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Russo-Ukraine War - 23 February 2023 - Day 365

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, over the last 48 hours, heavy fighting has continued in the Bakhmut sector where Ukrainian forces are keeping resupply routes open to the west despite Russia's creeping encirclement over the last six weeks.

Further south in Donetsk Oblast, the town of Vuhledar has again experienced heavy shelling. There is a realistic possibility that Russia is preparing for another offensive effort in this area despite costly failed attacks in early February and late 2022.

Russia's Eastern Group of Forces likely still has responsibility for the Vuhledar operation. Its commander, Colonel General Rustam Muradov, is likely under intense pressure to improve results following harsh criticism from the Russian nationalist community after previous setbacks. However, it is unlikely that Muradov has a striking force capable of achieving a breakthrough.

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that the Russian Federation continues to focus its main efforts on offensive operations on Kup'yans'k, Lyman, Bakhmut, Avdiivka, and Shakhtars'ke axes. No changes in the structure and position of Russian groups of troops were reported.

To reveal the exact position of Ukrainian units and spot for artillery fire, Russia is actively conducting aerial reconnaissance. As a result, Russia is losing equipment: Ukrainian Defence Forces destroyed russian Merlin and Zala UAVs.

During the day of February 23, Russian occupants launched 9x missile attacks, one of them caused damage to the civilian administrative building in Dvorichna (Kharkiv oblast) and conducted 28x air strikes. Moreover, the Russian invaders launched more than 40x MLRS attacks. As a result, civilian facilities in the towns of Beryslav, Zelenivka, and Bilozerka (Kherson oblast) were damaged.

The attacks caused casualties among civilian population.

The threat of further russian missile attacks remains high across Ukraine.

Volyn, Polissya, Sivershchyna, and Slobozhanshchyna axes: no significant changes. No signs of the formation of Russian offensive groups were found.
During the day of February 23, Russian forces fired mortars and artillery at the settlements of Medvedivka, Mykhal'chyna Sloboda (Chernihiv oblast); Sopych, Koren'ok, Hirky, Boyaro-Lezhachi, Ryzhivka, Vodolahy, Basivka, Mais'ke (Sumy oblast), as well as vicinities of 15x settlements in Kharkiv oblast. In particular, Hraniv, Krasne, Morokhovets', Zelene, Vil'cha, Nesterne, Budarky, Kolodyazne, Dvorichna, and Zapadne.
Kup'yans'k and Lyman axes: Russian forces conducted several unsuccessful offensives in the vicinities of Stel'makhivka, Bilohorivka, Serebryans'ke forestry, and Fedorivka. Russian forces fired artillery at the vicinities of settlements of Hryanykivka, Berestove (Kharkiv oblast); Chervonopopivka, Nevs'ke, Dibrova, Serebryans'ke Forestry, Bilohorivka (Luhansk oblast); Hryhorivka, Spirne, Berestove, Rozdolivka, and Fedorivka (Donetsk oblast). It conducted air strikes near Hryanikivka, Kotlyarivka, Krokhmalne in Kharkiv oblast, Serebryans'ke forestry, Bilohorivka (Luhansk oblast), and Sakko i Vantsetti (Donetsk oblast).
Bakhmut axis: Russia keeps attacking the positions of Ukrainian troops near Ivanivske, Dyliivka, and Bakhmut. 13x settlements came under fire, including Vasyukivka, Zaliznyans'ke, Berkhivka, Dubovo-Vasylivka, Bakhmut, Ivanivske, Klishchiivka, Kurdyumivka, Ozaryanivka, and Druzhba (Donetsk oblast). The Russian occupiers launched an air strike with army aircraft in the vicinity of Vasyukivka.
Avdiivka and Shakhtars'ke axes: Russian forces launched an unsuccessful offensive near Kam'yanka, Vodyane, Mar'inka, Pobjeda, and Novomykhailivka. Vicinities of about 15x settlements were shelled with artillery. Among them are Novobakhmutivka, Avdiivka, Vodyane, Vesele, Krasnohorivka, Heorhiivka, Mar'inka, Neskuchne, Vuhledar, Zolota Nyva, and Velyka Novosilka.
Zaporizhzhia axis: Russian forces shelled the vicinities of 20x settlements. They include Vremivka, Novopil' (Donetsk oblast); Malynivka, Hulyaipole, Bilohir'ya, Mala Tokmachka, Novoandriivka, Mali Shcherbaky (Zaporizhzhia oblast), Vyshchetarasivka, Dobra Nadiya, and Marhanets' (Dnipropetrovsk oblast).
Kherson axis: the Russian occupation forces' artillery fire hit Kachkarivka, Kozats'ke, L'vove, Ivanivka, Mykil's'ke, Molodizhne, Zelenivka, Antonivka, Bilozerka, and Dniprovs'ke (Kherson oblast), among others. In total, vicinities of 25x settlements were targeted.

