Occupiers focus on Bakhmut direction, situation in the north unchanged – General Staff

Russian occupiers are concentrating their forces in the Bakhmut direction, and in the Kherson region they are experiencing a shortage of collaborators. At the same time, the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) are strengthening air defense on the border with Belarus.

This follows from a statement by the General Staff of the AFU.

The enemy's main efforts are focused on conducting an offensive in the Bakhmut direction. Conducts futile offensive actions in the Avdiyivka direction.

Thus, units of the AFU repelled the attacks of the occupiers in the areas of the settlements of Bilohorivka, Luhansk Region; and Sil, Chervona Hora, Bakhmut, Klishchiyivka, Vodiane, Nevelske, Mariyinka, and Peremoha.

The situation has not changed significantly in the Volyn, Polisskyi, Siversk, and Slobozhanskyi directions. No offensive groups of the enemy were detected in the areas bordering Ukraine. The Republic of Belarus continues to support Russian armed aggression, joint exercises continue at its airfields and airspace.

At the same time, the AFU of Ukraine are taking measures to prevent provocative actions or sabotage by the enemy, strengthening air defense.

Over the past day, the enemy continued to fire artillery and mortar fire along the entire contact line. The enemy shelled the populated areas of Mykolayivka, Chernihiv Region; Rivne, Atynske, Iskryskivshchyna, and Novodmytrivka in the Sumy Region; and Veterynarne, Chervone, Lukiyantsi, Nenudne, Starytsia, Ohurtsove, Hatyshche, Vovchansk, Rybalkyne, Bila Krynytsia, Nesterne, Zemlianky, Novomlynsk, Bolohivka, Kamiyanka, and Dvir.

In the Kupiyansk direction, the districts of Kyslivka, Berestove, Kotliarivka, Vyshneve, Ivanivka in the Kharkiv Region, as well as Novoselivka, Stelmakhivka, and Andriyivka of the Luhansk Region were affected by fire.

In the Lyman direction, the enemy shelled the areas of the settlements of Makiyivka, Maidanchyk, Nevske, Chervonopopivka, Kreminna, and Dibrova in the Luhansk Region; and Terna and Yampolivka in the Donetsk Region with all available ground firepower.

In the direction of Bakhmut, enemy artillery hit Verkhniokamiyanka, Spirne, Vyimka, Bilohorivka, Vesele, Soledar, Chervona Hora, Paraskoviyivka, Bakhmut, Klishchiyivka, Kurdiumivka, Ozarianivka, Druzhba, Zalizne, and Niu York in the Donetsk Region.

In the Avdiyivka direction, the enemy fired at Avdiyivka, Vodiane, Pershotravneve, Nevelske, Heorhiyivka, Mariyinka, and Novomykhailivka in the Donetsk Region.

In the direction of Novopavlovsk, the enemy fired artillery and mortars at Vuhledar, Mykilsky Dachi, and Prechystivka in the Donetsk Region.

In the Zaporizhzhia direction, more than 10 settlements were affected by artillery fire, including Vremivka and Novopil, Shcherbaky, Stepove, Kamiyanske, and Plavni.

In the Kherson direction, the occupiers continue to terrorize the civilian population. Antonivka and Kherson, in particular, suffered mortar and artillery shelling, and civilians were injured.

Due to the small number of collaborators, the invaders are forced to take officials from the Russian Federation to perform administrative functions of the occupation regime. In addition, there is a shortage of workers in various industries, as local residents do not want to cooperate with the occupiers.

Therefore, the Russians are trying to import workers from the same Russia and the temporarily occupied Crimea.

During the day, our aviation made 12 strikes on enemy concentration areas, as well as four strikes on the positions of its anti-aircraft missile systems.

In addition, anti-aircraft fighters destroyed an enemy Su-25 aircraft in the Soledar area.

Units of missile forces and artillery of the AFU struck two control points, as well as five areas where the invaders were concentrated, an ammunition depot, a radio combat station and a radar station in 24 hours.

As the Ukrainian News agency earlier reported, the losses of Russian troops on January 16 increased by 870 to 116,950 killed, and Ukrainian defenders also destroyed 11 armored combat vehicles, 5 artillery systems and 3 rocket salvo systems.

Earlier, it was reported that the losses of personnel of the Russian troops on January 15 increased by 790 to 116,080 killed, equipment - by 12 tanks and 21 armored vehicles.