Defense forces have partial success west of Verbove

The Defense Forces of Ukraine have partial success in the area west of Verbove in Zaporizhzhia region, where they have advanced nearly 1 km.

"The Ukrainian military prevented the loss of positions southwest of Novodanylivka and Robotyne in Zaporizhzhia region, and they also continue to conduct an offensive operation in Melitopol direction. In particular, the defense forces have partial success in the area west of Verbove and have advanced to a distance of about a kilometer," Colonel Oleksandr Shtupun, the spokesperson for the joint press center of the defense forces of Tavria direction, said during the United News telethon.

According to the spokesperson, missile and artillery units of the Tavria operational-strategic group of troops performed 1,332 fire missions over the past day. The enemy lost 355 people and 22 military equipment units, including two tanks, six armored fighting vehicles, and seven vehicles. Three enemy ammunition depots of different levels were also destroyed.

"Over the past 24 hours, the enemy launched 16 airstrikes, carried out 42 combat engagements – this is more than half of the total number – and also launched 595 artillery strikes. There is an increase in the number of enemy assaults in Maryinka direction. The enemy also completes staffing of Storm and Storm Z detachments in various directions, which have suffered and continue to suffer significant losses. In the area of responsibility of the Tavria operational-strategic group of troops, the enemy does not stop trying to surround Avdiyivka, being less active now. During the day, our soldiers repelled more than 10 enemy attacks. In Maryinka and Shakhtarske directions, our defenders repelled almost 20 enemy attacks near Maryinka and another five attacks south of Zolota Nyva and Prechystivka," Shtupun said.

He noted that the enemy continued throwing forward infantry, including motorized riflemen mobilized from temporarily occupied territories, as well as Storm and Storm Z units.

Answering a question about the situation around the Avdiyivka slag heap, Shtupun said: "We continue to hold the defense in that area, the Russians always fantasize a lot, they have already ‘destroyed’ so many of our aircraft there, according to their calculations, that we have never even had such a number, so let their fantasies remain fantasies. And the slag heap is important because it is the dominant height in that direction, that is, everything is clearly visible from it, it is well shot through, that is why it is important."

Shtupun also added that all Russians, who tried to enter the territory of the slag heap, had been eliminated.