Russo-Ukraine War - 14 March 2023 - Day 384

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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 in recent weeks, Russian artillery ammunition shortages have likely worsened to the extent that extremely punitive shell-rationing is in force on many parts of the front. This has almost certainly been a key reason why no Russian formation has recently been able to generate operationally significant offensive action.

Russia has almost certainly already resorted to issuing old munitions stock which were previously categorised as unfit for use.

A presidential decree of 03 March 2023 laid down measures for the Ministry of Trade and Industry to bypass the authority of the managers of defence industries who fail to meet their production goals. Russia is increasingly applying the principles of a command economy to its military industrial complex because it recognises that its defence manufacturing capacity is a key vulnerability in the increasingly attritional 'special military operation.'

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that the Russian aggressor's main efforts are focused on the conduct of offensive actions in the Limansky, Bakhmutsky, Avdiivsky, Maryinsky and Shakhtar directions. Russia does not abandon attempts to exit the administrative border of Donetsk and Luhansk regions.

During the day, Russian forces hit 30 aviation and 8 missile strikes, one of which is in the city of Kramatorsk. Damaged a three-story residential building, there are dead and injured among the local population. Another rocket strike was struck by Russian forces of the Bay of Odessa region - the wreckage of the rocket damaged one of the buildings of the children's school "Gold Fish". There are no casualties or losses among the local population.
Also, Russian forces carried out over 33 shelling from jet systems of bottom fire.

The level of missile threat throughout Ukraine remains high.

In Volyn, Polísʹkomu, síversʹkomu and slobožansʹkomu directions operational environment without significant changes. Russia continues the engineering equipment of the area in the border areas of Bryansk and Kursk regions. And in the territory of the Belgorod region of the Russian Federation hold grouping troops for demonstration actions to prevent the transfer of Ukrainian units to other directions. During the day, Russian forces carried out shelling of the settlements of Arkhipivka, Mikhalchina Sloboda, Kolos and Eline of Chernihiv region, Ukrainian, Znob-Novgorod, Seredina-Buda, Romashkove, Bachivsk, Starikove, Wolfine, Grabovske and Porozok in Sumy region, as well as Guriev Kozach, Kozacha Lopan, Graniv, Deep, Red, Bologivka, Red First, Two-year and Western Khar
On the Kupyan and Limansky directions, during the day, Russian forces unsuccessfully tried to break through the defense of Ukrainian troops. Yesterday, a number of settlements along the line of combat were undergone artillery shelling, namely: Dvorichna, Gryanikivka, Masyutivka, Krokhmalne of Kharkiv region; Novoselivske, Makiyivka, Nevske, Dibrova, Bilogorivka and Zolotarivka of Luhansk region. The Russian occupants were unsuccessful offensive actions towards Bílogorívka.
In the Bakhmut direction, Russia does not abandon an attempt to capture the city of Bakhmut, where constant position battles are ongoing. At the same time, Ukrainian defenders fought back the Russian forces' attacks in the areas of Yagídne, Hromove and Orihovo-Vasilívka. Russian shelling suffered, in particular, nykiforívka, vasyukívka, mínʹkívka, dubovo-vasilívka, bahmut, ivanívsʹke, konstantinívka, kurd Воmívka, ozaryanívka and dilíivka of donetsk region.
In Avdiiv, Maryinsky and Shakhtar directions, Russian forces made unsuccessful offensive actions towards the settlements of Kamyanka, Nevelske, Novokalinov and Maryinka. Russian shelling suffered, in particular, Berdyči, Kamyanka, Avdiíivka, Vodyane, Netajlove, Krasnogorivka, Nevelske, Maryinka, Georgíivka and Vuhledar of Donetsk region.
In Zaporizhzhia and Kherson directions, Russian forces defends themselves. The areas of settlements next to the line of collision suffered shelling, including Olgivske, Gulyaipole, Bilogiria, Mala Tokmachka, Novodanilivka, Zarychne, Railway, Kamianske, Marievka and Novosilka of Zaporizhzhia region; Golden Beam, Mikhailivka, Kachkarivka, Vesele, Ivanivka, Mykilske, Antonivka, Zelenivka, Dniprovsk and Berehove Kherson region and we

During the past day, in the settlement of Aprikosivka in the temporarily occupied territory of the Kherson region, an opponent, with the active support of the local occupation so-called "government", carried out filtering measures against the local population. The cause of searches of private homes, mobile networks, personal laptops and computers was the hit by the Defense Forces of Ukraine in the place of base of one of the units of the Russian army. As a result, 4 units of armored technology (BMP / SAU) and at least 15 occupants were completely destroyed. The number of injured is checked and specified.

