Rocket event in Donetsk, Heorhiivka area, Ukraine on Sat 16th December 2023

On Saturday, 16 December, Russian forces carried out the majority of their assaults on the Avdiivka front, where Ukrainian forces repelled 17 assaults. A total of 71 combat clashes between the Ukrainian and Russian forces occurred over the course of the day. Source: General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Facebook, information as of 18:00 on 16 December Details: Over the course of the day, Ukraine’s defence forces clashed with Russian forces 71 times. Russian forces carried out 3 missile strikes and 47 airstrikes and deployed multiple-launch rocket systems (MLRS) 38 times to attack the positions of Ukrainian troops and civilian settlements, injuring civilians and damaging private residential houses and other civilian infrastructure facilities. There were no significant changes on the Volyn and Polissia fronts. On the Sivershchyna and Slobozhanshchyna fronts, Russian forces conducted an airstrike near Bolohivka (Kharkiv Oblast). More than 20 Ukrainian civilian settlements came under Russian mortar and artillery fire, including Zaliznyi Mist and Hremiachka (Chernihiv Oblast); Novovasylivka, Khliborob, Baranivka, Volfyne, Hrabovske and Popivka (Sumy Oblast); and Udy, Kozacha Lopan, Starytsia, Vovchansk and Topoli (Kharkiv Oblast). On the Kupiansk front, Ukrainian forces repelled 11 Russian assaults near Synkivka (Kharkiv Oblast), where aircraft-supported Russian forces attempted to break through the Ukrainian defences. Russian aircraft struck areas near Ivanivka, Pishchane and Berestove (Kharkiv Oblast). Russian forces also deployed mortars and artillery to attack around 10 settlements, including Dvorichna, Synkivka, Kovalivka, Petropavlivka, Ivanivka and Berestove (Kharkiv Oblast). In an effort to break through the Ukrainian defences, Russian forces conducted aircraft-supported offensive operations on the Lyman front, with Ukrainian forces repelling 3 Russian assaults to the east of Terny (Donetsk Oblast). Russian forces deployed aircraft to attack the Serebrianka forest (Luhansk Oblast). They also deployed mortars and artillery to attack more than 10 civilian settlements, including Nevske and Bilohorivka (Luhansk Oblast) and Terny, Torske, Serebrianka, Verkhnokamianske, Spirne and Rozdolivka (Donetsk Oblast). On the Bakhmut front, Ukrainian forces repelled 8 Russian assaults near Bohdanivka, Ivanivske, Klishchiivka and Andriivka (Donetsk Oblast). Russian forces conducted airstrikes in and around Minkivka, Druzhba and New-York (Donetsk Oblast). Around 10 civilian settlements, including Vasiukivka, Markove, Bohdanivka, Chasiv Yar, Ivanivske and Andriivka (Donetsk Oblast), came under Russian mortar and artillery fire. On the Avdiivka front, Ukrainian forces repelled 17 Russian assaults to the east of Novobakhmutivka, Stepove and Avdiivka, and another 10 in the vicinity of Nevelske and Pervomaiske (Donetsk Oblast). Russian aircraft struck an area in the vicinity of Ocheretyne (Donetsk Oblast). Russian forces also deployed artillery and mortars to attack more than 10 civilian settlements, including Berdychi, Stepove, Lastochkyne, Avdiivka, Pervomaiske and Karlivka (Donetsk Oblast). On the Marinka front, Ukrainian forces are continuing to hold back Russian forces in the vicinity of Marinka, Pobieda and Novomykhailivka (Donetsk Oblast). Russian forces conducted 9 unsuccessful aircraft-supported offensive operations in the area. Krasnohorivka, Heorhiivka, Marinka, Pobieda and Novomykhailivka came under Russian mortar and artillery fire. Russian forces did not conduct offensive operations on the Shakhtarsk front, though they deployed mortars and artillery to attack around 10 civilian settlements, including Prechystivka, Urozhaine, Staromaiorske and Rivnopil (Donetsk Oblast). On the Zaporizhzhia front, Ukrainian forces repelled 10 Russian assaults to the west of Novopokrovka and Robotyne (Zaporizhzhia Oblast). Over 15 civilian settlements came under Russian artillery and mortar fire, including Levadne, Malynivka, Huliaipole, Charivne, Mala Tokmachka and Novoandriivka (Zaporizhzhia Oblast). On the Kherson front, Russian forces shelled Ivanivka, Antonivka, Oleksandrivka and Kherson (Kherson Oblast). Meanwhile, Ukraine’s defence forces are continuing to maintain their positions on Dnipro’s left (eastern) bank and to inflict personnel and equipment losses on the Russian forces. Over the course of today, Ukrainian aircraft carried out airstrikes on 21 clusters of Russian military personnel, weapons and equipment. Units of Ukrainian Rocket Forces and Artillery struck 7 clusters of Russian military personnel, weapons and equipment, a Russian command post, 2 air defence systems, 12 artillery systems, and 2 ammunition and fuel and lubricants storage points.