Day 607 of the Invasion of Ukraine: Russia Steps Up Attacks on Avdiivka and Kherson
Ukraine | October 23, 2023, Monday // 14:05| views
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Day 607 of the invasion of Ukraine. Summary of key events in the last 24 hours:
- Russia steps up attacks on Avdiivka and Kherson
- The Ukrainian Air Force reported that they shot down 14 drones and a cruise missile over different parts of the country
- Zelensky said that Ukraine will not break and will push the Russian evil out of its territory
- The British Army is training Ukrainian specialists to protect critical infrastructure
- A Russian court extended the arrest of journalist Alsu Kurmasheva
Russia steps up attacks on Avdiivka and Kherson
Russian forces stepped up pressure on Sunday against the Ukrainian-held city of Avdiivka in the east and increased shelling in the southern region of Kherson, Reuters reported.
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said in its evening report that Ukrainian forces had repelled nearly 20 Russian attacks around Avdiivka, with its building stock now almost entirely destroyed by shells. Russia has also hit nearby villages from the air.
Avdiivka is seen as a strategically important point for controlling the city of Donetsk and the rest of Donbas. It was briefly captured by the Russians in 2014, but then retaken by Ukrainian forces, who over the next nine years built solid fortifications, Reuters writes.
"It is true that Avdiivka matters," Andriy Yusov, spokesman for the Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, told the Espreso TV news channel.
"This is not the first case when the occupying forces increase the tension with declarations of taking over all of Donetsk and Luhansk... Their plans failed, the deadlines were postponed. This is just another episode of tension," commented the spokesman
President Volodymyr Zelensky said the situation in Avdiivka and the nearby town of Marinka was "particularly difficult. Numerous Russian attacks. But our positions are holding".
"Every day we need results for Ukraine to resist the Russian attacks, to eliminate the occupiers, to move forward," Zelensky said in his late night video address. "Whether it's a kilometer or 500 meters, but forward, every day."
Russian military briefings do not mention Avdiivka, but describe successful operations against Ukrainian positions to the east in Bakhmut, captured by the Ukrainians in May after more than eight months of fighting.
In Kherson, regional governor Alexander Prokudin said several villages were hit by sporadic shelling, as well as transport facilities and food production in the city of Kherson.
The US-based Institute for the Study of War reported last week that Ukrainian forces had crossed the Dnieper and taken up positions on the previously Russian-held east bank.
Ukrainian air defenses have destroyed all air assets fired by Russia overnight, Ukraine's air force said early Monday.
Telegram said a total of 14 attack drones were downed, including 13 Iranian Shahed and one unspecified drone, as well as one cruise missile.
Nine of the drones were fired at targets in Odesa region. A warehouse in the Black Sea port of Odesa was damaged by the remains of a downed drone.
The Ukrainian Air Force reported that they shot down 14 drones and a cruise missile over different parts of the country
Ukrainian forces said they intercepted 14 combat drones and one cruise missile fired by Russia over the country's south and east overnight, but debris from a downed drone damaged a warehouse in the Black Sea port of Odesa, officials said. .
Air defense has shot down nine Shahed unmanned aerial vehicles over the southern Odesa region, where the main Black Sea ports of Ukraine are located, but there are no reports of casualties, Oleg Kiper, the governor of the region, wrote on Telegram.
There is still no comment on what happened from the side of Moscow, which completely denies carrying out attacks on civilian infrastructure.
Russia has stepped up its attacks on Ukraine's port and grain infrastructure since it withdrew in July from a UN-brokered deal that allowed Kyiv to ship grain across the Black Sea. Ukraine, one of the world's main grain producers, is trying to establish a new transport corridor to restore exports through the Black Sea, which is also its main transport route to world markets, despite Russia's de facto blockade, Reuters notes.
The attack also affected southern Kherson region, eastern Donetsk and northeastern Sumy regions, the Ukrainian Ministry of Internal Affairs announced.
All 14 drones, including 13 Shahed drones and an unidentified drone as well as a cruise missile, were downed, the air force said, praising Western-supplied air defense systems.
"Western weapons have proven and continue to prove their effectiveness on the battlefield," Ukrainian Air Force Commander Mykola Oleschuk wrote on Telegram.
Last night, the office of President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that a thermal power plant in the Donetsk region had been hit by Russian shelling. The Ministry of the Interior specified that there was a large fire at the site. DTEK, Ukraine's largest private electricity distribution company, said one of its thermal power plants had been hit by Russian shelling, but did not provide details.
