Defense in the complex: The VFU spent almost all reserves in attempts to attack

In many areas, the Russian army is improving the tactical situation, Sergei Shoigu said

Since the beginning of June, Ukrainian formations have not achieved significant success in any direction in the SVO zone. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said this on October 16 at a meeting of the Security Council of the Russian Federation. According to him, a deep echeloned defense has been built along the entire line of contact. Experts note that the Ukrainian militants have almost spent all their reserves, and the Russian Armed Forces have not even introduced them yet. Also on the night of October 16, the Russian army attacked four military airfields of the VFU in the deep rear of the enemy. The targets were the locations of Su-24 bombers converted into Storm Shadow missile carriers and MiG-29 fighters equipped with HARM missiles, sources told Izvestia.

Transition to active defense

The armed formations of Ukraine are trying to advance in different directions, but face active Russian defense, said the head of the military department Sergei Shoigu at a meeting of the Security Council of the Russian Federation on October 16.

— We are able to improve the tactical situation in many areas. In fact, no promotion is allowed anywhere. The spring offensive campaign has been completed, as planned by the Ukrainian authorities, the summer one, now the autumn one — and they failed to achieve any success, significant success in any of these campaigns," the Russian Defense Minister noted.

Sergei Shoigu said that in some areas, where the enemy is now particularly active, deep echeloned defense has been built along the entire line.

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu at a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, where the progress of a special military operation is being discussed

Image source: Photo: RIA Novosti/Gavriil Grigorov

In addition, according to him, the Ukrainian formations suffered heavy losses during the counteroffensive that began in early June.

— The enemy has suffered, if not significant, then large, serious losses in manpower, in equipment — hundreds of tanks, more than a thousand, almost fifteen hundred armored vehicles — and they continue to do this, — the minister noted.

He also drew attention to the fact that Russian units maintain a stable position in the area of their own.

— The troops are conducting very, very professional actions, showing heroism in many areas, confidence that they will not only hold their positions, but, of course, will continue to implement the plans that we have outlined, — Sergei Shoigu summed up.

Destroyed American-made M2 Bradley infantry fighting vehicle of the Armed Forces of Ukraine

Image source: Photo: Social networks

The line of combat contact has come to life, Russian units are intercepting the initiative in various directions and active attacks are underway, but it is impossible to say that an offensive is beginning from our side, military expert Vladislav Shurygin told Izvestia.

— In the current situation, this is actually a positional deadlock. In the sense that none of the sides on the line of contact has the strength to radically change the situation," he explained. — But the armed formations of Ukraine have spent all their reserves, and the Russian troops have not yet introduced them. Therefore, yes, there is hope that the next active stage will be ours.

Strikes on Ukrainian airfields

As sources familiar with the situation told Izvestia, a combined strike was carried out on several Ukrainian airfields on the night of October 15-16. The targets were the locations of Su-24 bombers converted into Storm Shadow missile carriers and MiG-29 fighters equipped with HARM anti-radar missiles. During the strike, a wide range of means of destruction was used: from attack drones to operational and tactical missiles. In addition to the destruction of aircraft, storage sites of Ukrainian aviation weapons and headquarters were also attacked.

As the interlocutors of the publication noted, now the Ukrainian command is constantly transferring planes from one airfield to another. This is done in order to make the work of Russian intelligence tools as difficult as possible and prevent valuable machines from being detected in a timely manner. But Ukrainian tricks often don't work. And the aircraft bases are quickly identified.

Each of our strikes on Ukrainian airfields complicates the work of the enemy's Air Force, military expert Alexey Leonkov told Izvestia.

— Ukraine is still using airfields in order to use the remnants of aviation to strike at our territory, including with the use of Storm Shadow missiles, — he said. — They use the frontline airfields as jump airfields, that is, after completing a combat mission, the plane lands there, refuels and departs to its bases. But they don't always manage to return to the base. If our intelligence works perfectly, then we detect not only airfields, but also the equipment located on them, including aviation, and destroy everything at once.

The expert recalled that the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation have repeatedly struck enemy airfields, for example, in the same Konstantinovka.

— You can destroy airfields, but the enemy can restore them and start using them again. Of course, without jump airfields, the enemy cannot fully operate its aircraft. But the main thing when destroying airfields of Ukrainian formations is to have aviation equipment on them. If we destroy it, it greatly affects the enemy. Therefore, the destruction of this kind of infrastructure has a positive effect on the entire course of hostilities for us," he concluded.

