Russo-Ukraine War - 27 April 2022 - Day 63

On 24 February 2022, Ukraine was suddenly and deliberately attacked by land, naval and air forces of Russia, igniting the largest European war since the Great Patriotic War. The military buildup in preceeding months makes it obvious that the unprovoked and dastardly Russian attack was deliberately planned long in advance. During the intervening time, the Russian government had deliberately sought to deceive the world by false statements and expressions of hope for continued peace.

"To initiate a war of aggression... is not only an international crime; it is the supreme international crime differing only from other war crimes in that it contains within itself the accumulated evil of the whole." [Judgment of the International Military Tribunal]

Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a "special military operation" in Ukraine in response to the appeal of the leaders of the "Donbass republics" for help. That attack is a blatant violation of the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine. Putin stressed that Moscow's goal is the demilitarization and denazification of the country.

The sixty-third day of the resistance of the Ukrainian people to a russian military invasion continued. The US State Department spokesperson said Washington is seeking a “strategic defeat” for Moscow in Ukraine that would leave Russia economically weaker and more isolated internationally. “When we talk about strategic defeat, we’re talking about Moscow’s positioning in the international system,” Ned Price told reporters. “The Moscow that prepared to invade and that on February 24 went forward with its invasion, will not be the same Russian Federation in terms of its positioning on the world stage.”

Putin warned that any countries attempting to “interfere” in Ukraine will be faced with a swift response from Moscow. Addressing lawmakers in St Petersburg, Putin said all decisions on how the Kremlin would react in the event of a threat to Russia’s “strategic security” have already been taken. “If anyone would want to interfere with what’s happening in Ukraine now, from the outside, they have to know Russia’s response will be swift and fast,” he said. “We have all sorts of tools that the West cannot obtain, and we will not boast of our weapons but we will use them if need be and I want everyone to know that.”

Russia had repeatedly condemned foreign shipments of weapons to Ukraine, arguing that it prolongs the conflict. The Kremlin accused western countries of turning Ukraine into a front for its attempts to undermine Russia and of willingness to fight until the "last Ukrainian standing". Putin accused foreign powers of pushing Ukraine towards direct confrontation with Russia, and noted that plans for attack on the Donbass republics and Crimea were described in recent Ukrainian doctrines. He said that Western countries used Russophobes and neo-Nazis to turn Ukraine into "anti-Russia".

A series of explosions had been heard in the early hours of the morning in the Russian city of Belgorod near the Ukrainian border, according to the region’s governor. Vyacheslav Gladkov said in a Telegram message that authorities were trying to establish the location and cause of the explosions.

An aide to Zelenskyy described explosions heard in three Russian provinces bordering Ukraine as “karma” and linked them to payback for Moscow’s offensive. Podolyak stopped short of acknowledging Kyiv was responsible for the incidents, however. “The reasons for the destruction of the military infrastructure in [Russian] border areas can be quite varied,” he said in a Telegram post, adding that “sooner or later the debts will have to be repaid” when one country decides to attack another.

A US National Security Council spokesperson said that US' goals is "to make this invasion a strategic failure for Russia." The spokesperson added "We want Ukraine to win. One of our goals has been to limit Russia's ability to do something like this again, as Secretary Austin said. That's why we are arming the Ukrainians with weapons and equipment to defend themselves from Russian attacks, and it's why we are using sanctions and export controls that are directly targeted at Russia's defense industry to undercut Russia's economic and military power to threaten and attack its neighbors."

All the tasks set in connection with the military special operation in Ukraine will be fulfilled. This was announced by Russian President Vladimir Putin at a meeting with members of the Council of Legislators. “All the tasks of the special operation we are conducting in the Donbass and Ukraine, launched on February 24, will be unconditionally fulfilled. In order to guarantee the life and security of the inhabitants of the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics, the Russian Crimea and our entire country for a historical perspective," Putin said. “We must clearly realize that our soldiers and officers prevented a real danger that has already hung over our homeland. With their courage, determination, heroism, they prevented a large-scale conflict that would have unfolded on our territory, but according to other people's scenarios, ”he said.

