War update: Ukrainian air forces launch 13 strikes on enemy positions

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

Russian troops continue focusing efforts on conducting offensive actions in the Bakhmut and Avdiivka directions.

At the same time, Russian invaders are making attempts to improve their tactical position in the Lyman direction. In the Kupiansk and Zaporizhzhia directions, enemy offensive groupings are expanding.

In the rest of directions, Russian troops are trying to restrain the actions of Ukraine’s Defense Forces, shelling the positions of Ukrainian forces and civilian objects situated along the contact line.

Over the past day, the enemy has launched two missile strikes and opened fire with multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS) over five times. In particular, civil infrastructure was struck in Nikopol and Kherson. Casualties among civilians were reported.

The threat of air and missile strikes on critical infrastructure objects is persisting all over Ukraine.

In the Volyn, Polissia and Siverskyi directions, the situation remained rather unchanged. No signs of enemy offensive groupings being formed were detected. Russia is expanding its air grouping and military units within the territory of Belarus.

In the Slobozhanskyi direction, Russian invaders used tanks and artillery to open fire near the Kharkiv region’s Vysoka Yaruha, Morokhovets, Starytsia, Dvorichna and Novomlynsk.

In the Kupiansk direction, Russian occupiers struck the Kharkiv region’s Vilshana, Kyslivka, Kotliarivka, Berestove and Pershotravneve, and the Luhansk region’s Stelmakhivka and Miasozharivka.

In the Lyman direction, Russian troops shelled the Luhansk region’s Makiivka and Chervonopopivka, and the Donetsk region’s Torske and Vedmezhe with tanks, mortars, cannon and rocket artillery.

In the Bakhmut direction, Russian occupiers struck the Donetsk region’s Verkhniokamianske, Spirne, Bilohorivka, Soledar, Bakhmutske, Bakhmut, Andriivka, Kurdiumivka, Ozarianivka, Pivnichne and Opytne.

In the Avdiivka direction, Russian invaders attempted to strike the positions of Ukrainian forces near the Donetsk region’s Avdiivka, Pervomaiske, Nevelske, Heorhiivka, Marinka and Novomykhailivka.

In the Zaporizhzhia and Kherson directions, the enemy continues to open fire on the positions of Ukrainian forces and civil infrastructure along the right bank of the Dnieper. In particular, Russian troops shelled the Donetsk region’s Vremivka and Novopil, the Zaporizhzhia region’s Huliaipole, Dorozhnianka, Huliaipilske, Orikhiv and Stepove, the Dnipropetrovsk region’s Nikopol, and the Kherson region’s Novotiahynka, Ivanivka, Tokarivka, Kherson, Inhulets and Bilozerka.

According to the General Staff, Russian troops continue to suffer losses. On December 13, 2022, near the Zaporizhzhia region’s Tokmak, Polohy and Berdiansk, Ukrainian forces destroyed two enemy ammunition depots, two artillery systems with ammunition loads, six military vehicles. More than 200 Russian invaders were injured.

As health facilities and morgues in the temporarily occupied city of Melitopol are overcrowded, Russian occupiers are transporting corpses and evacuating the injured military to Crimea.

In order to replenish personnel losses, the enemy has to staff the operational-tactical command level with retired officers and those released to the reserve, sending them to the area of hostilities.

Over the past day, Ukrainian air forces have launched 11 strikes on enemy personnel, ammunition and military equipment clusters, and two strikes on air defense system positions.

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

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