War update: 57 combat clashes on front lines, Ukrainian forces advance near Verbove
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said this in its morning update posted to Facebook, Ukrinform reports.
"Fifty-seven combat clashes took place in the past 24 hours. In total, the enemy launched 89 missile strikes, 72 air strikes, including Shahed-136/131 drone strikes and carried out 48 MLRS attacks on the positions of our troops and settlements. Unfortunately, due to Russian terrorist attacks, there are dead and over 130 wounded civilians, including children. Over 100 private residential and apartment buildings and other civilian and industrial infrastructure in the Kyiv, Kharkiv, Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, Mykolaiv and Odesa regions were destroyed and damaged," the post said.
The enemy launched air strikes on Bilohorivka and Serebrianske Forestry in the Luhansk region, Avdiivka, Novomykhailivka and Heorhiivka in the Donetsk region, as well as Novodanylivka and Orikhiv in the Zaporizhzhia region.
About 120 settlements in the Chernihiv, Sumy, Kharkiv, Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, and Mykolaiv regions came under artillery fire.
The situation in the area of responsibility of the North operational and strategic grouping of troops in the Volyn and Polissia sectors remains largely unchanged.
In the Sivershchyna and Slobozhanshchyna sectors, the enemy maintains its military presence in the border areas, conducting subversive activities to prevent the deployment of Ukrainian troops to dangerous areas and increasing the density of minefields along the state border in the Belgorod region.
In the area of responsibility of the Khortytsia operational and strategic grouping of troops in the Kupiansk sector, Ukrainian defenders repelled seven enemy attacks near Synkivka and east of Petropavlivka, Kharkiv region, where the enemy unsuccessfully tried to break through the defenses of Ukrainian forces.
The occupiers did not conduct offensive operations in the Lyman sector.
On the Bakhmut axis, Ukrainian soldiers repelled six enemy attacks near Bohdanivka, Klishchiivka and Andriivka, Donetsk region.
In the area of responsibility of the Tavria operational and strategic grouping of troops in the Avdiivka sector, Ukrainian defenders continue to hold back enemy attempts to encircle Avdiivka. Ukrainian soldiers hold their ground, inflicting significant losses on the enemy. In the past 24 hours, Ukrainian forces repelled eight enemy attacks near Novobakhmutivka, Berdychi and Avdiivka and another 16 attacks near Pervomaiske and Nevelske, Donetsk region. Ukrainian defenders improved their tactical position southeast of Novobakhmutivka.
The enemy did not conduct offensive operations in the Marinka and Shakhtarske sectors.
In the Zaporizhzhia sector, Ukrainian forces repelled an enemy attack near Robotyne, Zaporizhzhia region. Outside Verbove, Ukrainian troops advanced, forcing the enemy to abandon some positions.
In the area of responsibility of the Odesa operational and strategic grouping of troops in the Kherson sector, Ukrainian soldiers continue to take measures to expand their foothold. Despite significant losses, the enemy is still attempting to drive Ukrainian units out of their positions. In the past 24 hours, the enemy carried out nine unsuccessful assault operations.
At the same time, Ukraine's defense forces continue to inflict losses on the enemy's manpower and equipment, exhausting them along the entire front line.
On January 2, Ukrainian aircraft struck 12 areas where enemy personnel were concentrated.
Ukrainian rocket forces hit two areas of concentration of personnel, weapons and military equipment, three anti-aircraft missile systems, two command posts, an artillery system, a radar system and a fuel depot of the enemy.
