General Staff: 78 combat clashes on front lines, enemy suffers significant losses in Avdiivka sector

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said this in its morning update, Ukrinform reports.

"Over the past day, 78 combat engagements took place. In the area of responsibility of the Tavria operational and strategic grouping of troops in the Avdiivka sector, the enemy is making attempts to encircle Avdiivka. Ukrainian soldiers hold the defense, inflicting significant losses on the enemy. The enemy's offensive actions were unsuccessful in the areas of Stepove, Avdiivka, Tonenke in Donetsk region, where the Defense Forces repelled more than 20 attacks," the report says.

In total, the enemy launched 16 airstrikes, carried out 54 attacks using multiple launch rocket systems on the positions of Ukrainian troops and populated areas. Unfortunately, there are dead and wounded among the civilian population as a result of Russian terrorist attacks. Damage was caused to residential buildings and other civilian infrastructure facilities.

Russian forces launched airstrikes on Novomykhailivka, Rivnopil in Donetsk region; Novodarivka, Zaporizhzhia Region; Beryslav, Ivanivka in Kherson region.

The Defense Forces of Ukraine continue the offensive operation in the Melitopol direction, inflicting manpower and equipment losses on the Russian troops, weakening the enemy along the entire front line.

In the past day, the Air Force of the Defense Forces launched six strikes on Russia’s manpower, weapons and military equipment clusters, and one strike on the enemy’s anti-aircraft missile system. Also, forces and means of Ukraine’s air defense forces downed an enemy Shahed-136/131 combat drone and a reconnaissance UAV.

Units of Ukraine’s missile forces hit three artillery units, a command post, a manpower, weapons and military equipment cluster, an air defense system and another important enemy targets.