Ukraine/Russland/NATO – der Sammler am 12. November 2022

Nachgetragen fürs Archiv: Zum andauernden russischen Angriffskrieg gegen die Ukraine der Sammler am 12. November 2022:

• Die Wiedereinnahme von Kherson durch die Ukraine nach dem Abzug der russischen Truppen bleibt bestimmendes Thema, auch für den ukrainischen Präsidenten Wolodymyr Selenskyj in seiner Videoansprache am Samstagabend:

Months of Russian occupation, months of the mockery of our people, months of stories that Russia is supposedly there forever… And still, there is a sea of Ukrainian flags on the streets. People did not even think of refusing Ukraine. And the world sees it now. It sees what it means when Ukrainians meet their own people. It sees what the unity of Ukrainians means. And it sees why we should liberate our entire land from the invaders.
We will see many more such greetings. In those cities and villages that are still under occupation. We don’t forget anyone, we won’t leave anyone. Thanks to our defense operations and diplomacy, we will definitely reach our state border – all sections of the internationally recognized border of Ukraine.
As of this evening, the defense forces have won back control in more than 60 settlements of Kherson region, the police have started taking stabilization measures. Stabilization measures are also ongoing in Kherson itself.
Everywhere in the liberated territory, our bomb-disposal experts have a lot of work to do. Almost 2,000 explosive items have already been removed – mines, trip wires, and unexploded ammunition.
Before fleeing from Kherson, the occupiers destroyed all critical infrastructure – communication, water supply, heat, electricity… Ruscists everywhere have the same goal – mockery of people as much as possible. But we will restore everything. Believe me. Although it takes time for this, it is already clear to everyone that the outcome will be ours, the Ukrainian one.
It is very important now to tell all Kherson residents to be careful and not try to independently check any buildings and objects left by the occupiers. Please, if you have a connection with the townspeople, be sure to pass this on to them.
There are ten groups of bomb-disposal experts working in Kherson, the police are working, and there are various units of the defense forces. Today, unfortunately, one of our sappers was injured during demining of the administrative building. Therefore, please, dear citizens of Kherson, be careful and inform the police or rescuers about any suspicious objects you see.

Die Frage, wie sich der Krieg nach dem Rückzug der russischen Streitkräfte aus der Region Kherson weiter entwickelt, wird derzeit auch außerhalb der Ukraine in vielen Varianten diskutiert – nicht zuletzt unter dem Aspekt, ob das nun der Zeitpunkt für Verhandlungen sein müsse. In dieses Umfeld passen die Aussagen von US-Sicherheitsberater Jake Sullivan vor Journalisten auf dem Weg zum ASEAN-Gipfel in Kambodscha am (gestrigen) Freitagabend, die Passage etwas ausführlicher zitiert:

Q One last one. We’ve seen some more — the Russian pull-out in the Kherson region sort of play out on the ground over the last 24, 48 hours. Has there been any U.S.-Ukrainian contact, discussion, now after that pull-out — engagement regarding negotiations and, you know, sort of — everyone sort of taking their time over the winter to assess their situation for negotiation?

