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Russo-Ukraine War - 17 October 2022 - Day 236

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A number of claims and counterclaims are being made on the Ukraine-Russia conflict on the ground and online. While GlobalSecurity.org takes utmost care to accurately report this news story, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos.

On 24 February 2022, Ukraine was suddenly and deliberately attacked by land, naval and air forces of Russia, igniting the largest European war since the Great Patriotic War. Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a "special military operation" (SVO - spetsialnaya voennaya operatsiya) in Ukraine in response to the appeal of the leaders of the "Donbass republics" for help. That attack is a blatant violation of the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine. Putin stressed that Moscow's goal is the demilitarization and denazification of the country. The military buildup in preceeding months makes it obvious that the unprovoked and dastardly Russian attack was deliberately planned long in advance. During the intervening time, the Russian government had deliberately sought to deceive the world by false statements and expressions of hope for continued peace.

"To initiate a war of aggression... is not only an international crime; it is the supreme international crime differing only from other war crimes in that it contains within itself the accumulated evil of the whole." [Judgment of the International Military Tribunal]

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The UK Ministry of Defence reported that logistical issues faced by Russian forces in southern Ukraine have likely become more acute following damage to the Kerch Bridge on 08 October 2022. Repair efforts are ongoing, and it is open to some traffic. However, a large queue of waiting cargo trucks remains backed up near the crossing. Russian forces operating in southern Ukraine are likely increasing logistical supply flow via Mariupol in an attempt to compensate for the reduced capacity of the Kerch Bridge. With the Russian presence in Kherson strained, and the supply routes through Crimea degraded, the ground line of communication through Zaporizhzhia Oblast is becoming more important to the sustainability of Russia's occupation. The city of Melitopol is a junction of supply routes and hosts a major Russian aviation presence.

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that Russia is trying to keep the temporarily captured territories, concentrates efforts on restraining the actions of the Ukrainian Defence Forces in certain directions, at the same time, it does not abandon attempts to conduct offensive actions in the Bakhmut and Avdiivka directions.

Over the past 24 hours, units of the Ukrainian Defense Forces repelled the attacks of the Russian occupiers in the areas of the settlements of Spirne, Bakhmutske, Bakhmut, Mayorsk, Maryinka, Krasnohorivka, Pobyeda and Nevelske of the Donetsk oblast. Russia is shelling the positions of Ukrainian troops along the entire contact line, carrying out engineering equipment of defensive positions and lines in separate directions and conducting aerial reconnaissance. Violating the norms of International Humanitarian Law, the laws and customs of war, it strikes critical infrastructure and the homes of the civilian population.

During the current day, Russian forces launched 9 missile and 39 air strikes, carried out about 30 MLRS attacks. Areas of more than 25 settlements were hit by the enemy. Among them are Kyiv, Zaporizhzhia; Kozacha Lopan and Strilecha of Kharkiv oblast; Krasnohorivka, Terny, Soledar and Maryinka of the Donetsk oblast, Bilohirka of the Kherson region; as well as other settlements of Vinnytsia, Dnipropetrovsk, Mykolaiv and Sumy oblasts. For strikes, Russian forces used cruise, aviation and anti-aircraft guided missiles.

In addition, the enemy continues to use Iranian-made Shahed-136 unmanned aerial vehicles. In the Volyn and Polissya directions, the situation remains without significant changes. A planned rotation of units of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Belarus involved in the protection of the state border is being carried out. The threat of missile and airstrikes, as well as the use of "Shahed-136" attack UAVs from the territory of the Republic of Belarus, remains.

The enemy fired in other directions:

in the Siversky direction - from artillery of various types, in the Popivka and Khodyno settlements of the Sumy oblast;
in the Slobozhanskyi direction - from tanks, mortars, barrel and rocket artillery, in the areas of the settlements of Vysoka Yaruha, Vovchansk, Vovchanski Khutory, Kozacha Lopan, Ohirtseve and Hatyshche;
in the Kramatorsk direction - from tanks and artillery along the contact line. In particular, in the areas of Grekivka, Stelmakhivka, Zarichne, Kiselyvka, Terny and Yampolivka settlements;
in the Bakhmut and Avdiivka directions, the enemy fired from tanks, mortars, barrel and rocket artillery along the entire line of contact.

On the Novopavlivskyi and Zaporizhzhia directions, Russian forces shelled more than 25 settlements. Among them are Velyka Novosilka, Pavlivka, Olhivske and Mali Shcherbaky.

