• Military Menu                       

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Industry
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• WMD
• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

Russo-Ukraine War - 17 March 2024 - Day 753

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 on 11 March 2024, research from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) indicated that Russian arms exports fell by 53% between the periods 2014-2018 and 2019-2023

As a result, Russia dropped from second to third place in the global arms export rankings. Russian arms export volumes were 52% lower in 2023 than in 2022, while only 12 countries received major Russian arms in 2023, compared to 31 in 2019.

The decline is likely due to several factors including Russia prioritising equipment for operations in Ukraine due to continuous battlefield losses, and reduced customer demand due to the risk of associated sanctions and global condemnation of Russia's responsibility for the war.

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that during the day, 63 combat clashes were recorded.

In total, Russian forces carried out 7 missiles and 55 air strikes, carried out 62 shelling from the volcano fire jet systems on the positions of Ukrainian troops and settlements. As a result of the Russian attacks, unfortunately, there are dead and wounded among the civilian population. Destruction and damage suffered multi-storey and private houses.

In the Volyn and Polisky directions, the operating environment without significant changes. The sign of the formation of a Russian offensive group has not been detected.
In the Sivers хkomu and Slobozhans зkomu directions, the enemy maintains a military presence in the border areas, conducts diversíon-intelligence activities, carries out shelling of settlements from the territory of Russia, increases the density of mine-explosive fences along the state border of Ukraine. Russian forces carried out air strikes in the areas of the settlements of Lukashivka of Chernihiv region and Velika Pysarivka, Popivka, Oleksandrivka, Luhivka of Sumy region. Russian artillery and mortar shelling suffered more than 20 settlements, among them Klyusi and Girsk of Chernihiv region; Pustogorod, Iskryskivshchyna, Popivka of Sumy region; Cossack Lopan, Staritsa, Gatishche Kharkiv region.
In the Kupiansky direction, Russian forces carried out 2 unsuccessful assaults of Defense Forces positions in the area of Synkivka settlement of Kharkiv region. Made an air strike in the area of the basove settlement of Kharkiv region. More than 10 settlements were under artillery and mortar fire, including Synkivka, Ivanivka, Brestove Kharkiv region.
In the Limansky direction, Ukrainian soldiers repelled 1 attack of the enemy in the area of the settlement of Rozdolivka Donetsk region, where Russian forces tried to break through the defenses of Ukrainian troops. More than 20 settlements were affected by artillery and mortar shelling, among them Bilogorivka Luhansk region, Terny, Yampolivka, Torske, Serebryanka, Spirne Donetsk region.
In the Bakhmut direction, Ukrainian soldiers repelled 7 attacks of the enemy in the areas of the settlements of Ivanivsk and Klishchievka of the Donetsk region. About 10 settlements were under artillery and mortar fire, including Chasiv Yar, Ivanivsk, New York of the Donetsk region.
In the Avdiyiv direction, Ukrainian defenders repelled 11 attacks of the enemy in the areas of the settlements of Berdychy, Tonenke, Pervomaiske, Orlivka, Alexandropil and Nevelske Donetsk region. Russian forces caused air strikes in the areas of the settlements of netajlove and novoselívka the first. Artillery and mortar shelling occurred to about 20 settlements, including Novobakhmutivka, Netailove, Pervomaiske Donetsk region.
In the Novopavlivsk direction, the Defense Forces continue to restrain Russian forces in the areas of Krasnogorivka, Georgiyivka, Novomyhajlivka and Pobeda, where the Russian enemy, with aviation support, has tried 25 times to break through the defenses of Ukrainian troops. Russian forces also carried out an air strike in the Shakhtarsky area. About 20 settlements were under Russian artillery and mortar fire, among them Krasnogorivka, Konstantinivka, Vugledar, Purification of Donetsk region.
In the orihiv direction, Russian forces 5 times attacked the positions of Ukrainian defenders in the areas of robotinogo and northwestern palm zaporizhia region. Striked air strikes in the area of the settlement of Staromayors облаke Donetsk region. Artillery and mortar shelling occurred about 15 settlements, among them Poltavka, Charivne, Gulyaypole, Mala Tokmachka of Zaporizhia region.
In the Kherson direction during the day, Russian forces carried out 3 attacks on the positions of Ukrainian troops on the left bank of the Dnieper. Artillery and mortar shelling were suffered by more than 10 settlements, among them Ochakiv of the Nikolaev region; Cossack, Tyaginka, Ivanivka, Sadove of Kherson region.

