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Russo-Ukraine War - 30 April 2023 - Day 431

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 recent months, Russian commanders have likely started punishing breaches in discipline by detaining the offending troops in 'Zindans' which are improvised cells consisting of holes in the ground covered with a metal grille.

Multiple recent reports from Russian personnel give similar accounts of being placed in Zindans for misdemeanours including drunkenness and attempting to terminate their contracts.

In the early months of the war, many Russian commanders took a relatively light touch in enforcing discipline, allowing those who refused to soldier to quietly return home. Since Autumn 2022, there have been multiple increasingly draconian initiatives to improve discipline in the force, especially since Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov assumed command of the operation in January 2023.

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that the Russian federation continues to use terror tactics. Russian forces launched 2x missile attacks on the cities of Kramatorsk and Kostiantynivka. Also, during the day Russian forces launched 15x air strikes and conducted about 30x MLRS attacks on Ukrainian settlements and positions of Ukrainian troops. The threat of missile and air strikes remains high across Ukraine.

Russia continues to focus its main efforts on offensive operations on Bakhmut, Avdiivka and Mar'inka axes. During the past day, Ukrainian Defense Forces repelled more than 20x Russian attacks on the specified axes. Bakhmut and Mar'inka remain places of fierce fights. Our defenders hold defense.
Volyn' and Polissya axes: no signs of the formation of offensive groupings reported. Russia maintains presence of its military contingent on the territory of belarus.
Sivershchyna and Slobozhanshchyna axes: Russia maintains enhanced military presence in the areas bordering Ukraine. During the last 24 hours Russian aircraft attacked Krasnyi Khutir (Chernihiv oblast); and Seredyna-Buda (Sumy oblast). The air strikes damaged local houses.
Mykolaivka, Halaganivka, and Leonivka (Chernihiv oblast); Seredyna-Buda, Druzhba, Bachivs'k (Sumy oblast); as well as Chervona Zorya, Veterynarne, Strelecha, Hlyboke, Krasne, Vovchans'k, and Loshakovo (Kharkiv oblast) came under Russian mortar and artillery fire.
Kup'yans'k axis: Russian forces did not conduct offensive operations. The settlements of Kam'нanka, Krasne Pershe, Dvorichna, Lyman Pershyi, Kislivka, and Berestove (Kharkiv oblast); Novoselivs'ke (Luhansk oblast) were subjects to Russian artillery and mortar fire.
Lyman axis: Russian artillery bombarded various Ukrainian settlements along the contact line, including: Nevs'ke, Dibrova, and Bilohorivka (Luhansk oblast); Kolodyazi, Verkhn'okam'yans'ke, Spirne and Rozdolivka (Donetsk oblast).
Bakhmut axis: Russian forces continue to conduct offensive operations. Fierce battle for the city of Bakhmut is ongoing. During the day, Russian forces conducted unsuccessful attacks in the vicinities of Ivanovs'ke.
Vasyukivka, Orikhovo-Vasylivka, Novomarkove, Hryhorivka, Bakhmut, Chasiv Yar, Ivanivs'ke, Kostyantynivka, Bila Hora, Diliivka, Sjeverne, Zalizne, Pivdenne, and New York (Donetsk oblast) came under Russian fire.
Avdiivka axis: Russian forces conducted unsuccessful attacks in the vicinities of Avdiivka and Pervomais'ke (Donetsk oblast). Russian forces shelled Novokalynove, Avdiivka, Tonen'ke, Karlivka, Vodyane, and Pervomais'ke.
Mar'inka axis: Russian forces continue to attack Ukrainian Defense Forces. The battle for Mar'inka continues.
The settlements of Krasnohorivka, Mar'inka, Pobieda, and Novomykhailivka (Donetsk oblast) suffered from Russian attacks.
Shakhtars'ke axis: during the day, Russian forces did not conduct offensive operations. Russian forces shelled Vuhledar, Prechistivka, Novoukrainka, and Zolota Nyva (Donetsk oblast).
Zaporizhzhia and Kherson axes: Russian forces stay on the defensive.
During the day, Russian forces shelled several settlements, including: Vremivka, Burlats'ke, Novosilka, and Novopil' (Donetsk oblast); Olhivs'ke, Hulyaipole, Biloghirya, Mala Tokmachka, Novodanilivka, and Kam'ians'ke (Zaporizhzhia oblast); as well as the city of Kherson.
The village of Kizomys, Kherson oblast suffered from air strikes.

