Posted on 04/23/2023 7:09:43 PM PDT by UMCRevMom@aol.com
Update from Ukraine | Ukrainian Armed Forces Advanced across the Dnepr River on the South
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sE-wUbbDpcE
****NEW SUMMARY Military MAPS & COMMENTS here:
Invasion Day 424 – Summary April 23, 2023 Jerome News The summary of the situation of Russian re-invasion to Ukraine covering the last 48 hours, as of 2023 – 22:00 (Kyiv time).
https://militaryland.net/news/invasion-day-424-summary/
*** Greatly appreciate the viewer controlled Map magnification tool to use on each Front map!
Shoot-out occurred between Russian and Wagner Group soldiers in Stanytsia Luhanska – General Staff
KATERYNA TYSHCHENKO —
Sunday, 23 April 2023, 18:52
https://www.pravda.com.ua/eng/news/2023/04/23/7399098/
Source: summary of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported a fight and a shoot-out between the Russian military and mercenaries of the Wagner Group in occupied Stanytsia Luhanska.
Quote: “Having no significant achievements on the battlefield, the military personnel of the Russian Armed Forces and representatives of the Wagner Group are increasingly trying to find those responsible for this. Responsibility for their own tactical miscalculations and losses are shifted to each other.
As a result, recently in the settlement of Stanytsia Luhanska, Luhansk Oblast, there was a fight between military personnel of the Russian Armed Forces and mercenaries of the Wagner Group, which turned into a shoot-out. As a result of the conflict, there are dead on both sides.”
Details: The General Staff also reports that in the settlement of Mistky, Luhansk Oblast, Russian invaders have set up a local school as a military hospital.
“There are a large number of wounded Russians there. In addition, there is a large shortage of medicines and dressings in all medical institutions of the occupiers,” the report says.
VIDEOS
1. Ukraine Crosses the Dnieper! Russia Breaks Out In Bakhmut! 23 Apr 23
Combat Veteran Reacts
255K subscribers
Apr 23, 2023 12:10 p.m. DST
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ebDJ8Zukrc
2. We’re really turning out to be occupiers – Russian POW
UATV English
385K subscribers
Apr 23, 2023 4:00 p.m. DST
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o7o2_Ats8Ow
*DISCLAIMER: the person in this video gave his clear consent to film and publish his comments.
Moscow struggling with narrative to justify war as Wagner chief questions ‘Nazis’ claim, says UK
www.theguardian.com
4-22-2023 02.53 DST
https://www.standard.co.uk/news/world/russia-putin-nazi-ukraine-war-mod-update-uk-b1076004.html
The UK Ministry of Defence has issued its intelligence update for 22 April saying Russia is STRUGGLING TO MAINTAIN CONSISTENCY INA CORENARRATIVE USED TO JUSTIFY THE UKRAINE WAR: that the invasion is akin to the Soviet experience during the second world war.
The update posted to Twitter detailed RUSSIA’S attempts to unify the public around its central message:
On 18 April 2023, Russian state media announced the cancellation of this year’s Immortal Regiment ‘Great Patriotic War’ remembrance marches on ‘safety’ grounds. In reality, the authorities were highly likely concerned that participants would highlight the scope of recent Russian losses.
This follows Wagner group owner, YEVGENY PRIGOZHIM , PUBLICLY QUESTIONING whether there are actually any “NAZIS” in Ukraine, GOING AGAINST RUSSIA’S JUSTIFICATION FOR THE WAR. The authorities have continued attempts to unify the Russian public around polarising myths about the 1940s.
On 12 April 2023, state news agency RIA Novosti reported “unique” documents from FSB archives, implicating the Nazis in the murder of 22,000 Polish nationals in the Katyn Massacre of 1940. In reality, FSB’s predecessor agency, the NKVD, was responsible. Russia’s State Duma officially condemned Joseph Stalin for ordering the killings in 2010.
