In Latest Attack, Russia Shells Ukraine's Eastern Front

Russian forces shelled the entire front line in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine on Thursday, as part of what appeared to be the Kremlin's scaled-back ambition to secure only the majority of lands it has claimed, according to Ukrainian officials.

In a television interview, the region's governor, Pavlo Kyrylenko, said that the fiercest fighting was near the towns of Bakhmut and Avdiivka.

According to Kyrylenko, artillery shelled the town of Toretsk southwest of Bakhmut, killing one civilian and damaging 12 buildings.

He said the entire front line is being shelled, adding that Russian troops were also attempting to advance near Lyman, which was recaptured by Ukrainian forces in November, one of Russia's many setbacks since invading its neighbour in February.

According to a witness, Ukrainian forces responded with rocket launcher barrages in Bakhmut and other parts of the Donetsk region bordering Luhansk province.

According to Ukraine's military command, Russian artillery attacked civilian infrastructure in the towns of Kupiansk and Zolochiv in Kharkiv's northeastern region and Ochakiv in Mykolaiv.

On Thursday evening, Ukrainian anti-aircraft units shot down several missiles aimed at the Kharkiv region, governor Oleh Synehubov said via a messaging app.

The Russians have stepped up their efforts in Donetsk and Luhansk, Ukrainian presidential adviser Oleksiy Arestovych said in a video posted on Facebook.

Arestovych claimed that they were now in a very active phase of attempting to conduct offensive operations. We are defending and destroying the enemy's infantry and equipment wherever it tries to advance.