War update: Russians trying to storm Ukrainian positions in east, preparing for defense in south.

Russian troops in the east of Ukraine are trying to storm the positions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, while in the south, the invasion forces are preparing for defensive operations.

That’s according to the General Staff of the Armed Forces, Ukrinform reports.

Russian occupiers continue to carry out air and missile strikes on military and civilian objects across the territory of Ukraine.

There are no major changes in the Volyn, Polissya, and Siversky directions. Enemy artillery shelled the areas of Hai and Mykhalchyna Sloboda, Chernihiv region, as well as Nova Huta, Sumy region.

In the Slobozhansky direction, the enemy conducted defensive combat operations aiming to hold gained ground and prevent the offensive of Ukrainian units. The also remotely mined certain areas.

In the Kharkiv direction, the districts of Prudyanka, Slatyne, Pytomnyk, Petrivka, Korobochkyne, Mospanove, and Zamulivka were shelled with barrel and jet artillery, as well as carried out airstrikes near Verkhniy Saltiv and Lebyazhe.

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Russian UAVs flew aerial reconnaissance missions in the areas of Lisne, Pytomnyk, Ryasne, Protopopivka, Pryshyb, and Nortsivka.

In the Sloviansk direction, the enemy inflicted fire damage, using artillery of various types, near Mazanivka, Krasnopilla, Sulihivka, Karnaukhivka, and Virnopilla.

The enemy’s offensive operation is underway in the Donetsk direction, where the Russians focused their main efforts on the Bakhmut and Avdiivka directions. Attack and army aviation has been employed.

In the Kramatorsk direction, shelling was recorded near Spirne and Ivano-Daryivka.

In the direction of Bakhmut, the enemy used tanks, barrel and jet artillery to shell the areas of Bakhmutske, Toretsk, Bilohorivka, Krasnopolivka, Pivnichne and Vershyna. Airstrikes near Zaitseve, Soledar, Bakhmut, and Berestove.

Russian forces engaged in offensive battles in the direction of Yakovlivka - Vershyna and Kodema - Zaitseve, where they saw no success and retreated. A Russian offensive is underway in the direction of Bakhmut, where hostilities continue.

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In the Avdiivka direction, the enemy barrel and jet artillery opened fire in the vicinity of New York, Pervomaiske, Vodiane, and Opytne, and carried out airstrikes near Novohradske, Pavlivka, and Prechystivka. The Russians went on an offensive in the direction of Lozove - Nevelske, with no success, before launching a regrouping of forces.

On the Novopavlivka and Zaporizhia directions, enemy shelling with the use of barrel and jet artillery, as well as tanks, was recorded in the areas of Vuhledar, Pavlivka, Shevchenko, Novodanylivka, Vilne Pole, Burlatske, Zelene Pole, Zeleny Hai, Chervone, Stepove and Vremivka. Airstrikes were carried out near Maryinka, Mali Shcherbaky, Novoandriivka, Novosilka, and Temyrivka.

Enemy UAVs flew recon missions near Krasnohorivka, Novosilka, and Tavriyske.

The Russians is conducting a defensive operation in the South Buh direction. The main efforts are focused on holding the occupied lines and inflicting maximum losses on the Ukrainian units.

The enemy fired tanks and various types of artillery in the areas of Lymany, Prybuzke, Tavriyske, Luch, Myrne, Partyzanske, Blahodatne, Shyroke, Kyselivka, Kvitneve, Kavkaz, Bila Krynytsia, Bilohirka, Dobryanka, Osokorivka, and Mykolaivka. It carried out airstrikes in the Andriyivka area, as well as the Khutorska valley, and the Plotnytsky tract.

Reconnaissance flights by Russian UAVs were recorded in the vicinity of Bila Krynytsia, Nyzhni Sirohozy, Lozove, and Andriivka.

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Four sea-based cruise missile carriers deployed in the Black Sea are combat-ready to use high-precision cruise missiles on targets across Ukraine.