Victory Chronicles
-DAY 363

Above:  The world’s second largest shipping company Moller-Maersk announced the conclusion of an agreement to sell its logistics facilities in St. Petersburg and Novorossiysk, taking a large step towards its complete exit from the Russian market.  A company registered in Cyprus – one of the biggest offshore havens for untraced Russian wealth – bought the two facilities. Maersk joins other large global shippers in closing operations in Russia to manage both operational and reputational risk.  (Photo: Freight Waves)

Video: Just prior to US President Joe Biden’s historic visit to Kyiv on February 20, the US notified Moscow that the commander-in-chief would be in Kyiv for  “deconfliction purposes.” Nevertheless, air raid sirens rang out across the country, ensuring that defenses were on maximum alert. 

There cannot be a stronger commitment than this. US President Biden walking alongside President Zelenskyy inside the city of Kyiv.#Ukraine #USA #Kyiv pic.twitter.com/yYS9NUq0y4

— (((Tendar))) (@Tendar) February 20, 2023

Above: President Biden arrived in Poland Feb 20 where he is expected to thank Poland for its support and urge other countries to follow Poland’s example. Several media reported on Mr Biden’s secret trip to Kyiv yesterday.  The president flew from Washington DC in a small plane to Ramstein Air Base in Germany before flying on to Rzeszow in eastern Poland.  From there, Mr Biden traveled to Przemysl on the Polish border by motorcade, then caught a train to Kyiv.

Above:  New Kremlin PR campaign roll-out in Moscow: “Russian borders are endless”.  We could apply that to Russian delusions of grandeur.  (ChrisO_wiki)

• A Verkhovna Rada Intelligence Committee member stated on February 19 that Russia has “all combat-ready units on the line of contact In Luhansk and Donetsk oblasts, and partly in Zaporizhia Oblast.” Russian forces and reserves are committed along the line of contact and lack flexibility to change the course of operations. Therefore, ISW assesses that Ukraine has the capacity to regain the initiative in 2023 with sufficient and timely Western backing.
• The Russian Ministry of Defense confirmed the formal integration of the Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics’ militias into the Russian Armed Forces. Russian forces have suffered from shortcomings in unit cohesion and will face greater tensions with the proxy militias that were not trained to professional standards.
• The Wager group leader complained of “complete shell hunger” as a result of Russian military officials cutting off Wagner Group access to shells, weaponry and even shovels. A milblogger observed that Prigozhin was repeating the experience of former Russian officer Igor Girkin, who led proxy units in Donbas in 2014, and is now a bitter sidelined Kremlin critic.
• Russian forces are unable to conduct routine maintenance of S-300 anti-aircraft missile systems due to difficulties in delivering components and conducting repairs under combat conditions. Russia withdrew S-300 systems from deployment in Ukraine and transferred them to repair facilities in Russia.
• Iranian cargo flights are regularly arriving in Moscow, likely delivering Iranian-made weapons systems or components. A Russian milblogger claimed that an Iranian Saha Airlines cargo plane flew from Tehran to Moscow on February 18 and that an Iranian Il-76TD flew from Tehran to Moscow on February 20, its fourth flight to Moscow in the last 10 days.
• Nearing the one-year anniversary of a disastrous invasion on a peaceful neighbor, Moscow’s tiny dictator delivered a delayed state of the nation address to parliament and his fellow Russians, offering a slew of familiar lies to erase military failures, a crumbling economy and global ostracization .  He will “run for election” again in 2024 for another six year term. State employees and students were ordered to attend while “extras” were offered about $7 to fill the audience.

General Staff’s Daily Video Digest with English subtitles

Above: The scene around Kyiv last April, one of the first graveyards of enemy tanks and equipment. (The Kyiv Independent)

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

• Liquidated personnel, 144,440 (+760)
• Tanks, 3,326 (+10)
• Armored personnel vehicles, 6,562 (+9)
• Artillery systems/MLRS, 2,383/471 (+4/0)
• Anti-aircraft warfare systems, 243 (0)
• Aircraft/helicopters, 299/287 (0)
• UAV operational-tactical level, 2,023 (+5)
• Cruise missiles, 873 (0)
• Warships/boats, 18 (0)
• Vehicles and fuel tanks, 5,210 (+1)
• Special equipment, 226 (+1)

Above: “Kherson is under fire. Probably Grad. About 20 explosions,” wrote the governor on Feb 21. (ZN.UA)

Glory to Ukraine! Day 363 of the full-scale russian military aggression has begun.

