Russo-Ukraine War - 29 December 2022 - Day 309

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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 early hours of 26 December 2022, Russia's Engels Air Base was attacked for the second time in three weeks. Russian media reported that uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs) were responsible for the strike on the facility, one of the main operating bases of Russia's strategic bomber fleet.

Russia has long given a very high priority to maintaining advanced ground based air defences, but it is increasingly clear that it is struggling to counter air threats deep inside Russia.

One challenge for Russia is probably the exceptional demand on its fleet of modern, medium-range air defence systems, such as SA-22 Pantsir, which would typically be expected to take a major role in countering UAVs. As well as providing point defence for strategic sites such as Engels, these systems are currently required in large number to protect field headquarters near the front line in Ukraine.

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that Russia is concentrating its efforts on conducting offensive actions in the Bakhmut and Zaporizhzhia directions and is trying to improve its tactical position in the Lyman and Avdiivka directions. On Kupyansk and Novopavlivka directions Russia conducts an active defense. In the Kherson direction, Russia is regrouping troops to other directions, is being reinforced by units of territorial troops, and is conducting positional defense.

In the morning, the Russian occupiers launched a massive missile attack on the territory of Ukraine. Russian forces launched air and sea-based cruise missiles, anti-aircraft guided missiles to the S-300 anti-aircraft missile defense system at energy and civil infrastructure facilities in the eastern, central, western and southern regions of Ukraine. According to confirmed data, 69 cruise missiles were used. Defense forces of Ukraine destroyed 54 of them.

Also, during the day, Russian forces launched 10 missile strikes, 23 air strikes, and fired 14 MLRS strikes at the positions of Ukrainian troops and populated areas along the contact line.

The situation is stable in the Volyn, Polissya, Siverskyi and Slobozhanskyi directions. Russia maintains a military presence in the border areas, no signs of his formation of offensive groups have been detected.

On the Siversky and Slobozhanskyy directions, Russian forces shelled the areas of the settlements of Lypivka and Hremyachka of the Chernihiv oblast; Budky, Iskryskivshchyna and Zapsillia - Sumy and Guriiv, Sotnytskyi Kozachok, Strilecha, Zelene, Ohirtseve, Hatyshche, Kolodyazne, Ridkodub, Novomlynsk and Dvorichna in Kharkiv oblast.
Areas of 19 settlements were damaged by fire in the Kupyansk and Lyman directions. Among them are Kupyansk, Kotlyarivka, Tabaivka, Klishchivka and Lozova in the Kharkiv oblast and Novoyehorivka, Kovalivka, Ploshanka, Makiivka, Nevske and Dibrova in the Luhansk oblast.
More than 15 settlements were shelled in the Bakhmut direction. In particular, Andriyivka, Spirne, Berestovka, Bilohorivka, Soledar, Bakhmutske, Bakhmut, Klishchiivka, Kurdyumivka and Stupochki of the Donetsk oblast.
Orlivka, Avdiivka, Vodiane, Vesele, Nevelske, Maryinka and Novomykhailivka in Donetsk oblast were affected in the Avdiivka oblast.
In the direction of Novopavlivsk, Russian forces shelled Vremivka, Novoukrainka, Prechystivka, and Vuhledar of the Donetsk oblast.
In the Zaporizhzhia and Kherson directions, Russian forces shelled the positions of Ukrainian troops with tanks, mortars and barrel artillery in the areas of more than 35 settlements. Among them are Malynivka, Bilohirya, Mala Tokmachka and Mali Shcherbaky in the Zaporizhzhia oblast and Zmiivka, Antonivka, Zelenivka, Dniprovske, Veletenske in the Kherson oblast.

Russian forces continue to use the network of civilian healthcare facilities in the temporarily occupied territory to treat wounded russian servicemen and mercenaries of private military companies. Thus, in Bilovodsk, Starobilsk district, Luhansk oblast, more than 100 wounded representatives of the "wagner" PMC continue to be treated. In addition, in the city of Tokmak, about 120 wounded occupiers are being treated on the territory of the so-called "military hospital".

In the city of Donetsk, the Russian invaders organized the removal of medical equipment and medical workers from the Kalinin Donetsk Oblast Clinical Hospital to Mariupol.

On December 28, more than 50 occupiers were eliminated as a result of fire damage by units of the Defense Forces of Russian positions in the Berdyansk district of the Zaporizhzhia oblast.

The Ukrainian aviation made 12 strikes on the areas where the invaders were concentrated and struck the position of the Russian forces' anti-aircraft missile system. And Ukrainian rocket launchers and artillerymen during the current day hit 4 control points and 3 areas of concentration of the Russian occupiers' manpower.

The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation reports on the defeat over the past day of 4 command posts of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (APU), 3 ammunition depots, 83 artillery units and 102 areas of concentration of enemy troops. In addition, two M777s, a HIMARS installation, an Msta-B howitzer, and D-20 and D-30 guns were hit.

Ukrainian Su-25 and Su-24 aircraft were shot down, as well as two Mi-8 helicopters. Seven drones and four projectiles were intercepted.

This morning, during attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure over the Russian airfield Engels-2, another enemy drone was destroyed, this time there were no casualties. Damage information is being updated.

The third attack in December was made possible thanks to reconnaissance of Russian military facilities by the NATO satellite constellation.

The situation in Donbass

Today, the People's Militia of the DPR released a report on the work of the Orlan-10 crew, which, in conjunction with the battery of 2A36 Giacint-B guns, hit the area where the enemy forces were concentrated. The transmission of intelligence data takes place in real time, and the efficiency of fire adjustment is also increased.

Law enforcement officers seized 342 cartridges, 2 smoke bombs, 2 F-1 grenades, 2 UZRGM fuses, a VOG-25 shot in the village of Severny. It is not specified under what circumstances this event occurred, however, it is known that the signal was received by the duty unit shortly after the said arsenal was discovered.

Meanwhile, fighting continues in the Donbass. The Ukrainian army continues to strengthen its defenses in the Bakhmut direction, where Wagner PMC fighters work. FAN military correspondents today visited the front line and showed how the tankers of the "musicians" work.