Russo-Ukraine War - 14 February 2023 - Day 356
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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 in the last three days, Wagner Group forces have almost certainly made further small gains around the northern outskirts of the contested Donbas town of Bakhmut, including into the village of Krasna Hora. However, organised Ukrainian defence continues in the area. The tactical Russian advance to the south of the town has likely made little progress.
In the north, in Kremina-Svatove sector of Luhansk Oblast, Russian forces are making continuous offensive efforts, though each local attack remains on too small a scale to achieve a significant breakthrough. Russia likely aims to reverse some of the gains Ukrainian forces made over September-November 2022: there is a realistic possibility that their immediate goal is to advance west to the Zherberets River.
Overall, the current operational picture suggests that Russian forces are being given orders to advance in most sectors, but that they have not massed sufficient offensive combat power on any one axis to achieve a decisive effect.
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that despite significant losses, Russia has not yet abandoned its intentions to reach the administrative borders of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts. Russia's main focus continues to be the offensive operations on Kup'yans'k, Lyman, Bakhmut, Avdiivka, and Shakhtars'ke axes. Russia is actively employing aircraft.
During the day of February 14, Russian occupant forces launched 2x missile strikes on the civilian infrastructure of Kostiantynivka and Kramatorsk (Donetsk oblast), that resulted in casualties among civilian population. Community center, where the humanitarian aid distribution hub is operating, has been damaged. The premises of a medical facility were also hit.
In addition, Russian forces launched more than 25x MLRS attacks, in particular, at the civilian targets in Kherson, Ochakiv, and Beryslav. Russian shells damaged private housing and high-rise buildings, wounding the residents.
The threat of further Russian air and missile strikes across Ukraine remains high.
Volyn, Polissya, Sivershchyna, and Slobozhanshchyna axes: no signs of the formation of Russian offensive groups were found. Russia does not stop mortar and artillery shelling of the positions of Ukrainian troops and settlements near the line of contact. The vicinities of settlements of Yanzhulivka (Chernihiv oblast), Tovstodubove, Bilokopytove, Vovkivka, Volfyne, Basivka (Sumy oblast), as well as Veterynarne, Baranivka, Strilecha, Krasne, Ternova, Hlyboke, Vovchans'k, Vovchans'ki Khutory, Chuhunivka, Krasne Pershe, Novomlyns'k, Dvorichna, Kup'yans'k, and Ridkodub (Kharkiv oblast) were shelled by Russian forces.
Kup'yans'k and Lyman axes: Russian forces employed tanks, mortars, and artillery to shell more than 15x settlements, including Berestove, Vyshneve, Tabaivka (Kharkiv oblast), Novoselivs'ke, Stel'makhivka, Nevs'ke, Chervonopopivka, Pishchane, Dibrova, Serebryans'ke forestry, Bilohorivka (Luhansk oblast), and Fedorivka (Donetsk oblast). Russian forces launched air strikes in the vicinities of Berestove, Zhytlivka, and Verkhn'okam'yans'ke.
Bakhmut axis: Russian forces fired mortars and artillery targeting more than 20x settlements, including Bilohorivka, Vesele, Paraskoviivka, Zaliznyans'ke, Bakhmut, Ivanivske, Chasiv Yar, Klishchiivka, Zalizne, and New York (Donetsk oblast). The vicinities of Bakhmut, Ivanivske, and Kurdyumivka were hit by Russian air strikes.
Avdiivka and Shakhtars'ke axes: the vicinities of 22x settlements, including Vodyane, Nevel's'ke, Vesele, Krasnohorivka, Mar'inka, Heorhiivka, Vuhledar, Velyka Novosilka, Vremivka, and Neskuchne (Donetsk oblast) were shelled with tanks, mortars, and artillery. Russian forces also launched air strikes near Avdiivka and Vuhledar. Moreover, Russian forces used a UAV to drop K-51 non-lethal aerosol grenades on the positions of Ukrainian troops near Vodyane.
Zaporizhzhia axis: Russian forces shelled the vicinities of more than 20x settlements. Among them are Ol'hivs'ke, Malynivka, Staroukrainka, Huliaipilske, Mala Tokmachka, Orikhiv, Novoandriivka, and Stepove (Zaporizhzhia oblast). Russian forces also launched air strikes near Malynivka and Novodanylivka.
