• Military Menu                       

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Industry
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• WMD
• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

Russo-Ukraine War - 24 October 2022 - Day 243

Su	M	Tu	W	Th	F	Sa
						1
2	3	4	5	6	7	8
9	10	11	12	13	14	15
16	17	18	19	20	21	22
23	24	25	26	27	28	29
30	31

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]

---

The UK Ministry of Defence reported that Russia continues to use Iranian uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs) against targets throughout Ukraine. Ukrainian efforts to defeat the Shahed-136 UAVs are increasingly successful. With official sources, including President Zelenskyy, claiming that up to 85% of attacks are being intercepted.

These UAVs are slow, noisy and fly at low altitudes, making lone aircraft easy to target conventional air defences.

Russia is likely expending a high number of Iranian Shahed-136 UAVs in order to penetrate increasingly effective Ukrainian air defences. It is likely using them as a substitute for Russian-manufactured long-range precision weapons which are becoming increasingly scarce.

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that Russia is trying to hold the temporarily captured territories, improve the tactical position, concentrates efforts on restraining the actions of the Defense Forces in certain directions, and at the same time conducts offensive actions in the Bakhmut and Avdiivka directions.

During the current day, the Defense Forces of Ukraine repelled enemy attacks in the areas of Spirne, Soledar, Bakhmut, Andriivka, Maryinka and Pervomaiske settlements. Thanks to successful actions, Ukrainian troops pushed the enemy out of the settlements of Karmazynivka, Myasozharivka and Nevske in the Luhansk oblast and Novosadove in the Donetsk oblast.

According to available information, the Russian Federation continues the training of a part of the mobilized persons at the combined military training grounds and in the training units of specialists of certain specialties. During the implementation of the mentioned training activities, Russia has significant problems due to the shortage of officer and sergeant positions in the instructor-teaching staff of training units (training grounds, training centers). This is caused by the death of most of such specialists during hostilities, as well as due to the excessive number of those mobilized. There are quite a few cases of the appointment of rank-and-file members who have just signed a contract and have at least some combat experience to similar positions.

The command of the Russian occupying forces is trying to raise the level of morale and psychological state of servicemen by sending ministers of the russian Orthodox Church from the Samara region to combat units on the territory of Ukraine. But most of them refuse to travel to the war zone due to the danger and lack of protective equipment. Russian forces are shelling the positions of Ukrainian troops along the contact line and conducting aerial reconnaissance. During the current day, Russian forces launched missile and air strikes on the infrastructure and homes of the civilian population, violating the norms of International Humanitarian Law, the laws and customs of warfare.

In general, during the current day, the Russian occupiers launched three rocket and seven air strikes, carried out three MLRS attacks. Objects of civil infrastructure in Kupiansk of Kharkiv region, Vugledar and Soledar of Donetsk region, and the city of Mykolaiv were hit by Russian attacks.

The situation in the Volyn and Polissya directions has not changed significantly. The threat of missile and air strikes on critical infrastructure facilities of Ukraine from the territory of the Republic of Blarus remains. In particular, iranian-made strike UAVs.

Russian forces shelled in other directions:

in the Slobozhansk direction - from tanks, mortars, barrel and rocket artillery, in the areas of Krasne, Ohirtseve, Starytsa and Chuhunivka settlements;
in the Kupyansk and Lymansk directions - from tanks and artillery of various types, in the areas of the settlements of Berestove, Kyslivka, Kamianka, Dronivka, Zarichne, Nadiya, and Bilohorivka;
in the Bakhmut direction - from tanks, mortars, barrel and jet artillery, in the areas of the settlements of Bakhmutske, Bakhmut, Bilohorivka, Vesele, Zelenopillia, Klishchiivka, Kurdyumivka, Verkhnokamianske, Ozaryanivka, Opytne, Soledar, Spirne and Yakovlivka;
in the Avdiivka direction - from tanks and artillery of various calibers, in the areas of the settlements of Avdiivka, Berdychi, Vodyane, Nevelske, Krasnohorivka, Kostyantynivka, Novomykhailivka, Maryinka, and Pervomaiske;
in the Novopavlovsk and Zaporizhia directions - from tanks and the entire spectrum of artillery, in the areas of the settlements of Velyka Novosilka, Vremivka, Vuhledar, Hulyaipole, Zaliznychne, Malynivka, Mykilske, Olhivske, Pavlivka and Shevchenko.

In the South Buh direction, Russian forces fired, in particular, in the areas of Kvitnevy, Blahodatny, Bilohirka, Pravdyny, Partizanske, Davidiv Brid and Trifonivka. In order to slow down the counteroffensive of Ukrainian units, the Russian occupiers continue to mine bridges and crossings on the retreat routes in the Mykolaiv and Kherson regions.

In order to replenish current losses, the Russian occupying forces continue to actively recruit prisoners both on the territory of Russia and in the temporarily occupied territories. Thus, most of the criminals were released from the correctional colony No. 90 in the city of Kherson, after the so-called talks with representatives of the federal security service of the Russian Federation. At the same time, the Russian occupiers continue to evacuate the wounded to the temporarily occupied territory of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea.

During the current day, the aviation of the Ukrainian Defense Forces made seventeen strikes. It was confirmed that thirteen areas of concentration of Russian weapons and military equipment and four positions of anti-aircraft missile systems were destroyed. In addition, air defense units shot down two helicopters in different directions.