Local hospitals of the temporarily occupied Luhansk are finding it increasingly difficult to cope with the growing number of wounded. A group of medical workers, in particular, surgeons, recently arrived in the city from the Moscow region to treat and rehabilitate Russian soldiers. The official purpose of the visit is to exchange experience and help medical institutions in Luhansk.

Recently, irreversible losses from the residents of Luhansk and its region who were forcibly mobilized to the Russian army amount to about 70x people per day. In order to prevent possible manifestations of discontent among the population, ritual services are recommended to adjust the number of people present at funeral processions to 6x people. In addition, in this context of the so-called "MDB" insists precisely on cremation of the dead instead of burial.

During the day, Ukrainian Air Force launched 3x air strikes against concentrations of Russian troops. Ukrainian missile and artillery troops hit 4x concentrations of Russian troops, weapons and military equipment, 1x ammunition depot, 2x concentrations of Russian artillery and 1x Russian logistics center.

The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation reported that detachments of PMC "Wagner" continue to grind the enemy's defenses in the west of Bakhmut. It is reported about the attack on the positions of Ukrainian troops in the area of Ivanovsky, units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the areas of Vasyukovka, Orekhovo-Vasilevka, Novomarkovo, Grigorovka, Chasov Yar, Belaya Gora, Dyleevka came under attack.

The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation stated that during the day 4 sorties were carried out by aviation in the Bakhmut direction, 61 fire missions were completed by artillery. In the area of Konstantinovka, strikes were made on the points of deployment of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and a detachment of special operations forces of the enemy, more than 200 Ukrainian servicemen were killed, and about 280 more were evacuated with injuries of varying severity.

The situation in other directions

DPR

During the day, Ukrainian troops opened fire on Donetsk, as well as the settlements of Makeevka, Gorlovka, Yakovlevka, Mikhailovka, Yasinovataya, Novoselivka Second, Novobakhmutovka, Petrovskoye, Nikolskoye, Vladimirovka, Stepnoye. As a result of attacks in Donetsk, a civilian was injured, and damage to residential buildings was recorded.

During the briefing, the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation announced the defeat of the positions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the areas of Ugledar and Vladimirovka, the enemy's losses amounted to up to 30 military personnel, an armored combat vehicle, 2 vehicles, Msta-B and D-30 howitzers were destroyed. A strike was made on an echelon of the Armed Forces of Ukraine at the railway station of Kramatorsk, up to 200 tons of ammunition were eliminated.

LC

During the day, the positions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine were hit in the areas of Makeevka and Chervona Dibrova, as well as Serebryansky forestry. Ukrainian troops lost up to 65 servicemen, an armored combat vehicle, D-20 and D-30 howitzers, and 3 vehicles.

An ammunition depot and a command post of the Armed Forces of Ukraine were destroyed near Belogorovka.

Kherson region

The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation reported on the defeat of the positions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Kherson direction, during the day more than 10 Ukrainian servicemen, a car and a Msta-B howitzer were destroyed. In the Poniatovka area, a US-made AN / TPQ-36 counter-battery radar was hit.

In Nova Kakhovka, a day after the shelling by the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the supply of electricity was restored.

Zaporozhye region

Zaporizhzhya NPP was visited by the first deputy head of the presidential administration of Russia Sergey Kiriyenko. During the visit, he got acquainted with the additional measures taken for the physical protection of the facility.

In the Energodar area, an unmanned aerial vehicle with explosives from the United States was destroyed. The law enforcement agencies of the region reported that the drone carried five C4 plates of 723 grams of TNT, 5 detonators, 5 sets of radio transmitters.