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Russo-Ukraine War - 13 April 2023 - Day 414

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 leaders of several Russian regions bordering Ukraine, as well as occupied Crimea, have announced that their usually high-profile 9 May Victory Day military parades will be cancelled.

Some Russian cities further away from Ukraine have confirmed they plan to go ahead with Victory Day. The cancelled events have likely primarily been called off because of security concerns near the border, as officials have claimed.

However, the different approaches highlight a sensitive communications challenge for the Kremlin. Putin couches the 'special military operation' in the spirit of the Soviet experience in World War Two. The message risks sitting increasingly uneasily with the many Russians who have immediate insights into the mismanaged and failing campaign in Ukraine. Honouring the fallen of previous generations could easily blur into exposing the scope of the recent losses, which the Kremlin attempts to cover up.

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that the Russian Federation continues waging the zagarbnicʹkoí зага war. Ignores International Humanitarian Law, strikes, fires not only at our troops positions but at civilian settlements. During the day, Russian forces fired 11 air strikes, fired about 20 shelling from jet fire systems, there are casualties among civilians. The probability of missile and air strikes across Ukraine remains high.

Russia has not yet given up on his plans to occupy our territory, despite significant losses. Continues to focus the main efforts on the offensive in the Limansky, Bakhmutsky, Avdiivsky and Marine directions. The fiercest battles continue for Bakhmut and Maryinka. During the day, thanks to the coordination of the actions of the Ukrainian defense forces units and the resilience of our soldiers, about 20 Russian attacks were repelled.

In Volyn, Polisʹkomu, Siversʹkomu and Slobožansʹkomu directions, the operational environment without much changes, no signs of the formation of Russian offensive groups have been detected. Some units of the territorial troops of the armed forces of the Russian Federation continue to be in the territory of the Republic of Belarus. A comprehensive combat readiness of the armed forces of the Republic of Belarus is underway.

There is a military presence of Russian forces in the border with Ukraine areas of kursʹkoí ною and belgorod regions.
During the day, the Russian invaders fired at the settlements of Studenok, Iskryskivshchyna, Wolfine Sumy region, as well as Uda, Kozacha Lopan, Ternova, Staritsya, Gatyshche and Budarki in Kharkiv region.
Red First, Dvorichna, West, Mas шеtívka and Tabayivka of Kharkiv region suffered in the direction of Russian shelling.
In the limansʹkomu direction during the day, the Russian opponent led unsuccessful offensive actions in the area of bílogorívki. Artillery shelling suffered novoselívsʹke, stelmahívka, nevsʹke, bílogorívka luhansk region and spírne in donetsk region.
In the Bakhmutsʹkomu direction, Russia continues to lead offensive actions. Heavy battles continue for the city of Bakhmut. Russian forces attacked in the area of the settlement of the Predecine, but was unsuccessful. From Russian shelling suffered oríhovo-vasilívka, novomarkove, grigorívka, bogdanívka, hromove, bahmut, ivanívsʹke, white mountain, novodmitrívka, kurd жихmívka, northern and iron donetsk region.
In the Avdiíivka direction, Russian forces carried out artillery shelling of the settlements Stepove, Avdiivka, Vodyane, Pervomaisʹke and karlivka of Donetsk region.
In the marí нnsʹkomu direction during the day, Ukrainian defenders fought numerous Russian attacks in the area of marí нnki donetsk region. At the same time, Nevelske, Krasnogorivka, Maryinka, Pobeda and Novomykhaylivka suffered Russian shelling.
In the Shakhtar direction, Russian forces did not conduct offensive actions. He shelling the settlements Shakhtarske, Velika Novosilka, Vuhledar, Prechistivka, Golden Niva of Donetsk region.

Russia continues to conduct defensive actions on Zaporizhzhya and Kherson directions. During the day, carried out shelling of settlements that are next to the line of combat. Among them are olgívsʹke, red, gulâjpole, charming, small tokmachka, novodanilívka, nuts, novoandrívka, stepnogorsk zaporizhzhia region; stepanivka and antonivka kherson region and the city of kherson.

In individual settlements of the Trinity district of Luhansk region, Russian occupants are stepping up the counterintelligence regime over fears of leaking information about the deployment of their units. The number of patrols has increased. Mobile phones are taken away from people during the search of the premises. A ban on leaving settlements has been introduced.

The Defense Forces aviation carried out 3 strikes in the areas of the Russian forces' personnel and military equipment in a day, while the missile forces and artillery units struck 2 control points, 2 areas of the Russian forces' live force, arms and military equipment, as well as a radilocation station and a radio-electronic combat station.

The Russian Ministry of Defense reported that the fighters of the Wagner PMC have already entrenched themselves on Sibirtsev Street in Bakhmut, which means that the district state administration building has been completely taken under control. Photos confirming this, taken at house number 33, were published on the Web.

At the moment, the enemy is holding on to dense and high-rise residential buildings in the western part of the city.

RIA Novosti, citing one of the attack aircraft, reports that the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) blew up a number of multi-storey buildings in order to slow down the advance of the attackers. Also, the Armed Forces of Ukraine set fire to the premises in order to complicate their cleaning. The video of the destruction of high-rise buildings appeared in the public domain.

In addition, today entrepreneur Yevgeny Prigozhin, called by some sources the founder of Wagner PMC, said that the "musicians" have already liquidated 38,000 fighters fighting on the side of the Kiev regime. At least 32 thousand of this number were destroyed in Soledar, Bakhmut and its environs.

The situation on other sectors of the front

The confirmed losses of the Armed Forces of Ukraine per day on the line of contact amounted to a total of about 470 military personnel, 4 vehicles, 7 armored vehicles, 2 D-20 and 1 Msta-B guns, as well as 3 Gvozdika self-propelled howitzers.

Artillery and aviation hit 97 artillery positions and 124 areas of accumulation of manpower and equipment. Air defense systems intercepted nine rocket-propelled munitions from HIMARS and six drones.

In addition, ammunition depots of the 66th and 102nd brigades of the Armed Forces of Ukraine were liquidated near the settlements of Nevskoye and Gulyaipole.

Three Ukrainian saboteurs involved in the preparation of terrorist attacks in the Zaporozhye region were detained in Melitopol today. They damaged the railroad tracks and intended to attack the officials and workers who run the transport. Explosives were found during the search.