Russo-Ukraine War - 23 July 2022 - Day 150

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A number of claims and counterclaims are being made on the Ukraine-Russia conflict on the ground and online. While GlobalSecurity.org takes utmost care to accurately report this news story, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos.

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. Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a "special military operation" (SVO - spetsialnaya voennaya operatsiya) 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 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]

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The UK Ministry of Defence reported that, in the last 48 hours, heavy fighting had been taking place as Ukrainian forces continued their offensive against Russian forces in Kherson Oblast, west of the River Dnipro. Russia is likely attempting to slow the Ukrainian attack using artillery fire along the natural barrier of the Ingulets River, a tributary of the Dnipro.

Simultaneously, the supply lines of the Russian force west of the Dnipro are increasingly at risk. Additional Ukrainian strikes have caused further damage to the key Antonivsky Bridge, though Russia has conducted temporary repairs. As of 22 July 2022, it was almost certainly open to some traffic.
It has not been possible to verify claims by Ukrainian officials that Russia is preparing to construct an alternative, military pontoon bridge across the Dnipro. The Russian army prioritises maintaining its military bridging capability, but any attempt to construct a crossing of the Dnipro would be a very high risk operation. If the Dnipro crossings were denied, and Russian forces in occupied Kherson cut off, it would be a significant military and political setback for Russia.

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported the situation had not changed significantly in the Volyn, Polissya and Siversky directions. Russian forces shelled the village of Starykov, Sumy oblast while its aerial reconnaissance of the border area in Chernihiv and Sumy oblasts by unmanned aerial vehicles continued.

In the Slobozhansk direction, Russian units, using all available means, continued to prevent Ukrainian Defense Forces from advancing deep into the temporarily occupied territory.

In the Kharkiv direction, Russian forces carried out fire damage from barrel and rocket artillery in the areas of the settlements of Kharkiv, Ruski Tyshki, Cherkaski Tyshki, Bazaliivka, Husarivka, Ruska Lozova, Udy, Malynivka and of others. They also conducted an airstrike near Verkhniy Saltv.

In the Slovyansk direction, Russian forces fired artillery at the districts of Dibrovne, Velyka Komyshuvakha, Nova Dmytryvka, and others. Near Bohorodychne, through the use of the reconnaissance group, they tried to identify weak points in the Ukrainian defense. The Russian forces were neutralized.

In the Donetsk direction, the occupiers continued to focus their main efforts on the Kramatorsk and Bakhmut directions, and attempts to establish control over the territory of the Vugleghirskaya TPP continued.

In the Kramatorsk direction, Russian forces shelled, in particular, the areas of Verkhnokamianske, Riznyivka, Zakitne, Hryhorivka, Vyimka and Zvanivka settlements. They conductd an airstrike near Spirny and also tried to improve their tactical position in the Verkhnokamyansky area by attacking from different directions. Ukrainian soldiers met the enemy with dagger fire and inflicted significant losses, forcing the occupiers to leave in panic.

In the direction of Bakhmut, Russian forces were trying to create favorable conditions for continuing the offensive on Bakhmut. They fired at Ukrainian troops from tanks, barrel and jet artillery in the areas of Travnevo, Semihirya, Rozdolivka, Yakovlivka, Soledar, Bilohorivka and a number of other settlements. Airstrikes on Pokrovske and Novoluhanske were also reported.

The occupiers again, already from different directions, tried to storm the territory of the Vuglehirskaya TPP, though again unsuccessfully and with losses.

Enemy reconnaissance groups tried to identify weak points in the defense of Ukrainian troops in the directions of Soledar and Pokrovske but were detected and neutralized.

In the Avdiyivka, Novopavlivka, and Zaporizhzhia directions, Russian forces systematically shelled civilian and military infrastructure in the areas of the settlements of Novobakhmutivka, Pisky, Opytne, Vodyane, Shevchenko, Mala Tokmachka, Novosilka, Zelene Pole, Bilohirya, and many others. There were air-strikes near Krasnohorivka and Kamianka.

In the South Buh direction, the Russian military was reported to be concentrating its main efforts on preventing the advance of Ukrainian troops. Supports a high intensity of reconnaissance by unmanned aerial vehicles. Reciprocal shelling from barrel, rocket artillery and tanks continued along the entire contact line.

The Defense Forces of Ukraine are inflicting casualties on the enemy in all directions where hostilities continue and are ready for any changes in the operational situation. Cases of desertion and open disobedience to the command are increasingly recorded in units of the russian occupation forces.

Over the past 24 hours , up to 200 servicemen of the 406th brigade, nine artillery pieces and military equipment were liquidated as a result of a strike with precision-guided weapons at the facilities of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) in Apostolovo, Dnepropetrovsk region. Near Belogorovka, meanwhile, most of the 2nd Battalion of the 14th Ukrainian Brigade was destroyed.

Russian artillery and army aviation hit 12 command posts of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, four depots with ammunition and weapons, and 226 enemy concentration areas. More than 60 militants were liquidated at the positions of the nationalist formation "Donbass" near Verkhnekamensky.

During the counter-battery fight in the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR), more than 50 platoons of enemy equipment were suppressed: three - Grad multiple launch rocket systems, three more - Msta-S self-propelled guns, 10 - Msta-B howitzers, 15 - installations " Gvozdika" and 24 - D-20 guns.

Air defense systems shot down 11 Ukrainian drones over the Kharkiv, Nikolaev, Kherson regions and the DPR.

During the day , artillery skirmishes were observed along the line of contact. Clashes continue in the Bakhmut and Slavyansk directions, however, both sides are simultaneously regrouping.

The situation in the LDNR

Over the current day, the Armed Forces of Ukraine launched artillery strikes on 11 settlements of the DPR, using more than 180 shells. Two houses and one car were damaged. At the same time, in the performance of military duty, two fighters of the People's Militia died.

The armed forces of the republic, in addition to participating in hostilities, maintain order in the liberated territories. So, in the Kherson region, they guard roads, patrol the area, check cars and fight enemy sabotage and reconnaissance groups.

During the counter-battery battle near Seversk, allied artillery destroyed another American M777 howitzer, which was captured on camera.

In the Luhansk People's Republic (LPR), meanwhile, the National Guard discovered a large Ukrainian cache , from which 110 shells and mines of 120 mm caliber, ten 150-mm tank ammunition, four RPG-26 grenade launchers, three Fagot anti-tank missiles, thousands of rounds of ammunition and explosives.