The situation in the Ukrainian SMO on March 23 2023

Drone Footage Reveals Shocking State of Bakhmut

Putin rains incendiary munitions on Bakhmut | Russia flattens Ukraine arms depot in Donetsk

Top commander: Ukraine will hit back at Russia in Bakhmut ‘very soon’

Zelensky’s 80.000 army is ready to storm Wagner in Bakhmut

RVVoenkory sharing information from the Ukrainian military analysts:

▪️ The Wagner PMCs is conducting a massive assault on Bakhmut, the AFU is losing ground in the city and the district

▪️ Despite the transfer of AFU reinforcements, Russian assault detachments continue to push the enemy around the clock.

▪️ “The general situation is very difficult. It didn’t get any better.

▪️ North – Wagner set a goal to take Bohdanivka and Khromove at any cost. And this has been strongly felt in recent days: the assault actions are very massive, the number of artillery shells produced is also sky-high.

▪️ These assaults are still working. The Russians are slowly advancing and the AFU cannot stop them.”

▪️ “North of Bakhmut, the Wagner PMCs presses in the direction of Bohdanivka and Khromove from several directions. Positions move from one side to the other several times a day. The difficulties are caused by the superiority of the Russian army in artillery. The fighting continues,” another Ukrainian military analyst details the situation.

▪️ Heavy fighting continues in the areas of Squares, the Plane and the Water Utility. Since the evening, Russian troops have increased the intensity of artillery and air strikes. Active battles are taking place along Korsunsky, Ivan Ivkin, Geologists and Grigory Skovoroda streets.

▪️ The Razdolovka-Vasyukovka-Veseloe line – counter and positional battles continue.

▪️Heavy fighting continues on the southwestern outskirts of Bakhmut.

▪️The situation in the Ivanovske(Krasne) area is currently the most difficult in the entire Bakhmut direction. Wagner decided to urgently “close the issues” with Bakhmut’s encirclement.

▪️ In the Sobachevka area, there are minimal changes in the gray zone on both sides. Positional street battles do not stop

Yevgeny Prigozhin denied reports in the Western press that the Wagner PMC intends to reduce the group’s activities in the NVO zone.
I don’t know what Bloomberg is reporting, but apparently they know better than I do what we’re doing next. As long as our country needs us, we are fighting on the territory of Ukraine

Yevgeny Prigozhin spoke about the current situation in Bakhmut, revealed the composition of the enemy grouping, the estimated plans of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and answered other topical questions:

▪️ what are the main problems;
▪️ Is the enemy running?
▪️with whom we are at war, with NATO or Ukraine;
▪️how to finish SMO.

In short: Ukrainians have 200k strike fist
And one of their strike direction will be Belgorod

Russia Captures Novobakhmutivka and Expands North of Avdiivka

The Russians entered Verkhnokamianske

Military Expert Boris Rozhin on the Situation in #Artyomovsk (#Bakhmut) Sector as of 21:40, 23 March 2023⚡️

🔹1. Northwest of the City, fighting continued for Orekhovo-Vasilyevka and #Bogdanovka. Both settlements are still hold by the enemy. Reinforcements are constantly being transferred there from the reserves withdrawn from other directions.

🔹2. #Khromovo is also still being held by the enemy, including by reinforcements withdrawn from the #Kharkov direction. The roads through #Khromovo are under constant artillery fire, it is possible to pass, but at risk. Part of the supply is converted to unpaved roads. The muddy weather is having a significant impact on AFU supplies between #Krasnoye and #Khromovo.

🔹3. South of the City, fighting continues on the close approaches to #Krasnoye and to the west of #Kleshchiyevka and #Kurdyumovka. Our forces have so far failed to make any serious inroads into #Krasnoye, and the enemy, in turn, has failed to push our forces away from #Krasnoye to unblock the road. These attempts are expected to intensify in the near future.

🔹4. In the City itself, fighting continues in the southern part of the industrial zone of the AZOM plant, near the city centre and in the southern quarters.
The pace of progress is slow due to the fierce resistance of the enemy, as Prigozhin pointed out again today.

🔹5. The Enemy’s Grouping in #Artyomovsk reaches 15,000 men, and the total number in the #Artyomovsk direction is 75-80,000 men. And due to the transferred reserves, its numbers are increasing, including to the detriment of operations in the #Kupyansk, #Svatovo and #Krasny #Liman directions.

