Victory Chronicles
-DAY 418

Above:  The enemy carried out a wave of missile strikes on civilians over the Easter weekend including destroying the Saint Mykhaylo church in Komyshuvakha, Zaporizhzhia, early Sunday morning.  (Ukrainian State Emergency Services)

Video: The Ukrainian Orthodox Church under the Ukrainian patriarch celebrated Easter mass in Kyiv Pecherska Lavra in Ukrainian language for the first time in history.  

Above: Polish farmers protest the import of Ukrainian agricultural products. European Union leadership tried to remind Poland and Hungary that it is not up to individual states to make trade policy when both countries banned imports of Ukrainian agriculture products on Saturday.  The bans were in response to the protests of local farmers who say imports from Ukraine are depressing prices. The ban includes grains, dairy, sugar fruit, vegetables and meats. Meetings have been called. (BBC)

Above: The Kremlin’s bloody hands were all over a staged protest in Prague on Sunday. The so-called anti-government protesters called for immediate negotiations to end the war and for the Czech Republic to leave NATO and the EU.  According to Czech Radio, the demonstration was organized by a new political party that was formed in 2022 after the invasion of Ukraine.  (The Guardian)

Above: On Easter Sunday, 130 Ukrainian POWs were returned home in exchange for an unknown number of invaders. The returnees had been captured in Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson according to a post from Northern Operational Command.

Above: UK Ministry of Defence

• As Moscow met with Beijing’s defense minister in Moscow Sunday, Ukraine announced that Chinese components are showing up more frequently in invader weapons, replacing those previously procured from the free world.  Following Xi’s visit to Moscow last month, the US said that Beijing had not yet crossed a red line on supporting Moscow’s invasion, but that the US and its allies are closely monitoring the situation, particularly in the supply of dual-purpose electronics that could be used in a microwave or a missile.
• The enemy MoD has ordered occupation authorities to transfer lists of all Russian passport holders to local military commissars by April 18, ahead of a likely mobilization of more meat from TOT for the unprovoked war of aggression.
• The Ukrainian General Staff reported that the Russian MoD postponed the start date for officer training in some higher educational institutions from September 1 to December 1 most likely due to the resource drain associated with ongoing Russian force generation efforts. This will further delay the preparation of officers to lead the  militarist future envisioned by the Kremlin.
• A Russian think tank released a study showing that the annual inward migration rate needs to almost triple (from 390,000 to 1.1 million) in order to avoid demographic disaster.  Moscow faces drastic population decline due to low birth rates, high mortality rates and accelerated outflows. The diminutive deranged former president Medvedev played the racist chauvinist card, claiming that non-ethnic Russian migrants are violent extremists. Instead, he outlined a new marketing-propaganda campaign to incentivize expats to return to be “saved” from global russophobia.
• The Russian organ responsible for mobilization said everything is going according to plan on April 15, claiming that draft notices have been sent to 52 thousand citizens and that 50 thousand have already shown up at draft centers.  Of these, 29 thousand were qualified for deferrals.

General Staff’s Daily Video Digest with English subtitles

Above: Enemy aircraft near Chernihiv, last March.  To date, the Ukrainian Armed Forces report 308 destroyed enemy combat aircraft including a Su-25 near Mariinka, Donetsk, last week. (Photo: The Telegraph)

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

• Liquidated personnel, 182,660 (+590)
• Tanks, 3,660 (+3)
• Armored personnel vehicles, 7,087 (+4)
• Artillery systems/MLRS, 2,804/538 (+9/0)
• Anti-aircraft warfare systems, 285 (+1)
• Aircraft/helicopters, 308/293 (0)
• UAV operational-tactical level, 2,347 (+8)
• Cruise missiles, 911 (0)
• Warships/boats, 18 (0)
• Vehicles and fuel tanks, 5,672 (+14)
• Special equipment, 328 (+2)

Above: Rescuers and volunteers search for survivors on the top of a partially destroyed residential building, after a shelling in Sloviansk, Ukraine, on April 14, 2023. Rescue operations were called off Sunday.  (VOA)

Glory to Ukraine!
The 418th day of the Russian large-scale invasion has begun.