During the day, the Defense Forces Aviation struck 6 areas of focus, weapons and enemy military equipment.

The rocket troops units have been affected by the 2 areas of focus of Russian personnel.

The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation reported that in Kupyansk direction, units of the Zapad Group of Forces, in cooperation with aviation and artillery, have inflicted a fire defeat on enemy formations near Kislovka (Kharkov region).

Three counterattacks by assault groups of 30th, 32nd mechanised, and 57th motorised infantry brigades of the AFU have been repulsed close to Sinkovka (Kharkov region).

The AFU losses were up to 90 servicemen and four motor vehicles.

In the course of counter-battery warfare, one U.S.-made M777 artillery system and one UK-made FH70 howitzer have been destroyed.

In Belgorod direction, Russian troops have repelled enemy attacks and foiled all attempts by Ukrainian militant sabotage and reconnaissance groups to infiltrate into the border territory of the Russian Federation near Kozinka (Belgorod region).

As a result of aviation, drone, and artillery actions, up to 65 Ukrainian fighters, one Czech-made Vampire MLRS combat vehicle, and one D-20 gun have been eliminated.

In Donetsk direction, units of the Yug Group of Forces have taken more favorable lines and positions and defeated formations of 28th, 42nd, and 93rd mechanised, 17th tank, 5th, 92nd assault brigades of the AFU, and the 104th Brigade of the Ukrainian Territorial Defence close to Bogdanovka, Krasnoye, Kurdyumovka, Pershe Travnia, Kleshcheyevka, and Andreevka (Donetsk People's Republic).

The enemy losses were up to 200 soldiers, two armoured fighting vehicles, and five motor vehicles.

In Avdeyevka direction, units of the Tsentr Group of Forces have defeated concentration areas of enemy manpower and hardware close to Tonenkoye, Severnoye, and Orlovka (Donetsk People's Republic).

In addition, nine counterattacks by assault groups of 24th, 47th, 53rd mechanised, 59th motorised infantry, 3rd assault, and 78th air assault brigades of the AFU have been repulsed close to Leninskoye, Shumy, Novobakhmutovka, Vodyanoye, Berdychi, and Pervomaiskoye (Donetsk People's Republic).

The enemy losses were up to 380 troops, two armoured fighting vehicles, and ten motor vehicles.

In the course of counter-battery warfare, one U.S.-made M777 artillery system, two D-20 guns, one Msta-B howitzer, and two D-30 howitzers.

In South Donetsk direction, as a result of successful offensive operations, units of the Vostok Group of Forces have liberated Mirnyoe (Zaporozhye region) and also repelled one counterattack by an assault group of the AFU 72nd Mechanised Brigade near Vodyanoye (Donetsk People's Republic).

The enemy losses were over120 troops and three motor vehicles.

In Kherson direction, as a result of coordinated actions by units of the Dnepr Group of Forces, manpower and hardware of 65th mechanised and 128th mountain assault brigades of the AFU, 121st and 126th brigades have been hit close to Novodanilovka, Rabotino, and Zherebyanka (Zaporozhye region), as well as Olgovka, Mikhailovka, and Nikolskoye (Kherson region).

The enemy losses were over 40 servicemen and two motor vehicles.

Operational-Tactical Aviation, Missile Troops and Artillery of the Russian Groups of Forces have struck assembly and testing sites for uncrewed boats, one temporary deployment point for a battery of IRIS-T surface-to-air missile systems (Odessa region), one workshop for the assembly and training of unmanned aerial vehicles near Priluki (Chernigov region), as well as AFU manpower and military hardware in 127 areas.

Air defence facilities, electronic warfare means, and small arms fire have shot down 168 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles, 23 Czech-made Vampire MLRS rockets, and one S-200 surface-to-air guided missile that had been converted for use against ground targets.

In total, 577 airplanes, 269 helicopters, 15,849 unmanned aerial vehicles, 486 air defence missile systems, 15,509 tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles, 1,241 fighting vehicles equipped with MLRS, 8,434 field artillery cannons and mortars, as well as 19,875 special military motor vehicles have been destroyed during the special military operation.