ILLUSTRATIVE IMAGE: Destroyed Ukrainian battle tank
The day of October 19 started with the resumption of intense fighting between Russian forces and units of the Kiev regime in the Kherson-Nikolaev sector.
According to reports, Kiev’s forces tried to attack in the area of the villages of Pyatihatka and Suhanovo where they lost at least 3 military vehicles. Clashes were also reported near the villages of Dudachani and Davidov Brod. Pro-Russian sources claim that up to 30 pro-Kiev troops were killed or injured there. A one more group of Kiev troops was reportedly eliminated in the Berislavsk direction.
The fighting in the area is ongoing with Kiev’s forces launching more and more attempts to advance on various parts of the contact line.
Despite the heavy losses in the Kherson sector, Kiev has not lost its offensive capabilities in the area. Contrary to the Russians, the Ukrainian leadership does not care about saving lives of civilians and even its troops. Together with the still existing advantage in manpower, Kiev’s decision to launch a large-scale advance in Kherson or Zaporozhie regions is an expected option.
It is interesting to note that as part of its October 18 report, the Russian Defense Ministry once again revealed heavy losses that Kiev’s forces suffer in the Nikolaev-Kherson sector:
Russian Defence Ministry report on the progress of the special military operation in Ukraine (18 October 2022)
The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation continue the special military operation.
Russian forces continued launching attacks by high-precision long-range air- and sea-based armament at the military control and energy systems of Ukraine, as well as at the depots of foreign-manufactured ordnance and armament.
All the assigned targets have been neutralised.
Units of Russian army seized Gorobyovka (Kharkov region) and caused considerable casualties among the units from 1st Operational Brigade of Ukrainian National Guard at Kupyansk direction.
Moreover, Russian forces have frustrated the attempt of a company tactical group of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) reinforced by tanks to launch an attack near Kislovka (Kharkov region).
Fire attack launched at the departing assault groups from 71st Chaser, 80th Airborne Assault and 25th Airborne brigades of the AFU near Stelmakhovka and Rozovka (Lugansk People’s Republic), Karpovka and Ivanovka (Donetsk People’s Republic) has resulted in the frustration of enemy’s attempts to cross Zherebets river.
46 Ukrainian personnel, 2 armoured personnel carriers, 6 armoured combat vehicles and 2 pickups with large-calibre machine guns have been eliminated.
AFU units made attempts to break the defence of Russian troops towards Bruskinskoye (Kherson region) at Nikolayev-Krivoy Rog direction.
Enemy’s attack has been repelled. Russian artillery fire attack has resulted in scattering and driving the AFU units back to their initial positions.
Over 90 Ukrainian personnel, 1 tank, 8 armoured combat vehicles and 21 motor vehicles have been eliminated at the abovementioned direction.
Operational-tactical and army aviation, missile troops and artillery have neutralised a command post of Dnepr joint group of forces of the AFU and a workshop for radar reparation at an entity of Iskra research and production association, as well as 56 artillery units at their firing positions, 132 manpower and military equipment concentration areas.
Within the counterbattery warfare, 2 AFU artillery batteries have been neutralised near Trifonovka and Novonikolayevka (Kherson region), as well as 1 U.S.-manufactured HIMARS MLRS platoon near Drobyshevo (Donetsk People’s Republic).
Moreover, 3 munitions depots have been destroyed near Novoivanovka (Nikolayev region), Odnorobovka (Kharkov region) and Krasny Liman (Donetsk People’s Republic).
3 AN/TPQ-37 and AN/TPQ-50 counterbattery radars have been destroyed near Artyomovsk, Viyemka and Soledar (Donetsk People’s Republic).
1 outer space signal station of the Government Communications Centre of Ukraine has been destroyed near Paliyevka (Odessa region).
1 launching ramp of S-300 Ukrainian air defence system has been destroyed near Petropavlovka (Donetsk People’s Republic).
Air defence facilities have shot down 10 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles near Kirovo, Sukhanovo, Kucherskoye, Dmitrenko (Kherson region), Yevgenovka (Nikolayev region), Zelyony Gai, Vladimirovka (Donetsk People’s Republic), Krasnosyolovka, Ternovoye and Energodar (Zaporozhye region).
In total, 323 airplanes and 161 helicopters, 2,266 unmanned aerial vehicles, 381 air defence missile systems, 5,876 tanks and other armoured combat vehicles, 871 combat vehicles equipped with MLRS, 3,485 field artillery cannons and mortars, as well as 6,635 units of special military vehicles have been destroyed during the special military operation.
Another point is the threat of destruction of large dams that would lead to the flood in the region. Taking into account the terrorist essence of the current Kiev regime and its NATO backers, this scenario may be one of the factors that were behind the Russian decision to evacuate civilians.
The evacuation of civilians from the right bank of Dnepr River in Kherson Region is already ongoing. According to reports, the total number of civilians that will be evacuated may reach 50-60 thousands.
The regions of Kherson and Zaporozhie (which is another expected point of large-scale Ukrainian attacks) will likely remain the main areas of military tensions in the second half of October. The ability of the Russian side to stabilize the situation there will likely lead to the full stabilization of the contact line for some time. In turn, if Kiev achieves success in the Kherson region, this may lead to its ability to launch an attack on Kherson city itself. At the same time, the ongoing Russian advance in Bahmut city area in the Donbass region has a tactical importance but will not be able to change the strategic situation in that sector in the nearest future.
