Russo-Ukraine War - 24 December 2022 - Day 304

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 Russia has augmented its force in Ukraine with tens of thousands of reservists since October. Despite the easing of its immediate personnel shortages, a shortage of munitions highly likely remains the key limiting factor on Russian offensive operations.

Russia has likely limited its long-range missile strikes against Ukrainian infrastructure to around once a week due to the limited availability of cruise missiles. Similarly, Russia is unlikely to have increased its stockpile of artillery munitions enough to enable large-scale offensive operations.

A vulnerability of Russia's current operational design is that even just sustaining defensive operations along its lengthy front line requires a significant daily expenditure of shells and rockets.

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that Russian occupiers continue to violate the norms of international humanitarian law, laws and customs of warfare. Thus, during the day, Russian forces launched 3 missile strikes on civilian objects in the Zaporizhzhia region. It also carried out more than 10 MLRS attacks.

Russia is concentrating its efforts on conducting offensive operations in the Lyman, Bakhmut, and Avdiivka directions and is trying to improve the tactical position in the Kupiansk direction.

The situation has not changed significantly in the Volyn, Polissya and Siversky directions. Russia maintains a military presence, however, no signs of the formation of offensive groups have been detected.

In the Slobozhanskyi direction, areas of the settlements of Huryiv Kozachok, Kozacha Lopan, Kudiivka, Strilecha, Ternova, Starytsa, Vovchansk, Nesterne, Zemlianka, Khatne and Ambarne of the Kharkiv oblast were hit by mortar and artillery fire.
In the Kupyansk direction, Russian forces shelled the areas of the settlements of Novomlynsk, Kupyansk, Kislivka, Tabaivka, and Krokhmalne of the Kharkiv oblast, and Stelmakhivka and Myasozharivka of the Luhansk oblast.
In the Lyman direction, the Russian invaders inflicted fire damage on Makiivka, Chervonopopivka, and Dibrova in Luhansk oblast, as well as Terny in Donetsk oblast.
In the direction of Bakhmut, Russian forces fired tanks, mortars, barrel and jet artillery in the areas of the settlements of Spirne, Berestove, Vesele, Yakovlivka, Soledar, Paraskoviivka, Bakhmut, Chasiv Yar, Opytne, Stupochky, Klishchiivka, Bila Hora, Diliivka, Kleban-Byk , Ozaryanivka, Pivnichne and New York of Donetsk oblast.
Kamianka, Avdiivka, Vodyane, Nevelske, Maryinka and Novomykhailivka in Donetsk oblast were shelled in the Avdiivka direction.
On the Novopavlivka direction, Vuhledar, Novoukrainka, Velyka Novosilka and Vremivka of the Donetsk oblast came under the fire of the Russian occupiers.
In the Zaporizhzhia direction, Russian forces shelled the areas of the settlements of Malynivka, Chervone, Charivne, Bilohirya, Novodanylivka, Mali Shcherbaky and Stepove in the Zaporizhzhia oblast and Marganets and Nikopol in the Dnipropetrovsk oblast.

In the Kherson direction, Russia continues to terrorize the civilian population. The civil infrastructure of Chervonohrihorivka, Dnipropetrovsk oblast, and Burhunka, Antonivka, and Kherson were affected by shelling. There are dead and wounded among peaceful Ukrainian citizens.

In Hornostaevka, Kherson oblast, the Russian occupiers imposed a 24-hour curfew in the period from December 25, 2022 to January 3, 2023. For almost 10 days, local residents are prohibited from leaving their homes and moving around the settlement.

During the day, the aviation of the Defense Forces of Ukraine carried out 3 strikes on areas where the Russian forces' personnel, weapons and military equipment were concentrated. And Ukrainian rocket launchers and gunners struck two areas of concentration of manpower and the S-300 anti-aircraft missile complex of the Russian occupiers.