• Over the past day, the russian occupiers launched 25x missile strikes with S-300 air defense system missiles on the peaceful cities of Zaporizhzhia and Komyshuvakha (Zaporizhzhia oblast); and Snihurivka (Mykolayiv oblast). Moreover, the enemy launched 42x air strikes and conducted 46x MLRS attacks that targeted civilian infrastructure and Ukrainian Defense Forces. The attacks caused casualties among the civilian population and damage to residential buildings, educational institutions, hospitals, churches and other civilian infrastructure.
• The russian aggressor continues to use terror tactics, the threat of missile and air strikes remains high across Ukraine.
• Despite heavy losses the russian federation does not give up on plans to occupy our territory. The adversary continues to focus its main efforts on offensive actions on Lyman, Bakhmut, Avdiivka, and Mar’yinka axes. Russian forces make active use of fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft. Heavy fighting continues in Bakhmut and Mary’inka, where Ukrainian defenders repelled more than 60x enemy attacks during the day.
• During the past day, the russian invaders shelled Svesa, Shalygine, Bunyakyne, Bilopillia, Iskriskivshchyna, Shpyl’, Volfyne, Yunakivka, Basivka, and Velyka Pisarivka (Sumy oblast); as well as Veterynarne, Neskuchne, Ohirtseve, Vovchans’k, Bochkove, Mala Vovcha, Zemlianka, and Topoli (Kharkiv oblast).
• Kup’yans’k axis: the enemy shelled Novomlyns’k, Dvorichna, Zapadne, and Kindrashivka (Kharkiv oblast).
• Lyman axis: the enemy attempted unsuccessful offensives in the area north of Hryhorivka and in the vicinity of Spirne.
• Stelmakhivka, Nevs’ke and Bilohorivka (Luhansk oblast); Ivanivka, Spirne, and Tors’ke (Donetsk oblast) came under artillery fire.
• Bakhmut axis: the enemy continues to conduct offensive actions. Heavy fighting is ongoing in Bakhmut. The enemy launched unsuccessful attacks in the vicinities of Khromove and Ivanivs’ke.
• Vasyukivka, Minkivka, Orikhovo-Vasylivka, Bakhmut, Ivanivs’ke, Chasiv Yar, Novodmytrivka, Svivnihne, Pleshchiivka, and Shcherbynivka (Donetsk oblast) were shelled by russian forces.
• Avdiivka axis: the enemy attempted unsuccessful attacks in the vicinities of Novokalynove, Severne, Vodiane, Pervomais’ke, and Nevels’k. Russian occupiers shelled more than 15x settlements, including Novokalynove, Avdiivka, Tonen’ke, Vodyane, Pervomais’ke and Netaylove.
• Mar’yinka axis: our defenders repelled numerous enemy attacks in the vicinities of Mar’yinka (Donetsk oblast). Krasnohorivka, Mar’yinka, Heorgiivka, Maksimilianivka, Pobieda and Novomykhailivka came under enemy fire.
• Shakhtars’ke axis: the enemy stays on the defensive. Vuhledar, Prechistivka, Novoukrainka, Velyka Novosilka, and Vremivka (Donetsk oblast) were subjects to enemy attacks.
• Zaporizhzhia and Kherson axes: the enemy stays on the defensive. Over 40x settlements were shelled during the day, including Vremivka and Novopil’ (Donetsk oblast); Chervone, Charivne, Orihiv, Novopavlivka, and Stepove (Zaporizhzhia oblast); Zolota Balka, Kozats’ke, Lviv, and Mykils’ke (Kherson oblast); as well as the city of Kherson.

Support the Armed Forces! United we will win! Glory to Ukraine!

