Ukraine repells 9 Russian attacks in Donetsk, Luhansk

Ukrainian Armed Forces have hit seven air targets over the past day: a Su-25 plane, a Ka-52 helicopter, three operational-tactical UAVs and two cruise missiles, Report informs referring to the Facebook page of General Staff of the Ukranian Armed Forces.

In the Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts alone, the Ukraine armed forces repulsed nine Russian attacks, destroyed nine tanks, eleven artillery systems, four units of special and seventeen units of armored vehicles, three units of special engineering and sixteen units of motor vehicles, four units of motor vehicles, four units of motor vehicles, four anti-aircraft installation, the General Staff said in a statement.

“Russian forces continue to carry out offensive operations in the Eastern Operational Zone in order to defeat the Joint Forces, establish full control over the territory of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts and maintain the land route to the occupied Crimea.

"The greatest activity of Russian forces is observed in the Slobozhansky and Donetsk directions.

"In the Slobozhansky direction, the Russian enemy continues to launch airstrikes and hit the infrastructure of the city of Kharkiv with artillery.

"In the Izyum direction, units of the 1st Tank Army, the 20th Combined Arms Army of the Western Military District, the 35th Combined Arms Army and the 68th Army Corps of the Eastern Military District and Airborne Forces are conducting offensive operations in the direction of Barvinkovo. The Russian enemy captured the northeastern outskirts of the settlement of Velyka Komyshuvakha, and also took control of the settlement of Zavody,” reads the report.

“In order to increase the grouping of troops, Russian occupiers transferred from the territory of the Belgorod region to the city of Izyum two battalion tactical groups from the 76th Airborne Assault Division of the Russian Airborne Forces. In addition, in the areas of settlements of the Belgorod region, the Russian enemy deployed two missile divisions of "Iskander-M" (SS-26 Stone) mobile short-range ballistic missile system.

"In the Donetsk direction, Russian enemy units are conducting active operations along almost the entire line of contact. The main efforts of the Russian enemy are focused on offensive operations in the Severodonetsk, Popasna and Kurakhiv areas in order to take full control of Popasna, Rubizhne and the development of the offensive on the Lyman, Severodonetsk and Slovyansk.

"In the Lyman direction, the Russian enemy established control over the settlement of Zarichne, carried out assault operations in the area of ​​the settlement of Yampil.

"In the Mariupol direction, the Russian enemy is exerting massive fire and blocking our units in the area of ​​the Azovstal plant. There are no significant changes in the Volyn, Polissya and Siversky directions,” the report noted.