General Staff: Ukrainian air defenses destroy 19 out of 20 Shahed drones overnight

Russian occupiers launched another aerial attack on Ukraine overnight, using 20 Shahed-136/131 strike drones, with Ukrainian air defense forces shooting down 19 targets.

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said this in a post on Facebook, Ukrinform reports.

In the past 24 hours, 98 combat engagements were recorded across the front. In total, the enemy launched four missile strikes, 29 airstrikes and 49 attacks using multiple rocket launchers on the positions of Ukrainian troops and settlements. Late on January 16, Russian invaders attacked the central part of Kharkiv with missiles. Unfortunately, Russian terrorist attacks have resulted in civilian injuries. A hospital, private houses and apartment buildings, and other civilian infrastructure were destroyed and damaged.

Airstrikes were recorded in Vovchansk, Kharkiv region; Orlivka, Avdiivka, Kostiantynivka, Novomykhailivka and Vodiane, Donetsk region; Mala Tokmachka, Preobrazhenka and Orikhiv, Zaporizhzhia region.

More than 120 settlements in the Chernihiv, Sumy, Kharkiv, Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, Dnipropetrovsk, Kherson, and Mykolaiv regions came under artillery fire.

The situation in the area of responsibility of the North operational and strategic group of troops in the Volyn and Polissia sectors remains largely unchanged.

Read also: Ukraine's air defense forces shoot down 11 Shahed drones in Odesa region overnight

In the Sivershchyna and Slobozhanshchyna sectors, the enemy maintains its military presence in the border areas, conducting subversive activities to prevent the deployment of Ukrainian troops to dangerous areas and increasing the density of minefields along the state border in the Belgorod region.

The enemy did not conduct offensive operations in the area of responsibility of the Khortytsia operational and strategic group of troops on the Kupiansk axis.

In the Lyman sector, Ukrainian defenders repelled 11 enemy attacks near Terny, Yampolivka, and Torske, Donetsk region, and 17 attacks near Makiivka, Bilohorivka and Serebrianske Forestry, Luhansk region, and north of Hryhorivka and Vesele, Donetsk region.

On the Bakhmut axis, Ukrainian soldiers repelled nine enemy attacks near Ivanivske, Klishchiivka, and Andriivka, Donetsk region.

In the area of responsibility of the Tavria operational and strategic group of troops in the Avdiivka sector, Ukrainian defenders continue to hold back enemy attempts to encircle Avdiivka. Ukrainian soldiers hold their ground, inflicting significant losses on the occupiers. In the past 24 hours, Ukrainian forces repelled 20 enemy attacks near Novobakhmutivka, Stepove and Avdiivka districts and 15 attacks near Pervomaiske and Nevelske, Donetsk region.

In the Marinka sector, Ukrainian defenders continue to hold back the enemy near Krasnohorivka, Heorhiivka, Marinka and Novomykhailivka, Donetsk region, where 17 attacks were repelled.

The enemy did not conduct offensive operations in the Shakhtarske sector.

In the Zaporizhzhia sector, Ukraine's defense forces repelled an enemy attack west of Verbove, Zaporizhzhia region.

In the area of responsibility of the Odesa operational and strategic group of troops in the Kherson sector, the defense forces continue to take measures to expand the bridgehead. Despite significant losses, the enemy still attempts to drive Ukrainian units out of their positions. In the past day, the enemy carried out six unsuccessful assault operations against Ukrainian troops.

At the same time, Ukrainian soldiers continue to inflict losses in manpower and equipment on the occupying troops, exhausting the enemy along the entire front line.

In the past 24 hours, Ukrainian aircraft struck an area of concentration of enemy personnel, weapons and military equipment of the enemy. Ukrainian air defenses intercepted a Kh-59 guided air missile.

Units of the Ukrainian rocket forces struck a Russian troop concentration area, two command posts and two ammunition depots.