In the South Buh direction, Russian forces are defending previously occupied lines and positions. Fires at objects of military and civilian infrastructure. Areas of more than 35 settlements along the contact line were damaged by fire.
According to the clarified information, the results of fire damage to Russian units have been confirmed. More than 40 Russian occupiers were injured in the Melitopol settlement of the Zaporizhzhia oblast as a result of point-blank artillery strikes by the Ukrainian Defence Forces. An ammunition depot was destroyed in Berdyansk. Up to 30 invaders were wounded in the village of Voskresenka, and up to 25 wounded in Vasylivka. The number of dead, which the Russian occupiers are trying to hide, is being clarified.

In Kherson, the occupiers are forced to involve Russian guard units in the engineering equipment of positions around the city. At the same time, measures are being taken to deport collaborators and their families to the territory of the temporarily occupied territory of the Republic of Crimea.

During the current day, the aviation of the Ukrainian Defence Forces has carried out more than 11 strikes. The defeat of 10 areas of concentration of weapons and military equipment, as well as the position of the Russian forces' anti-aircraft missile complex, was confirmed. In addition, Ukrainian air defence units shot down 25 enemy "Shahed-136" UAVs. Units of missile troops and artillery hit two control points, one area of ​​concentration of manpower, weapons and military equipment, two air defence facilities, 2 ammunition warehouses and other Russian military targets.

The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation reported that, today, as a result of the exchange of prisoners, 110 people returned to Russia from Ukraine, including 72 civilian sailors and 30 military personnel from various regions of the country. 108 people, mostly women, crossed the contact line in the opposite direction. Two prisoners of war at the very last moment refused to return and preferred to remain in Russia.

Also, traffic on the Crimean bridge was opened for buses. Meanwhile, the repair of spans that collapsed as a result of a terrorist attack, previously organized by Ukraine, continues.

Statements of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation

As a result of attacks on the 14th and 92nd brigades of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) over the past day in the areas of Sinkovka, Petropavlovka, Peschanoe, Ivanovka and Berestovoe, about 160 servicemen, 4 armored cars, 2 artillery pieces, a pickup truck and 2 cars were destroyed.

At the same time, an attempt by the Ukrainian army to break through the defense line in the Bruskinsky area was repulsed in the Kherson region. The enemy lost more than 100 people, 13 armored cars and 8 cars.

During attacks on rear facilities, 2 command posts of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, 6 ammunition depots, 39 artillery units, 127 areas of accumulation of manpower and equipment were hit. In addition, a fuel storage facility was destroyed in Nikolaev, and a repair base for weapons and equipment in Bereznegovat.

In artillery duels, Russian artillerymen hit the battery of Smerch rocket launchers in Kazachya Lopan, as well as the battery of M777 howitzers in Metallovka.

In addition, the air defense forces intercepted 9 enemy drones, 21 rockets and 2 anti-radar missiles.

Zaporozhye region

Work is underway to restore the Donetsk-Mariupol-Melitopol-Kherson highway.

In the evening, it became known that the Zaporozhye NPP was disconnected from the last operating external power line at 750 kilovolts. According to Rafael Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, the station receives power through a backup system.

Kherson region

The intensity of shelling of settlements in the Kherson region by the Armed Forces of Ukraine has recently decreased, said Kirill Stremousov, deputy head of the regional administration. He added that the number of such attacks on the demarcation line has also decreased.

The official also said that over the past month and a half, the Armed Forces of Ukraine have lost about 9.8 thousand military personnel, including mercenaries, as well as almost 1.6 thousand pieces of equipment in the Kherson direction alone.

LDNR

The allied forces are storming the positions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the area of ​​Majorsk, using self-propelled howitzers. The enemy line of defense here covers Toretsk, a large settlement of great logistical importance.

Meanwhile, a large consignment of humanitarian aid, collected by charitable foundations from all over Russia and delivered by volunteers, arrived in Donetsk. For the military, uniforms, sleeping bags, walkie-talkies, quadrocopters and body armor were purchased, and for the civilian population - food, hygiene products and stationery.

The head of the DPR, Denis Pushilin, said that social payments in the republic from January 1 will be regulated at the federal level. In addition, he is transferring the border with Russia to the status of an administrative one, there is no more customs control on it. The issue of vesting the Russian Guard with the functions of a supervisory body in this area after the complete liquidation of the checkpoint is being considered. It is planned that the security forces will check passports and transported goods, including for the presence of weapons and ammunition.

In the morning, the People's Militia of the LPR announced the return of 11 servicemen of the People's Militia to the republic from Ukrainian captivity.