As of the morning of March 18, the state, position and nature of the actions of the defence forces have not changed significantly during the last day. According to the General Staff, the Armed Forces of Ukraine continued to strike devastating blows at groups of enemy troops trying to consolidate and hold the captured defensive frontiers.
During the past 24 hours, Ukrainian defenders have partially destroyed and halted the advance of units of the 437th Training Regiment and the 26th Tank Regiment of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation into Ukraine. The enemy's losses are being clarified.
Also, for the previous day, bombing and assault aircraft of the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine inflicted heavy blows on the columns of enemy military equipment. Anti-aircraft missile forces and fighter jets hit 14 enemy air targets (7 planes, a helicopter, 3 UAVs and three cruise missiles).
"Since the occupiers have significantly exhausted human resources (irreversible and sanitary losses caused by the Ukrainian Armed Forces units, cases of self-injury to avoid participation in hostilities and psychogenic losses), the Russian Armed Forces command resort to extreme measures in terms of staffing. They carry out covert mobilization, involve so-called "volunteers", conscripts, cadets, and mercenaries from the Syrian Arab Republic," said the General Staff.
The General Staff added that the Russian occupiers try to create a demonstrative positive image by distributing food to the civilian population in some temporarily occupied territories. At the same time, they actively search for and detain pro-Ukrainian activists, civil servants, the Anti-Terrorist Operation / Joint Forces Operation members, their families members, and other citizens who may organize resistance to the occupation.
According to the General Staff, the enemy continues to suffer losses, having problems with supplying units. The personnel's low morale and psychological condition lead to an increase in the number of desertions and refusals of the Russian servicemen and mercenaries to take part in the war against Ukraine.