Ukraine/Russland/NATO – der Sammler am 20. November 2022

Nachgetragen fürs Archiv: Zum andauernden russischen Angriffskrieg gegen die Ukraine der Sammler am 20. November 2022:

• Die Lage um das von russischen Truppen besetzte ukrainische Atomkraftwerk Saporischja, das größte Europas, spitzt sich wieder zu (vgl. dazu auch die Aussage im Briefing des russischen Verteidigungsministeriums unten). Die Stellungnahme des Generaldirektors der internationalen Atomenergieagentur, Rafael Mariano Grossi, am Sonntag:

Powerful explosions shook the area of Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) yesterday evening and again this morning, abruptly ending a period of relative calm at the facility and further underlining the urgent need for measures to help prevent a nuclear accident there, Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said today.
In what appeared to be renewed shelling both close to and at the site of Europe’s largest nuclear power plant, IAEA experts at the ZNPP reported to Agency headquarters that more than a dozen blasts were heard within a short period of time in the morning local time. The IAEA team could also see some of the explosions from their windows.
Citing information provided by plant management, the IAEA team said there had been damage to some buildings, systems and equipment at the ZNPP site, but none of them so far critical for nuclear safety and security. There were no reports of casualties. The IAEA experts are in close contact with site management and will continue to assess and report on the situation.
“The news from our team yesterday and this morning is extremely disturbing. Explosions occurred at the site of this major nuclear power plant, which is completely unacceptable. Whoever is behind this, it must stop immediately. As I have said many times before, you’re playing with fire!” Director General Grossi said.
The Director General renewed his urgent appeal to both sides in the conflict to agree and implement a nuclear safety and security zone around the ZNPP as soon as possible. In recent months, he has engaged in intense consultations with Ukraine and Russia about establishing such a zone, but so far without an agreement.
“I’m not giving up until this zone has become a reality. As the ongoing apparent shelling demonstrates, it is needed more than ever,” he said.

• Das britische Intel Update:

Russia’s recent withdrawal from west of Kherson was conducted in relatively good order compared to previous major Russian retreats during the war.
During the retreat, vehicle losses were likely in the tens rather than hundreds, while much kit that was left behind was successfully destroyed by Russian forces to deny it to Ukraine.
This relative success is likely partially due to a more effective, single operational command under General Sergei Surovikin. However, the force remains riven by poor junior and mid-level leadership and cover-up culture.
For example, in recent months two companies subordinate to the Eastern Military District fled after their commander was killed. Other officers likely lied in an attempt to cover up the incident.

• Das Morgenbriefing des ukrainischen Generalstabs:

