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Russo-Ukraine War - 07 February 2023 - Day 349

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 it is highly likely that Russia has been attempting to re-start major offensive operations in Ukraine since early January 2023. Its operational goal is almost certainly to capture the remaining Ukrainian-held parts of Donetsk Oblast.

Russian forces have only managed to gain several hundred metres of territory per week. This is almost certainly because Russia now lacks the munitions and manoeuvre units required for successful offensives. enior commanders likely make plans requiring undermanned, inexperienced units to achieve unrealistic objectives due to political and professional pressure.

Russian leaders will likely continue to demand sweeping advances. It remains unlikely that Russia can build up the forces needed to substantially affect the outcome of the war within the coming weeks.

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that during day of February 7, Russian forces launched 1x missile and 16x air strikes. The occupant forces launched 14x MLRS attacks, in particular, at civilian targets in Ochakiv (Mykolaiv oblast) and Antonivka (Kherson oblast).

The threat of further Russian air and missile strikes across Ukraine remains high.

Volyn, Polissya, Sivershchyna, and Slobozhanshchyna axes: no changes, no offensive groups of the adversary were found. The vicinities of settlements of Zaruts'ke, Popivka, Sadky (Sumy oblast), Strilecha, Morokhovets', Zelene, Neskuchne, Vovchans'k, Budarky, Vil'khuvatka, Krasne Pershe, Novomlyns'k, and Kam'yanka (Kharkiv oblast) were shelled.
Kup'yans'k and Lyman axes: Russian forces shelled the vicinities of over 30x settlements. Among them are Dvorichna, Hryanykivka, Kucherivka, Kotlyarivka, Krokhmal'ne, Vyshneve (Kharkiv oblast), Novoselivs'ke, Stel'makhivka, Novojehorivka, Makiivka, Ploshchanka, Nevs'ke, Pishchane, Kreminna, Dibrova, and Bilohorivka (Luhansk oblast).
Bakhmut axis: Zaliznyans'ke, Krasna Hora, Bakhmut, Ivanivske, Mykolaivka, Stupochky, Klishchiivka, Kurdyumivka, New York, and Vesele (Donetsk oblast) were shelled. In total, more than 15x settlements were targeted.
Avdiivka and Novopavlivka axes: Avdiivka, Vodyane, Netaylove, Mar'inka, Novomykhailivka, Bohoyavlenka, Vuhledar, Velyka Novosilka, Zolota Nyva, and Neskuchne (Donetsk oblast) came under tank, mortar, and artillery fire.
Zaporizhzhia axis: vicinities of over 20x settlements were hit, including Novopil', Ol'hivs'ke, Malynivka, Hulyaipole, Zaliznychne, Mala Tokmachka, Orikhiv, Novodanylivka, Mali Shcherbaky, and Stepove (Zaporizhzhia oblast).
Kherson axis: Russian fire damaged 17x settlements. In particular, Mykhailivka, Havrylivka, Mylove, Zmiivka, Novoberyslav, Kozats'ke, Ivanivka, Mykil's'ke, Antonivka, and Kherson.

In Melitopol' (Zaporizhzhia oblast), the Russian occupiers are forcing employees of public institutions who have received russian citizenship to renounce their Ukrainian citizenship in writing. Those non-compliant are threatened with dismissal.

During the day of February 7, the Ukrainian Air Force launched 7x air strikes on the concentrations of Russian personnel and military equipment, and 2x air strikes on the positions of anti-aircraft missile systems. The Ukrainian Defence Forces also destroyed 1x Russian SU-25 attack aircraft and 1x Orlan UAV of the enemy.

The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation reported that, on the Kherson front, systematic artillery strikes against concentrations of enemy forces and equipment led to the destruction of up to 20 Ukrainian soldiers, an Akatsiya self-propelled howitzer, and an ammunition depot near the village of Taras Shevchenko.

Meanwhile, the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation used rocket and artillery troops to suppress 86 artillery units, inflict damage on personnel and military equipment of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) in 139 districts.

Thanks to air defense systems, nine enemy drones and seven rockets fired from HIMARS and Uragan installations were shot down.

The situation in Donbass

Combat operations were carried out in the Kupyansk direction with the use of strikes by assault and army aviation, as well as artillery fire from the "Western" grouping of the RF Armed Forces. This led to the defeat of manpower and equipment of units of the 14th and 92nd mechanized brigades of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) in the areas of the settlements of Ivanovka, Berestovoe, Kharkiv region and Novoselovskoe, Luhansk People's Republic. Here the enemy lost over 50 personnel, as well as two combat armored vehicles, a D-30 howitzer and at least four vehicles.

In the Limansky direction, similar military operations took place with air strikes and artillery shelling, as well as the use of heavy flamethrower systems from the Center group of troops. This led to the defeat of units of the 66th mechanized, 25th airborne, 95th airborne assault and 81st airborne brigades of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the areas of the settlements of Novosadovoye, Nevskoye, Chervonopopovka and Chervonaya Dibrova, as well as Serebryansky forestry. There, the losses of the Armed Forces of Ukraine amounted to over 100 servicemen, three armored vehicles and two cars.

Combat operations also took place in the Donetsk direction, connected with the targeted defeat of the units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the offensive of the assault detachments of the "Southern" group of troops. During the day, more than 90 Ukrainian servicemen, four armored combat vehicles, the Grad MLRS and the MSTA-B howitzer were destroyed.

In addition to military operations, an artillery ammunition depot belonging to the Armed Forces of Ukraine was destroyed in the area of the settlement of Ilyichevka.

In the South-Donetsk and Zaporozhye directions, the artillery of the Vostok military group inflicted damage on manpower and equipment of the 1st tank and 72nd mechanized brigades of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the settlements of Ugledar and Vodiane. In the areas of n.p. Razliv, Dobrovolye and Novoekonomicheskoye hit four ammunition depots. The total losses of the enemy per day in the designated regions amounted to more than 80 military personnel, a tank, two armored cars, four D-20 and D-30 howitzers and one Gvozdika self-propelled gun.

Meanwhile, units of volunteers from PMC "Wagner" continued to advance on Bakhmut (Artemovsk) and its environs. In the first half of the day, information appeared that the fourth of the five roads leading to the strategic city from the west had come under the control of the "musicians".

"Wagnerites" were able to break through to the section of the route between the villages of Ivanovskoye and Stupochki. Having forced out the fighters of the 46th brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, they actually cut the Bakhmut-Konstantinovka road.