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Russo-Ukraine War - 20 October 2022 - Day 239

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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, on 18 October 2022, recently appointed commander of Russian forces in Ukraine, General Sergei Surovikin, told Russian media that 'a difficult situation has emerged' in the Kherson area. He endorsed the previously announced plans of the occupation authorities to evacuate the civilian population.

As the overall operational commander, Surovikin's announcement highlighting negative news about the 'special military operation' is highly unusual. It likely indicates that the Russian authorities are seriously considering a major withdrawal of their forces from the area west of the Dnipro river. A key challenge of any Russian withdrawal operation would be extracting troops and their equipment across the 1000m wide river in good order. With all the permanent bridges severely damaged, Russia would highly likely rely heavily on a temporary barge bridge it completed near Kherson in recent days, and military pontoon ferry units, which continue to operate at several locations.

In addition, Russia would rely heavily on military pontoon ferry units during any withdrawal across the Dnipro river.

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that Russia is trying to hold the temporarily captured territories, concentrates efforts on restraining the actions of the Defense Forces in certain directions, at the same time, does not stop trying to conduct offensive actions in the Bakhmut and Avdiivka directions. Russia is shelling the positions of Ukrainian troops along the 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 continues to strike critical infrastructure and the homes of the civilian population.

During the current day, Russian forces launched 3 missile and 20 air strikes, carried out up to 10 MLRS attacks. Up to 20 settlements were hit by Russia. In particular, Terny, Bakhmut, Vuhledar and Komyshuvakha of the Donetsk oblast. Russian forces once again launched a massive attack using iranian attack UAVs on the civilian infrastructure of Ukraine. Out of 20 UAVs, 15 were successfully shot down by the Defense Forces of Ukraine.

The situation in the Volyn and Polissya directions has not changed significantly. The Republic of Belarus continues to support the armed aggression of the russian federation against Ukraine. The threat of missile strikes and the use of attack UAVs on the territory of Ukraine remains.

Russian forces shelled in other directions:
in the Siversky direction - from mortars and barrel artillery, within the Mykolaivka and Kostobrody settlements of the Chernihiv oblast. Also, the enemy used unmanned aerial vehicles with a combat load;
in the Slobozhanskyi direction - from mortars, barrel and rocket artillery, in the areas of the settlements of Dvorichne, Krasne, and Strilecha. The activity of UAVs with a combat load was also recorded;
on the Kupyansk and Lymansk directions - from mortars, barrel and rocket artillery, in the areas of Zarichne, Bilohorivka, Torske, Terny and Yampolivka settlements;
in the Bakhmut and Avdiivka directions, the enemy fired from tanks, mortars, barrel and rocket artillery in the areas of the settlements of Bakhmut, Soledar, Zelenopillya and Yakovlivka.

Russian occupiers did not conduct active offensive actions in the Novopavlivsk and Zaporizhzhia directions. Fire damage was inflicted on the positions of the Defense Forces and civilian infrastructure in the areas of more than 35 settlements along the entire line of contact.

In the South Buh direction, more than 30 settlements along the contact line suffered fire damage. To conduct aerial reconnaissance, Russian forces made up to 40 sorties of UAVs of various types.

The military-political leadership of the Russian Federation is officially ending partial mobilization. At the same time, the forced delivery of subpoenas to certain categories of Russian citizens does not stop. In the Mosrentgen settlement of the moscow region, the mobilized were placed at the deployment point of the 27th separate motorized rifle brigade for their medical examination and further referral to the combat zone. In the course of already conducted mobilization measures, significant problems arise.

The occupation leadership continues the forced mobilization of the male population in the temporarily occupied territories. At the same time, the evacuation of the civilian population began in separate directions.

During the current day, the aviation of the Ukrainian Defense Forces made 6 strikes. It was confirmed that 2 areas of concentration of weapons and military equipment, 2 strongholds, as well as 2 Russian positions of anti-aircraft missile systems were hit. Ukrainian Air defense units shot down 15 "Shahed-136" UAVs. Soldiers of Ukrainian missile troops and artillery hit the command post, two areas of concentration of manpower, weapons and military equipment and two Russian ammunition warehouses.

Statements of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation

The Russian Ministry of Defense reported that during the day in the Liman direction, attempts by units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine to force the Zherebets River in the areas of Nadia, Stelmakhivka, Makeevka (Luhansk People's Republic, LPR) and Yampolovka (Donetsk People's Republic, DPR) were thwarted. Russian artillery and aviation strikes pushed the enemy back to their original positions. More than 40 Ukrainian servicemen, 2 combat armored vehicles and 3 pickup trucks were liquidated.

In the Nikolaev-Kryvyi Rih direction, units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine tried to break through the defense of the RF Armed Forces at the Novaya Kamenka-Chervony Yar line (Kherson region). In the Sukhanovo area, the enemy managed to penetrate the defense of the Russian units, but he suffered a significant defeat, as a result of which the units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine fled in disorder. The position along the front line of defense has been completely restored. More than 200 Ukrainian servicemen, 14 tanks, 16 combat armored vehicles and 7 vehicles were destroyed.

