Confusion Over ‘Liberation’ of Andriivka as Army Calls Kyiv’s Announcement ‘Premature’

Kyiv announced the liberation of a village near Bakhmut on Thursday afternoon only to be contradicted soon after by one of the Ukrainian units fighting in the area.

In a post on social media, Deputy Defence Minister Hanna Maliar, said: “We are moving forward in the Bakhmut sector. On the northern flank, the enemy is trying to recapture lost ground.

“On the southern flank, we are making progress.”

She added: “And we have good news there – Andriivka is ours. We are consolidating our positions.”

The news caused an outpouring of celebration on social media.

But shortly after Maliar’s announcement, Ukraine’s 3^rd Assault Brigade posted a message on its own Telegram channel saying it was too soon the declare the liberation of Andriivka.

“The statement about the capture of Andriivka is false and premature,” it wrote. “Currently, serious and heavy fighting continues in the districts of Klishchiivka and Andriivka.

“Such statements are harmful, pose a threat to the lives of personnel and harm the performance of combat missions.”

In another Telegram post, Maliar later said she was “clarifying” the information and said there was a “communication breakdown between several sources of information reporting directly from the scene.”

She added: “There is some success in Adriivka and heavy fighting is currently underway.”

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With Russia’s full-scale invasion approaching the 1,000-day mark, 3.7 million people have already been displaced inside Ukraine and around 6.7 million have fled as refugees, according to UN figures.

Bakhmut, a town that was once home to around 70,000 people, was captured by Russian forces in May following one of the longest and bloodiest battles of Russia's invasion.

Ukrainian forces, however, almost immediately began pushing back around the northern and southern flanks of the city and have been posting incremental gains, AFP reports.

Andriivka is around 14 kilometres (9 miles) south of Bakhmut, with an estimated pre-war population of fewer than 100 people.