A Russian national tricolor flag tops the Russian Defence Ministry headquarters on the bank of the Moskva river in Moscow.
| Photo Credit: AFP

Russia’s Defence Ministry on May 30 said it neutralised 13 Ukrainian aerial drones in the southern Krasnodar region and close to the annexed Crimean peninsula.

On May 30 morning, “five Ukrainian aerial drones were shot down by anti-aircraft defence systems in the Krasnodar region,” the Ministry said in a statement.

Another eight drones were intercepted during the night “over the Black Sea, close to the Crimean coast”, the statement added.

The Russian Army also said it had destroyed two Ukrainian naval drones in the Black Sea that were “heading for Crimea”.

Eight tactical ATACMS missiles were shot down by Russian air defence systems over the Sea of Azov, near Crimea.

Faced with more than two years of Russian bombardments, Ukraine has taken the fight to Russian soil, often targeting energy infrastructure across the border.

This grab taken from video released by the head of the Russian-controlled Donetsk region Denis Pushilin’s telegram channel on Saturday, Feb. 24, 2024, shows damaged buildings, after Russian forces completed their takeover of Avdiivka, eastern Ukraine. Russian-controlled Donetsk region.
| Photo Credit: AP

Russia said on Sunday that its forces had taken more advantageous positions near Avdiivka and Donetsk after President Vladimir Putin ordered the military to push further into Ukraine after two years of full-scale war.

Russia’s defence ministry said its troops had pushed back Ukrainian forces near Klishchiivka, Dyleyevka and Kurdiumivka in the Donetsk region and taken better positions near Avdiivka which fell to Russia earlier this month.

“In the Donetsk direction, units of the Southern grouping of troops improved the situation along the front line and defeated formations of the 22nd, 28th and 92nd mechanised brigades of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the areas of the settlements of Klishchiivka, Dyleyevka and Kurdiumivka,” it said.

“In the Avdiivka direction, units of the Centre group of forces occupied more advantageous lines and positions, and also defeated manpower and equipment of the 3rd Assault Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the 107th Air Defence Brigade.”

The ministry said Russian troops had repelled seven Ukrainian counter-attacks in the area. A total of 77 Ukrainian drones were destroyed, the ministry said.

Reuters was unable to immediately verify battlefield accounts from either side in the war.

Mr. Putin said on Tuesday Russian troops would push further into Ukraine to build on their success on the battlefield after the fall of the town of Avdiivka where he said Ukrainian troops had been forced to flee in chaos.

Mr. Putin sent tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine in February 2022, triggering full-scale war after eight years of conflict in eastern Ukraine between Ukrainian forces on one side and pro-Russian Ukrainians and Russian proxies on the other.

Along the 1,000 km (600-mile) front line, Russian troops are dug in behind deep mine fields patrolled by drones and guarded by heavy artillery.

Russia currently controls a little under one fifth of territory internationally recognised to be Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says he will not rest until every last Russian soldier is ejected.

Russia says the territory its forces control is part of Russia and that it will never be given up. The West has committed about 250 billion euros ($271 billion) worth of aid to Ukraine in an attempt to defeat Russian forces.