Russo-Ukraine War - 16 January 2023 - Day 327
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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 over the weekend, intense fighting continued in both the Kremina and Bakhmut sectors of the Donbas front. As of 15 January 2023, Ukrainian Armed Forces (UAF) almost certainly maintained positions in Soledar, north of Bakhmut, in the face of continued Wagner Group assaults.
Around Kremina, fighting has been characterised by a complex series of local attacks and counter-attacks in wooded country. However, overall, the UAF continue to gradually advance their front line east on the edge of Kremina town.
Over the last six weeks, both Russia and Ukraine have achieved hard-fought but limited gains in different sectors. In these circumstances, a key operational challenge for both sides is to generate formations of uncommitted, capable troops which can exploit the tactical successes to create operational breakthroughs.
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that during the day of January 16, 2023, Russian occupant forces launched 2x missile and 6x air strikes, and more than 20 MLRS attacks, including on the civilian infrastructure of Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson oblasts. The attacks have killed and wounded civilians.
The threat of further Russian air and missile attacks across Ukraine remains high.
Volyn, Polissya, Sivershchyna, and Slobozhanshchyna axes: no significant changes, no offensive groups of the adversary were found. At the same time, a joint flight and tactical training of air force units of the armed forces of the Republic of Belarus and Russia, which are part of a regional grouping of troops that involves combat aircraft of both countries, began near the Ukrainian border on January 16. Thus, under the guise of joint training, Russia has reinforced its combat aircraft group in Belarus. Due to this, the threat of missile and air strikes from the airspace of Belarus is growing. At the same time, the vicinities of more than 30x settlements were shelled with tanks, mortars, and artillery. Among the targets were Veterynarne, Zelene, Ternova, Starytsya, Vil'cha, Budarky, Topoli (Kharkiv oblast), Seredyna Buda, Popivka, Pavlivka, and Kindrativka (Sumy oblast).
Kup'yans'k and Lyman axes: Russian forces shelled the vicinities of more than 10x settlements. Among them are Kotlyarivka, Krokhmal'ne, Berestove, Vil'shana (Kharkiv oblast), as well as Novoselivs'ke, Stel'makhivka, Makiivka, Nevs'ke, and Kreminna (Luhansk oblast).
Bakhmut axis: Rozdolivka, Krasnopolivka, Soledar, Krasna Hora, Bakhmut, Klishchiivka, Bila Hora, Kurdyumivka, Pivnichne, and Vesele (Donetsk oblast), were shelled among more than 15x settlements.
Avdiivka axis: Krasnohorivka, Berdychi, Kam'yanka, Avdiivka, Pervomais'ke, Nevel's'ke, Heorhiivka, Mar'inka, and Novomykhailivka (Donetsk oblast) came under Russian fire.
Novopavlivka axis: Vuhledar, Prechystivka, Mykil's'ki Dachi, and Velyka Novosilka (Donetsk oblast) were shelled.
Zaporizhzhia axis: artillery hits reported in the vicinities of more than 15x settlements, including Zelene Pole, Ol'hivs'ke, Poltavka, Bilohir'ya, Novodanylivka, Orikhiv, Novoandriivka, Stepove, Hulyaipole, and Kam'yans'ke (Zaporizhzhia oblast).
Kherson axis: the Russian occupants do not stop terrorizing civilians. In particular, Havrylivka, Dudchany, Kachkarivka, Zmiivka, Beryslav, L'vove, Novotyahynka, Sadove, Antonivka, Kizomys, and Kherson were shelled with mortars and artillery.
On the territory of Russia, foreign citizens who are pending to become citizens of the Russian Federation are offered to voluntarily enlist in the Russian army and automatically obtain Russian citizenship. Also, commercial structures in Moscow are pressured into financial support of the Russian armed forces through the transfer of funds in the amount of 10 million rubles. At the same time, at the Kadamovskiy training ground (Rostov oblast, Russia), units with the mobilized men are expected to arrive for training and further manning of detachments and units of the Russian occupation troops participating in combat in Ukraine. The replenishment will primarily man the private military contractor Wagner and Bars units, which are permanently suffering casualties in Ukraine.