Boris Rozhin specially for Voenkor Kotenok Z (https://t.me/voenkorKotenok/46293) Channel

Battle for #Avdeyevka – Situation until 20:00 on 23 Mar 2023⚡️

🔹 North of #Avdeyevka, fighters of the 132nd Separate Guards Motorized Rifle Brigade of the RF Armed Forces (formerly 3rd Gorlovka Brigade of the DPR) have advanced west of #Novobakhmutovka in recent days, having completely cleared the settlement from the presence of the AFU.

▪️ South of #Novobakhmutovka and northeast of #Krasnogorovka, Russian units have developed success by dislodging Ukrainian formations from two strongholds. The AFU are now holding positions in a forest belt near a section of the H20 highway and are in a semi-encirclement.

🔹Northwest of #Avdeyevka, positional fighting near the railway continues. After the RF Armed Forces’ foray into #Petrovskoye (#Stepovoye), the AFU transferred reserves and pushed the Russian servicemen behind the railway line. At the same time, the fighters of the RF Armed Forces expanded their zone of control along the railway.

🔹 To the West and Southwest, mutual artillery fire continues. The RF Armed Forces are shelling the areas where Ukrainian formations are concentrated in #Lastochkino, #Tonenkoye and #Severnoye.

Novobakhmutovka Liberated⚡️

🔹North of #Avdeyevka there is the long-suffering #Novobakhmutovka (north of #Novosyolovka II). They had been fighting for it since the spring, and a chunk remained with the enemy, despite reports to the top (a passion for reports!) of “liberation”. The liberation of #Novobakhmutovka and Novobakhmutovka railway station was “confused” by wishful thinking.
 
🔹In Fact, 3/4 of the village was ours and the AFU had a piece of it.
➖ Fighting for #Novobakhmutovka was fierce and accompanied by heavy losses both in the 1st Slavyansk Separate Guards Motorized Rifle Brigade and other units and formations.
➖ Now it has been finally taken, having cleared the enemy from this appendix and passed a little bit further.

🔹Otherwise there was no change. Attempts to advance in other areas in the #Avdeyevka direction have not yet been successful.

Voenkor Kotenok Z

Fighting continues in the northwest of Avdiivka. The only road that connects the Ukrainian grouping in Avdiivka with the western direction passes through the village of Orlovka. Orlovka is already within range of our artillery. Thus, it becomes more and more difficult for the enemy to transport ammunition and carry out rotation.

Kamikaze drones fly to Chernihiv, Sumy, Kharkiv-Poltava, there is also a risk in the South.
The Russians now continue to use kamikaze UAVs to a greater extent in the 200-kilometer front-line zone.
Purpose: destruction of warehouses in the near rear, hunting and detection of air defense / radar stations that the Armed Forces of Ukraine are preparing for offensive / defense.
Bankova decided not to turn on the alarm sometimes, so as not to provoke panic among the masses. Information about the operation of the UAV will be hushed up in every possible way.

We are waiting for a loud explosion, but there will be no alarm. Then distrust in the government and its media will grow even more in society, which will provoke people to look more and more for alternative sources of information.

Watching…

The Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) of the Moscow Patriarchate has appealed to the faithful and urged them to “defend the Kiev Pechersk Lavra by all legal means

In the US he proposed to divide Ukraine between Poland and Russia

 Many senior US military and intelligence officials believe that Ukraine will no longer be able to emerge victorious from the ongoing conflict.

At the same time, they continue to support arms deliveries and cash payments to Kiev, although they admit that this aid will still not help Ukraine, since Russia far outnumbers it in terms of resources, money and alliances with other big powers like China and India.

“Most of the Ukrainian military is already dead. Its best soldiers, trained in the US, are either dead or out of action. No one cancels Ukrainian prowess, but Russia is likely to win anyway, thanks to overwhelming resources.” Center for American Security (AFPI) co-chair Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg said.

He believes that the most likely outcome of the conflict is a humiliating truce for Ukraine, as a result of which the country may cease to exist: “It’s time to divide Ukraine: everything east of the Dnieper will go to Russia, and everything to the west – to Poland. Historically, these two countries controlled what is now Ukraine

The conflict in Ukraine carries risks for the United States, – American general

“Russian actions create very real risks of misjudgment and expansion of the conflict beyond its current borders – scenarios that can quickly increase the risks to North America and continental defense,” said General Glen van Herck, head of the North American Air Defense Command.

Comment by the Russian Embassy in the United States

We have noted statements of NSC Coordinator for Strategic Communications John Kirby, who took the liberty of making offensive remarks about our fighter pilots who displayed heroism when they prevented the U.S. unmanned aerial vehicle, capable of reconnaissance and combat operations,  from penetrating into the temporally restricted airspace close to Crimea.