Operational update regarding the russian invasion as of 06:00, on November 20, 2022
The two hundred seventieth (270) day of the heroic resistance of the Ukrainian people to a russian military large-scale invasion continues.
The enemy continues armed aggression against our state and does not stop striking industrial facilities. Focuses efforts on restraining the actions of the Defence Forces, carries out equipping activities in the engineering aspect of the defence line. It continues to conduct offensive actions in certain directions.
Over the past day, units of the Defence Forces have repelled attacks by russian occupiers in the areas of the settlements of Bilohorivka in the Luhansk oblast and Spirne, Yakovlivka, Bakhmutske, Bakhmut, Opytne and Klishchiivka in the Donetsk oblast.
The enemy made one air and 4 missile strikes, launched 59 MLRS attacks.
In violation of the norms of International Humanitarian Law, the laws and customs of warfare, the objects of the civil infrastructure of the cities of Sviatohirsk and Kramatorsk were subjected to missile strikes by the russian federation.
In the Volyn, Polissya, and Siverskyi directions, the situation has not changed significantly, and no signs of the formation of offensive groups have been detected.
The enemy maintains its units in the border areas of Bryansk and Kursk regions. It is not excluded that the enemy will attempt armed provocations on the state border, as well as attempts to penetrate enemy sabotage and reconnaissance groups from the territory of the russian federation and the republic of belarus.
In the Slobozhansky direction, in the border areas of the Bilhorod region, the enemy continues to cover the russian-Ukrainian border with designated units, and conducts demonstration and provocative actions. It carried out mortar shelling in the area of Starytsa settlement of Kharkiv oblast.
In the Kupyansk and Lyman directions, the occupiers are conducting defense on the captured lines. Enemy shelling from mortars, barrel and rocket artillery was recorded, in particular, in the areas of Krokhmalne and Tabaivka settlements of Kharkiv oblast; Novoselivske, Stelmakhivka, Makiivka, Ploshanka and Nevske in the Luhansk oblast and Berestove in the Donetsk oblast.
In the Bakhmut, Avdiivka, and Novopavlivka areas, the enemy is concentrating its main efforts on conducting offensive operations. Conducts shelling from tanks and the entire range of artillery in the areas of settlements of Verkhnokamianske, Spirne, Bilohorivka, Rozdolivka, Vesele, Yakovlivka, Soledar, Bakhmutske, Bakhmut, Opytne, Klishchiivka, Andriivka, Kurdyumivka, Ozaryanivka, Krasnohorivka, Pervomaiske, Maryinka, Novomykhailivka, Vuhledar and Vremivka of the Donetsk oblast.
In the Zaporizhzhia direction, the occupiers are defending themselves on captured borders. Areas of the settlements of Novopil, Nove, Chervone, Hulyaipole, Dorozhnyanka, Zaliznychne, Mala Tokmachka, Orihiv, Plavni, Stepnohirsk and Vyshchetarasivka of the Zaporizhzhia oblast were affected by the enemy’s artillery fire.
In the Kryvyi Rih and Kherson directions, the enemy is conducting positional defense, improving fortification equipment and logistical support of advanced units, and does not stop artillery shelling of the positions of our troops and settlements on the Right bank of the Dnipro River. In order to clarify the positions of our troops and adjust the artillery fire, the UAV conducts aerial reconnaissance.
Directed fire from tanks, barrel and jet artillery in the districts of Kachkarivka, Tokarivka, Antonivka, Chornobayivka and the city of Kherson.
According to available information, the command of the russian occupying forces plans to redeploy separate units withdrawn during the retreat from the right bank of the Dnipro River in the Kherson oblast to continue hostilities in the Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts. The mobilized persons, most of whom make up these formations, are very indignant at the prospects of the implementation of the mentioned plans.
In the Luhansk oblast, the russian occupiers are setting up additional checkpoints to identify and detain deserters.
On November 18, in the settlements of Vasylivka, Novobohdanivka, Mykhailivka (Vasylivsky District) and Komysh-Zorya in the temporarily occupied territory of the Zaporizhzhya oblast, the results of fire damage by units of the Defense Forces were confirmed. The occupiers suffered more than 160 wounded. About 10 units of military equipment of various types and a warehouse of ammunition were destroyed. Information about the dead is being clarified.
Over the past day, our soldiers shot down an Orlan-10 UAV and hit the enemy’s control post and ammunition depot.

• Das Briefing des russischen Verteidigungsministeriums:

