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Russo-Ukraine War - 21 October 2022 - Day 240

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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 14 October 2022, Belarussian president Aleksandr Lukashenko said that 70,000 Belarusian troops and up to 15,000 Russians would be involved in a new Russian-Belarussian Group of Forces. On 15 October 2022, the Belarussian authorities released a video claiming to show the arrival of Russian troops in Belarus. However, to date it is unlikely that Russia has actually deployed a significant number of extra troops into Belarus.

Russia is unlikely to be able to generate combat-ready formations of the claimed size: its forces are committed in Ukraine. The Belarussian military highly likely maintains minimal capability to undertake complex operations.

The announcement is likely an attempt to demonstrate Russian-Belarussian solidarity and to convince Ukraine to divert forces to guard the northern border.

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

During the current day, the units of the Ukrainian Defense Forces repelled the attacks of the occupiers in the areas of settlements of Ternova, Kharkiv oblast; Bilohorivka and Zolotarivka, Luhansk oblast; Lyman, Soledar, Ozaryanivka, Odradivka and Pervomaiske in Donetsk oblast. Russia is shelling the positions of Ukrainian troops along the contact line and conducting aerial reconnaissance. Russian forces continue to strike critical infrastructure and civilian homes, in violation of International Humanitarian Law, laws and customs of war.

During the day, the Russian occupiers carried out 4 rocket and 10 air strikes, carried out more than 30 MLRS attacks. Areas of about 8 settlements were hit by the enemy's aviation and anti-aircraft guided missiles. Among them are Kharkiv, Zaporizhia and Novovoskresenske of the Kherson oblast.

In the Volyn direction, the situation remains unchanged. On the Siverskyi and Polissya directions, Russian forces used mortars and barrel artillery to shell the areas of Ukrainske and Hai settlements of the Chernihiv oblast, as well as Pokrovka in the Sumy oblast.

At the same time, in the Pinsk and Stolinsk districts of the Republic of Belarus, the Belarusian special services are intensifying regime and administrative measures. In particular, it is forbidden to conduct any video recording, including the use of car video recorders.

In the military commissariats, work continues on clarifying the personal data of men of conscription age, emphasis is placed on readiness for call-up.

The enemy shelled in other directions:

in the Slobozhanskyi direction - from barrel and jet artillery, in the areas of Berestove, Strilecha, Dvorichna and Chuhunivka settlements;
in the Bakhmut direction - from tanks and artillery, in the areas of the settlements of Soledar, Bakhmut, Bilogorivka, Klishchiivka and Opytne;
in the Avdiyivka direction - from tanks, mortars, barrel and rocket artillery, in the areas of Vodyane, Prechystivka, Pervomaiske and Velyka Novosilka settlements.

Russian forces did not conduct active offensive actions in the Novopavlivsk and Zaporizhzhya directions. Fired in the areas of the settlements of Vremivka, Zelenyi Hay and Mala Tokmachka.

In the South Buh direction, Russian forces shelled military and civilian infrastructure. Areas of settlements near the contact line were damaged by fire. Among them are Novovoskresenske, Myrne, Davidiv Brid and Novohredneve.

According to the available information, in the city of Beryslav, Kherson region, since October 19 of this year, all bodies of the occupation authorities have ceased their activities. It is also known that collaborators who collaborated with the Russian occupiers continue to leave the city, along with their families and property. In the temporarily occupied territory of the Luhansk oblast, Russian forces are taking measures to improve television and radio broadcasting.

On October 19 of this year, the Ukrainian Defense Forces fired at the pontoon crossing under the Antoniv bridge in the Kherson oblast.

Aviation of the Ukrainian Defense Forces carried out 16 strikes during the day. The defeat of three strongholds and ten areas of concentration of weapons and military equipment, as well as three positions of Russia's anti-aircraft missile systems, was confirmed. Units of missile troops and artillery hit the control post and Russia's S-300 anti-aircraft missile complex in a day.

Statements of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation

During the daily briefing, the Russian Ministry of Defense reported that another attempt by the Armed Forces of Ukraine to force the Zherebets River in the Novovodyany (Luhansk People's Republic, LPR) and Torsky (Donetsk People's Republic, DPR) regions was thwarted during the day in the Limansky direction. The units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine were stopped and driven back, 25 militants, 2 infantry fighting vehicles and 2 pickup trucks were destroyed.

In the Nikolaev-Krivoy Rog direction, 2 attempts to attack the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Kherson region were thwarted, and attempts by up to 20 Ukrainian sabotage and reconnaissance groups to penetrate into the rear areas were prevented. More than 120 Ukrainian servicemen, 6 combat armored vehicles and 13 vehicles were liquidated. In the area of ​​Novaya Kamenka (Kherson region), a hangar with foreign-made military equipment of the Armed Forces of Ukraine was destroyed by a high-precision strike of the Russian Aerospace Forces.

