War update: Russian troops open fire on 25 settlements in Bakhmut direction

Russian troops have used tanks, mortars, cannon and rocket artillery to open fire on 25 settlements in the Bakhmut direction over the past day.

The relevant statement was made by the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Facebook, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

“Over the past day, Russian occupiers have launched three missile strikes and 10 air strikes, namely on civil infrastructure in the Donetsk region. Additionally, the enemy opened fire with multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS) 62 times. As a result, civilian objects were damaged in the city of Kherson, and casualties among civilians were reported,” the report states.

Ukraine’s Defense Forces have repelled enemy attacks near the Luhansk region’s Andriivka and the Donetsk region’s Yampolivka, Rozdolivka, Bakhmutske, Bakhmut, Pivnichne, New York, Krasnohorivka, Vodiane and Marinka.

In the Volyn and Polissia directions, no signs of enemy offensive groupings being formed were detected.

In the Siverskyi direction, Russian invaders launched mortar strikes near the Sumy region’s Hirky.

In the Slobozhanskyi direction, Russian troops used mortars and artillery to open fire on the Kharkiv region’s Huriv, Veterynarne, Kudiivka, Hoptivka, Starytsia,, Ohirtseve, Vovchansk, Ambarne, Novomlynsk and Dvorichna.

In the Kupiansk direction, Russians shelled the Kharkiv region’s Kyslivka, Kotliarivka, Tabivka,  Krokhmalne, and the Luhansk region’s Novoselivske, Stelmakhivka and Miasozharivka with tanks, mortars and artillery.

In the Lyman direction, Russian invaders struck the Luhansk region’s Makiivka, Ploshchanka, Chervonopopivka, Terny and Dibrova.

In the Bakhmut direction, the enemy used tanks, mortars, cannon and rocket artillery to open fire on 25 settlements, including the Donetsk region’s Spirne, Berestove, Soledar, Bakhmut, Klishchiivka, Chasiv Yar, Stupochky, Bila Hora, Dyliivka and Opytne.

In the Avdiivka direction, enemy shelling was recorded near the Donetsk region’s Kamianka, Avdiivka, Vesele, Vodiane, Pervomaiske, Nevelske, Krasnohorivka, Herorhiivka, Marinka and Novomykhailivka. Russian occupiers also launched an air strike near Avdiivka.

In the Novopavlivka direction, Russian invaders launched artillery strikes on the Donetsk region’s Vuhledar, Prechystivka and Velyka Novosilka.

In the Zaporizhzhia and Kherson directions, Russian troops used cannon and rocket artillery to open fire on over 50 settlements, including the Zaporizhzhia region’s Vremivka, Malynivka, Dorozhnianka, Mala Tokmachka, and the Kherson region’s Havrylivka, Novodmytrivka, Burhunka, Inzhenerne, Chornobaivka, and the city of Kherson.

According to the General Staff, due to significant personnel losses, Russian occupation troops continue to repurpose the Luhansk region’s hospitals into military hospitals. In particular, this procedure affected local health facilities in Bilovodsk and Markivka.

On December 19, 2022, about 100 injured Russian soldiers were transported to the Department of Surgery in the Starobilsk district hospital, which had been repurposed to serve the military needs.

Russian troops continue to suffer losses. On December 22, 2022, Ukraine’s Defense Forces destroyed two enemy artillery systems together with ammunition loads in the Zaporizhzhia region. Over 70 Russian invaders were injured. Information about the number of those eliminated is yet to be checked.

Over the past day, Ukrainian air forces have launched 13 strikes on enemy personnel, ammunition and military equipment clusters, and one strike on air defense system positions.

Nine enemy unmanned aerial vehicles of different type were shot down.

Additionally, Ukraine’s missile and artillery units hit two Russian command posts, two ammunition depots and 11 personnel clusters.

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