By: Bohdan Chomiak & Robert Homans
The Ukraine War Ebook, “The Ukrainian People vs. The Russian Horde”
The Ukraine War Ebook, sent to those who were kind enough to support us, includes all our emails that we sent during the first week of the war. The Ebook has been very well received. Since early July, when the Ebook was released, we have added many new email recipients. For new recipients, plus existing recipients who would like to receive the Ebook, we would be happy to send you a copy in return for your support for our efforts. If you would like to support us in any amount in any currency, and receive an Ebook as our gesture of gratitude, please click on the link HERE. Your support is greatly appreciated!
Maps
Starting today, Bohdan is adding a map of the warzone to his Sitrep. Hopefully this will help recipients more easily follow developments on the battlefield. He divides the sectors of the contact line into “A” through “G,” and he refers to the same designations in his commentary. I am doing the same.
Looking at tactical maps from “Reporting From Ukraine” don’t tell you where the area is relative to the rest of the Contact Line, and the rest of Ukraine. The areas shown in green, on Bohdan’s map, are the territories liberated by Ukraine during the fall of 2022, consisting of Kharkiv Oblast on the upper right-hand corner, and Kerson Oblast, including Kherson City on the lower left-hand corner.
Serbs Fighting for Russia/The Guardian
Several hundred Serbs are enlisting in the Russian Army and are being sent to fight in Ukraine. Serbia, an Eastern Orthodox country, has been a historical ally of Russia. However, the current Serbian Government is distancing itself from efforts to enlist Serbs in the Russian Army, because Serbia aspires to join the EU.
News From the Battlefield
Both “Reporting From Ukraine” and the “Latest Denys” continue to focus on Avdiivka (D).
“Reporting From Ukraine” stated that approximately 65% of the 1,380 Russian personnel losses reported by the Ukrainian Defense Ministry came from the 2 fronts north and south of Avdiivka. At 1:40 into the video he also mentions Terrikon, the artificial mountain 25 meters high with sides that are nearly vertical, made of slag from a local coal mine. Ukraine has established firing positions on the top. At 1:55 into the video there is a photograph of Terrikon. It provides a sense of its dominance over the nearby territory.
Denys has several interesting entries, including:
· 7:00 – Ukraine’s mine-laying robot in action.
· 9:00 – Photograph showing the damage to one of Russia’s KA-52 helicopters after the recent ATACMS strike, including a hole in the “bulletproof” glass canopy.
· 11:30 – Coverage of fighting near the village of Pisky (E). Pisky is located next to the Donetsk Sergei Prokofiev International Airport. In 2014 & 15 Pisky served as a logistics hub for Ukrainians who were supplying soldiers, later known as the “Cyborgs,” who were later fighting inside the terminal.
· 11:55 – Confirmation that the Russians are using howitzer ammunition produced in N. Korea.
· 14:15 – Ukraine’s mine-laying robots in action.
Germany has announced that they are supplying Ukraine with an additional 49 Gephard mobile anti-aircraft systems. This will substantially improve Ukraine’s ability to supply its troops conducting operations all along the contact line with improved coverage against Russian air and helicopter strikes.
10/21/2023 Sitrep
Abbreviations:
RMA = Regional Military Administration SBU = Security Service of Ukraine
RASHISTS = russian Facists/all russian invaders
INTERNATIONAL
Saturday, October 21
12:31 AM: Republicans in a secret ballot removed the candidacy of Jim Jordan from running for the post of speaker of the US House of Representatives, writes CNN.
● A new candidate from the Republican Party should be nominated by Monday.
12:57 AM: The White House confirmed the release of two American women captured by Hamas militants.
● The first photo of the hostages released from captivity was distributed by the press service of the Prime Minister of Israel, it was published by The Times of Israel
● In the photo - Judith and Natalie Raanan accompanied by representatives of the Israeli army.
8:00 AM: EC to hold consultations on new sanctions package against Russia, - Bloomberg.
8:00 AM: "I expect the first shipment of humanitarian aid to be delivered to Gaza within the next two days," US President Joe Biden.
8:00 AM: Two drones attacked a US military base in Iraqi Kurdistan. Al Mayadeen claimed responsibility for the attack.
