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Russo-Ukraine War - 07 January 2023 - Day 318

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 fighting has continued at a routine level into the Orthodox Christmas period. One of the most fiercely contested sectors continues to be around the town of Kremina, in Luhansk Oblast.

In the last three weeks, the fighting around Kremina has focused on the heavily forested terrain to the west of the town. With the coniferous woodland providing some cover from air observation even in winter, both sides are highly likely struggling to accurately adjust artillery fire. As is typical with operations in forests, combat has largely devolved to dismounted infantry fighting, often at short range.

Russian commanders will highly likely view pressure around Kremina as a threat to the right flank of their Bakhmut sector, which they see as key for enabling any future advance to occupy the remainder of Donetsk Oblast.

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that despite the announced so-called "ceasefire", Russian occupant forces continue to conduct tank, mortar and artillery attacks on Ukrainian positions. Along with this, during the day of January 7, Russian forces launched 1x air strike and 7x MLRS attacks.

The threat of Russian air and missile strikes on critical infrastructure across Ukraine remains high.

Russia is focusing its efforts on offensive operations on Bakhmut, Avdiivka, and Lyman axes and attempting to improve its tactical situation on Kup'yans'k axis. On Novopavlivka, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson axes, the Russian invaders continue to conduct active defense at the previously occupied frontiers.

Volyn and Polissya axes: no significant changes.
Slobozhanshchyna axis: the Russian invaders shelled the vicinities of settlements of Strilecha, Starytsya, Vovchans'k, and Ohirtseve (Kharkiv oblast).
Kup'yans'k and Lyman axes: Russian fire activity was reported near 13x settlements. In particular, these are Ivanivka, Dvorichna, Hryanykivka, Kotlyarivka, Berestove, Vyshneve (Kharkiv oblast), Ploshchanka, Nevs'ke, Chervonopopivka, and Dibrova (Luhansk oblast).
Bakhmut axis: Russian forces shelled more than 15x settlements. Among them are Verkhn'okam'yans'ke, Berestove, Bilohorivka, Vesele, Krasna Hora, Bakhmut, Klishchiivka, Bila Hora, Maiors'k, and New York (Donetsk oblast).
Avdiivka axis: Berdychi, Avdiivka, Krasnohorivka, Heorhiivka, Mar'inka, and Novomykhailivka (Donetsk oblast) came under Russian fire.
Novopavlivka axis: Velyka Novosilka, Vuhledar, Prechystivka, and Mykil's'ke (Donetsk oblast) were shelled.
Zaporizhzhia axis: vicinities of 16x settlements came under fire. Among them are Vremivka (Donetsk oblast), Ol'hivs'ke, Poltavka, Malynivka, Dorozhnyanka, Zaliznychne, Luhivs'ke, Shcherbaky, and Stepove (Zaporizhzhia oblast).
Kherson axis: civilian infrastructure in the vicinity of 17x settlements was damaged by mortar and artillery shelling. In particular, these are Respublikanets', Novoberyslav, Burhunka, Kherson, Ivanivka, Ponyativka, Inhulets', Inzhenerne, Mykil's'ke and Prydniprovs'ke.

In the temporarily occupied Melitopol' and Pryazovs'ke (Zaporizhzhia oblast), the Russian occupants stopped broadcasts of all Ukrainian TV channels, only Russian TV is on air.

During the day of January 7, the Ukrainian Air Force struck 21x Russian forces concentrations, as well as 3x air strikes on the positions of its anti-aircraft missile systems. In the meantime, Ukrainian missile and artillery troops hit 4x concentrations of Russian troops and 2x ammunition depots.

The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation reports that during the first day of the ceasefire, the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) carried out 111 episodes of artillery shelling. At the same time, officials of the Kyiv regime initially stated that they would not support a truce.

During this period, the Russian regular army only defended itself in all directions, in total destroying or injuring about 120 enemy soldiers, eliminating two tanks, a Grad rocket launcher, six vehicles, two armored vehicles, two D-20 howitzers and two D-30 guns.

During this period, anti-aircraft weapons intercepted four enemy drones, five rockets from HIMARS systems and a HARM anti-radar missile.

The situation in the Donbass

Russian units took control of the village of Podgorodnoye on the northeastern outskirts of Bakhmut. Assault detachments of PMC "Wagner" are currently clearing the settlement.

Meanwhile, the enemy used unidentified chemical weapons in street fighting for Bakhmut himself. One of the "Wagnerites" told military commander Alexander Simonov that the incident took place on Trudovye Rezervy Street. The fighters who fell under this attack were evacuated to the hospital in serious condition with burns of the respiratory tract and mucous membranes.

Also, fierce fighting continues in Soledar. The Armed Forces of Ukraine here are fighting for every house and entrance, using aircraft, which refutes the information disseminated on the Web about the impending surrender of the city. Nevertheless, Wagner PMCs have already reached its central part.

Meanwhile, the Armed Forces of Ukraine continued to attack along the entire front line, forcing the defenders of Donbass to take measures aimed at holding the occupied lines.