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Russo-Ukraine War - 02 April 2024 - Day 769

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 it is likely that as a result of continued successful Ukrainian strikes on military locations, Russia has been forced to implement a number of decoy and deception techniques in an attempt to obfuscate Ukrainian targeting efforts.

At Kirovskoe Airfield on occupied Crimea there are decoy Russian fighter aircraft painted on the concrete. Such paintings have also been observed across at least 12 more Russian air bases, demonstrating the extent of Russian concern of future Ukrainian strikes and their ability to repel them.

However, Russian helicopters still regularly land on the painted decoy fighter silhouettes, completely undermining the deception attempt. This also reveals the true order of battle or aircraft strength at these airbases, which Russia is likely trying to mask from Ukraine's intelligence picture.

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that during the day of April 2, there were 62x tactical engagements.

Russian forces launched a total of 2x missile and 43x air strikes, 39x MLRS attacks on positions of Ukrainian troops and various settlements.

Volyn and Polissya axes: no significant changes. No signs of formation of an offensive group.
Sivershchyna and Slobozhanshchyna axes: Russia maintains its military presence in the russian areas bordering Ukraine. Russia conducts subversion, continues shelling of Ukrainian settlements from the territory of Russia and increases the concentration of mining operations along the state border of Ukraine. Russian forces launched air strikes in the vicinities of Volfyne and Oleksandrivka (Sumy oblast), Lyptsi (Kharkiv oblast). Around 20x settlements came under Russian artillery and mortar fire, including Buda-Vorob'ivs'ka, Klyusy (Chernihiv oblast), Chernats'ke, Stara Huta, Oleksiivka, Dmytrivka (Sumy oblast), Veterynarne, Hatyshche, Pletenivka, Lyptsi (Kharkiv oblast).
Kup'yans'k axis: the Ukrainian defenders repelled 1x attack in the vicinity of Syn'kivka (Kharkiv oblast), where Russian forces, using air attacks, made an attempt to breach Ukrainian defense. Russian forces fired artillery and mortars at more than 10x settlements, including Syn'kivka, Ivanivka, Stepova Novoselivka (Kharkiv oblast).
Lyman axis: the Ukrainian defenders repelled 8x assaults in the vicinity of Terny (Donetsk oblast), where Russian forces made attempts to breach Ukrainian defense. Russian forces fired artillery and mortars at more than 10x settlements, including Bilohorivka, Nevs'ke and Serebryans'ke forestry (Luhansk oblast), Yampolivka, Tors'ke (Donetsk oblast).
Bakhmut axis: Russian forces conducted no offensive operations. Russian forces launched an air strike in the vicinity of Kurdyumivka (Donetsk oblast). More than 10x settlements came under artillery and mortar fire, including Kalynivka, Andriivka, Klishchiivka (Donetsk oblast).
Avdiivka axis: the Ukrainian defenders repelled 10x attacks in the vicinities of Berdychi, Umans'ke, Pervomais'ke, Nevel's'ke (Donetsk oblast), where the Russian occupiers, using air attacks, made attempts to dislodge Ukrainian forces from their positions. Russian forces launched air strikes in the vicinities of Novobakhmutivka, Semenivka and Karlivka (Donetsk oblast). The invaders fired artillery and mortars at around 20x settlements, including Berdychi, Umans'ke, Netailove, Nevel's'ke (Donetsk oblast).
Novopavlivka axis: the Ukrainian Defense Forces continue to block Russian forces near Novomykhailivka and Urozhaine (Donetsk oblast), where the Russian invaders made 18x attempts to breach Ukrainian defense. Russian forces launched air strikes in the vicinities of Krasnohorivka, Oleksandropil', Vodyane and Vuhledar (Donetsk oblast). Russian forces fired artillery and mortars at more than 10x settlements, including Novomykhailivka, Kostyantynivka, Urozhaine (Donetsk oblast).
Orikhiv axis: Russian forces conducted 2x attacks on positions of Ukrainian defenders in the vicinity of Robotyne and northwest of Verbove (Zaporizhzhia oblast). Around 20x settlements, including Chervone, Huliaipilske, Novodanylivka, Mali Shcherbaky (Zaporizhzhia oblast), were under Russian artillery and mortar fire.
Kherson axis: Russian forces executed 1x assault on positions of Ukrainian defenders in the vicinity of Krynky (Kherson oblast). Russian forces fired artillery and mortars at more than 10x settlements, including Tokarivka, Veletens'ke, Mykhailivka (Kherson oblast).

