Ukrainian Defence Forces repel Russian attacks near 9 settlements and shot down enemy aircraft — General Staff

This was reported by the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Facebook.

According to the General Staff's report, during the day on January 17, Russian forces launched 6 missile attacks “3 of them targeting civilian facilities in Kupiansk and Kramatorsk, as well as 14 air strikes”. The Russian forces also launched 95 MLRS attacks. The threat of air and missile strikes by the Russian Federation on civilian targets across Ukraine remains high.

Russian troops attack at Bakhmut and Avdiivka directions

“The enemy focuses its main efforts on offensive operations on the Bakhmut axis. Occupant forces’ offensive on the Avdiivka axis is unsuccessful,” the message reads. 

Thus, the Ukrainian Defence Forces repelled the Russian forces’ attacks in the vicinities of settlements of Bilohorivka, Luhansk region, Sil, Krasna Hora, Bakhmut, Klishchiivka, Vodyane, Nevelske, Marinka, and Pobieda, Donetsk region.

Current situation in the north and north-east of Ukraine

Near the state Ukrainian border with Belarus and Russia, there are no offensive groups of the adversary. Belarus continues to support Russian armed aggression. Joint exercises of the aircraft component of the regional grouping of the Russian and Belarusian armed forces continue at the airfields of Belarus.

At the same time, the Ukrainian Defense Forces are preventing provocative actions or sabotage by the adversary, air defense is being reinforced.

During the day of January 17, the Russian Forces continued shelling the entire line of contact with artillery and mortars: one settlement in Chernihiv region, 4 in Sumy region and 16 in Kharkiv region were shelled.

Shelling of Ukrainian regions

Kupiansk direction: the vicinities of 5 settlements in Kharkiv region and three settlements in Luhansk region were under fire.

Lyman direction: the Russian soldiers fired with all available ground firepower at the areas of 6 settlements in Luhansk region and 2 in Donetsk region.

Bakhmut direction: 15 settlements of Donetsk region were hit by enemy artillery.

Avdiivka direction: 7 settlements of Donetsk region came under enemy fire.

Novopavlivka direction: the adversary fired artillery and mortars at 4 settlements of the Donetsk region.

Zaporizhzhia direction: more than 10 settlements were damaged by artillery fire, in particular 2 of Donetsk region and 5 of Zaporizhzhia region.

Kherson direction: the occupant forces continue terrorizing civilians. In particular, Antonivka and Kherson came under mortar and artillery shelling and civilians suffered.

Russia lacks collaborators

According to the information, due to the small number of collaborators, the Russian invaders are forced to bring clerks from the Russian Federation to perform the administrative functions of the occupation regime in the temporarily occupied territories. In addition, there is a shortage of workers in various fields, because local residents are unwilling to cooperate with the occupant forces. Therefore, Russians attempt to bring workers from Russia and the temporarily occupied Crimea.

Ukrainians destroyed Russian Su-25 aircraft

The Ukrainian Air Force launched 12 air strikes on the concentrations of the enemy, as well as 4 air strikes on the positions of its anti-aircraft missile systems. In addition, anti-aircraft gunners destroyed 1 Su-25 aircraft of the occupants in the vicinity of Soledar.

“Units of the missile troops and artillery of the Ukrainian Defense Forces hit 2 command posts, as well as 5 concentrations of the invaders, 1 ammunition depot, 1 electronic warfare station, and 1 radio-location station,” the report states.