From the FB page; The Heartbeat of Ukraine

War Update: 2/23/23 (It’s already the 24th in Ukraine)

Day 365: One-year of a 3-day war. Kyiv still stands and Russia is still a terrorist state.

145,850 enemy soldiers have been neutralized. (This will be updated in the morning EST)

Security measures have been implemented across Ukraine in the face of potential Russian attacks on Friday, which marks exactly one year since the start of Moscow’s invasion. School classes have moved online, working from home is being encouraged and security patrols have been stepped up in order to minimize the potential impact of Russian strikes. Ukrainian schools have been advised to hold classes online “as a precautionary measure,” Education Minister Serhiy Shkarlet said in a statement Tuesday.

Below is the link to Institute for the Study of War’s Interactive map updated daily.

https://storymaps.arcgis.com/…/36a7f6a6f5a9448496de641c…

The following was taken directly from a CNN article, Maria Kostenko and Tim Lister reporting:

The Ukrainian military says that Russian forces attempted unsuccessful assaults along several parts of the front lines in the north of Ukraine— including along the border of Kharkiv and Luhansk regions — an area where the Russians have been trying to break through for several weeks.

The forests west of Russian-held Kreminna have seen fierce fighting since the Russians brought reinforcements into the area in December. But they have been unable to reach open land around the towns of Torske and Zarichne, which would bring them closer to larger cities in the Donetsk region.

There has also been fierce fighting further north, around the town of Svatove, but the front lines there have changed little. "We did have escalation a few days back both in Svatove and Kreminna sectors. It was really hard on us when they attacked. It was quiet today though since our defenders have repelled powerful attacks in all directions, destroyed lots of manpower and equipment," Serhiy Hayday, head of the regional military administration in Luhansk, said.

“They (Russians) have retreated to regroup I guess, to pull in some equipment,” he added.

Hayday said that the Russians “throw a company of heavy equipment and a company of infantry on the offensive at the same time. They used to attack with one to two tanks plus a single platoon, now it’s more than that.”

Meanwhile in the east: In its daily update Thursday, the military’s General Staff said that Russian forces continue to attack in several locations around the city of Bakhmut, where Ukrainian units are trying to keep access to the city open. It said 13 settlements in the area had come under fire.

Unofficial military accounts say that heavy fighting persists to the north and northwest of Bakhmut, where Russian units — including Wagner paramilitaries — are trying to take higher ground and tighten their grip on access routes into Bakhmut. Col. Yuriy Madyar of the 28th Separate Mechanized Brigade said in a video message that "the situation on the northern flank is becoming more difficult. This is where they want to make possible encirclement of Bakhmut."

He said Ukrainian units “are strongly holding the southern flank.”
“Northern outskirts of Bakhmut were dynamic last night, it is now more quiet, so we’re preparing for the night ahead … Southeast direction as well as south and southwest sectors are under constant enemy pressure.”

The Ukrainian military also says cross border mortar and artillery fire continues in the north, with several places in the Sumy, Chernihiv and Kharkiv regions affected. Some analysts assess this fire is to fix Ukrainian defending units in the north, preventing them from being redeployed to the Donetsk region, where much of the heaviest fighting is concentrated.

The following is from the Operational Report of the General Staff of the Armed forces of Ukraine:

👉The Russian Federation continues to focus its main efforts on offensive operations on Kupyansk, Lyman, Bakhmut, Avdiivka, and Shakhtarske directions. No changes in the structure and position of Russian groups of troops were reported.

👉To reveal the exact position of Ukrainian units and spot for artillery fire, the Russian army is actively conducting aerial reconnaissance. As a result, Russian military is losing equipment: Ukrainian Defense Forces destroyed Russian Merlin and Zala UAVs.

👉Russian soldiers launched 9x missile attacks, one of them caused damage to the civilian administrative building in Dvorichna (Kharkiv oblast) and conducted 28x air strikes. Moreover, Russian troops launched more than 40x MLRS attacks. As a result, civilian facilities in the towns of Beryslav, Zelenivka, and Bilozerka (Kherson oblast) were damaged. The attacks caused casualties among civilian population.

👉The Russian army continues to suffer losses. Thus, 6x ambulances with wounded servicemen of Russian troops arrived at a trauma center in Donetsk on the night of February 21-22.