MR. SULLIVAN: So, I’ve obviously seen a number of press stories on this topic, and I thank you for the opportunity to lay down what I think are the four core elements of consensus in the U.S. government and, fundamentally, what President Biden believes about this question.
The first is: He said in the press conference it’s up to Ukraine to decide when and how they want to negotiate. Nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine. We’re not going to pressure them; we’re not going to dictate to them.
The second is that we believe in a just peace based on the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity that are not things we made up but that are embedded in the U.N. Charter. The G7 leaders spoke to these principles of a just peace, including territorial integrity. President Zelenskyy has spoken to these.
The third point is that Russia is doubling down on its “annexation,” quote, unquote — annexation of Ukrainian territory. That’s not exactly a sign of seriousness about negotiating. As long as Russia holds the position that it simply gets to grab as much territory as it wants by force, it’s hard to see them as a good-faith counterparty in a negotiation.
And the fourth and final point is that the U.S. approach remains the same today as it was six months ago, which is we’re going to do everything we can, including our announcement, our military announcement — our military security assistance announcement yesterday — to put Ukraine in the best possible position on the battlefield so that when they make their determination to proceed, they’re in the best possible position at the negotiating table.
And one more big-ticket item. So there’s kind of this sense of when is Ukraine going to negotiate. Okay, ultimately, at a 30,000-foot level, Ukraine is the party of peace in this conflict, and Russia is the party of war. Russia invaded Ukraine. If Russia chose to stop fighting in Ukraine and left, it would be the end of the war. If Ukraine chose to stop fighting and give up, it would be the end of Ukraine.
So this whole notion, I think, in the Western press of “When is Ukraine going to negotiate?” misses the underlying fundamentals, which is that Russia continues, even as recently as the last 24 hours, to make these outlandish claims about annexed Russian territory — quote, unquote, “Russian territory” — including territory they just left.
So in that context, our position remains the same as it has been, and fundamentally is in close consultation and support of President Zelenskyy and Ukraine. And that is shared across the U.S. government.

Q Can I follow up on that, on Ukraine? Regarding Kherson city, at the briefing you gave, you expressed reservations — “Let’s wait and see what actually happens,” the evidence.

MR. SULLIVAN: Yeah.

Q Is that still your position now, or do you feel like this is real? And if so, can you talk about the significance of that?

MR. SULLIVAN: I think you’ve heard enough from me to know that — over the last months — to know that I express permanent reservations about everything. So I, personally, will not be fully confident that there’s been a complete pull-out of Kherson on the right bank of the Dnieper River until we land and I can call back secure and hear for certain.
But it does look as though the Russians have executed this withdrawal. And it does look as though the Ukrainians have just won an extraordinary victory where the one regional capital that Russia had seized in this war is now back under a Ukrainian flag. And that is quite a remarkable thing.
And it has broader strategic implications as well, because being able to push the Russians across the river means that the longer-term threat to places like Odessa and the Black Sea coastline are reduced from where they were before.
And so this is a big moment. And it’s certainly not the end of the line, but it’s a big moment. And it’s due to the incredible tenacity and skill of the Ukrainians, backed by the relentless and united support of the United States and our allies.

• Das britische Intel Update:

On 11 November 2022, Russia’s Ministry of Defence claimed their withdrawal from Kherson had been completed. Russian forces highly likely destroyed road and rail bridges over the Dnipro River as part of this process.
The completion of the withdrawal came only two days after its announcement. It is likely that the withdrawal process had already started as early as 22 October 2022 when Russian-installed figures in Kherson urged civilians to leave the city.
There is a realistic possibility that Russian military equipment and forces in civilian attire had been evacuating in conjunction with the 80,000 stated evacuated civilians in recent weeks.
Kherson was the only regional capital city captured since February by Russian forces so the withdrawal brings significant reputational damage. The withdrawal is a public recognition of the difficulties faced by Russian forces on the west bank of the Dnipro river.
It is likely that Ukraine has retaken large areas of Kherson oblast on the west bank of the Dnipro River, and that its forces are now largely in control of Kherson city itself.
It is likely that Russia is still attempting to evacuate forces from other areas of the oblast across the river to defensible positions on the east bank.

