Victory Chronicles
-DAY 422

KEY TAKEAWAYS TODAY

Above: State Border Guards were able to bring down an Iranian drone with small arms fire near the Chernihiv border with the aggressor state.  They published a video showing closeups of components. Early Friday morning, the Kremlin launched a drone swarm against Kyiv.  Ukrainian defenses shot down eight of twelve drones launched.  Earlier this week, Ukrainian officials reported that the terrorist state had received another shipment of Iranian drones and could begin civilian strikes again. (State Border Guard Service of Ukraine)

Above:  A group of volunteer women from Kyiv has banded together to rebuild bombed housing.  The project’s founder said she decided to make an all female work brigade to avoid the inhibitions of “mansplaining and well-intentioned chivalry”. Their first project is a house in Lukashivka, Chernihiv, that was targeted by the enemy when the owner fed Ukrainian troops. (New York Times)

⚡️🇳🇴Norwegian military instructors also honorably send 🇺🇦Ukrainian soldiers home after the training

🇺🇦🤝🇳🇴 pic.twitter.com/A3kbSRL7Bf

— 🇺🇦Ukrainian Front (@front_ukrainian) April 18, 2023

Below: The fourth Ukraine Defense Contact Group meeting will be held at Ramstein Air Force Base today.  U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg will  join defense leaders from NATO member states and 24 other countries to discuss military aid to Ukraine.

I’m here at @RamsteinAirBase where tomorrow I will be hosting the Ukraine Defense Contact Group with more than 40 allies & partner nations to continue our important work towards supporting Ukraine’s most urgent security assistance needs. pic.twitter.com/sfpvyxDn83

— Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III (@SecDef) April 20, 2023

#Ramstein 11 has started. Over 50 countries are participating. Shared values, a friendly atmosphere, a focus on results. pic.twitter.com/x4beaOc8Fa

— Oleksii Reznikov (@oleksiireznikov) April 21, 2023

Below: Hungarian Prime Minister Orban is nostalgic for the good old days of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.  It will be recalled that just before Putin’s invasion in February 2022, Hungary deployed troops and built up military equipment on its border with Ukraine, expecting a quick three-day take over of Kyiv. 

During the meeting of Viktor #Orbán's #Fidesz party, a map of "Greater #Hungary" was shown on the screen, which before the First World War included the territories of #Austria, #Slovakia, #Romania, #Croatia, #Serbia and #Ukraine. pic.twitter.com/j09vjTYOfS

— NEXTA (@nexta_tv) April 21, 2023

Below: Overnight, Belgorod, Russia, residents reported a huge explosion that left a 20 meter crater in the city center.  The Russian MoD came out with a statement saying a bomb fell off a Su-34 training flight. War analysts assume the 1.5 ton bomb was headed for Kharkiv. We wonder, what was the flight crew thinking?  

❗️ Russian Defense Ministry commented on the explosion in #Belgorod

"In the evening of April 20, while performing a flight of a Su-34 aircraft of the Air Force over the city of Belgorod, there was an accidental fall of an aircraft munition," the ministry said in a statement.… pic.twitter.com/rnFmIVdP91

— NEXTA (@nexta_tv) April 20, 2023

Above: UK Ministry of Defence

• Because its bad neighbor has been weaponizing energy practically since the fall of the USSR, Ukraine has worked harder than most nations to achieve energy independence. Ukrnafta, Ukraine’s largest oil producer, announced plans to invest about $150 million to develop new fields and upgrade existing systems in 2023.  Since 2022, the Ukrainian state has taken control of strategically important enterprises including Ukrnafta. The state promises to return shares or to compensate shareholders when martial law is terminated.
• Ukraine recalled its ambassador to Belarus after a kind of “last straw” when Lukashenko met with Donetsk occupation leadership in Minsk, asking, “How is our war going?” The Ukrainian ambassador previously said that he is in a complete diplomatic blockade in Minsk and that the only practical reason to keep the mission open is to help Ukrainian refugees arriving in Belarus from Russia, trying to get home. It’s not the first time that Kyiv has recalled the Belarussian ambassador, but it’s not clear this time if and when he might return to Minsk.
• Serbia’s prime minister said at a Bloomberg-sponsored economic forum that she is very happy that thousands of highly-skilled anti-war Russians have sought refuge in Serbia.  Serbia is offering incentives for young Russians, especially those who don’t feel welcome in other European countries.  She reiterated that Serbia won’t join the West’s sanction regime against Russia because sanctions are ineffectual.
• Latvia passed a law banning Soviet-style May 9th Victory in Europe public celebrations.  Instead, the Latvian Saeima has designated May 9th as a day to remember Ukrainians who have suffered from Kremlin aggression.  Latvia, like all the Baltic States, struggles with an intransigent ethnic Russian population that refuses to integrate with the national culture and promotes Russian chauvinistic positions.