Friday, October 20
12:00 PM: Today, the fourth evacuation plane with 79 citizens of Ukraine left Israel for Romania - Embassy of Ukraine in Israel.
2:06 PM: Georgia is taking measures to prepare for a possible nuclear war, said Grigol Liluashvili, head of the State Security Service.
● He said that the country's government has "developed a special plan in case of nuclear war", which spells out the steps for each department.
4:10 PM: Romania will install a modern defense system against drones on the border with Ukraine, - HotNews.
● Romania will receive the system with the consent of NATO on the basis of an intergovernmental agreement with one of the partner countries. It will be installed on the border with Ukraine after a series of incidents involving the fall of fragments of Russian drones on the territory of the country.
4:55 PM: The government of Kazakhstan called the information about the ban on the export of 106 types of goods that can be used for military purposes to Russia incorrect.
- The Ministry of Trade stated that export control over dual-purpose goods has been in place for more than 20 years and the country has not introduced any bans.
5:16 PM: Germany has transferred another batch of military aid to Ukraine, according to the German government's website.
● Yes, the new aid package includes:
o 3 Gepard anti-aircraft self-propelled guns;
o 3,872 155-mm smoke ammunition;
o one Biber bridge laying machine;
o 20 RQ-35 HEIDRUN reconnaissance drones;
o 20 Vector drones;
o 13 border guard vehicles, three HX81 tractors and three trailers for them.
5:49 PM: US President Joe Biden invited Congress to approve a budget to help Ukraine and Israel.
● This is stated on the website of the White House.
6:10 PM: The White House released a request to Congress for about $106 billion — for additional support to Ukraine, Israel, and other needs.
● Voice of America journalist Ostap Yarysh writes about this.
● Ukraine plans to allocate $61.4 billion. For Israel, $14.3 billion.
6:37 PM: The UN Commission of Inquiry has found additional evidence of Russian war crimes in Ukraine, including the rape and deportation of children to Russia.
● This is stated in the report of the United Nations.
● "Victims reported being raped at gunpoint and threats to kill or cause other serious harm to the victims or their relatives," the UN writes.
8:38 PM: Israeli officials say Hamas will release two American hostages, The Guardian.
● "According to an Israeli official, this was a unilateral move by Hamas and not part of the deal," writes a BBC journalist.
● According to the representative of Hamas, we are talking about a mother and daughter, who will be released for humanitarian reasons.
9:12 PM: The Israeli military has eliminated the senior operative of Hamas's strategic weapons development unit, Mahmoud Sabih, IDF.
● "This department (Hamas projects and developments - ed.) was engaged in increasing the weapons potential of Hamas, exchanging knowledge with terrorist organizations throughout the Middle East," the IDF press service writes.
9:56 PM: The US will do everything it can to prosecute those involved in arms sales between North Korea and Russia.
● This was stated by Matthew Miller, a representative of the US State Department, Yonhap reports.
● According to him, the reason why Russia had to travel around the world in search of weapons lies in the sanctions and export controls imposed by the United States.
10:15 PM: The "Scythian gold" collection, which has been in the Netherlands since 2014, will soon return to Ukraine.
● This was stated by T. v. at. Minister of Culture Rostislav Karandeev.
● "The ICIP, together with partners from the Netherlands, is conducting a number of activities aimed at returning the collection of artifacts to Ukraine as soon as possible," Karandeev noted.
10:46 PM: The US House of Representatives fails to elect a speaker for the third time after the unprecedented ouster of Kevin McCarthy.
● Republican Jim Jordan had 194 of the 217 necessary votes, while his main challenger, Democrat Hakeem Jeffries, had 210.
● Until the House of Representatives has a speaker, it cannot, in particular, approve new aid to Ukraine.
11:00 PM Bloomberg: US, EU ask Israel to delay ground operation in Gaza as talks with Hamas, involving Qatar, to release hostages.
11:55 PM: The US will reduce the amount of monthly budget aid to Ukraine from $1.1 billion to $825 million
● This is stated in the request of the Biden Administration to Congress regarding emergency funding for assistance to Ukraine.
NATIONAL
Saturday, October 21
12:42 AM: The Ukrainian reconnaissance UAV "Stork-100" of the 71st separate hunting brigade of the Russian Armed Forces detected the enemy self-propelled guns "Nona", which the occupiers tried to hide in one of the landings on one of the hottest areas of the front.