ADDITIONAL SOURCES:
1. Wagner boss openly defies Kremlin Ukraine ‘Nazi’ narrative
euronews
By Joshua Askew
Updated: 20/04/2023
https://www.euronews.com/2023/03/24/wagner-boss-openly-defies-kremlin-ukraine-nazi-narrative
“He expressed doubt about “denazification” objectives in Ukraine, unsure “Nazis” were in the country, while “effectively rejecting” the long-standing Kremlin claims that Russia needs to defend itself against a NATO threat.
“It is ridiculous to think” that Russian officials did not know NATO would come to Kyiv’s aid, the ISW quoted Prigozhin as saying.
Once a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s, the paramilitary unit which includes former convicts in its ranks has become increasingly conspicuous on the battlefield in Ukraine, with Prigozhin appearing to challenge the conventional Russian army on several occasions.”
2. Russia Is Struggling to Maintain Its Nazi Narrative: U.K.
Newsweek
Brendan Cole
4/22/23 at 7:35 AM EDT
https://www.newsweek.com/russia-ukraine-victory-day-putin-nazi-mod-1796050
“Authorities said that the May 9 commemorations would not take place due to security concerns but there has been speculation that they were kiboshed because of a lack of tanks and equipment caused by the war.
Newsweek subscription offers >
British defense officials noted that the latest cancelation followed comments by Wagner Group owner Yevgeny Prigozhin in which he publicly questioned whether there are actually any ‘Nazis’ in Ukraine.”
3. Latest in Ukraine: Zelenskyy Announces New Sanctions Against Russian Military, Its Enablers
April 22, 2023 4:46 AM update April 22, 2023 8:46 PM
VOA News
https://www.voanews.com/a/latest-in-ukraine-uk-says-russia-struggling-to-maintain-ukraine-narrative-/7061716.html
“Another part of the Russian saga justifying its invasion against Ukraine, is its alleged de-Nazification operation there. But even Yevgeny Prigozhin, the chief of the Wagner Group and a friend of Russian President Vladimir Putin, has publicly questioned the existence of Nazis in Ukraine, contradicting Russia’s justification for the invasion, the British ministry said.”
I will say something is up with Russia if they are this low on personal. I refer to this story:
Vladimir Putin has reportedly fired a top admiral because of his refusal to send his sailors to fight in the war against Ukraine.
New Ukraine positions near Kherson could signal spring offensive – report
Thinktank says infiltration into area east of Dnipro River could be first step toward trying to dislodge Russian forces
The Guardian
Emma Graham-Harrison
Sun 23 Apr 2023 11.09 EDTLast modified on Sun 23 Apr 2023 16.29 EDT
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/apr/23/new-ukraine-positions-near-kherson-could-signal-spring-offensive-report
Ukraine’s military has set up positions on the eastern side of the Dnipro River near Kherson city, the Institute for the Study of War cites Russian military bloggers as saying.
Infiltrating the area could be a first step towards trying to dislodge Russian forces from positions they are using to shell and shoot at Kherson. The constant attacks have made it impossible for residents to return to normal life months after Ukrainian troops liberated the city from occupation.
Ukrainian military forays across the river could also mark the first tentative steps towards launching a long-awaited spring offensive to reclaim more territory.
“This is the first time ISW has observed reliable geolocated imagery of Ukrainian positions on the east bank along with multi-sourced Russian reports of an enduring Ukrainian presence there,” the thinktank said in an update.
The Russian military bloggers said Ukrainian forces had established stable supply lines to their positions and “regularly conduct sorties in the area”, the ISW said.
The reported positions were in marshy areas of islets and tributaries near the settlements of Oleshky and Dachi, the report said. Russia still holds those settlements.
A Ukrainian military spokesperson for the southern region declined to comment on reports that Ukrainian troops had achieved a foothold across the river.
“There is an ongoing military operation that requires informational silence. When it is allowed we will be sure to notify you,” Natalia Humenyuk told TV channel 24.
Government officials and Ukrainian commanders have signalled for months that when the weather and troops were ready they would try to dislodge Russian forces from territory they still hold in the south and east of the country.
Moscow controls about 17% of Ukraine, although much of that is territory seized in 2014, including the Crimean peninsula and parts of Luhansk and Donetsk regions claimed by Moscow-backed proxy “separatists”.