Above: Defenders within the Northern Operation Command took a little time on Saturday to prepare special easter eggs for uninvited guests. (Northern Operational Command)

• Russian forces conducted limited ground attacks south of Kreminna on April 16. russian forces conducted unsuccessful offensive actions near Dibrova (5km southwest of Kreminna), Hryhorivka (9km south of Kreminna), Bilohorivka (10km south of Kreminna), and Spirne (25km south of Kreminna).
• A Russian milblogger claimed that Russian forces conducted unsuccessful ground attacks near Torske (14km west of Kreminna) and Nevske (18km northwest of Kreminna) and that Ukrainian forces partially recaptured positions near Bilohorivka. The United Kingdom Ministry of Defense reported that Russian Airborne forces have likely integrated TOS-1A thermobaric artillery into operations near Kreminna.
• Russian forces use mostly mobilized personnel and the most armored vehicles in the Kupyansk-Lyman Ukrainian forces destroyed three T-72 tanks, one BTR-80 armored personnel carrier, one BMP-2 infantry fighting vehicle, one BREM-1 armored repair and recovery vehicle, and one Su-25 aircraft.
• Luhansk People’s Republic occupation authorities authorized spring and fall conscription despite Russian Duma promises earlier that conscription will not take place in occupied territory nor will conscripts fight in the war. LNR said that its spring conscription cycle will align with the Kremlin’s, running from April 1 to July 15. ISW assesses that it is unclear how LNR authorities plan to build conscription apparatuses, send summonses, and implement conscription considering that the conscription cycle has already been ongoing for over two weeks.

Above: “Easter in Fortress City. We will win”. On the eastern front, Orthodox believers celebrated the victory of life over death in the trenches. (241st Territorial Defense Brigade)

A video of some of the heroic defenders of Bakhmut as they engage in street fighting against the Russian invaders.

Glory to the heroes 🇺🇦 pic.twitter.com/tO05dzfjj1

— International Observers Ukraine (@INTobservers) April 17, 2023

❤‍🔥🇺🇦❤‍🔥
We are talking about nonstop #Bakhmut reinforcements 👊🏻✊🏻 pic.twitter.com/3OccDFiIAl

— АЗОВ South (@Azovsouth) April 15, 2023

• Russian forces continued ground attacks in and around Bakhmut on April 16. Russian forces conducted attacks in Bakhmut and that Ukrainian forces repelled Russian forces west of Bakhmut near Khromove (immediately west) and Ivanivske (6km west). Russian forces are throwing penal recruits at the front while conventional forces are more cautious.
• Russian forces conducted ground attacks along the Avdiivka-Donetsk City line on April 16. Ukrainian forces repelled Russian ground attacks near Avdiivka, Novokalynove (8km north of Avdiivka), Sieverne (5km west of Avdiivka), Vodyane (8km southwest of Avdiivka), Pervomaiske (11km southwest of Avdiivka), and Marinka (27km southwest of Avdiivka).

Above: In-person church attendance was light in Kherson on Sunday due to the high chance of enemy strikes on worshippers.  The priest of this church noted that the service was shortened and the door to the basement remained open in case of quick evacuation. (Suspilne)

• Russian forces increased artillery fire on the west bank of Kherson Oblast and are continuing to use guided aerial bombs to strike civilian infrastructure. Russian forces have resumed the practice of using low precision S-300 surface-to-air missiles to strike civilian ground targets deep in the Ukrainian rear. The enemy conducted dozens of S-300 strikes in Mykolaiv, Kherson and  Zaphorizhzhia oblasts throughout the Sunday. Russian forces additionally conducted routine shelling along the frontline in southern Ukraine on April 16.
• Russian forces are digging trenches, mining territory, and evacuating residents from Enerhodar and intensifying the practice of looting private property as they leave.
• Head of the Department of the Navy of the Ukrainian National Defense University suggested that the Russian Black Sea Fleet may be evacuating from occupied Crimea ahead of the anticipated Ukrainian counteroffensive.