Statements of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation

The Russian Ministry of Defense in a daily briefing reported that during the day in the Kupyansk direction, manpower and military equipment of the Armed Forces of Ukraine units in the Petropavlovka and Krakhmalny districts (Kharkiv region) were hit. Up to 50 Ukrainian servicemen, 4 armored fighting vehicles and 2 pickup trucks were destroyed.

In the Limansky direction, strikes were carried out on the positions of territorial defense units and the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the areas of Torsky and Ternov (Donetsk People's Republic, DPR). Over 40 servicemen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, 3 combat armored vehicles and 4 vehicles were liquidated.

In the Donetsk direction, a combined tactical group of foreign mercenaries was destroyed and units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Razdolovka region (DPR) were hit. Enemy losses amounted to 60 military personnel and mercenaries, 4 armored personnel carriers and 3 pickup trucks.

In the South-Donetsk direction, units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Vodiane area (DPR) were hit, more than 40 Ukrainian servicemen, 4 armored vehicles and 6 vehicles were destroyed.

Rocket troops and artillery destroyed the command post of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Lezhino area and the warehouse of rocket and artillery weapons in the Novoselivka area (Zaporozhye region), 53 artillery units, manpower and military equipment in 92 districts.

Fighter aircraft of the Russian Aerospace Forces in the DPR shot down a Su-27 aircraft, Mi-24 and Mi-8 helicopters of the Ukrainian Air Force. A Mi-8 helicopter of the Armed Forces of Ukraine was destroyed by means of air defense in the DPR, 15 unmanned aerial vehicles were intercepted in the DPR, LPR, Kherson and Zaporozhye regions.

Kherson region

On the night of Saturday, Ukrainian troops shelled Kakhovka. This blow was the most powerful during the escalation, the administration of the Kakhovka district reported.

"The city center, the electric welding equipment plant, the market and its environs, Naberezhnaya, [neighborhoods] Svetlovo, PDU, Lyubimovka were hit," the statement said.

Zaporozhye region

The number of attacks on Energodar by the Armed Forces of Ukraine has significantly decreased recently, said the head of the city administration, Eduard Senovoz. However, he added that the threat of repeated strikes remains.

The official noted that the crime situation in Energodar has improved, residents feel the organized work of the authorities.

DPR

During the day, the Armed Forces of Ukraine opened fire on Donetsk, as well as the settlements of Panteleymonovka, Mayorsk, Makeevka, Yasinovataya, Red Partizan. As a result of attacks in Donetsk, a civilian was injured. Residential buildings were damaged.

There are reports of the advance of the allied troops in Marinka, where the Armed Forces of Ukraine are forced to retreat to the outskirts with heavy losses. Vladlen Tatarsky, a military writer and militia member of the Vostok battalion, reported that the Russian troops captured the stronghold of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Maryinsky direction. He said that a group of Ukrainian servicemen had surrendered - they were mobilized from Kherson. According to the prisoners, local residents were urgently taken to the front when the Ukrainian Armed Forces entered Kherson. The commanders deliberately send them to the front line so that they "prove their loyalty to Kyiv."

LC

During the day, the settlements of Polovinkino, Belokurakino, Rubizhnoye and Kremennaya were subjected to shelling by the Armed Forces of Ukraine. During the attacks, Ukrainian troops used HIMARS multiple launch rocket systems and 155 mm artillery pieces. In Kremennaya, 2 civilians were killed during shelling.

Lieutenant Colonel of the People's Militia of the LPR Andrey Marochko in the stream "Malkevich LIVE" spoke about how the process of integrating the republic into Russia is going on. According to the officer, the work on integrating the military department into the Russian Defense Ministry is hampered by the ongoing hostilities, since all the LPR servicemen are on the line of contact.

"The law enforcement agencies of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the LPR are more active in this direction. They have already practically embarked on the rails of the Russian Federation. There are some problems with the military, but everything is solved. And I think that next year we will no longer have differences between the People's Militia and the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, "he is sure.