Russo-Ukraine War - 28 March 2023 - Day 398

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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 days, Russia has continued to prioritise an operation attempting to encircle the Donetsk Oblast town of Avdiivka. However, Russian forces have made only marginal progress at the cost of heavy losses in armoured vehicles.

Russia's 10th Tank Regiment has likely lost a large proportion of its tanks while attempting to surround Avdiivka from the south. The regiment is part of 3rd Army Corps, the first major new formation Russia stood up to support the invasion of Ukraine since August 2022.

Numerous open-source accounts suggested that 3rd Army Corps has been particularly dogged by problems with ill-discipline and poor morale. Despite a likely period of training in Belarus, the formation still appears to display limited combat effectiveness. 10th Tank Regiment's losses have likely largely been due to tactically flawed frontal assaults similar to those in other recent failed Russian armoured attacks, such as around the town of Vuhledar.

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that during the day, Russian forces carried out 11x air strikes and 2x missile strikes, carried out more than 10x attacks from MLRS.

The probability of launching missile and air strikes on the entire territory of Ukraine remains high, because Russia continues to ignore the laws and customs of war, and continues to use terror tactics against the civilian population. Today, as a result of a missile attack on the infrastructure of the city of Bogodukhiv, Kharkiv Oblast, civilians were injured and private houses were damaged.

Lyman, Bakhmut, Avdiivka and Mar'yinka axes: Russia is concentrating its main efforts on conducting offensive actions. The settlements of Bilogorivka, Bakhmut, Avdiivka, Maryinka and their surroundings remain at the epicenter of hostilities. Thanks to professional and coordinated actions, units of the Defense Forces of Ukraine repelled 24 Russian attacks in the specified directions during the day.
Volyn', Polissya, Sivershchyna, and Slobozhanshchyna axes: the operational situation has not changed significantly, and no signs of the formation of offensive groups have been detected. On the territory of the Republic of Belarus, the combat training of units of the territorial troops of the armed forces of the Russian Federation continues. Russia continues to maintain a military presence in the border areas of the Kursk and Belgorod regions. During the day, Russian forces shelled the areas of the settlements of Bilopillya and Volfyne in the Sumy Oblast, as well as the areas of the settlements of Timofiivka, Chervona Zorya, Veterinarne, Strilecha, Hlyboke, Krasne, Staritsa, Ohirtseve, Komisarov, Ustinivka, and Stroivka in Kharkiv Oblast.
Kupyansk and Lyman axes: during the day, Russian forces conducted unsuccessful offensive actions in the areas of Krokhmalne, Bilogorivka, Verkhnyokamianske and Berestov settlements. They carried out artillery shelling in the areas of Kam'ianka, Krasne Pershe, Figolivka, Novomlynsk, Kutkivka, Dvorichna, Zapadne, Vilshana, Kislivka, Berestov settlements of the Kharkiv Oblast; Nevske, Kuzmine, Dibrova and Bilogorivka in the Luhansk Oblast, as well as Spirne in Donetsk Oblast.
Bakhmut axis: Russia continues its assault on the city of Bakhmut. However, Ukrainian defenders courageously hold the city, repel numerous Russian attacks. During the day, Russian forces carried out unsuccessful offensive actions in the areas of Orikhovo-Vasylivka, Ivanovske and Ozaryanivka settlements of the Donetsk Oblast. Russian forces shelled the settlements of Vasyukivka, Minkivka, Orihovo-Vasylivka, Novomarkove, Khromove, Bakhmut, Ivanivske, Chasiv Yar, Kurdyumivka, Druzhba, Shumy, and Mayorsk of the Donetsk Oblast.
Avdiivka and Mar'yinka axes: Russian forces carried out offensive actions in the direction of the settlements of Stepove, Pervomaiske, and Mar'yinka of the Donetsk Oblast, without success. They carried out shelling of populated areas. Among them are Krasnohorivka, Gostre, Georgiivka, Stepove, Lastochkine, Avdiivka, Tonenka, Pervomaiske, Mar'yinka, Pobieda, Paraskoviivka, and Novomykhailivka of the Donetsk Oblast.
Shakhtars'k axis: during the day, Russian forces shelled the areas of Vugledar, Zolota Niva, Velyka Novosilka and Vremivka settlements of the Donetsk Oblast.
Zaporizhzhia and Kherson axes: Russia continues to conduct defensive actions. They shelled the settlements of Novosilka, Novopil' of the Donetsk Oblast; Gulyaipole, Biloghirya, Mala Tokmachka, Novodanilivka and Novoandriivka of the Zaporizhzhia Oblast; Antonivka of the Kherson Oblast and the city of Kherson.

During the day, the Ukrainian Air Force carried out 5x strikes on the areas of concentration of Russian personnel and military equipment. Units of missile and artillery troops hit the command post, the area where the Russian forces' manpower, weapons and military equipment are concentrated, as well as the ammunition depot.

The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation reporeted that, during the night, the Russian army launched kamikaze drone strikes on targets in Kyiv and the Dnieper. It is not known what objects came under fire, but, judging by the footage of eyewitnesses, there were hits, fires broke out on the ground.

It is also known about the use of Russian artillery and aviation in the Sumy, Kharkiv, Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporozhye and Kherson regions.

The situation in the Donbass

Military correspondent Yevgeny Poddubny reports that Wagner PMC units are pushing the enemy in Bakhmut (Artemovsk). They managed to take positions near the Central City Market, the territory of which is a powerful fortified area of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU).

Meanwhile, a batch of humanitarian aid collected by Russian volunteers arrived in Donetsk. The cargo included generators, walkie-talkies and accessories for them, batteries and much more.

Retired lieutenant colonel Andriy Marochko, citing his own sources, reported on the accumulation of Ukrainian armored vehicles in Kupyansk, from where they are being transferred to the east and south.

"Through Kupyansk, a large number of military columns of the armed formations of Ukraine are moving. It was noted that part of the columns goes towards the Novoselovskoye settlement, and the other part - towards Izyum. Also, according to eyewitnesses, the entire road from Izyum to Slavyansk is literally clogged with equipment and manpower," he says.