference as follows: "Russian armed forces conducted a group missile strike with long-range precision weapons based at sea and in the air against military-industrial complexes of Ukraine. All targets were hit."

The Russian military did not specify the attack points, but Ukrainian media reported that Kiev, Sumi and Dnepropetrovsk were targeted, with a large explosion occurring on the outskirts of Pavlograd.

Videos circulating online show the aftermath of the attacks. The Pavlograd blast was followed by several smaller explosions. According to Ukrainian emergency services, the Pavlograd blasts damaged or destroyed 80 homes and more than two dozen high-rise buildings. An industrial facility was also damaged.

In recent days, both Russia and Ukraine appear to have stepped up long-range attacks on each other. Moscow claims to have destroyed several Ukrainian military command posts and attacked Ukrainian reserve forces. For its part, Kiev has stepped up its shelling of Russian-controlled areas of the city of Donetsk and other border areas.