War update: Ukrainian air forces launch 17 strikes on enemy positions

Ukrainian air forces have launched 17 strikes on enemy positions over the past day, including five strikes on air defense missile system positions.

The relevant statement was made by the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Facebook, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

Over the past day, Russian troops have launched one missile strike and opened fire with multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS) about 10 times.

The enemy also used 28 Iranian-manufactured Shahed-136 suicide drones. Ukraine’s Defense Forces shot down 23 of them.

Enemy projectiles caused damage to civil infrastructure and injured civilians.

In the Volyn and Polissia directions, the situation remained rather unchanged. There are no signs of enemy offensive groups being formed.

In the Slobozhanskyi direction, Russian troops launched artillery strikes on Ukrainian positions near the Kharkiv region’s Strilecha, Hlyboke, Vovchansk and Dvorichna.

In the Kupiansk and Lyman directions, Russian invaders shelled the Kharkiv region’s Kotliarivka, Krokhmalne, and Berestove, and the Luhansk region’s Stelmakhivka, Makiivka, Ploshchanka, Chervonopopivka and Dibrova.

In the Bakhmut and Avdiivka directions, Russian occupiers continue conducting assault actions. The enemy used tanks, mortars, cannon and rocket artillery to open fire on Ukrainian positions near 25 settlements, including the Donetsk region’s Verkhniokamianske, Berestove, Yakovlivka, Soledar, Hryhorivka, Bakhmutske, Bakhmut, Chasiv Yar, Klishchiivka, Andriivka, Kurdiumivka, Avdiivka, Krasnohorivka, Marinka and Novomykhailivka.

In the Zaporizhzhia and Kherson directions, Russian troops are continuously shelling the Zaporizhzhia region’s Temyrivka, Chervone, Mali Shcherbaki and Plavni, and the city of Kherson with the whole range of artillery pieces. Civilians and civil infrastructure again came under enemy fire in Kherson.

Due to significant losses in terms of personnel, Russian invaders are repurposing hospitals in the Luhansk region’s temporarily occupied areas to serve as military hospitals. In particular, Luhansk Regional Clinical Hospital, Luhansk City Multidisciplinary Hospital No. 15 and Railway Hospital were transferred to serve the military needs of Russian troops. The aforementioned health facilities are refusing to provide medical services to civilians and offer them to visit other institutions.

In the previous days, near the Zaporizhzhia region’s Berdiansk, Tokmak and Polohy, Ukrainian forces destroyed one Russian ammunition depot and about 15 military equipment units. Over 150 Russian soldiers were injured.

Over the past day, Ukrainian air forces have launched 12 strikes on enemy personnel, ammunition and military equipment clusters, and five strikes on air defense missile system positions.

On December 19, 2022, the Ukrainian anti-aircraft defense units shot down two Russian helicopters (their type is yet to be checked).

Ukraine’s missile and artillery units hit one Russian ammunition depot, two command posts and two personnel clusters.

mk