August 18, 2022

Ukraine Defense Ministry: Widespread Russian shelling but no ground advances

Ukraine Defense Ministry

The enemy continues to focus its efforts on establishing full control over the territories of the Luhansk and Donetsk oblasts, maintaining the temporarily captured areas of the Kherson oblast and parts of the Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia, and Mykolaiv oblast, creating favourable conditions for resuming the offensive in certain directions, as well as blocking Ukraine’s maritime communications in the Black Sea.

Air and missile strikes on military and civilian targets on the territory of Ukraine continue.

The situation in the Volyn and Polissya directions has not changed significantly. The units of the Armed Forces of the republic of belarus continue to carry out the task of strengthening the protection of the section of the belarusian-Ukrainian border in the Brest and Gomel regions.

The threat of the enemy launching missile and air strikes from the territory and airspace of the republic of belarus remains.

In the Siversky region, the enemy continues to hold units of the armed forces of the russian federation in the border areas of the Bryansk and Kursk regions in order to constrain the actions of units of the Defense Forces.

The enemy fired artillery shells in the areas of Vovkivka, Yastrubyne and Popivka settlements of the Sumy oblast.

In the Slobozhansky direction, the enemy continues to conduct hostilities with the aim of holding previously occupied lines and preventing the offensive of the Defense Forces of Ukraine.

In the Kharkiv direction, the enemy carried out fire damage from tanks, barrel and rocket artillery in the areas of Karasivka, Petrivka, Bazaliivka, Rtyshchivka, Duvanka, Ivanivka, Mospanove, Lisne, Velyki Prohody, Pytomnyk, Husarivka and Chepil settlements.

Carried out remote mining of the area near Lebyazhe.

In the Slovyansk direction, the enemy shelled the areas of Velyka Komyshuvakha, Virnopilla, Adamivka, and Dovhenky with artillery.

In the Kramatorsk direction, the enemy fired from tanks and multiple rocket launchers at the regions of Sloviansk, Kramatorsk, Spirne, Donetsk, Ivano-Daryivka, Siversk, Zvanivka, and Raihorodok. Made an air strike near Vesele.

It led an offensive in the Mykolaivka-Vyimka direction, was unsuccessful, withdrew.

In the direction of Bakhmut, shelling was recorded near Bakhmut, Soledar, Rozdolivka, Kodema and Mayorsk.

The occupiers launched an offensive in the directions of Volodymyrivka – Soledar, Pokrovske – Bakhmutske, Pokrovske – Bakhmut, Klynove – Bakhmut, Semihirya – Zaitseve, Semihirya – Kodema and Holmivskyi – Zaitseve. The invaders did not achieve any positive results in any of the offensive directions and withdrew with losses.

In the Avdiivka direction, the enemy fired from barrel, rocket artillery, and tanks near Avdiivka, Maryinka, Alexandropil, Pisky, Pervomaiske, and Opytne.

It led an offensive in the direction of Lozove – Pervomaiske, was unsuccessful, withdrew.

On the Novopavlivskyi and Zaporizhzhia directions, the enemy is defending the occupied areas. Shelled the areas of settlements of Novosilka, Novomykhailivka, Bohoyavlenka, Stepnohirsk, Shevchenko, Burlatske, Zaliznychne, Hulyaipilske, Lukyanivske, Preobrazhenka, Poltavka.

Conducted aerial reconnaissance of UAVs near Poltavka, Hulyaipole, Malynyivka, Zelenyi Hay, Shcherbaki and Novoyakovlivka.

It tried to conduct assaults in the direction of Yehorivka – Shevchenkove, was unsuccessful, withdrew.

In the South Buh direction, the main efforts of the enemy’s forces are focused on holding the occupied areas and restraining the actions of the Defense Forces of Ukraine.

Shelling was recorded near the settlements of Mykolaiv, Stepova Dolyna, Luch, Posad-Pokrovske, Halytsynove, Oleksandrivka, Myrne, Shyroke, Kvitneve, Kiselivka, Kobzartsi, Pervomaiske, Kavkaz, Murakhivka, Andriivka, Osokorivka, Ivanivka, and Trudolyubivka.

The enemy carried out airstrikes near Bila Krynytsia, Blahodatny, and Khutirska creek.

Conducted aerial reconnaissance by UAVs in the areas of Bilohirka, Lozove, Pervomaiske, Oleksandrivka, Trudolyubivka, Osokorivka and Ivanivka settlements.

According to available information, two sea-based cruise missile carriers are ready to use high-precision weapons.

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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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International Humanitarian Law (IHL), with its core principles centered on the protection of civilians during conflicts, plays a pivotal role in this discourse. Yet, despite clear legal frameworks, compliance remains
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