In the Zaporizhia direction, the Armed Forces of Ukraine tried to attack the positions of the RF Armed Forces in the area of ​​the Vremevsky ledge in small groups. All attacks are repulsed, the enemy is thrown back. More than 40 Ukrainian servicemen, 2 tanks, 3 combat armored vehicles and 5 pickup trucks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine were destroyed.

Aviation, missile forces and artillery hit 3 command posts in the DPR and the Kherson region, 69 artillery units, manpower and equipment in 167 districts. Attacks were made on units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and foreign mercenaries at 8 points of temporary deployment in the Zaporozhye and Kherson regions, the DPR, the cities of Nikolaev and Zaporozhye. In the Kherson region and Zaporozhye, 2 warehouses of the Armed Forces of Ukraine were destroyed, and in the Nikolaev region, a fuel storage facility for military equipment.

Air defense systems (air defense) destroyed 6 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles in the DPR, the Kherson region and in the area of ​​the Kakhovskaya hydroelectric power station. 33 HIMARS multiple rocket launchers (MLRS) and 2 HARM missiles were shot down in the air in the Kherson region and the LPR.

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu had a telephone conversation on Friday with Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin. The central topic of the conversation was the situation in Ukraine. The parties last contacted in May.

Belgorod region

Ukrainian troops opened fire on one of the industrial enterprises of the Shebekinsky urban district, a direct hit was recorded, as a result of which a large fire started. Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said that, according to preliminary data, a civilian was injured in the attack.

In addition, the village of Murom was subjected to shelling. A school, a kindergarten and private residential buildings were hit. Authorities said no one was injured in the attack.

Kherson region

The ferry crossing in Kherson continues to work, despite the shelling by the Armed Forces of Ukraine. According to the deputy head of the regional administration Kirill Stremousov, citizens are being transported to the left bank of the Dnieper. Earlier, the official noted that the night attack by Ukrainian troops on the crossing, which killed civilians, once again confirmed the need to evacuate citizens from Kherson.

Meanwhile, the representative of the Operational Command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine "South" Natalya Gumenyuk confirmed the attack on the crossing, but stated that there could not have been any civilians at the facility.

The head of the Ministry of Health of the Kherson region, Vadim Ilmiev, said that as a result of the attack by the Armed Forces of Ukraine, 2 civilians were killed, another 15 were injured of varying severity. Several victims will be sent for treatment to Simferopol. Ilmiev also added that at the time of the tragedy there were no military on the Antonovsky Bridge - only civilians were there. At the moment, the Investigative Committee of Russia is investigating the circumstances of the incident.

LPR representative in Moscow Rodion Miroshnik said that any international mission to the Kakhovka hydroelectric power station in the Kherson region, initiated by Kyiv, would not make sense. In his opinion, such initiatives will turn out to be deliberately politicized and biased. At the same time, Kyiv and NATO, he claims, will certainly prepare a provocation at the facility if an international mission is sent there.

DPR

Since the beginning of the day on October 21, Donetsk, as well as the settlements of Kashtanovoe, Makeevka, Yasinovataya, Aleksandrovka, Yakovlevka, Zaitsevo, and Mineralnoye, have been shelled by the Armed Forces of Ukraine. As a result of the shelling of Donetsk, 2 civilians were killed, and at least 2 more civilians were injured. Fixed damage to residential buildings and civil infrastructure.

Acting head of the DPR Denis Pushilin said that the authorities of the republic do not plan to change the curfew and impose restrictions on the exit of citizens from the region after the introduction of martial law.

Soldiers of the People's Militia of the DPR returned from Ukrainian captivity met with their relatives. In addition, a meeting with them was held by Denis Pushilin and Ombudsman of the Republic Daria Morozova. The released fighters said that they were tortured in captivity. On this fact, the ombudsman's office has already turned to the International Committee of the Red Cross and the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.

In the area of ​​​​the settlement of Terny, Ukrainian troops attempted to break through the defenses of the allied forces and penetrate the Kremennaya-Svatovo highway, but were stopped by Russian artillery and suffered losses. According to military commander Yevgeny Poddubny, Western military specialists and mercenaries took part in the attack.

LC

From the beginning of the day on October 21, Ukrainian troops opened fire on Rubizhne, Lisichansky and Troitsky. During the attacks, the American MLRS HIMARS was used. As a result of shelling, substations in Troitskoye and Rubizhnoye were damaged, leaving several thousand subscribers without electricity.

A group of Ukrainian saboteurs who planned terrorist attacks on the territory of the LPR was neutralized. The attackers were going to attack the infrastructure facilities of one of the district centers. Special services discovered a hidden cache with foreign weapons, maps of the area, medications, special equipment, ammunition and explosives. The approaches to the cache were mined.

Ukrainian special services used a teenager from the LPR to assassinate the head of the village council in the Kremensky district. According to the detainee himself, he contacted recruiters through social networks, hoping that in return they would help him travel to the territory controlled by Kyiv. The teenager also said that he mistakenly confused the house of the head of the village council and attacked another person.