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Russo-Ukraine War - 25 April 2023 - Day 426

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 April 2023, Russia's average daily casualty rate has highly likely fallen by around 30 per cent. This follows exceptionally heavy Russian casualties over January-March 2023.

Figures released by the Ukrainian General Staff suggest a reduction from a daily average of 776 Russian casualties in March, to an average of 568 so far in April. Defence Intelligence cannot verify Ukraine's exact methodology, but the general trend is likely accurate.

Russia's losses have highly likely reduced as their attempted winter offensive has failed to achieve its objectives, and Russian forces are now focused on preparing for anticipated Ukrainian offensive operations.

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that during the day of April 25, the Russian occupiers launched 2x S-300 air defense system missile strikes at the center of the city of Kup'yans'k (Kharkiv oblast). The attacks have killed and wounded civilians, destroyed the building of a local history museum, which is not located near any military facility. Other civilian infrastructure was damaged as well. In addition, Russian forces launched 6x air strikes and more than 10x MLRS attacks in other locations. The likelihood of missile and air strikes across Ukraine remains quite high.

The Russian forces' main efforts are the offensive operations on Bakhmut, Avdiivka and Mar'inka axes. Ukrainian Defense Forces repelled 36x Russian attacks in the above areas of the frontline during the day of April 25. The fiercest fighting is for Bakhmut and Mar'inka.
Volyn and Polissya axes: no significant changes. No signs of the formation of a Russian offensive group were found.
Sivershchyna and Slobozhanshchyna axes: Russian forces fired artillery and mortars at the settlements of Leonivka (Chernihiv oblast), Koren'ok, Iskryskivshchyna, Volfyne (Sumy oblast), Veterynarne, Zelene, Neskuchne, Strilecha, Ohirtseve, Hatyshche, and Ambarne (Kharkiv oblast).
Kup'yans'k axis: the settlements of Topoli, Kam'yanka, Krasne Pershe, Fyholivka, Novomlyns'k, Dvorichna, and Kup'yans'k (Kharkiv oblast) were shelled by Russian artillery and mortars.
Lyman axis: Russian forces did not conduct any offensive operations. Novoselivs'ke, Nevs'ke, Dibrova, Bilohorivka (Luhansk oblast), Tors'ke, Yampil', Verkhn'okam'yans'ke Pereyizne (Donetsk oblast) were shelled with artillery.
Bakhmut axis: Russia continues its offensive operations. Heavy battles for the city of Bakhmut continue. In addition, Russian forces conducted unsuccessful offensive actions towards the settlements of Bohdanivka, Khromove, and Klishchiivka during the day of April 25. Vasyukivka, Orikhovo-Vasylivka, Markove, Hryhorivka, Bakhmut, Ivanivske, Chasiv Yar, Bila Hora, Pivnichne, and New York (Donetsk oblast) suffered from Russian shelling.
Avdiivka axis: Russian forces conducted offensive operations near Sjeverne and Pervomais'ke (Donetsk oblast), to no success. The Russian invaders shelled the settlements of Novobakhmutivka, Novokalynove, Avdiivka, Lastochkyne, Vodyane, Pervomais'ke, Karlivka, and Nevel's'ke (Donetsk oblast).
Mar'inka axis: during the day of April 25, Ukrainian defenders repelled numerous adversary attacks in the vicinity of settlement of Mar'inka. Heorhiivka, Mar'inka, Pobjeda, Novomykhailivka, and Paraskoviivka (Donetsk oblast) were shelled by Russian forces.
Shakhtars'ke axis: Russian forces did not conduct any offensive operations during the day of April 25. The Russian invaders shelled the settlements of Vuhledar, Yehorivka, Prechystivka, Zolota Nyva, Shakhtars'ke, and Velyka Novosilka (Donetsk oblast).
Zaporizhzhia and Kherson axes: Russian forces stay on the defensive. More than 30x settlements were shelled, including Zatyshshya, Hulyaipole, Zaliznychne, Hirke, Bilohir'ya (Zaporizhzhya oblast), Dudchany, Beryslav, Vesele, Vysuntsi, Inzhenerne, Kizomys (Kherson oblast), and the city of Kherson. A hit of 2x guided aerial bombs at the settlement of Kizomys, damaged more than 10x civilian houses, completely destroying 2x of them. A local church and other civilian infrastructure were also damaged.

Russia continues to use the children's educational institutions in the temporarily occupied territories as it sees fit. The Russian invaders re-purpose these as military facilities, hiding behind the "human shield" of children and teaching staff. For example, up to 200x mobilized Russian forces servicemen were deployed on the territory of one of the children's camps in the settlement of Urzuf (Mariupol district, Donetsk oblast).

The Russian invaders continue their looting practices on the territory of Ukraine. In particular, servicemen of the Russian occupation forces are searching houses in the settlement of Kardashynka (Skadovs'k district, Kherson oblast) at night. They steal household appliances and cars from civilians.

During the day of April 25, Ukrainian Air Force launched 5x air strikes on the concentrations of Russian troops and military equipment, and attacked 1x anti-aircraft missile system. Ukrainian missile and artillery troops hit 1x anti-aircraft missile system, 1x concentration of troops and military equipment, and 1x radar station of the Russian aggressors.

Russian war correspondent Alexander Simonov criticized maps of the situation in the city area that appeared on the Web. In particular, he stressed that units of the Wagner PMC have not yet entered the Khromovo settlement west of Bakhmut. All claims to the contrary are premature.

In the meantime, according to the military commander, fierce battles inside the city itself are taking place in the Aircraft area and in the western half of the former military unit. At the same time, the "Wagnerites" reached the line of the street. Field, entrenched on the street. Extreme and advanced to Zabolnitsa.

The FAN military commissar also released a report about the situation in the areas liberated the day before and showed what the pre-trial detention center building cleaned from the enemy looks like.

Military observer Boris Rozhin reports that the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) have focused on holding the neck to the west of Bakhmut, which does not allow closing the "cauldron". In order to avoid encirclement, the enemy fiercely defends settlements to the west of the city.

The situation in other directions

The Russian army hit 98 artillery positions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and 124 areas of concentration of manpower and equipment in a day. Near Selidovo, a radar station for targeting the S-300 complex was destroyed. 15 drones were also shot down. Meanwhile, an ammunition depot of the Ukrainian 67th brigade was liquidated near Ternova.

In the Kupyansky, Limansky and Donetsk directions, the Armed Forces of Ukraine lost about 500 servicemen, 2 armored cars, 8 cars, 9 infantry fighting vehicles, 2 D-20 howitzers, 2 Gvozdika self-propelled guns, 8 armored vehicles per day.

At the same time, in the Kherson, Zaporozhye and Yuzhno-Donets sectors of the front, the RF Armed Forces destroyed a total of about 140 enemy soldiers, an armored combat vehicle, 9 vehicles, D-20, M777 and Msta-B howitzers, as well as an Akatsiya self-propelled gun.