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Russo-Ukraine War - 19 February 2023 - Day 361

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 15 February 2023 Ukrainian armed forces spotted several balloons with radar reflectors suspended beneath them over Kyiv. Ukrainian officials reported that they shot down at least six of these. Earlier, on 12 February 2023, Ukraine's Air Force reported sighting balloons over eastern Dnipropetrovsk.

It is likely that the balloons were Russian. They likely represent a new tactic by Russia to gain information about Ukrainian air defence systems and compel the Ukrainians to expend valuable stocks of surface to air missiles and ammunition.

On 14 February 2023, sighting of a 'balloon shaped' object led to the closure of Moldovan airspace for several hours. There is a realistic possibility that this was a Russian balloon that had drifted from Ukrainian airspace.

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that during the day of February 19, Russia launched 9x missile and 11x air strikes. Russian forces launched more than 20x MLRS attacks, killing and wounding civilians.

The threat of strikes by the Russian Federation across Ukraine remains high.

Russia's main focus continues to be the offensive operations on Kup'yans'k, Lyman, Bakhmut, Avdiivka, and Shakhtars'ke axes.
Volyn, Polissya, Sivershchyna, and Slobozhanshchyna axes: no signs of the formation of Russian offensive groups were found. Russia maintains its military presence, and training of Russian troops at the training grounds of the Republic of Belarus is ongoing. During the day of February 19, the vicinities of settlements of Karpovychi, Tymonovychi, Yanzhulivka (Chernihiv oblast), Atyns'ke, Stukalivka, Zapsillya (Sumy oblast), Strilecha, Starytsya, Vovchans'ki Khutory, and Stroivka (Kharkiv oblast) came under Russian fire.
Kup'yans'k and Lyman axes: Russian forces shelled the settlements of Kam'yanka, Dvorichna, Hryanykivka, Kup'yans'k, Berestove, Pershotravneve (Kharkiv oblast), Stel'makhivka, Nevs'ke, Dibrova, Bilohorivka (Luhansk oblast), Bilohorivka, and Rozdolivka (Donetsk oblast).
Bakhmut axis: Berkhivka, Bakhmut, Ivanivske, Bila Hora, Oleksandro-Shul'tyne, Kurdyumivka, Maiors'k, and New York came under fire. In addition, Russian forces employed army aircraft to strike in the vicinity of Bakhmut.
Avdiivka and Shakhtars'ke axes: Vesele, Avdiivka, Vodyane, Pervomais'ke, Krasnohorivka, Heorhiivka, Mar'inka, Pobjeda, Novomykhailivka, Vuhledar, Shakhtars'ke, Zolota Nyva, Velyka Novosilka, Vremivka, and Neskuchne (Donetsk oblast) came under artillery fire.
Zaporizhzhia axis: the vicinities of settlements of Novosilka (Donetsk oblast), Poltavka, Malynivka, Hulyaipole, Charivne, Novodanylivka, Novoandriivka, and Shcherbaky (Zaporizhzhia oblast) came under fire.
Kherson axis: Kherson, Burhunka, Tyahynka, Antonivka (Kherson oblast), and Ochakiv (Mykolaiv oblast) were shelled by Russian artillery. The shelling caused civilian casualties.

The Russian occupiers set up another military hospital in the central hospital of Kalanchak (Kherson oblast). Ukrainian citizens living there are reported to be denied medical care in this institution. The hospital has become a makeshift "hub" for the wounded and dead occupiers. During the day of February 18 alone, more than 50x wounded and killed invaders were brought to the medical facility.

In the temporarily occupied settlements of Zaporizhzhia oblast, the Russian occupation administration continues to exert pressure on the local residents, in particular on Ukrainian children. For example, in schools in Tokmak, students are forced to sing the anthem of the aggressor country before the school day starts. Also, schoolchildren are forced to make postcards to mark the anniversary of the large-scale invasion expressing words of support and gratitude to the Russian invaders who encroached upon Ukrainian land.

During the day of February 19, the Ukrainian Air Force launched 20x air strikes on the concentrations of the Russian occupiers, 7x on anti-aircraft missile systems at their firing positions, and 2x on important Russian targets.

During the day of February 19, Ukrainian Defence Forces shot down 1x Russian Su-25 aircraft, 2x Orlan-10 UAVs, and 1x Lancet-3 kamikaze drone. In the meantime, missile and artillery units hit 1x Russian MLRS battery.

The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation reported that, during the day, the RF Armed Forces carried out a number of successful attacks against the Armed Forces of Ukraine (APU). Attacks were made on 92 artillery positions and 118 areas where equipment and personnel were concentrated. Six drones shot down.

In addition, high-precision long-range missiles hit the deployment point of the 383rd regiment of unmanned aerial vehicles near the city of Khmelnytsky and an artillery ammunition depot at the Grechany railway station.

In the Kupyansk direction, the western grouping of troops attacked accumulations of enemy manpower and equipment in the areas of the settlements of Dvurechnaya, Krakhmalnoe and Novoselovskoye. Here, up to 70 servicemen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, two armored combat vehicles, a car and a Grad rocket launcher were liquidated.

Up to 15 Ukrainian servicemen, five cars, Akatsia and Gvozdika self-propelled howitzers, an Msta-B gun, as well as four ammunition depots near the city of Kherson and the settlement of Mikhailovka were destroyed in the Kherson direction.

Today, one person died during the shelling of Novaya Tavolzhanka in the Belgorod region by the Armed Forces of Ukraine. It is specified that it was a girl who was on the street during the shelling.

The situation in the Donbass

In the Limansky direction, the central group of troops used tactical aircraft, heavy flamethrower systems and artillery fire to strike at the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Enemy losses here amounted to more than 200 servicemen killed and wounded, as well as six armored combat vehicles, the Gvozdika self-propelled howitzer and the D-20 gun.

In the Donetsk direction, the RF Armed Forces eliminated up to 250 Ukrainian servicemen, three armored combat vehicles, six vehicles, D-20 and D-30 howitzers and a Krab self-propelled gun. The Buk-M1 anti-aircraft missile system was destroyed in the Pervomaisky area, and two counter-battery radar stations AN / TPQ-50 and AN / TPQ-36 were blown up near Chasovy Yar and Demurino. The ammunition depot of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in Marinka was also liquidated.

In the South-Donetsk and Zaporozhye directions, the Russian Armed Forces destroyed up to 70 enemy servicemen killed and wounded, one tank, an infantry fighting vehicle, two armored combat vehicles, two D-30 howitzers and one D-20 gun with artillery fire. The liquidation of the warehouses of the 72nd brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine with ammunition and fuel for military equipment took place near the village of Vodiane.

Today the Armed Forces of Ukraine actively shelled Donetsk. As a result, the total number of victims by the evening increased to ten people.

Also, assault detachments of Russian volunteers today continued to attack the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Berkhovka area near Bakhmut. Success in this village will allow you to cut another enemy supply line in a strategic city.