Russo-Ukraine War - 08 December 2022 - Day 288

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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 elements of Russia's 1st Guarts Tank Army (1GTA) are likely deployed along the defensive line near the Luhansk Oblast town of Svatove. The supposedly elite 1 GTA took heavy casualties earlier in the war, in cluding during the retreat from Kharkiv Oblast in September 2022. It has now likely been partially reinforced with mobilised reservists, although remaining well below its authorised strength of over 25,000 personnel.

Russia has now completed almost continuous trench systems along the 60km between Svatove and the Russian border. Despite the length of these works, however, the depth of the defences remains unclear. The effectiveness of 1 GTA and other fomations' defensive operations will largely depend upon the extent of mutually supporting, fall-back positions.

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that during the day, Russian forces launched 2 rocket and 3 air strikes, as well as launched more than 20 MLRS attacks on the positions of Ukrainian troops and populated areas along the contact line. Objects of civil infrastructure in the cities of Kupyansk, Zolochiv and Ochakiv were hit again. There is still a threat of Russian missile strikes on the objects of the energy system and critical infrastructure throughout the territory of Ukraine.

In the Volyn and Polissya directions, the situation has not changed significantly, and no signs of the formation of Russian offensive groups have been detected.
In the Siversky direction, Russian forces shelled the settlements of Khrinivka and Hremyach in the Chernihiv oblast and Seredyna-Buda and Chernetske in the Sumy oblast with mortars and barrel artillery.
In the Slobozhanskyi direction, areas of Veterynarne, Hoptivka, Strilecha, Zelene, Ternova, Starytsa, Varvarivka, Dvorichna and Kamianka settlements of the Kharkiv oblast were hit by artillery fire. The Russian occupiers launched an airstrike near Kamianka.
Russia is defending in the Kupyansk direction. It carried out shelling in the areas of the settlements of Berestovka, Synkivka, Petropavlivka, Kyslivka, Kotlyarivka and Tabaivka in the Kharkiv oblast and Novoselivske, Stelmakhivka and Pishchane in the Luhansk oblast.
On the Lyman direction, Russian forces shelled the areas of Makiivka, Ploshchanka and Nevske settlements in the Luhansk oblast, and Torske and Hryhorivka settlements in the Donetsk oblast.
In the Bakhmut and Avdiivka areas, Russia is concentrating its main efforts on conducting offensive operations. Areas of thirty settlements were shelled by tanks, mortars and rocket artillery. Among them are Andriivka, Verkhnyokamianske, Berestovka, Bilogorivka, Vesele, Blagodatne, Soledar, Bakhmutske, Bakhmut, Opytne, Avdiivka, Vodyane, Pervomaiske, Nevelske, Krasnohorivka, Hostre, Maryinka, and Novomykhailivka of the Donetsk oblast. Russian forces struck with the forces of operational-tactical and army aviation in the areas of the settlements of Spirne, Klishchiivka, Pivnichne, Kamianka, Pervomaiske and Nevelske.

Russia is defending in the Novopavlivsk direction. It carried out artillery and mortar attacks on the positions of Ukrainian troops near the settlements of Vuhledar, Novosilka, Prechystivka and Zolota Nyva in the Donetsk oblast.

In the Zaporizhzhia direction, the areas of twenty-two settlements were damaged by fire. In particular, these are Vremivka and Novopil of the Donetsk oblast and Dorozhnyanka, Hulyaipole, Zaliznychne, Orihiv, Novodanylivka, Novoandriivka, Mali Shcherbaky, Stepove of the Zaporizhzhia oblast. The Russian occupiers also used aviation for strikes on the areas of Mali Shcherbaky and Stepove.

Russia is conducting defensive operations in the Kherson direction. It carried out tank and artillery shelling of the districts of seventeen settlements. Among them are Kachkarivka, Monastyrske, Novoberyslav, Beryslav, Lviv, Ivanivka, Novotyahynka, Inzhenerne, Prydniprovske and Antonivka of the Kherson oblast and the outskirts of the city of Kherson.

