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Russo-Ukraine War - 15 February 2023 - Day 357

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 on 09 February 2023, Deputy Security Council Chairman Dmitry Medvedev called for an increase in Russian tank production while visiting the Omsk Transport Machine Construction plant. This follows several public comments by President Putin urging the defence industry to better support the 'special military operation'.

In a televised meeting on 12 January 2023, Putin castigated Denis Manturov, the deputy prime minister with responsibility for the defence industry, for 'fooling around'; one of the president's strongest public outbursts since the invasion.

Senior Russian leaders are likely aware that the state's military industrial output is becoming a critical weakness, exacerbated by the strategic and operational miscalculation of invading Ukraine. Production is almost certainly falling short of the Russian MoD's demands to resource the Ukraine campaign and restore its longer-term defence requirements.

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that despite significant losses, Russia does not abandon its intentions to reach the administrative borders of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts. To that end, the Russian invaders' main focus continues to be the offensive operations on Kup'yans'k, Lyman, Bakhmut, Avdiivka, and Shakhtars'ke axes.

During the day of February 15, Russian forces launched 17x air strikes. In addition, Russian forces launched 28x MLRS attacks at the civilian infrastructure of Pokrovsk (Donetsk oblasts) and Kherson oblasts. The attacks killed and wounded civilians, almost destroyed a residential high-riser building, and a hospital in Beryslav was shelled again.

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. Certain units of the armed forces of the Republic of Belarus and the armed forces forces of the Russian Federation continue their missions in the areas bordering Ukraine. Russian troops continue their combat training at the training grounds of the Republic of Belarus. At the same time, Russia does not stop mortar and artillery shelling of the positions of Ukrainian units, as well as settlements near the line of contact. The vicinities of settlements of Yanzhulivka (Chernihiv oblast), Rozhkovychi, Tovstodubove, Bilokopytove, Vovkivka, Volfyne, Basivka (Sumy oblast), Hraniv, Krasne, Vovchans'k, Zemlyanky, Rublene, Krasne Pershe, Novomlyns'k, Dvorichna, and Kreidyanka (Kharkiv oblast) came under Russian fire. The Russian occupiers attacked Naumivka (Sumy oblast), Hraniv, and Udy (Kharkiv oblast) with army aircraft from the territory of the Russian Federation.
Kup'yans'k and Lyman axes: Russian forces fired tanks, mortars, and artillery at more than 15x settlements, including Krokhmal'ne, Cherneshchyna (Kharkiv oblast), Novojehorivka, Makiivka, Stel'makhivka, Nevs'ke, and Chervonopopivka (Luhansk oblast), Terny, Novoselivka, Spirne, Rozdolivka, and Stepove (Donetsk oblast).
Bakhmut axis: Russian forces fired mortars and artillery at the vicinities of more than 15x settlements, including Mykolaivka, Vasyukivka, Bilohorivka, Vesele, Dubovo-Vasylivka, Bakhmut, Stupochky, Kurdyumivka, Druzhba, and Maiors'k.
Avdiivka and Shakhtars'ke axes: the vicinities of 14x settlements, including Vodyane, Pervomais'ke, Nevel's'ke, Krasnohorivka, Mar'inka, Pobjeda, Mykil's'ke, Vuhledar, Novoukrainka, Prechystivka, and Zolota Nyva (Donetsk oblast) were shelled with tanks, mortars, and artillery.
Zaporizhzhia axis: Russian forces shelled the vicinities of more than 15x settlements, including Temyrivka, Malynivka, Chervone, Charivne, Huliaipilske, Bilohir'ya, Mala Tokmachka, Novodanylivka, Orikhiv, and Zaporizke (Zaporizhzhia oblast).
Kherson axis: Russian artillery fire hit Kherson and the vicinities of more than 10x settlements, including Zolota Balka, Havrylivka, Kachkarivka, Zmiivka, Beryslav, Vesele, L'vove, Tyahyntsi, Berehove (Kherson oblast), and Ochakiv (Mykolaiv oblast).

The Russian occupiers established military hospital on the premises of surgical department of Starobil's'k city hospital (Luhansk oblast) to treat gravely wounded Russian soldiers. The surgical building is completely closed to civilians. As of February 11, the arrival of about 20x military trucks with wounded russians has been reported.

In Nova Kakhovka (Kherson oblast), Russian occupants are searching private estates of local residents to seize waterborne platforms, which are then used for sabotage and provocations.

During the day of February 15, Ukrainian Air Force launched 11x air strikes on the concentrations of Russian troops and military equipment, and 5x air strikes on the positions of anti-aircraft missile systems. At the same time, Ukrainian defenders on the eastern front destroyed 1x Russian Ka-52 attack helicopter.

During the day of February 15, Ukrainian missile and artillery units hit 1x Russian command post, 3x concentrations of troops, and 2x ammunition depots.

The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation reported that the Western grouping of the Russian Armed Forces in the Kupyansk direction hit with aircraft and artillery the concentration of manpower and equipment of the 14th mechanized brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (APU) and the 103rd brigade of the territorial defense in the areas of Dvurechnaya and Kotlyarovka in the Kharkiv region. In addition, eight sabotage and reconnaissance groups of the Armed Forces of Ukraine were eliminated near Krakhmalny, Masyutovka, Pershotravnev, Timkovka and Novoselovsky.

The total losses of the enemy in this direction per day amounted to 100 people killed and wounded, two armored combat vehicles, four cars and one D-30 howitzer. In addition, an ammunition depot of the 113th Terodefense Brigade was liquidated near the village of Veterinarny.

In the Kherson direction during the day, as part of a counter-battery fight, a Gvozdika self-propelled howitzer and a D-30 howitzer were hit. Also, strikes were made on 87 artillery positions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, 112 areas of accumulation of manpower and military equipment.

Air defense systems shot down eight shells from HIMARS and 11 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles.

Events in Donbass

The positions of the 67th, 92nd and 25th brigades of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the areas of the settlements of Chervonaya Dibrova, Stelmahovka, Yampolovka were hit by army aviation strikes and artillery fire from the central group of troops in the Limansky direction. Up to 65 Ukrainian enemy servicemen, an infantry fighting vehicle, two armored combat vehicles, three cars, two Gvozdika self-propelled howitzers and a Grad rocket launcher were destroyed here.

In the Donetsk direction, the Russian Armed Forces liquidated up to 190 Ukrainian servicemen, two infantry fighting vehicles, one armored personnel carrier, three cars, an Msta-B howitzer and an M777 gun with artillery fire.

The grouping of troops in the South-Donetsk and Zaporozhye directions in the areas of Ugledar and Novoselka of the Armed Forces of Ukraine lost more than 60 military personnel, two tanks, four infantry fighting vehicles, two armored fighting vehicles, D-20 and D-30 howitzers, as well as a Gvozdika self-propelled gun ".

Meanwhile, assault squads of volunteers continued to attack Ukrainian positions in and around Bakhmut.