Russian occupying forces conduct offensives in five directions - General Staff

The Ukrainian Armed Forces' General Staff reported this on Facebook.

Over the past day, Russia launched 10 missile and 29 air strikes against Ukraine, and attacked 69 times with MLRS

On February 17, the Russian occupiers launched 10 missile and 29 air strikes against Ukraine

The Russian forces focused mainly on conducting offensive operations in the Kupiansk, Lyman, Bakhmut, Avdiivka and Shakhtarsk directions.

"The Russian Federation continues to wage its full-scale armed aggression against Ukraine. The enemy does not stop destroying the critical infrastructure of Ukraine, continues to launch strikes and artillery attacks on civilian infrastructure and residences. The threat of further Russian air and missile strikes across Ukraine remains very high," the press service stated.

The Ukrainian Armed Forces repelled enemy attacks near 20 settlements and shot down 6 Russian UAVs

During the day on February 17, Ukrainian defenders repelled the Russian attacks near 2 settlements in Kharkiv region, 3 in Luhansk region and 15 in Donetsk region.

At the same time, the Defense Forces aviation conducted 5 strikes on the areas of Russian forces’ concentration, as well as one on the position of the anti-aircraft missile system.

In particular, the defenders shot down 6 enemy UAVs, including 5 Lancet and 1 Zala.

The missile troops and artillery hit 3 areas of enemy manpower concentration and the position of the S-300 anti-aircraft missile system.

The situation in different direction is as follows:

Experts found no signs of offensive groups forming in the northern and northeastern Ukrainian borders with Russia and Belarus.

At the same time, the Russian invaders shelled the areas of 21 settlements in Chernihiv, Sumy and Kharkiv regions.

In the Kupiansk and Lyman directions, at least 15 localities in Kharkiv, Luhansk and Donetsk regions came under Russian fire.

In the Bakhmut direction, more than 20 settlements came under attack, particularly in the Donetsk region.

In the Avdiivka and Shakhtarsk directions, artillery attacks were registered in more than 20 settlements. 

In the Zaporizhzhia direction, the areas of 25 settlements were under hostile fire.

In the Kherson direction, Russian artillery attacked the city of Kherson and the areas around more than 25 settlements.

• According to the White House, the total losses of Wagner's PMC in Ukraine amount to more than 30,000, including 9,000 killed and almost half of them killed in action since mid-December, almost 90% of them are convicts.