Up to 1000 mercenaries recruited for war in Ukraine in Novosibirsk region's prisons over last week - AFU General Staff

The General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces shared its report for February 3.

"To replenish its losses in manpower, the enemy continues a recruitment campaign among convicts. Over the past week, up to 1,000 mercenaries were recruited in prisons of the Novosibirsk region, Russia," the General Staff writes.

Russia also continues to suffer losses. In Bilovodsk, Luhansk region, Russian forces converted the Central District Hospital into a military hospital and took up to 120 wounded servicemen of the Russian Armed Forces there.

On February 3, Russian troops have launched more than 20 MLRS attacks at Ukraine

"During the day, Russian occupiers launched a missile attack on the civilian infrastructure of Barvinkove, Kharkiv region, causing civilian casualties. In addition, the enemy launched more than 20 MLRS attacks. There is a great danger of further Russian air and missile strikes throughout Ukraine," the Ukrainian Armed Forces wrote.

The Russian army continues to conduct offensive actions in the Lyman, Bakhmut, Avdiivka and Vuhledar directions. It is suffering heavy losses in personnel and military equipment.

No enemy offensive groups were detected on the northern and northeastern border with Belarus and Russia.

Russian troops continue shelling settlements near the border with Ukraine. Two settlements in the Chernihiv region, 6 in the Sumy region, and 6 in the Kharkiv region came under Russian fire. 

In the Kupiansk direction, Russian troops fired with tanks, mortars and artillery at 5 settlements in the Kharkiv region and another in the Luhansk region. 

In the Lyman direction, a settlement in the Donetsk region and 3 more in the Luhansk region were shelled by Russian troops.

In the Bakhmut direction, 7 settlements in the Donetsk region were shelled.

In the Avdiivka direction, 4 settlements came under Russian fire.

In the Vuhledar direction, 3 settlements came under Russian tank, mortar and artillery fire.

In Zaporizhzhia and Kherson directions, more than 15 settlements in Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson regions came under fire. 

Ukrainian aviation attacks Russian positions

On February 3, the aviation of the Ukrainian Defense Forces launched 4 strikes at Russian personnel concentrations and 1 at an air defense system.

Missile units and artillery of the Ukrainian Defense Forces hit 2 Russian personnel concentrations.