Over the past 24 hours, Russian forces have conducted a series of unsuccessful offensives in the direction of Orikhovo-Vasylivka in the Bakhmut sector (Donetsk Oblast, eastern Ukraine), the General Staff of Ukraine’s Armed Forces reported in its daily frontline update on 18 June 2023.
The Russian forces carried out air strikes on the settlements of Ivanivske, Pivnichne, Bila Hora, and Toretsk in Donetsk Oblast and shelled residential areas of Vasyukivka, Orikhovo-Vasylivka, Novomarkove, Bohdanivka, Kalynivka, Chasiv Yar, Ivanivske, Ozaryanivka, and Kostyantynivka (all settlements are located in the Bakhmut sector of the Donetsk Oblast), according to the General Staff f Ukraine’s Armed Forces.
“Russia continues to wage a war of aggression. Despite significant losses, it has not abandoned its plans to occupy our territory fully,” Ukraine’s General Staff stated. “The enemy continues to kill civilians in Ukraine, ignores the laws and customs of war, uses terror tactics, launches air strikes and shells both military and civilian targets.”
Over the last day, the Russian forces carried out more than 40 airstrikes and fired 60 times from multiple launch rocket systems at the positions of Ukrainian troops and residential areas of Ukrainian towns and villages, killing and injuring civilians, including children, according to Ukraine’s General Staff. More than 20 residential buildings, a school, and other civilian infrastructure facilities were destroyed and damaged within the last 24 hours, the General Staff reported in its daily frontline update.
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Russia continues to focus its primary attacking efforts on the Lyman, Bakhmut, Avdiivka, and Mariinka directions, where heavy fighting goes on with 17 combat engagements over the past day alone, the General Staff reported.
In the Avdiivka sector, the Russian forces launched an airstrike near Avdiivka city in the Donetsk Oblast, according to the General Staff. In the Mariinka sector, Ukrainian defenders repelled all Russian attacks near the town of Mariinka, which Russian forces had totally ruined.
The Russian forces conducted unsuccessful offensive operations in the directions of Novomykhailivka and Vuhledar in Donetsk Oblast, and in the direction of Novoselivske in Luhansk Oblast, the General Staff reported.
On the southern front, the Russian forces continue to conduct defensive operations in the Zaporizhzhia and Kherson sectors. Russian artillery shelled the settlements of Vremivka and Makarivka in Donetsk Oblast; Zelene Pole, Novodarivka, Levadne, Malynivka, Zatyshya, Huliaypole, Huliaypilske, Orikhiv, Lobkove, Kamianske in Zaporizhzhia Oblast; Mykhailivka, Novodmytrivka, Havrylivka, Kachkarivka, Beryslav, Tomaryne, Vesele, Kozatske, Burgunka, Virivka, Ivanivka, Antonivka, Kherson, Dniprovske, Kizomys, Sofiyivka, Myroliubivka in Kherson Oblast and Ochakiv in Mykolayiv Oblast, according to the General Staff.
In the village of Pokrovske in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, engineering units of the Russian forces are mining private land plots of local residents who refused to obtain Russian passports and moved to the territory controlled by Ukraine.
Over the last day, Ukraine’s Air Force conducted seven strikes on the areas of concentration of Russian troops. Ukraine’s Armed Forces also destroyed a Russian Ka-52 attack helicopter, three Iranian-made Shahed kamikaze drones, and five reconnaissance drones. Ukraine’s rocket forces and artillery units struck two Russian command posts, two ammunition depots, four anti-aircraft missile systems, and two areas of concentration of Russian troops and military equipment, the General Staff reported.
Related:
- Russia adopts defensive posture along entire southern front – Ukraine’s General Staff
- Most intense combat focused in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, western Donetsk Oblast, and around Donetsk’s Bakhmut – UK intel
- Russian electronic warfare complicates Ukrainian attacks – ISW
- Ukraine has “tactical success” on southern front, resists Russian attacks in east – Ukrainian official
- Ukrainian troops destroyed or damaged 77 pieces of Russian equipment in south on June 17 – military
- Ukraine continued counteroffensive in at least four sectors on June 17 – ISW
- Peace in Ukraine cannot mean freezing the conflict on Russia’s terms, NATO chief says
- Europe to accelerate arms shipments to Ukraine, EU industry chief says – Reuters
- EU security is under threat without Ukraine in NATO
- “Ukraine, world don’t need frozen conflicts” – Zelenskyy on African “peace plan”