Fake information aimed at discrediting the military-political leadership of Ukraine is being spread on the territory of the Russian Federation, namely, alleged evidence of the appointment of a monetary reward for the elimination of servicemen of the armed forces of the Russian Federation from 700 to 1 thousand US dollars is provided.

In the temporarily occupied territory of the Luhansk oblast, the occupation authorities are reorganizing individual units. After carrying out the mentioned measures, the relatives of the dead servicemen are denied compensation in the amount of 3 million russian rubles due to the disbandment of the unit and the lack of legal grounds.

During the current day, units of missile troops and artillery of the Defense Forces of Ukraine hit 5 control points, 8 personnel concentration areas, an artillery concentration area and a Russian ammunition depot.

Statements of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation

The Russian Ministry of Defense in a daily briefing reported that during the day, high-precision strikes in the Zaporozhye region destroyed 5 launchers of multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS) MLRS and MARS-II, in the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) - 2 launchers of MLRS HIMARS. More than 90 Polish mercenaries were liquidated in the Kharkov region.

In the Limansky and Kupyansky directions, more than 130 Ukrainian servicemen, 5 infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs) and 5 vehicles were destroyed by assault and army aviation strikes, as well as by artillery fire.

Attempts to attack the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Donetsk and South-Donetsk directions were reflected. More than 80 Ukrainian militants, 3 combat armored vehicles, an armored personnel carrier, infantry fighting vehicles, 4 vehicles were liquidated.

Operational-tactical and army aviation, missile forces and artillery hit 93 artillery units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, manpower and military equipment in 196 districts. In the Kharkiv region, the launcher of the Tochka-U tactical missile system was destroyed, in the DPR, an AN / TPQ-50 counter-battery radar was destroyed.

A Mi-8 helicopter of the Ukrainian Air Force was shot down by means of air defense in the DPR. 5 unmanned aerial vehicles were destroyed in the Kharkiv region and the Luhansk People's Republic (LPR). 14 HIMARS, Alder, Uragan MLRS and HARM anti-radar missiles were intercepted in the DPR, Zaporozhye and Kherson regions.

Zaporozhye region

The Ukrainian authorities cynically ignore the presence of representatives of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) at the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said. According to the diplomat, the main goal of the discussed protective zone around the station is to stop shelling. Zakharova added that it is wrong to publicly comment on the parameters of the security zone around the ZNPP, experts are working hard.

An explosive device was found in one of the abandoned houses in Kamenka-Dneprovskaya. Explosives experts were sent to the scene and defused the bomb, and an investigation is underway into the incident.

DNR

Since the beginning of the day, Ukrainian armed formations have been firing at Donetsk, as well as the settlements of Mineralnoe, Seyatel, Gorlovka, Makeevka, Yasinovataya, Panteleymonovka. As a result of attacks on Donetsk, a civilian was killed, damage to residential buildings was recorded, and 5 districts of the city were de-energized.

The Ukrainian military on Mastiff armored cars tried to break through the defenses in the Vodiane area. Vitaly Kiselev, assistant to the head of the LPR Ministry of Internal Affairs, said that an offensive attempt, in which the Armed Forces of Ukraine involved 15 units of military equipment, was repulsed.

Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Marat Khusnullin said that the DPR is actively restoring the buildings of preschool institutions. Already 81 kindergartens are ready to accept pupils.

LC

During the day on December 8, the Armed Forces of Ukraine opened fire on Rubizhne and Pervomaisk, using HIMARS MLRS and a 155 mm artillery gun.

The representative of the People's Militia of the LPR, Ivan Filiponenko, reported on the unsuccessful attempt of the Armed Forces of Ukraine to break through the defenses in the Soledar direction. According to him, the Ukrainian troops lost 3 units of military equipment with crews.

Denis Miroshnichenko, Chairman of the People's Council of the LPR, at a meeting of the Presidium of the Council of Legislators of the Russian Federation at the Federal Assembly, proposed introducing a young fighter course for students in grades 8 and 10 in schools. According to the official, military training can be carried out at will during the holidays, it should not affect graduate students so as not to distract them from preparing for exams.