Der britische Verteidigungsminister Ben Wallace äußerte sich dazu direkt:

• Das Morgenbriefing des ukrainischen Generalstabs:

Operational update regarding russian invasion as of 06.00, November 12, 2022
The two hundred sixty-second (262) day of the heroic resistance of the Ukrainian people to a russian military large-scale invasion continues.
In the liberated settlements of the Kherson region, units of the Defence Forces of Ukraine are carrying out stabilization measures.
The enemy is improving the fortification equipment of the defensive lines on the left bank of the Dnieper and is trying to hold the temporarily captured territories. At the same time, it conducts offensive operations in the Bakhmut, Avdiivka and Novopavlivka directions.
Over the past 24 hours, units of the Defence Forces repelled the attacks of the occupiers in the areas of Masyutivka and Orlyanka settlements of the Kharkiv oblast; Novoselivske, Myasozharivka, Makiivka and Bilohorivka in the Luhansk oblast and Soledar, Bakhmut, Krasnohorivka, Verkhnokamianske, Pervomaiske, Nevelske, Maryinka and Pavlivka in the Donetsk oblast.
The enemy does not stop shelling units of the Defense Forces along the entire contact line, conducts aerial reconnaissance. It continues to strike critical infrastructure and civilian homes in violation of International Humanitarian Law, the laws and customs of war.
Over the past day, the enemy launched 4 missile and 23 air strikes, launched more than 70 MLRS attacks. More than 25 settlements in the Kharkiv, Luhansk, Donetsk, Vinnytsia, Zaporizhzhya, Kherson and Mykolaiv oblasts were hit.
The situation in the Volyn and Polissya directions has not changed significantly. The formation of the russian-belarusian grouping of troops on the territory of the republic of belarus continues. The threat of missile and air strikes by the enemy remains.
The enemy shelled in such other directions:
in the Slobozhansky direction – from mortars and barrel artillery, in the areas of the settlements of Bolohivka, Vilkhuvatka, Krasne, Ohirtseve and Staritsa of the Kharkiv oblast;
in the Kupyansk and Lyman directions – from tanks and artillery of various calibers, in the areas of the settlements of Bilohorivka, Kislivka, Krokhmalne, Makiivka, Nevske, Novoselivske and Stelmakhivka of the Luhansk oblast; Berestov, Kupyansk and Tabaivka in Kharkiv oblast and Serebryanka and Terny in Donetsk oblast;
in the Bakhmut direction – from tanks and the entire range of artillery, in the areas of Andriivka, Bakhmut, Bakhmutske, Verkhnyokamianske, Zalizne, Klishchiivka, Mayorsk, Opytne, Soledar and Yakovlivka settlements of the Donetsk oblast;
in the Avdiivka direction – from tanks, mortars, barrel and jet artillery, in the areas of Avdiivka, Vesele, Vodyane, Kamianka, Kostyantynivka, Krasnohorivka, Maryinka, Nevelske and Novomykhailivka settlements in Donetsk oblast;
in the Novopavlivskyi direction – from tanks and artillery of various types, in the areas of Bohoyavlenka, Velyka Novosilka, Vremivka, Vuhledar, Neskuchne, Pavlivka and Prechystivka settlements of the Donetsk oblast;
in the Zaporizhzhia direction – from tanks and the entire range of artillery, in the areas of the settlements of Dorozhnyanka, Hulyaipole, Zeleny Hay, Malynivka, Olрivske, Stepove, Charivne, Chervone and Shcherbakн of the Zaporizhzhia oblast;
in the South Buп direction – from artillery of various types, in the areas of the settlements of Vyshchetarasivka in the Dnipropetrovsk oblast and Havrylivka, Dudchany, Zolota Balka, Mykhailivka and Novooleksandrivka in the Kherson oblast.
In the temporarily occupied territories of Donetsk, Luhansk and Zaporizhzhia oblastі, the enemy continues to use the buildings and territory of religious organizations, educational and health care institutions for the accommodation of military personnel, military equipment and the equipment of firing positions of mortars and artillery.
In the temporarily occupied territory of the Donetsk oblast, relations between the mobilized servicemen and the occupiers from the territory of the chechen republic remain tense. Thus, another skirmish in the city of Makiivka, Donetsk oblast resulted in the injury of 3 people.
It has been confirmed that the Defense Forces hit the concentration area of the occupiers in the Zaporizhzhia region on November 10 of this year. As a result, the enemy lost more than 100 people wounded. Information about the dead is being clarified.
During the past 24 hours, the Ukrainian aviation made 16 strikes against the enemy. 13 areas of concentration of personnel, weapons and military equipment, as well as 3 positions of the enemy’s anti-aircraft missile systems, were affected.
Over the past day, our soldiers shot down at least one enemy UAV „Orlan“. Units of missile forces and artillery of the Defense Forces hit 2 control points, 9 areas of concentration of manpower, weapons and military equipment and 2 other important military objects of the occupiers.

