Russia announces that it has retaken the Ukrainian city of Ivanivske in the Donetsk region | War in Ukraine

The Russian army announced this Saturday that it took control of the Ukrainian city of Ivanivske, west of Bakhmut, as part of the advance towards the strategic city of Chasiv Yar, in the Donetsk region, annexed by Russia in 2022.

“In the Donetsk sector, thanks to the successful actions of the Southern military group, the city of Krasnoye [nome russo para Ivanivske] was liberated and the tactical position on the front line was improved,” the Russian Defense Ministry said in its daily war report.

Ivanivske is a small town of just under 2,000 inhabitants that is located between Bakhmut, a city taken by the Russian mercenary group Wagner in May 2023, and Chasiv Yar.

This location was considered the last in the Donetsk region that Russian forces needed to take to continue the advance west and towards Sloviansk and Kramatorsk.

Also according to the Russian Ministry of Defense, Russian forces improved their positions south of the Donetsk region, as part of the advance towards Urozhaine, Makrivka and, above all, Vugledar, a square they tried to take without success.

Attacks affect Russian refineries

Recent Ukrainian attacks using drones Russian refineries have reduced fuel production by 10%, British intelligence said in its daily report on the war in Ukraine.

“The latest attacks on refineries have affected at least 10% of Russia’s refining capacity. Repairs could involve considerable time and funds,” the British Ministry of Defense said in a statement, cited by the Spanish news agency EFE.

The British reported that the drones Ukrainians attacked 12 refineries on the 17th and that, on the 15th and 16th, Ukrainian media reported attacks on three large refineries in the Samara region, in southern Russia.

They also added that some of these locations are located around 900 kilometers from Ukraine, which highlights the reach of Ukrainian drones.

“These attacks have an economic cost for Russia and affect its internal fuel market.” The United Kingdom also considered that the sanctions make it difficult to replace damaged equipment.

In response to these attacks, Russia is preparing to deploy Pantsir anti-aircraft systems to protect refineries, but “given the size and scale of the Russian energy industry, it is unlikely that Russia will be able to protect all vulnerable facilities.”