We have to state that the qualities of a boor and a hooligan are becoming a habit of official representatives in Washington. It is obvious cowardice for a man in a uniform, who should respect dignity and honor of an officer, to insult the officers of the Russian Army, and to do that when he is safe and sound thousands of kilometers away from Ukraine. From the places where civilian population has been shedding blood for nine years because of the hawks in the White House.

It is only when there are no counterarguments that people, who do not know the essence of the issue very well, get personal.

Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley called Volodymyr Zelensky’s goals, including the return of Crimea to Ukraine, “maximalist”, they will be extremely difficult to implement militarily.

On AFU Reserves and the Risks⚡️

Prigozhin’s Statement estimating the volume of the AFU reserves at 200,000 personnel is necessary and timely to inform the people about the state of the enemy, allowing to form a picture of what is happening, rather than a crooked reflection of it.

🔹 I have already said that the enemy’s reserves are sufficient for a large-scale operation, and there is a risk of such an operation, with strikes possible in several places. Prigozhin, whose attention is focused on #Bakhmut, has reported a grouping of about 80,000 near that town. But the rest could be used elsewhere, and an AFU counterstrike near #Bakhmut could prove to be a diversion, even if Leopards, for example, are used there.

🔹The most dangerous thing now may be the conviction that the enemy is on its last legs and will inevitably come to an end soon. If it suddenly turns out that it can also go on the offensive, the blow to public morale could be very serious. And it is easy to avoid it – it is enough to tell the truth. Not the whole truth, of course. Some citizens in the TV gallery remember Svechin, well he wrote quite correctly in his time in “Strategy” on this occasion, speaking of informing the public:

“Events must have a logic, and if troops everywhere are making gains, and as a result the front remains in place or even moves back, one can only come to sad conclusions for the high command.”

The Book is a hundred years old and the rule was valid in Caesar’s time and will remain so in a thousand years’ time.

Older than Edda

Russian Defence Ministry Report on the Progress of the Special Military Operation (23 March 2023)⚡️

The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation continue the special military operation.

◽️In Kupyansk direction, aviation and artillery of the ‘Zapad’ Group of Forces have engaged the units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine close to Artyomovka (Lugansk People’s Republic), Dvurechnaya and Berestovoye (Kharkov region).

💥The enemy’s losses in this direction during the day amounted to 70 Ukrainian troops, one infantry fighting vehicle, two pickup trucks, one Grad MLRS vehicle, and one U.S.-made M777 artillery system.

◽️In Krasny Liman direction, ground-attack and army aviation, artillery and units of the ‘Tsentr’ Group of Forces have inflicted fire damage on enemy manpower and military hardware close to Chervonaya Dibrova (Lugansk People’s Republic), Terny and Yampolovka (Donetsk People’s Republic).

💥More than 80 Ukrainian servicemen, two armoured vehicles, three pick-up trucks, and one D-30 howitzer have been destroyed during the day.

◽️In Donetsk direction, units and artillery of the ‘Yug’ Group of Forces eliminated more than 250 Ukrainian troops, six tanks, five armoured fighting vehicles, seven motor vehicles, and one D-20 howitzer.

💥An ammunition depot of the 72nd Mechanised Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces has been hit close to Lastochkino.

◽️In South Donetsk and Zaporozhye directions, artillery and aviation of the ‘Vostok’ Group of Forces engaged the AFU units close to Ugledar and Novomikhaylovka (Donetsk People’s Republic).

💥As many as 50 Ukrainian servicemen, one pick-up truck, three motor vehicles, and D-20 and D-30 howitzers were neutralised in these directions during the day.

◽️In Kherson direction, over 15 Ukrainian servicemen, five motor vehicles have been neutralised by fire.

💥Operational-Tactical and Army aviation, Missile Troops and Artillery of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation have hit 76 AFU artillery units at their firing positions, enemy’s manpower, and hardware in 114 areas during the day.

◽️In addition, a fuel depot for military hardware of the 65th Territorial Defence Brigade was destroyed near Zaliznichnoye in (Zaporozhye region).

✈️Fighter Aviation of the Russian Aerospace Forces intercepted one Su-24 helicopter of the Ukrainian Air Force close to Boguslavka (Kharkov region).

💥Russian air defence forces have intercepted five HIMARS MLRS shells during the day.

💥In addition, 16 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles were intercepted in the areas of Zaliman, Kremennaya (Lugansk People’s Republic), Vladimirovka, Vasilieyvka, Pavlovka (Donetsk People’s Republic), Berestovoye, Lozovaya (Kharkov region), and Alyoshki (Kherson region).
 
