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Russo-Ukraine War - 29 April 2023 - Day 430

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 in the early hours of 28 April 2023, Russia launched the first major wave of cruise missile strikes against Ukraine since early March 2023. Although Ukraine shot down most of the missiles, at least 25 civilians were killed.

The attacks suggest a departure in Russia's use of long-range strikes. The wave involved fewer missiles than those over the winter and was unlikely to have been targeting Ukraine's energy infrastructure. There is a realistic possibility that Russia was attempting to intercept Ukrainian reserve units and military supplies recently provided to Ukraine.

Russia operates an inefficient targeting process and prioritises perceived military necessity over preventing collateral damage, including civilian deaths.

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that during the day of April 29, Russian forces launched 1x missile and 29x air strikes and around 12x MLRS attacks at the positions of Ukrainian troops and various settlements. The attacks have killed and wounded civilians, destroyed and damaged private residential buildings and other civilian infrastructure. The likelihood of further missile and air strikes across Ukraine remains quite high.

The Russian forces' main efforts are the offensive operations on Lyman, Bakhmut, Avdiivka, and Mar'inka axes, with more than 40x Russian attacks repelled. The fiercest fighting is for Bakhmut and Mar'inka, Ukrainian soldiers are bravely holding the line.
Volyn and Polissya axes: no major changes in the operational situation. No signs of the formation of Russian offensive groups were found.
Sivershchyna and Slobozhanshchyna axes: during the day of April 29, Russian forces launched air strikes on the settlements of Halahanivka and Leonivka. The Russian invaders shelled the settlements of Khrinivka, Zarichchya (Chernihiv oblast), Ukrainske, Seredyna-Buda (Sumy oblast), Chervona Zorya, Hoptivka, Krasne, Ternova, Vovchans'k, Vovchans'ki Khutory, and Nesterne (Kharkiv oblast) with mortars and artillery.
Kup'yans'k axis: Russian forces did not conduct any offensive operations, actively using UAVs to spot for artillery fire. The Russian forces fired artillery and mortars at Stroivka, Kam'yanka, Topoli, Fyholivka, Novomlyns'k, Dvorichna, Zapadne, Lyman Pershyi, Kyslivka, Berestove (Kharkiv oblast), and Novoselivs'ke (Luhansk oblast).
Lyman axis: Russian forces conducted unsuccessful offensives towards Bilohorivka. Nevs'ke (Luhansk oblast), Novosadove, Tors'ke, Bilohorivka, Verkhn'okam'yans'ke, and Rozdolivka (Donetsk oblast) came under artillery fire.
Bakhmut axis: Russia continues its offensive operations. Heavy battles for the city of Bakhmut continue. In addition, during the day of April 29, Russian forces conducted unsuccessful offensives towards the settlement of Predtechyne. Vasyukivka, Orikhovo-Vasylivka, Novomarkove, Hryhorivka, Bakhmut, Chasiv Yar, Ivanivske, Kostyantynivka, Bila Hora, Oleksandro-Shul'tyne, Dyliivka, Pivnichne, Toretsk, Shumy, Pivdenne, and New York (Donetsk oblast) suffered from Russian shelling.
Avdiivka axis: Russian forces conducted unsuccessful offensives in the vicinity of Pervomais'ke. The Russian invaders shelled the settlements of Novokalynove, Avdiivka, Karlivka, Vodyane, and Pervomais'ke (Donetsk oblast).
Mar'inka axis: during the day of April 29, Ukrainian defenders repelled numerous adversary attacks in the vicinity of settlement of Mar'inka and Novomykhailivka. Krasnohorivka, Mar'inka, Pobjeda, Paraskoviivka, and Novomykhailivka (Donetsk oblast) were shelled by Russian forces.
Shakhtars'ke axis: Russian forces did not conduct any offensive operations during the day of April 29. The invaders shelled the settlements of Bohoyavlenka, Vuhledar, Novoukrainka, Prechystivka, Shakhtars'ke, and Velyka Novosilka (Donetsk oblast).
Zaporizhzhia and Kherson axes: Russian forces stay on the defensive. At the same time, during the day of April 29, the Russian invaders shelled more than 20x settlements near the line of active combat. Among them are Vremivka, Novosilka, Novopil', Zelene Pole (Donetsk oblast), Ol'hivs'ke, Hulyaipole, Bilohir'ya, Mala Tokmachka, Novodanylivka, Novoandriivka, Kam'yans'ke (Zaporizhzhya oblast), Havrylivka, Zmiivka, Beryslav, Kozats'ke, Ivanivka, Zymivnyk, Bilozerka, Dniprovs'ke, Kizomys (Kherson oblast), and the city of Kherson.

Cases of collective refusal to participate in active combat have become more frequent in the units of the Russian occupation forces stationed in the vicinity of Mar'inka. It has been established that the main drivers for the refusals are heavy casualties, late ammunition supplies, short supply of personal protective equipment, and russian troops being forced to launch assault operations with no heavy equipment or artillery support.

The Russian occupation forces have reinforced the counterintelligence and police regime in the temporarily occupied territory of the Kerch Peninsula (Autonomous Republic of Crimea). Thus, since April 26, the Russian occupiers have increased the number of patrols, reinforced police posts on local roads with Russian Federal Security Service officers. They randomly check civilians, searching through their mobile phones, and whether they have Russian passports.

During the day of April 29, the Ukrainian Air Force launched 3x air strikes on the concentrations of Russian troops. Also, Ukrainian defenders intercepted 2x Shahed-136/131 UAVs, 1x Orlan-10 reconnaissance UAV, and 1x more unidentified Russian UAV.

During the day of April 29, Ukrainian missile and artillery troops hit 1x concentrations of Russian troops, 2x fuel and lubricant depots, 2x air defence assets, 1x artillery unit, and 1x other important Russian target.

The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation reported that Businessman Yevgeny Prigozhin, during an interview with military correspondent Semyon Pegov, reported that statements about the role of regular units of the Russian Armed Forces near Bakhmut were inconsistent with reality.

The entrepreneur noted that the flanks, which are formally held by the army, do not cease to be the area of responsibility of the Wagner PMC, since if the fighters are removed from these positions, the enemy will be able to pass through the abandoned positions and cut off the advancing group of "musicians".

However, despite all this, the assault detachments of the "orchestra" continue to push the enemy in a strategic city and attack from several directions at once.

The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), meanwhile, outlawed foreign mercenaries near Bakhmut and warned the public about the need to provide up-to-date information about arms smuggling by foreigners.

The situation in other areas

Over the past day, the Russian armed forces hit 92 artillery positions and 126 areas where enemy troops were concentrated. At the same time, a Ukrainian Mi-8 was shot down over Raygorodok, and 14 drones and 4 rockets were intercepted.

About 925 servicemen, 11 armored vehicles, 23 vehicles, 3 D-20 and 4 D-30 howitzers, 3 tanks, 3 infantry fighting vehicles, Akatsiya and Gvozdika self-propelled guns, 2 AN/ TPQ-50.

Separately, it is noted that on the evening of April 28, a high-precision weapon struck at the cluster of command of the Ukrainian Kherson grouping. Declared achievement of the purpose of the attack.

In addition, over the past day, ammunition depots of the 72nd and 110th brigades of the Armed Forces of Ukraine were destroyed in the areas of Shakhtyorsky and Uspenovka.