Russia launches 34 air strikes on Ukraine over past day, AFU repel more than 100 enemy attacks

The General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces shared the information in the daily morning report.

Russia carried out 34 air and 1 missile strike, as well as 57 attacks using MLRS during the day

It is reported that the occupying Russian forces conducted 34 air strikes, 11 of them using Shahed-136 UAVs. The military claimed that 10 of these UAVs were destroyed by Ukrainian air defense units, but one hit an industrial infrastructure facility. Fortunately, there were no civilian casualties.

The enemy also launched one missile attack and fired 57 times from multiple rocket launchers, one of them at the village of Veletenske in Kherson region.  The shells damaged 7 private houses and the building of a local kindergarten. There were no casualties.

"The probability of missile strikes across Ukraine remains high," the military emphasized.

AFU repelled more than 100 enemy attacks and hit Russian air defense position

Russia's goal remains an attempt to reach the administrative borders of Donetsk and Luhansk regions.

"For this purpose, the Russian occupiers focused their main efforts on conducting offensive actions in the Lyman, Bakhmut, Avdiivka, Maryinka and Vuhledar directions. Thanks to professional and coordinated actions, our defenders repelled more than 100 enemy attacks in these areas," the General Staff informed.

Thus, over the past day, Ukrainian aviation carried out 6 strikes on the areas of the occupiers' concentration, and missile units and artillery hit 2 areas of the enemy's personnel concentration and 1 position of its air defense deployment.

Russians in the temporarily occupied territories have announced the start of large-scale military exercises with mobilized local residents. And in Crimea, Russia has started constructing fortifications

"The local so-called authorities in the temporarily occupied and seized territories of Luhansk region announced the start of large-scale military exercises involving all conscripted male population of 5 settlements who have passports of "LPR" and Russian Federation. In this way, the occupiers are trying to hide the total mobilization in the above-mentioned settlements.

Between the settlements of Ishun and Voinka on the temporarily occupied territory of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, the enemy has begun constructing fortifications and trenches. Civilians are being forcibly involved in the work on a free-of-charge basis," the military said.

The situation in different areas

The operational situation has not changed significantly in the northern and northeastern Ukrainian borders. The Russian Federation continues to maintain a military presence on the territory of the Belarusian Republic, but without the obvious formation of offensive groups.

At the same time, the enemy continues to equip the territory in the border areas of Bryansk and Kursk regions.

Over the past day, the Russians fired mortar and artillery shells near 14 settlements. Among them are 3 ones in the Sumy region and 11 in the Kharkiv region.

• In the Kupiansk and Lyman directions, the enemy unsuccessfully tried to break through the defense of Ukrainian troops. They shelled the areas of 13 settlements along the combat line, including 7 settlements in Kharkiv region, 5 in Luhansk region, and 1 in Donetsk region.
• In the Bakhmut direction, the Russian Federation did not stop its assault on the city of Bakhmut. At the same time, Ukrainian defenders repelled the enemy's attacks in the areas of Klishchiyivka and Ivanivske.
• Near the contact line, the enemy fired at 11 settlements in the Donetsk region. In total, 11 settlements in the Bakhmut direction suffered from the Russian shelling.
• In the Avdiivka, Maryinka and Vuhledar directions, the enemy carried out unsuccessful offensive actions in the direction of 6 localities in Donetsk region.
• Numerous hostile attacks took place in near 21 settlements. 
• In the Zaporizhzhia and Kherson directions, the Russian occupiers continued to defend themselves. At the same time, they intensively shelled 14 settlements in Zaporizhzhia region, 2 in Donetsk region, 1 in Dnipropetrovs'k region, and 21 in Kherson region.

The total number of settlements that came under Russian fire is almost 40.

• As reported earlier, during the attack on the night of March 18, Russian forces launched a total of 16 Shahed-136/131 attack drones at Ukraine, 11 of which were shot down by Ukrainian air defense.

• On the evening of March 17, the enemy launched barrage munitions in Kyiv region, but Ukrainian air defense responded and destroyed all air targets.

• It was noted that 3 drones were shot down in Dnipropetrovs'k region, but 2 more hit a critical infrastructure facility.

• On the night of March 18, Russian troops attacked Zaporizhzhia with S-300 missiles, damaging a residential complex, but no one was injured.