“The entire course of recent events, including the claims of the Kyiv regime to possess nuclear weapons, the deployment of a network of Western biological laboratories on Ukrainian territory, the uninterrupted supply of the most modern weapons to Ukraine, confirms that our reaction to these cynical plans was correct and timely,” Putin said.

In no case can the Ukrainian authorities allow the nationalists blocked at the Azovstal plant in Mariupol to leave its territory through a humanitarian corridor, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said.

Ukraine retained control of most of its airspace, while Russia has failed to effectively destroy the Ukrainian Air Force or suppress the country’s air defences, the UK defence ministry has said in its latest intelligence briefing. "Ukraine retains control over the majority of its airspace. Russia has failed to effectively destroy the Ukrainian Air Force or suppress Ukrainian air defences. Ukraine continues to hold Russian air assets at risk. Russian air activity is primarily focused on southern and eastern Ukraine, providing support to Russian ground forces. Russia has very limited air access to the north and west of Ukraine, limiting offensive actions to deep strikes with stand-off weapons. Russia continues to target Ukrainian military assets and logistics infrastructure across the country." The briefing also said Russia was likely using “unguided free-falling bombs” in its air attacks on Mariupol. “These weapons reduce Russia’s ability to effectively discriminate when conducting strikes, increasing the risk of civilian casualties,” the defence ministry added.

Ukraine’s deputy defence minister accused Russia of being ready to use Transnistria as a bridgehead to move troops onto Ukrainian territory or the remainder of Moldova. Hanna Malyar’s comments came after local authorities in the Moscow-backed breakaway region reported a string of alleged attacks in recent days. Russia has an estimated 1,500 soldiers in the region, which Kyiv fears could be used as a launchpad for new attacks on Ukraine.

Russia destroyed a key bridge in the southwestern part of the Odesa region to safeguard its possible attempt to land paratroopers in neighboring Moldova, an aide to Zelenskyy said. “They apparently did it to prevent the possibility of deploying our forces there. What can we presume? That they could organise a paratrooper operation there,” Oleksiy Arestovich said. Russian cruise missiles destroyed the bridge across the estuary of the Dniester River near the strategic town of Bilhorod-Dnistrovsky, regional Governor Serhiy Bratchuk said on Telegram. The strike, the second in the past 24 hours, cut off the railway connection between Ukraine’s mainland and the Budjak province that borders Romania and Transnistria.

Ukraine’s army said its forces destroyed a Russian surface-to-air missile system on Snake Island, known as Zmiinyi Island in Ukrainian, in the Black Sea. “Our forces defeated hostile positions on Zmiinyi Island. A hit on the control point was recorded, the destruction of the Strela-10 anti-aircraft missile system. The losses of the rashists are being specified,” The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine wrote on Facebook. Ukraine’s army often refers to Russia’s forces as “rashists” (Russian fascists).

Russian forces are making “better progress” along the line from Izyum to Rubizhne in eastern Ukraine than any other Russian advances in this phase of the war, the Institute for the Study of War said. “They are pushing from Izyum southwest toward Barvinkove and southeast toward Slovyansk. They are also pushing several columns west and south of Rubizhne, likely intending to encircle it and complete its capture,” the institute said. It added that Russia is proceeding “methodically rather than rapidly” but it is unclear if it will be able to “encircle Ukrainian forces in large numbers”. It also said Russian offensive operations elsewhere along the line in eastern Ukraine remain unsuccessful.

Russia’s defence ministry has said its forces had liberated the entire Kherson region in the south of Ukraine, Interfax news agency reported. It cited a senior official as saying elsewhere in the south of Ukraine, Russian troops had taken parts of the Zaporizhzhia and Mykolaiv regions, as well as part of the Kharkiv region to the east of Kyiv. Ukraine’s army now has full control of three settlements in the Mykolaiv region, an adviser to the head of Ukraine’s Ministry of Internal Affairs said. “The Armed Forces of Ukraine have returned full control over three villages west of Snihurivka: Shirokoye, Lyubino and Novopetrivka,” Anton Gerashchenko said.

