Enemy advancing on Sievierodonetsk from several directions – Ukrainian Defense Ministry

Russian invaders continue to make efforts to reach the administrative borders of the Luhansk and Donetsk regions and keep control of a land corridor with the occupied Crimean peninsula.

Ukrainian Defense Ministry spokesman Oleksandr Motuzianyk said this at a briefing at the Media Center Ukraine - Ukrinform.

"The main goal of the enemy at this stage is to reach the administrative borders of the Luhansk and Donetsk regions, keep the land corridor with the occupied Crimean peninsula and block Ukraine's maritime communications in the northwestern part of the Black Sea. Despite huge losses in manpower and equipment, the occupiers outnumber Ukrainian defenders and try to win only with numbers. In some areas, for one piece of Ukrainian artillery there are six or more enemy artillery pieces. At the same time, the effectiveness of the actions of Russian infantry units remains low, especially in the towns," Motuzianyk said.

According to him, the enemy is shelling the positions of the Ukrainian Defense Forces along the entire line of contact in the Luhansk and Donetsk regions. The area of Sievierodonetsk remains the hottest part of the front.

He also said that enemy aircraft continue to strike targets in Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhia, Kherson and Odessa regions.

"Operational and tactical enemy aircraft performed at least 15 sorties to strike targets in the Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhia, Kherson and Odesa regions, including using Kh-31/59 guided missiles. In addition, the aggressor struck the Odesa region with Bastion-B and Bal coastal missile systems, using Oniks and Kh-35 missiles. The enemy launched this missile strike from the temporarily occupied Crimea," Motuzianyk added.

Speaking about the operational situation at the front, he noted that in the Donetsk direction, Ukrainian troops are hindering the enemy's attempts to establish full control over Sievierodonetsk. The enemy is conducting offensive operations, trying to block Ukrainian units near Borivske and Voronove and to block the main logistics routes from Bakhmut. Currently, fighting continues in these areas.

In the Bakhmut direction, the Armed Forces of Ukraine are fighting with units of the invaders, who have concentrated their efforts on trying to surround the Ukrainian Defense Forces near Zolote and establish control over the Bakhmut-Lysychansk highway.

Ukrainian defenders repulsed the enemy's assault in the direction of Myronivka-Semyhiria and stopped the enemy's offensive in the direction of Molodizhne-Katerynivka.