Russia uses civilians as human shields in Tokmak – General Staff

This is stated in the nightly report of the General Staff on October 18.

"The occupying Russian forces continue to cynically violate the norms of international humanitarian law, forcibly living with civilians in their homes in order to use them as human shields. Thus, in the town of Tokmak, Zaporizhzhia region, servicemen of the Russian occupation forces are being massively resettled in multi-storey buildings where local residents live," the statement said.

The Armed Forces of Ukraine conducted 15 air strikes on areas where Russian troops were deployed, and 3 on their air defense systems

“Ukrainian defenders also targeted a Russian Su-25 aircraft and 4 reconnaissance UAVs of operational and tactical level.

In turn, the missile troops hit 2 control points, a Tor anti-aircraft missile system, a Zoopark-1M radar station and 11 enemy artillery pieces.

During the day, Russia launched 11 missile and 46 air strikes on the territory of Ukraine

Russian army also fired more than 30 times from multiple launch rocket systems at the positions of Ukrainian troops and populated areas.

At the beginning of the day, the Russian forces launched another series of missile attacks on civilian objects in Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia and Obukhivka, Dnipropetrovsk region. Unfortunately, Russian terrorist attacks have resulted in deaths and injuries among the civilians. 

A five-story residential building, a church, more than 20 private houses and other civilian infrastructure were destroyed and damaged.

There were 64 combat engagements in the main frontline areas over the last day

The operational situation in eastern and southern Ukraine remains difficult.

In the area of the northern Ukrainian border with Belarus, the operational situation has not changed. 

The situation in other Ukrainian regions is as follows: 

In the northeastern border area, Russian forces maintain a grouping of troops, shell Ukrainian settlements from the Russian territory, and increase the density of minefields along the state border of Ukraine. About 10 settlements came under Russian artillery and mortar fire across Chernihiv, Sumy and Kharkiv regions.

In the Kupyansk direction, 5 settlements of the Kharkiv region came under artillery shelling. 

In the Lyman direction, over 15 settlements in the Luhansk and Donetsk regions came under Russian fire.

In the Bakhmut direction, over 20 localities in the Donetsk region were attacked by the invading Russian forces. 

In the Avdiivka direction, more than 10 settlements in the Donetsk region were attacked.

In the Marinka direction, over 15 settlements in the Donetsk region came under shelling.

In the Shakhtarsk direction, over 20 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. 

At the same time, the Ukrainian defense forces continue an offensive operation in the Melitopol sector and offensive (assault) operations in the Bakhmut sector, inflicting losses in manpower and equipment on the occupation forces, and exhausting the enemy along the entire front line.

• On the night of October 18, the Russian army launched 6 missile attacks on the city of Zaporizhzhia. The occupying Russian forces hit a multistory building, killing 5 people and wounding 5.