Russo-Ukraine War - 08 May 2023 - Day 439

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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]

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The UK Ministry of Defence reported that Russian military recruiters have been targeting central Asian migrant workers in Russia to serve in Ukraine. Recruiters have visited mosques and immigration offices to recruit. At immigration offices, staff who speak Tajik and Uzbek routinely attempt to recruit migrants.

Radio Free Europe reported recruiters offering sign-up bonuses of USD $2,390 and salaries of up to USD $4,160 a month. Migrants have also been offered a fast-track Russian citizenship path of six months to one year, instead of the usual five years.

The high monthly salary and sign-up bonuses will entice some migrant workers to sign up. These recruits are likely sent to the Ukrainian frontlines where the casualty rate is extremely high.

Recruiting migrants is part of the Russian Ministry of Defence's attempts to fulfil its target of 400,000 volunteers to fight in Ukraine. The authorities are almost certainly seeking to delay any new overt mandatory mobilisation for as long as possible to minimise domestic dissent.

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that Russian forces carried out 11x missile strikes, 59x air strikes and carried out 76x rounds from MLRS. Civilians suffered, private residential buildings and other civilian infrastructure were destroyed and damaged. The threat of launching missile and air strikes on the entire territory of Ukraine remains high.

Russia continues to focus its main efforts on the Lyman, Bakhmut, Avdiivka and Mar'yinka axes - Russian forces carried out about 30x attacks. Heavy battles are being fought for the cities of Bakhmut and Mar'yinka.
Volyn' and Polissya axes: no signs of the formation of strike groups were found.
Sivershchyna and Slobozhanshchyna axes: Russian forces maintain a military presence in the border areas with Ukraine. During the day, they carried out mortar and artillery shelling of the settlements of Berylivka, Moschenka, Galaganivka, Leonivka, Oleksandrivka, Buda-Vorobyivska, Gremyach of the Chernihiv Oblast; Znob-Novgorodske, Stara Huta of the Sumy Oblast, as well as Hoptivka, Krasne, Zelene, Staritsa, Ohirtseve, Vovchanski Khutory, Karaichne, Mala Vovcha, Mykolaivka and Nesterne in the Kharkiv Oblast.
Kupyansk axis: Russian forces did not conduct offensive operations. They carried out airstrikes in the areas of Zapadne and Masyutivka settlements. The settlements of Kam'ianka, Topoli, Petro-Ivanivka, Figolivka, Novomlynsk, Zapadne, Lyman Pershiy, Vilshana, Bugaivka in the Kharkiv Oblast and Novoselivske and Stelmakhivka in the Luhansk Oblast were hit by Russian artillery and mortar attacks.
Lyman axis: Russia is trying to find weak points in Ukraine's defense. It led offensive actions in the area of Bilogorivka, but were unsuccessful. Russian forces carried out airstrikes in the areas of the settlements of Nevske and Bilogorivka in the Luhansk Oblast and Verkhnokamianske and Spirne in the Donetsk Oblast. Makiivka, Bilogorivka of the Luhansk Oblast and Yampolivka and Spirne of the Donetsk Oblast were hit by artillery fire.
Bakhmut axis: Russia continues to conduct offensive actions.
Fighting continues in the city of Bakhmut. During the day, Russian forces carried out unsuccessful offensive actions in the vicinities of Ivanivskyi and Chasovoy Yar. Airstrikes in Bohdanivka, Bakhmut and Predtechyny districts. Vasyukivka, Orihovo-Vasylivka, Novomarkove, Bakhmut, Ivanivske, Chasiv Yar, Stupochki, Predtechine, Oleksandro-Shultyne, Diliivka, Druzhba, Zalizne and New York of the Donetsk Oblast were affected by Russian shelling.
Avdiivka axis: Russian forces carried out offensive actions in the Avdiivka and Pervomaisky districts, without success. Shelled Novokalynov, Berdychi, Lastochkina, Avdiyivka, Severna, Vodiane, Pervomaiske and Netaylov in the Donetsk Oblast.
Mar'yinka axis: Russian forces continues to attack the positions of the defense forces. Battles continue for Mar'yinka. At the same time, Georgiyivka and Pobeda in the Donetsk Oblast also got under Russian shelling.
Shakhtars'ke axis: during the day, Russian forces did not conduct offensive operations. They carried out an airstrike in the area of the settlement of Velika Novosilka. They shelled Paraskoviivka, Novomykhailivka, and Vugledar.
Zaporizhzhia and Kherson axes: Russia continues to conduct defensive operations. At the same time, during the day, they shelled more than 20x settlements which are close to the frontline. Among them are Vremivka, Novosilka, Zelene Pole, Novopil' of the Donetsk Oblast; Olhivske, Gulyaipole, Zaliznychne, Gulyaipilske, Biloghirya, Mala Tokmachka and Kam'ianske of the Zaporizhzhia Oblast; Zolota Balka, Kachkarivka, Zmiivka, Tyaginka, Antonivka, Dniprovske, Kizomys, Stanislav of the Kherson Oblast and the city of Kherson.

