As of the morning of 20 April, russian troops are trying to continue offensive operations in the Eastern Operational Zone to establish full control over the territory of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions. The enemy continues to launch missile and bomb strikes on military and civilian infrastructure throughout Ukraine. This was reported by the General Staff.
In the Volyn and Polissya directions, the enemy did not take active action. There is a threat of missile and bomb strikes by russian aircraft on objects on the territory of Ukraine with the use of Belarus’ territory, airfield network, and airspace.
Certain units of the Belarusian armed forces continue to carry out tasks to cover the Ukrainian-Belarusian border in Brest and Gomel regions. They equip their positions and observation posts with engineering.
In the Northern direction, there were no signs of the enemy forming a strike group to resume offensive operations. The guard of the Ukrainian-russian border in this direction is carried out by the enemy in an enhanced mode. Measures of engineering equipping of bases in the border areas with Ukraine are underway.
In the Slobozhanskyy direction, the enemy regroups and replenishes its reserves. The partial blockade of Kharkiv and the shelling of the city continue.
In the Izyum direction, the enemy attempted an offensive in the direction of Sulyhivka, Dibrivne. The enemy is trying to conduct air reconnaissance of the areas of attack with the use of unmanned aerial vehicles ‘Orlan-10’.
In the Donetsk and Tavriya directions, russian occupiers continue to shell the front positions of our troops and search for weak points in the defense along the entire line of contact. Fighting continues in the areas of Kreminna, Torske, and Zelena Dolyna. The enemy regroups to further attack in the direction of the village of Lyman.
"The enemy is trying to advance in the village of Popasna. About 130 wounded soldiers are at the local hospital in Novoaydar after attempts of russian occupiers to assault Rubizhne and Severodonetsk. The exact number is currently being determined", the General Staff informed.
In the Donetsk direction, the enemy carried out assaults in the area of the Marinka settlement.
The enemy's main efforts are focused on capturing the city of Mariupol, continuing the assault in the area of the Azovstal plant.
The enemy attacks the settlements of Velyka Novosilka, Rivnopil, and Storozheve. It continues to provide logistical support to troops.
In the South Buh direction, the enemy is concentrating its main efforts on maintaining the occupied frontiers and shelling the positions of our troops. It conducts hostilities in the area of the settlement of Olexandrivka.
In the future, russian occupiers will continue to fire on the positions of our troops and conduct hostilities to reach the administrative borders of the Kherson region.
Due to heavy losses, the occupiers withdrew the battalion tactical group of the 237th tank regiment of the 3rd motorized infantry division of the 20th all-military army of the Western military district from the Kharkiv region to the permanent deployment point (Soloti, Belgorod oblast) to restore combat capability.
The General Staff notes that Ukrainians repulsed ten attacks of russian occupiers in Donetsk and Luhansk regions over the past 24 hours, twelve tanks were destroyed, twenty-eight armored and two units of armored vehicles, and one artillery system were destroyed.
The Air Force of the Ukrainian Armed Forces has hit nine air targets the day before: one plane, one helicopter, six UAVs of various types, and a cruise missile.