Defence forces repel over 100 Russian attacks – General Staff report

Ukraine’s Defence forces repelled over 100 Russian attacks on five fronts on 17 March. 

Source: General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Facebook, information as of 06:00 on 18 March

Quote: "The enemy launched 34 airstrikes. Eleven of them – using Shahed-136 combat drones. Ten drones were destroyed by our air defence units; however, unfortunately, one hit an industrial infrastructure target. Luckily, there were no casualties among the civilian population. 

In addition, Russian forces launched a missile attack and carried out 57 attacks using multiple-launch rocket systems. One attack was on Veletenske in Kherson Oblast. Debris damaged seven private houses and the building of a local kindergarten. Here too, fortunately, there were no casualties.

The main goal of the enemy during the past day, as before, remained attempts to enter the administrative borders of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts. For this, occupiers focused their main efforts on conducting offensive operations on the Lyman, Bakhmut, Avdiivka, Marinka, and Shakhtarsk fronts. Thanks to professional and coordinated actions, our defenders repelled more than 100 enemy attacks in the indicated directions."

Details: There are no significant changes on the Volyn, Polissia, Sivershchyna and Slobozhanshchyna fronts.

The Russians are continuing to keep their units in the areas bordering Ukraine, but no signs of the Russians forming offensive groups have been detected. Russian forces continue the engineering equipment of the terrain in the border areas of Bryansk and Kursk oblasts. Over the past 24 hours, occupiers deployed mortars and artillery to attack the areas of 14 settlements. Among them are Starykove, Volfyne, and Solianyky in Sumy Oblast, and also Strilecha, Hlyboke, Starytsia, Vovchansk, Kolodiazne, Krasne Pershe, Kutkivka, Dvorichna, Zapadne, Ternova, and Tykhe in Kharkiv Oblast. 

On the Kupiansk and Lyman fronts, Russian forces unsuccessfully tried to break through the defence of Ukraine’s Armed Forces. Occupiers attacked areas of 14 settlements near the contact line, in particular, Vesele, Hrianykivka, Vilshana, Krokhmakne, Berestove, Dibrova and Andriivka in Kharkiv Oblast; Novoyehorivka, Nevske, Bilohorivka, Novoselivske and Chervonopopivka in Luhansk Oblast, and also Novoselivka in Donetsk Oblast. 

On the Bakhmut front, Russian forces kept trying to storm Bakhmut. At the same time, Ukraine’s defenders repelled the occupiers' attack near Klishchiivka and Ivanivske. Russians also shelled settlements near the contact line, among them are Minkivka, Orikhovo-Vasylivka, Zaliznianske, Vasiukivka, Bakhmut, Hryhorivka, Ivanivske, Ozarianivka, Oleksandro-Shultyne, Predtechyne and Chasiv Yar in Donetsk Oblast. In total, 11 settlements on the Bakhmut front were affected by occupiers’ shelling. 

On the Avdiivka, Marinka, and Shakhtarsk fronts, Russian forces conducted unsuccessful offensive operations near Kamianka, Nevelske, Avdiivka, Marinka, Sieverne, and Pervomaiske in Donetsk Oblast. The areas of 21 settlements came under Russian fire. Among them are Kamianka, Avdiivka, Vodiane, Kracnohorivka, Heorhiivka, Maksymilianivka, Marinka, Vuhledar, Velyka Novosilka, Zolota Nyva, Paraskoviivka, Tonenke, Sieverne, Pervomaiske, Nevelske, Pobeda, Novomykhailivka, Novoukrainka, Prychystivka, Neskuchne, and Shakhtarske in Donetsk Oblast.

On the Zaporizhzhia and Kherson fronts, Russian forces continue to be in defensive positions. Occupiers attacked Malynivka, Huliaipole, Zalizhnychne, Bilohiria, Mala Tokmachka, Novoandriivka, Mali Shcherbaky, Kamianske, Olhivske, Chervone, Charivne, Orikhiv, Novodanylivka, and Stepove in Zaporizhzhia Oblast; Vremivka, and Novopil in Donetsk Oblast; Dobra Nadiia in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, and also Dydchany, Kachkarivka, Vesele, Kozatske, Ivanivka, Mykilske, Dniprovske, Berehove, Veletenske, Kizomys, Mykhailivka, Respublikanets, Novoberyslav, Kherson, Novosilka, Shylova Balka, Odradokanianka, Mykolaivka, Tiahynka,  Sadove and Rozlyv in Kherson Oblast. In total, Russians attacked over 40 settlements. 

Over the course of the past 24 hours, Ukraine’s Air Force launched six strikes on Russian clusters of personnel, and Rocket and Artillery Forces units hit two areas of concentration of Russian personnel and one position of deployment of its air defence systems.

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