Russia maintains offensive and replenishes losses, trying to completely seize Donetsk region - AFU General Staff

This was reported in the morning report on January 3 by the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

Russia, trying to take full control of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, focuses its efforts on conducting offensive actions in the Bakhmut direction. It is making attempts to improve the tactical situation at the Lyman and Avdiivka directions, reinforcing the grouping at the Vuhledar direction due to units redeployed from the Kherson direction.

Over the day, Russia launched 6 missile and 52 air strikes on Ukraine, particularly on civilian infrastructure

To pressure the leadership and population of Ukraine, Russian forces conduct air and missile strikes, as well as artillery shelling of critical infrastructure and the civilian population on the Ukrainian territory, It violates the norms of laws, international humanitarian law and customs of war.

On January 2, Russian forces launched 6 missile and 52 air strikes, making 77 attacks from multiple missile launchers. 6 missiles and 30 air strikes were aimed at civilian infrastructure. 

Moreover, all 27 Russian Shahed-136 drones were shot down by the Ukrainian Defense Forces.

The threat of Russian air and missile strikes on critical infrastructure remains on the entire territory of Ukraine.

Russia lost about 500 soldiers wounded and killed in the Kherson region

Russia continues to suffer losses. On December 31, 2022, the units of the Ukrainian Defence Forces fired at the Russian manpower and military equipment near Chulakivka village, Kherson region. Russia's losses amounted to about 500 servicemen injured and killed.

On January 1, 2023, units of the Ukrainian Defense Forces fired on the Russian army personnel near the settlement of Fedorivka, Kherson region. The number of Russian losses is being specified.

Ukrainian Armed Forces shot down a Russian helicopter and struck 14 Russian concentration areas

Over the past day, on January 2, the aviation of the Ukrainian Defense Forces conducted 13 strikes on the areas of concentration of Russian personnel, weapons and military equipment, as well as 5 strikes on the positions of anti-aircraft missile systems.

Also, our defenders shot down a Russian Ka-52 helicopter and 3 reconnaissance Orlan-10 UAVs.

Units of missile troops and artillery fired at the Russian manpower concentration, military equipment and radar station.

Over the past day, units of the Defense Forces repelled the attacks of the occupiers in four settlements of the Luhansk region and ten of the Donetsk region.

Russian troops remain present in the border areas and shell Ukrainian settlements with various types of weapons

In the northern Ukrainian border with Russia and the border with Belarus, no signs of Russian offensive group formation were detected.

In other areas, Russia is defending the previously occupied borders, focusing its efforts on deterring the actions of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, while shelling the positions of our troops and civilian objects along the entire contact line.

Artillery and mortar attacks were in two settlements of the Chernihiv region; four of the Sumy region and six of the Kharkiv region.

In the Kupyansk direction, Russia fired from the whole range of artillery near thirteen settlements in the Kharkiv region and three in the Luhansk region.

In the Lyman direction, the Russian army fired from tanks, mortars and cannon artillery in the five settlements of the Luhansk region and one of the Donetsk region.

In the Bakhmut direction, Russia fired from tanks, mortars, a cannon and missile artillery near sixteen settlements in the Donetsk region.

In the Avdiivka direction, Russia fired from tanks and artillery of various types in seven settlements of the Donetsk region.

In the Vuhledar direction, Russia fired from tanks, mortars, a cannon and missile artillery in four settlements of the Donetsk region.

In the Zaporizhzhia direction, Russia fired from tanks and the entire range of artillery in one settlement of the Donetsk region, fourteen of the Zaporizhzhia region and two of the Dnipropetrovsk region.

In the Kherson direction, Russian forces shell the settlements along the right bank of the Dnipro river. In particular, artillery shelling damaged the civilian infrastructure of six settlements in Kherson region. There are civilian casualties.