General Staff’s Daily Video Digest with English subtitles

GENERAL STAFF DAILY ENEMY LOSSES

Above: Enemy infantry fighting vehicle in Luhansk region. (Suspilne)

General Staff on Facebook

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

• Liquidated personnel, 185,050 (+630)
• Tanks, 3,668 (+1)
• Armored personnel vehicles, 7,126 (+6)
• Artillery systems/MLRS, 2,827/539 (+2/0)
• Anti-aircraft systems, 285 (0)
• Aircraft/helicopters, 308/293 (0)
• Unmanned aerial vehicles, 2,394 (+8)
• Cruise missiles, 911 (0)
• Warships/boats, 18 (0)
• Vehicles and fuel tanks, 5,713 (+6)
• Special equipment, 334 (+2)

GENERAL STAFF STRIKES ON CIVILIANS

Above:  A Ukrainian farmer examines an enemy missile fragment in his field in Zaporizhzhia region. (Suspilne)

Glory to Ukraine!
The 422nd day of the Russian large-scale invasion has begun.

• During the day of April 21, the russian federation launched 23x air strikes. Last night, the enemy used about 10x Shahed-136 UAVs (to be updated), 8x of which were destroyed by Ukrainian defenders. Also, the russian aggressors launched 49x MLRS attacks at the positions of Ukrainian troops and various settlements. The attacks have killed and wounded civilians, destroyed and damaged private residential buildings and other civilian infrastructure.
• The likelihood of missile and air strikes across Ukraine remains quite high.
• At the cost of heavy losses, the adversary is focusing its main efforts on the offensive operations on Lyman, Bakhmut, Avdiivka, and Mar’inka axes. Over 60x enemy attacks were repelled during the day of April 20. The fiercest fighting is for the city of Bakhmut.
• During day of April 20, the enemy shelled the settlements of Yanzhulivka, Halahanivka, Hrem’yachka (Chernihiv oblast), Stukalivka, Pavlivka (Sumy oblast), Kozacha Lopan’, Hoptivka, Neskuchne, and Khatnje (Kharkiv oblast).
• Kup’yans’k axis: Krasne Pershe, Novomlyns’k, Dvorichna, Zapadne, and Berestove (Kharkiv oblast) were shelled by the enemy during the day of April 20.
• Lyman axis: the adversary attempted to improve the tactical situation and conducted unsuccessful offensives in the vicinity of Serebryans’ke forestry. Stel’makhivka, Nevs’ke, Dibrova, Bilohorivka (Luhansk oblast), Ivanivka, and Verkhn’okam’yans’ke, and Spirne (Donetsk oblast) were shelled with artillery yet again.
• Bakhmut axis: the enemy continues its offensive operations. Heavy battles for the city of Bakhmut continue. Vasyukivka, Min’kivka, Zaliznyans’ke, Orikhovo-Vasylivka, Novomarkove, Hryhorivka, Bakhmut, Ivanivske, Oleksandro-Shul’tyne, Bila Hora, Druzhba, Zalizne, Nelipivka, and New York (Donetsk oblast) suffered from enemy shelling.
• Avdiivka axis: the adversary attempted offensive operations in the vicinities of Kam’yanka, Pervomais’ke, and Nevel’s’ke (Donetsk oblast), to no success. In particular, the invaders shelled Keramik, Stepove, Kam’yanka, Tonen’ke, Sjeverne, Karlivka, Pervomais’ke, and Nevel’s’ke.
• Mar’inka axis: during the day of April 20, Ukrainian defenders repelled numerous enemy attacks in the vicinities of Mar’inka and Pobjeda (Donetsk oblast). At the same time, Krasnohorivka, Maksymil’yanivka, Heorhiivka, Mar’inka, Pobjeda, and Novomykhailivka were shelled by the enemy.
• Shakhtars’ke axis: the enemy shelled the settlements of Novoukrainka, Velyka Novosilka, Zolota Nyva, Prechystivka, and Vuhledar (Donetsk oblast) during the day of April 20.
• Zaporizhzhia and Kherson axes: the adversary stays on the defensive. At the same time, the invaders shelled more than 40x settlements during the day of April 20, including Ol’hivs’ke, Malynivka, Orikhiv, Novodanylivka, Novoandriivka (Zaporizhzhia oblast), Dudchany, Kachkarivka, Zmiivka, Ivanivka, Inzhenerne, Dniprovs’ke (Kherson oblast), and the city of Kherson.