👉Children from all over the city of Melitopol (Zaporizhzhia oblast) are supposedly going to take the “voluntary” oath of “Young Army soldiers” in a local school. The above school is also planned as a base to form the so-called “All-Russian Rescue Corps”.

👉Having caused a humanitarian crisis in the occupied Mariupol, Russian troops are persuading the local residents to take part in fortification of positions around the city in exchange for food rations. No remuneration for this labor is defined. Most people receive food packages only.

👉The Ukrainian Air Force launched 14x air strikes on the concentrations of Russian troops and military equipment, and 4x air strikes on the positions of anti-aircraft missile systems. In the meantime, Ukrainian missile and artillery troops attacked 3x concentrations of Russian troops and 1x critical military target.

The Biden administration is expected to announce another $2 billion in Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative funds on Friday, the one-year anniversary of the Russian invasion, a US official said Thursday. The package will include:📍HIMARS rockets 📍155m artillery ammunition 📍multiple types of drones (UAVS) 📍Counter UAV equipment 📍Mine clearing equipment 📍Secure communications equipment 📍Funding for training and maintenance

The Biden administration is expecting China to put a peace plan on the table Friday with their ideas for resolving Russia’s war in Ukraine, a US State Department official said Thursday. The administration will also be putting “constraints” on Chinese companies believed to be “active in evading sanctions” related to the war in Ukraine, a top US State Department official said.

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is expected to urge G7 partners to supply longer-range weapons to Ukraine and to move faster on supplying military aid, according to a Downing Street news release on Thursday.

The UN General Assembly approved a resolution Thursday denouncing the Russian attack on Ukraine and demanding Moscow withdraw its troops.

There were 141 votes in favor, seven opposed and 32 abstentions — including China.

The strength of countries passing the resolution shows no diminishing in levels of support for Ukraine and against Russia.
The resolution is not legally binding but has demonstrated overwhelming support for Ukraine a year after Russia’s invasion.

Dutch Foreign Minister Wopke Hoekstra said on Thursday the European Union and NATO countries are having discussions behind closed doors about providing Ukraine with Western fighter jets.
The leaders of the 27 European Union countries issued a joint statement Thursday on the eve of the one-year anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.“We will make sure that Ukraine prevails, that international law is respected, that peace and Ukraine’s territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders are restored, that Ukraine is rebuilt, and that justice is done. Until that day, we will not rest,” the European Council statement said.

The group said that Ukraine is “part of our European family.” 💕

The Latvian delegate Richard Kols at the OSCE meeting said “To the disgrace that is the presence of the Russian delegation of sanctioned war criminals at the OSCE, I can only repeat what Ukraine border guards so eloquently put near a year ago when addressing a particular Russian Warship”. Mike drop. Basically this fine fellow told the Russian delegation to “Go Fu*k themselves.” The Russian delegation got their feelings hurt and got up and left. Mr. Kols, you have my respect!!! Well done!👏👏

Tonight’s edition of the Russians are delusional, confused, batshit crazy, and morally bankrupt – Tonight’s theme: Absurdities

Posted on the Russian Embassy, UK’s page (no author indicated):
“Since 2014, Ukrainian forces have been conducting warfare in Donbas. For almost 8-years, Ukraine’s authorities and representatives of militarized formations have been exterminating civilian population of Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics.” This is absurd. Donbas is Ukraine. Donetsk is Ukraine. Luhansk is Ukraine. 🤥🤥🤥🤥🤥💩💩💩💩💩

Ambassador Andrew Kelin: “NATO countries with the UK among the leaders are getting deeper and deeper into the Ukraine Conflict. This only prolongs it.” Absurd. Translation: Prolonging it really means “preventing Russia from winning.” 🤡🤡🤡

For a year our Ukrainian friends have bravely withstood daily unprovoked, relentless attacks and unspeakable war crimes perpetrated by the Russian Terrorist State. They have done so with dignity, strength, resilience and even humor. In doing so, they have more than earned the respect and support of the free world. They are wonderful people and I will continue to support them until Victory. Keep those prayers and words of support coming. Find ways to help. #SlavaUkraini #standwithukriane #braveukraine #allwillbeukraine #russiaisaterroriststate #PutinIsaWarCriminal #FuckPutin #fucklukashenko #fuckIran

Reported by: Christine Reichart Stuermer