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Russo-Ukraine War - 03 February 2023 - Day 345

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 scale of Russian paramilitary Wagner Group's convict recruitment programme has probably significantly reduced from its peak between summer and autumn 2022.

The Russian Federal Penal Service (FSIN) figures released on 31 January 2023 reported a national penal population of 433,000, suggesting a decrease of 6000 inmates since November 2022. In contrast, FSIN data had indicated a decrease of 23,000 from September to November 2022. Wagner recruitment was likely a major contributing factor to this drop.

Separately, anecdotal evidence from Ukrainian combatants over the last ten days suggests a reduced Russian reliance on human wave style assaults by Wagner convict fighters in key sectors. Significant tensions between Wagner and the Russian Ministry of Defence are playing out in public; competition between factions in the Russian elite is likely to be partially responsible for the reduced supply of convicts.

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that during the day of February 3, Russian occupants launched a missile attack on the civilian infrastructure of the city of Barvinkove (Kharkiv oblast), causing civilian casualties. In addition, Russian forces launched more than 20x MLRS attacks. The threat of further Russian air and missile strikes across Ukraine remains high.

Russia continues offensive operations on Lyman, Bakhmut, Avdiivka, and Novopavlivka axes, suffering heavy losses in personnel and military equipment.
Volyn, Polissya, Sivershchyna, and Slobozhanshchyna axes: no Russian offensive groups were found. At the same time, the troops of the Russian Fderation continue cross-border shelling targeting Ukrainian settlements. The vicinities of settlements of Tymonovychi, Hrem'yach (Chernihiv oblast), Rozhkovychi, Tovstodubove, Studenok, Starykove, Volfyne, Mykolaivka (Sumy oblast), and Veterynarne, Hlyboke, Zelene, Neskuchne, Hatyshche, and Vovchans'k (Kharkiv oblast) came under fire.
Kup'yans'k axis: Russian forces fired tanks, mortars, and artillery at the vicinities of Dvorichna, Zapadne, Holubivka, Kup'yans'k, Kyslivka (Kharkiv oblast), and Stel'makhivka (Luhansk oblast).
Lyman axis: Tors'ke (Donetsk oblast), Makiivka, Chervonopopivka, and Dibrova (Luhansk oblast) were shelled.
Bakhmut axis: Spirne, Vesele, Bilohorivka, Paraskoviivka, Bakhmut, Ivanivs'ke, and Druzhba (Donetsk oblast) were hit.
Avdiivka axis: Tonen'ke, Vodyane, Heorhiivka, and Mar'inka came under Russian fire.
Novopavlivka axis: Neskuchne, Bohoyavlenka, and Vuhledar were shelled with tanks, mortars, and artillery.
Zaporizhzhia and Kherson axes: vicinities of more than 15x settlements came under Russian fire. Among them are Novopil', Vremivka (Donetsk oblast), Ol'hivs'ke, Malynivka, Huliaipilske, Novodanylivka, Mala Tokmachka (Zaporizhzhia oblast), Kherson, Kachkarivka, and Kozats'ke.

Russia continues to suffer losses. For example, in Bilovods'k (Luhansk oblast), the Russian occupiers converted the Central District Hospital into a military hospital and brought there up to 120x wounded servicemen of the Russian Federation armed forces.

With the aim to replenish its casualties, Russia continues its recruitment campaign among convicts. Over the past week, up to 1,000x mercenaries were recruited in the penitentiary institutions of Novosibirsk oblast (Russia).

During the day of February 3, the Ukrainian Air Force launched 4x air strikes on the Russian concentrations and 1x air strike on a position of its anti-aircraft missile system. At the same time, units of the missile troops and artillery of the Ukrainian Defense Forces struck 2x concentrations of Russian manpower.

The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation reported that, over the past day, units of the Russian Armed Forces inflicted a defeat on units of the Ukrainian 108th and 110th territorial defense brigades in the areas of Levadny, Marfopol and Lugovskoye in the Zaporozhye region. This led to the destruction of more than 20 Ukrainian servicemen, as well as the M-777 artillery system, two D-20 howitzers and one D-30.

In the Kherson direction, Russian troops destroyed self-propelled guns "Akatsiya" and two "Carnations" during the counter-battery fight. The launcher of the HIMARS multiple launch rocket system was destroyed near the village of Antonovka. Three Ukrainian ammunition depots were also hit in the settlements of Kazatskoe, Nikolaevka and Mikhailovka.

The Russian armed forces hit the positions of 86 Ukrainian artillery units, as well as manpower and equipment in 103 different areas, using tactical aircraft and artillery.

The Tochka-U missile launcher and the Norwegian-made NASAMS anti-aircraft missile system were destroyed near Pokrovsky in the Donetsk People's Republic. Also, a MiG-29 aircraft of the Ukrainian Air Force was shot down over this settlement; in other areas, seven drones were intercepted during the day.

In the afternoon, the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) shelled the border village of Nikolaevo-Daryino in the Kursk region, damaging the warehouses of a local agricultural enterprise. As a result of the shelling, power supply was disrupted in the village itself and neighboring Sverdlikovo. In this case, there are no victims.

The situation in Donbass

In the Kupyansk direction, air strikes and artillery fire hit units of the 103rd brigade of the territorial defense and the 92nd brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in Tabaevka, Berestovoye and Novoselovsky. 40 Ukrainian soldiers, an armored personnel carrier and an AN/TPQ-50 counter-battery radar were destroyed. In addition, the ammunition depot of the Armed Forces of Ukraine was liquidated in Blagodatovka.

At the same time, in the Limansky direction, artillery fire and offensive actions caused damage to the 66th, 25th and 80th Ukrainian brigades in Nevsky, Yampolovka and in Serebryansky forestry. The result was the destruction of 70 soldiers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, 2 armored vehicles, an infantry fighting vehicle, a D-20 howitzer and an M-777 artillery system. Also, not far from Liman, an enemy ammunition depot was liquidated.

In the Donetsk direction, the RF Armed Forces took up more advantageous positions and lines in the course of offensive operations. During the day, 40 Ukrainian soldiers, an MSTA-B howitzer and an AN / TPQ-37 counter-battery radar were destroyed. In Pokrovsk, a fuel storage facility for military equipment of the Armed Forces of Ukraine was hit. Ammunition depots have been liquidated in Kurakhovka and Mikhailovka.