Victory Chronicles
-DAY 335

Above: UK Ministry of Defence latest Defence Intelligence update on the situation in Ukraine – 23 January 2023. (Ministry of Defence)

• Russian occupation authorities are intensifying efforts to brainwash Ukrainian children to consolidate societal control in occupied territories. Russian occupation authorities developed a 10-year Russification plan to brainwash Ukrainian youth as surveys demonstrate that children in southern Ukraine do not support the Russian occupation.
• Ukrainian intelligence assessed that Russian forces are preparing for a “big offensive” in the spring or early summer of 2023 and that Russian troops are regrouping for this in Donetsk and Luhansk Oblasts.
• A Russian human rights organization claimed that out of the estimated 50,000 prisoners that Wagner has recruited, only 10,000 are fighting on frontlines in Ukraine due to high casualty, surrender, and desertion rates. The Wagner Group’s aim of reducing casualties among its non-convict mercenaries likely undermines its ability to use effectively its large mass of convicts at scale and over time.
• In reference to the Russian military’s orders to groom facial hair among soldiers, the leader of Wagner Group claimed that his convict forces are fighting better than Russian elite forces that follow “standardized grooming procedures” and that the Russian government should adopt a law to criminalize “glamorization of the army”.
• Russia continues to deepen military and economic relations with Iran in an effort to engage in mutually beneficial sanctions evasion, hoping to strengthen ties in the banking, energy, and commodity-trading sectors. An Iranian state news outlet published an editorial arguing that a Russo-Iranian joint production deal could allow Iran to receive Russian Mi-28 and Ka-52 attack helicopters.

General Staff’s Daily Video Digest with English subtitles

Above: New Voice of Ukraine

Ukrainian General Staff of the Armed Forces estimated enemy losses since February 24, 2022 (with daily additions)

• Liquidated personnel, 122,170 (+690)
• Tanks, 3,152 (+2)
• Armored personnel vehicles, 6,284 (+8)
• Artillery systems/MLRS, 2,148 (+2/1)
• Anti-aircraft warfare systems, 220 (0)
• Aircraft/helicopters, 289/281 (+2/4)
• UAV operational-tactical level, 1,897 (+3)
• Cruise missiles, 749 (0)
• Warships/boats, 18 (0)
• Vehicles and fuel tanks, 4,944 (+8)
• Special equipment, 194 (+1)

Above: Radio Svoboda

Glory to Ukraine! The three hundred and thirty-fifth day of the Russian large-scale invasion has begun.

• During the day, the Russian occupier launched 9 missile strikes on populated areas of Kharkiv, Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia regions, as well as 27 airstrikes. Also, the enemy launched 79 attacks from rocket salvo systems.
• The threat of air and missile strikes remains throughout Ukraine.
• The enemy continues to advance in the Bakhmut and Avdiiv directions, despite numerous losses on their side. In the Kupyansk direction, he conducted unsuccessful offensive actions, all enemy attacks were repulsed by Ukrainian defenders.
• The enemy does not stop shelling populated areas along the contact line. Areas of settlements of Buchki, Mikhalchyna Sloboda of Chernihiv region were shelled from the entire spectrum of artillery; Novovasylivka, Kozache, Sopych, Kucherivka. Civilians died. Studenok, Boyaro-Lezhachi, Stukalyvka, Vorozhba, Yunakivka, Volfine of the Sumy region; as well as Guryiv Kozachok, Strelecha, Slobozhanske, Zelene, Ternova, Staritsa, Vovchansk, Zemlianki, Novomlynsk, Kamianka and Krasne Pershe of Kharkiv
• In the Kupyansk direction, the enemy shelled the areas of the settlements of Dvorichna, Hryanikyvka, Kupyansk, Kucherivka, Kislivka, Tabaivka, Krokhmalne, Berestov, Kruglyakivka of the Kharkiv region, as well as Novoselivske, Stelmakhivka, Andriivka of the Luhansk
• In the Lymansky direction, the enemy shelled the areas of the settlements of Makiivka, Ploshanka, Chervopopivka, Kreminna, Dibrova and Kuzmyne of the Luhansk
• In the direction of Bakhmut, the areas of the settlements of Spirne, Vyimka, Berestovka, Bilogorivka, Vesele, Rozdolivka, Krasna Gora, Paraskoviivka, Bakhmut, Chasiv Yar, Klishchiivka, Kurdyumivka, Ozaryanivka, Mayorsk, New York, Donetsk were hit by fire from enemy artillery, tanks and mortars.
• In the Avdiivsk direction, the areas of Berdychi, Avdiivka, Vodyane, Nevelske, Krasnohorivka, Georgiivka, Maryinka and Novomykhailivka settlements of the Donetsk region came under enemy fire.
• In the direction of Novopavlivsk, the enemy fired tanks, artillery and mortars in the areas of the settlements of Paraskoviivka, Mykilske, Vugledar, Prechistivka, Neskuchne and Velika Novosilka of the Donetsk
• In the Zaporizhzhia direction, areas of settlements were affected by artillery fire, in particular: Komyshuvakha in Donnechyna, as well as Chervone, Gulyaipole, Charivne, Mala Tokmachka, Novodanilivka, Orihiv, Novoandriivka, Stepove in the Zaporizhzhia
• In the Kherson direction, the occupiers shell the civilian population every day. The regions of the settlements of Antonivka, Kherson region and the city of Kherson have been shelled again by rocket systems of salvo fire and barrel artillery.

