War update: Air Force launches 16 strikes on Russian positions

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

Twenty-six combat engagements have occurred on the front over the past day.

According to the General Staff, Ukraine’s Defense Forces continue holding defense in eastern and southern Ukraine, conducting the offensive operation in the Melitopol direction and offensive actions in the Bakhmut direction, step by step librating the temporarily occupied areas, and gaining a foothold within the recaptured frontiers.

Russian troops launched 59 missile strikes and 62 air strikes, and opened fire with multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS) 55 times on Ukrainian positions and civilian objects.

The enemy launched air strikes on the Chernihiv region’s Hremiach; the Sumy region’s Dihtiarne; the Kharkiv region’s Ohirtseve, Berestove, Kopanky and Shyikivka; the Luhansk region’s Nevske; the Donetsk region’s Dibrova, Andriivka, Minkivka, Klishchiivka, Pivnichne, Arkhanhelske, Yelyzavetivka, Vuhledar, Zolota Nyva, Urozhaine, Staromaiorske; the Zaporizhzhia region’s Bilohiria, Mala Tokmachka and Robotyne; the Kherson region’s Lvove, Olhivka and Tiahynka.

Russian artillery strikes affected over 120 settlements in the Chernihiv, Sumy, Kharkiv, Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions.

On September 21, 2023, Russia launched another massive missile attack on Ukraine’s energy, industrial and other civil infrastructure, having fired 44 Kh-101/Kh-555/Kh-55 missiles and six S-300 guided missiles.

Ukraine’s air defense units destroyed 38 enemy cruise missiles. Following Russian terrorist attacks, casualties among civilians were reported, as well as the damage caused to residential buildings, educational institutions, health facilities, dormitories and other civil infrastructure.

 In the Volyn and Polissia directions, the operational situation remained rather unchanged.

In the Siverskyi and Slobozhanskyi directions, Russians are maintaining military presence within the border areas and carrying out sabotage actions to prevent Ukrainian forces from being redeployed to other directions.

In the Bakhmut direction, Ukraine’s Defense Forces successfully repelled enemy attacks to the northeast of the Donetsk region’s Hryhorivka. Russians made attempts to regain their lost positions near Andriivka but had no success. Ukrainian forces continue conducting assault actions to the south of Bakhmut, inflicting personnel and military equipment losses on the enemy and gaining a foothold within the recaptured frontiers.

In the Marinka direction, Russian invaders conducted unsuccessful offensive actions near the Donetsk region’s Marinka and Krasnohorivka. The enemy made 12 unsuccessful attempts to push Ukrainian forces out of their positions.

In the Shakhtarske direction, Ukraine’s Defense Forces successfully repelled a Russian attack near the Donetsk region’s Mykilske.

In the Zaporizhzhia direction, Russian attacks near the Zaporizhzhia region’s Mala Tokmachka and Robotyne failed and ended for the enemy with personnel and military equipment losses.

In the Avdiivka and Shakhtarske directions, Ukrainian warriors are holding defense within the recaptured frontiers and inflicting losses on Russian occupation troops.

In the Melitopol direction, Ukraine’s offensive continues. Ukrainian forces are exhausting the enemy and making Russian occupiers to retreat from positions.

In the Kherson direction, Ukraine’s Defense Forces are carrying out counterbattery measures, destroying enemy logistics depots and attacking the rear lines.

Over the past day, Ukraine’s Air Force has launched one strike on a Russian command post, one strike on an enemy surface-to-air missile system, 12 strikes on personnel, ammunition and military equipment clusters, and two strikes on electronic warfare systems. Ukrainian defenders also destroyed one Shahed-136/131 suicide drone.

Ukrainian missile units hit one Russian command post, one personnel, ammunition and military equipment cluster, nine artillery systems, and two electronic warfare systems.