Russia continues to suffer losses. Thus, 6x ambulances with wounded servicemen of the Russian occupation forces arrived at a trauma center in Donetsk on the night of February 21-22.

Children from all over the city of Melitopol' (Zaporizhzhia oblast) are supposedly going to take the "voluntary" oath of "Young Army soldiers" in a local school. The above school is also planned as a base to form the so-called "All-Russian Rescue Corps".

Having caused a humanitarian crisis in the occupied Mariupol, the Russian occupiers are persuading the local residents to take part in fortification of positions around the city in exchange for food rations. No remuneration for this labor is defined. Most people receive food packages only.

During the day of February 23, Ukrainian Air Force launched 14x air strikes on the concentrations of Russian troops and military equipment, and 4x air strikes on the positions of anti-aircraft missile systems. In the meantime, Ukrainian missile and artillery troops attacked 3x concentrations of Russian troops and 1x critical military target.

The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation reported that, in the Kupyansk direction, enemy personnel in the areas of Krakhmalnoe, Peschanoe, Berestovoye and Novoselovskoye were hit by army aviation strikes and artillery fire from the Zapad group of troops. The losses of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) amounted to 55 killed, two pickup trucks and a D-20 howitzer.

In the Kherson direction, two Msta-B guns and one D-30 gun were destroyed during a counter-battery fight during the day. Attacks were made on 97 enemy artillery positions and 128 troop concentration areas. A Su-25 of the Ukrainian Air Force was shot down over Kizomys, and nine drones were intercepted in just a day.

During the day, the Armed Forces of Ukraine fired on the settlements of Troitskoye, Gordeevka and Borisovka in the Belgorod and Kursk regions. An elderly woman died and several people were injured. Residential infrastructure was damaged.

The situation in the Donbass

In the Limansky direction, the group of troops "Center" liquidated about 85 Ukrainian servicemen, as well as an infantry fighting vehicle, two armored vehicles, a Gvozdika self-propelled howitzer and a D-30 gun during the day.

Meanwhile, in the Donetsk direction, assault detachments, with the help of units of the Pskov airborne troops, managed to destroy more than 210 Ukrainian servicemen, six armored combat vehicles, four cars, a Grad launcher and a D-20 howitzer. In addition, an ammunition depot of the Armed Forces of Ukraine was blown up in the vicinity of Avdiivka.

In the South-Donetsk direction, the group of troops "Vostok" used operational-tactical aviation and artillery for comprehensive fire destruction of units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. As a result, the losses suffered by the enemy in a day amounted to 105 soldiers, a tank, two infantry fighting vehicles, three armored vehicles and Msta-B, D-20 and D-30 howitzers. In addition, six ammunition depots were destroyed in the settlements of Razdolnoye, Bogatyr, Ugledar, Razliv, Vodiane and at the Uglesborochnaya railway station.

Events are also developing in the area of Bakhmut (Artemovsk). The fighters of PMC "Wagner" are pushing the enemy and have almost reached the center of the settlement.