This was stated at the Media Center by Colonel Mykola Urshalovych, the Ukrainian National Guard’s Deputy Director of the Deployment Planning Department of the Main Directorate.
"In the Melitopol direction, units of the 15th Kara-Dah Operational Brigade of the National Guard with the forces and means attached to it, in cooperation with units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, continue to conduct offensive actions," the statement said.
Urshalovych said that over the past week, the brigade's assault groups, supported by tanks, had advanced more than 1,700 metres to the south and southeast.
"Our units are advancing in the face of dense mining by the enemy of the approaches to their positions and heavy firepower, which includes 213 MLRS attacks, tanks, artillery and 6 air strikes over the past week. The enemy, in its turn, counter-attacked and tried to regain the lost ground, but was unsuccessful," he added.
As of Thursday evening, 13 July, Russian troops were attacked in the Kupyansk, Lyman, Avdiivka and Marinka direction.
Ukraine's Deputy Minister of Defence Hanna Maliar said that Ukrainian defenders were successfully holding back Russian forces. On the southern flank of the Bakhmut direction, there is an advance with fighting and strong resistance from Russian troops. On the northern flank, Russian forces attacked, trying to regain lost ground, but to no avail.
An offensive operation by the Ukrainian Armed Forces continues in the Melitopol and Berdiansk directions.
On the morning of 14 July, the Ukrainian General Staff reported that about 30 clashes took place at the front in a day. Russian troops attack in the Kupyansk, Lyman, Bakhmut, Avdiivka and Marinka directions, heavy fighting continues.
Over the past day, the aviation of the Ukrainian Defence Forces carried out 8 strikes on concentrations of Russian personnel and 2 on anti-aircraft missile systems.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian missile and artillery units hit a concentration of Russian manpower, weapons and military equipment, 2 ammunition depots, 10 artillery pieces at firing positions, 3 air defence facilities, a counter-battery radar station, an electronic warfare station and another important target.
In addition, the Ukrainian Armed Forces eliminated 550 Russian soldiers and destroyed 9 armoured vehicles, 2 cruise missiles and 31 Russian drones.