As of 20:00, the situation in Donetsk operational district is tense but controlled by the Ukrainian military. The shelling by the Russian occupation forces continues.
This was reported by the press center of the Joint Forces Operation headquarters.
"All military units are fiercely resisting the Russian invasion, and Ukrainian soldiers are showing unprecedented courage and heroism. The Joint Forces managed to disrupt the Kremlin's plan of rapid offensive," the statement said.
The headquarters emphasized that despite numerous attacks, aircraft, artillery and missile strikes, as well as a large number of armored vehicles, the enemy was unable to advance deep into the territory of Ukraine in the eastern direction. Ukrainian defenders managed to repel attacks, defend and hold all key settlements and infrastructure.
In Luhansk direction, during the day the fiercest battles were fought for Shchastia, Stanytsia Luhanska, Lobacheve, Bilovodsk, and Starobilsk.
In the battles for Shchastia, two enemy tanks were destroyed and one tank and one ZU-23-2 AD system were captured. In the area of occupied Sentianivka, the Ukrainian artillerymen stopped an enemy mixed column of armored vehicles, shells, and automotive vehicles.
In the Donetsk direction, the hottest was in the areas of Novotroitske, Novohnativka, Pavlopiv, and Pishchevyk.
"As of now, no new attempts to break through by the enemy have been recorded, there is a decrease in fire activity in some areas. Ukrainian soldiers firmly hold their positions and inflict losses on the aggressor," the headquarters reported.
Earlier it was reported that today at five in the morning, the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin announced an attack on Ukraine under the pretext of "special military operation in Donbas".