Ukraine's army repulses 24 attacks in Kupyansk area, Russians try to encircle Avdiivka – General Staff

This is stated in the morning report of the General Staff for October 18.

“In the region protected by the Tavria group of forces, situated in the Avdiivka area, the enemy continues its attempts to encircle Avdiivka. Ukrainian forces successfully repelled five enemy attacks,” as reported.

In the Kupyansk region, Ukrainian troops thwarted more than 15 Russian attacks near the settlements of Synkivka, Ivanivka, and Kyslivka in the Kharkiv region. Additionally, they defended against nine attacks in the vicinity of Nadiya in the Luhansk region.

Ukrainian defense forces are actively engaged in both defensive and offensive actions, focusing on the eastern and southern regions of the country. In the Melitopol and Bakhmut directions, Ukrainian forces are conducting an offensive. Meanwhile, Russia has launched missiles and airstrikes targeting the civilian population, resulting in casualties and destruction.

The situation at the frontline

Russia carries out airstrikes on populated areas of the Sumy, Luhansk, Donetsk, and Kherson regions. Russia is also shelling about 100 settlements in the Chernihiv, Sumy, Kharkiv, Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson regions with artillery.

• In the area of the northern border with Belarus, the operational situation has not changed. 
• In the northeastern border area, the Russian forces maintain a military presence, conduct active sabotage activities to prevent the deployment of Ukrainian troops to dangerous areas and increase the density of minefields along the state border in the Belgorod region.
• Russia did not conduct any offensive (assault) actions in the Lyman direction.
• In the Bakhmut direction, Ukrainian defenders repulsed Russian attacks near Klishchiivka, Donetsk region. Ukrainian defense forces continue assault operations south of Bakhmut, Donetsk region, consolidating their positions and inflicting losses in manpower and equipment on the Russian enemy.
• In the Marinka and Shakhtarsk directions, Ukraine's military repelled more than 20 Russian attacks in the vicinity of Marinka and Novomykhailivka in the Donetsk region and another 2 attacks south of Zolota Nyva and south of Prechystivka in the Donetsk region.
• In the Zaporizhzhia direction, Ukrainian forces held their positions southwest of Robotyne in the Zaporizhzhia region.
• In the Kherson direction, the Defense Forces are engaged in counter-battery combat, successfully hitting Russian depots and rear areas.

The Ukrainian Defense Forces continue their offensive operation in the Melitopol direction and have partial success in the area west of Robotyne (Zaporizhzhia oblast). Ukrainian soldiers inflicted losses in manpower and equipment on the occupation forces, exhausting the enemy all along the front line. 

Ukrainian army’s strikes against the Russian forces

The military aircraft from the Defense Forces conducted 15 airstrikes on the enemy's forces and equipment, and 3 strikes on their anti-aircraft missiles.

Additionally, the missile units of the Defense Forces eliminated five enemy command centers, an area where enemy soldiers, weapons, and equipment were located, a storage facility holding enemy ammunition, and enemy artillery.

Russian losses 

The total combat losses of the enemy from 24.02.22 to 18.10.23 were approximately:

• personnel – about 290,050 (+620) 
• tanks ‒ 4981 (+2) 
• armored personnel vehicles ‒ 9420 (+15) 
• artillery systems – 6944 (+8) 
• MLRS – 814 (+0) 
• anti-aircraft warfare systems ‒ 547 (+0)
• aircraft – 319 (+1) 
• helicopters – 323 (+6) 
• UAVs operational-tactical level - 5301 (+10)
• cruise missiles ‒ 1534 (+1)
• ships/boats ‒ 20 (+0) 
• submarines - 1 (+0) 
• vehicles and fuel tanks – 9303 (+10) 
• special equipment ‒ 982 (+0)

Air assaults on the Ukrainian territory

In the last 24 hours, there were 69 combat clashes. The enemy launched rockets three times and conducted 35 aerial bombings. They also fired on our positions and civilian areas 39 times using jet systems. Additionally, Russia targeted Ukraine with a Kh-59 missile, S-300 missiles, and six Shahed-136/131 drones. Our anti-aircraft defenses successfully intercepted one Kh-59 missile and six Shaheds. These Russian attacks resulted in civilian casualties, as well as damage to private homes and civilian infrastructure.

• During the night of October 18, the Russian military carried out six missile strikes on Zaporizhzhia. These strikes hit a multi-story building, causing the death of two people, injuring four, and leaving three others missing.