General Staff says enemy fired 14 missiles at Ukraine, conducted 40 air raids on March 18

The General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces reported this on Facebook, Ukrinform reports.

"[On March 18] alone, the enemy fired launched four missile strikes (14 missiles) and conducted more than 40 air raids," the statement said.

The General Staff said the main tasks of defeating the groups of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, encircling Kyiv, reaching the administrative borders of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions and establishing control over the left-bank part of Ukraine have not been fulfilled.

According to the statement, the occupiers partially succeeded in the Donetsk operational area - temporarily depriving Ukraine of access to the Sea of Azov. On approaches to Mykolaiv the enemy was stopped by joint actions of divisions of defense forces.

The enemy is trying to compensate for the failures in advancing troops during the ground operation by launching missile and bomb strikes using both high-precision weapons and indiscriminate bombardment. The invaders are destroying the infrastructure of cities, destroying densely populated areas in order to intimidate the civilian population of Ukraine and persuade the military and political leadership of our country to negotiate on enemy terms.

During the current day only, the enemy fired 4 missiles strikes (14 missiles) and carried out more than 40 air raids.

The situation in the Volyn direction has not changed significantly.

In the Polissya direction, the enemy is trying to hold the previously captured frontiers on the Irpin River. The occupiers did not take active offensive action. The enemy is forced to move to the defense at unfavorable borders and positions, trying to regroup the remnants of forces, as well as to establish logistics. It does not abandon attempts to resume advances towards Kyiv and conducts air reconnaissance with the use of UAVs.

In the northern direction, there were no changes in the composition of the enemy troops and the nature of his actions. The occupiers continue to partially blockade the city of Chernihiv, shelling civilian neighborhoods in the city. UAVs are actively used to conduct reconnaissance and fire correction.

In the Slobozhansky direction, the nature of the enemy's actions did not change significantly. Attempts to block the cities of Sumy and Kharkiv, as well as attempts to resume the offensive in the direction of Pokrovsk, continue. The occupiers strengthened the group by introducing from the territory of the Russian Federation two units of the 6th General Army and the 1st Tank Army of the Western Military District.

In the Luhansk direction, the invaders are trying to establish control over the settlements of Rubizhne and Popasna, as well as blockade Sievierodonetsk.

In the area of Rubizhne, the enemy fortified positions on the western and north-western outskirts of the city, making unsuccessful attempts to reach the southern part of the city. Fighting continues for the city of Popasna.

In the Donetsk direction, the occupying forces are fighting in the settlements of Verkhniotoretske, Krymske, Avdiivka, and Taramchuk. The blockade and attempts to storm the hero city of Mariupol continue.

In the South Buh area, a group of Russian occupation forces is taking measures to equip the positions and set up a logistics system. The enemy does not leave attempts to redeploy separate divisions in the Mykolaiv and Kryvyi Rih directions.

The Armed Forces of Ukraine are holding back the enemy and carrying out counter-offensive operations in certain operational areas. They launch artillery and rocket-bombing strikes on groups of troops and military convoys.