The Russian Ministry of Defense has announced the capture by Russian Southern Group troops of the village of Ivanivske west of Bakhmut. Analysts from the Institute for the Study of War have not yet found visual evidence to confirm these claims, according to the ISW report.
It is noted that positional fighting continues in the Donetsk region: to the northwest of Bakhmut near Bohdanivka; to the west of Bakhmut near Chasiv Yar and within Ivanivske; and to the southwest of Bakhmut near Klishiivka, Andriivka, and New York.
The commander of one of the Ukrainian strike UAV units reported that Russian forces in the Horlivka direction have placed their artillery systems at the maximum distance from the front line, trying to protect them from Ukrainian UAV strikes.
The commander added that such placement of artillery systems complicates the Ukrainian forces' task of striking from a greater distance. Also, according to him, Russian forces are setting traps and decoys for Ukrainian strike UAVs, placing mines on fake equipment elements that detonate when the UAV approaches the target.
The commander also noted that Russian forces remain on the defensive in the Horlivka direction. Near Ivanivske, units of the 58th Separate Guards Special Purpose Battalion (1st AC DPR - Donetsk People's Republic) are operating.
Frontline situation
On March 30, Russian occupiers shelled three cities in the Donetsk region. As a result of enemy strikes, there are casualties and injuries.
The Russians have started adding self-destruct mechanisms to the universal planning and correction modules (UPK) of fragmentation bombs (FAB). This significantly complicates their neutralization.
