Day 604 of the Invasion of Ukraine: The First ATACMS Attack Destroyed 14 Russian Helicopters

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Day 604 of the invasion of Ukraine. Summary of key events in the last 24 hours:

• British Intelligence: First ATACMS strike destroyed 14 Russian helicopters
• Russia and Hamas are similar, Von der Leyen said
• Seven injured in Russian shelling in Kherson region
• Massacre near Avdiivka, the Ukrainians reported record losses of the Russians in 1 day
• Ukraine boasted that ATACMS missiles would arrive regularly
• Biden: We don't want to go to war with and in Russia, but we will defend every inch of NATO
• The Ukrainian parliament supported a ban on the Ukrainian Orthodox Church

British Intelligence: First ATACMS strike destroyed 14 Russian helicopters

British intelligence has assessed the consequences of a Ukrainian strike with long-range ATACMS missiles on Russian helicopters in the temporarily occupied Berdyansk and Luhansk. Their airfields were hit on October 17 with the new American weapon.

"Although the extent of the damage has not yet been confirmed, nine Russian military helicopters in Berdyansk and five in Lugansk are believed to have been destroyed in Ukraine's first strike with ATACMS long-range tactical missiles," the British MoD said on the "X" (Twitter).

As noted by intelligence from London, Berdyansk was used as the main operational forward base of the Southern Axis to simultaneously provide logistics and offensive and defensive capabilities.

"If confirmed, these losses would very likely impact Russia's ability to both defend itself and conduct further offensive actions along this axis," it said.

At the same time, given the current pressure on Russian military production, confirmed losses of aviation equipment will be difficult to offset in the short to medium term.

"These losses are also likely to put additional pressure on Russian pilots and airbases, which are almost certainly suffering from combat exhaustion and maintenance problems due to the unexpectedly prolonged campaign," the intelligence agency said.

There is a real possibility that a Ukrainian attack on Russian helicopters could again force Russia to redeploy operational bases and control centers as far from the front line as possible, increasing the burden on logistics chains, the intelligence agency added.

On the night of October 17, powerful explosions erupted in the temporarily occupied Berdyansk, Zaporizhzhia region, as well as in Luhansk. Ukrainian Defense Forces hit airfields with Russian planes.

It is reported that helicopters of various modifications, special equipment, air defense facilities, ammunition depots and runways were hit as a result of the strike.

The new analysis of the situation on the Ukrainian front by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) also registers serious problems for the troops of the Russian invaders.

The Armed Forces of Ukraine are purposefully conducting offensive actions to deplete the limited reserves of the occupying forces, while at the same time preserving their own as much as possible. The Russian military is severely short of high-quality reserves, the ISW report said.

According to experts, the Ukrainian Armed Forces engaged in battle against superior enemy forces, but inflicted heavy losses on many critical sections of the front line.

American analysts also comment that the offensive of the Ukrainian armed forces on the left bank of the Dnieper in the Kherson region is larger than previous raids.

According to the ISW report, geolocation footage shows the presence of Ukrainian military along the Dnieper coast and near the Antonovsky Bridge.

According to Russian propagandists, on Thursday, October 19, two sabotage and reconnaissance groups of the marine brigade of Ukraine crossed the Dnieper, defeated the occupation troops in the area and captured a bridgehead in the village of Krynki.

Although Russian infantry reportedly counterattacked and pushed Ukrainian armed forces to the outskirts of the village, defense forces still control some houses in Krynki and await reinforcements.

Another Russian blogger claimed that Ukrainian troops used more manpower in attacks on Krynki than before. Some Russian sources, including the head of the Kherson regional occupation administration Vladimir Saldo, note that Russian troops have pushed Ukrainian forces out of the Poima-Peschanovka-Pidstepnoe area to positions along the Dnieper coast and at the Antonovsky railway bridge. It added that the Ukrainian armed forces are trying to rest and regroup under constant airstrikes and shelling by the occupiers.

This was announced by US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin during a meeting with Croatian Defense Minister Mario Banozic at the Pentagon.

"We appreciate Croatia's unwavering commitment to helping Ukraine. We can see that in your many deliveries of military equipment, including all your Mi-8 helicopters," Austin said.

The US defense secretary also noted that Croatia had sent troops to deploy NATO battle groups in Poland, Lithuania and Hungary and donated humanitarian aid.

"And all this really changes the situation in the struggle for freedom of Ukraine," Austin stressed.

Russia and Hamas are similar, Von der Leyen said

The Islamist movement Hamas and Russia are similar, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said during a lecture at the Hudson Institute.

Cameras caught her words, but they can also be found in her speech on the website of the European Commission, and they came hours after US President Joe Biden said that Russian President Vladimir Putin and Hamas should not be allowed to win.

