Emergency Manager's Weekly Report
- Apr 16, 2023
- 6 min read

Russian Invasion of Ukraine Situation Report #68

Military and Diplomatic Highlights: · The Ukrainian military is reporting the following Russian losses as of April 15th: o 181,550 Soldiers (Wounded or Killed) o 3,653 Tanks o 7,073 Armored vehicles o 2,785 Artillery o 307 Aircraft o 293 Helicopters o 2,339 Drones · Canada has announced that they have delivered all eight Leopard 2 battle tanks promised to Ukraine. · The United Kingdom’s Ministry of Defense is reporting the following: o Russian Recruitment Effort: ü On April 11th, the Russian State Duma adopted a law establishing a unified registry of individuals eligible for military service. The key implication of the measure is that in future, the authorities will be able to serve call-up papers electronically, rather than by letter, removing one obstacle which has previously allowed some to dodge the draft. ü With individuals’ call-up data now digitally linked to other state-provided online services, it is likely that the authorities will punish draft-dodgers by automatically limiting employment rights and restricting foreign travel. ü The measures are reported to be coming into force later in the year; they do not specifically indicate any major new wave of enforced mobilization. ü Russia is, for now, prioritizing a drive to recruit extra volunteer troops. However, the measure is highly likely part of a longer-term approach to provide personnel as Russia anticipates a lengthy conflict in Ukraine. o Military assault on Bakhmut: ü Russia has re-energized its assault on the Donetsk Oblast town of Bakhmut as forces of the Russian military and Wagner Group have improved cooperation. ü The Ukrainian military still holds the western districts of the town but has been subjected to particularly intense Russian artillery fire over the previous 48 hours. ü Wagner assault groups continue to conduct the main advance through the center of town, while Russian airborne forces have relieved some Wagner units securing the northern and southern flanks of the operation. ü Ukrainian forces face significant resupply issues but have made orderly withdrawals from the positions they have been forced to concede. o Russian defensive operations in Zaporizhzhia Oblast: ü Over recent weeks, Russia has continued to develop extensive linear defenses in the Zaporizhzhia Oblast in southern Ukraine. The area is highly likely the responsibility of Russia’s Southern Grouping of Forces (SGF). ü Russia has now completed three layers of defensive zones across approximately 120km of this sector. These consist of a front line of forward combat positions, and then two zones of nearly continuous, more elaborate defenses. Each zone is approximately 10-20km behind the one in front. ü Russia has probably put significant effort into these defensive works because it is convinced Ukraine is considering an assault towards the city of Melitopol. ü The defenses have the potential to be formidable obstacles, but their utility almost entirely depends on them being supported by sufficient artillery and personnel. It remains unclear if the SGF can currently muster these resources. · The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is reporting that the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant is relying on a single still functioning power line. This poses a major risk to nuclear safety and security. IAEA staff at the site reported shelling in the area and there are landmines outside the plant’s fence. War and Atrocity Crimes Investigations Highlights: · As of April 9th, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights recorded 22,734 civilian casualties (8,490 killed and 14,244 injured) in the country. · On April 14th, a Russian missile attack targeted three apartment buildings in Slovyansk. A total of nine people were killed and 21 injured. · The Prosecutor General's Office of Ukraine reported that as of April 14th, they received reports of 1,614 new war crimes committed by Russian forces. · On April 12th, a video surfaced of Russian soldiers beheading a captured Ukrainian solider. · The Joint Investigation Team members signed an agreement on April 14th that the team will investigate not only war crimes but also crimes of genocide committed by the Russian Federation. · The Prosecutor General's Office of Ukraine is also establishing a coordination center to support victims. This center will provide psychological, medical, social, and legal assistance. Humanitarian Impact and Response and Recovery Highlights: · The United Nations on April 14th provided shelter materials and other vital items to 1,500 people in a community along the Dnipro River in Kherson. This is the first time they