• Das Briefing des russischen Verteidigungsministeriums:

Russian Defence Ministry report on the progress of the special military operation in Ukraine (12 November 2022)
The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation continue the special military operation.
In Kupyansk direction, 2 enemy battalion tactical groups made attempts to attack Russian units towards Vladimirovka and Kuzemovka (Lugansk People’s Republic).
Comprehensive firepower operation has resulted in halting and driving the units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) back to their initial positions.
Moreover, 1 company tactical group of the AFU has been neutralised near Peschanoye (Kharkov region).
The enemy has lost a total of over 160 personnel, 6 tanks, and 9 armoured fighting vehicles in the abovementioned direction.
In Krasny Liman direction, intensive action of Russian forces has resulted in the prevention of attacks intended to be launched by 4 company tactical groups of the AFU towards Svatovo, Ploshchanka, Makeyevka and Chervonopopovka (Lugansk People’s Republic).
Attacks launched by Russian artillery and Army Aviation have resulted in the elimination of over 190 Ukrainian personnel, 1 tank, 6 armoured fighting vehicles, and 5 motor vehicles.
In South Donetsk direction, foreign mercenaries attempted to halt the advance of Russian forces by counterattacks towards Stepnoye, Vladimirovka and Pavlovka (Donetsk People’s Republic).
Operation of artillery and Army Aviation has resulted in the elimination of over 85 militants, 7 armoured fighting vehicles, and 2 pickups.
Operational-Tactical and Army Aviation, Missile Troops and Artillery have neutralised 4 AFU command posts near Gavrilovka, Aleksandrovka (Kherson region), Zhovtnevoye (Nikolayev region) and Cherneshchina (Kharkov region), as well as 58 artillery units at their firing positions, manpower and hardware in 236 areas.
2 U.S.-manufactured AN/TPQ-50 and AN/TPQ-36 counterbattery warfare radars have been destroyed near Lozovaya (Kharkov region) and Zelyonaya Dolina (Donetsk People’s Republic).
1 ordnance depot of 44th Artillery Brigade of the AFU has been destroyed near Varvarovka (Zaporozhye region).
1 armament and hardware depot has been destroyed near Peschanoye (Kharkov region).
Within the counterbattery warfare, 1 battery of U.S.-manufactured M-777 artillery systems has been neutralised near Kruglyakovka (Kharkov region).
Fighter Aviation of Russian Aerospace Forces has shot down 1 Mi-8 helicopter of Ukrainian Air Force near Yasnaya Polyana (Zaporozhye region).
Air defence facilities have shot down 6 unmanned aerial vehicles near Novaya Tarasovka (Kharkov region), Petrovskoye, Kirillovka (Donetsk People’s Republic) and Chistopolye (Zaporozhye region).
Moreover, 3 rocket-propelled projectiles launched by HIMARS and Olkha multiple-launch rocket systems have been intercepted near Novaya Kakhovka, Novaya Mayachka (Kherson region) and Volnovakha (Donetsk People’s Republic).
In total, 333 airplanes and 175 helicopters, 2,492 unmanned aerial vehicles, 388 air defence missile systems, 6,550 tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles, 886 fighting vehicles equipped with MLRS, 3,574 field artillery cannons and mortars, as well as 7,187 units of special military hardware have been destroyed during the special military operation.

