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Russo-Ukraine War - 02 January 2023 - Day 313

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 over the last five days, Russian and Ukrainian forces have probably been fighting for control of the P66 highway, north of the Russian-held Luhansk Oblast town of Kremina.

The P66 is a key supply route for the northern section of Russia's Donbas front from the Belgorod region of Russia. Its use has been disrupted by Ukrainian artillery since October, but if Ukraine were able to secure the route, if would highly likely further undermine Russia's defence of Kremina.

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that Russian forces launched missile and 28 air strikes. It should be noted that the Russian occupiers carried out 27 airstrikes against civilian infrastructure using the Shahed-136 UAV. All these drones were shot down. The threat of further air and missile strikes remains on the entire territory of Ukraine.

Russia, losing a lot of manpower, continues to focus on conducting offensive actions on the Bakhmut and tries to improve the tactical position on the Kupyansk and Avdiivska directions.

The situation has not changed significantly in the Volyn, Polissya, Siverskyi and Slobozhanskyi directions. No signs of the formation of hostile offensive groups were detected.
On the Siverskyi and Slobozhanskyi directions, the areas of Yelina settlements of the Chernihiv oblast were hit by shelling; Maiske - Sumy oblast, as well as Strilecha, Starytsa, Vovchansk and Kamianka in Kharkiv oblast.
In the Kupyansk direction, Russian forces fired mortars and rocket artillery at the districts of Novomlynsk, Dvorichna, Liman Pershyi, Vilshana, Kupyansk, Orlyanka, Kotlyarivka of the Kharkiv oblast, and Andriivka and Stelmakhivka of the Luhansk oblast.
On the Lyman direction, Makiyivka, Chervonopopivka and Dibrova in the Luhansk oblast, as well as Terny in the Donetsk oblast, came under Russian fire.
In the direction of Bakhmut, the Russian occupiers continue to shell the areas of the settlements of Spirne, Bilohorivka, Vesele, Soledar, Bakhmut, Kostyantynivka, Stupochki, Klishchiivka, Bila Hora, Kurdyumivka, Mayorsk and New York in Donetsk oblast.
Russian fire was recorded in the Avdiivka direction in Berdychi, Avdiivka, Heorhiivka, Marinka, and Vodyane in the Donetsk oblast.
In the Novopavlovsk direction, Vuhledar, Zolota Nyva, Velyka Novosilka and Vremivka in Donetsk oblast were affected by the fire.
In the Zaporizhzhia direction, Russian forces inflicted fire damage on the Novopil settlements of Donetsk oblast; Olhivske, Hulyaipole, Dorozhnyanka, Hulyaipilske, Charivne, Novodanylivka, Orihiv, Mali Shcherbaki, Stepove, Kamianske and Plavni in the Zaporizhzhia region and Musiivka in the Dnipropetrovsk oblast.
In the Kherson direction, Russia continues shelling populated areas along the right bank of the Dnipro River. In particular, the civil infrastructure of Kherson, Antonivka, and Beryslav was damaged by artillery shelling. There are wounded among the civilian population.

On December 31, up to 10 units of Russian military equipment of various types were destroyed and damaged in the area of concentration in the settlement of Makiivka, Donetsk oblast, the losses of personnel of the Russian occupiers are being specified.

Russian invaders continue to commit illegal actions against local residents in the temporarily occupied territory of the Kherson oblast. The Russian occupiers collect information about persons engaged in business activities and seize their vehicles and goods.

During the day, the Ukrainian aviation made 10 strikes on Russian concentration areas and 5 strikes on the positions of its anti-aircraft missile systems.

The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation reports on strikes against the points of deployment of foreign mercenaries in Markovo, Kramatorsk and Novoosinovo, as a result of which more than 70 militants were killed and over 100 wounded. At the same time, 67 artillery units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) and 92 troop concentration areas were hit. Two ammunition depots and two fuel depots have been liquidated.

Air defense systems intercepted 15 enemy drones, and also shot down three rockets of the Alder and Uragan systems.

It is also officially stated that 63 soldiers of the RF Armed Forces were killed as a result of a strike by HIMARS installations on the location of Russian military personnel in the city of Makeyevka on New Year's Eve.

The villages of Vyazovoe and Murom in the Belgorod region came under fire from the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov announced today. It is noteworthy that the cemetery was damaged next to the latter: shells damaged at least 15 graves.

The situation in Donbass

During the day, Russian units were actively advancing in the areas of the settlements of Stelmakhovka and Ploshanka, and also hit in the direction of Belogorovka. Artillery hit the positions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in Zapadny, Masyutovka and Kupyansk. At the same time, a certain number of enemy strongholds were occupied.

Over the past day, in the Kupyansk and Limansk directions, the 103rd, 105th, 13th, 95th brigades of the Armed Forces of Ukraine lost more than 70 people in total as a result of artillery strikes from the Russian side, as well as five armored vehicles and five cars.

In the Donetsk direction, as a result of the offensive of the Russian Armed Forces units and artillery strikes against enemy positions, about 110 soldiers from the 60th and 79th brigades of the Armed Forces of Ukraine were killed or wounded, seven armored vehicles and seven vehicles were destroyed.