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Russian military operations continue in Ukraine. Almost all front lines are marked by heavy positional battles while in the north of the Donetsk People’s Republic Russian-led forces continue their offensive on the Ukrainian defenses along the Bakhmut-Seversk-Soledar lines. The Russian military is set to approach to the road between the city of Bakhmut and Gorlovka in an attempt to surround Ukrainian forces in Bakhmut from the south. Fighting continues in Kodema, the last town on the Russian way to the road. Russian assault groups claimed full control of the village of Vershina on August 14. It is located 10 kilometers to the south-east of Bakhmut. Russian-led forces have recently reached the outskirts of Zaitsevo and fighting is ongoing in Veselaya Dolina, where Ukrainian units are still holding their heavily fortified positions. On August 16, the Russian Ministry of Defence claimed that more than 50 servicemen as well as six units of military equipment of the Ukrainian 72nd Motorized Infantry Brigade were destroyed in the area. Meanwhile, battles continue on the streets of Bakhmut, where Russian assault groups entered four days ago and managed to establish a foothold on the eastern outskirts. In the city of Soledar, the advancing units attempt to develop their offensive towards the Belokamensk refractory plant and gypsum quarry. Fighting is ongoing on the streets to the north of the KNAUF-Gypsum plant. According to DPR military officials, Ukrainian officers left the area of Soledar, and soldiers there were left to their own devices. Ukrainian forces suffer heavy losses in counter-battery duels in the area. More than 50% of the personnel and military equipment of the 15th Battalion of the 58th Motorized Infantry Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine were destroyed. Positional battles on the Donetsk front lines resulted in heavy losses of the Ukrainian 66th brigade deployed in Marinka. According to the Russian military, they amount to up to 70% of the military personnel. The Allied forces also claimed advances in the area. DPR units reached the highway between Maryinka and Ugledar. This complicated any military supply to the Ukrainian grouping deployed to the west of Donetsk. After the town of Peski came under the control of the DPR military, advancing forces pushed the Ukrainian military about 10 kilometers to the west. There, they launched an offensive on the town of Nevelskoye. These gains allow DPR troops to move toward Krasnogorovka as well. The Russian-led offensive is slowed down by the necessity to break down through the areas that have been fortified by the Ukrainian military for years. On the other hand, Ukrainian forces are yet to claim any significant gains on the front lines.