Over the past few days, about 1 thousand Russian soldiers have been placed in the territory of coastal tours and lodges of the city of Yalta Donetsk region. This has completely blocked the nearest streets and the entire beach area, additional checkpoints and doubled the number of pedestrian patrols. Equipment of engineered fences and trenches and blinds have been spotted on the recreation grounds in the immediate vicinity of the occupant bases. The number of training shootings from different types of weapons towards the sea has also increased.

The Defense Forces aviation carried out 9 strikes in the areas of the concentration of Russian personnel and military equipment in a day, while missile forces and artillery units struck 2 areas of Russian personnel.

Statements of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation

The Russian Ministry of Defense reported that during the day, as a result of attacks on the positions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, about 420 Ukrainian servicemen and a large amount of military equipment were destroyed. In the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR), an enemy ammunition depot was hit.

Operational-tactical and army aviation, missile forces and artillery hit 78 artillery units, manpower and equipment of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in 142 districts. US-made AN/TPQ-36 and AN/TPQ-37 counter-battery radars were destroyed in the DPR.

Fighter aircraft of the Russian Aerospace Forces in the DPR shot down a MiG-29 of the Ukrainian Air Force. Air defense systems intercepted 23 HIMARS, Smerch and Uragan multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS) projectiles, destroyed 17 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles in the DPR, Luhansk People's Republic (LPR), Zaporozhye and Kherson regions.

Kherson region

A humanitarian catastrophe has developed on the right bank of the Dnieper in the Kherson region, said Vladimir Leontiev, head of the Novokakhovka urban district. According to him, Kyiv has literally "abandoned" local residents and is trying to divert attention from the situation by continuing to shell the left bank.

In Novaya Kakhovka, an improvised explosive device went off next to a parked car. A local resident was injured, the authorities described the incident as a terrorist attack.

Zaporozhye region

A car exploded in the market area in Melitopol, 2 civilians were injured, Vladimir Rogov, a member of the main council of the administration of the Zaporozhye region, said. He called the incident a terrorist attack.

Acting Governor of the Zaporozhye region Yevhen Balitsky said that up to 40 thousand military personnel of the Armed Forces of Ukraine are recorded in the north of the region. He did not rule out attempts by Ukrainian troops to break through the Russian defenses in this direction.

DPR

During the day, Ukrainian troops shelled Donetsk, as well as the settlements of Gorlovka and Yasinovataya.

As a result of attacks in Donetsk, a civilian was killed, another resident was injured as a result of the detonation of an explosive device dropped by a Ukrainian drone.

Units of the PMC "Wagner" advanced in the north of Bakhmut and took control of the enterprise "Vostokmash" on the territory of the "Artyomovsky Metal Processing Plant".

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky held a meeting of the Headquarters of the Supreme Commander, during which it was decided to continue the defense of Bakhmut. Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Valery Zaluzhny, commenting on the situation in the city, called its retention key in the defense of the entire front.

Businessman Yevgeny Prigozhin said that Kyiv was preparing a counteroffensive in the Bakhmut direction. According to him, the Armed Forces of Ukraine expect to dissect the Wagner PMC group and try to nullify the tasks performed by the "orchestra" units. The entrepreneur added that now the "musicians" are in close proximity to the city administration of Bakhmut.

LC

Since the beginning of the day, the village of Krasny Luch has been shelled by the Armed Forces of Ukraine. As a result of the strike with the use of the HIMARS MLRS, a dispensary and a children's camp were damaged.

The Armed Forces of Ukraine tried to attack the positions of the allied forces in the Chervonopopovka area, the actions of the Ukrainian armored groups were supported by artillery, military commander Yevgeny Poddubny said. The attack was repulsed, the enemy suffered losses.