● Immediately after that, the drone operator transmitted the coordinates and adjusted the guns. Another unit's artillery destroyed the enemy's equipment with a precise strike.
12:51 AM: Kherson, Mykolaiv regions - missile danger, - Ukrainian Air Command.
1:00 AM: Cherkasy, Kirovohrad, Odesa regions - the threat of using ballistic weapons, - Ukrainian Air Command.
1:44 AM: Kherson, Mykolaiv regions - missile danger, - Ukrainian Air Command.
2:39 AM: Kirovohrad, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhya, Dnipropetrovsk regions - missile danger, - Ukrainian Air Command.
3:40 AM: Zaporizhia, Kherson, Mykolaiv, Donetsk, Dnipropetrovsk regions - air alert, OVA.
6:51 AM: Enemy tactical aircraft activity observed in eastern and southeastern directions.
● There is a threat of using aviation weapons. This is reported by the Air Force of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
7:07 AM: Operational information from the General Staff of the Armed Forces as of 06:00 on October 21
● Last night, the russian occupiers launched yet another missile and air strike on Ukraine, using Kh-59 air-launched guided missiles, Iskander-M cruise missiles, and Shahed-136/131 attack UAVs. Information on the aftermath of this terrorist attack is currently being updated.
● During the day of October 20, there were more than 100 combat engagements. The enemy cynically launched a missile strike on a school in Kostyantynivka (Donetsk oblast), the building of the educational institution was almost destroyed. The enemy launched a total of 9x missile and 39 air strikes, 50 MLRS attacks at the positions of Ukrainian troops and various settlements.
● Air strikes hit Bilohorivka (Luhansk oblast), Klishchiivka, Kurdyumivka, New York, Avdiyivka, Keramik, Lastochkyne, Novomykhailivka, Staromaiorske, Urozhaine (Donetsk oblast), Zmiyivka, Beryslav, Kozatske, Novoberyslav, Tyahynka, and Prydniprovske (Kherson oblast).
● About 110 settlements in Chernihiv, Sumy, Kharkiv, Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson oblasts came under artillery fire.
● A) Khortytsia operational-strategic group, Kupyansk axis: Ukrainian soldiers repelled more than 20 enemy attacks in the vicinities of Synkivka, Ivanivka (Kharkiv oblast), as well about 5 attacks near Nadiya (Luhansk oblast).
● B) Lyman axis: the Ukrainian Defense Forces prevented the loss of positions in the vicinity of Nevelske (Luhansk oblast).
● C) Bakhmut axis: the Ukrainian soldiers repelled all adversary attacks in the vicinities of Bohdanivka and Khromove. Also, the enemy made unsuccessful attempts to regain the lost position in the vicinity of Klishchiyivka (Donetsk oblast). The Ukrainian Defense Forces continue assault operations south of Bakhmut (Donetsk oblast), inflict losses in manpower and equipment on the enemy, and consolidate their new positions.
● D) Tavria operational-strategic group, Avdiyivka axis: the adversary keeps trying to encircle Avdiyivka, but the Ukrainian soldiers are standing their ground, inflicting numerous losses on the enemy. The occupiers’ offensive operations in the vicinities of Novokalynove, Stepove, and Pervomaiske (Donetsk oblast) were unsuccessful.
● E) Maryinka axis: the enemy conducted unsuccessful assault operations with air support in the vicinities of Maryinka and Novomykhailivka (Donetsk oblast). The Ukrainian defenders repelled around 20 enemy attacks in that area.
● F) Shakhtarske axis: the Ukrainian defenders repelled the invaders’ attacks in the vicinities of Zolota Nyva, Staromaiorske, and Rivnopil (Donetsk oblast).
● G) Zaporizhzhia axis: the enemy conducted unsuccessful assault operations in the vicinity of Poltavka (Zaporizhzhia oblast). Also, the adversary made unsuccessful attempts to regain the lost position in the vicinity of Robotyne (Zaporizhzhia oblast).
● During the day of October 20, Ukrainian Air Force launched 8 air strikes on the concentrations of troops, weapons, and military equipment, and 4x air strikes on the anti-aircraft missile system of the adversary.
