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Russo-Ukraine War - 17 January 2023 - Day 328

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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 on 14 January 2023, Russia resumed long-range missile strikes against Ukrainian infrastructure, the first in approximately 15 days, launching tens of missiles. As with the previous eight waves of strikes since 11 October 2022, Russia primarily targeted the Ukrainian electricity grid.

An AS-4 KITCHEN large anti-ship missile, launched from a Tu-22M3 BACKFIRE medium bomber, highly likely struck a block of flats in Dnipro city which resulted in the death of at least 40 people. Russia falsely implied a Ukrainian air defence missile was responsible. KITCHEN is notoriously inaccurate when used against ground targets as its radar guidance system is poor at differentiating targets in urban areas. Similar weapons have been responsible for other incidents of civilian mass-casualties, including the Kremenchuk shopping centre strike of 27 June 2022.

While some missiles such as KITCHEN are unsuitable for precision strike, evidence from the Ukraine war suggests that dysfunction of Russia's long-range strike capability is more profound. It highly likely struggles to dynamically identify targets, and to access rapid and accurate battle damage assessment.

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that Russian occupants continue their full-scale armed aggression against Ukraine. Having no major achievements on the battlefield, Russia targets peaceful settlements. The Russian aggressor continues to destroy infrastructure and civilian residences, in violation of the rules of International Humanitarian Law, the laws and principles of war.

During the day of January 17, Russian forces launched 4x missile attacks, 2x of them against a civilian target in Kramatorsk (Donetsk oblast). Russian forces also launched 13x air strikes. The Russian occupant forces launched 23x MLRS attacks.

The threat of air and missile strikes by the Russian Federation on civilian targets across Ukraine remains high.

Russia does not abandon its intentions to capture Donetsk oblast within its administrative borders. Russia focuses its main efforts on offensive operations on Bakhmut axis. Russian forces' offensive on Avdiivka axis is unsuccessful. Russia is trying to improve its tactical situation on Kup'yans'k and Lyman axis, while defending on Novopavlivka, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson axes.

Volyn, Polissya, Sivershchyna, and Slobozhanshchyna axes: no significant changes, no Russian offensive groups were found. The republic of belarus continues to support the russian armed aggression, the rotation of Russian units undergoing training in the territory of the Republic of Belarus continues.
The vicinities of settlements of Mykolaivka (Chernihiv oblast), Atyns'ke (Sumy oblast), Veterinarne, Luk'yantsi, Starytsya, Hatyshche, Vovchans'k, Rybalkyne, Nesterne, Zemlyanky, Bolohivka, Kam'yanka, Dvorichna (Kharkiv oblast) were shelled with mortars and artillery.
Kup'yans'k axis: Russian forces shelled the vicinities of Kyslivka, Kotlyarivka, Ivanivka (Kharkiv oblast), as well as Novoselivs'ke, Andriivka (Luhansk oblast).
Lyman axis: Russian forces fired the entire range of artillery at the vicinities of settlements of Ploshchanka, Chervonopopivka, Kreminna, Dibrova (Luhansk oblast), Terny, and Yampolivka (Donetsk oblast).
Bakhmut axis: the vicinities of Verkhn'okam'yans'ke, Vyimka, Bilohorivka, Vesele, Soledar, Krasna Hora, Bakhmut, Klishchiivka, Kurdyumivka, Druzhba, Zalizne, New York (Donetsk oblast) were hit by Russian artillery.
Avdiivka axis: Avdiivka, Vodyane, Nevel's'ke, Heorhiivka, Mar'inka, and Novomykhailivka (Donetsk oblast) came under Russian fire.
Novopavlivka axis: Russian forces fired artillery and mortars at the vicinities of settlements of Vuhledar, Mykil's'ki Dachi, and Prechystivka (Donetsk oblast).
Zaporizhzhia axis: more than 10x settlements were damaged by artillery fire, in particular Vremivka, Novopil' (Donetsk oblast), Temyrivka, Poltavka, Malynivka, Hulyaipole, Mala Tokmachka, Novoandriivka, Shcherbaky, Stepove, Kam'yans'ke, and Plavni (Zaporizhzhia oblast).
Kherson axis: Russian forces do not stop terrorizing civilians. In particular, Antonivka and Kherson were shelled with multiple launch rocket systems, civilians were injured.