• Das Abendbriefing des ukrainischen Generalstabs:

Operational update of General Staff of UAF regarding the russian invasion as of 18:00, on November 12, 2022
The two hundred sixty-second (262) day of the heroic resistance of the Ukrainian people to a russian military large-scale invasion continues.
In the liberated settlements of the Kherson oblast, units of the Defense Forces are carrying out stabilization measures. Also, representatives of the oblast military administration returned to Kherson and began work there.
The enemy is improving the fortification equipment of the defensive lines on the left bank of the Dnieper. At the same time, it continues offensive operations in the Bakhmut, Avdiivka and Novopavlivka directions.
During the day, the russian occupiers carried out 14 airstrikes, carried out up to 10 attacks from rocket salvo systems. More than 15 settlements of Donetsk, Dnipropetrovsk and Sumy oblasts were hit.
The situation in the Volyn and Polissya directions has not changed significantly. The republic of belarus will continue to support the armed aggression of the russian federation against Ukraine. The formation of the russian-belarusian grouping of troops on the territory of the republic of belarus continues. There remains the danger of missile and air strikes from the territory and airspace of this country.
The enemy shelled in such other directions:
in the Siverskyi direction – from mortars and barrel artillery, in the areas of Slavhorod and Romashkove settlements of the Sumy oblast;
in the Slobozhansk direction – 23 artillery shellings of areas of populated areas, which are not far from the contact line, were recorded;
in the Kupyansk and Lyman directions – from tanks and the entire variety of artillery, in the areas of the settlements of Berestovka, Makiivka, Ploshanka, Kislivka, Bilohorivka, Stelmakhivka, and Siversk;
in the Bakhmut direction – from tanks, mortars, barrel and rocket artillery, in the areas of the settlements of Opytne, Bilohorivka and New York;
in the Avdiivka direction – from tanks and various caliber artillery, in Maryinka, Avdiivka, Novomykhailivka and Opytne districts;
in the Novopavlivsk and Zaporizhzhia directions – from tanks and artillery of various types, in the areas of the settlements of Vremivka, Vuhledar, Shcherbaky, Stepove and Prechystivka.
In the South Buh direction, the enemy, after blowing up the Antonivskyi road and railway bridges, the road through the Kakhovskaya HPP dam and other previously mentioned bridge crossings, is carrying out engineering equipment of the positions on the left bank of the Dnipro River.
The russian military-political leadership does not stop trying to integrate the temporarily occupied territories of Donetsk and Luhansk regions into the legal space of the russian federation. Thus, since November 11, the issuing of documents of self-proclaimed territorial entities, in particular regarding participation in hostilities, has been stopped in this territory. The Command of the 1st and 2nd Army Corps of the Southern Military District of the Armed Forces of the russian federation has been given an order for the centralized transfer of monetary payments with personnel to financial institutions and to bank cards of the russian federation. Servicemen of these units were offered to continue their service on a contractual basis under russian law. At the same time, these persons express fears about the annulment of documents and benefits assigned by the fake republics in case of refusal of the new contract.
In the temporarily captured territories of the Kherson region, the moral and psychological condition and discipline of russian soldiers is deteriorating. A „dry law“ was introduced in the village of Henichesk, and the occupation authorities confiscated and removed alcoholic beverages from warehouses, shops, restaurants and other places of public catering.
According to detailed information, it has been confirmed that the Defense Forces hit the concentration area of the occupiers in the Luhansk oblast, in the area of the village of Hirske. After a high-precision strike, the loss of the enemy amounted to 27 people killed and 18 wounded.
During the day, the aviation of the Defense Forces struck the enemy 11 times. 8 areas of concentration of personnel, weapons and military equipment, as well as 3 positions of the enemy’s anti-aircraft missile systems were affected.
Units of missile forces and artillery of the Defense Forces hit one command post, 11 areas of concentration of manpower, weapons and military equipment and other important military objects of the occupiers.