Special Operation, 23 Mar 2023, Main; pub. 21:16⚡️

▪️ Medvedev said that #Ukraine is part of #Russia, but due to geopolitical reasons and the history of the Russian Federation, for a long time put up with the fact that the countries live “in different apartments”;

▪️ In his opinion, after joining #NATO, #Ukraine could launch a full-scale operation against #Russia because of #Crimea, but Moscow cannot accept this,

▪️ He also said that if the FRG were to execute the ICC’s decision to “arrest” Putin, it would amount to a declaration of war, then all Russian “funds” would fly to the Bundestag;

▪️ Russian ambassador to the US Antonov said that Western countries led by the #US, by deciding to supply Kiev with depleted uranium munitions, are irrevocably bringing the world to a dangerous line, beyond which nuclear Armageddon looms ever clearer;

▪️ Kiev’s losses in the #Donetsk, Krasny #Liman, #Kupyansk, #SouthDonetsk, #Zaporozhye and #Kherson directions amounted to 460 military personnel killed and wounded in 24 hours, the Russian Ministry of Defence said;

▪️ #Slovakia handed over the first four MiG-29 fighters to #Ukraine, Defence Minister Nagy said;

▪️ #US intends to supply #Ukraine with Abrams tanks from the Pentagon’s holdings, rather than produce new ones as originally envisaged, Defence Secretary Austin said;

▪️ US Secretary of State Blinken said Washington was open to constructive diplomacy with Moscow to end the Ukrainian conflict if #Russia showed signs of willingness to engage.

Ukraine Front update [23 March 2023]

#Chronicle of the Special Military Operation for 23 Mar 2023⚡️

🔹#Russia’s Border Areas:

▪️ In the #Bryansk region, the enemy attempted unsuccessfully to strike a border cellphone tower with the help of light aircraft. In the township of Belaya Berezka, a man was injured due to artillery shelling and an administrative building was damaged.

▪️ In the #Kursk region, Ukrainian terror formations fired mortars at the villages of #Plekhovo and #Gordeyevka, without destructions and casualties among civilians.

▪️ In the #Belgorod region, the enemy terrorists struck the village of #Tishanka, damaging one residential house and a gas pipeline, no civilian casualties.

🔹#Starobelsk (#Svatovo) Direction:

▪️ In the #Kupyansk sector, the situation has not changed significantly. Positional battles and artillery duels continue along the line of contact.

▪️ In the #Liman sector, Russian troops have cut into the AFU defensive lines near #Makeyevka. According to preliminary information, fighting is taking place on the outskirts of the village.

🔹#Soledar (#Bakhmut) Direction:

▪️ Northwest of #Bakhmut, units of the Wagner PMC continue to storm enemy positions in the centre of Orekhovo-Vasilyevka.

▪️ In #Bakhmut itself, Russian troops are fighting in the northern and southern districts of the city.
➖ In the north, Wagner PMC assault squads are advancing deep into the territories of the Artyomovsk Metal Processing Plant (AZOM).
➖ In the south, the “Wagnerians” are methodically dislodging the AFU from Sobachevka, Budenovka and Vodokanal districts, breaking through to the city centre.

▪️ Southwest, the sides are fighting on the approaches to the highway to #Konstantinovka and the outskirts of #Krasnoye.
➖ Russian artillery and aviation are continuously firing at AFU reinforcements, including in Chasov Yar and #Grigorovka.

🔹#Donetsk Direction (MAP (https://t.me/sitrepmaps/1711)):

▪️ Russian servicemen were able to advance west of #Novobakhmutovka in the north of the #Avdeyevka fortification, completely liberating the settlement.

▪️ To the south of #Novobakhmutovka, fighters of the RF Armed Forces were able to seize two strongholds near the H20 highway.

▪️ Near #Petrovskoye, positional battles continue, the Russian servicemen managed slightly to expand the zone of control around the railway.

▪️ Ukrainian terrorist formations once again shelled #Donetsk agglomeration, damaging civilian infrastructure and residential buildings.

🔹#Zaporozhye Direction:

▪️ Ukrainian formations continue to gather forces in the #Pologi section in the vicinity of Ukrainian occupied #Orekhov.

It is very likely that the enemy may make another offensive attempt in the #Zaporozhye direction.

▪️ In #Melitopol another terrorist attack took place this morning. A police officer was injured as a result of a car bombing on Krupskaya Street.

🔹#Kherson Direction on #SouthFront:

▪️ In #Kherson region, artillery duels along the line of contact continue. The RF Armed Forces carried out several heavy strikes on AFU facilities in #Kherson and its environs.
➖ The enemy terrorists, for their part, shelled #Alyoshki, but air defence assets intercepted the shells.

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