In the city of Skadovsk, the activity of the local and city administrations has been suspended. Therefore, during the night of May 6-7th the occupiers loaded documents, office equipment and other property of state institutions into vehicles, and on the morning of May 7, a large part of the Russian occupation administration left the city together with their families. Currently, a similar situation is observed in some settlements of the Oblast such as Mykhailivka, Petrivka, Shevchenko, Shiroke, Ul'yanivka and Krasne.

Taking into account the multi-kilometer traffic jams that have recently formed at the entrance to Crimea and in the area of the Kerch bridge, the Russian invaders plan to take the documents and looted property from the state institutions of the temporarily captured Kherson Oblast by sea, with the help of a dry cargo ship, through the port of the city of Berdyansk.

During the day, the Air Force of the Defense Forces carried out 11x strikes on concentration areas of Russian personnel and military equipment. In addition during this day, Ukrainian defenders destroyed a reconnaissance UAV of the "Zala" type. Missile and artillery units hit 3x manpower concentration areas, 2x ammunition depots and 3x other important Russian targets.

The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation reported that, in Kupyansk direction, aviation and artillery of the Zapad Group of Forces have engaged the units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine close to Novoselovskoye, Stelmakhovka (Lugansk People's Republic), and Sinkova (Kharkov region).

In addition, Russian troops disrupted actions of two Ukrainian sabotage and reconnaissance groups near Sinkovka and Berestovoye (Kharkov region).

Up to 55 Ukrainian troops, three tanks, five armoured fighting vehicles, seven motor vehicles, and one D-30 howitzer have been destroyed during the day in this direction.

In Krasny Liman direction, Operational-Tactical and Army aviation and artillery of the Tsentr Group of Forces have hit units of the enemy close to Chervonaya Dibrova, (Lugansk People's Republic), Terny, Torskoye, and Serebryanka (Donetsk People's Republic).

The enemy has suffered losses of over 70 Ukrainian troops, three armoured fighting vehicles, one Akatsiya self-propelled artillery system, and two D-20 howitzers in this direction in the past 24 hours.

In Donetsk direction, assault detachments continued their offensive in the west part of the city of Artyomovsk (Donetsk People's Republic). The Airborne Troops supported them and paralysed AFU units on the flanks.

Operational-Tactical and Army aviation and artillery of the Yug Group of Forces inflicted fire damage on the units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) close to Krasnoye, Bogdanovka, Stupochki, and Chasov Yar (Donetsk People's Republic). ?? Aircraft made 5 sorties in the area, and Missile Troops and Artillery completed 69 firing missions in support of the troops.

The enemy has suffered losses of over 380 Ukrainian troops and mercenaries, one tank, four armoured fighting vehicles, six motor vehicles, one Akatsiya self-propelled artillery system, and two D-20 and D-30 howitzers in the past 24 hours.

Moreover, two ammunition depots of the 54th Mechanised Brigade and 80th Air Assault Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces has been hit close to Verkhekamenskoye and Kramatorsk (Donetsk People's Republic).

In South Donetsk and Zaporozhye directions, air strikes and artillery of the Vostok Group of Forces have engaged the AFU units in the areas of Ugeldar, Shevchenko, Vremevka (Donetsk People's Republic), Malinovka, Marfopol, Belogorye, and Novodanilovka (Zaporozhye region).

Up to 70 Ukrainian troops, three armoured fighting vehicles, two pick-up trucks, and one D-20 howitzer has been neutralised in these directions during the day.

Moreover, two ammunition depots of the 72nd Mechanised Brigade and 128th Mountain Assault Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces has been hit close to Vodyanoye and Kirovo (Zaporozhye region).

In Kherson direction, Russian troops have neutralised over 50 Ukrainian troops, seven motor vehicles, and one Msta-B howitzer during the day.

Operational-Tactical and Army aviation, Missile Troops and Artillery of the Russian Group of Forces have engaged 96 AFU artillery units, manpower, and hardware in 107 areas during the day.

A depot with weapons and military hardware of an AFU group has been hit near Balakleya (Kharkov region).

Moreover, 15 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles have been shot down close to Novovodyanoye, Kremennaya (Lugansk People's Republic), Kirillovka, Petrovskoye, Egorovka (Donetsk People's Republic), Vasiliyevka (Zaporozhye region), and Peschanovka (Kherson region).

In total, 418 airplanes and 230 helicopters, 4,042 unmanned aerial vehicles, 421 air defence missile systems, 9,033 tanks and other armoured combat vehicles, 1,096 combat vehicles equipped with MLRS, 4,764 field artillery cannons and mortars, as well as 10,059 units of special military equipment have been destroyed during the special military operation.