Ukrainian forces destroy 4 Russian control points, fighting for Bakhmut continues, AFU General Staff reports 

The General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces shared the information in a morning report on May 23.

Russian troops are attacking in Kupyansk, Lyman, Bakhmut, Avdiivka and Marinka directions - more than 30 combat engagements took place, the General Staff notes. 

Bakhmut and Marinka are "the epicenter of the fighting".

Ukrainian Armed Forces destroy a Russian Mi-24 helicopter, hit 4 control points and 4 ammunition depots

On May 22, the aviation of the Ukrainian Defense Forces launched 8 strikes on concentrations of Russian personnel and military equipment, as well as 2 on anti-aircraft missile systems.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian missile and artillery units struck 4 control points, 3 concentrations of weapons and military equipment, 4 ammunition depots, 11 artillery pieces, a radar station and 3 electronic warfare stations.

In addition, Ukraine's defenders destroyed 4 Kh-101/Kh-555 air-launched cruise missiles, a Russian Mi-24 attack helicopter, 23 Shahed attack drones and 9 reconnaissance UAVs over the past day.

Russia launches 48 air and 20 missile strikes on Ukraine 

Russia wages a war of aggression, continuing to strike and shell not only military but also civilian targets.

In total, it launched 20 missile attacks over the past day. It launched air-launched cruise missiles, Iskander-M ballistic missiles and S-300 anti-aircraft guided missiles on the cities of Dnipro, Zaporizhzhia and Kharkiv regions. 

In addition, it carried out 48 air strikes using Iranian Shahed strike UAVs.

Russia also fired about 90 MLRS attacks at Ukrainian troop positions and populated areas. There were victims among the civilian population, and residential apartment buildings, private houses, a kindergarten and other civilian infrastructure were damaged.

The threat of further missile and air strikes across Ukraine remains very high.

Situation by direction

On the northern border with Belarus, the situation remained unchanged.

On the northeastern border with Russia, Russian troops maintain military presence in the areas bordering Ukraine.

Over the past day, they launched air strikes near 2 settlements in the Chernihiv region.

They also fired mortar and artillery shells at 29 settlements in Chernihiv, Sumy, and Kharkiv regions.

In the Kupyansk direction, Russians launched unsuccessful assaults near Masiutivka in the Kharkiv region. 

They also launched air strikes near 3 settlements in the Kharkiv region and shelled 9 settlements in Kharkiv and another in Luhansk regions.

In the Lyman direction, Russian troops launched unsuccessful assaults near Bilohorivka in the Luhansk region. They also launched air strikes in the same area and near Verkhniokamianske in the Donetsk region.

In particular, 2 settlements in the Luhansk region and 3 more in the Donetsk region came under artillery fire.

In the Bakhmut direction, Russia is on the offensive. Fighting for the town of Bakhmut continues. 

Russian troops launched air strikes near 3 settlements and shelled 12 settlements in the Donetsk region.

In the Avdiivka direction, Russian forces launched unsuccessful assaults near 4 settlements. 

During the day, they launched air strikes near Avdiivka and Pervomayske, as well as artillery attacks near 6 more settlements in the Donetsk region.

In the Marinka direction, numerous attacks were repelled near the town of Marinka. The nearby village of Pobieda also came under Russian fire.

In the Shakhtarsk direction, Russian troops did not launch any assaults. They carried out air strikes near 3 settlements and shelled 3 more settlements.

In Zaporizhzhia and Kherson directions, Russian troops are on the defensive.

During this day, they launched air strikes near 3 settlements in the Zaporizhzhia region.

They shelled 16 settlements in Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson regions.

• On the night of Tuesday, May 23, air raid alerts were triggered in several regions of Ukraine, explosions were heard in the Mykolaiv region. Russian troops launched up to 4 Shahed drones, which Ukrainian air defense forces shot down.