"Vladimir Putin wants to wipe Ukraine off the map. Hamas, backed by Iran, wants to wipe Israel off the face of the Earth," she said. "Russia and Hamas are similar. As the (Ukrainian) President (Volodymyr) Zelensky said - their essence is the same".

Russia and Hamas, she continued, are deliberately targeting civilians, including children, to kill and take hostage. "This is a barbaric way of fighting. And if it doesn't stop immediately, it could potentially spread to Europe, across the Middle East and into the Pacific. Western resolve is tested every day by those looking for weaknesses. Any success will embolden them to more violence, which aims to overturn the existing order."

Escalation in the Middle East, however, can still be prevented, she said. "Dialogue between Israel and its neighbors can and must continue."

"We have tripled our humanitarian support for the Palestinians in Gaza, but we are also reviewing development aid for Palestine given the very fragile situation on the ground. And we are doubling our commitment to the region," she continued.

"We have seen Arab streets fill with anger throughout the region. The risk of regional spillover is real. This is exactly what Hamas wanted to achieve. And it could halt the recent and historic rapprochement between Israel and its Arab neighbors," said Ursula von der Leyen.

"Normalizing relations can offer peace, prosperity and integration to a troubled region," she added.

Seven injured in Russian shelling in Kherson region

Attempts by Russian troops to surround the Ukrainian city of Avdiivka, in the Donetsk region, continue. This was announced by the General Staff of the Ukrainian Army.

Another offensive was repulsed.

Seven people were also injured in Russian shelling in the Kherson region.

There have been over 120 airstrikes in the Zaporizhzhia region over the past 24 hours.

Objects were also attacked in Kharkiv, Chernihiv and Sumy regions.

Massacre near Avdiivka, the Ukrainians reported record losses of the Russians in 1 day

Today, October 20, the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces announced record losses of the Russian invaders for the past 24 hours. According to the military in Kyiv, 1,380 soldiers were killed in the last 24 hours. Since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, such a number of Russian losses has never been reported.

Now the total combat losses of the enemy from February 24, 2022 to October 20, 2023 tentatively amount to about 292,060 people, according to the statistics of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

In addition, according to the report, 55 Russian tanks, 120 armored fighting vehicles, 29 artillery systems and four rocket launchers were destroyed.

The General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces reported that the Russians attacked Ukrainian soldiers in several directions and that there were 90 military clashes in the last 24 hours.

In the region of Avdiivka, the Russians are conducting a new attack in an attempt to surround the city, which is located very close to Donetsk. In this direction, the AFU is currently firmly holding the defense and inflicting serious losses on the occupiers.

According to the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, in the last 24 hours, the enemy has lost nearly 900 people, killed and wounded near Avdiivka.

Both the Russian and Ukrainian sides do not release figures for their own losses in the war. The data announced by the AFU cannot be verified through an independent source.

Like the last man on earth, a lone remaining Russian walking around the outskirts of Avdiivka after their second catastrophic attempt to take the city resulted in the largest Russian losses of the war. pic.twitter.com/BVyBo3cwRB

— Jay in Kyiv (@JayinKyiv) October 20, 2023

Ukraine boasted that ATACMS missiles would arrive regularly

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi said on Thursday that he thanked US President Joe Biden for the delivery of ATACMS missiles with a longer range than those available to the military, and Kyiv's foreign minister said the military would receive them regularly.

Zelensky, writing on the Telegram messaging app, said he spoke by phone with Biden about the "effective implementation of our recent defense agreements" and thanked him for the missiles.

"The Ukrainians were very inspired by the acquisition of ATACMS missiles and our servicemen are successfully using them on the battlefield," the president wrote.

The two leaders, Zelensky wrote, discussed "further strengthening of our long-range capabilities."

The White House confirmed on Tuesday that it had supplied Kyiv with ATACMS missiles and that Zelensky’s forces had used them on the battlefield.

Kyiv has repeatedly wanted ATACMS (Army Tactical Missile Systems), suggesting they could turn the tide of the war with Russia.

Asked if regular deliveries and a larger number of missiles were expected, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said: "That means, that."

"And this is a direct result of the agreement between President Zelensky and President Biden, reached in Washington during a personal meeting at the end of September," Kuleba announced.

It is unclear how many missiles have already been delivered. According to the New York Times, which cited diplomatic sources, the US has sent about 20 of them so far.

Biden: We don't want to go to war with and in Russia, but we will defend every inch of NATO

President Joe Biden has launched an emergency mission to get Americans behind tens of billions of dollars in additional spending on Israel and Ukraine, using a rare Oval Office speech to say US support is critical to the two key allies who are consumed by wars, reported Reuters.

Biden tried to link Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip, who attacked Israel, with Russian President Vladimir Putin, whose forces invaded Ukraine.

"Hamas and Putin pose different threats, but they share one thing in common: They both want to destroy a neighboring democracy," he said.