Ukraine’s military repeatedly defied the expectations of even its staunchest allies during the first year of the war, repelling Russian forces that were thought to be larger and better armed.
Initial attempts to seize Kyiv were abandoned last spring after a fierce Ukrainian defence of the capital. An autumn campaign then liberated swathes of north-eastern Kharkiv and pushed Russian troops out of Kherson, at the time their last stronghold on the west bank of the Dnipro.
Nato’s secretary general, Jens Stoltenberg, said on Friday that Ukraine was well-prepared to retake more of its territory in the next offensive.
“I’m confident that they will now be in a position to be able to liberate even more land,” he told journalists after a meeting of key allies at the Ramstein airbase in Germany.
The country has received shipments of western tanks and other arms over the winter, and its forces have received training inside and outside the country on how to use them.
The most pivotal stories and debates for Europeans – from identity to economics to the environment
“One of the main issues here today has been to go through all the different capabilities, systems and supplies that the Ukrainians need to be able to retake more land,” Stoltenberg said.
Ukraine has also been drilling newly mobilised soldiers to bolster ranks depleted by heavy casualties. The toll is a military secret, but recently leaked US military documents estimated thousands had been killed and more 100,000 wounded.
“We are actively preparing new brigades and units,” the country’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, said in his evening address after the Ramstein meeting.
The US estimates Russian losses to be three or four times higher than Ukraine’s, but national mobilisation and widespread recruitment in prisons by the Wagner mercenary group means Moscow can still deploy a large if inexperienced fighting force.
Months of virtual stalemate have also given Russian forces time to dig in extensive defensive positions along their southern line in anticipation of the coming Ukrainian offensive.
There has been widespread speculation that Ukrainian troops will try to push down through Russian-controlled areas to reach the Black Sea coast.
That would cut off a large portion of Russian forces stationed in Kherson, and virtually isolate forces in Crimea by severing the main land supply route to the peninsula.
The Kerch road and rail bridge, which connects Crimea to Russian territory, was badly damaged in an attack last year, and sea routes become unreliable in winter.
“I will say something is up with Russia if they are this low on personal. I refer to this story:
Vladimir Putin has reportedly fired a top admiral because of his refusal to send his sailors to fight in the war against Ukraine.”
THANK YOU, GOOD CATCH!
Vladimir Putin ‘fires top admiral after he refused to send his sailors from his Pacific fleet to fight in Ukraine war’
Admiral Sergei Avakyants, 66, sought to protect his men from deployment: When forced to do so, the admiral allegedly dispatched his most ill-disciplined and unreliable men to the war zone
Not surprising if true.
Little to no discipline and no clear claim of command leads to crap like this.
If true.
VIDEOS
1. The head of Wagner wants to stop the war in Ukraine for his political career
Kanal13
1.54M subscribers
Apr 23, 2023 3:00 p.m. DST
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q6cWdzTMbpQ
2. They all refused to talk! - An interview with a russian POW (Dubbed English)
Rick The Ukrainian
Apr 22, 2023
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Musy9GKE_YI
3. 0:20 / 25:55
🇺🇦 Russia Deliberately Attacked our Medical Point. I now practice a different kind of medicine.
Brandon Mitchell 🇺🇦
62.5K subscribers
AVDIIVKA
Apr 23, 2023 2:30 p.m. DST
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6gta71HY9j0
The Russians attacked our Medical Point outside of Avdiivka. Two men were injured and they killed our cats. It was from that point I decided to start being more proactive in my fund raising and immediately I began to procure Night Vision and Thermal Scopes. Within two weeks we received the first delivery.
The night vision has been particularly effective when used with the M113. Driver and gunner. Both men have made effective use in saving ours and killing theirs.
Even some days ago I purchased 6 more sets of NVG which will be delivered in the coming weeks to Enrico who will carry them onto Donbass, Rebekah will distribute them to my instruction. They are allocated to the vehicle crews, not so much consideration and vetting is required to see who makes good use of it. Thermals is what I am saving all the money for now. Those will be distributed by me personally upon my return to a Ukraine.
