176 skirmishes took place on the front during the day, the most in the Pokrovsky direction – the General Staff

During the past 24 hours, 176 combat clashes were recorded at the front. Most of the battles took place in the Pokrovsky and Kurakhiv directions and in the Kurshchyna region of the Russian Federation, according to the morning summary of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on January 8.

“In the Pokrovsky direction, over the past day, our defenders have stopped 41 assaults by aggressors in the districts of Tarasivka, Vodyanyi Drugy, Elizavetivka, Promeny, Lysivka, Sukhoi Yar, Zeleny, Novy Trud, Pokrovsk, Kotlyny, Novovasylivka, Nadiivka,” the message states.

According to the headquarters, the defense forces repelled 25 attacks in the Kurakhiv direction near Srybny, Slovianka, Petropavlivka, Andriivka, Kurakhivka, and Dachny.

“The operation is ongoing in the Kursk region, 32 skirmishes took place last day, enemy artillery fired 146 shots at populated areas and positions of our troops, in particular, six from rocket salvo systems,” the military said.

Russian troops also attacked in the Kharkiv, Kupyan, Lyman, Siver, Kramatorsk, Toretsk, Vremiv and Dnieper directions.

According to the Institute for the Study of War, Russian troops have recently advanced in the northwestern part of Toretsk. Analysts believe that the Russian troops are likely to use the overwhelming number of personnel to intensify offensive actions and advance within Toretsk. Also, according to ISW, the Russian army intends to use its successes to advance west from Toretsk and Shcherbynivka and along the T-05-16 Toretsk-Kostiantynivka road towards the southernmost point of the Ukrainian fortification belt at Kostiantynivka.