Russia – Ukraine war operational update of the General Staff of Ukraine for the last 24 hours of Russia – Ukraine war as of 6:00 a.m., October 18, 2023.
602 day of the russian large-scale invasion and 3,529 day of the russia’s war against Ukraine begins.
The Defense Forces of Ukraine continue to conduct defense in the east and south of Ukraine, offensive operations in the Melitopol direction and offensive actions in the Bakhmut direction, destroy the enemy, step by step vacate the temporarily occupied territories, and consolidate on the reached borders.
At the beginning of the day, the russian occupiers launched a rocket attack on a residential high-rise in the center of Zaporizhzhia: there are dead, wounded and missing people. Information regarding the consequences of this terrorist attack is currently being clarified.
During the past 24 hours, 69 combat clashes took place. In total, the enemy launched 3 missile and 35 air strikes, fired 39 salvo rockets at the positions of our troops and populated areas. Also, the russian occupiers launched another missile-air strike against Ukraine, using the Kh-59 guided air missile, S-300 anti-aircraft guided missiles and 6 Shahed-136/131 type attack UAVs. One Kh-59 guided air missile and 6 “shahids” were destroyed by air defense forces and means. As a result of Russian terrorist attacks, unfortunately, there are dead and wounded among the civilian population. Private residential buildings and other civilian infrastructure were destroyed and damaged.
The following areas were hit by airstrikes: Mykolaivka, Sumy region; Serebryan Forestry, Belogorivka, Luhansk Region; Spirne, Vesele, New York, Avdiivka, Stepove, Maryinka, Novomykhailivka, Urozhane, Staromayorske, Rivnopil of the Donetsk region; Beryslav, Vesele, Kherson region.
About 100 settlements in the Chernihiv, Sumy, Kharkiv, Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhya and Kherson regions came under artillery fire.
In the area of responsibility of the “Pivnich” OSUV in the Volyn and Poliske directions, the operational situation remains without significant changes.
In the Siverskyi and Slobozhanskyi directions, the enemy maintains a military presence in the border areas, conducts active diversionary activities in order to prevent the transfer of our troops to threatening directions, and increases the density of mine-explosive barriers along the state border in the Belgorod region.
In the area of responsibility of the “Khortytsia” anti-aircraft defense unit in the Kupyansk direction, Ukrainian soldiers repelled more than 15 enemy attacks in the areas of Sinkivka, Ivanivka, and Kislivka settlements of the Kharkiv region and another 9 attacks near Nadiya in the Luhansk region.
The enemy did not conduct offensive (assault) actions in the Lyman direction.
In the direction of Bakhmut, the enemy unsuccessfully tried to restore the lost position near Klishchiivka, Donetsk region. The defense forces of Ukraine continue their assault south of Bakhmut, inflict losses on the occupiers in terms of manpower and equipment, and secure themselves at the achieved frontiers.
In the area of responsibility of the “Tavria” anti-aircraft missile defense system in the Avdiivka direction, the enemy does not stop trying to surround Avdiivka. 5 enemy attacks were repelled here.
In the Mariinka and Shakhtarsk directions, our defenders repelled more than 20 attacks by the occupiers in the area of Mariinka and Novomykhailivka, Donetsk region, as well as 2 attacks south of Zolota Nyva and south of Prechistivka, Donetsk region.
In the Zaporizhzhia direction, the enemy unsuccessfully tried to restore the lost position southwest of Robotyne in the Zaporizhzhia region.
In the area of responsibility of the “Odesa” anti-aircraft defense unit in the Kherson direction, Ukrainian defenders are conducting a counter-battery fight, inflicting fire damage on the enemy’s rear.
The Defense Forces of Ukraine continue the offensive operation in the Melitopol direction, with partial success south of Robotyne, Zaporizhzhia region. Our soldiers are inflicting losses in manpower and equipment on the occupying troops, exhausting the enemy along the entire front line.
During the day, the aviation of the Defense Forces made 15 strikes on areas where the enemy’s personnel, weapons and military equipment were concentrated, and 3 strikes on the enemy’s anti-aircraft missile systems.
Units of the missile forces hit 5 control points, the area of concentration of personnel, weapons and military equipment, an ammunition depot and an enemy artillery.
