Russo-Ukraine War - 04 March 2023 - Day 374

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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]

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The UK Ministry of Defence reported that the Ukrainian defence of the Donbas town of Bakhmut is under increasingly severe pressure, with intense fighting taking place in and around the city. Regular Russian Army and Wagner Group forces have made further advances into the northern suburbs of the city, which is now a Ukrainian-held salient, vulnerable to Russian attacks on three sides.

Ukraine is reinforcing the area with elite units, and within the last 36 hours two key bridges in Bakhmut have been destroyed, including a vital bridge connecting the city to the last main supply route from Bakhmut to the city of Chasiv Yar.

Ukrainian-held resupply routes out of the town are increasingly limited.

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that during the day of March 4, Russian forces launched 4x missile and 10x air strikes, 4x MLRS attacks. In particular, the attacks targeted residential buildings and civilian infrastructure in Dnipropetrovsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson oblasts, killing and injuring civilians.

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

Russia is focusing its main efforts on the offensive operations on Kup'yans'k, Lyman, Bakhmut, Avdiivka, and Shakhtars'ke axes. The Russian invaders continue unsuccessful offensives in the vicinity of Bakhmut, Avdiivka, Mar'inka, and Vuhledar.
Volyn, Polissya, Sivershchyna, and Slobozhanshchyna axes: no significant changes. Russian forces fired mortars and artillery at the settlements of Bachivs'k, Ulanove, Kucherivka, Bilokopytove, Starykove, Khodyne, Ryzhivka, Atyns'ke, Holyshivs'ke, Pavlivka, and Sadky (Sumy oblast), and at the vicinities of 22x settlements in Kharkiv oblast. Among them are Hraniv, Hlyboke, Verkhnya Pysarivka, Hatyshche, Vovchans'k, Vil'cha, Bochkove, Vil'khuvatka, Dvorichans'ke, and Dvorichna.
Kup'yans'k and Lyman axes: Russian forces continued offensive operations in the vicinities of Nevs'ke, Serebryans'ke forestry, and Bilohorivka (Luhansk oblast), but was unsuccessful. The Russian invaders fired artillery at the settlements near the contact line of contact. Among them are Hryanykivka, Kyslivka, Pishchane, Krokhmal'ne (Kharkiv oblast), Stel'makhivka, Nevs'ke, Chervonopopivka, Bilohorivka (Luhansk oblast), Terny, Spirne, Fedorivka, and Rozdolivka (Donetsk oblast).
Bakhmut axis: Russia is makes futile attempts to encircle the town of Bakhmut. During the day of March 4, Ukrainian soldiers repelled numerous attacks in the vicinities of settlements of Vasyukivka, Orikhovo-Vasylivka, Dubovo-Vasylivka, Hryhorivka, and Bakhmut (Donetsk oblast). In particular, Orikhovo-Vasylivka, Zaliznyans'ke, Dubovo-Vasylivka, Bakhmut, Klishchiivka, Ivanivske, Chasiv Yar, Kurdyumivka, Predtechyne, Oleksandro-Shul'tyne, Ozaryanivka, Druzhba, and New York came under Russian fire.
Avdiivka and Shakhtars'ke axes: Russian forces launched unsuccessful attacks at the positions of Ukrainian troops near the settlements of Kam'yanka, Sjeverne, Vodyane, Pervomais'ke, Nevel's'ke, and Krasnohorivka. Russian forces fired artillery and mortars in the vicinities of more than 20x settlements. In particular, Kam'yanka, Avdiivka, Lastochkyne, Krasnohorivka, Nevel's'ke, Mar'inka, Heorhiivka, Bohoyavlenka, Vuhledar, and Vremivka.
Zaporizhzhia and Kherson axes: Russia is on the defensive, attempting to improve its tactical position to resume the offensive. The Russian invaders fired artillery at the vicinities of more than 30x settlements. Among them are Malynivka, Mala Tokmachka, Novodanylivka, Novoandriivka, Mali Shcherbaky (Zaporizhzhia oblast), Chervonyi Mayak, Kozats'ke, Ivanivka, Antonivka, Inzhenerne (Kherson oblast), the city of Kherson, and the town of Ochakiv (Mykolaiv oblast). The attacks have killed and wounded civilians.

