Russian troops force Ukrainians to give children for 'patriotic education' in Luhansk region - General Staff

The Ukrainian Armed Forces' General Staff reported this on the evening of February 1.

Children are forced to join the so-called Cossack cadet corps in Starobilsk, Luhansk region.

It is also noted that the town hospital of Dniprorudne, Zaporizhzhia region, is used by the occupying Russian forces as a military hospital, with medicines and surgeons brought from Russia.

Ukrainian Armed Forces struck 3 Russian military positions and command center overnight

“Over the past day, units of missile troops and artillery hit 3 Russian military positions and the occupiers' control center,” the report said.

The enemy launched 24 MLRS attacks during the day

The Russian troops also launched two missile strikes on the civilian infrastructure of Sloviansk and Kramatorsk, and two airstrikes. 

The enemy is actively conducting reconnaissance and preparing for an offensive in certain areas. Despite heavy losses, the Russians continue to attempt offensives in the Lyman, Bakhmut, Avdiivka and Vuhledar directions.

Near the state Ukrainian border with Russia and Belarus, the situation hasn't changed significantly. 

At the same time, the Russian Federation continued shelling the entire line of contact with artillery and mortars: 2 settlements in the Chernihiv region, 4 more in the Sumy region, as well as 6 cities and villages in the Kharkiv region were attacked. 

Shelling of Ukrainian regions

• In the Kupiansk direction, the areas of 9 settlements were hit. 

• In the Lyman direction, the enemy shelled 4 settlements. 

• In the Bakhmut direction, 9 settlements of the Donetsk region came under tank and artillery fire. 

• In the Avdiivka direction, 7 settlements of the Donetsk region came under fire.

• In the Vuhledar direction, 6 settlements of the Donetsk region came under artillery fire.

• In the Zaporizhzhia direction, more than 20 cities and villages came under fire. 

• In the Kherson direction, the city of Kherson came under artillery fire.

On February 1, the occupying Russian forces once again shelled the border areas of the Sumy and Chernihiv regions, injuring a civilian.