The enemy is trying to retain the temporarily occupied territories, focuses on deterring the actions of the Defence Forces in certain areas, and at the same time it does not abandon attempts to conduct offensive actions in the Bakhmut and Avdiyivka areas, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reports on the morning of the 239th day of the heroic resistance of Ukrainians to the Russian large-scale invasion.
During the day, units of the Defence Forces repelled the attacks of the occupiers in the areas of settlements of Bilohorivka, Luhansk Region; Bakhmut, Bakhmutske, Klishchiyivka, Krasnohorivka, Novomykhaylivka, Nevelske, Opytne and Maryinka of Donetsk Region.
The enemy is shelling the positions of our troops along the contact line, carrying out engineering equipment of defensive positions and lines in separate areas and conducting aerial reconnaissance. Violating the norms of International Humanitarian Law, the laws and customs of war, it continues to strike critical infrastructure and the homes of the civilian population.
During the day, the enemy launched eleven missile and twenty-eight air strikes, carried out more than sixty-five MLRS attacks. Areas of more than twenty-five settlements were hit by the enemy. These are, in particular, Burshtyn in Ivano-Frankivsk Region, Ladyzhyn in the Vinnytsya Region, Zelenodolsk in Dnipropetrovsk Region, Siversk, Sloviansk and Terny in Donetsk Region, Znachkove in Zaporizhzhya Region, and Davydiv Brid in Kherson Region. For their crimes, the occupiers used cruise, aviation and anti-aircraft guided missiles. In addition, the enemy launched more than ten Iranian-made Shahed-136 unmanned aerial vehicles, more than half of which were from the territory of the Republic of Belarus.
The situation has not changed significantly in the Volyn, Polissya and Siversk areas.
The enemy shelled in other areas:
in the Slobozhansk area - from the artillery of various calibers, in the vicinity of the settlements of Hoptivka, Hryanykivka, Kolodyazne, Krasne, Ohirtseve and Strilecha of Kharkiv Region;
in the Kupyansk and Lyman areas - from barrel and rocket artillery, in the vicinity of the settlements of Berestove, Kyslivka, Pershotravneve of the Kharkiv Region; Kovalivka, Novoyehoryvka, Novolyubivka in Luhansk Region and Zarichne, Terny and Torske in Donetsk Region;
in the Bakhmut area - from tanks and artillery, in the vicinity of Andriyivka, Bakhmut, Bakhmutske, Bilohorivka, Zelenopillya, Klishchiyivka, Kurdyumivka, Pivnichne, Mayorsk, New York, Soledar and Yakovlivka settlements of Donetsk Region;
in the Avdiyivka area - from tanks, mortars, barrel and jet artillery, in the vicinity of Avdiyivka, Vodyane, Pervomayske, Opytne, Krasnohorivka, Maryinka, and Novomykhailivka settlements of Donetsk Region.
The enemy did not conduct active offensive actions in the Novopavlivskyi and Zaporizhzhya areas. Fired in the areas of more than 20 settlements along the entire contact line. Among them are Velyka Novosilka, Vremivka, Vuhledar, Zolota Nyva of Donetsk Region and Mykilske, Orihiv and Chervone of Zaporizhzhya Region.
The enemy continues to set up defensive positions in the South Buh area. The russians are shelling populated areas along the entire contact line to deter a counteroffensive of Ukrainian troops.
According to available information, reinforcements from the number of mobilized persons have arrived in the temporarily occupied territory of Luhansk Region. Numerous cases of robberies and looting are noted. It is possible that many of the militants came from prison.
According to preliminary information, the leaders of Iran and the russian federation have agreed to send advisers and instructors on the use of attack UAVs to the territory of the russian federation. In particular, it is known about the training of the operators of the existing "Shahed-136" UAVs and the promising "Arash-2" UAVs.
There is a high probability that the russian occupiers will fire on the civilian population of the Kherson Region. Thus, on the morning of October 19, 2022, in the temporarily occupied territory, messages were sent out calling for the evacuation of the population of Nova Kakhovka, allegedly in connection with the preparation of shelling by units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
According to detailed information, as a result of the strikes of the Defence Forces during the last few days, it was confirmed that enemy personnel and equipment were damaged in Zaporizhzhia Region - up to 150 servicemen were injured and about 15 units of weapons and military equipment were destroyed.
Air Defence Forces have carried out ten strikes during the past day. The defeat of six areas of concentration of weapons and military equipment, as well as four positions of the enemy's anti-aircraft missile systems, was confirmed. Air defence units shot down six cruise missiles, one Ka-52 helicopter and sixteen UAVs, fourteen of them "Shahed-136". Iranian production.
Units of missile troops and artillery hit three control points, six areas of concentration of manpower, weapons and military equipment, one ammunition depot, an Electronic Warfare station and six other important objects, including a bridge and an enemy pontoon crossing.