Defense ministry: Russians attempt to encircle Ukrainian forces in Sievierodonetsk, Lysychansk

The relevant statement was made by Ukrainian Defense Ministry Spokesperson Oleksandr Motuzianyk during a briefing at Media Center Ukraine, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

“In the Sievierodonetsk direction, the aggressor is reinforcing its military formation. In particular, tanks, armored fighting vehicles, motor vehicles and engineering equipment were moved via Svatove towards Starobilsk (40 kilometers northeast of Sievierodonetsk),” Motuzianyk told.

In the Bakhmut direction, Ukrainian defenders are preventing the enemy’s attempts to encircle Ukrainian positions near Orikhove and Hirske.

“The enemy is regrouping and reinforcing troops. In the Popasna-Mykolaivka direction, they put into action two battalions from the 1st Army Corps, which used to replenish combat capacity,” Motuzianyk noted.

In his words, Russian troops continue to extensively fire at Ukrainian positions all over the contact line in Luhansk Region and Donetsk Region. The situation is remaining challenging but controlled by the Ukrainian military.

The threat of missile strikes on Ukrainian military and critical civil infrastructure facilities is persisting.

In the Donetsk direction, Ukrainian defenders are holding back the enemy offensive. Russian troops are focusing efforts to encircle Ukrainian forces in Sievierodonetsk and Lysychansk, and block the key logistics supply routes.

In the Lyman direction, Russian invaders are opening fire on Siversk (20 kilometers southeast of Lyman) with artillery and preparing to force a crossing over the Siverskyi Donets.

Near Zolote, the Ukrainian military repulsed the assault and pushed the enemy back. Russian invaders attempted to advance towards Vasylivka and Berestove, but Ukrainian defenders forced them to retreat.

In the Avdiivka, Kurakhove, Novopavlivka and Zaporizhzhia directions, Russian troops are opening fire all over the contact line. The enemy is actively using aviation and artillery to restrain Ukrainian forces.

In the Kharkiv direction, Russian troops are maintaining the captured frontiers and trying to prevent Ukrainian forces from reaching the state border and the rear of the enemy units acting in the Sloviansk direction.

According to the Ukrainian Defense Ministry, Russian troops are regrouping and reinforcing their ranks to resume an offensive on Ternova and Rubizhne (25-30 kilometers northeast of Kharkiv). The enemy is conducting air reconnaissance near such settlements as Peremoha, Bairak, Shestakove, Rubizhne, Verkhnii Saltiv.

Near Kochubiivka, Ukrainian defenders prevented the enemy’s attempts to conduct reconnaissance in fighting and pushed Russians back to the previous positions.

In the Sloviansk direction, Russian invaders are focusing efforts to seize Krasnopillia (20 kilometers southeast of Izium) and create conditions for the development of the offensive on Sloviansk. The enemy launched artillery strikes near such settlements as Dolyna, Dibrivne and Virnopillia. The Ukrainian military repulsed the assault near Bohorodychne.

In the Southern Bug direction, Russian troops are focusing efforts to maintain the captured frontiers and prevent the Ukrainian military from conducting counteroffensive actions in Kherson Region and Mykolaiv Region.

In the Volyn and Polissia directions, the situation remained unchanged. The threat of air and missile strikes from the territory of Belarus is persisting.

In the Siverskyi direction, Russian invaders are conduction demonstration actions and firing at the border areas of Sumy Region and Chernihiv Region with artillery.

The aggressor continues to block civilian shipping in the northwestern part of the Black Sea. Sixteen cruise missiles are ready to be launched on the territory of Ukraine from the Black Sea.

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