Heavy fighting for Bakhmut continues – Ukraine’s General Staff

This was reported by the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on May 20.

The Russian forces continue to concentrate their main forces in the Kupyansk, Lyman, Bakhmut, Avdiivka and Marinka directions. Over the last day, 39 combat engagements took place in these areas. The fiercest fighting is taking place in the Bakhmut and Marinka sectors.

Ukrainian military strikes at Russian forces

Over the last day, Ukrainian aviation carried out 8 strikes on the areas of concentration of enemy personnel and military equipment.

The missile and artillery units of the Defense Forces targeted 4 weapons and armaments clusters, one ammunition depot, 4 artillery units at firing positions, one air defence facility and another key enemy object.

Russian attacks in Ukrainian regions:

During this day, the enemy carried out 3 missile and 56 air strikes, fired more than 40 times from multiple launch rocket systems. 

In particular, the shelling resulted in the destruction of civilian infrastructure. Civilians were killed and wounded, private houses and other civilian infrastructure were destroyed. 

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

On the northern border with Belarus, the operational situation remained unchanged, with no signs of offensive enemy groups forming.

Russia continues shelling Ukrainian border areas. The Russian enemy launched an air strike near Nesterne in Kharkiv region, and fired mortar and artillery shells at 1 settlement in Chernihiv region, 5 settlements in Sumy region, as well as 13 settlements in Kharkiv region.

In the Kupyansk direction, the enemy did not conduct any offensive actions over the day. Russia carried out air strikes in 2 areas in the Kharkiv region. 

10 settlements in the Kharkiv region and Stelmakhivka in the Luhansk region came under hostile artillery and mortar fire.

In the Lyman direction, the Russian forces did not launch any offensive actions over the last day. They carried out airstrikes near 2 settlements. 3 settlements in the Luhansk region and 3 settlements in Donetsk region came under artillery fire.

The enemy is on the offensive in the Bakhmut direction. Heavy fighting for the city of Bakhmut continues. In addition, the Russian army launched an unsuccessful offensive in the direction of Bila Hora during the day.

Missile attacks were carried out in the areas of Sloviansk and Druzhykyvka, and air strikes were carried out in another 6 areas. In the Donetsk region, 10 ​​settlements were hit by enemy shelling.

In the Avdiivka direction, the Russian forces launched offensive actions in 3 settlements, but were unsuccessful.

During the day, the enemy launched an air strike near Avdiivka. Russian forces fired artillery near 8 settlements in the Donetsk region.

In the Marinka direction, Ukrainian defence forces repelled numerous enemy attacks near the town of Marinka. The Russian forces launched an air strike near Krasnohorivka. 4 settlements in the Donetsk region came under enemy fire.

In the Shakhtarsk direction the enemy had unsuccessful offensives in the area of Novomykhailivka over the past day. At the same time, they launched air strikes near 2 settlements, 6 more settlements came under fire.

In the Zaporizhzhia and Kherson directions Russian forces are on the defensive. Russia launched air strikes on Poltavka in Zaporizhzhia region and Beryslav, Kyndyika in Kherson region. 

At the same time, more than 30 localities were shelled during the day. 

In addition, the Russian occupiers turned the top floor of the Lutuhyne district hospital, in Luhansk region, into a military hospital, leaving the children's department on the ground floor as a cover. Currently, about 100 Russian soldiers with various serious injuries are being treated in this medical facility. This number is at the peak of the military hospital's capacity to provide medical services. At the same time, the staff of the military hospital does not provide medical care to civilians.

• Leader of the Russian Wagner PMC, Yevgeny Prigozhin, released a video with a statement about the alleged complete occupation of the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut by Russians.

• In response, Deputy Defense Minister of Ukraine Hanna Maliar said that there were heavy battles in Bakhmut and the situation was critical. At the same time, Ukrainian troops are holding the defense in the area of "airplane"