Battles Rage Around A Key Eastern Ukrainian Village Kyiv Says It Liberated

A handout photograph released by Kyiv shows Ukrainian soldiers posing with Ukrainian national flags in front of a destroyed building in the village of Klishchiyivka on September 17.

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy announced that Ukrainian forces had liberated Klishchiyivka, a village on the southern flank of Bakhmut. The announcement came two days after Ukraine's military said it had gained control of a small nearby village, Andriyivka, about 10 kilometers southwest of Bakhmut.

 

A Ukrainian soldier places the national flag atop a destroyed home in the recaptured village of Andriyivka in the Donetsk region on September 16.

The capture of both Andriyivka and Klishchiyivka -- which are situated on higher ground -- would allow Ukraine’s troops to attack entrenched Russian forces in Bakhmut from the north and south.  

 

Ukrainian soldiers relax during a lull in fighting. However heavy fighting was reported early on September 18 around Klishchiyivka, which was long held by Russian forces.

As shelling continues above, a Ukrainian soldier shelters in a bunker near Andriyivka.

"Defense forces continue assault operations in the vicinity of Klishchiyivka, inflicting significant losses in manpower and equipment on the enemy, and consolidated their new positions," the Ukrainian General Staff wrote on Facebook on September 18.
 

A Ukrainian soldier passes by the body of a dead Russian soldier on September 16 near Andriyivka.

The capture of the ruined city of Bakhmut by Russia after months of bloody fighting was hailed by the Kremlin as a major victory at the time.

A Ukrainian soldier passes by the body of a dead Russian soldier.

Kyiv's troops have liberated 51 square kilometers near Bakhmut since the start of the counteroffensive, according to a Defense Ministry post on Telegram. The capture of both settlements within three days is seen as one of the most significant advances in Ukraine's hard-fought counteroffensive to drive Moscow's forces from the country's east.

A Ukrainian soldier smokes a cigarette while standing on top of an APC close to the front line near Bakhmut.

 

During its three-month-old counteroffensive, Kyiv has reported slow but steady progress against Moscow's entrenched positions while taking heavy casualties. 

A Ukrainian soldier smokes a cigarette while taking cover from shelling.

With President Zelenskiy preparing to visit Washington this week in a bid to rally more international support, battlefield victories are especially important as critics of Kyiv's counteroffensive say its progress is too slow.