Russia-Ukraine war: Frontline update as of December 16
Illustrative photo: the situation at the front today, December 16 (GettyImages)
Ukrainian military successfully repelled 13 enemy attacks on the Maryinka direction and are consolidating their positions on the Bakhmut direction. Missile forces targeted four areas where enemy personnel were concentrated, as reported by the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
Russian shelling
Over the past day, there have been 96 combat engagements. In total, the enemy carried out 2 missile strikes and 23 aerial attacks, launching 40 artillery shelling rounds from reactive salvo systems on the positions of our forces and civilian settlements.
Unfortunately, due to Russian terrorist attacks, there are casualties and injuries among the civilian population. Private residences and other civilian infrastructure have suffered destruction and damage.
The following locations experienced aerial strikes:
- Krasnyi Khutir, Hremiach in the Chernihiv region;
- Volfyne in the Sumy region;
- Maryinka, Maksymilianivka, Pobeda, Novomykhailivka in the Donetsk region.
More than 130 settlements in Chernihiv, Sumy, Kharkiv, Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, and Mykolaiv regions came under artillery fire.
The situation at the frontlines
The operational situation remains unchanged in the Volyn and Polissya directions.
In the Siversk and Slobozhanske directions the Russians maintain a military presence in the border areas, conduct active sabotage activities to prevent the deployment of our troops to threatened areas and increase the density of minefields along the state border in the Belgorod region.
In the Kupiansk direction, Ukrainian defenders repelled 9 enemy attacks in the areas of Synkivka in the Kharkiv region.
In the Lyman direction, Ukrainian Defense Forces repelled 5 enemy attacks to the east from Terniv, Yampolivka in the Luhansk region.
In the Bakhmut direction, our troops repelled 18 enemy attacks in the areas of Bohdanivka, Ivanivske, Klishchiivka, and Andriivka in the Donetsk region.
The Ukrainian defense forces continue to inflict losses in manpower and equipment on the enemy and are consolidating their positions.
In the Avdiivka direction, Ukrainian defenders continue to hold back the enemy, who is making attempts to encircle Avdiivka. Our soldiers are steadfastly holding the line, inflicting significant losses on the enemy.
Ukrainian defense forces successfully repelled 20 enemy attacks in the areas east of Novobakhmutivka, Avdiivka, and 14 attacks in the areas east of Stepove, south of Severne and Pervomaiske in the Donetsk region.
In the Maryinka direction, Ukrainian defense forces continue to hold back the enemy near Novomykhailivka in the Donetsk region, where our defenders repelled 13 attacks.
In the Shakhtarsk direction, our defenders repelled two enemy attacks in the area of Staromaiorske of the Donetsk region.
In the Zaporizhzhia direction, Defense Forces repelled 8 enemy attacks west of Novopokrovka and south of Robotyne in the Zaporizhzhia region.
The offensive of the Armed Forces
In the Melitopol direction, the Defense Forces of Ukraine continue to actively inflict losses in manpower and equipment on the occupying troops, exhausting the enemy along the entire front line.
In the Kherson direction, Ukrainian defenders continue to hold their positions on the left bank of the Dnipro River, conduct a counter-battery fight, and inflict fire damage on the enemy's rear.
Russia's losses
During the day, the Defense Forces' aviation conducted strikes on seven areas concentrating enemy personnel, weaponry, and military equipment. Also, last day, 1 Kh-59 guided missile was destroyed by air defense.
Units of missile troops hit 4 areas of concentration of personnel, weapons and military equipment and 2 warehouses of enemy ammunition.
