Despite intense fire, the Armed Forces of Ukraine still control the situation in Donbas – Defense Ministry

Russian troops are firing intensively all over the contact line in Luhansk Region and Donetsk Region, the situation is remaining challenging but controlled.

The relevant statement was made by Ukrainian Defense Ministry Spokesperson Oleksandr Motuzianyk during a briefing at Ukrinform Media Center.

He noted that the main aim of the enemy is to surround the units of the Defense Forces of Ukraine in the Lysychansk and Sievierodonetsk districts and reach the administrative border of the Luhansk region.

“The enemy intensified efforts in the Lyman, Sievierodonetsk, Bakhmut, Kurakhove and Avdiivka directions. The key objective is to encircle Ukrainian forces near Lysychansk and Sievierodonetsk, and reach the administrative border of Luhansk Region,” Motuzianyk said.

Ukrainian troops are holding back the enemy’s powerful offensive in the Sloviansk direction. Russian troops are attempting to regroup and resume the offensive in such directions as Izium-Barvinkove and Izium-Sloviansk.

“In the Lyman direction, the Ukrainian military are preventing the enemy’s attempts to push Ukrainian defenders away from the north-western and south-eastern parts of Lyman and launch the offensive on Sloviansk,” a spokesman for the Ministry of Internal Affairs said.

It is noted that the invaders are trying to increase the capabilities of all-military units. Terminator tank support fighting vehicles from the 90th Guards Tank Division can be used for this purpose.

In the Sievierodonetsk direction, the enemy attacks in the directions Shchedryshcheve-Sievierodonetsk, Oskolonivka-Borivske and Nyzhnie-Toshkivka.

The Head of the Luhansk Regional Military Administration, Serhiy Haidai, said that the invaders were attacking Sievierodonetsk from different directions, but they were unable to break through the defenses.

At the same time, they are shelling bridges and infrastructure to “cut off” the Luhansk region.

“Russians are trying to get closer to the “road of life” in the Bakhmut direction to seize it, but they fail, so the enemy is constantly firing on it, which makes it difficult to move. Russians are also purposefully shelling on the bridges that connect cities within the region to disrupt the connection,” he said.

In the Avdiivka direction, Ukrainian army repelled enemy attacks on such directions as Novoselivka Druha-Krasnohorivka and Novobakhmutivka-Krasnohorivka.