Believe in the Armed Forces! Together we will win! Glory to Ukraine!

Above: Despite daily shelling of civilian infrastructure, Kharkiv residents keep repairing their proud city.  (New York Times)

• Russian forces may be preparing for a decisive effort in Luhansk Oblast and are redeploying conventional forces to the Svatove-Kreminna axis from Kherson Oblast.
• Russian forces continued limited ground attacks to regain lost positions northwest of Svatove on January 22 and 23. Ukrainian troops repelled Russian attacks on Stelmakhivka (15km west of Svatove) and Novoselivske (15km northwest of Svatove) on January 22 and 23.
• Geolocated combat footage posted on January 22 shows Russian forces conducting a “human wave” style assault on Ukrainian positions near Novoselivske.
• Russian forces continued limited ground attacks to regain lost positions around Kreminna on January 22 and 23. Ukrainian troops repelled Russian attacks towards Terny (15km west of Kreminna) and towards the Serebrianka forest area (10km southwest of Kreminna) on January 22.
• Geolocated footage posted on January 21 shows that Russian forces hold positions southwest of Ploshchanka (15km northwest of Kreminna) near the Zhuravka gully.
• Geolocated combat footage from January 20 shows Ukrainian troops recapturing positions near Bilohorivka about 10km south of Kreminna.
• Ukrainian forces conducted HIMARS strikes on Russian concentration areas in Luhansk Oblast on January 22 and 23. Russian sources claimed that Ukrainian troops struck Kadiivka (50km west of Luhansk City at the nexus of the T0504 and T1317 highways) and conducted a HIMARS strike on an electrical substation between Zolote and Pervomaiske (about 50km northwest of Luhansk City.

Above:  Wounded Ukrainian servicemen evacuated near Bakhmut, Donetsk, January 23, 2023. (National Review)

• Ukrainian forces control the majority of Bakhmut itself and are conducting successful counterattacks to regain lost positions in the area.
• Russian forces continued ground attacks around Bakhmut on January 22 and 23. Ukrainian troops repelled Russian attacks on Bakhmut itself; northeast of Bakhmut near Verkhnokamianske (30km northeast), Bilohorivka (20km northeast), Krasna Hora (5km north), Vyimka (23km northeast), Rozdolivka (15km northeast), and Paraskoviivka (8km north); and west of Bakhmut near Stupochky (10km west of Bakhmut) between January 22 and 23.
• Geolocated combat footage posted on January 22 confirms that Russian troops have occupied the northern part of Opytne on the southern outskirts of Bakhmut
• Russian forces continued ground attacks on the western outskirts of Donetsk City on January 22 and 23. Russians assaulted Novobakhmutivka (20km north of Donetsk), Pervomaiske, and Vodiane (both of the northwestern outskirts of Donetsk City), and Marinka (on the southwestern outskirts of Donetsk City) between January 22 and 23.
• Russian forces did not conduct attacks in western Donetsk or eastern Zaporizhia oblasts on January 22 or 23. Russian troops are conducting defensive operations in this area. Russian forces continued routine fire along the line of contact southwest of Donetsk City and in eastern Zaporizhia Oblast throughout January 22 and 23.
• Ukrainian partisans may have conducted an IED attack in Mariupol on January 20. Local Mariupol news outlet Mariupol Resistance reported that Ukrainian partisans planted an IED in the car of Russian military officials after having studied their behavior and schedules and that Russian forces immediately removed traces of the destroyed car and will likely issue a statement that the car exploded due to demining efforts and not a partisan attack.
• Russian forces transferred approximately 150 wounded Russian servicemen to a civilian hospital in Dniprorudne, Zaporizhia Russian forces are importing doctors from Russian to staff additional hospitals in Sevastopol, Crimea, due to insufficient medical infrastructure to treat wounded Russian servicemen in Zaporizhia Oblast.

Above: The enemy boasted of several successful offenses in the south, but it appears they were lying.  Evidence shows that Ukrainian forces pinned them down. (Novyny Live)

A brave Ukrainian woman films a passing Russian convoy and confronts the invaders.

(Kamianka-Dniprovska Zaporizhzhia Oblast ) pic.twitter.com/nu6n3Bc79w

— Yasmina (@yasminalombaert) January 7, 2023

• The Ukrainian Resistance Center reported that the youth indoctrination organization Russian Young Army Cadets National Movement held a meeting with occupation authorities of Kherson and Zaporizhia Oblasts, developing a plan to emphasize the role of Russia in the Second World War, make regular performances of “special military operation veterans” in schools and to increase Russian “patriotic content” in schools.
• Russian and Ukrainian reconnaissance elements are likely skirmishing on the islands of the Dnipro River Delta south of Kherson City. Ukrainian forces destroyed a commandeered civilian boat carrying a Russian sabotage and reconnaissance group that attempted to deploy to the Potemkin Islands on January 23.
• Russian occupation authorities in southern Ukraine are withholding electricity from Ukrainians until they accept energy contracts with Russian companies.

Sea King from the UK has arrived in its new kingdom near the Black Sea in Ukraine!
It is a strong reinforcement for the Ukrainian Navy. Our cooperation will continue to increase.
Thank you to @BWallaceMP
Together, we will secure the seas and lands across all of Europe! pic.twitter.com/Qf4mF2vp8L

— Oleksii Reznikov (@oleksiireznikov) January 21, 2023