According to the available information, Russian forces used an S-300 system in Novopskov (Starobilsk district, Luhansk oblast) on January 15. As a result, one missile fell on a residential building, killing two civilians.
In the settlements of the temporarily occupied territories of Zaporizhzhia and Kherson oblasts, Russian invaders are intensifying counterintelligence and security measures, conducting intensive checks of the local residents. Particular attention is paid to their mobile phones.
During the day of January 16, 2023, units of the missile troops and artillery of the Ukrainian Defense Forces hit 1x command post, 8 concentrations of the Russian occupant forces, 1x fuel and lubricants depot, and 1x Russian ammunition depot.
Statements of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation
During the briefing, the Russian Ministry of Defense reported that units and places of accumulation of equipment of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Kupyansky, Limansky and South-Donetsk directions were hit during the day. In the Donetsk direction, the allied forces continued to conduct offensive operations. The total losses of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the combat zone amounted to about 205 military personnel, a large number of equipment.
Operational-tactical aviation, rocket troops and artillery of the allied forces destroyed a warehouse of weapons, military and special equipment of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR), a hangar with military equipment of the National Guard of Ukraine in the Zaporozhye region, as well as 79 artillery units, manpower and military equipment in 101 districts.
During the counter-battery fight in the DPR, a Grad multiple launch rocket system (MLRS) combat vehicle, Giacint-B and D-30 howitzers in the DPR, as well as Msta-B, Akatsiya, and Gvozdika howitzers in the DPR were destroyed. Zaporozhye and Kherson regions. In Donbass, 2 AN/TPQ-37 and AN/TPQ-50 counter-battery radars made in the USA were destroyed.
Air defense systems destroyed 3 unmanned aerial vehicles of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Lugansk People's Republic (LPR), as well as 7 shells of the Uragan and HIMARS MLRS in the LPR, DPR and Zaporozhye region.
Zaporozhye region
Acting Governor of the Zaporozhye region Yevgeny Balitsky said that the authorities of the region do not touch the local residents who are waiting for the arrival of the Ukrainian military. According to him, there really is such a category of people, but no persecution is being carried out against them. At the same time, he added that citizens involved in extremism and their knowledgeable relatives are being evicted to the territory controlled by Kyiv. This measure does not apply to criminals - they are tried in accordance with the law.
The issue with the payment of maternity capital in the Zaporozhye region will be resolved by February, said Balitsky. He noted that the lists for receiving such assistance are currently being verified.
Vladimir Rogov, a member of the main council of the administration of the Zaporozhye region, said that Kyiv had transferred part of the units from the Zaporozhye direction, presumably to the Bakhmut area.
DPR
During the day, Ukrainian troops opened fire on Donetsk, as well as the settlements of Makeevka, Golmovsky, Gorlovka, Yelenovka, Shirokaya Balka, and Zaitsevo.
As a result of attacks in the Kalininsky district of Donetsk, 4 civilians were injured, the building of a shopping center, a service station and apartment buildings, as well as a fixed-route taxi came under fire. In Makiivka, the administrative building of the Lenin mine was damaged, and a residential building was damaged. Residential development also suffered in Yelenovka.
War correspondent Yarem reported that the detachments of the Wagner PMC completely liberated the village of Sol in the vicinity of Soledar. He also spoke about the heavy fighting for Kleshcheevka near Bakhmut - the Armed Forces of Ukraine are offering fierce resistance to the advancing units of the "orchestra".
LC
In Svatovo, in a destroyed warehouse, more than 6,000 cartridges of various calibers were found and seized. According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the LPR, an inspection is underway.
Another cache was found in the Perevalsk region. Machine guns, grenade launchers, TNT and more than a thousand rounds of ammunition were seized from an uninhabited house in one of the settlements.
Gas supply to Lisichansk has been restored by 100%, said the head of the Gorgaz enterprise, Natalya Vashuyko. She noted that the Ukrainian military deliberately destroyed the gas infrastructure during the withdrawal, the supply has not been carried out since May 26. Since then, the networks have been fully restored.
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