Russia-Ukraine war: List of key events, day 638

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said troops face "difficult" defensive operations on parts of the eastern front as the bitter winter cold sets in, but forces in the south continued to conduct offensive actions. Offensive actions in the south," Zelenskyy said on Telegram messenger. In its evening report, Ukraine's General Staff said 22 Russian attacks had been beaten back in and around Avdiivka. In its account of the fighting, Russia's Defence Ministry said its forces had struck Ukrainian troops and equipment near Bakhmut, another devastated town north of Avdiivka. The Ukrainian general prosecutor's office said one man died when Russian forces shelled Avdiivka, another in an attack on Chasiv Yar to the north, and a third in the southern city of Kherson. In the town of Selydove in the east, another body was pulled from the rubble lifting the death toll from Tuesday's Russian missile strike to three. The Ukrainian Air Force said it brought down 14 attack drones and an X-22 cruise missile fired from southern Russia, as authorities in the southern region of Odesa said they had destroyed a rare Iranian-built Mohajer-6 attack and reconnaissance drone. Russia bought 30 of the drones last year, they added. Russia's Defence Ministry said anti-aircraft units destroyed three Ukrainian drones over the Crimean peninsula, as well as four sea drones. Separately, the Defence Ministry said a group of Russian journalists came under a Ukrainian drone attack in the southern Zaporizhia region. A reporter from the Rossiya 24 state TV channel suffered minor injuries, the ministry added. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said troops face "difficult" defensive operations on parts of the eastern front as the bitter winter cold sets in, but forces in the south continued to conduct offensive actions. Offensive actions in the south," Zelenskyy said on Telegram messenger.