Ukraine's General Staff issued the latest update on the frontline situation via social media on Thursday morning.
"The Ukrainian Defense Forces continue assault operations south of Bakhmut (Donetsk oblast), inflict losses in manpower and equipment on the enemy, and consolidate their new positions," Ukraine's military command said.
Meanwhile, the Ukrainian Defense Forces also "continue their offensive operation on Melitopol’ axis, inflicting losses in manpower and equipment on the occupation forces, exhausting the enemy all along the front line," according to the General Staff in Kyiv.
Also, in the southern Kherson region, "the Ukrainian Defense Forces conduct counter-battery fire and strike behind the enemy lines," Ukraine's military authorities added.
In all, there were 78 combat engagements between Ukrainian and Russian forces on Wednesday, the General Staff in Kyiv said.
Ukraine achieving 'great success' in Crimea
Ukraine is currently also making huge advances in destroying Russia's military capabilities in occupied Crimea, according to the Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council, Oleksiy Danilov.
Danilov said in a television interview on Wednesday: "Currently, we have great success in the Crimean direction. We constantly focus on its land part. But as for the destruction of Russia, the destruction of their assets on the territory of Crimea, and the destruction of their Black Sea fleet, these are huge achievements for our country."
The secretary of Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council voiced confidence that there would be "more good news on the destruction of the invasion force and their capabilities in the Crimean direction," state news agency Ukrinform reported.
Russian strikes
Russia on Wednesday launched two missile attacks, 48 air strikes and 79 attacks from multiple-launch rocket systems at the positions of Ukrainian forces and also at various civilian settlements, Ukraine's military authorities said.
These strikes caused deaths and injuries among Ukrainian civilians, according to officials.
Residential buildings and other civilian facilities were also destroyed or damaged, the General Staff in Kyiv said.
Russia on Wednesday fired two air-launched guided missiles at Ukraine, one of which was downed by the Ukrainian air defences, according to Ukraine's military.
Ukrainian attacks
Meanwhile, Ukraine on Wednesday carried out 12 air strikes on the concentrations of Russian troops, weapons and military equipment, as well as three air strikes on Russian anti-aircraft missile systems, the General Staff in Kyiv reported.
Ukraine also struck missiles into eight Russian artillery systems, three Russian ammunition depots, four concentrations of Russian troops, weapons and military equipment, three Russian air defence systems, one Russian radar station, three electronic warfare stations, and one further important Russian target, Ukraine's military command said.
Ukraine has battlefield plan for 2024: Zelensky
Meanwhile, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky said during a video address to the Reuters NEXT conference in New York on Wednesday that "Ukrainian forces have a battlefield plan for 2024" that he cannot disclose, the Institute for the Study of War reported.
In the speech, Zelensky stated that "Ukrainian forces have several paths for future advances in southern Ukraine, eastern Ukraine, and Kherson Oblast," and there are also "plans to advance to specific occupied cities," according to the US think tank.
As part of its latest counteroffensive against Russia, Ukraine is pushing through Zaporizhzhia in the southeast, in a bid to reach the port of Melitopol on the Sea of Azov, as well as aiming to retake Bakhmut in the east, among other objectives.
Thursday is day 624 of Russia’s war on Ukraine.
Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022, launching the largest military campaign in Europe since World War II.
(pm/gs)
Source: Ukrinform, Espreso TV, ISW, General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine
