Russians increasing efforts on Pokrovsk axis in Donetsk Region, number of combat clashes grows to 30 - AFU General Staff

The russians are increasing efforts on the Pokrovsk axis in the Donetsk Region, here the number of combat clashes has increased to 30.

This is stated in the message of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Facebook about the operational situation as of 4:30 p.m. on May 16, the Ukrainian News agency reports.

"The enemy continues offensive actions. At present, the greatest activity is observed on the Pokrovsk axis. Ukrainian soldiers hold the line of defense and respond harshly to the actions of the invaders.... The occupiers continue to increase efforts on the Pokrovsk axis. Here, the number of combat clashes has increased to 30," the report said.

On the Lyman axis in the Donetsk Region, the invaders somewhat increased the intensity of hostilities, the number of attacks increased to five, one of which is still ongoing.

On the Kramatorsk axis, the enemy tried to break through our defenses 13 times, in the area of Chasiv Yar struck an aviation strike.

As for the situation in the Kharkiv Region, the General Staff reports that the confrontation between Ukrainian troops with an enemy invasion continues: since the beginning of the day, the russian occupiers have attacked Ukrainian positions five times, the enemy is trying to storm Ukrainian troops near the city of Vovchansk, with the support of aviation attacks near the village of Lyptsi, and Vesele and Udy were also attacked by enemy aircraft.

As the Ukrainian News agency earlier reported, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that as of 10:30 a.m. on May 16, the enemy's plans to wedge into Vovchansk in the Kharkiv Region and to gain a foothold there were disrupted.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Thursday, May 16, held a meeting of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief's Staff in Kharkiv on the situation at the front, in particular in the area of ​ ​ Vovchansk and Lyptsi in the Kharkiv Region.