During the day of April 2, the Ukrainian Air Force launched air strikes on 1x anti-aircraft missile system, 13x concentrations of Russian troops.

The Ukrainian Missile Forces hit 6x concentrations of troops, weapons and military equipment, 8x artillery systems, 1x anti-tank system, 1x MLRS of the Russian invaders.

The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation reported that in Kupyansk direction, units of the Zapad Group of Forces repelled two attacks launched by assault groups of the AFU 95th Air Assault Brigade near Terny (Donetsk People's Republic).

The AFU losses amounted to up to 20 Ukrainian troops, three motor vehicles, one U.S.-made 155-mm M777 howitzer, one 152-mm D-20 howitzer, one 122-mm Gvozdika self-propelled artillery system, one Anklav-N electronic warfare station, as well as one AFU field ammunition depot.

?In Donetsk direction, units of the Yug Group of Forces took more advantageous lines and inflicted fire damage on manpower and hardware of AFU 28th mechanised, 79th air assault, 5th, 92nd assault, 46th, 81st airmobile brigades near Belogorovka (Lugansk People's Republic), Andreyevka, Antonovka, Krasnogorovka, and Chasov Yar (Donetsk People's Republic).

In addition, two counterattacks of AFU 31st and 67th mechanised brigades were repelled close to Novomikhailovka and Bogdanovka (Donetsk People's Republic).

The AFU losses were more than 250 Ukrainian troops, two tanks, three armoured fighting vehicles, and 16 motor vehicles.

In the course of the counter-battery warfare, the Russian troops hit one U.S.-made 155-mm M109 Paladin self-propelled artillery system, one 152-mm Akatsiya self-propelled artillery system, three 152-mm D-20 howitzers, one U.S.-made 105-mm M119 and one UK-made 105-mm L118 guns, and one Nota electronic warfare station.

In Avdeyevka direction, units of the Tsentr Group of Forces have improved the situation along the front line, inflicted fire damage on AFU units, and repelled 11 counterattacks launched by assault units of AFU 25th airborne, 68th infantry, 24th, 47th mechanised brigades close to Novgorodskoye, Tonenkoye, Pervomayskoye, Leninskoye, and Berdychi (Donetsk People's Republic).

The AFU losses amounted to more than 300 Ukrainian troops, one tank, two armoured fighting vehicles, four motor vehicles, two 122-mm Gvozdika self-propelled artillery systems, and one 122-mm D-30 howitzer.

In South Donetsk direction, the Vostok Group of Forces' units improved the tactical situation, and inflicted fire damage on manpower and hardware of AFU 58th motorised infantry and 1st tank brigades near Urozhaynoye and Makarovka (Donetsk People's Republic).

In addition, one counterattack launched by assault groups of the AFU 128th Territorial Defence Brigade was repelled close to Nikolskoye (Donetsk People's Republic).

The AFU losses amounted to more than 140 Ukrainian troops, two tanks, and four motor vehicles.

In the course of the counter-battery warfare, one U.S.-made 155-mm M777 howitzer, one Polish-made 155-mm Krab self-propelled artillery system, and one 152-mm D-20 howitzer were eliminated.

In Kherson direction, units of the Dnepr Group of Forces inflicted fire damage on AFU 141st infantry and 118th mechanised brigades' units close to Novoandreyevka and Rabotino (Zaporozhye region).

The AFU losses were up to 40 Ukrainian troops, two pick-up trucks, and one 152-mm Akatsiya self-propelled artillery system.

Operational-Tactical Aviation, Missile Troops and Artillery of the Groups of Forces of the Russian Federation have engaged one aviation ordnance depot, one workshop for manufacturing and maintenance of unmanned aerial vehicles, as well as clusters of AFU manpower and hardware in 152 areas.

Air defence systems shot down 195 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles and 41 HIMARS and Vampire MLRS projectiles during the day.

In total, 581 airplanes and 270 helicopters, 18,374 unmanned aerial vehicles, 495 air defence missile systems, 15,680 tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles, 1,261 combat vehicles equipped with MLRS, 8,629 field artillery cannons and mortars, as well as 20,530 units of special military equipment have been destroyed during the special military operation.