In order to replenish its large-scale casualties, Russia continues to conduct covert mobilization in the temporarily occupied territory of Ukraine. In particular, it is planned to start another wave of mobilization of local residents of Horlivka (Donetsk oblast) into the ranks of the Russian occupation forces on March 5. All heads of educational institutions have been instructed in writing by the Russian occupation administration to register men born between 1995 and 2005 for military service.

Forced passportization of the population of the temporarily occupied territory of Luhansk oblast continues. Thus, the Russian occupiers imposed restrictions on free movement between settlements for all civilians not having a russian passport. Starobils'k, Rubizhne, and Stanytsia Luhanska were affected by the restrictions.

The Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (Enerhodar, temporarily occupied by Russia) is now sorely lacking professional workers who can secure the operation of the nuclear power plant. Instead, the Russian occupiers are employing people without the appropriate education or experience at the NPP, which can cause unpredictable consequences.

During the day of March 4, the Ukrainian Air Force launched 12x air strikes on the concentrations of occupants' personnel and military equipment, 2x air strikes on anti-aircraft missile systems, and 1x Russian ammunition depot.

The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation reporeted that the RF Armed Forces attacked 83 artillery positions and 197 areas of concentration of manpower and equipment of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU). During the day, the missile guidance radar of the Ukrainian S-300 anti-aircraft missile system in Druzhkovka was also destroyed.

The Ukrainian Air Force lost three Mi-8 helicopters over the settlements of Suvorovo, Pokrovskoe and Novoselovka in the Dnipropetrovsk and Zaporozhye regions. In addition, 12 HIMARS missiles were intercepted and 11 unmanned aerial vehicles were destroyed during the day.

In the Kherson direction, the Armed Forces of Ukraine lost more than 70 servicemen, 20 vehicles, the M777 artillery system and the D-30 howitzer. At the same time, over 90 enemy soldiers, a tank and 6 units of military equipment were liquidated in the Kupyansk direction of the RF Armed Forces.

Today, the Armed Forces of Ukraine fired at the border village of Butyrki in the Belgorod region. There were no casualties, but the shells that fell on the school grounds shattered the windows.

Law enforcement officers detained a local resident in Moscow who provided financial support to the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The arrest occurred during her attempt to leave the territory of Russia. She is suspected of treason.

The situation in the Donbass

The units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Limansk direction were subjected to air strikes and artillery shelling by the military group of the RF Armed Forces "Center" in the areas of Yampolovka, Chervonopopovka and Kuzmino, as a result of which up to 150 Ukrainian servicemen were killed, two infantry fighting vehicles, five armored combat vehicles and a Grad installation were destroyed.

In the Donetsk direction, Russian units eliminated one tank, three infantry fighting vehicles, four pickup trucks, nine cars, two Msta-B howitzers, three D-30 guns and one M777 gun. During the day, up to 490 Ukrainian servicemen were killed or wounded here.

At the same time, up to 80 Ukrainian servicemen, a tank, 2 armored combat vehicles, 3 pickup trucks, and two D-20 howitzers were lost in the areas of Vodiane, Vuhledar, Novopol, Shcherbakov and Kamensky AFU per day.

Meanwhile, the battles for Bakhmut and its environs continue. Despite yesterday's blowing up of bridges, the Ukrainian security forces are not going to surrender this area yet: the rotation of troops, the arrival of reinforcements and equipment are being recorded. There are fierce battles.

At the same time, the Armed Forces of Ukraine are transferring reserves to Chasov Yar and counterattacking near Krasnoye and in the direction of Kleshcheevka. They are doing this in an attempt to restore partial control over the Chasov Yar - Krasnoye - Bakhmut road.