New group of Iranian UAV instructors arrives in occupied Luhansk - AFU General Staff

The General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces of Ukraine reported the information in a morning report on February 17.

Another team of instructors from Iran has recently arrived in the temporarily occupied Luhansk to train the Russian military in the use of strike unmanned aerial vehicles.

Russia is luring guest workers into the ranks of its occupying forces

In order to replenish losses in manpower, Russia is luring various categories of society, including guest workers, into the ranks of the Russian occupying forces in various ways. 

Recently, Ukrainian defenders holding the line in Volnovakha district, Donetsk region, captured one of the migrant workers.

In the captured Melitopol, Russia has installed an additional mobile communication tower and can intercept phone conversations

A Russian-installed additional mobile communication tower has been detected in the temporarily occupied Melitopol, Zaporizhzhia region. 

It allows Russian special services to listen to phone conversations of GSM customers.

Ukrainian Armed Forces strike over 10 times Russian personnel concentrations and repel attacks in 16 towns and villages

Over the past day, February 16, the aviation of the Ukrainian Defense Forces launched 13 strikes on concentrations of Russian personnel and military equipment, as well as an anti-aircraft missile system.

Missile and artillery units simultaneously hit 4 areas of Russian manpower concentration, an artillery unit at a firing position, 2 positions of anti-aircraft missile systems, an ammunition depot, and 2 other important targets.

The Ukrainian Defense Forces also repelled attacks by the Russian troops near 2 settlements in the Kherson region, 4 in the Luhansk region and 10 more in the Donetsk region.

Russian troops have launched 41 missile and 24 air strikes against Ukraine over the last day

On February 16,Russian forces launched 41 missiles of various types at Ukraine. Five of them were converted S-300 missiles launched at Kharkiv. Sixteen missiles were shot down by Ukrainian defenders. 

In addition, Russian troops launched 24 air strikes and more than 50 MLRS attacks. There are injured and dead among the civilian population.

The threat of strikes by Russia remains high throughout Ukraine.

Kupiansk, Lyman, Bakhmut, Avdiivka and Shakhtarsk: where the Russian army is focused

Russia is focusing its main efforts on the offensive in the Kupiansk, Lyman, Bakhmut, Avdiivka and Shakhtarsk directions.

Russian forces continue to hold certain units in the areas bordering Ukraine, but no offensive groups have been detected. 

Training of Russian troops continues at the training grounds of Belarus. 

The Russian army does not stop mortar and artillery attacks on the positions of Ukrainian units, as well as on settlements along the state border of Ukraine. Over the past day, 3 settlements in the Sumy region and 5 in the Kharkiv region came under Russian fire.

In Kupiansk and Lyman directions, Russian troops shelled 4 settlements in the Kharkiv region, 3 in the Luhansk region and another one in the Donetsk region.

In the Bakhmut direction, 15 settlements of the Donetsk region suffered Russian shelling.

In Avdiivka and Shakhtarsk directions, Russian troops launched artillery at 16 settlements in the Donetsk region.

In the Zaporizhzhia direction, 2 settlements in the Donetsk region and 9 in the Zaporizhzhia were shelled.

In the Kherson direction, 3 settlements of the Kherson region and Kherson city were hit by Russian artillery fire. Civilians were injured.

• Earlier, the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces reported that in the temporarily occupied Mariupol, Russia mobilizes alcohol and drug addicts, as well as homeless people, and in the Kherson region they force local residents to re-register their property under Russian legislation.