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Russo-Ukraine War - 20 February 2023 - Day 362

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 Russia continues to pursue several offensive axes in eastern Ukraine: Vuhledar, Kremina, and Bakhmut. Casualties reportedly remain high, particularly in Bakhmut and Vuhledar. Specifically, the 'elite' 155th and 40th Naval Infantry Brigades have sustained very high losses in Vuhledar and are likely combat ineffective.

Russian forces are likely under increasing political pressure as the anniversary of the invasion draws near. It is likely that Russia will claim that Bakhmut has been captured to align with the anniversary, regardless of the reality on the ground.

If Russia's spring offensive fails to achieve anything then tensions within the Russian leadership will likely increase.

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that during the day of February 20, Russia launched 3x missile and 22x air strikes. Russian forces launched more than 30x MLRS attacks.

The threat of further Russian air and missile strikes 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.
During the day of February 20, the vicinities of settlements of Karpovychi, Tymonovychi, Yanzhulivka (Chernihiv oblast), Bunyakyne, Atyns'ke, Stukalivka, Iskryskivshchyna, Zapsillya, Pokrovka, and Mais'ke (Sumy oblast), as well as the vicinities of more than 20x settlements in Kharkiv oblast came under Russian fire. Among them are Veterynarne, Hlyboke, Morokhovets', Vovchans'k, Okhrimivka, Budarky, Bolohivka, Kam'yanka, Topoli, and Zapadne.
Kup'yans'k and Lyman axes: Russian forces shelled the settlements of Dvorichna, Pishchane, Krokhmal'ne, Pershotravneve (Kharkiv oblast), Stel'makhivka, Ploshchanka, Nevs'ke, Chervonopopivka, Dibrova (Luhansk oblast), and Spirne (Donetsk oblast).
Bakhmut axis: vicinities of more than 15x settlements came under fire, including Rozdolivka, Vasyukivka, Zaliznyans'ke, Dubovo-Vasylivka, Bakhmut, Klishchiivka, Stupochky, Druzhba, Pivnichne, and Zalizne (Donetsk oblast).
Avdiivka and Shakhtars'keaxes: Russian forces fired artillery at more than 20x settlements. In particular, these are Novobakhmutivka, Avdiivka, Vodyane, Pervomais'ke, Vesele, Bohoyavlenka, Novoukrainka, Prechystivka, Shakhtars'ke, and Neskuchne (Donetsk oblast). Russian forces also launched air strikes in the vicinity of Oleksandropil', Avdiivka, Mar'inka, and Vuhledar.
Zaporizhzhia axis: the vicinities of 23x settlements were hit, including Novopil' (Donetsk oblast), Ol'givs'ke, Bilohir'ya, Mala Tokmachka, Pavlivka, Novoivanivka, Kam'yans'ke, Zaporizhzhia, Vyshchetarasivka, and Illinka (Zaporizhzhia oblast). Russian air strikes were reported near Novopil' (Donetsk oblast), Malynivka, and Mala Tokmachka (Zaporizhzhia oblast).
Kherson axis: Kherson and the vicinities of more than 30x settlements were hit by Russian artillery fire. Among them are Zmiivka, Beryslav, Vesele, Burhunka, Ivanivka, Inzhenerne, Kherson, Bilozerka, Dniprovs'ke, Berehove, and Veletens'ke (Kherson oblast).

On February 19, Russian occupation forces shelled the town of Hola Prystan' (Kherson oblast) with artillery, with the aim to accuse and discredit the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Also, in order to instil a negative attitude towards the Ukrainian Defense Forces, the Russian occupiers continue to shell civilian targets in certain settlements of Kakhovka and Hola Prystan' districts (Kherson oblast).

Russia continues to force russian passports on Ukrainian citizens in the temporarily occupied territories of Kherson oblast. In particular, the so-called authorities put in office by Russian occupation forces in Skadovs'k and Kalanchak are forcing to speed up the process of obtaining russian passports and re-registering businesses' movable and immovable property under Russian law. This is done under threats of confiscation of personal property. Pensioners having no Russian passport are threatened with being deprived of their pension payments. This caused social tensions among local residents, who fear losing their property and businesses.

During the day of February 20, the Ukrainian Air Force launched 16x air strikes on the concentrations of Russian occupants' personnel and military equipment and 1x air strike on the Russian's anti-aircraft missile system at its firing position.

The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation reported that, during the day, in the Kherson direction, the RF Armed Forces destroyed several units of military equipment of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU), including Akatsiya and Gvozdika self-propelled guns, a Giacint-B gun and three D-30 howitzers. In addition, an ammunition depot near the city of Kherson was blown up.

Army aviation and artillery attacked 98 artillery positions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, as well as 124 areas of concentration of manpower and equipment.

Today, the Su-27 aircraft of the Ukrainian Air Force was shot down by Russian fighters in an air battle over Izyum. Air defense systems intercepted 15 enemy drones and one projectile from HIMARS.

The number of refugees who arrived on the territory of the Russian Federation from Ukraine and from the Donbass since the start of the special operation has grown to 5.3 million people. At the same time, only about 40 thousand of them are in temporary accommodation centers.

The situation in the Donbass

During the day, the Ukrainian Armed Forces lost more than 115 servicemen, four armored combat vehicles, two cars, two Grad rocket launchers, a D-30 howitzer, a Rapira anti-tank gun and an AN / TPQ-36 counter-battery radar in the Donetsk direction.

To the south, strikes were made on units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the areas of the settlements of Ugledar, Bogoyavlenka, Gulyaipole and Yurkovka. Enemy losses here amounted to 60 servicemen, one tank, two armored combat vehicles, a D-20 howitzer and two D-30 guns.

In addition, in the areas of the settlements of Malinovka in the Zaporozhye region, as well as in Ugledar and Vodiane in the DPR, three enemy ammunition depots were destroyed.

Assault detachments of volunteers, meanwhile, continue fierce battles in the vicinity of Bakhmut.