Kherson axis: the suburbs and the city of Kherson, as well as the vicinities of more than 25x settlements, including Zolota Balka, Havrylivka, Beryslav, Vesele, Inhulets', Antonivka, Zymivnyk, Bilozerka, Dniprovs'ke, and Veletens'ke (Kherson oblast), were hit by Russian artillery fire.
In order to compensate for the large-scale military losses sustained by the Russians in combat, training at the Kadamovsk (Russia) training ground is ongoing. A force of approximately up to two brigades is manned by the mobilized and "volunteers". Most of the Russian servicemen undergo a three-week training course. Certain groups take a two-week course. This results in a low level of mission readiness. Since early 2023, there has been no training of Wagner PMC recruits at the training ground. Instructors of the training center are involved in training in the immediate combat zone.
During the day of February 12, the Ukrainian Air Force launched 8x air strikes on Russian concentrations of personnel and military equipment. In the meantime, missile and artillery units hit 1x concentration of Russian manpower, 3x ammunition depots, and 2x electronic warfare stations.
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, South-Donetsk and Zaporozhye directions were hit during the day. Ukrainian troops lost about 210 servicemen and a large amount of equipment. In the Zaporizhia region, an ammunition depot of the Armed Forces of Ukraine was destroyed.
More than 60 enemy servicemen were liquidated in the Donetsk direction in the course of offensive operations. In the Avdiivka area, a Ukrainian hangar with military equipment was destroyed.
In the Kherson direction, a Msta-B howitzer was destroyed as part of a counter-battery fight. In Kherson and Dnipropetrovsk regions, 2 ammunition depots of the Armed Forces of Ukraine were destroyed.
Operational-tactical and army aviation, missile forces and artillery hit 93 artillery units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, manpower and military equipment in 108 districts. In the Kharkiv region, the command post of the electronic warfare unit of the Ukrainian troops was destroyed.
Fighter aircraft of the Russian Aerospace Forces in the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) shot down a MiG-29 aircraft and a Mi-8 helicopter of the Ukrainian Air Force. Air defense systems intercepted 4 HIMARS multiple launch rocket system (MLRS) projectiles and destroyed 7 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles in the Lugansk People's Republic (LPR), the DPR and the Zaporozhye region.
The Russian Defense Ministry also announced that Kiev was preparing a large-scale provocation aimed at discrediting the Russian army. According to the department, representatives of the Kiev regime are planning to present to the world community "evidence" allegedly confirming that due to the actions of the Russian military at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant and in the exclusion zone in February-April 2022, "radioactive contamination" of the territories of Ukraine occurred. Also, Kyiv is preparing false evidence of the alleged "plunder" of radioactive materials from the Chernobyl nuclear power plant by the Russian military in order to subsequently accuse Russia of "irradiating the population."
At the same time, the agency emphasizes that multiple missions of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to the Chernobyl nuclear power plant confirmed the normal radiation background at the facility itself and its surrounding territories.
DPR
During the day, the Armed Forces of Ukraine were shelling Donetsk, as well as the Yasinovatsky district and the settlements of Makeevka, Gorlovka, Zaitsevo. During the attacks, artillery pieces of 122 mm and 155 mm calibers were used.
In Donetsk, 3 civilians were injured, damage to the building of a grocery store was recorded. In Gorlovka, an administrative building and a kindergarten were damaged during shelling.
Heavy fighting continues in Bakhmut, while it should not be expected that the city will be taken in the near future, businessman Yevgeny Prigozhin said. The entrepreneur stressed that Wagner PMC units continue to grind the defense of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, storming house after house. All reports about the alleged encirclement of the local grouping of enemy troops in the north of the city do not correspond to reality.
Acting head of the DPR Denis Pushilin said that heavy fighting was going on in the west of Maryinka. However, the situation gives hope for the subsequent entry into new frontiers, he noted.
The DPR is waiting for the arrival of all major Russian banks in the region, said the first deputy chairman of the government of the republic, Rustam Mingazov. According to him, Donetsk would like to create a competitive market, including in the banking sector.
LC
The press service of the Government of the LPR reported that in 2022, more than 3.1 thousand families of the republic received compensation for the loss of property and housing as a result of hostilities.
The celebration of the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Lugansk from Nazi invaders took place in the capital of the LPR. As part of the celebrations, a meeting-requiem was held at the mass grave of Soviet soldiers, it was attended by the head of the republic Leonid Pasechnik, the chairman of the local parliament Denis Miroshnichenko, deputies of the People's Council of the LPR and the State Duma of the Russian Federation.
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