● The Ukrainian missile troops hit 1 command posts, 1 ammunition depot, 3 concentrations of troops, weapons and military equipment, and 1 electronic warfare station of the occupiers.
9:15 AM: During the counteroffensive, the head of the GUR of the Ministry of Defense Kyrylo Budanov repeatedly visited the front line. According to him, sometimes his presence is mandatory.
● "Sometimes the presence is mandatory. Because we are all human. And it's scary for everyone sometimes. Sometimes I find options to cheer up the fighters," said Budanov in Dmytro Komarov's film "The Year of Kharkiv Region"
11:00 AM: 500,000 mines were placed on the northern border of Ukraine. Now it is 16 times better protected than it was in February 2022 - Commander of the Joint Forces of the Armed Forces Serhiy Naev.
● The general also reported that the Russians had reduced the number of their planes at the airfields of neighboring Belarus. There are currently three Su-30SM combat aircraft and two Su-24MR reconnaissance aircraft that participate in air defense operations.
11:25 AM: The Ukrainian military published a video showing how Klishchiivka, which was deoccupied a month ago, looks like now.
● All the houses are destroyed, and the remains of broken equipment lie on the streets. Klishchiivka remains the most important flank of Bakhmut.
Friday, October 20
12:22 PM: Poltava, Sumy and Kharkiv regions - missile danger, - Ukrainian Air Command.
12:26 PM: Olena Zelenska met with Google representatives who came to Kyiv, and voiced to them several wishes of the Ukrainian authorities:
● display Crimea as a territory of Ukraine to all Google Maps users. Currently, Crimea is shown as a part of Russia for users from the Russian Federation, and as a disputed territory for Europeans;
● - "de-Russify" search results in Google and recommendations on YouTube;
● - disconnect Ukraine from its geographical affiliation with the CIS;
● - change the automatic distribution of Russian-language content for users from Ukraine and Ukrainian IP addresses to a Ukrainian and Western product.
12:50 PM: Maps of Points of Invincibility in Ukraine were launched today in the "Action" application, - Minister of Digital Transformation Mykhailo Fedorov.
● In addition to data on the location of the nearest facilities, citizens will be able to find out the route and schedule, as well as the conditions in this shelter.
● Such a map in the program can be downloaded even offline, if there is no light and communication. You only need to download the map of the selected region in "Action".
12:55 PM: Kherson, Mykolaiv, Kirovohrad regions - missile danger, - Ukrainian Air Command.
1:15 PM: Suspicion from the SBU was received by an investigator from Dnipro who fabricated a case against paramedic Tyra.
● The so-called "investigator" of the occupying "General Prosecutor's Office of the Russian Federation" in Donetsk, Nikita Tsarenko, tried to sew a "shooting article" to Yulia Paevska, a paramedic with the call sign Taira. After her abduction in Mariupol, Tsarenko initiated criminal proceedings against her for providing medical aid to the wounded and evacuating children and women from the city.
● According to the investigation, the attacker turned out to be a resident of Kharkiv who, after obtaining a law degree at a local educational institution, left for the temporarily occupied part of Donetsk region. Now he is suspected of treason committed under martial law.
2:30 PM: According to SBU materials, the "judge of the supreme court of Crimea" Yulia Tsoraeva, who handed down fabricated sentences to Chubarov and Bekirov, will appear in court.
● Being a member of the occupying "supreme court" on the peninsula, she took part in issuing a prison "sentence" in a fabricated case against the Speaker of the Mejlis, Refat Chubarov.
● Tsoraeva is also involved in the imprisonment of Edem Bekirov, an activist of the Crimean Tatar national movement. The perpetrator faces up to 15 years in prison with confiscation of property.
2:55 PM: In Ukraine, a third of the rubber aid that the military units were supposed to receive has disappeared - State Customs.
● In 9 months of 2023, more than 9,000 facts of the transfer of humanitarian aid goods to 200 military units were checked. 3,000 of them did not reach their addressees.
5:36 PM: Volodymyr Zelenskyy had a conversation with Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
● "I am especially grateful for the recent large package of military aid that includes the Patriot and IRIS-T systems, as well as ammunition for them," the president writes.