He said he would send an emergency funding request to Congress, which is expected to be about 100 billion dollars next year. The proposal, to be presented on Friday, includes money for Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan, humanitarian aid and border management.

"This is a smart investment that will pay American security dividends for generations. American leadership is what holds the world together. American alliances are what keep us safe," Biden said.

The US president expressed concern that some Americans are asking, "Why does it matter to America" that the United States supports wars?

"I know these conflicts can seem distant," he said.

But he stressed that America's adversaries are watching the two conflicts unfold and could cause problems elsewhere in the world depending on the outcome.

Aiming his remarks directly at the Republicans, Biden said:

"You cannot allow petty, partisan, angry politics to get in the way of our responsibilities as a great nation."

Biden has called for emergency spending, which US officials say will total about 100 billion dollars next year for Israel, Ukraine and Taiwan, as well as for security along the U.S. border with Mexico.

According to Biden, if Russia attacks a US NATO ally, the US will "protect every inch of NATO".

"What we don't want to happen would happen. We do not aspire to American troops fighting in Russia or against Russia," the head of state added.

Biden clarified that Ukraine is being sent equipment that is manufactured and available in stock, and funds appropriated by Congress will be used to replenish the stockpile with new equipment that protects America and is made in America.

The Ukrainian parliament supported a ban on the Ukrainian Orthodox Church

Ukraine's parliament has given initial approval to legislation that would outlaw religious organizations linked to Russia, a measure that the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) sees as directly aimed at it amid accusations of collaboration with Russia by authorities in Kyiv.

After Russia's invasion of Ukraine, 68 criminal cases were opened against representatives of the UOC, including charges of treason, the Ukrainian Security Service informed on October 19, Reuters recalls.

The UOC has historical ties to Moscow, but says it is no longer affiliated with the Russian Orthodox Church. The institution denies the accusations leveled against it by Kyiv authorities and says the draft law would be unconstitutional.

Yaroslav Zheleznyak, a member of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, published on his Telegram profile a photo of the plenary hall, which shows the results of the vote on the Draft Law Number 8371 on the banning of religious organizations associated with the Russian Federation, adopted in the first reading with 267 votes "for" against 15 "against". Two abstained and 17 did not participate in the vote.

To enter into force, the bill must also be supported on second reading and approved by the President in order to take effect.

The law would ban the activity of religious organizations linked to centers of influence "in a state that carries out armed aggression against Ukraine," and that activity could be stopped by a court. Another lawmaker, Iryna Herashchenko, said the vote was a step towards removing "Moscow priests from Ukrainian soil".

The head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill, called on the Orthodox and other churches to do what they can to prevent the bill from becoming law. The UOC also claims that the draft law, which is not the only one in this sense submitted to the parliament, is inconsistent with the European Convention on Human Rights and the Constitution of Ukraine.

"I ask you to take all measures to prevent the continuation of mass violations of the religious rights of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church," Kirill said in the appeal, which appeared on a church website. It is addressed to numerous public figures, including to UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres.

Also on October 19, the UOC website published an article under the title "Answers of a religious expert to 11 basic questions regarding the anti-religious bill 8371, adopted by the Rada". The "religious expert" in question is Yury Evgenovich Reshetnikov - presented also as "the candidate of philosophical sciences and former head of the State Committee of Ukraine on Nationalities and Religions".

The article is addressed to "believers of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and those who are interested in the topic of the new anti-religious initiative of the People's Deputies have today".

Describing itself as an "independent and separate church", the UOC accuses Kyiv of trying to portray it as affiliated with the Russian Orthodox Church and presents its Ukrainian clergy and believers as "agents of the Russian Federation". UOC Metropolitan Pavlo rejected accusations that he is suspected of inciting inter-religious hatred and spreading materials justifying Russian aggression.

Ukrainian authorities and many people in Ukraine have for years viewed the UOC as loyal to Moscow and stepped up a campaign to repudiate the church following Russia's attack on February 24, 2022. A government commission has decided that the UOC is still canonically affiliated with Russia despite its claims , that it severed its ties with the Russian Orthodox Church in May 2022.

An independent Orthodox church was founded in Ukraine soon after independence from Soviet rule and has long competed for followers with the Russian-linked church. It received official recognition from the world Orthodox hierarchy only in 2018.

According to analyst Volodymyr Fesenko, the UOC ban could be challenged in Ukraine and the European Court of Human Rights, and the church could register as a new entity without "any reference to canonical ties" with Russia.

"It seems that according to the statutes in our country, not a single organization is connected to the Russian Federation. The law is for nothing," commented one of the commenters under Zheleznyak's publication оn "Telegram".

Another quoted him by replying:

"Yes, except for the UOC, which verbally said it was out of subjugation, but did not actually carry out any procedure to obtain autonomy or autocephaly, continues to mention Kiril in prayer and sing anathema to our Hetman Mazepa. And yes, yes, not one..."

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