War update: 78 combat clashes on front lines, enemy continues attempts to encircle Avdiivka

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

“In the past day, 78 combat engagements took place. Russian invaders carried out 1 missile attack and 43 airstrikes, as well as 51 MLRS attacks on the positions of the Defense Forces of Ukraine and populated areas. As a result of Russian terrorist attacks, unfortunately, there are dead and wounded among the civilian population. Private residential buildings and other civilian infrastructure were destroyed and damaged,” the report says.

According to the General Staff, the enemy launched airstrikes on Mala Vovcha, Ustynivka, Vilkhuvatka, Khatnie, Velykyi Burluk, Kamianka, Kolodiazne, Synkivka, Petropavlivka, Kucherivka, Ivanivka, Kyslivka, Kotliarivka, Krokhmalne, Pishchane of the Kharkiv region; Avdiivka, Novomykhailivka, Katerynivka, Staromaiorske of the Donetsk region.

More than 150 settlements in the Chernihiv, Sumy, Kharkiv, Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, Dnipropetrovsk, Kherson, and Mykolaiv regions came under enemy artillery fire.

In the Volyn and Polissia sectors, the operational situation remains without significant changes.

In the Sivershchyna and Slobozhanshchyna sectors, the enemy keeps military presence in the border area, conducting active subversive activities in order to prevent the transfer of Ukrainian troops to threatening directions and increasing the density of mine and explosive barriers along the state border in the Belgorod region.

In the Kupiansk sector, the enemy did not conduct offensive (assault) actions.

In the Lyman direction, Ukrainian soldiers repelled three enemy attacks in the Terny area of the Donetsk region.

In the Bakhmut sector, the Defense Forces repelled three enemy attacks near the settlements of Bohdanivka and Klishchiivka of the Donetsk region.

In the Avdiivka direction, Ukrainian defenders continue to hold back enemy attempts to encircle Avdiivka.

"Our soldiers are firmly holding the defense, inflicting significant losses on the invaders. In the past day, the Defense Forces repelled 31 enemy attacks in the Novobakhmutivka, Stepove, Avdiivka areas and another 13 attacks near Tonenke, Sieverne, Pervomaiske, Nevelske of the Donetsk region," the report reads.

In the Marinka direction, Ukrainian soldiers continue to hold back the enemy near Heorhiivka and Novomykhailivka of the Donetsk region, where 14 attacks were repelled.

The enemy did not conduct offensive (assault) actions in the Shakhtarske direction.

In the Zaporizhzhia direction, the Defense Forces repelled four enemy attacks north of Priyutne and Robotyne in the Zaporizhzhia region.

"Despite significant losses, the enemy does not stop trying to dislodge our units out of their positions. In the past, the enemy carried out three unsuccessful assaults," the General Staff said.

At the same time, Ukrainian soldiers continue to inflict losses in manpower and equipment on the occupation troops, weakening the enemy along the entire front line.

As reported, Yuriy Ignat, Ukraine's air force spokesperson, said that Russia still has about 900 high-precision long-range missiles.