Amid successful Ukrainian counteroffensive, number of refusals to fight increases in Russian army – General Staff 

The Ukrainian Armed Forces' General Staff reported this in a regular update on July 7. 

Last night, invading Russian forces attacked the territory of Ukraine with Iranian Shahed drones. The Ukrainian Air Force destroyed 12 of the 18 UAVs.

In addition, Russia launched a missile attack on the territory of one of Zaporizhzhia's infrastructure facilities. The Russian army also launched 42 airstrikes and about 30 attacks with multiple launch rocket systems at the Ukrainian troops' positions and populated areas. Unfortunately, civilian infrastructure was destroyed and civilians were injured.

The threat of missile and air strikes across Ukraine remains high.

Russian troops are attacking in five areas, heavy fighting continues

Occupying Russian forces are attacking in the Kupiansk, Lyman, Bakhmut, Avdiivka and Marinka directions, and heavy fighting continues. About 20 combat engagements took place over the last day.

Near the state Ukrainian border with Russia and Belarus, the situation hasn't changed significantly, and no enemy offensive groups have been detected. 

At the same time, the Russian Federation continued shelling the entire border line with mortars and artillery: over 15 settlements in the Sumy, Chernihiv, and Kharkiv regions were attacked. 

Russian army’s attacks in other Ukrainian regions

In the Kupiansk direction, 7 settlements of the Kharkiv region came under artillery shelling. 

In the Lyman direction, over 10 settlements in the Luhansk and Donetsk regions came under Russian fire. 

In the Bakhmut direction, over 15 localities in the Donetsk region were attacked by the invading Russian forces. 

In the Avdiivka direction, over 15 settlements of the Donetsk region came under shelling. 

In the Marinka direction, Ukrainian defenders repelled all the Russian troops' attacks, however, 4 settlements of the Donetsk region came under shelling. 

In the Shakhtarsk direction, over 15 localities in the Donetsk region were shelled. 

In the Zaporizhzhia and Kherson directions, over 20 towns and villages were subjected to numerous attacks by the occupying Russian army. 

Amid successful combat operations of the Ukrainian Defense Forces and due to significant enemy losses in manpower, the number of refusals to fight has increased in the units of the Russian forces. For example, near the village of Rozivka, Zaporizhzhia region, about 20 Russian soldiers refused to perform combat missions on the front lines. After that, they were taken into custody and moved to the building of the Rozivka District Court.

Ukrainian aviation and artillery attacked the Russian military positions

Over the last day, the Defense Forces' aviation launched 6 strikes on the invading Russian troops' military positions, 2 on anti-aircraft missile systems and 1 on the enemy control center. Also, Ukrainian defenders destroyed 2 reconnaissance UAVs of operational and tactical level.

Over the day, missile and artillery units struck a control center, 7 artillery pieces at firing positions and an electronic warfare station.