Rocket event in Donetsk, Velyka Novosilka area, Ukraine on Sun 17th March 2024

On Saturday, 58 combat engagements were recorded between Ukrainian defense forces and Russian invasion troops. That’s according to the General Staff of Ukraine’s Armed Forces, Ukrinform reports. “In total, the enemy carried out six missile attacks and 62 airstrikes, as well as 125 rocket salvos, on the positions of our troops and at populated areas. As a result of Russian terrorist attacks, unfortunately, there are dead and wounded among the civilian population,” the report reads. Overnight Sunday, the Russians launched 16 Shahed kamikaze drones, 14 of which were intercepted. During the past day, Russian air strikes targeted the settlements of Velyka Pisarivka, Stara Huta, Ryzhivka, Popivka, Yamne, Oleksandrivka, and Luhivka of Sumy region; Starytsia and Lyptsi of Kharkiv region; Novoyehorivka of Luhansk region; Spirne, Vesele, Rozdolivka, Chasiv Yar, Druzhba, Oleksandropil, Semenivka, Umanske, Ocheretyne, Krasnohorivka, Kostiantynivka, Heorhiivka, Novomykhailivka, Vodiane, Urozhaine, Makarivka, and Velyka Novosilka of Donetsk region. Nearly 140 settlements in Chernihiv, Sumy, Kharkiv, Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, Dnipropetrovsk, Kherson, and Mykolaiv regions came under Russian artillery fire. Volyn and Polissia directions: the operational situation saw no significant changes. Sivershchyna and Slobozhanshchyna directions: the enemy maintains its military presence near the border, conducting sabotage and reconnaissance missions in order to prevent the transfer of Ukrainian troops to other directions. In the areas of Stara Huta and Brusky in Sumy region, Ukraine’s defenders thwarted two Russian attempts to penetrate the border. Kupiansk direction: no offensive efforts were reported. Lyman direction: Ukrainian soldiers repelled an assault on Bilohorivka, Luhansk region. Bakhmut direction: five enemy attacks were repelled in the areas of Ivanivske, Klishchiivka, and east of Chasiv Yar, Donetsk region. Avdiivka direction: Ukraine repelled 11 attacks in the areas of Berdychi, Tonenke, Pervomaiske, and Nevelske. Novopavlivka direction: Ukraine’s defense forces continue to hold back the enemy in the areas of Krasnohorivka, Heorhiivka, Novomykhailivka, and east of Vodiane of Donetsk region, where the Russians 28 times tried to break through the defenses. Orykhiv direction: the enemy attacked Ukraine’s positions four times in the areas of Robotyne and north-west of Verbove in Zaporizhzhia region. Kherson direction: the invaders pursue their attempts to dislodge Ukrainian troops from their bridgeheads on the left (eastern) bank of the Dnipro where two assaults were reported. At the same time, Ukraine’s forces continue to inflict losses on Russian manpower and equipment, exhausting the enemy along the entire front line. The Ukrainian Air Force hit four enemy manpower and weapons clusters, while missile forces hit a command post, two clusters, and an air defense system. As Ukrinform reported earlier, in an interview with the national telethon, French President Emmanuel Macron said France was ready for another round of escalation on the part of Russia. Czech President Petr Pavel said no compromise was currently possible between Ukraine and the Russian Federation.