Russo-Ukraine War - 15 December 2022 - Day 295

Su	M	Tu	W	Th	F	Sa
				1	2	3
4	5	6	7	8	9	10
11	12	13	14	15	16	17
18	19	20	21	22	23	24
25	26	27	28	29	30	30

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]

---

The UK Ministry of Defence reported that on 13 December 2022, Belarus carried out a snap combat readiness inspection of its forces. The exercises are reportedly taking place in the north-west of the country, away from the Ukrainian border. In addition, Russia has recently deployed extra units of mobilised reservists to Belarus.

Belarus played a key enabling role in Russia's assault towards Kyiv from 24 February 2022. However, the exercising Belarusian troops and Russian units are currently unlikely to constitute a force capable of conducting a successful new assault into northern Ukraine.

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that Russia continues to focus its efforts on conducting offensive actions in the Bakhmut and Avdiiv directions. It is trying to improve the tactical position in the Lyman direction, and in the Kupyansk and Zaporizhzhia areas - it is building up the group. In other directions, Russia is concentrating its efforts on restraining the actions of units of the Defense Forces of Ukraine, shelling the positions of Ukrainian troops and civilian objects along the contact line.

During the day, the Russian occupiers launched 2 rocket strikes, as well as launched more than 5 MLRA attacks. In particular, the civil infrastructure of Nikopol and Kherson was damaged, and there are casualties among civilians.
The threat of Russian forces launching air and missile strikes on critical infrastructure objects remains in the future throughout the territory of Ukraine.

In the Volyn, Polissya, and Siverskyi directions, the situation has not changed significantly, and no signs of the formation of Russian offensive groups have been detected. The formation of the aviation group and units of the armed forces of the russian federation on the territory of the Republic of Belarus continues.
In the Slobozhanskui direction, Russian forces carried out tank and artillery shelling in the areas of Vysoka Yaruga, Morokhovets, Starytsa, Dvorichna and Novomlynsk settlements of the Kharkiv oblast.
In the Kupyansk direction, the areas of the settlements of Vilshana, Kislivka, Kotlyarivka, Berestove, Pershotravneve in the Kharkiv oblast and Stelmakhivka and Myasozharivka in the Luhansk oblast were damaged by fire.
In the Lyman direction, Russian forces shelled the districts of Makiivka and Chervonopopivka in the Luhansk oblast and Torske and Vedmezhe in the Donetsk oblast with tanks, mortars, barrel and rocket artillery.
In the direction of Bakhmut, Russian forces carried out shelling, in particular, in the areas of Verkhnokamyanske, Spirne, Bilohorivka, Soledar, Bakhmutske, Bakhmut, Andriivka, Kurdyumivka, Ozaryanivka, Severny and Opytne of Donetsk oblast.
In the Avdiivka direction, the Russian occupiers tried to attack the positions of Ukrainian troops near Avdiivka, Pervomaiske, Nevelske, Heorhiivka, Maryinka, and Novomykhailivka in the Donetsk oblast.
In the Zaporizhzhia and Kherson directions, Russia continues to shell the positions of Ukrainian troops and civilian infrastructure along the right bank of the Dnipro River. In particular, the districs of the settlements of Vremivka, Novopil of the Donetsk oblast; Hulyaipole, Dorozhnyanka, Hulyaipilske, Orihiv and Stepove - Zaporizhzhia oblast; Nikopol in the Dnipropetrovsk oblast and Novotyahynka, Ivanivka, Tokarivka, Kherson, Inhulets and Bilozerka in the Kherson oblast.

Russia continues to suffer losses. Thus, on December 13, in the areas of Tokmak, Polohy and Berdyansk settlements of the Zaporizhzhia oblast, the Defense Forces destroyed two Russian ammunition depots, two artillery systems with ammunition, as well as six units of military equipment of various types. More than 200 Russian servicemen were wounded.

In connection with the overflow of medical facilities and morgues in the city of Melitopol, the Russian invaders are transporting corpses and evacuating wounded servicemen to the temporarily occupied Crimea.

In order to replenish the current losses, the Russian invaders are forced to supplement the operational-tactical command level with retired officers, released to the reserve, and even retired officers. They are sent to the area of hostilities.

Our aviation made 11 strikes on the areas of concentration of personnel, weapons and military equipment and 2 strikes on the positions of Russian forces' anti-aircraft missile systems. Ukrainian rocket launchers and gunners hit 2 control points, 4 areas of concentration of Russian personnel and a warehouse of fuel and lubricants.