Zelensky said that Ukraine will not break and will push the Russian evil out of its territory
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated in his video address that Ukraine will not break, will resist and push the Russian evil out of its territory, Ukrinform reported.
In his video address, Zelensky also drew attention to the Russian attack on the Nova Poshta depot near Kharkiv. He said the rescue operation has been completed and all the injured have received the necessary assistance. They are 17 in total, and six people died. Zelensky offered his condolences to the families and relatives of the victims.
On October 21, Russia targeted a @_novaposhta_ terminal in the Kharkiv region, resulting in the death of 6 people, with another 16 injured. Some of the wounded are in serious condition still. 1/4 pic.twitter.com/TC84ydhSmH
— UNITED24media (@United24media) October 23, 2023
The Ukrainian president said that Ukraine will undoubtedly respond to Russia for any manifestation of its terror, including this attack. In his words, "the terrorists will not break the Ukrainian will to defend and protect our own country and our own independence with all available means."
According to Zelensky, Ukraine needs results every day – to hold off Russian attacks, eliminate occupiers and move forward. He pointed out that this strengthens the Ukrainian state, motivates the world to help it and proves that Russian terror does not work.
The Ukrainian president also mentioned and thanked military personnel and units that distinguished themselves in combat operations over the past week.
At the end of his address, Zelensky said that he had spoken with the emir of Qatar and thanked him, among other things, for his willingness to participate in the next meeting on the Ukrainian peace formula, as well as for his unwavering support for Ukrainian territorial integrity and sovereignty. According to him, the two also discussed mediation by Qatar for the release of deported and captured Ukrainians.
In conclusion, the Ukrainian president thanked all the people around the world who help Ukraine and all the people in the country who use every day to make the Ukrainian people stronger.
The British Army is training Ukrainian specialists to protect critical infrastructure
Ukrainian specialists in the energy, water, transport and academic sectors will undergo a training program with experts from the Corps of Royal Engineers to protect critical infrastructure from Russian attacks this winter, the UK Ministry of Defense announced on 22 October.
The program will last two weeks and comes in response to Ukraine's request for additional protection of its energy infrastructure.
Ukraine is preparing for heavy attacks on its national infrastructure facilities. Last fall and winter, Russian strikes caused blackouts across the country, leaving many without electricity. On October 8, the Ukrainian Air Force warned that Russia is likely to launch a record number of drones against Ukraine as it seeks to destroy the country's energy infrastructure.
“It is essential that Ukraine receives the support it urgently needs over the winter, as its civilian population faces daily mortal danger from Putin's forces and their campaign of indiscriminate bombing against critical infrastructure,” said Grant Shapps - UK Defense Secretary.
The two-week training package was developed and delivered following a request from Ukraine to further improve the protection of its energy sector. It builds on previous courses that focused on basic defensive measures such as the use of sandbags and fortification with trenches.
The Ukrainian people have demonstrated unwavering resilience in the face of this illegal invasion and this specially designed training package will help save lives during the bitterly cold winter months when access to reliable energy is vital.
The program will allow Ukrainian professionals from various sectors to share knowledge, thereby strengthening the resilience of the national infrastructure network, the ministry noted.
Specialists will be able to identify vulnerable points, the impact of various weapons and potential blast ranges, and better understand where to place physical and air defenses.
The UK Defense Secretary recently announced a new 100 million pound package of support support provided through the International Fund for Ukraine. The support includes heavy-duty factory vehicles to help strengthen Ukraine's defense infrastructure.
Earlier this year, the UK hosted the Ukraine Recovery Conference, where a 45 million pound funding boost was announced for Ukraine's energy recovery.
The US has also provided aid to buy energy equipment for Ukraine and protect the country's electrical infrastructure, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said on October 16. It is in the amount of 522 million dollars.
According to Shmyhal, Ukraine is almost fully prepared for the heating season. All nine units of the Ukrainian nuclear power plants will operate during the autumn-winter period.
A Russian court extended the arrest of journalist Alsu Kurmasheva
A Russian court today extended the arrest of the Russian-American journalist Alsu Kurmasheva until December 5, after the prosecutor's office announced that she had not registered as a "foreign agent", reported AFP.
Kurmasheva, who works for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, was detained by Russian authorities in the city of Kazan on Wednesday.
A district court in Kazan, capital of the Russian republic of Tatarstan, ruled that she should remain in custody as a "preventive measure".
The journalist is threatened with a sentence of up to 5 years in prison if she is found guilty.
Radio Free Europe called today for the immediate release of Kurmasheva.
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