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Ukrainian defence minister: Russia focuses on gaining control over Donetsk, Luhansk regions

Airstrikes are continuing in other regions as well.

Ukrainian defence minister: Russia focuses on gaining control over Donetsk, Luhansk regions
Cluster munition in the Donetsk region
Photo: Photo: National Police

The Russian command is concentrating their main efforts on forming an offensive group for military action in the Eastern Operational Zone. The goal of the offensive is to gain full control over Donetsk and Luhansk regions.

This was reported by the spokesperson of the Ministry of Defence Oleksandr Motuzianyk at the briefing at Ukraine Media Center.

In the occupied territories, the enemy keeps terrorizing civilians and attempting to form occupational authorities. Russians are torturing the current officials and trying to get them to cooperate. Also, they are mining the territory and carrying out strikes on residential buildings in the Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Luhansk and Donetsk regions.

“The enemy is regrouping, trying to restore their fighting capacity for the offensive in the Donetsk direction. The subdivisions withdrawn from the Poliske and Siverskyi districts are relocating. Additional Russian reserves are being formed and thrown into Ukrainian territory,” Motuzianyk reports.

Three Su-24 have been engaged in carrying out missile and bomb strikes on the Donetsk region.

Also, the enemy wants to strengthen their positions at the borders of the Kherson region.

In the Volyn direction, there is still a risk of Belorussian armed forces being engaged in the war against Ukraine. The defined subdivisions are continuing to cover some sections of the Ukrainian-Belarussian border. The likelihood of airstrikes from the territory of Belarus is still strong.

In the Polissia and Siverskyi directions, the enemy is finishing the regrouping of troops and renewing the fighting capacity. The subdivisions of the Eastern Military District are being moved from Belarus to Russia. Some Russians withdrawn from Polissia are still in Belarus.

“At the same time, the enemy is leaving part of their forces and means in the territory of Belarus for carrying out demonstrative actions,” the Ministry of Defence states.

In the Sloboda direction, Russians keep shelling Kharkiv. Forces are building up in the Izium direction.

In the Donetsk direction, the attacks on the military positions and settlements are continuing. Assault actions are being carried out in most directions along the confrontation line. The main efforts are concentrated on capturing Rubizhne, Popasna, Nyzhne and Novobakhmutivka, and gaining full control over Mariupol.

In the last twenty-four hours, the defenders have fought back seven enemy attacks, destroyed 4 tanks, 2 artillery systems, 10 armoured and 11 military vehicles in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions. Aviation has carried out strikes on the places of concentration of occupiers.

In the Tavriisk and Pivdennyi Buh districts, Russians have concentrated on restoring their fighting capacity and replenishing the supplies. They are shelling the positions of the Ukrainian military. In the area of Nova Kakhovka, occupiers are strengthening the previously taken positions.

In the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov zones, the enemy’s ships are isolating the seas and providing fire support to the troops in the Prymorsk direction.

In the one and a half months of the full-scale war, Russia has already lost 19,000 personnel, 70 tanks and 333 artillery systems. 

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