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., August 16, 2023.
539 day of the russian large-scale invasion and 3,466 day of the russia’s war against Ukraine begins.
The Defense Forces of Ukraine continue to conduct an offensive operation in the Bakhmut, Melitopol and Berdyan areas. During the offensive operations, units of the Defense Forces of Ukraine captured the village of Urozhayne, entrenched themselves at the reached boundaries, inflicted artillery fire on identified enemy targets, and carried out counter-battery countermeasures.
In the direction of Bakhmut, the Defense Forces continue to conduct offensive actions south of the city of Bakhmut, entrenching themselves at the achieved boundaries. Heavy fighting continues.
At night, Russian occupying forces attacked the port infrastructure of Odesa with Shahed-136/131 type UAVs.
“Shaheed” launches were carried out in several waves from the south-eastern direction.
The forces and means of the Air Force in cooperation with the anti-aircraft defense of the Defense Forces of Ukraine destroyed 13 enemy UAVs within the Odesa and Mykolaiv regions.
During the past day, the Russian occupiers struck the territory of Ukraine with air and sea-based missiles. In total, the launches of at least 28 cruise missiles of various types were recorded: 4 Kh-22 cruise missiles, 20 Kh-101/Kh-555 cruise missiles and 4 Kalibr cruise missiles. Our air defense destroyed 16 Kh-101/Kh-555 and Kalibr cruise missiles. In addition, at least 8 launches of enemy anti-aircraft guided missiles S-300 and S-400 were recorded in the Dnipropetrovsk and Zaporizhia regions.
In total, during the past 24 hours, the enemy launched 42 rocket and 56 air strikes, launched 36 attacks from rocket salvo systems on the positions of our troops and populated areas. As a result of Russian terrorist attacks, unfortunately, there are dead and wounded among the civilian population, including children. Residential buildings and other civil infrastructure were destroyed.
The probability of launching missile and air strikes on the entire territory of Ukraine remains high.
About 30 combat clashes took place during the past day.
In the Volyn and Poliske directions, the operational situation has not changed significantly.
In the Siverskyi and Slobozhanskyi directions, the enemy carried out airstrikes in the area of Atynskyi, Yastrubiny and Pavlivka, Sumy region. He carried out mortar and artillery attacks on more than 30 settlements, in particular, Tymonovichi, Khotiivka, Gremyach of Chernihiv region; Sytne, Shalygine, Stepne, Uhroidy, Popivka of the Sumy region and Graniv, Pletenivka, Okhrimivka, Kreidyanka, Vilkhuvatka in the Kharkiv region.
In the Kupyansk direction, the enemy conducted unsuccessful offensive actions in the areas southeast of Vilshaniv and east of Petropavlivka, Kharkiv region. He carried out airstrikes in the districts of Ivanivka, Zagryzovo, Vilshaniv of the Kharkiv region and Stelmakhivka of the Luhansk region. The settlements of Kupyansk, Pishchane, Cherneshchyna of the Kharkiv region were subjected to enemy artillery and mortar attacks.
In the Lymanskyi direction, the enemy carried out airstrikes in the areas of Bilogorivka, Luhansk region, and Siversk, Spirny, Vesely, Donetsk region. The settlements of Kolodyazi and Siversk of the Donetsk region were hit by artillery fire from the enemy.
In the direction of Bakhmut, the enemy carried out airstrikes in the areas of Vasyukivka, Klishchiivka, Andriivka, and North Donetsk region. More than 15 settlements, including Minkivka, Hryhorivka, Bakhmut, Ivanivske, Predtechine, and Diliivka of the Donetsk region, were affected by enemy artillery shelling.
In the Avdiivka direction, the enemy conducted unsuccessful offensives in the area south of Avdiivka, Donetsk region. He carried out airstrikes in the Avdiivka and Nevelsky regions. More than 10 settlements, including Novokalynove, Semenivka, Yasnobrodivka, Karlivka, and Nevelske of the Donetsk region, were hit by artillery fire.
In the Mariinka direction, the defense forces continue to hold back the advance of Russian troops in the area of the towns of Marinka and Krasnohorivka in the Donetsk region. The enemy launched an airstrike in the Krasnohorivka region of the Donetsk region. More than 10 settlements, including Krasnohorivka, Pobyeda, Novomykhailivka, Antonivka, and Elizavetivka of the Donetsk region, were hit by artillery fire.
In the Shakhtarsk direction, the enemy made unsuccessful attempts to restore the lost position in the Urozhany region of the Donetsk region. He carried out airstrikes in the areas of Velika Novosilka, Makarivka, Staromayorsky and Urozhany of the Donetsk region. More than 10 settlements, including Bogoyavlenka, Zolota Niva, Urozhayne, Blagodatne, Neskuchne, and Rivnopil of the Donetsk region, were hit by artillery fire.
In the direction of Zaporizhzhia, the enemy carried out airstrikes in the districts of Omelnyk, Malaya Tokmachka, Novodanilivka, and Robotyny of the Zaporizhzhia region. More than 25 settlements were affected by enemy artillery shelling, including Levadne, Gulyaipole, Biloghirya, Lukyanivske, Pyatikhatky, and Plavni of Zaporizhzhya region.
In the Kherson direction, the enemy carried out airstrikes in Mykolaivka and Sadovoi districts of the Kherson region. Such settlements as Poniativka, Kherson, Novodmytrivka of the Kherson region were hit by enemy artillery fire hundred and Ochakiv, Mykolaiv region.
Russian invaders force residents of the temporarily occupied Kherson Region to vote in Russian pseudo-elections. Therefore, in the occupied settlement of Verkhniy Rogachyk, Kherson region, since August 11 this year, in the premises of the district court and the former treasury, the occupiers have been placing Russian spies who are supposed to ensure the illegal so-called “election process within the framework of the Single Voting Day” program, which in Russia I remind you that it falls on the second Sunday of September, that is, September 10, 2023. These premises are guarded by Chechen terrorists of the Kadyrov unit “Akhmat”.
Against the background of a decrease in the morale of the personnel of the military units of the occupying forces, the enemy’s command is increasingly resorting to staged filming of its successes. For example, in the temporarily occupied village of Kozachi Lageri in the Kherson region, preparations for filming by a Russian film crew of a propaganda video based on the plot of the alleged “Destruction of 150 servicemen of the Ukrainian sabotage and intelligence group in the local village center of culture” were recorded. However, as of August 13 of this year, up to 25 Russian occupiers from among former prisoners of Russian prisons are based in this building.
During the past day, the air force of the defense forces made 7 strikes on the areas of concentration of personnel, weapons and military equipment of the enemy.
During the day, units of missile forces and artillery hit 4 artillery pieces in firing positions, 1 anti-aircraft missile complex and another important enemy object.
In total, last day, Ukrainian soldiers eliminated 650 Russian invaders, destroyed 11 tanks, 10 armored fighting vehicles, 24 artillery systems, 3 air defense systems, 6 UAVs of operational-tactical level, 17 cruise missiles, 30 vehicles and 4 units of special equipment.