Russian air defense systems shot down a Ukrainian Mi-24 helicopter in the Kharkiv region, the Russian Defense Ministry reports. According to him, the RF Armed Forces hit 17 Ukrainian military facilities with high-precision missiles, including 15 areas of concentration of manpower and equipment. The operational-tactical and army aviation of the Russian Aerospace Forces hit 38 military facilities in Ukraine, the department added. Also, according to him, the Russian Aerospace Forces hit two S-300 and Osa-AKM anti-aircraft missile systems, destroyed over 210 nationalists and 43 armored vehicles of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

Since the beginning of the special military operation in Ukraine, the Russian armed forces have destroyed 607 unmanned aerial vehicles, 2,596 tanks and armored vehicles of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, as well as 296 multiple rocket launchers, said the official representative of the Russian Defense Ministry, Major General Igor Konashenkov. "In total, since the beginning of the special military operation, the following have been destroyed: 141 aircraft, 110 helicopters, 607 unmanned aerial vehicles, 273 anti-aircraft missile systems, 2,596 tanks and other armored combat vehicles, 296 multiple rocket launchers, 1,134 field artillery guns and mortars, as well as 2,413 units of special military vehicles," he said.

Russia continued to carry out offensive operations in the Eastern Operational Zone in order to defeat the Joint Forces, establish full control over the territory of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts and maintain the land route with the occupied Crimea.

The greatest activity of Russian forces is observed in the Slobozhansky and Donetsk directions. Russia is taking measures to replenish its units that suffered casualties during hostilities. In particular, by removing it from storage in warehouses and bases of military districts. Transportation of equipment to the territory of Ukraine is usually carried out by rail.

Russian occupiers continue to launch missile strikes on residential neighborhoods in Ukraine. In the Slobozhansky direction, Russia continues to launch air strikes and hit the infrastructure of the city of Kharkiv with artillery. In the Izium direction, units of the 1st Tank Army, the 20th Combined Arms Army of the Western Military District, the 35th Combined Arms Army and the 68th Army Corps of the Eastern Military District and Airborne Forces conducted offensive operations in the direction of Barvinkovo. The Russians captured the northeastern outskirts of the settlement of Velyka Komyshuvakha, and also took control of the settlement of Zavody.

In order to increase the grouping of troops, Russian occupiers transferred from the territory of the Belgorod region to the city of Izyum two battalion tactical groups from the 76th Airborne Assault Division of the Russian Airborne Forces. In addition, in the areas of settlements of the Belgorod region, Russia deployed two missile divisions of "Iskander-M" (SS-26 Stone) mobile short range ballistic missile system.

In the Donetsk direction, Russia units conducted active operations along almost the entire line of contact. The main efforts of Russia are focused on offensive operations in the Severodonetsk, Popasna and Kurakhiv areas in order to take full control of Popasna, Rubizhne and the development of the offensive on the Lyman, Severodonetsk and Slovyansk. In the Lyman direction, Russia established control over the settlement of Zarichne, carried out assault operations in the area of the settlement of Yampil.

In the Severodonetsk direction, Russians established control over the settlement of Novotoshkivske, and launched an offensive in the direction of the settlements of Nyzhne and Orikhove. In the Mariupol direction, Russia exerted massive fire and blocking Ukrainian units in the area of the Azovstal plant. In the city, Russian occupiers continue to carry out filtering measures against the civilian population.

In the South Buh and Tavriya directions, the Russians used the available forces and means to focus its main efforts on maintaining the previously occupied frontiers and exerting fire on the positions of our troops. In the Mykolyiv, Kryvyi Rih and Zaporizhyzhia directions Russia tried to improve the tactical position. To do this, it regrouped units, increased the system of fire damage, and conducted air reconnaissance.

Russians carried out filtration measures in the districts of Kiselivka and Stanislav in the Kherson region with the help of Rosguard units. In the Tavriya direction, Russia units carried out engineering equipment for positions and replenishment of reserves. There were no significant changes in the Volyn, Polissya and Siversky directions.

Ukrainians hit seven air targets the day before: a Su-25 plane, a Ka-52 helicopter, three operational-tactical UAVs and two cruise missiles. In the Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts alone, nine enemy attacks were repulsed, destroyed nine tanks, eleven artillery systems, four units of special and seventeen units of armored vehicles, three units of special engineering and sixteen units of motor vehicles, four units of motor vehicles, four units of motor vehicles, four anti-aircraft installation.