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

KHARKIV-LUHANSK

Above:   An 11-year-old chess champion from Luhansk Oblast took the silver at an international chess competition in Abu Dhabi.   He donated his prize money – about $250 – to the Kholdny Yar 93rd Mechanized Brigade. (Suspilne)

Map via ISW

• Russian forces continued limited ground attacks in the Kreminna area on April 20. Russian forces attempted to improve their tactical positions in the Kreminna area and conducted unsuccessful offensive operations near the southern outskirts of Kreminna and near Hryhorivka (11km south of Kreminna). Ukrainian sources reported battles near Bilohorivka (12km south of Kreminna) and that Chechen Akhmat Special Forces are operating near the settlement.

DONETSK

Above: A GRAD multiple rocket launcher system at work near Bakhmut. (The Guardian)

Our last evacuation from Bakhmut. The night before we brought out the charred remains of Sergey, whose family refused to evacuate without his body. En route to them, we luckily escaped incoming S-300s in Chasov Yar. Little elsewhere but at war do you truly feel the magnitude of a… pic.twitter.com/x8Ehx39FMG

— Ignatius Ivlev-Yorke (@IvlevYorke) April 18, 2023

Above: Civilians evacuating from the Donbas region at the Pokrovsk, Donetsk, train station one year ago.  Since then, passenger trains only ran one direction – out of the war zone.  Ukrzaliznytsia announced that daily service between Lviv and Pokrovsk via Kyiv will start from April 28. Pokrovsk is located about 80 kilometers northwest of Donetsk city and has been on or near the contact line for the last eight years. In 2016, the city voted to change its name from Red Army. 

Maps via ISW

• The Ministry for Reintegration reported that in the Donetsk region, 56 children remain in 21 front-line settlements. The minister said, “If we compare, there were 126 last week. That is, we managed to take 70 children out.”  She added that enemy propaganda has been working on conflict line settlements to confuse and demoralize the population. The ministry is working to spread factual information, to make people understand the real risks and make rational decisions, especially as concerns children.
• Russian forces continued assault operations in Bakhmut and its vicinity on April 20. Ukrainian forces repelled 22 Russian attacks in the Bakhmut direction – specifically in Bakhmut city and in the area of Khromove (2km northwest of Bakhmut). Geolocated footage posted on April 20 showed Ukrainian forces shelling Russian positions northwest of Khromove.
• Russian forces continued unsuccessful offensive operations on the Avdiivka-Donetsk City frontline on April 20. Russian forces conducted unsuccessful offensive operations near Avdiivka; within 5km northeast of Avdiivka in Kamianka; and within 15km west of Avdiivka in Pervomaiske, Vodyane, and Nevelske.  Ukrainian forces repelled numerous Russian attacks on Marinka and Pobieda, 23km and 27km southwest of Donetsk City, respectively.
• Russian forces continued to attack Ukrainian positions southwest of Donetsk City on April 20 but did not make any territorial gains. Ukrainian forces repelled Russian assaults on Prechystivka and Vuhledar within 60km southwest of Donetsk City.

Video: The White Angels searched for and evacuated two children remaining in Avdiivka.  Five-year-old Konstantin talks about what to do when the bombs fly.  Kostya and another 16-year-old boy have been brought to safety with family members. 

Video: Reporters embed with soldiers responsible for evacuating wounded defenders from the most dangerous locations on the front lines. 

ZAPORIZHZHIA-KHERSON-CRIMEA

Above: Another new day on the broad flat plains of southern Ukraine.  (General Staff)

Above: Engineers from Kryvy Rih developed and built a drone, which they plan to sent to Red Square on May 9. They hope to collect a reward offered by a Ukrainian banking executive of 20 million hryvnia for successful drone “rain” on Moscow’s VE day parade. (Suspilne)  

• After blaming Ukrainian corruption for Russian obstruction of grain shipments within the Black Sea Grain Initiative, the UN says ship inspections are resuming. At the same time, EU countries are working out mechanisms to resume grain exports to transit through border countries where farmers have objected to grain imports.
• Russian forces in the east bank of Kherson Oblast are carrying out widespread looting and transporting looted goods out of the region by road vehicles, as Russian forces feel insecure about their positions.
• Kherson occupation authorities bragged about taking 200 Ukrainian children to Russia for re-education. The occupiers have set up 58 clubs in the region to “help teachers promote Russian history and patriotism in the classroom.”

Video: In a beautiful tribute, the Armed Forces of Ukraine congratulates the Muslim community on the start of Ramadan when Muslims break the Lenten fast and thank them for defending Ukraine.  In particular, Ukraine stands with its Crimean Tatar brothers and sisters.