Ukraine holds defence as battles rage in Donetsk region, top commander says

Ukrainian servicemen fire a mortar shell towards Russian troops at the frontline position near the Vuhledar town, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Donetsk region, Ukraine February 11, 2023. REUTERS/Marko Djurica

LVIV, Ukraine (Reuters) - Ukraine's forces hold defence along the frontline in Donetsk, including of the besieged town of Bakhmut, with the fiercest battles raging for the cities of Vuhledar and Maryinka, Kyiv's top military commander said on Saturday.

Valeriy Zaluzhnyi, commander-in-chief of Ukraine's Armed Forces, said Russia carries out some 50 attacks daily in Donetsk, a region in Ukraine's southeast that Moscow has been trying to occupy fully.