2.
VIDEO
1. ***THIS IS HUGE - UKRAINIAN ARMY LIBERATED A VILLAGE ON THE LEFT BANK OF THE DNIPRO RIVER || 2023
Warthog Defense
506K subscribers
Apr 23, 2023 7:45 p.m. DST
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CKwiFlYDWsY
2. Drone destroys a $60m Osa anti-aircraft missile complex hidden by Russians
Kanal13
1.54M subscribers
Apr 23, 2023 7:30 p.m. DST
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OD38vAEEa34
https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2023/04/20/russian-navy-removes-pacific-fleet-commander-a80886
That’s a long way from shooting at each other in Russian held Ukrainian land.
Fog of war, I guess.
ARTICLE AND COMMENTARY
Ukrainian Soldier Fends Off Russian Attack in Incredible 11 Minute Video
Story by Brendan Cole
Yesterday 11:44 AM
https://www.msn.com/en-us/video/news/how-one-ukrainian-tank-fought-30-russian-soldiers-in-viral-battle/vi-AA1a8HlM?t=4
Dramatic footage shows troops from a Ukrainian corps fighting Russian soldiers in close combat. The video shows the exploits of the “Da Vinci Wolves”, a battalion of the Ukrainian Volunteer Corps which is integrated into the Ukrainian army.
The caption at the start of the 11-minute clip says: “Defending Ukraine’s ‘Road of Life’, the last road out of Bakhmut,” a route that goes to nearby Chasiv Yar and is a critical supply route for Ukraine’s troops and supplies.
Dramatic footage purportedly shows troops from a Ukrainian corps fighting Russian soldiers in close combat.
To the sound of gunfire with smoke visible in the distance, a soldier’s helmet-cam shows him moving into a bunker where other troops are waiting. “What’s up guys?” he asks.
The cameraman is believed to be the squad leader codenamed ‘Tihiy” and he is told that one of their comrades had been killed. “Rest in peace,’” he tells his squad mates, who respond by saying, “Yes brother, that’s how it is in war.”
The video then shows a grenade going off nearby and a soldier called Lekha being blasted off his feet and falling onto his stomach. Lekha lets his comrades know he is uninjured as his unit gets out of the bunker and into position
*** CAUTIONARY NOTE: Moscow Times
VIDEO AND COMMENTARY
23 Apr: Ukrainian Special Ops DECIMATE RUSSIAN POSITIONS | War in Ukraine Explained
Reporting from Ukraine
231K subscribers
Apr 23, 2023 10:30 p.m. DST
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zKwR2WUrFqs
⚠️ Watch RFU in 18+ languages: https://www.youtube.com/@RFU/channels
I am a Ukrainian. My country has been invaded by Russia. In this video I will tell you what happened on the four hundred and twenty fourth day of the war.
Day 424: April 23
The freshest reports indicate that Russians got trapped. That is why the Russian command quickly prepared another wave of attack and stormed the outer two lines once again.
Russian attack was very successful, and they managed to push Ukrainians all the way to the trenches south of the road. But intense clashes did not end here. Ukrainians immediately started preparing for a counterattack and in the meantime, assigned the most skilled drone operators to drop grenades on Russians in the trenches non-stop. The fighters from the 92nd Mechanized Brigade reported that only their drone operators managed to eliminate more than 40 Russian troops here over the last two days.
After undermining Russian defense capabilities, Ukrainians conducted a short mechanized assault to pave the way for their infantry. Russian sources reported that Ukrainian used several tanks and armored vehicles, although they used the equipment carefully and provided fire support at a distance. Combat footage revealed that while Russian positions in the eastern trench were under fire, special operators from the National Guard of Ukraine crossed the road and engaged in close combat fighting. This was the first major step in recapturing the trench network. The latest footage features fighters from the famous 3rd Assault Brigade. Judging by the footage, they successfully breached Russian defense and completely cleared the closest to the road line. A fighter from the Aidar Battalion reported that Russians do not hold positions closer than 200 meters from the road, which means that Ukrainians established total control over the trenches between the highway and the field road. From here, Ukrainians will likely attack the western line first because it is the most vulnerable to Ukrainian attacks.
