July 17, 2022

Ukraine Defense Ministry: Russian shelling picks up through much of the Donbas

Ukraine Defense Ministry

The one hundred forty-fourth (144) day of the heroic resistance of the Ukrainian people to Russian military invasion continues.

In the Volyn and Polissya directions, units of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Belarus continue to perform the specified tasks. According to available information, there is a restriction on visiting the forest by the local population in the border areas of the Brest region.

There are no significant changes in the Siversky direction. The enemy carried out an airstrike near Esmani, Sumy oblast. In addition, it periodically carries out aerial reconnaissance and artillery shelling of the positions of our troops in the border areas of Chernihiv and Sumy oblast.

In the Kharkiv direction, the enemy is trying to hold the occupied lines. It shelled the areas of the settlements of Petrivka, Rydne, Sosnivka, Slatine, Pryshyb, Ruski Tyshki, Pytomnyk, Verkhniy Saltiv, and others. It conducted aerial reconnaissance of the “Orlan-10” UAV.

In the Slovyansk direction, the enemy shelled civil and military infrastructure near Zakitny, Hryhorivka, Tetyanivka, Zvanivka, Minkivka, Raigorodka, and others with barrel and jet artillery. He led assaults in the area of Ivano-Daryivka but was unsuccessful. The enemy tried to advance in the direction of Verkhnokamyanka. It was decisively repulsed, suffered losses, and withdrew. It conducted aerial reconnaissance of operational-tactical level UAVs near Zvanivka, Fedorivka, and Serebryanka.

In the direction of Bakhmut, the enemy fired at our positions in the areas of the settlements of Novoluhanske, Berestove, Bilorohovka, Vershyna, Vyimka, Sukha Balka, Oleksandropil, and the territory of the Vuhlehirska TPP. Ukrainian soldiers competently repelled another reconnaissance attempt in a battle near Berestove and Bilohorivka. The occupiers also launched missile and air strikes near Soledar, Pokrovske, and Svitlodarsk.

In the Avdiyiv, Kurakhiv, Novopavliv, and Zaporizhzhia directions, systematic shelling of the positions of our troops along the contact line continues. The occupiers launched airstrikes near Kamianka, Shcherbaki, and Mali Shcherbaki.

Shelling was recorded in the areas of Novovorontsovka, Kobzartsi, Blahodatne, Bila Krynytsia, Trudolyubivka, Novohryhorivka, Olenivka, Prybuzke, Oleksandrivka, Lupareve and others in the South Buh direction. The enemy launched rocket attacks on the city of Mykolaiv. The threat of a repetition of such actions by the enemy in the region remains.

In order to identify changes in the position of our troops and adjust fire, the occupiers conducted aerial reconnaissance by UAVs of operational-tactical and tactical levels. The enemy continues the engineering equipment of the positions.

Due to significant losses, the personnel of most units of the occupying forces have a very low level of moral and psychological state and are looking for an opportunity to avoid further participation in hostilities. This is especially common among the occupiers who had direct fire contact with Ukrainian soldiers.

In the Kharkiv direction, the enemy is trying to hold the occupied lines. Shelling was recorded in the areas of the settlements of Petrivka, Protopopivka, Prudyanka, Ruski Tyshki, Pytomnyk, Stary Saltiv, Chuhuiv, Mospanove, Udy, Vesele, and others. The occupiers carried out airstrikes near Prudyanka and Verkhniy Saltov.

In the Slovyansk direction, the enemy fired mortars, barrel, and jet artillery in the areas of Dolyna, Dibrovne, Ivanivka, Mazanivka, Bohorodychne, Velyka Komyshuvakha, Kurulka, Kostyantynivka, Virnopillya, Husarivka, and other settlements. In order to disrupt the control system of the Defense Forces and prevent aerial reconnaissance, the enemy is actively using radio-electronic warfare.

In the Donetsk direction, the enemy continues to focus its main efforts on attempts to establish control over the city of Siversk and advance in the direction of the city of Bakhmut.

In the Slovyansk direction, the occupiers shelled civilian infrastructure in the areas of Donetske, Siversk, Verkhnokamianske, Zvanivka, Vyimka, Ivano-Daryivka, and other settlements. Our soldiers quickly suppressed enemy assaults near Hryhorivka. The occupiers withdrew with losses.

The occupiers tried to improve the tactical position in the areas of Mykhailivka, Pavlivka, and Novomykhailivka settlements. They were repulsed and ingloriously managed to escape.

In the South Buh direction, the enemy is trying to disrupt the logistical support of our troops with systematic shelling. Shelled civilian and military infrastructure in the areas of the settlements of Bila Krynytsia, Berezneguvate, Ternivka, Vesely Kut, Blahodatne, Kvitneve, Lotskyne, Novohryhorivka, Myrne, Prybuzke, Lupareve, Bashtanka, and others. Launched missile strikes on Mykolaiv.

Aerial reconnaissance by unmanned aerial vehicles continues. There is a high threat of further missile strikes on the region’s critical infrastructure.

Our units continue to carry out missile and artillery fire missions in the designated directions and beat the invaders in close combat.

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Wilson Center

Forced displacement represents one of the most pressing humanitarian issues of our time. Individuals and families, torn from the fabric of their communities, find themselves navigating a world of uncertainty, often without basic necessities or a clear path to safety. There are currently some 110 million forced displaced, and this number is growing by 10 million each year!

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