Ukraine’s General Staff: Russia attempts to regain lost ground on southern front

Over the past 24 hours, Russian forces have conducted unsuccessful counterattacks on the recently liberated town of Staromaiorske on the border of the Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia oblasts in eastern Ukraine, the General Staff of Ukraine’s Armed Forces reported in its daily frontline update on 2 August 2023. Over the last day, there were 33 combat engagements between Ukrainian defenders and invading Russian troops, according to Ukraine's General Staff. On 1 August, the Russian army launched an air strike near Staromaiorske. The Russian forces failed to regain lost ground west of Staromaiorske and north of Urozhaine. More than ten settlements came under intense Russian artillery fire, including Vuhledar, Vodyane, Blahodatne, and Storozheve in the Donetsk Oblast. In the Zaporizhzhia sector in southeastern Ukraine, the Russian army focused on preventing further advance of Ukrainian troops. The Russian air force launched air strikes in the areas of Mala Tokmachka and Piatykhatky. Over ten settlements came under artillery fire, including Novodarivka, Bilohiriya, Huliaipole, Zaliznychne, and Kamianske in the Zaporizhzhia oblast. At the same time, the Ukrainian Armed Forces continued to conduct offensive operations at the Melitopol and Berdiansk directions in the Zaporizhzhia Oblast, consolidating their positions and conducting counter-battery operations.

Ukraine forces disrupt Russian logistics in the south

The situation in the Volyn and Polissya sectors in northern Ukraine remained unchanged. In the Siverskyi and Slobozhanskyi sectors (northeastern and eastern parts of the country), the Russian army conducted air strikes in Kozacha Lopan in the Kharkiv Oblast. Russian troops fired mortar and artillery shells at more than 20 settlements in northern and eastern parts of the country, including Karpovychi and Novovasylivka in the Chernihiv Oblast (northern Ukraine); Volfyno, Krasnopillia, Rozhkovychi, Stara Huta in the Sumy Oblast (northeastern Ukraine); and Tymofiivka, Vetarine, and Okhrimivka in the Kharkiv Oblast (eastern Ukraine). In the Kupiansk sector, which covers Kharkiv and Luhansk oblasts in eastern Ukraine, Russia launched air strikes at the towns of Petropavlivka and Kyslivka. In the Kharkiv Oblast, Kamianka, Dvorichna, Zakhidne, Kindrashivka, Krasne Pershe, and Kupiansk came under indiscriminate artillery and mortar fire. In the Lyman sector (Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts), Russia's Air Force carried out air strikes near Bilohorivka in the Luhansk Oblast and Serebrianka and Spirne in the Donetsk Oblast. The settlements of Nevske and Bilohorivka in the Luhansk Oblast and Verkhniekamianske, Spirne, and Torske in the Donetsk Oblast came under intense artillery fire from the Russian forces. In the Bakhmut sector (Donetsk Oblast), the Russian army failed to regain lost ground west of Kurdiumivka, south of Andriyivka, and west of Klishchiyivka, south of Bakhmut. The Russian Air Force launched air strikes at Druzhba and New York in the Donetsk Oblast. Over ten settlements suffered from Russian artillery shelling, including Vasyukivka, Hryhorivka, Bohdanivka, Chasiv Yar, and Ivanivske in the Donetsk Oblast.

Ukrainian counteroffensive: What is going on?

In the Avdiivka sector (Donetsk Oblast), the Russian Air Force launched an air strike in the area of Avdiivka. Novokalynove, Stepove, and Berdychi. At the same time, the town of Pervomaiske came under intense artillery fire. In the Mariinka sector (Donetsk Oblast), Ukrainian Armed Forces continued to hold back the Russian offensive near the town of Mariinka. The Russian artillery fired at the villages of Krasnohorivka, Oleksandropil, Hostre, Novomykhailivka, and the city of Mariinka. In the Kherson sector (southern Ukraine), the Russian Air Force launched an air strike near Odradokamiyanka. More than 15 settlements came under artillery fire, including Vesele, Dudchany, Dniprovske, Tyahyntsi, and Kherson. Over the past day, Ukraine's Air Force carried out nine strikes on the areas of concentration of Russian troops, weapons, and military equipment and one air strike on the Russian anti-aircraft missile system. Ukraine’s rocket forces and artillery units struck two Russian command posts and two ammunition depots, destroyed 20 artillery systems at firing positions, one radar station, an area of concentration of Russian troops, weapons, and military equipment, and one air defense system, the General Staff reported. Within 24 hours, the Russian army conducted another air strike with Iranian-made Shahed kamikaze drones in Ukraine. According to Ukraine's General Staff, the Ukrainian air defense destroyed 23 kamikaze drones. Over the past day, Russia launched five missiles and 86 air strikes and fired 36 times from multiple rocket launchers at the positions of Ukrainian troops and populated residential areas, the General Staff reported. Unfortunately, there were civilian casualties. Related:

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