● Zelensky informed the chancellor about Russia's unsuccessful offensive attempts and its catastrophic losses near Avdiivka.
● The leaders of the countries discussed, in particular, the situation in the Middle East and agreed on the importance of preventing further escalation of violence and expansion of the conflict.
5:53 PM: Kherson, Dnipropetrovsk, Kirovohrad and Mykolaiv regions - missile danger, - Ukrainian Air Command.
7:03 PM: The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine canceled the all-Ukrainian population census in 2023.
● This was stated by the representative of the government in the Verkhovna Rada, Taras Melnychuk.
● "The State Statistics Service has been instructed to submit a proposal for conducting the All-Ukrainian population census after the termination or abolition of martial law in Ukraine," Melnychuk writes.
7:16 PM: Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk, Mykolaiv and Kirovohrad regions - missile danger, - Ukrainian Air Command.
7:25 PM: Activity of enemy tactical aviation in the eastern and southeastern directions — Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
7:31 PM: Cherkasy and Dnipropetrovsk regions - the threat of using ballistic weapons, - Ukrainian Air Command.
11:02 PM: Kirovohrad and Dnipropetrovsk regions - missile danger, - Ukrainian Air Command.
11:07 PM: Kherson, Mykolaiv, Kharkiv regions - missile danger, - Ukrainian Air Command.
11:22 PM: Mykolayivsk, Kherson regions - the threat of the use of attack UAVs - the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reports.
11:37 PM: Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia regions - missile danger, - Ukrainian Air Command.
MORDOR - ruZZia
Saturday, October 21
11:50 AM: British intelligence has assessed the potential threat of Russian aircraft patrolling with "daggers" over the Black Sea.
● According to intelligence, Putin separately emphasized the presence of "daggers" in the MiG-31 to show the domestic audience that the Russian Federation can continue to produce and operate new weapons despite the war in Ukraine.
● However, the "daggers" remain at the stage of operational testing, and their results in Ukraine have so far been poor.
Friday, October 20
5:30 PM: An air alert was announced in the temporarily occupied Sevastopol.
5:53 PM: Explosions are heard in temporarily occupied Sevastopol, local residents report.
11:35 PM: Losses of Russian artillery in the Zaporizhzhya direction exceeded Ukrainian by five times. This is reported by The Wall Street Journal.
REGIONS
SUMY
Saturday, October 21
10:00 AM Sumy RMA: At night, the Russians shelled the Seredino-Buda community.
● 2 mortar explosions were recorded.
KHARKIV
Saturday, October 21
8:55 AM Kharkiv RMA: Late yesterday evening, Russians with anti-aircraft guns fired at the village. July Previously, there were no casualties.
● As a result of the shelling of the village 2 houses and outbuildings were damaged in Kucherivka. A 39-year-old civilian man was injured and hospitalized.
DONETSK
Saturday, October 21
12:14 AM: Ukrainian troops continue to conduct an offensive operation in the Donetsk region, because of this the Russians are already preparing to withdraw to the Horlivka-Bakhmut highway.
● This was stated by the head of the press service of the Eastern group of troops, Ilya Yevlash. According to him, the situation near Bakhmut is difficult, but under control.
● "The Armed Forces are slowly but surely moving tens to hundreds of meters deep, recapturing the occupied territories. The enemy is on the defensive," the statement said.
ZAPORIZHIA
Saturday, October 21
8:31 AM: Zaporizhzhia region - missile danger, - Ukrainian Air Command.
9:40 AM Zaporizhia RMA: Russian military personnel struck 106 strikes in the Zaporizhia region - 20 settlements were damaged, - the head of OVA, Yuriy Malashko.
● 20 reports were received about the destruction of residential buildings and infrastructure facilities. No casualties.
10:40 AM: Humanitarian crisis in temporarily occupied Tokmak, — Center of National Resistance.
● "The enemy does not bring medicines and humanitarian workers into the city in the proper amount. The situation is further complicated by the arrears for the payment of pensions and other social benefits. At the same time, the occupiers blocked transfers from Ukraine, thereby condemning people to the limit of survival," the message of the Central Security Service reads.
Friday, October 20
1:41 PM: In the temporarily occupied Melitopol, partisans blew up a car with Russians, the mayor of the city, Ivan Fedorov, said.