Statements of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation

The Russian Ministry of Defense in a daily briefing reported that during the day attempts were suppressed by the Armed Forces of Ukraine on the Kupyansky and Limansky directions in the areas of the settlements of Sofiyivka, Ploschanka, Golikovo and Kremennaya (Luhansk People's Republic, LPR). About 75 Ukrainian servicemen, an armored combat vehicle, an infantry fighting vehicle (IFV), 3 armored vehicles and 3 pickup trucks were destroyed.

In the Donetsk direction, the RF Armed Forces continue offensive operations, new advantageous lines and positions are occupied. The Armed Forces of Ukraine made unsuccessful attempts to restore the position of their troops in the areas of Severny and Krasnogorovka (Donetsk People's Republic, DPR). Enemy losses amounted to about 30 Ukrainian servicemen killed and wounded, an armored personnel carrier and 2 vehicles.

In the South-Donetsk direction, the reserves of the Armed Forces of Ukraine were hit in the Dobrovolya region, two sabotage and reconnaissance groups of the Armed Forces of Ukraine were destroyed in the Pavlovka region (DPR). Eliminated up to 40 servicemen killed and wounded and 4 vehicles.

Rocket troops and artillery hit the command posts of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Petropavlovka area and territorial defense in the Sinkovka area (Kharkiv region), as well as 45 artillery units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, manpower and military equipment in 86 districts. Warehouses of the Armed Forces of Ukraine were destroyed in the area of Kupyansk (Kharkiv region), Tyaginka (Kherson region), Orekhov (Zaporozhye region). An AN/TPQ-37 US-made counter-battery radar was destroyed in the Kleshcheevka region (DPR).

Fighter aircraft of the Russian Aerospace Forces in the DPR shot down a MiG-29 and a Mi-8 helicopter of the Ukrainian Air Force. Air defense systems destroyed 11 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles in the DPR and Zaporozhye region. Intercepted 2 shells of multiple rocket launchers (MLRS) "Hurricane" in the Zaporozhye region.

Kherson region

Chairman of the Investigative Committee of Russia Alexander Bastrykin instructed to investigate the crimes of the Armed Forces of Ukraine against residents of the Kherson region. According to the regional administration, the Security Service of Ukraine and the armed formations settle scores with local residents, including by burning houses and engaging in looting. As part of the investigation, employees of the Investigative Committee will establish the circumstances of the crimes, as well as the persons involved in their commission.

During the day, there were reports that Kherson was completely de-energized. The head of the regional military administration, Yaroslav Yanushevich, appointed by Kyiv, said that power engineers would begin work to restore the power grid.

Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine Irina Vereshchuk said that about 11,000 residents have left the districts of the Kherson region controlled by Kyiv since the beginning of the "voluntary evacuation".

Zaporozhye region

Russia is discussing with the secretariat of the International Atomic Energy Agency the parameters of an agreement on the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant. The official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, noted that the dialogue is conducted directly, intermediaries, including in Paris, are not needed for this.

DNR

From the beginning of the day, Ukrainian troops opened fire on Donetsk, as well as the settlements of Makeevka, Gorlovka, Mayorsk, Zaitsevo, Krasny Partizan, Panteleymonovka, Ozeryanovka. As a result of attacks in Donetsk, a civilian was killed, 11 civilians were injured, including a child. Residential buildings were damaged, the building of a nursery-garden, a polyclinic, an educational building of DonNTU, a hostel, as well as the Spaso-Preobrazhensky Cathedral were damaged. According to local authorities, this shelling was the largest in the last 8 years.

Acting head of the DPR Denis Pushilin said that the settlement of Maryinka had been liberated by 80%. Its capture will reduce the intensity of shelling of the Petrovsky district of Donetsk, the Tekstilshchik microdistrict and Oleksandrivka by the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

There are fights on the outskirts of Kleshcheevka. According to the Rybar Telegram channel, Russian units have established control over a number of strongholds west of Andreevka and Kurdyumovka.

Pushilin established 4 new non-working holidays in the DPR: DPR Day (May 11), DPR Return Day to Russia (September 30), Easter and Trinity.

LC

During the day, the Armed Forces of Ukraine opened fire on Stakhanov, using HIMARS MLRS and firing 10 missiles. As a result of the shelling, an emergency shutdown of the power supply of the pumping station occurred.

From an uninhabited house in Goncharovka, Svatovsky district, employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the LPR seized 5 grenade launchers.

Acting head of the LPR Leonid Pasechnik banned the sale of alcoholic beverages in the front-line territories of the republic.