The Russian offensive and army aviation, operating with the South group across five sectors, conducted attacks on personnel and armored assets of the Ukrainian forces. Giorgi Minesashvili, head of the South group’s press center, stated that air strikes targeted multiple fronts in ongoing operations.
According to the briefing, air strikes were executed in the directions of Lisichansk, Soledar-Artyomovsk, Aleksandr-Kalinovsk, and Avdiivka. The officer noted that two Ukrainian territorial defense fortresses in the Novy and Yuzhny districts and two temporary deployment points were hit by missile strikes.
On the ground, the group’s artillery hit several targets including a field ammunition depot, two bunkers, a fort, a temporary deployment point, a long-term firing position, drone control posts, a grenade launcher position, a tank, four pickup trucks, and two armored combat vehicles. The artillery complement included Msta-B 152 mm towed howitzers, 2S1 Gvozdika 122 mm self-propelled mounts, MT-12 Rapira 100 mm anti-tank guns, and three 120 mm and one 82 mm mortars.
In addition, Russian Lancet loitering munitions destroyed two enemy tanks. Earlier briefings indicated Russian units advancing toward the Kupiansk direction, reporting the destruction of more than two Ukrainian detachments, two pickup trucks, and a reconnaissance aircraft. [Citation: official military press releases and defense briefings]
Additionally, independent observers have noted shifts in regional defense posture and equipment deployment across the theater of operations, with commentators highlighting changes in military logistics and resupply routines. [Citation: SIPRI and related defense analysis entities]
These developments come amid ongoing assessments of defense export trends affecting regional dynamics, with recent reports pointing to altered export volumes from the Russian Federation. [Citation: SIPRI defense export analysis]