Russo-Ukraine War - 13 January 2023 - Day 324
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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]
The UK Ministry of Defence reported that the Russian defence manufacturing sector is highly likely resorting to using convict labour in an effort to meet war-time production demands. In November 2022, Uralvagonzavod (UVZ), Russia's largest tank manufacturer, told local media that it would employ 250 prisoners after meeting with the Federal Penal Service (FSIN).
There is a long tradition of prison labour in Russia, but since 2017 forced labour as a specific criminal punishment was reintroduced. With one of the highest rates of incarceration in the world, FSIN oversees a sprawling empire of over 400,000 inmates and has frequently been accused of extreme brutality and corruption.
The prison population provides a unique human resource to Russian leaders to utilise in support of the 'special military operation' while willing volunteers remain in short supply. Convict labour will likely be particularly in demand from manufacturers of relatively low-tech weaponry such as UVZ, which are almost certainly under intense pressure from Moscow to increase their production.
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that during the day of January 13, Russian forces launched 2x missile strikes on the civilian infrastructure of Kostyantynivka (Donetsk oblast), as well as 8x air strikes on the positions of Ukrainian troops. The Russian occupant forces launched more than 40x MLRS attacks.
The threat of air and missile strikes on critical infrastructure facilities across all of Ukraine remains high. Russia continues to focus its main efforts on capturing Donetsk oblast within its administrative border, keeps advancing on Bakhmut axis.
Russia continues unsuccessful offensive operations on Avdiivka axis. On Kupyansk and Lyman axes, Russian forces keep trying to improve their tactical situation. The invaders are defending on Novopavlivka, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson axes.
Volyn, Polissya, Sivershchyna, and Slobozhanshchyna axes: no significant changes, no Russian offensive groups were found. Certain units of the armed forces of the Republic of Belarus and the russian federation continue their missions in the areas bordering Ukraine. At the same time, the vicinities of settlements of Ohirtseve, Vovchans'k, Budarky, Mali Prokhody, Ternova, Bilyi Kolodyaz', Bolohivka, Dvorichna, and Hryhorivka (Kharkiv oblast) were shelled with mortars and artillery.
Kup'yans'k axis: Russian forces fired tanks, mortars, artillery and missile systems in the vicinities of settlements of Vil'shana, Kup'yans'k, Orlyanka, Kyslivka, Tabaivka, Berestove (Kharkiv oblast), and Stel'makhivka (Luhansk oblast).
Lyman axis: Russian forces fired tanks, mortars, artillery and missile systems in the vicinities of settlements of Makiivka, Nevs'ke, Chervonopopivka (Luhansk oblast).
Bakhmut axis: Russian forces fired tanks, mortars, artillery and missile systems at the vicinities of settlements of Spirne, Bilohorivka, Rozdolivka, Yakovlivka, Soledar, Krasna Hora, Bakhmut, Klishchiivka, Kurdyumivka, Druzhba, and Pivnichne (Donetsk oblast).
Avdiivka axis: Russian forces fired tanks, mortars, artillery and missile systems in the vicinities of settlements of Krasnohorivka, Avdiivka, Mar'inka, Berdychi, Vodyane, Novomykhailivka (Donetsk oblast).
Novopavlivka axis: Russian forces fired tanks, mortars, artillery and missile systems in the vicinities of settlements of Vuhledar, Vremivka, and Zolota Nyva (Donetsk oblast).
Zaporizhzhia axis: Russian forces employed tanks, mortars, artillery and missile systems in the vicinities of settlements of Vil'ne Pole (Donetsk oblast), Huliaipilske, Hulyaipole, Shevchenko, Charivne, Mala Tokmachka, Orikhiv, Kam'yans'ke, Zelenyi Hai, Malynivka (Zaporizhzhia oblast).
Kherson axis: Russian forces keeps shelling the settlements along the right bank of the Dnipro river. The suburbs and the city of Kherson came under mortar and artillery fire.
