COSSACKS GROSS DNIESTER AND THREATEN KOLOMEA.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 16268, 29 June 1916, Page 7

COSSACKS GROSS DNIESTER AND THREATEN KOLOMEA.

~ — —— —— — - - —■■vvamaaHav ilWlaVlVlfeilll SWIM THE RIVER CARRYING ONLY RIFLES. ENEMY STRENGTHENING DEFENCES OF KOVEL. RUSSIANS CAPTURE 198,072 PRISONERS THIS MONTH. By Telegraph—Australian and N.Z. Cable Association—Copyright. (Received Juno 28. 11.35 p.m.) PETROGRAB. JUNE 27. A Russian communique states: " Numerous attempts by the Gorman infantry to take the offensive in the northern sectors, especially in the Luck district, were easily repulsed. A heavy bombardment of the Stochod and Middle Strypa fronts continues." One hundred thousand men, including maijy prisoners, are strengthening the Kovel defences, which extend 10 miles from the town. Don Cossacks, crossing the Dniester south-west of Buczacz, threaten Kolomea. It is expected the Cossacks will sweep round the Czerniava River from the west. During the crossing of the Dniester parties of Don Cossacks swam naked, carrying only their rifles. Reaching the other bank, they attacked the enemy with the bayonet, and held the position until reinforced. General Brussiloff reports that the prisoners taken between the 4th and 23rd inst. total 4031 officers and 194,041 men. The Russians also captured 219 guns, 644 machine-guns, 196 bomb mortars, and 38 searchlights. Kovel is an important Volhynian railway centre on the River Turija, a , tributary of the River l?ripet, 30 miles north-east of Vladimir, and 45 miles north-west of Luck. Buczacz, on the River Strypa, a left-bank tributary of the River Dniester is a Galician town of 13,000 inhabitants. It lies 35 miles south-west of Taniopol, and 60 miles north-west of Czernovitz. Kolomea is a town in the valley of the River Pruth, a few miles north of the Bukovinian frontier. It lies in the south-western "corner" district of Galicia, known as Pokucie, 23 miles north-west of Sniatyn. The River Czerniava rises in Galicia, and flows in a south-easterly direction to join the River Pruth, eight miles north-west of Sniatyn.