Both sides said on Friday that there was “fierce” fighting for the eastern Ukrainian town of Vugledar, which Russian forces are trying to capture, with Kyiv insisting that Moscow was “exaggerating” the success of its offensive, AFP reported.

The head of the Russian occupation of Ukraine’s Donetsk region, Denys Pusilin, said in the evening that he was “waiting for good news” from Vugledar, a mining town with a population of 15,000 before the Russian invasion.

He told the Ria Novosti agency that the victory would “change the balance of forces at the front”, opening the way for an offensive on the northern cities of Pokrovsk and Kurakhove.

One of his advisers, Yan Gagin, told the TASS news agency on Friday that “serious and fierce fighting” was ongoing and that Russian forces were “entrenched in the southeast and east of the city.”

Ukrainian military spokesman in the eastern zone, Serhii Cherevaty, confirmed “fierce fighting” but said the Russians had been repulsed.

“The enemy is really trying to achieve success in this direction, but it is not possible thanks to the efforts of the defense forces of Ukraine,” he said on television.

“The opponent exaggerates, in other words, his success. Suffering losses, the enemy is retreating,” he added.

Ukraine said this week that the outnumbered Russian army had stepped up its attacks in the east, particularly on Vugledar and Bakhmut, the latter of which had been a Russian target for months despite heavy casualties.

Russian forces and those of Wagner’s paramilitary group recently captured Soledar, a town north of Bakhmut, marking the first success in months and a series of humiliating setbacks for the Kremlin.

Russia has mobilized hundreds of thousands of reservists and detainees to try to break through Ukrainian lines and seize the rest of Ukrainian Donbas.

Kyiv says it is inflicting huge losses on the Russians, but notes that their numerical superiority makes the fighting particularly difficult.

Both Ukraine and Russia are said to be planning offensives in late winter or spring to try to achieve what they hope are decisive victories in the war.

Follow the latest events of the 338th day of the war in Ukraine LIVETEXT on HOTNEWS.RO.