179 combat engagements have taken place on the frontline since the beginning of the day, with the highest enemy activity recorded in the Pokrovsk sector, where the occupiers made 45 attempts to attack, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported in a summary as of 16 December, UNN writes.
Ukraine's defense forces are holding back the Russian occupiers' offensive and taking all necessary measures to prevent the enemy from advancing deeper into Ukrainian territory. As of now, the number of combat engagements has increased to 179
Today, enemy artillery and mortar fire affected communities in the Chernihiv, Sumy and Kharkiv regions, including Hirsk, Khrinivka, Pokrovka, Porozok, Mayske, Slavgorod, Vidrodzhenivske, Tymofiivka, Oleksandrivka and Ponomarenky.
The situation is reportedly as follows:
In the Kharkiv sector, the enemy attacked the positions of our units four times in the areas of Vovchansk and Vysokaya Yaruga.
In the Kupyansk sector, Russian occupants attacked the Ukrainian Defense Forces 19 times in the areas of Petropavlivka, Kolisnykivka, Zahryzove and Lozova. Eight combat engagements are ongoing.
In the Lyman sector, the invading army carried out 18 attacks on Ukrainian positions near Druzhelyubivka, Zelenyi Hai, Novoyehorivka, Makiivka, Terny, Torske and in the direction of Hryhorivka, seven of the attacks are still ongoing. Ukrainian soldiers are steadfastly holding the line and inflicting losses on the enemy.
In the area of Bilohorivka in the Siversky sector, the enemy tried to break through to our positions once.
In the Kramatorsk sector, Ukrainian troops repelled five attacks by Russian invaders in the Chasovyi Yar area since the beginning of the day.
In the Toretsk sector, the aggressor made eleven attempts to advance on the positions of Ukrainian units near Toretsk, Druzhba and Dachne, and combat is currently underway.
On the Pokrovsk direction, Russian invaders made 45 attempts to push our defenders from their positions in the areas of Vozdvyzhenka, Myroliubivka, Promin, Lysivka, Novyi Trud, Dachenske, Shevchenko, Vovkove and Novovasylivka. The defense forces are holding back the onslaught and repelled 32 enemy attacks, 13 combat engagements are still ongoing.
At the Kurakhove direction, the enemy army attacked 25 times in the direction of Petropavlivka, Shevchenko and in the area of Kurakhove. Fifteen attempts by the occupiers to advance have already been repelled.
Nine enemy attacks continue in the Vremivsky sector, and our troops have already repelled 11 enemy assaults in the areas of Uspenivka, Yantarne, Kostyantynopol, Kostyantynopol, Rozlyv, Rozdolne, Novyi Komar, Novosilka, Velyka Novosilka and Storozheve. Enemy aircraft dropped guided aerial bombs on Temyrivka and Zelene Pole.
In the Prydniprovsky sector, the enemy made one unsuccessful attempt to storm the positions of Ukrainian units.
"In the Kursk region, Ukrainian soldiers repelled twenty attacks by the invading troops, ten clashes are ongoing," the report says.
In other areas, as indicated, there are no major changes.