Russian army suffers losses on Sloviansk and Avdiivka fronts – General Staff report

KATERYNA TYSHCHENKO – MONDAY, 18 JULY 2022, 18:31

The Ukrainian Armed Forces inflicted losses on Russian troops and forced them to retreat on the Sloviansk and Avdiivka fronts and repelled a Russian assault on the Bakhmut front.

Source: General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Facebook, information as of 18:00 on 18 July

Details: On the Sloviansk front, Russia is trying to improve the tactical position of its troops on the Izium – Barvinkove axis. Russian troops used artillery of various calibres to fire on the areas around Chepil, Karnaukhivka, Virnopillia, Bohorodychne, Dibrovne, Dolyna, Krasnopillia and Adamivka. Russian aircraft conducted airstrikes near Prudianka and Bohorodychne.

The Ukrainian Armed Forces repelled a Russian attempt to advance in the direction of  Brazhivka and Dmytrivka, pushing the Russian troops back and inflicting losses on them.

On the Donetsk front, Russian forces continued to make attempts to conduct assault operations in the areas around the cities of Bakhmut and Siversk.

In addition, Russian occupying forces fired on the areas around Tetianivka, Donetske, Dronivka, Hryhorivka, Starodubivka, Siversk and Mykolaivka using tanks and tubed and rocket artillery. They conducted an airstrike near Verkhnokamianske, and used drones to conduct aerial reconnaissance of the area. 

Russian forces attempted to improve their tactical positions on the Bilohorivka – Hryhorivka, Zolotarivka – Verkhnokamianske, Zolotarivka – Serebrianka and Lysychanskyi Oil Refinery – Verkhnokamianske axes. They weren’t successful and the fighting is continuing in those areas.

On the Bakhmut front, Russian forces shelled the positions of Ukrainian troops near Vyimka, Berestove, Bilohorivka, Pokrovske, Vesela Dolyna, Kurdiumivka, Travneve and Shumy and conducted airstrikes on the areas around Berestove and Pokrovske.

Ukrainian Defence Forces repelled a Russian assault on the Myronivka – Vuhlehirska Power Plant axis.

Russian occupying forces have ramped up hostilities on the Avdiivka front and attempted to improve their tactical positions on the Verkhnotoretske – Kamianka axis, but were unsuccessful, suffered losses and retreated.

The Russian army did not undertake active offensive operations on the Kurakhove and Zaporizhzhia fronts. Russian forces used tubed and rocket artillery to fire on the areas around Tonenke, Nevelske, Novomykhailivka, Vuhledar, Prechystivka, Pavlivka, Novopil, Huliaipole, Yurkivka, Orikhiv and Mali Shcherbaky. The Russians conducted airstrikes near Novodanylivka and Novoandriivka.

On the Sivershchyna front, Russian troops continued to conduct aerial reconnaissance in Chernihiv and Sumy oblasts, in the areas near the Ukrainian-Russian border. In addition, the Russians used mortars to strike the area near Atynske, in Sumy Oblast.

On the Kharkiv front, Russian forces continued to conduct combat operations in an attempt to prevent the Ukrainian troops from advancing towards the state border.

The Russians shelled the positions of Ukrainian troops using tubed and rocket artillery to fire on several districts of the city of Kharkiv and on the towns and villages of Udy, Prudianka, Slatyne, Borshchova, Ruski Tyshky, Pechenihy, Chuhuiv and Lebiazhe. Russian aircraft carried out airstrikes near Prudianka, Rubizhne and Verkhnii Saltiv.

On the Pivdennyi Buh front, Russian forces are concentrating their efforts on holding their previously occupied positions and preventing the Ukrainian Armed Forces from mounting a counteroffensive. The Russians are actively conducting aerial reconnaissance in the area using UAVs.

Russian forces also used artillery to fire on the areas around Kavkaz, Bila Krynytsia, Murakhivka, Kobzartsi, Olenivka, Shevchenkove, Stepova Dolyna, Ukrainka, Blahodatne, Nova Zoria and Tavriiske and conducted airstrikes near Potomkine and Bila Krynytsia.

Two Russian naval high-precision missile carriers are on standby in the waters of the Black Sea, prepared to launch missile strikes on targets in Ukraine.

The General Staff also reported that Russian military personnel are demoralised due to  their rotation dates being constantly postponed. The Russians are also said to be afraid of the active resistance of the local population, which is particularly on the rise in the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia oblasts. All these factors lead to an increase in the rates of refusal to participate in hostilities on the territory of Ukraine among the Russian troops.