• During the day, the enemy launched 6 missile and 28 air strikes on the civilian infrastructure of Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson oblasts. Russian occupiers also conducted 86 MLRS attacks.  The attacks caused casualties among civilian population and damage to civilian residential buildings, schools and shops. 
• The threat of further russian air and missile strikes remains high across Ukraine.
• Over the past day, Ukrainian Defense Forces repelled attacks of the occupiers in the vicinities of Hryanykivka and Masyutivka settlements (Kharkiv oblast); Bilohorivka (Luhansk oblast); Vasyukivka, Berkhivka, Bakhmut, Vasylivka, Novobakhmutivka, Vodyane, Nevels’ke, and Mar’yinka (Donetsk oblast).
• During the day, the vicinities of Senkivka and Yelina settlements (Chernihiv oblast); Novoslobidske, Bilopillya, Yunakivka, Myropilske and Krasnopillya (Sumy oblast), as well as the vicinities of more than 25 settlements in Kharkiv oblast were subjects to enemy shelling. Among them are Strilecha, Krasne, Zelene, Ternova, Bochkove, Mala Vovcha, Ozerne, Hryhorivka, Dvorichna, and Kup’yansk. Moreover, the enemy launched a cross-border airstrike on Hraniv (Kharkiv oblast) from the airspace of the russian federation.
• Kup’yansk and Lyman axes: the enemy shelled Dvorichna, Hryanykivka, Pishchane, Krokhmalne, and Pershotravneve (Kharkiv oblast); Stelmakhivka, Nevs’ke, Chervonopivka, and Bilohorivka (Luhansk oblast); Dibrova, Fedorivka, Ivanivka, and Kotlyarivka (Donetsk oblast). The invaders conducted an airstrike in the vicinities of Bilohorivka and Spirne.
• Bakhmut axis: more than 20 settlements were shelled, in particular, Rozdolivka, Bilohorivka, Vasyukivka, Zaliznians’ke, Bakhmut, Ivanivs’ke, Klishchiivka, Kurdyumivka, Ozaryanivka, Oleksandro-Shultine, New York, and Vesele (Donetsk oblast).
• Avdiivka and Shakhtars’k axes: more than 30 settlements suffered russian artillery fire, including, Novobakhmutivka, Avdiivka, Vodyane, Nevels’ke, Krasnohorivka, Heorgiivka, Mar’yinka, Bohoyavlenka, Vuhledar, and Prechistivka (Donetsk oblast). Moreover, the enemy also carried out airstrikes near Alexandropol, Kamianka, Avdiivka, Mar’yinka, and Vuhledar.
• Zaporizhzhia axis: more than 25 settlements, including Novoandriivka, Vremivka and Novopil’ (Donetsk oblast); Olhivs’ke, Malynivka, Hulyaipole, Mala Tokmachka, Orihiv, Novodanilivka, and Stepove (Zaporizhzhia oblast) suffered enemy attacks.
• Kherson axis: the vicinities of more than 35 settlements were targeted by russian artillery fire. Among them are Zolota Balka, Dudchany, Kachkarivka, Beryslav, Kozats’ke, Mykolaivka, Antonivka, Kherson, Dniprovs’ke, Berehove, and Veletens’ke (Kherson oblast).

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

Above:  The enemy shelled Izyum, Kharkiv, overnight.  (Photo: Izyum Inform)

• Russian forces continued ground assaults in the Kupyansk area northwest of Svatove on February 19 and 20. Ukrainian forces repelled assaults on Hryanykivka (53km northwest of Svatove) and Masyutivka (51km northwest of Svatove).
• Russian forces continued ground assaults near Kreminna on February 19 and 20. Ukrainian forces repelled assaults near Kreminna, Chervonopopivka (6km north of Kreminna) and Bilohorivka (10km south of Kreminna). Geolocated footage posted on February 19 shows that Russian forces have made marginal advances near Torske, 15km west of Kreminna.

Above: Some civilian hold outs in Bakhmut have heeded the government’s plea to evacuate immediately.  Others will stay, waiting for the Russians to come.  (Ukraine World)

Map via ISW

• Russian forces continued ground attacks around Bakhmut and made incremental tactical gains between February 19 and 20. Ukrainian troops repelled Russian attacks near Bakhmut itself; north of Bakhmut near Vasyukivka (10km north), Dubovo-Vasylivka (8km north) Berkhivka (6km north); northeast of Bakhmut near Vyimka (22km northeast) and Fedorivka (15km northeast); and west of Bakhmut near Ivanviske (5km west) and Chasiv Yar (10km west). Geolocated footage posted on February 19 shows Russian forces removing a Ukrainian flag from a building in Paraskoviivka (5km north of Bakhmut)
• Russian forces continued offensive operations in the Avdiivka-Donetsk City area on February 19 and 20.
• Russian forces continued offensive operations in western Donetsk Oblast on February 19 and 20. Geolocated footage posted on February 19 shows that enemy troops reached certain settlements on the southern outskirts of Vuhledar.

Above:  The enemy wants to burn Kherson to the ground with incendiary shelling. (TSN)

• Russian forces continue to militarize the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant. Ukrainian state nuclear energy agency Energoatom reported on February 20 that Russian forces deployed more than 600 military personnel to the ZNPP and are continuing to build fortifications and military facilities around the ZNPP’s dry spent nuclear fuel storage facility. Russian forces have stationed a machine-gun position on the roof of the fifth power unit at the ZNPP.

Ukrainian soldier heading for the frontlines pic.twitter.com/PeQCkPi3dh

— Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) February 20, 2023