Russian Defence Ministry report on the progress of the special military operation in Ukraine (20 November 2022)
Russian Federation Armed Forces continue the special military operation.
High-precision attack launched by Russian Aerospace Forces at Motor Sich defence industrial entity has resulted in the destruction of the workshop tasked to assemble engines for Ukrainian Air Force’s aircraft.
In Kupyansk direction, the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) did not conduct any intensive action.
Enemy concentration areas were neutralised by artillery and heavy flamethrower systems near Tabayevka, Kislovka, Berestovoye (Kharkov region), and Novosyolovskoye (Lugansk People’s Republic).
Over 20 Ukrainian personnel, 1 armoured personnel carrier, and 2 pickups have been eliminated.
In Krasny Liman direction, pre-emptive artillery attack launched at AFU convoys has resulted in the frustration of the attempts made by 3 enemy company tactical groups to launch attacks towards Makeyevka, Chervonopopovka and Kremennaya (Lugansk People’s Republic).
Moreover, an enemy company tactical group made an unsuccessful attempt to attack Russian forces towards Kolomyichikha (Lugansk People’s Republic).
Comprehensive artillery operation has resulted in halting and driving the AFU units back to their initial positions.
Over 30 Ukrainian personnel and mercenaries, 3 armoured fighting vehicles, and 5 pickups have been eliminated.
In South Donetsk direction, firepower operation and decisive action of assault groups have resulted in the frustration of the attempts made by the AFU to counterattack Russian forces‘ positions towards Slavnoye, Pavlovla, Rovnopol, and Vremevka.
The enemy has suffered casualties of up to 50 personnel. 2 multi-purpose lightly armoured towed vehicles, 2 armoured motor vehicles, and 3 pickups have been destroyed.
Operational-Tactical and Army Aviation, Missile Troops and Artillery have neutralised an AFU command post deployed near Vesyoloye (Kherson region), as well as 62 artillery units at their firing positions, manpower and hardware in 153 areas.
High-precision missiles of Russian Aerospace Forces have destroyed 2 U.S.-manufactured HIMARS multiple-launch rocket systems (MLRS) near Kramatorsk (Donetsk People’s Republic).
Within the counterbattery warfare, an artillery battalion from 40th Artillery Brigade of the AFU has been neutralised near Volchansk and Gatishche (Kharkov region) that had been shelling the residential areas of Belgorod region.
4 U.S.-manufactured M-777 artillery systems, and over 10 Ukrainian personnel have been eliminated.
Air defence facilities have shot down 6 unmanned aerial vehicles near Velikaya Lepetikha (Kherson region), Olginka, Komsomolskoye and Novotroitskoye (Donetsk People’s Republic), as well as 2 rocket-propelled projectiles launched by Olkha MLRS near Guselskoye (Donetsk People’s Republic).
In total, 333 airplanes and 177 helicopters, 2,538 unmanned aerial vehicles, 388 air defence missile systems, 6,729 tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles, 899 fighting vehicles equipped with MLRS, 3,604 field artillery cannons and mortars, as well as 7,293 units of special military hardware have been destroyed during the special military operation.
The Kiev regime continues its provocations aimed at creating a possible technological disaster at Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant.
On 19 November, AFU artillery launched 11 large-calibre shells at the nuclear power plant.
In the morning of 20 November, Ukrainian forces launched two strikes at the facility.
From 9.15 am to 9.45 am, 12 large-calibre shells had been launched. 8 of them exploded between the 5th power generator and the special building №2, three of them impacted the area between the 4th and the 5th power generators, and 1 of them impacted the roof of the special building №2.
From 10.00 am to 10.10 am, 2 other shells, launched at the electric power transmission line that aliments the plant, had been recorded.
The strikes were launched from the AFU-controlled area of Marganets (Dnepropetrovsk region). The hostile firepower has been neutralised by Russian artillery’s counter-attack.
The radiation environment near the nuclear power plant remains normal. The consequences of the damage caused by the artillery attacks launched by the AFU will be clarified after the exploration of the plant’s territory by experts from IAEA and Rosatom.

• Das Abendbriefing des ukrainischen Generalstabs:

