Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense on most intense frontline direction: "Сonfrontation was very tough"

Deputy Minister of Defense Hanna Maliar reported this during the telethon.

She said that in the past week, the situation at the front was "very tough and tense" in both the east and the south. The enemy focused on attacking in the east, making it the main area of fighting throughout the week.

“The Kupyansk direction saw the most intense fighting. The enemy aimed to recapture positions lost in the previous fall and had a plan for it. This direction was the most active, and they tried hard to break through our defenses. However, they were unsuccessful, and we put up a strong resistance against their attacks,” Maliar said. 

Russians increased intensity of shelling in the east, trying to recapture Staromayorske and the lost positions near Bakhmut

“The enemy in the east has been increasing their shelling significantly. Last week, they fired around 8,000 shells, and this week it went up by almost a thousand, reaching over 9,000 attacks,” she said. 

The Russians used about 4,000 rounds of ammunition last week, and this week, the number increased by almost a hundred. This continuous artillery bombardment puts a lot of strain on our fighters.

In the past week alone, the enemy used almost half a million rounds of ammunition in the east.

In the Serebryansk Forestry area, there were battles and constant assaults in the Lyman direction. On the southern flank of the Bakhmut direction, our Defense Forces continued their offensive actions, but the northern flank faced fierce battles as the enemy tried to retake lost positions. This made our offensive actions very challenging, but the situation is currently "difficult, but under control," according to Maliar.

“As for the Marinka and Avdiivka directions, the situation has not changed since last year. The enemy is eager to surround Avdiivka but hesitates to engage in street battles with our soldiers and risk losing. They can't advance there either. The same applies to Marinka, where the enemy is attempting to take control, but they have not succeeded. We previously liberated Staromayorske in those regions, and the enemy tried to regain those lost positions during the past week,” she said. 

Russians are trying to slow down Ukrainian offensive in the south 

“Last week, the situation in the south was very challenging. Our Armed Forces in Melitopol and Berdyansk faced constant mining on the main attack lines,” she said.

The enemy keeps changing positions in three layers and moving in various directions. They are also reinforcing and fortifying crucial high positions.

“As a result, our troops are dealing with these difficulties and obstacles, which is causing a slowdown in their progress. Nevertheless, they are successfully carrying out many tasks in the area,” Maliar added. 

One of the main objectives for Ukrainian fighters is to weaken the enemy, preventing them from advancing. This strategy significantly reduces the enemy's defensive and offensive capabilities.

Defense forces destroyed more than 340 units of Russian military equipment in a week

"Over 340 military vehicles like tanks, mortars, howitzers, and rocket launchers were destroyed. More than 70 spots where enemy fighters were gathering were also wiped out. The Defense Forces likely took down around 10 control points, but we're still confirming that information. Additionally, we destroyed 15 anti-aircraft missile systems, over 60 artillery installations, and about 10 ammunition warehouses," Maliar stated.

Last week, Ukrainian forces captured approximately 30 Russian soldiers in the eastern and southern regions.

The deputy defense minister said the Armed Forces destroyed the Solntsepyok flamethrower system. Last week, 68 out of 87 Shahed type drones launched in Ukraine were destroyed. Also, 17 out of 20 Kalibr cruise missiles were destroyed, and 34 Lancet drones were eliminated.

• According to the General Staff of the Armed Forces, on August 6, Russia lost 540 soldiers, 18 cruise missiles, and 28 drones in Ukraine. There were 50 skirmishes at the front.