Military Transport, Fighter, Bomber and Assault Aviation of the Air Force of Ukraine continued to perform tasks in the airspace of Ukraine.

Mercenaries from more than 50 countries formed 16 armed formations in Ukraine, the press service of the Investigative Committee reported following an operational meeting held in Luhansk by the head of the department, Alexander Bastrykin. "At least 16 different armed formations have been formed on the territory of Ukraine, which include mercenaries who arrived from 50 countries. The created international legion of territorial defense of Ukraine, formed exclusively from foreigners, is on the monetary allowance of the Kyiv authorities," Bastrykin noted.

The United States lifted restrictions on intelligence sharing with Ukraine amid increased military action in the country’s southern and eastern areas, Bloomberg reported, citing a person familiar with the matter. US intelligence chief Avril Haines informed Congress of the lifted restrictions earlier this month following a classified letter from congressman Mike Turner to the Biden administration urging the action, the report said. The increased intelligence sharing is intended to aid Ukraine in its attempts to retake territory in the southern and eastern portions of the country, towards which Russian military officials said their ongoing special operation will be focused, according to the report.

The Ukrainian authorities have asked the United States to provide the Ukrainian Armed Forces with MQ-1? Gray Eagle reconnaissance and strike unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) equipped with AGM-114 Hellfire missiles. This was reported by the newspaper Politico with reference to the Ukrainian defense department. The publication noted that due to the strict restrictions on the supply of attack UAVs in the United States, requests for their transfer even to such US partners as Qatar and Indonesia were rejected at one time. This raises "great doubts" about the delivery of these UAVs to Ukraine. The ability of the Ukrainian military to use them effectively also raises questions.

Australia announced it will send six M777 howitzers and ammunition for the long-range weapons, to Ukraine after being asked to do so by the US and Ukrainian embassies. The latest package of military assistance is worth 26.7 million Australian dollars ($19m), taking Australia’s military aid to the war-torn country to more than 225 million Australian dollars ($160m).

The head of the European Union’s executive Commission said energy companies in the 27-nation bloc that agree to Moscow’s demands to pay for gas deliveries in roubles will be breaching the sanctions it has imposed against Russia. “We have round about 97 percent of all contracts that explicitly stipulate payments in euros or dollars, so it’s very clear. And the request from the Russian side to pay in roubles is a unilateral decision and not according to the contracts,” Ursula von der Leyen said at a news conference in Brussels. Von der Leyen also denounced Russia’s decision to cut off supplies to Poland and Bulgaria as another “provocation from the Kremlin” and said that both countries are now receiving gas from their EU neighbors following an urgent meeting of member states.

Poland’s president said he is certain legal action will be taken against Russia’s Gazprom for breach of contract after the energy giant halted supplies to Poland and Bulgaria over a payment row. “Basic legal principles have been broken, violated,” Andrzej Duda said during a visit to the Czech Republic’s capital, Prague. “Appropriate legal steps will be taken and there will be appropriate compensation from Gazprom for violations of the provisions of the contract,” he added.

The DPR can accommodate up to 10,000 prisoners of war on its territory, the republic reported. There are currently about 3,000 prisoners of war of the Ukrainian army in the DPR, 2,600 of whom are housed in the newly formed three detention centers in the republic. As the minister noted, most of the prisoners of war came from Mariupol, and there are also those who arrived from Volnovakha, Volodarsky, Mangush and the village of Rozovka, Zaporozhye region.

The total combat losses of the Russian forces in Ukraine as of April 26 amounted to nearly 22,100 personnel, with some 200 troops eliminated over the past 24 hours. That’s according to the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Ukrinform reports. Also, the enemy has lost 918 tanks (+34), 2308 armored vehicles (+50), 416 artillery systems (+5), 149 MLR systems (+0), 69 anti-aircraft warfare systems (+0), 184 warplanes (+3), 154 helicopters (+0), 1643 vehicles (+77), eight vessels (+0), 76 fuel tanks (+0), 205 UAVs (+4), 31 units of special equipment (+3), and four mobile SRBM systems (+0).