Russo-Ukraine War - 28 December 2022 - Day 308

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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 recent days, Russia has likely reinforced the Kremina sector of its frontline in Luhansk Oblast, as it comes under continued pressure from Ukrainian operations.

Kremina has been relatively vulnerable since Ukrainian forces advanced through the town of Lyman, to the west, in October.

Russia has constructed extensive new defences in the area and will likely prioritise holding the line here. The area is logistically important for Russia's Donbas front and it is also a significant town in Luhansk Oblast; the Kremlin claims that the 'liberation' of this area is a core justification for the war.

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that during the day, the Russian occupiers launched 2 air strikes and 2 missile strikes, as well as launched more than 10 MLRS attacks. Russia continues offensive operations in the Bakhmut and Avdiivka areas and tries to improve the tactical position in the Lyman areas. In other directions, Russia is defending.

The situation remains stable in the Volyn, Polissya, Siverskyi and Slobozhanskyi directions, no signs of the formation of offensive groups of the Russian occupiers have been detected. On the Slobozhanskyi direction, areas of Veterynarne, Ohirtseve, Hatyshche, Vovchansk, Starytsa, Dvorichna, Novomlynsk settlements of the Kharkiv oblast were subjected to artillery and mortar shelling.

On the Kupyansk and Lyman directions, Russian forces shelled the areas of more than 20 settlements. Among them are Synkivka, Vilshana, Kupyansk, Kyslivka and Krokhmalne of the Kharkiv oblast; Stelmakhivka, Ploshchanka, Chervonopopivka and Dibrova in the Luhansk oblast, as well as Yampolivka in the Donetsk oblast.
Areas of more than 20 settlements were also affected by fire in the Bakhmut direction. In particular, these are Spirne, Bilohorivka, Soledar, Hryhorivka, Bakhmutske, Chasiv Yar, Bakhmut, Kostyantynivka, Mayorsk and New York in Donetsk oblast.
In the Avdiivka direction, Russian forces fired from tanks, mortars and barrel artillery at the districts of Berdychi, Avdiivka, Pervomaiske, Maryinka and Novomykhailivka of the Donetsk oblast.
Vremivka, Velyka Novosilka, Vuhledar, and Prechystivka in Donetsk oblast came under the influence of fire in the Novopavlivsk direction.
In the Zaporizhzhia and Kherson directions, the Russian occupiers terrorized residents of more than 25 settlements with artillery fire. Among them are Hulyaipole, Malynivka, Charivne and Dorozhnianka in the Zaporizhzhia oblast and Respublikanets, Kozatske and Lviv in the Kherson oblast. Once again, the civilian infrastructure of Antonivka, Kherson oblast, and the city of Kherson itself were damaged by Russian shelling. There are victims among the civilian population.

Russian occupiers continue to die ingloriously in Ukraine. In the Zaporizhzhia region, the destruction of one S300 anti-aircraft missile system, 8 units of military equipment of various types and types of ammunition was confirmed in the previous days. More than 150 servicemen were injured. The number of those eliminated is being specified.

At the same time, in the temporarily occupied territories of the Zaporizhzhia region, Russian servicemen and mercenaries of the occupation forces are leaving their places of service en masse. Separate divisions of the Russian guard were sent to the city of Prymorsk for search operations. According to preliminary information, more than 200 people are wanted.

During the current 24 hours, the Ukrainian aviation carried out 4 strikes on the areas where the invaders were concentrated, and units of the missile forces and artillery of the Defense Forces of Ukraine hit 2 control points, 2 areas of concentration of manpower and the Russian forces' ammunition warehouse.

Statements of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation

The Russian Ministry of Defense in a daily briefing reported that units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, territorial defense and foreign mercenaries in the Kupyansky, Limansky, Donetsk and South Donetsk directions were hit during the day. The losses of the Ukrainian troops amounted to about 350 personnel, a tank, 12 armored combat vehicles, 2 armored personnel carriers, 13 cars and pickups.

Rocket troops and artillery of the Russian Armed Forces hit 5 command posts of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Kharkiv region and the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR), as well as 72 artillery units, manpower and military equipment in 97 districts. In the Zaporozhye region, a warehouse with weapons and military equipment of the Armed Forces of Ukraine was destroyed.

During the counter-battery fight in the DPR, 2 US-made M777 artillery systems, an FH-70 howitzer made in Germany, and 3 Ukrainian Grad multiple launch rocket system (MLRS) combat vehicles were destroyed. In the DPR, Kharkiv and Kherson regions, 3 Ukrainian howitzers "Msta-B", as well as D-20 and D-30, were destroyed.

Zaporozhye region

Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant was visited by the First Deputy Head of the Presidential Administration of Russia Sergey Kiriyenko. During the visit, he checked the security of the facility and got acquainted with the working conditions of Rosatom employees.

Ukrainian saboteurs blew up a pedestrian bridge in Pologi, said Vladimir Rogov, a member of the main council of the administration of the Zaporozhye region. According to him, the attack took place on Wednesday afternoon, no one was injured as a result of the explosion.

Kherson region

The authorities of the Kherson region denied reports about the introduction of a round-the-clock curfew. The local administration said that the time of its action will remain the same - from 21:00 to 05:00.

Acting Governor of the Kherson region Vladimir Saldo spoke about the project of a new city, which is planned to be built on the Arbat Spit. According to him, the settlement will be designed for 30 thousand inhabitants, the search for investors is already underway. In addition, the authorities will announce a competition for the name of the city.

DNR

During the day, Ukrainian troops opened fire on Donetsk, as well as the settlements of Yasinovataya, Gorlovka, Yakovlevka, and Mineralnoe. As a result of strikes in Yasinovataya, a kindergarten building was damaged.

The Main Intelligence Directorate (GUR) of Ukraine stated that the head of the GUR, Kirill Budanov, visited the positions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in Bakhmut. It is alleged that he listened to the reports of the commanders of the control units, defined tasks and awarded distinguished servicemen.

LC

Andrey Marochko, an officer of the People's Militia of the Luhansk People's Republic (LPR), said that Ukrainian troops are forming reserves of strike groups in the Liman and Kupyansk directions. First of all, new places for the concentration of weapons and military equipment are being created, stocks of material and technical means and food are being accumulated, and personnel are being transferred from other directions.