The enemy focused on the main goal - to surround the Armed Forces to completely capture three areas / photo REUTERS
The enemy focused on the main goal – to surround the Armed Forces to completely capture three areas / photo REUTERS

The occupiers are trying to surround the Joint Forces and establish full control over Donetsk, Luhansk and Kherson regions.

This was stated at a briefing by Defense Ministry spokesman Oleksandr Motuzyanyk.

“The main goal of the enemy remains unchanged – attempts to surround the Joint Forces, to establish full control over Donetsk, Luhansk and Kherson regions, as well as to ensure the stability of the land corridor with the temporarily occupied territory of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea”, – he said.

According to Motuzyanyk, the aggressor is conducting intensive shelling with tactical missile systems and aircraft along the entire line of contact, as well as in the depths of the defense of Ukrainian troops, in particular, in the Donetsk operational area, as well as in the Slavyansk direction.

In addition, the enemy continues to strike on the territory of Ukraine with sea-based cruise missiles such as “Caliber”.

In the Kharkiv direction, the Armed Forces oppose units of the Sixth Army of the Western Military District, the 41st Army of the Central District, the coastal troops of the Baltic Fleet of the russian Armed Forces, and the so-called First and Second Army Corps.

There the enemy tries to restore the lost position, uses reconnaissance and fire complexes, conducts fire influence on areas of concentration of the Ukrainian armies.

In the Slavyansk direction, Ukrainian troops are fighting a group of russian troops, which resumed offensive operations near the village of Dovgenke. The enemy is firing and carrying out artillery raids in the areas of Virnopillia and Dibrivny, actively conducting air reconnaissance with the use of unmanned aerial vehicles.

“Donetsk direction. There units of our troops repel the attacks of the russian occupiers from the 8th, 58th Army of the Southern Military District, the 90th Panzer Division of the Central District, as well as the airborne troops of the occupiers. The main focus of the enemy directions, trying to surround the units of the OS in the area of ​​Severodonetsk and Lysychansk and reach the administrative border of Luhansk region”, – said a spokesman for the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

According to him, the Armed Forces of Ukraine are taking measures in the Severodonetsk direction to prevent the expansion of the area of ​​incursion and further advance of the russian occupiers.

In particular, the enemy is advancing in the direction of Severodonetsk – active hostilities continue.

“The enemy attack in the village of Metolkine was repulsed by Ukrainian troops, the enemy suffered losses and retreated. At the same time, the enemy does not stop trying to cross the Seversky Donets River and is looking for places to overcome it and is accumulating pontoon-bridge park equipment in the rear areas”, – he added.

At the same time, in the Bakhmut direction, Ukrainian defenders are repelling the offensive of the enemy, which with the support of aircraft is trying to break through the defenses of our troops in the areas of Toshkivka, Komyshuvakha, Vasylivka, Nova Kamyanka and Myronivsky.

“Heavy fighting is currently going on there, and for its success the enemy is keeping the second echelon units and all-military reserves ready for use, including “Point-U” tactical missile systems”, – Motuzyanyk said.

Also in the Kryvyi Rih and Mykolayiv directions, the enemy does not stop firing on the positions of Ukrainian troops, destroys industrial and social infrastructure, uses reconnaissance and fire complexes as part of unmanned aerial vehicles, jet and barrel artillery.

On the Seversky direction the enemy from the territory of the russian federation carried out artillery attacks of positions of defense forces in areas of the settlements Gremyach, Nikolaevka, Kucherivka, Spaske. “In the future, there is a possibility of continued missile strikes on military and civilian infrastructure, as well as artillery shelling of border areas of Ukraine to prevent the regrouping of Ukrainian troops”, – said a Defense Ministry spokesman.