Russian occupants attempt to isolate the civilians in the temporarily occupied territories of Kherson oblast from access to alternative sources of information. Along with stopping the broadcast of all Ukrainian TV channels, the Russian invaders made Russian mobile operators the only available means of mobile communication.

According to the available information, Russian occupants are intensifying searches for their deserters in the temporarily occupied territories. Under the pretext of searching for Ukrainian saboteurs, the Russian invaders are conducting raids in the settlements of Kherson oblast.

During the day of January 17, Ukrainian Air Force launched 10x air strikes on Russian concentrations of personnel, weapons, and military equipment. Moreover, Ukrainian Defense Forces destroyed 1x Russian Su-25 aircraft. Ukrainian missile and artillery troops attacked 2x command posts, as well as 1x concentration of Russian troops, 1x ammunition depot, 1x electronic warfare station, and 1x radio-location station.

Statements of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation

The Russian Ministry of Defense in a daily briefing 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 offensive operations. In addition, 3 Ukrainian sabotage and reconnaissance groups were liquidated in the Kharkiv region and the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR). The total losses of the enemy amounted to about 220 troops. 2 tanks, 2 infantry fighting vehicles, 8 armored vehicles, 15 pickups and cars were destroyed.

Operational-tactical aviation, missile forces and artillery hit the Ukrainian territorial defense weapons depot in the Kharkiv region, 82 artillery units and military equipment of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in 98 districts.

During the counter-battery fight, howitzers "Crab" and M109 "Paladin" were destroyed, as well as a combat vehicle of the multiple launch rocket system (MLRS) "Grad" in the Kharkiv region. In the DPR, the D-20 howitzer, 2 Giacint-B howitzers were eliminated, in the Luhansk People's Republic (LPR) - 2 Akatsiya howitzers. Also, 5 howitzers were destroyed in the DPR, Kherson and Zaporozhye regions. In the Kherson region, 2 radar stations (radar) of counter-battery warfare manufactured by the United States AN / TPQ-50 were destroyed, in the DPR and the Kharkiv region - radars AN / TPQ-36 and AN / TPQ-48.

Air defense means (air defense) destroyed 6 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles in the LPR and DPR. 14 HIMARS and Alder MLRS shells were intercepted in the LPR, DPR and Kharkiv region. In the Kherson region, a HARM anti-radar missile was shot down, in the Zaporozhye region, a Tochka-U ballistic missile.

Zaporozhye region

On the territories of the Zaporozhye region liberated during the special operation, the civilian infrastructure is being restored. So, in the Melitopol region, work has started on the global reconstruction of water networks. Experts plan to restore the highway with a length of about 150 kilometers from the village of Akimovka to Berdyansk.

Volodymyr Rogov, a member of the main council of the administration of the Zaporozhye region, did not rule out that the power units of the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant could be put into generation mode in the near future, provided there were no shelling from the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

About 5,000 residents returned to Vasilievka, located near the contact line. According to the head of the Vasilyevsky district, Natalia Romanichenko, mostly people who evacuated to the territory of Ukraine are returning.

"They went there, they saw that it was bad, there was no support, that everything was not as prescribed in the Telegram channels," Romanichenko noted.

In the Kyiv-controlled city of Zaporozhye, a bust of the poet Alexander Pushkin was dismantled. The monument was located on the territory of the school.

Kherson region

On Tuesday night, the Armed Forces of Ukraine shelled Kakhovka, as a result of the attack, 2 people were killed, there are wounded, including a child. Local authorities reported that all the victims were hospitalized in the central district hospital.

Residents of the Kherson region from February 1 will begin to receive compensation for housing and communal services, local authorities reported.

DNR

During the day, Donetsk, as well as the settlements of Aleksandrovka, Blagodatnoe, Volnovakha, Khartsyzsk, and Shirokaya Balka came under shelling by the Armed Forces of Ukraine. As a result of the attacks, a resident of Volnovakha died, and another civilian was killed when hitting Blagodatny.

Acting head of the DPR Denis Pushilin said that the cleaning of the skyscrapers in Maryinka had been completed. At the same time, the Armed Forces of Ukraine, according to him, are trying to stay in the private sector, in pre-prepared positions.

LC

The situation with the payment of pensions for January has stabilized in the LPR, Tatyana Vasilyeva, head of the republic's pension fund, said at a meeting with Chairman of the LPR Government Sergey Kozlov. Earlier, she informed about delays in the payment of pensions to some citizens for technical reasons.