For now, the Khromove highway still remains inoperable because Russians are too close. The road is in their line of sight, which means that they can conduct direct fire at the vehicles. Once they are pushed behind the tree line, Russians will only be able to rely on indirect fire, which means surveilling the area with drones and coordinating with artillery and mortar crews. Conducting indirect fire is extremely difficult, as drones can be shot down or run out of battery, and artillery needs to react timely. The road is only 5 km long, which means that Russians have only 3 minutes to reach if the average speed is 100 km per hour. Nonetheless, at this time, Ukrainians are receiving supplies via the Ivanivske highway, and today’s footage shows how Ukrainians successfully enter the city.
When it comes to the city itself, Ukrainian fighters reported that most of the fights continue to take place along Krainia Street. A fighter from the 24th Assault Brigade reported that Russian snipers assumed positions in the high-rise buildings on Levanevskoho Street. Later, Ukrainians rolled out their tanks and decimated Russian positions in these buildings, which allowed Ukrainians to move in the region more freely.
When it comes to the center, recent geolocated footage suggests that Russians managed to take the first street west of the rails. The footage shows how Russians are firing at Ukrainian positions in the high-rise building. The fighting along the central and southern lines remains intense, although this axis is still secondary for Russians, as their main efforts are directed towards the outer edge of the city.
Overall, the Battle for Bakhmut continues to buy Ukrainians time to receive the pledged tanks and equipment for the main phase of the counteroffensive operation because many countries organized the deliveries just this week, and many still plan to do it next week. The Head of the Wagner forces, Prigozhin, said that Ukrainians need at least 10 days of relatively hot and dry weather for the ground to become suitable for broad mechanized assaults. By holding Bakhmut, Ukrainians are forcing Russians to deploy at least 3 times as many troops just to maintain progress inside the city, but more importantly, Ukrainians do not allow Russians to redeploy from Bakhmut tens of thousands of troops because as long as Ukrainians are inside the city, Russians are afraid of the unblocking operation and continue to reinforce Bakhmut’s flanks at the expense of other directions.
ARTICLE
Vladimir Putin’s Soldiers Use ‘Medieval Torture Methods’ Against Their Own Men For Questioning Military Leadership: Report
Joshua Wilburn
Apr. 23 2023, Published 1:00 p.m. DST
https://radaronline.com/p/vladimir-putin-soldiers-use-medieval-torture-methods-against-own-men/
A video on Telegram showed a man found in a nearly 10-foot-deep pit called a “Zindan.” The tortured victim was identified as a Russian soldier named Flarit Baitemirov.
The post claimed that Baitemirov was trapped there for four weeks after accusing his local command of corruption and stealing humanitarian aid.
The 35-year-old soldier said, “I am being held captive by my own Russians ... I am Russian, I came as a volunteer.”
He continued claiming that he was “asking for help” from the Ministry of Defense and that “some kind of criminal case” was “being initiated” against him.
It’s unclear whether or not these torture methods have been used on Ukrainian prisoners by the Russian army.
“Zindan” is Persian for prison or dungeon and dates back to when Russia was still part of Central Asia.
A similar prison exists in Bukhara, Uzbekistan, which dates back around 1,000 years but was repurposed into a museum to portray the horrors of the historic prison system. Currently, it homes several mannequins in it to show the horrific conditions prisoners would face.
In another video, Baitemirov claims that another man was put in a pit for drinking alcohol before being beaten.
The prisoner said, “Colonel Poida is still a corrupt official. All the humanitarian aid that comes in trucks does not reach us.”
“Currently, they threaten me,” he continued. “They say that they know where the family lives, they promise to make problems for me, they intimidate me in every possible way.”
Another soldier named Pavel Gorelov is also allegedly being kept in a similar prison.
A reporter specializing in Russian torture news tweeted, “Soldier Pavel Gorelov (is) reportedly from the 99th regiment’s reconnaissance company ... The soldiers say they have been in the pit for three days without food.”
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