Aviation, missile forces and artillery hit 3 command posts of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the areas of Dvurechny, Glushkovka (Kharkiv region), Lyubimovka (Kherson region), 72 artillery units, manpower and equipment of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in 179 districts, 5 points of deployment of the DPR and Kherson region, as well as 4 ammunition depots in the DPR, Zaporozhye and Kharkiv regions. In the area of ​​the village of Ingulets (Dnepropetrovsk region), fuel storage facilities for APU equipment were destroyed.

In the area of ​​Berkhovka (DPR), a US-made AN/TPQ-36 counter-battery radar was destroyed. In the area of ​​Nikanorovka (DPR), the ST-68UM low-altitude target detection radar was eliminated.

During the counter-battery fight, the Ukrainian battery of the multiple launch rocket system (MLRS) "Alder" was hit in the Liptsy region (Kharkiv region).

A Mi-8 helicopter of the Ukrainian air forces was shot down by means of air defense (air defense) in the Ternov region (DPR). 18 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles were destroyed in the air in the Kherson and Zaporozhye regions. In the DPR, 3 shells of the Alder MLRS were intercepted.

Kherson region

About 15 thousand civilians were transported from the right-bank part of the Kherson region to the left bank of the Dnieper. This was announced by the deputy head of the regional administration Kirill Stremousov.

The official also spoke about the continued unsuccessful attempts of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in small groups to attack the positions of the RF Armed Forces in the region. According to him, such attacks are not similar to the large-scale offensive previously announced by Kyiv.

The head of the Novokakhovka administrative district, Vladimir Leontiev, reported at least 5 rocket attacks by the Armed Forces of Ukraine on the Kakhovskaya hydroelectric power station on October 20. The official noted that in the event of a dam breakthrough, water supply to Crimea through the North Crimean Canal would become impossible.

Zaporozhye region

The situation on the line of contact in the Zaporozhye region has not changed in the day that has passed since the introduction of martial law in the region. This was announced by Vladimir Rogov, a member of the main council of the regional administration.

Rogov also noted that Kyiv, in order to please the United States, wants to seize the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant before the end of autumn, and "significant successes" must be shown before the midterm elections to the US Congress.

"If Kherson is strategically important for them, then Zelensky needs the nuclear power plant as a PR campaign," he said in an interview with RIA Novosti.

The administration of the Zaporozhye region also reported that mobilization in the region would not be announced. Restrictions on the movement of citizens due to martial law in the region are not planned, but can be introduced if necessary. The authorities said that martial law would not affect the process of payment of benefits.

Law enforcement agencies of the Zaporozhye region have detained a former employee of the Melitopol District Court for participating in hostilities in the Donbass on the side of Ukraine and for threatening colleagues.

Belgorod region

Ukrainian troops shelled the village of Murom, Shebekinsky district, Belgorod region. Severe damage is reported at the local House of Culture, kindergarten, school, family doctor's office, shop and private households. According to Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov, no one was injured as a result of the attack, all employees were transferred to a safe place and at a distance.

Also recorded was the arrival of 3 shells on the territory of one of the agricultural facilities in the region.

DPR

From the beginning of the day on October 20, Ukrainian armed formations opened fire on Donetsk, as well as on the settlements of Kashtanovoe, Netaylovo, Yakovlevka, Yelenovka, Dokuchaevsk, Aleksandrovka, Makeevka.

In Donetsk, the building of the administration of the Kuibyshev region came under attack. As a result of the attack, 400 subscribers were left without power supply in Yelenovka. In Aleksandrovka, a civilian was injured, more than 900 subscribers were left without electricity.

The commander of the battalion of the 131st regiment of the People's Militia of the DPR with the call sign "Indus" spoke about the situation in the Ugledar direction, which, according to him, remains tense. The Armed Forces of Ukraine here do not stop probing the front line, arranging attacks by sabotage and reconnaissance groups.

"We are ready, we have been warned, we are carrying out fortification work, we are conducting training, additional mining, we are shooting firing points, we are learning to interact with artillery, infantry and UAVs, we are ready for any development of events," RIA Novosti quotes the battalion commander.

LC

From the beginning of the day on October 20, the Armed Forces of Ukraine fired on Lisichansk, as well as the settlements of Chervony Prapor and Bryanka. In all cases, American MLRS HIMARS were used.

As a result of the strike on Bryanka, a civilian was killed and another civilian was injured. During the shelling of the village of Chervony Prapor, 5 employees of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of the LPR were killed, another 9 were injured.

Acting head of the LPR Leonid Pasechnik said that the decree on the introduction of martial law in the region was adopted solely to strengthen the protection of infrastructure, protect people and mobilize the economy. This decision does not bring any innovations and consequences for the civilian population. Pasechnik added that it is part of the process of integrating the republic into Russia.