Ukrainian forces wiped out nearly all the armored vehicles in a Russian battalion that attempted to cross a river in eastern Ukraine, British intelligence officials said Friday.
Burnt-out vehicles near the Siversky Donets River, which flows through the Donetsk and Luhansk, could be seen in satellite photographs.
“Conducting river crossings in a contested environment is a highly risky maneuver and speaks to the pressure the Russian commanders are under to make progress in their operations in eastern Ukraine,” the U.K. Ministry of Defense tweeted.
CNN obtained satellite images that indicate there is intense fighting near the site and that Ukrainians blew up two Russian pontoon bridges, only for the Russians to build a third.
Russia is investing a lot of effort in the region as it tries to encircle Ukrainian troops and advance on the city of Severodonetsk.
The ministry said Russian forces have failed to make any significant advances despite concentrating their forces in the eastern region after withdrawing and redeploying units from the Kyiv and Chernihiv areas.
Correction: A previous version of this story misspelled Donetsk.
• Tom Howell Jr. can be reached at thowell@washingtontimes.com.
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