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Russo-Ukraine War - 12 April 2023 - Day 413

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 recent weeks, Russia has continued to develop extensive linear defences in Zaporizhzhia Oblast in southern Ukraine. The area is highly likely the responsibility of Russia's Southern Grouping of Forces (SGF).

Russia has now completed three layers of defensive zones across approximately 120km of this sector. These consist of a front line of forward combat positions, and then two zones of nearly continuous, more elaborate defences. Each zone is approximately 10-20km behind the one in front.

Russia has probably put significant effort into these defensive works because it is convinced Ukraine is considering an assault towards the city of Melitopol. The defences have the potential to be formidable obstacles, but their utility almost entirely depends on them being supported by sufficient artillery and personnel. It remains unclear if the SGF can currently muster these resources.

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that during the day of April 12, Russian forces launched 19 air strikes, more than 10x MLRS attacks at the positions of Ukrainian troops and infrastructure in various settlements. Civilians were wounded. The likelihood of missile and air strikes across Ukraine still remains high.

Despite the numerous losses in equipment and manpower, Russia continues to focus its main efforts on the offensive operations on Lyman, Bakhmut, Avdiivka, and Mar'inka axes. 34x Russian attacks were repelled during the day of April 12.
Volyn, Polissya, Sivershchyna, and Slobozhanshchyna axes: no significant changes. Certain units of the territorial troops of the Russian Armed Forces remain stationed in Belarus. A comprehensive inspection of the combat readiness of the armed forces of the Republic of Belarus is underway. Individual formations and units have been brought to the highest levels of combat readiness. The inspected units were manned to strength by conscripting reserve servicemen.

The adversary retains presence of certain units in the areas of Kursk and Belgorod oblasts (Russia) bordering Ukraine and continues the engineering development of terrain. During the day of April 12, Russian forces shelled the settlements of Halahanivka, Zaliznyi Mist, Arkhypivka (Chernihiv oblast), Mefodivka, Bilopillya, Volfyne, Kindrativka, Varachyne, Basivka, Zapsillya (Sumy oblast),
Veterynarne, Vovchans'k, Varvarivka, Zemlyanky, Komisarove, and Kolodyazne (Kharkiv oblast).
Kup'yans'k axis: Topoli, Krasne Pershe, Dvorichna, Zapadne, and Kindrashivka (Kharkiv oblast) came under Russian fire.
Lyman axis: during the day of April 12, Russian forces conducted unsuccessful offensives in the vicinity of Bilohorivka. Novoselivs'ke, Nevs'ke, Pishchane, Kuz'myne, and Bilohorivka (Luhansk oblast) were shelled with artillery.
Bakhmut axis: Russia continues its offensive operations, attempting to take full control of the city of Bakhmut. Fierce fighting continues. During the day of April 12, Russian forces conducted unsuccessful offensives to the north of Khromove and near Bohdanivka. The Ukrainian Defense Forces repelled about 18x Russian attacks in this area of the frontline. Vasyukivka, Hryhorivka, Bohdanivka, Bakhmut, Ivanivske, Kurdyumivka, Druzhba, and Zalizne (Donetsk oblast), among other settlements, were shelled by Russian forces.
Avdiivka and Mar'inka axes: Russian forces conducted offensive operations in the vicinities of Mar'inka, Pobjeda, and Novomykhailivka (Donetsk oblast). None of them were successful. The fiercest fighting in this area of the frontline is for Mar'inka, where 14x Russian attacks were repelled. At the same time, Russian forces shelled the settlements of Keramik, Novokalynove Krasnohorivka, Avdiivka, Vodyane, Netaylove, Nevel's'ke, Karlivka, Heorhiivka, and Mar'inka (Donetsk oblast).
Shakhtars'ke axis: Russian forces did not conduct any offensive operations during the day of April 12. Russian forces shelled the settlements of Novomykhailivka, Shakhtars'ke, Novoukrainka, Velyka Novosilka, Vuhledar, and Prechystivka (Donetsk oblast).
Zaporizhzhia and Kherson axes: Russia is defending. The invaders shelled Vremivka, Novopil' (Donetsk oblast), Hulyaipole, Zaliznychne, Bilohir'ya, Mala Tokmachka, Kam'yans'ke (Zaporizhzhia oblast), Kachkarivka, Vesele, Antonivka, Inzhenerne, Zelenivka (Kherson oblast) and the city of Kherson, among other targets.

The Russian occupiers continue to leverage educational institutions of the temporarily occupied territories and use them for their own purposes. They set them up as military facilities, hiding behind human shields – the schoolchildren and the teaching staff. For example, mobilized units of the Russian occupation forces have arrived in the city of Skadovs'k (Kherson oblast) in recent days. The personnel are accommodated in the buildings of educational institutions. At the same time, the Russian occupiers are forcing the teaching staff to continue the educational process with the attendance being compulsory for the children.

This said, a humanitarian crisis is imminent in temporarily Russia-occupied Skadovs'k due to the growing shortage of medicines. The Russian so-called "authorities" put in office by the occupation forces have significantly limited the supply of all types of medicines to pharmacies.

During the day of April 12, the Ukrainian Air Force launched 6x air strikes on the concentrations of Russian forces' personnel and military equipment. Also, 1x Russian Orlan-10 UAV was shot down. Units of the Ukrainian missile troops and artillery hit 4x concentrations of Russian manpower, weapons, and military equipment, 1x ammunition depot, and 1x radar station.

According to the official statement of the Russian Ministry of Defense, in the Bakhmut area, units of the Wagner PMC took possession of three quarters in a day, while it was not specified in which part of the city. The activity of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (APU) on the flanks is constrained by the actions of the Airborne Forces. Previously, the "musicians" handed over these liberated areas with prepared defenses to the department of the allied forces.

Also, Ukrainian reserves tried to break into Bakhmut from the settlements of Chasov Yar and Bogdanovka, which lost more than 245 military personnel, a tank, an armored personnel carrier, 2 armored combat vehicles, 3 pickup trucks, 8 vehicles, an Msta-B howitzer, 2 D-20 guns, as well as 3 Grad MLRS launchers.

The enemy continues to show disdain for the city and its inhabitants by hiding armored vehicles in the yards. So, at the house 37 on the street. Decembrists captured two tanks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, which, having tried to hide in a residential area, were nevertheless destroyed.

The situation on other sectors of the front

In other directions, Ukraine lost about 340 soldiers, 22 vehicles, 7 armored fighting vehicles, D-30 and D-20 howitzers, as well as Krab and Paladin self-propelled artillery mounts per day.

In addition, in the areas of the settlements of Sinkovka and Kislovka, the actions of three Ukrainian sabotage and reconnaissance groups were suppressed, and ammunition depots of the 65th and 121st brigades of the Armed Forces of Ukraine were blown up in Orekhov and Otradokamenka.

During the day, artillery and aviation attacked 94 enemy artillery positions and 117 areas of concentration of manpower and equipment. A Su-24 of the Ukrainian Air Force was shot down over Liman. At the same time, air defense systems intercepted two rockets from HIMARS systems and five drones.