Evening star., 1916-06-26
Greatest Fight of Present
Series Developing in So
Called Lutsk Salient.
K0VEL JUNCTION is KEY
TO WHOLE SITUATION
Duchy Of Bukowina Now in Russian
Hands, Petrograd Announces
Successes of Germans.

LONDON. June 2s.-The greatest
battle OF the present series on the
Russian front is developing in the So
called Lutsk salient according to the
latest dispatches from Petrograd The
new places named in the oficisl COM
munications would appear to indicate
that the Germans already have made
a slight impression on the salient
The key to the whole situation is tho
kovel junction. and gigantic efforts
are being made by the Germans to
safeguard this vital point They are
massing every available unit there to
counter the Russian thrust
On the direct road at Svidnikf the
Russians are within twenty-one miles
OF the junction, but for ten days they
have been held at that position. The
Germans have made even greater ef.
forts to check an indirect approach to
kovel by the southern flank, where, for
the past week, the issue has hung in
the balance at Lokatchi. the apex Of the
whole salient. The latest war map
shows that the Russians are no longer
at Lokatchi. the Germans having forced
them back from three to six miles on
both sides of the road which leads to
cording to still later accounts, have
won back some of this ground.
Bukowina in Russian Hands.
The situation in Bukowina has clear
ed up with the Russian announcement
that the whole of the duchy is now in
Russian hands. Thus. in three weeks
Gen. Letchitzky has broken through
positions fortified like the French
front and taken over 10000 prisoners
and added territory of 1000 square
miles to that controlled by the Rus
sian empire. His victorious army is
now lighting in two main directions
first. in the far south it is mounting
the valley which leads to Kirlibaba
pass of the Carpathians and thence over
the Carpathians into Transylvania.
and. second. in the northwest II is striv-
ing for the possession of Kolomes an
important railway junction.
Austria's dilemma on the Russian
front is made clear by the map, which
shows that since the commencement
OF the Russian advance she has been
miles long between Pinsk and Rumania
for new line $50 miles long.
German Attacks Broken.
"ohicers who have arrived at Kiev."
says Reuters Petrograd correspondent,
describe the breaking of all German
attacks on the Russian front along the
Stokhod river. Large reserves launch
ed by the Germans were hurled back
by the Russians. who now are on the
offensive. German prisoners who were
the Russian gunflre on the Stokhod as
an inferno similar to that at verdun.
Further south. in the Vladimir
Volynski and Sokal regions. combined
enemy Hnsaughts na na..r are proving equally
IDENTIFY shrinks at no sacrifice to retain
his communications with Kovel and
Lemberg.
Cross River in Face Of Fire.
''Kuty. which has been taken by the
Russians. is on the left bank Of the
Cheremosh river. a tributary OF the
Pruth. and the Russians had to force
the river in the face of gunfire from
the hills behind. The Russians now
are in possession of the entire Czer-
nowitz-Kuty railway.
The Beresina river. on which fight
ing was reported yesterday. is a north
ern tributary of the Niemen. Bogdanoff
is on the Lida-Molodechno railway a
dozen miles south of Krevo. In the
region between Wilma and Molodechno
the Germans lately have been extend
ing their field operations north and
south OF M Smorgon; o,odss They no nov are at, at,
only from the northwest. but from the
southwest and west"
German Successes Reported.
BERLIN, June IS, via London. e:31
p.m.-Heavy fighting continues in the
district west of Sokul. on the eastern
front, where the Russians are attempt
ing to strike northwest to Kovel The
war Office today reports successes for
the Germans near Zaturze, in this dis
trict.
Since June 1s. IT was announced. more
than 1900 Russian prisoners. two
cannon and fifty-four machine guns
have been taken.
Eastern front:
Fifty-four machine guns have been
taken The statement on military
operations in the eastern theater OF
war issued today follows:
Text of oMcial Statement.
Apart from lively artillery activity
at places and some fighting by small
detachments. nothing of importance
has occurred on the northern portion
OF the front.
Army group OF Gen. Won Linsingen:
To the west of Sokul. near Zaturze,
stubborn engagements continued sue
cessfully for us.
The number of prisoners and the
amount of booty taken since June 1s
has increased to sixty-one officers.
1907 men. two cannon and fifty-four
machine guns"