The 439th day of the Russia-Ukraine War: official operational information by the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on 08.05.2023.
The Russian Federation continues its aggressive war. Despite significant losses, it does not abandon its plans to occupy Ukrainian territory. Russia strikes and shells both military and civilian objects.
During the last day, the Russian army launched 11 missile strikes, 59 air strikes, and conducted 76 shelling attacks from multiple rocket launchers. Civilians have been injured, private residential buildings and other civilian infrastructure have been destroyed and damaged. The likelihood of missile and air strikes throughout Ukraine remains high.
The Russian army continues to concentrate its main efforts on the Lyman, Bakhmut, Avdiivka, and Marinka directions — Russian troops carried out about 30 attacks. Heavy fighting is underway for the cities of Bakhmut and Mariinka.
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- There are no signs of the formation of offensive groups on the Volyn and Polissya directions.
- On the Siversk and Slobozhanske directions, the Russian army maintains a military presence in border areas with Ukraine. During the day, it carried out mortar and artillery shelling of populated areas in Berylivka, Moschenka, Halahanivka, Leonivka, Oleksandrivka, Buda-Vorobiyivska, Hremiach of the Chernihiv region; Znob-Novhorodske, Stara Huta in the Sumy region, as well as Hoptivka, Krasne, Zelene, Staritsa, Ohirtseve, Vovchanski Khutory, Karaiichne, Mala Vovcha, Mykolaivka, and Nesterne in the Kharkiv region.
- On the Kupiansk direction, Russian troops did not carry out any offensive actions. They struck aviation in the areas of the populated localities Zapadne and Masyutivka. Russian artillery and mortar shelling targeted Kamianka, Topoli, Petro-Ivanivka, Fiholivka, Novomylnsk, Zapadne, Lyman Pershyi, Vilshana, Buhaiivka in the Kharkiv region, and Novoselivske and Stelmakhivka in the Luhansk region.
- On the Lyman direction, the Russian army is trying to find weak spots in Ukrainian defense. It conducted offensive operations towards Bilohorivka but did not succeed. It struck aviation in the areas of the populated localities Nevske and Bilohorivka in the Luhansk region, and Verkhniokamianske and Spirne in the Donetsk region. Artillery shelling targeted Makiivka and Bilohorivka in the Luhansk region, and Yampolivka and Spirne in the Donetsk region.
- On the Bakhmut direction, the Russian army continues to conduct offensive operations. Fierce fighting continues in the city of Bakhmut. During the day, Russian soldiers conducted unsuccessful offensive operations towards Ivanivske and Chasiv Yar. They launched aviation strikes on the areas of Bohdanivka, Bakhmut, and Predtechyne. The populated localities of Vasyukivka, Orikhovo-Vasylivka, Novomarkove, Bakhmut, Ivanivske, Chasiv Yar, Stupochky, Predtechyne, Oleksandro-Shultine, Diliivka, Druzhba, Zalizne, and New York in the Donetsk region suffered from Russian shelling.
- On the Avdiivka direction, Russian soldiers conducted offensive operations in the areas of Avdiivka and Pervomaiske, but without success. The Russian army shelled Novokalynove, Berydychivka, Lastochkyne, Avdiivka, Severne, Vodyane, Pervomaiske, and Netaylove in the Donetsk region.
- On the Mariupol direction, the Russian army continues to attack the positions of defense forces. Battles for Mariinka are ongoing. In addition, Georgiivka and Pobeda in the Donetsk region were also shelled.
- On the Shakhtarsk front, Russian military did not carry out offensive operations during the day.It struck an aviation blow in the area of the settlement of Velyka Novosilka and shelled Paraskoviivka, Novomykhailivka, and Vuhledar.
- On the Zaporizhzhia and Kherson directions, the Russian army continues to conduct defensive operations. At the same time, during the day, it shelled more than 20 settlements located near the line of contact. Among them are Vremivka, Novosilka, Zelene Pole, and Novopillia in the Donetsk region; Olhivske, Huliaypole, Zaliznychnoe, Huliaypilske, Bilohiria, Mala Tokmachka, and Kamianske in the Zaporizhzhia region; Zolota Balka, Kachkaryvka, Zmiivka, Tiahynka, Antonivka, Dniprovskoe, Kizomys, Stanislav in the Kherson region, and the city of Kherson.
In the city of Skadovsk, the activities of the district and city administrations have been terminated. On the night of May 6-7, Russian troops loaded documentation, office equipment, and other property of state institutions into a vehicle, and in the morning on May 7, a significant part of the Russian occupation administration, along with their families, had left the city. Currently, a similar situation is observed in such settlements of the region as Mykhailivka, Petrivka, Shevchenko, Shyroke, Ulyanivka, and Krasne.
Taking into account the long traffic jams that have formed recently at the entrance to Crimea and in the area of the Kerch Bridge, Russian soldiers plan to transport the documentation and stolen property from state institutions of the temporarily occupied Kherson region by sea, using a dry cargo ship through the port of Berdiansk.
The Defense Forces’ aviation conducted 11 strikes during the day on areas where the Russian personnel and military equipment were concentrated. In addition, during this day, Ukrainian military destroyed a reconnaissance UAV of the “Zala” type.
Missile and artillery units hit 3 areas of concentration of Russian manpower, 2 ammunition depots, and 3 important targets of the Russian army.
Source: The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine
See also: General Staff operational report May 7, 2023 on the Russian invasion of Ukraine