Operational update of General Staff of UAF regarding the russian invasion as of 18:00, on November 20, 2022
The two hundred seventieth (270) day of the heroic resistance of the Ukrainian people to a russian military large-scale invasion continues.
During the current day, units of the Defence Forces of Ukraine repelled the attacks of the occupiers in the areas of the settlements of Bilohorivka in the Luhansk region and Spirne, Yakovlivka, Bakhmutske, Bakhmut, Opytne and Klishchiivka in the Donetsk oblast.
During the current day, the enemy launched 2 rocket attacks on the civilian infrastructure of the city of Kupyansk and carried out about 10 MLRS attacks on the positions of our troops along the contact line.
In the Volyn, Polissya and Siverskyi directions, the situation remains without significant changes, no signs of the formation of offensive groups have been detected.
The republic of belarus continues to support the armed aggression of the russian federation against Ukraine, providing it with infrastructure, territory and airspace. Airplanes of the Air and Space Forces of the Armed Forces of the russian federation fly almost daily in the airspace of the republic of belarus. The MiG-31K aircraft, which takes off from the Machulyshchi airfield, is the carrier of hypersonic missiles „Kynzhal“, capable of hitting objects throughout the territory of Ukraine. It is because of this that we are forced to announce an air alert so often in all regions of our state.
In the border areas of Bryansk and Kursk regions, the occupiers continue to maintain separate units of their troops.
In the Slobozhanskyi direction, the enemy shelled the areas of Dvorichna, Ohirtseve, Strilecha, Staritsa and Chaykivka settlements of the Kharkiv oblast.
In the Kupyansk and Lyman directions, the enemy is conducting defense on the captured lines, firing mortars, barrel and rocket artillery, in particular in the areas of Krokhmalne and Tabaivka settlements of the Kharkiv oblast; Novoselivske, Makiivka, Ploshanka and Nevske in the Luhansk oblast and Berestove in the Donetsk oblast.
In the Bakhmut, Avdiivka, and Novopavlivka areas, the enemy is concentrating its main efforts on conducting offensive operations. Conducts shelling from tanks and the entire range of artillery in the areas of Andriivka, Bakhmut, Bakhmutske, Bilohorivka, Verkhnokamianske, Vesele, Vremivka, Vuhledar, Klishchiivka, Mayorsk, Opytne, Rozdolivka, Paraskoviivka, Soledar, Spirne and Yakovlivka settlements of the Donetsk oblast.
In the Zaporizhzhia direction, the occupiers are defending themselves. The areas of Vyshchetarasivka, Hulyaipole, Dorozhnyanka, Zaliznychne, Novopil, Orihiv and Chervone settlements of the Zaporizhzhia oblast were affected by the enemy’s artillery fire.
In the Kryvyi Rih and Kherson directions, the enemy is conducting positional defense and improving fortification equipment. Directed fire from tanks, barrel and jet artillery in the areas of the settlements of Antonivka, Veletenske, Novokairy, Novotyahynka, Ponyativka, Tokarivka and the city of Kherson.
In the Kakhovsky district, the russian occupiers continue to engage in looting and robberies. Local residents are deprived of personal cars, motorcycles and even bicycles.
The enemy continues to suffer losses. So, about 100 wounded servicemen of the russian occupation forces were brought to the city hospital of Skadovsk, in the Kherson oblast.
According to the updated information, fire damage was confirmed at the places of concentration of the enemy’s manpower on November 19. The invaders lost more than 100 people wounded in the settlements of Polohy, Kam’yanka, Mykhailivka (Vasylivskyi district) and Enerhodar of Zaporizhzhya oblast. About 20 units of military equipment of various types and 2 ammunition depots were also liquidated. In addition, a column of enemy equipment was destroyed near the village of Syrotyne, Luhansk oblast.
During the current 24 hours, the Ukrainian aviation made 6 strikes on the enemy: 3 on the areas of concentration of personnel, weapons and military equipment, and 3 on the positions of anti-aircraft missile systems.
At the same time, units of missile forces and artillery of the Defense Forces hit 2 control points, an ammunition warehouse, an area for the concentration of personnel and anti-aircraft weapons, and 2 other important objects of the occupiers.

• Die tägliche Videoansprache des ukrainischen Präsidenten Wolodymyr Selenskyj am Sonntag war sozusagen eine Übersicht des Kriegsgeschehens:

This day is coming to an end – already the 270th day of the full-scale war. I will report briefly.
The first topic is the frontline. The fiercest battles, as before, are in the Donetsk region. Although there are fewer attacks today due to the deterioration of the weather, the number of Russian shelling occasions remains, unfortunately, extremely high.
Luhansk region – little by little we are moving forward with battles. As of now, there have been almost 400 shelling occasions in the east since the beginning of the day. Thank you to each and everyone who holds positions and helps our defense forces.
South – we are holding the line, consistently and very calculatedly destroying the potential of the occupiers.
The second topic is energy. Restoration of networks and technical supply capabilities, demining of power transmission lines, repairs – everything goes on round the clock.
We managed to alleviate the situation in some regions where there were a lot of real problems yesterday. This evening there are stabilization shutdowns in 15 regions and in Kyiv as well. The largest are Vinnytsia, Sumy, Poltava, Khmelnytskyi, Ivano-Frankivsk, Kyiv regions and the capital. We are doing everything possible and impossible to return normal life to Odesa, Kharkiv and all our cities and communities.
And I thank all energy workers, utility workers, regional administrations – everyone who works for the sake of Ukrainians.