have managed to go to this area. The community is only a couple of hundred meters from the front line. · As of April 13th, the Ukraine Humanitarian Fund is allocating another $70 million to support people impacted by the war. Over 70 organizations have submitted project proposals for evaluation. This is the second allocation of 2023, following the $50 million disbursed in January. One · Healthcare and Public Health Update: o The World Health Organization (WHO) on April 11th delivered essential supplies, medicines and equipment to four healthcare facilities in Zaporizhzhia. These supplies included: ü Trauma and emergency surgery kits ü Collection, testing and transfusion kits. ü Interagency health kits ü Non-communicable disease kits o On April 10th, a hospital in Kherson was hit and on April 7th, two health workers were injured while on duty in the Kherson region. o WHOs Emergency Medical Teams have assisted more than 12,500 people. o The Ukrainian Red Cross with assistance from the Luxembourg Red Cross is supporting and rebuilding healthcare facilities in the Kyiv region. o In March, more than 3,500 people in Ternopil Oblast received medical and psychological counseling from the Ukrainian Red Cross. Seven mobile medical teams also assisted internally displaced persons and the local population in the region. o The European Union (EU) is continuing its medical evacuations. As of April 11th: ü A total of 2,058 missions have been completed and 30 missions are currently in process. ü There were 248 cancelled missions. ü A total of 20 missions are pending acceptance. · The EU has delivered 169 generators from Australia. A total of 3,000 generators have been delivered via donations or through the EU reserve. · On April 12th, the World Bank announced $200 million in grant financing for a project that will help repair Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. Russian Dis-information Campaign Highlights: · Russia is still continuing to spread false claims on U.S. bioweapons labs being located on the Ukrainian/Russian border. · The Russian embassy in the United Kingdom has shared a video it claimed showed an Orthodox church burning in Ukraine, possibly set ablaze by “dissenters” or “security forces.” The video is 10-years old and occurred in Russia. Cultural Heritage Protection Highlights: · The UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) reported that as of April 12th they have verified damage to 251 cultural sites. This includes: o 108 Religious sites o 21 Museums o 90 Buildings of historical and/or artistic interest o 19 Monuments o 12 Libraries o 1 Archive Sources: · Russia’s war on Ukraine| MEDEVAC operations - DG ECHO Daily Map | 11/04/2023 · WHO-supported emergency medical teams help thousands in Ukraine’s regained regions · $200 Million Grant Supported by the World Bank Will Help Repair Energy Infrastructure in Ukraine · Ukraine: Civilian casualties as of 24:00, 9 April 2023 · Damaged cultural sites in Ukraine verified by UNESCO · OCHA Ukraine Twitter Page · Ukrainian Ministry of Defense Twitter Page · Prosecutor General's Office of Ukraine Twitter Page · Ukrainian State Emergency Services Twitter Page · Ukrainian Red Cross Twitter Page · ECHO Twitter Page · United Kingdom Ministry of Defense Twitter Page · PolyGraph Info Twitter Page · IAEA Twitter Page Resources How Online Investigators Proved Video of Ukrainian Soldiers Harassing Woman was Staged (New) https://www.bellingcat.com/news/2023/03/29/how-online-investigators-proved-video-of-ukrainian-soldiers-harassing-woman-was-staged/ Ukraine: Russian Torture Center in Kherson (New) https://reliefweb.int/report/ukraine/ukraine-russian-torture-center-kherson-enuk UN Refugee Agency, Ukrainian Refugee Operational Data Portal http://data2.unhcr.org/en/situations/ukraine Centre for Humanitarian Data, Ukraine Data Explorer https://data.humdata.org/visualization/ukraine-humanitarian-operations/ Humanitarian Logistics Association, Ukraine Crisis Information Website https://www.humanitarianlogistics.org/donate ACAPS Ukraine Analysis Hub https://ukraine-analysis-hub.acaps.org/ UKRAINE- HEALTH CLUSTER ACTIVITIES Dashboard https://www.humanitarianresponse.info/en/operations/ukraine/ukraine-health-cluster-activities U.S. Department of State, Disinformation Website https://www.state.gov/disarming-disinformation/ U.S. Department of Defense, Support for Ukraine https://www.defense.gov/Spotlights/Support-for-Ukraine/ Alliance For Securing Democracy War in Ukraine Dis-Information Dashboard https://securingdemocracy.gmfus.org/war-in-ukraine/ National Democratic Institute Disinformation Coordination Hub https://t.co/OctUrivBQC International Fact-Checking Network, #Ukraine Facts https://ukrainefacts.org/ Monetary Donations