During the current day, Ukrainian missile forces and artillery hit four control points, ten areas of concentration of manpower, weapons and military equipment, six ammunition depots, an anti-aircraft missile complex, an area of ​​artillery firing positions and three other Russian important objects.

Statements of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation

The Ministry of Defense of Russia in a daily briefing reported that during the day attempts were repelled by the offensive of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Kupyansky, Limansky and South-Donetsk directions. Thus, Ukrainian troops tried to attack the positions of the Russian Armed Forces in the areas of Pershotravnevy, Orlyanka and Berestovoye (Kharkiv region), to penetrate the defense of Russian troops in the direction of Chervonopopovka (Luhansk People's Republic, LPR), and also to advance in the areas of Sladkoye and Vladimirovka (Donetsk People's Republic, DPR). In all areas the enemy was driven back and suffered losses.

In the Nikolaev-Krivoy Rog direction, during an unsuccessful attempt to advance in the areas of Bruskinsky, Pyatikhatki and Trifonovka (Kherson region), the Armed Forces of Ukraine lost more than 80 personnel, 11 armored vehicles and 15 vehicles.

Aviation, missile troops and artillery of the RF Armed Forces hit 4 command posts, 72 artillery units, manpower and equipment of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in 174 districts. An ammunition depot of Ukrainian troops was destroyed in the Kharkiv region.

Air defense systems (air defense) shot down 3 unmanned aerial vehicles of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Kharkiv region and the DPR in a day. In the LPR and the Kherson region, 21 HIMARS and Vilkha multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS) were destroyed.

The head of the Radiation, Chemical and Biological Protection Forces (RCBZ), Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov, said that the Russian Ministry of Defense has information about Kyiv planning a provocation to detonate a "dirty bomb" or a low-yield nuclear weapon. The purpose of the provocation is to accuse the Russian Federation of using weapons of mass destruction in Ukraine.

The commander of the RKhBZ troops also recalled the likelihood of a difficult radiation situation that could develop around the Zaporizhzhya NPP. Since February 24, the object has been attacked by the Armed Forces of Ukraine 39 times, and Kyiv also does not leave attempts to seize the station by sabotage. For these purposes, Ukrainian troops tried to land troops across the Kakhovka reservoir on September 1, 15 and 30, and also on October 17.

The Defense Ministry added that Ukraine has a motive for using a "dirty bomb", as well as scientific, technical and production potential for its creation: there are enterprises with stocks of radioactive substances in the country, a large number of them are located at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. In addition, scientists of the Kharkov Physics and Technology University once took part in the nuclear program of the USSR - now various experimental facilities are operating on the basis of the institution.

Zaporozhye region

Two sections of the route, which will connect the Zaporozhye region with the Crimea, will be completed by November 30. This was announced by the acting head of the region Yevgeny Balitsky.

Ukrainian troops can undermine the Dnieper and Kakhovka hydroelectric power stations in order to flood the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant, Vladimir Rogov, a member of the main council of the administration of the Zaporozhye region, believes.

"I do not rule out that they will try to combine the two scenarios, that is, first flood the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant, and then prevent it from cooling," he said.

In addition, the official said that Kyiv is transferring airmobile brigades of the Armed Forces of Ukraine from Zhytomyr and Vinnytsia regions to the Zaporozhye direction. Rogov noted that Ukrainian troops are intensifying preparations for an offensive on the line of contact.

Kherson region

Monuments to Suvorov and Ushakov were evacuated from Kherson due to the threat of damage during shelling by the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The decision to remove was made by Acting Governor Vladimir Saldo, who said that the monuments would return to their places after the disappearance of the threat.

As of October 24, over 22,000 residents of the Kherson region have been evacuated to the right bank of the Dnieper. According to local authorities, the program is designed for a total of 60,000 people.

Ukrainian troops do not stop shelling Nova Kakhovka - in the morning, at least 19 HIMARS and Alder MLRS shells were reported fired at the city. At least 3 of them hit the Kakhovskaya HPP, fortunately without causing critical damage.

In Kherson, they announced the formation of a territorial defense, which all the men who remained in the city can join.

DPR

From the beginning of the day on October 24, Ukrainian troops opened fire on Donetsk, as well as the settlements of Golmovsky, Zaitsevo, Yasinovataya, Aleksandrovka, Yakovlevka, Olginka. Damage to residential buildings has been recorded in Donetsk. In addition, transformer substations in Aleksandrovka and Olginka were damaged.

The head of the Investigative Committee of Russia, Alexander Bastrykin, instructed to investigate cases close to torture of the conditions of detention of DPR servicemen in Ukrainian captivity. The defenders of Donbass, released from captivity last week, allege mistreatment by Ukrainian militants.

LC

From the beginning of the day, the Armed Forces of Ukraine opened fire on Starobelsk, Zorinsk and Belokurakino. During the attacks, MLRS HIMARS were used. In Belokurakino, as a result of strikes, the building of the railway station was partially destroyed.

The preparation of the defense line at the Svatovo-Kremennaya line continues. According to RIA Novosti, Russian units are installing concrete barriers in this area, which will be additionally covered with anti-tank hedgehogs.