Lots of IPs in /var/log/auth.log that shouldn't be able to access the system

I was posting on another topic and I came across tons of what appear to be IP addresses trying to log on. Problem is, this is a new server on a private LAN, behinf a firewall and no port forwarding or NAT is enabled. Am I mis-reading this?

Code:

Jun 12 14:09:44 hosting sshd[16311]: Received disconnect from 146.66.244.246 port 51704:11: Bye Bye [preauth]
Jun 12 14:09:44 hosting sshd[16311]: Disconnected from authenticating user root 146.66.244.246 port 51704 [preauth]
Jun 12 14:10:18 hosting sshd[16313]: pam_unix(sshd:auth): authentication failure; logname= uid=0 euid=0 tty=ssh ruser= rhost=112.85.42.88  user=root
Jun 12 14:10:20 hosting sshd[16313]: Failed password for root from 112.85.42.88 port 61005 ssh2
Jun 12 14:10:26 hosting sshd[16319]: pam_unix(sshd:auth): authentication failure; logname= uid=0 euid=0 tty=ssh ruser= rhost=49.233.202.231  user=root
Jun 12 14:10:28 hosting sshd[16319]: Failed password for root from 49.233.202.231 port 49826 ssh2
Jun 12 14:10:28 hosting sshd[16319]: Received disconnect from 49.233.202.231 port 49826:11: Bye Bye [preauth]
Jun 12 14:10:28 hosting sshd[16319]: Disconnected from authenticating user root 49.233.202.231 port 49826 [preauth]
Jun 12 14:10:35 hosting sshd[16321]: Did not receive identification string from 222.186.175.167 port 28752
Jun 12 14:10:43 hosting sshd[16335]: Invalid user userftp from 179.191.237.172 port 44116
Jun 12 14:10:43 hosting sshd[16335]: pam_unix(sshd:auth): check pass; user unknown
Jun 12 14:10:43 hosting sshd[16335]: pam_unix(sshd:auth): authentication failure; logname= uid=0 euid=0 tty=ssh ruser= rhost=179.191.237.172
Jun 12 14:10:45 hosting sshd[16335]: Failed password for invalid user userftp from 179.191.237.172 port 44116 ssh2
Jun 12 14:10:45 hosting sshd[16335]: Received disconnect from 179.191.237.172 port 44116:11: Bye Bye [preauth]
Jun 12 14:10:45 hosting sshd[16335]: Disconnected from invalid user userftp 179.191.237.172 port 44116 [preauth]
Jun 12 14:11:41 hosting sshd[16353]: pam_unix(sshd:auth): authentication failure; logname= uid=0 euid=0 tty=ssh ruser= rhost=198.206.243.23  user=root
Jun 12 14:11:43 hosting sshd[16353]: Failed password for root from 198.206.243.23 port 38406 ssh2
Jun 12 14:11:43 hosting sshd[16353]: Received disconnect from 198.206.243.23 port 38406:11: Bye Bye [preauth]
Jun 12 14:11:43 hosting sshd[16353]: Disconnected from authenticating user root 198.206.243.23 port 38406 [preauth]
Jun 12 14:11:52 hosting sshd[16355]: Invalid user admin from 104.229.203.202 port 48416
Jun 12 14:11:52 hosting sshd[16355]: pam_unix(sshd:auth): check pass; user unknown
Jun 12 14:11:52 hosting sshd[16355]: pam_unix(sshd:auth): authentication failure; logname= uid=0 euid=0 tty=ssh ruser= rhost=104.229.203.202
Jun 12 14:11:54 hosting sshd[16355]: Failed password for invalid user admin from 104.229.203.202 port 48416 ssh2
Jun 12 14:11:54 hosting sshd[16355]: Received disconnect from 104.229.203.202 port 48416:11: Bye Bye [preauth]
Jun 12 14:11:54 hosting sshd[16355]: Disconnected from invalid user admin 104.229.203.202 port 48416 [preauth]
Jun 12 14:12:00 hosting sshd[16357]: pam_unix(sshd:auth): authentication failure; logname= uid=0 euid=0 tty=ssh ruser= rhost=222.186.31.166  user=root
Jun 12 14:12:03 hosting sshd[16357]: Failed password for root from 222.186.31.166 port 42818 ssh2
Jun 12 14:12:07 hosting sshd[16357]: message repeated 2 times: [ Failed password for root from 222.186.31.166 port 42818 ssh2]
Jun 12 14:12:09 hosting sshd[16364]: pam_unix(sshd:auth): authentication failure; logname= uid=0 euid=0 tty=ssh ruser= rhost=222.186.31.166  user=root
Jun 12 14:12:10 hosting sshd[16357]: Received disconnect from 222.186.31.166 port 42818:11:  [preauth]
Jun 12 14:12:10 hosting sshd[16357]: Disconnected from authenticating user root 222.186.31.166 port 42818 [preauth]
Jun 12 14:12:10 hosting sshd[16357]: PAM 2 more authentication failures; logname= uid=0 euid=0 tty=ssh ruser= rhost=222.186.31.166  user=root
Jun 12 14:12:11 hosting sshd[16364]: Failed password for root from 222.186.31.166 port 20838 ssh2
Jun 12 14:12:12 hosting sshd[16366]: Invalid user ubuntu from 129.204.205.231 port 47250
Jun 12 14:12:12 hosting sshd[16366]: pam_unix(sshd:auth): check pass; user unknown
Jun 12 14:12:12 hosting sshd[16366]: pam_unix(sshd:auth): authentication failure; logname= uid=0 euid=0 tty=ssh ruser= rhost=129.204.205.231

 

Thanks, turns out another ADMIN had done me the favor of setting up the firewall without creating a ticket. 22 was forwarded!