UEMS / Ammunition Depot event in Donetsk, Berdychi area, Ukraine on Wed 20th March 2024

Over the past 24 hours, Ukraine has recorded 80 combat engagements with Russian invasion forces as the largest number of enemy assaults was reported in the Novopavlivka direction. That’s according to the General Staff of Ukraine’s Armed Forces, Ukrinform reports. "There were 80 combat clashes during the past day. In total, the enemy launched four missile attacks and 86 airstrikes and 114 rocket salvos," the report reads. Russian airstrikes targeted Velyka Lukashivka and Bilopillia of Sumy region; Kozacha Lopan, Mokra Rokytna, Vesele, and Izbytske of Kharkiv region; Serebrianske Forestry and Bilohorivka of Luhansk region; Rozdolivka, Vesele, Kostiantynivka, Ocheretyne, Tonenke, Pobieda, Novomykhailivka, Novoselivka Persha, Umanske, and Staromaiorske of Donetsk region; and Antonivka of Kherson region. Nearly 150 settlements in Chernihiv, Sumy, Kharkiv, Lugansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, Dnipropetrovsk, Kherson, and Mykolaiv regions came under Russian artillery fire. Volyn and Polissya directions: the operational situation saw no significant changes. Sivershchyna and Slobozhanshchyna directions: the enemy retains military presence near the border, conducting sabotage missions in order to prevent Ukrainian troops from moving to other directions. Kupiansk direction: the enemy carried out 10 unsuccessful assaults on the positions of Ukraine’s defense forces in the area of Synkivka, Kharkiv region. Lyman direction: Ukraine repelled 14 attacks in the area Bilohorivka, Luhansk region, Terny and Spirne in Donetsk region. Bakhmut direction: Ukraine’s defenders seven assaults in the areas of Predtechyne, Klishchiivka, and Bila Hora of Donetsk region. Avdiivka direction: Ukraine repelled 13 enemy attacks in the areas of Berdychi, Orlivka, Tonenke, Pervomaiske, and Nevelske of Donetsk region. Novopavlivka direction: Ukraine’s defense forces continue to restrain the enemy in the areas of Krasnohorivka, Heorhiivka, Novomykhailivka, Vodiane, and Urozhaine, where the Russian invasion forces, with air support, undertook 29 attempts to penetrate the defense lines. Orikhiv direction: the enemy stormed Ukraine’s positions six times in the areas of Staromaiorske in Donetsk region and Robotyne in Zaporizhzhia region. Kherson direction: the Russians do not abandon the intention of dislodging Ukrainian units from the bridgeheads on the eastern bank of the Dnipro. A single assault recorded in the past 24 hours was successfully thwarted. "At the same time, our fighters continue to actively inflict losses on the invasion troops and their equipment, depleting the enemy along the entire front line," the General Staff emphasized. Ukraine’s Air Force hit six manpower and weapons clusters, while missile forces engaged two ammunition depots, a UAV control point, and an e-warfare system. As Ukrinform reported earlier, Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni spoke against French President Emmanuel Macron’s suggestion to deploy NATO troops on the ground in Ukraine, saying this could lead to unacceptable escalation with Russia.