Russo-Ukraine War - 30 May 2023 - Day 461

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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 on 25 May 2023, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) reported that Russian military spending grew by 9.2 per cent in 2022 to USD $86.4 billion. SIPRI assesses this equates to 4.1 per cent of Russia's Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

Russia's true military spending is highly uncertain due to the increased use of classified budget lines, especially since February 2022, and the lack of transparency.

Russia has only recently resumed publishing headline expenditure breakdowns after suspending this in May 2022. It is almost certain that military spending remains elevated, and this is putting pressure on Russian government finances.

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that during the day of May 30th, the Russian Federation carried out another massive airstrike on the territory of Ukraine, in particular, on the capital of Ukraine, using the "Shahed-136/131" strike UAVs. 29x out of 31x drones were destroyed by Ukrainian defenders. Unfortunately, there are victims among the civilian population, private houses, other civil and administrative infrastructure have been damaged.

In general, Russian forces carried out 44x air strikes and 1x missile strike, launched about 20x MLRS attacks on Ukrainian settlements and Ukrainian Defense Forces.

The threat of missile and air strikes remains high across Ukraine.

Russia continues to focus its main efforts on attempts to completely occupy the Luhansk and Donetsk Oblasts. During the day, Ukrainian Armed Forces forces repelled 11x Russian attacks.
Volyn' and Polissya axes: the operational situation remains stable, there are no signs of the formation of offensive groupings.
Sivershchyna and Slobozhanshchyna axes: Russia continues to maintain a military presence in the areas bordering Ukraine. Today, Russian forces made an unsuccessful attempt to penetrate the DRG through the State Border of Ukraine in the area of Zelene settlement of Kharkiv Oblast. They also carried out an airstrike in the area of the village of Udy. Carried out mortar and artillery shelling of Yanzhulivka and Karpovychi settlements of Chernihiv Oblast; Seredyna-Buda, Fotovizh, Velika Pisarivka, Sumy Oblast.
Kup'yans'k axis: Russian forces carried out unsuccessful offensives west of Masyutivka in the Kharkiv Oblast and on the Novoselivskyi axis in the Luhansk Oblast. Kam'ianka, Novomlyns'k, Dvorichna, Zapadne, Kislivka, Kotlyarivka, Berestov in the Kharkiv Oblast were shelled by Russian artillery and mortars.
Lyman axis: Russian forces did not conduct offensive operations. They carried out airstrikes in the vicinities of Belogorivka, Luhansk Oblast, and Yampolivka, Donetsk Oblast. Nevs'ke, Belogorivka of the Luhansk Oblast and Spirne of the Donetsk Oblast were shelled by artillery fire.
Bakhmut axis: Russian forces did not conduct offensive operations. They carried out an air strike in the Vesely area and a missile strike in the New York area of the Donetsk Oblast. Orikhovo-Vasylivka, Bohdanivka, Khromov, Ivanivske, Bila Gora, Severnye, Zalizne and New York of the Donetsk Oblast suffered from Russian artillery shelling.
Avdiivka axis: Russian forces carried out offensive operation near Severne, albeit without success. Russian airstrikes recorded in the Avdiivka area. Russians shelled Avdiivka, Orlivka, Pervomais'ke and Netaylovo in the Donetsk Oblast.
Mar'inka axis: Ukrainian Defenders repelled all Russian attacks in the vicinities of Mar'inka, as well as near Pobieda and Novomykhailivka. At the same time, Russian forces carried out an airstrike near the Maryinka area. Georgiivka and Pobeda of the Donetsk Oblast were shelled by artillery.
Shakhtars'k axis: Russian forces launched an airstrike in the area of Velika Novosilka. They shelled Vugledar, Novoukrainka, Prechistivka, Zolota Niva, and Shakhtars'ke.
Zaporizhzhia and Kherson axes: Russian forces are on the defensive. They carried out an airstrike in the Orikhov Oblast of the Zaporizhzhia Oblast. Shelled the settlements of Zelene Pole, Novopil, and Temyrivka in the Donetsk Oblast; Olhivske, Gulyaipole, Mala Tokmachka, Novodanilivka, Orihiv, Novoandriivka and Stepove of the Zaporizhzhia Oblast; Sadove, Komyshany, Kizomys, Kherson Oblast.

Ukrainian Air Force conducted 8x strikes on manpower and military equipment concentration areas.

Ukrainian missile and artillery units hit 3x control points, weapons and military equipment concentration, 4x artillery units at firing positions, an anti-aircraft missile system, 3x warehouses of fuel and lubricants, and a radio-electronic warfare station.

The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation reported that during the day, the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation carried out group strikes using long-range precision air-based weapons against central decision-making points where terrorist attacks against Russian territory were being planned under the guidance of Western intelligence experts.

All the assigned targets have been engaged.

In Kupyansk direction, the Zapad Group of Forces has hit the units of the enemy close to Timkovka (Kharkov region) and Novoselovskoye (Lugansk People's Republic).

In addition, actions of one sabotage and reconnaissance group of the Armed Forces of Ukraine have been thwarted near Sinkovka (Kharkov region).

The enemy's losses amounted to up to 40 Ukrainian troops, three motor vehicles, and one Gvozdika self-propelled artillery system during the day.

One U.S.-manufactured AN/TPQ-50 counterbattery warfare radar has been destroyed near Moskovka (Kharkov region).

In Krasny Liman direction, Army Aviation and artillery of the Tsentr Group of Forces engaged the units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine close to Chervonaya Dibrova, Kuzmino (Lugansk People's Republic), and Yampolovka (Donetsk People's Republic).

Over 85 Ukrainian troops, two armoured fighting vehicles, two pick-up trucks, one D-20 howitzer, and one Gvozdika self-propelled artillery unit have been eliminated in this direction during the day.

In Donetsk direction, Operational-Tactical and Army aviation, units, and artillery of the Yug Group of Forces have eliminated up to 145 Ukrainian troops, two armoured fighting vehicles, three motor vehicles, and one D-30 howitzer during the day.

An ammunition depot of the 54th Mechanised Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces has been hit close to Krasnoye (Donetsk People's Republic).

In South Donetsk and Zaporozhye directions, aviation and artillery of the Vostok Group of Forces inflicted fire damage on the AFU units close to Velikaya Novosyolka and Vremevka (Donetsk People's Republic).

One sabotage and reconnaissance group of the Armed Forces of Ukraine has been neutralised close to Vladimirovka (Donetsk People's Republic).

Over 40 Ukrainian military and four motor vehicles were hit in these directions over the past 24 hours.

In Kherson direction, up to 30 Ukrainian troops, five motor vehicles, and one Akatsiya self-propelled artillery system, and D-30 and Msta-B howitzers have been eliminated over the past 24 hours.

Operational-Tactical and Army aviation, and artillery of the Russian Group of Forces have engaged 88 AFU artillery units, manpower and hardware in 96 areas during the day.

Air defence forces shot down seven HIMARS MLRS shells and one HARM anti-radiation missile during the day.

In addition, eight Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles were obliterated in the areas of Inzhenernoye (Zaporozhye region), Staromayorskoye (Donetsk People's Republic), Kolomyichikha (Lugansk People's Republic), and Veliky Vyselok and Petrovskoye (Kharkov region).

In total, 429 airplanes and 235 helicopters, 4,379 unmanned aerial vehicles, 424 air defence missile systems, 9,328 tanks and other armoured combat vehicles, 1,100 combat vehicles equipped with MRLS, 4,941 field artillery cannons and mortars, as well as 10,544 units of special military equipment have been destroyed during the special military operation.