Russo-Ukraine War - 18 February 2023 - Day 360
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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 Andrey Turchak, the leader of the Russian parliamentary group that is focused on the so-called Special Military Operation in Ukraine, stated on 16 February 2023 that the group had presented a report to Russian President Putin.
The report is likely to cover issues such as social support to those mobilised and their families. This issue is likely to become more salient if any further mobilisation (be it overt or tacit) takes place. Putin may well refer to these issues in his state of the nation address on 21 February 2023.
It is becoming increasingly difficult for the Kremlin to insulate the population from the war in Ukraine. A December 2022 Russian poll reported that 52% had either a friend or relative who had served in the so-called Special Military Operation.
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that during the day, the Russian Federation launched 16x missile strikes, in particular on the civilian infrastructure of the city of Khmelnytskyi and a settlement Ukrains`k of the Donetsk Oblast. As a result, there is damage to residential buildings and victims among the civilian population. In addition, Russian forces carried out 4x air strikes and more than 30x attacks from MLRS.
The threat of further strikes by the Russian Federation remains high throughout the territory of Ukraine.
Russia does not give up his invasion plans, despite significant losses. The main efforts are focused on conducting offensive operations in the Kup'yansk, Lyman, Bakhmut, Avdiivka and Shakhtarsk axes.
Volyn', Polissya, Sivershchyna and Slobozhanshchyna axes: no Russian offensive groups were detected. Areas of more than 20 settlements were subjected to Russian shelling. Among them are Veterynarne, Kozacha Lopan, Strilecha, Ohirtseve, Vesele, Krasne Pershe in Kharkiv Oblast.
Kup'yansk and Lyman axes: Russian forces shelled the settlements of Novomlynsk, Dvorichna, Hryanikyvka, Kup'yansk, and Berestove in the Kharkiv Oblast; Stelmakhivka, Nevske, Chervonopopivka, Dibrova, Bilogorivka of Luhansk Oblast and Spirne - Donetsk Oblast.
Bakhmut axis: more than 18 districts of settlements, in particular, Zaliznianske, Bakhmut, Ivanivske, Klishchiivka, Kurdyumivka and New York of the Donetsk Oblast, were shelled.
Avdiivka and Shakhtar axes: Russian forces fired artillery at 13 settlements. Among them are Avdiivka, Vodyane, Vesele, Nevelske, Georgiivka, Mar'yinka, Bogoyavlenka, Velyka Novosilka, Zolota Nyva, Vugledar and Neskuchne of the Donetsk Oblast.
Zaporizhzhia axis: the areas of the settlements of Vremivka of the Donetsk Oblast and Malynivka, Stepove, Mali Shcherbaky, Novodanylivka, Mala Tokmachka and Biloghirya – Zaporizhzhia Oblast were damaged by fire.
Kherson axes: the suburbs and the city of Kherson, as well as the districts of more than 20 settlements, including Beryslav, Kozatske, Vesele, Antonivka, Veletenske, and Berehove of the Kherson Oblast, were affected by Russian artillery fire.
In order to form a negative attitude towards Ukraine and discredit the Armed Forces of Ukraine among the civilian population in the temporarily occupied territory of the Kherson Oblast, Russia conducts artillery fire on the territories controlled by them. Medical institutions, residential buildings and educational institutions are affected.
Aviation of the Ukrainian Defense Forces during the day made 4x strikes on the areas of concentration of Russian personnel and military equipment.
During the current day, the defense forces destroyed 2x 'Caliber' cruise missiles. Units of missile and artillery troops of the Defense Forces of Ukraine, at the same time, struck one area of concentration of Russian manpower.
Statements of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation
The Russian Ministry of Defense during a briefing announced the liberation of the village of Gryanikovka in the Kharkov region. The department also stated that during the day units and places of accumulation of equipment of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Kupyansky, Limansky, South-Donetsk, Zaporozhye and Kherson directions were hit. In total, the Armed Forces of Ukraine lost about 250 servicemen and a large amount of equipment. In the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR), an ammunition depot of Ukrainian troops was destroyed.
Offensive operations continued in the Donetsk direction, during which up to 150 Ukrainian servicemen, 5 armored combat vehicles, 3 vehicles, a Grad MLRS combat vehicle and a Gvozdika self-propelled howitzer were eliminated. 3 warehouses of ammunition and rocket and artillery weapons of the Armed Forces of Ukraine were destroyed.
Army aviation, missile forces and artillery hit 85 enemy artillery units, manpower and military equipment in 112 districts.
Air defense systems shot down 3 HIMARS MLRS shells and destroyed 11 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles in the Luhansk People's Republic (LPR), Kharkiv and Kherson regions.
Zaporozhye region
Kyiv is pulling reserves into the controlled part of the Zaporozhye region, said Vladimir Rogov, a member of the main council of the regional administration. According to the official, about 150 servicemen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and up to 15 units of heavy military equipment are destroyed daily in this direction.
Acting Governor of the Zaporizhia Region Yevgeny Balitsky said that among the participants in Sudoplatov's volunteer battalion there are natives of Serbia, Turkey and the Scandinavian countries. The official noted that they had not yet been sent to the front line.
Kherson region
In Kherson, currently controlled by the Armed Forces of Ukraine, a Ukrainian military man, who was driving a pickup truck while intoxicated, ran into a cyclist. The victim died on the spot from her injuries. According to RIA Novosti, the perpetrator of the accident fled the scene of the accident along with colleagues.
DPR
During the day, Ukrainian formations shelled Donetsk, as well as the settlements of Makeevka, Gorlovka, Yasinovataya, Panteleymonovka and Zaitsevo. As a result of attacks in Donetsk, a residential building and a gas pipeline were damaged.
Acting head of the DPR Denis Pushilin said that Russian units control the area of dachas in the northern part of Vugledar, but there is no talk of urban battles yet. In addition, he announced an improvement in the positions of the allied forces in the west of Maryinka. According to Pushilin, one can count on the liberation of the city in the foreseeable future.
War correspondent Alexander Simonov said that after the liberation of Paraskovievka, Wagner PMC units stormed the eastern outskirts of the Berkhovka village northwest of Bakhmut.
LC
The Commissioner for Human Rights in the LPR, Victoria Serdyukova, said that since 2022, the Ombudsman's office has received 696 requests to search for missing Ukrainian citizens who took part in hostilities on the side of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. According to Serdyukova, the staff of the apparatus checked the applications and found that only 144 servicemen are on the territory of the republic, the fate of the rest remains unknown.
The Ombudswoman added that Kyiv is ignoring Lugansk's proposals for cooperation in the search for the missing security officials.
"This is another confirmation that the Kiev regime is ready to continue to "sacrifice" the people of Ukraine for the sake of pro-Western interests," she stressed.
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