Russia continues to suffer losses. According to available information, military medics of the armed forces of the Russian Federation arrived to replenish the shortage of medical personnel in the Novotroitsk Central District Hospital (temporarily occupied territory of the Kherson oblast). As of January 12, 2023, up to 160x wounded servicemen of the Russian occupation troops were located in the hospital that was re-arranged as a military hospital.
During the day of January 13, Ukrainian Air Force launched 9x air strikes on Russian concentrations of personnel, weapons, and military equipment. Units of the missile troops and artillery of the Ukrainian Defense Forces hit 1x command post, 6x Russian concentrations of manpower and military equipment, 1x anti-aircraft missile system of the adversary, and 3x ammunition depots.
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 in the Kupyansky, Limansky and South-Donetsk directions were hit during the day. The cumulative losses of Ukrainian troops amounted to at least 80 military personnel, 4 armored personnel carriers, 5 armored combat vehicles, 8 cars and pickup trucks.
Operational-tactical aviation, missile forces and artillery hit 117 artillery units, manpower and military equipment in 105 districts. 4 warehouses of ammunition and rocket and artillery weapons of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, as well as a hangar with weapons and military equipment in the Zaporozhye region and the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) were destroyed.
During the counter-battery fight, the Uragan multiple launch rocket system (MLRS) combat vehicle, 2 Grad MLRS launchers, 2S1 Gvozdika howitzer, 3 2S3 Akatsiya self-propelled howitzers, 3 D-20 howitzers in the DPR and Zaporozhye region were destroyed .
Air defense systems destroyed 3 unmanned aerial vehicles of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the DPR and the Lugansk People's Republic (LPR).
In its evening statement, the Russian Defense Ministry confirmed that the assault on the fortifications of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the city of Soledar was carried out exclusively by units of the Wagner PMC. The department highly noted the professionalism of the "orchestra" fighters.
"This combat mission was successfully completed by the courageous and selfless actions of the volunteers of the Wagner PMC assault detachments," the department stressed.
Kherson region
Acting Governor of the Kherson region Volodymyr Saldo ruled out the possibility of the Ukrainian army breaking through to the left bank of the Dnieper after the river freezes. According to him, such a scenario is practically impossible, stuffing on this topic is a fiction spread by the Kyiv regime.
The official also said that in the end, Kherson, temporarily occupied by the Armed Forces of Ukraine, would return under the control of the allied forces. The city itself, according to his information, is threatened with a humanitarian catastrophe - the local infrastructure is being rapidly destroyed by the Ukrainian military.
The first stone of the new city on the Arbat Spit will be laid in the near future, the acting head of the region said. According to him, design work continues, the name of the settlement will be determined on a competitive basis.
Saldo also noted that the construction of a fortification line in the region has been largely completed, which is already acquiring signs of a modern defensive system. She, the official said, will be in the area on a permanent basis.
DNR
During the day on January 13, Ukrainian formations opened fire on Donetsk, as well as the settlements of Yakovlevka, Makeevka, Yasinovataya, Mineralnoe, Kashtanovoe, Gorlovka. In Donetsk, damage to residential buildings was recorded, and a direct hit of a shell of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the pharmacy building near the maternity hospital named after Vishnevsky was also noted.
About 100 civilians have already been evacuated from Soledar, liberated by Wagner PMC units, to Shakhtersk. The head of the administration of Shakhtyorsk, Alexander Shatov, said that all of them are in temporary residences, provided with food and personal hygiene products.
LC
From the beginning of the day, the settlement of Svatovo came under shelling of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. As a result of the attack, the oil press shop was damaged.
Law enforcement agencies of the LPR opened a criminal case against a native of Great Britain, an employee of the OSCE SMM under the article "espionage". According to investigators, he passed on to the Ukrainian side data on the locations of personnel and equipment of the People's Militia of the LPR. This information was then used by the Armed Forces of Ukraine for shelling the territory of the republic. The Ministry of State Security of the LPR stated that a number of employees of the OSCE monitoring mission worked in the interests of foreign intelligence services.
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