● According to him, the partisans blew up the marauding occupiers' car. They regularly followed and robbed empty apartments.
7:51 PM: An explosion was heard in temporarily occupied Melitopol, the mayor of the city, Ivan Fedorov, said.
DNIPRO
Saturday, October 21
12:03 AM Social Networks: Repeated explosions are heard in Kryvyi Rih. Previously - air defense work.
7:40 AM Dnipro RMA: Explosions rang out again in Kryvyi Rih at night. Missiles and UAVs flew there.
● There is destruction at the object of industrial infrastructure. No dead or injured.
● According to detailed information, three houses were damaged due to the evening attack on the local summer cottage cooperative.
Friday, October 20
6:05 PM Social Networks: Explosions are heard in Kryvyi Rih.
6:20 PM: In the Kryvorizka district, air defense is working, the head of the Zelenodol OTG, Dmytro Nevesely, reports.
7:34 PM Social Networks: Explosions are heard in the Kryvyi Rih region.
8:52 PM Dnipro RMA: Russians fired a rocket at a cottage cooperative in Kryvyi Rih, a 60-year-old man was killed.
● "A 57-year-old woman received shrapnel wounds. She is in a serious condition in the hospital," Lysak writes.
11:04 PM Social Networks: Explosions are heard in Kryvyi Rih.
11:14 PM: An explosion is heard again in Kryvyi Rih. Oleksandr Vilkul, the head of the City Defense Council, announced this.
11:48 PM: Kryvyi Rih - stay in shelters.
KHERSON
Saturday, October 21
8:35 AM Kherson RMA: Over the past day, the Russians launched 57 attacks, firing 322 shells from mortars, artillery, "Grads", AGS, tanks, aviation and UAVs.
● They aimed at the residential quarters of the settlements of the region. 1 person died, 1 more was injured.
9:40 AM Social Networks: Explosions are heard in Kherson.
Friday, October 20
3:20 PM: Volodymyr Zelenskyi held a meeting with border guards in the Kherson region about the current situation and conditions of service in the frontline regions.
● "Our border scouts do a great job, they perform a great service - a solid service. Twenty years, of which almost 10 years are a war against the occupier," the president noted.
3:45 PM: Volodymyr Zelenskyi also held a meeting with the military in the Kherson region.
● "The key issue is the situation in the main directions of the front. Our defensive actions. Avdiivka. Kupyan direction. South," the president wrote.
4:33 PM: Kherson region - missile danger, - Ukrainian Air Command.
4:48 PM: The head of the Kherson RMA announced the launch of guided air bombs in the direction of Mykolaivka and Olhivka of the Berislav district.
5:00 PM Social Networks: Explosions are heard in Kherson.
6:42 PM Kherson RMA: Explosions are heard in Kherson, Russian troops are shelling the city from the temporarily occupied left bank.
9:41 PM Kherson Municipal Military Administration: As a result of another shelling of Kherson by the Russian occupying forces, a fire broke out in the Ship district.
● "The enemy fired at residential quarters. The house caught fire. The fire has now been extinguished. There is no information about the victims," the message says.
MYKOLAIV
Friday, October 20
4:35 PM: Volodymyr Zelenskyi held a meeting on current issues of security and life in the Mykolaiv region.
● He was informed about the situation with the restoration of water and gas supply in the liberated settlements, with the water supply of Mykolaiv, as well as in general about the preparation for the heating season.
● The president also visited a hospital in Mykolaiv Oblast where wounded soldiers are being treated. He spoke with the defenders and presented the awards.
ODESA
Saturday, October 21
3:00 AM: Odesa region - missile danger, - Ukrainian Air Command.
3:08 AM: Repulse of missile threat in Odesa region, - Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
Friday, October 20
6:07 PM: Odesa region - missile danger, - Ukrainian Air Command.
Comparing Soviet invasion of Afghanistan to Russian invasion of Ukraine using Wikipedia and Ukraine Ministry of Defense Daily Bulletins. Soviet and Russian military losses not including captured equipment
SOURCES
https://www.pravda.com.ua/eng/
https://espreso.tv/
https://t.me/uawarinfographics
https://deepstatemap.live/en#11/47.9070/37.6927