Russia

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXX, Issue 59, 14 June 1916, Page 5

Russia

BUKOVBNA OPERATIONS. | RUSSIAHL APPROACHING ' CZSRNOWITZ. ! AUSTRIANS BLOW UP BRIDGES. I [United Press Association.] Petrograd, June 12. ! The Russians on Sunday f ttaeke.l the bridge head at Zalcshchflk, on the Dniester, and approached ihe suburb-, of Czernowitz, where tho An.--trians Have caused many explosions, it is believed by blowing up the bridges. RUSSIANS THREATEN ViLNA FRONT. Amsterdam, June 1.2. Advices from Vienna state that the Russians are at Roshitshe, north or Lutsk, and are now within fifty kilometres of Kovel, Vladimor, and Wolinski. Military circles in Germany estimate the Austrian losses-at four hundred thousand. They fear that the Russians in Lublin province will soon threaten the entire front to Vilna.

DESPERATE FIGHTING.

Petrograd, Juno 12

Near Bobulikze, north of Buczacz, the Austriaus, assisted by fresh German forces, desperately counter-at-tacked. Our troops replied with fur-

titer attacks, but finally were forced to give ground slightly. Fighting continues with ever-in-creasing desperation and the fighting for., • Czernowitz suburbs has begun. The enemy blew up a. bridge cast of Czernowitz.

General Letchtlzky's troops have now captured twenty-one thousand men, all Hungarian infantry and cavalry.

The Germans on the right flank in the Riga sector assumed the offensive north of the Tirul marsh, but were repulsed. The Germans on, the entire Jacobstadt front attempted to advance, after violent artillery fire, but were everywhere repelled.

Important German forces that assumed the offensive south of Lake 'B'risvity. and also south of the village of Koohany, were compelled to retreat. ' " > At \'■>,' \

Prisoners continue to arrive at Kieff; They: are chiefly Austrians. Germans, and Magyars. There are luj siavs. • ;■

The offensive continues steadily. The Russians are building' bridges to enable the transport of big guns •on a large scale. Cavalry operations among the Austrian communications continue, and enable tho Russian rear to reorganise the troops and prepare for a fresh push. Lutzk was surrounded by nineteen lines of entanglements, but the Russian turning movement led to a hurried Austrian retreat, the enemy abandoning their guns. The Russ Koeslovo publishes some revelations'' about General Siiekhomliur oil's responsibility for the Russian difficulties: It states that he got into the hands of a gang of eleven adventurers, who were habitues of a .family circle, who included. Bogroff, the murderer of M: Stolypin' (the Russian Premier), Nyascedoff, .who was hanged in 1915 for betraying Russian plans to Germany, and Kuliabko, who gave Bogroff access to the theatre on the night of Mi Stolypin's murder. Genoral Sukhomlinoff probably was unaware of the character of. his associates, and he reposed the greatest confidence in Nyascedoff, to whom lie communicated many secrets of the War Office. The conspirators made use of Madame Sukhomlinoff, who is a young and attractive woman, who gladly accepted the obeisances of the frequenters of her saloon. General Sukhomlinoff was also largely responsible for Russia's unpreparednoss for war. Without consulting his office colleagues he fomented a faulty scheme of defence, involving the abandonment of the Polish fortresses. Directly the war was commenced General Sukhomlinoff was deluged with appeals for a more liberal supply of munitions, but he obstinately refused to consider offers for war material, adopting the standpoint that tho manufacture of munitions was only possible in the Government arsenals, and ho told the Generals to try and economise, as the military works could not make more.

(General Sukhomlinoff was Minister for War in the Russian Ministry last year, but he was deposed a few months ago, when it was discovered that he was in league with the Germans. He is now confined in a fortress awaiting trial).