War update: Front lines in Ukraine see 44 combat clashes on Wed

That’s according to the General Staff of the Armed Forces, Ukrinform reports.

"Over the past day, the Russian Federation also attacked using Iranian UAVs of the Shahed type. Ukrainian air defense destroyed 23 attack UAVs. The enemy launched five missile strikes, 89 air strikes and 67 attacks involving MLR systems on the positions of our troops and populated areas. Unfortunately, there are victims among the civilian population," the statement reads.

The likelihood of further missile and air strikes on the entire territory of Ukraine remains “very high.”

On the Volyn and Polissia axes, the operational situation has undergone no significant changes.

In the Sivershchyna and Slobozhanshchyna directions, the enemy carried out airstrikes in the areas of Volfyne and Stepne in Sumy region, and Kozacha Lopan, Kharkiv region. Russian mortars and artillery shelled more than 25 settlements, including Senkivka, Karpovychi, Novovasylivka of Chernihiv region; Volfyne, Krasnopillya, Rozhkovychi, Stara Huta, Hrabovske in Sumy region; and Timofiivka, Veterynarne, Okhrymivka, and Petropavlivka in Kharkiv region.

In the Kupiansk direction, enemy airstrikes hit the areas of Petropavlivka, Ivanivka, and Kyslivka. Kamianka, Dvorichna, Zapadne, Novomlynsk, Fiholivka, Kindrashivka, Krasne Pershe, and Kupiansk, Kharkiv region, were subjected to enemy artillery and mortar attacks.

In the Lyman direction, Russian airstrikes targeted the areas of Bilohorivka, Luhansk region, and Serebrianka and Spirne, Donetsk region. The settlements of Nevske and Bilohorivka in Luhansk region and Verkhnokamianske, Spirne, and Torske in Donetsk region were hit by artillery fire.

In the Bakhmut direction, the enemy made unsuccessful attempts to restore lost positions west of Kurdyumivka, south of Andriivka, and west of Klishchiivka, Donetsk region. The occupiers carried out airstrikes in the areas of Fedorivka, Maiske, Druzhba, and New York. More than 10 settlements, including Vasiukivka, Hryhorivka, Bohdanivka, Bila Hora, Chasiv Yar, and Ivanivske, Donetsk region, were affected by Russian artillery shelling.

In the Avdiivka direction, the enemy launched an airstrike.

Novokalynove, Stepove, Berdychi, Lastochkine, Avdiivka, and Pervomaiske of Donetsk region were hit by artillery fire.

In the Marinka direction, Ukraine’s defense forces continue to hold back the advance of Russian troops. The enemy shelled the settlements of Krasnohorivka, Oleksandropil, Hostre, Marinka, Paraskoviivka, and Novomykhailivka in Donetsk region.

In the direction of Shakhtarske, the enemy carried out airstrikes targeting Staromayorske and Makarivka and made unsuccessful attempts to restore the lost positions west of Staromayorske and north of Urozhane. More than 15 settlements, including Vuhledar, Vodiane, Blahodatne, Storozheve, Rivnopil, and Zelene Pole, Donetsk region, were hit by artillery fire.

In the Zaporizhzhia direction, the enemy is focusing its main efforts on preventing the further advance of Ukrainian troops. The enemy carried out airstrikes in the districts of Hulyaipole, Mala Tokmachka, Novodanilivka and Pyatikhatky, Zaporizhzhia region. Over 15 settlements, including Novodarivka, Bilohhirya, Hulyaipole, Zaliznychne, Pyatykhatky, and Kamianske of Zaporizhzhia region, were hit by Russian artillery fire.

In the Kherson direction, enemy airstrikes targeted the Odradokamyanka and Antonivka areas. More than 20 settlements, including Vesele, Dudchany, Dniprovske, Tyahinka, Lvove, Kyzomys, and the city of Kherson, were subjected to artillery fire.

At the same time, Ukraine’s Defense Forces are on the offensive in the Melitopol and Berdiansk directions, getting entrenched as they gain more ground, engaging in counter-battery fire.

Meanwhile, Russian occupiers continue to mobilize convicts for war. The so-called "Ministry of Internal Affairs of the DPR" has ordered that measures be taken to recruit those serving sentences or have been detained for crimes of light or medium severity. It was also established that in the case recruited convicts are wounded in action, this does not clear their criminal record. Suspects who were under investigation at the time of mobilization will be cleared of charges only upon final demobilization. The target is 1,000 suspects and convicts set to be called for military service. Also, Ukrainian police officers who sided with the enemy will be allowed to take up office with law enforcement only after completing combat missions.

In the past day, Ukraine’s Air Force nine times hit Russian manpower, weapons, and military equipment clusters, and three times – Russian anti-aircraft missile systems. Also, Ukraine’s defenders downed nine reconnaissance UAVs.

Missile and artillery forces destroyed 21 artillery systems in firing positions, a radar station, three command and control points, an equipment cluster, two anti-aircraft defense systems, a manpower cluster, and two ammunition depots.