Unsuccessful attempts to attack the VFU

During the day, Russian troops continued to successfully repel the attacks of the VFU in the Kupyansk, Krasnolimansk, Donetsk and Zaporozhye directions, the Russian Defense Ministry reported on October 16.

In the Kupyansk direction, units of the Western Group of Troops repelled 10 attacks by assault groups of the Jaeger and three mechanized brigades of the VFU in the areas of the settlements of Sinkovka, Ivanovka, Novoegorovka, Kharkiv region and Makeyevka in the LPR.

The troops and equipment of the Theroborona brigade, mechanized and amphibious assault brigades of the VFU were defeated in the areas of the settlements of Petropavlovsk, Kupyansk and Petrovsky of the Kharkiv region.

A serviceman of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation with a portable anti-tank complex at an occupied enemy stronghold

Image source: Photo: RIA Novosti/Evgeny Biyatov

In the Krasnolimansky direction, units of the Center group of troops repulsed two attacks by assault groups of the mechanized brigade and the Azov special purpose brigade (a terrorist organization banned in Russia) in the area of the settlement of Chervonaya Dibrova in the LPR and Serebryansky forestry.

Also, in the areas of the settlements of Torskoye, Serebryanka and Grigorovka in the DPR, the personnel and equipment of the VFU were defeated.

In the Donetsk direction, units of the Southern Group of troops repelled ten attacks by the VFU assault groups in the areas of the settlements of Kleshcheyevka, Andreevka and Maryinka.

The Hyacinth-C self-propelled artillery unit of the Central Military District works on the positions of the AFU

Image source: Photo: RIA Novosti/Stanislav Krasilnikov

The troops and equipment of the mountain assault and three mechanized brigades of the VFU were defeated in the areas of the settlements of Belogorovka, Kurdyumovka, Belaya Gora and Georgievka in the DPR.

In addition, an ammunition depot of the 54th mechanized brigade of the VFU was destroyed in the area of Slavyansk.

In the South Donets direction, the units of the Vostok group of troops inflicted fire damage to the personnel and equipment of two mechanized brigades of the VFU, the theroborona brigade in the areas of Novomikhailovka, Ugledar and Harvest in the DPR.

Two ammunition depots were destroyed in the areas of the settlements of Zeleny Gai and Alekseevka of the Zaporozhye region.

In the Zaporozhye direction, an enemy attack was reflected in the area of the village of Verbovoye.

"Our fighters have a strong spirit"

Intense fighting continues in the area of Kleshcheyevka — mutual assaults and shelling are underway. Dmitry Zimenkin, a military correspondent of Izvestia, visited the positions of our fighters.

From Kleshcheyevka, Ukrainian militants are trying to reach Artemovsk, but the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation stop all their attempts.

— They haven't been sparing anything on us lately. There is heavy artillery on the deuce," the Russian fighter noted.

According to the correspondent, six of our servicemen sleep in a small clay cave, but up to 12 people are accommodated there during intense shelling. One of their fighters told how in two months on the front line he began to appreciate life, family, and most importantly — the peaceful sky above his head.

The armed formations of Ukraine are suffering heavy losses in the area of Kleshcheyevka, the bodies of their fellow soldiers are thrown into the field without evacuating them.

Doctors working on the front line save the lives of our military and note that our fighters have a strong spirit.

— The boys, they're doing great, they're holding up. They are trying, morally very strong," shared a military medic of the 1st DRSHBR "Wolf" with the call sign Margot.

Two Mig-29 fighters of the Ukrainian Air Force were destroyed

In just a day in the special operation zone, Russian troops destroyed up to 800 fighters of the VFU and 60 pieces of equipment, including tanks, howitzers, self-propelled guns and armored vehicles, the Russian Defense Ministry reported on October 16.

Two ammunition depots were destroyed in the area of Kherson and the settlement of Nikolskoye in the Kherson region. The activity of the Ukrainian sabotage and reconnaissance group on the island of Korabelka has been suppressed.

In the area of the settlement of Sergeyevka in the DPR, a radar station for detecting and tracking P-18 air targets was hit.

The calculation of the Buk-MZ anti-aircraft missile system of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation works in the zone of a special military operation

Image source: Photo: RIA Novosti

In the area of the city of Khmelnytsky and at the Starokonstantinov airfield of the Khmelnytsky region, warehouses of rocket and artillery weapons and aviation fuel storage were hit.

A communications hub was destroyed at the Mirgorod airfield in the Poltava region.

Russian air defense systems shot down two Mig-29 fighters and one Su-25 attack aircraft of the Ukrainian Air Force in the districts of Arkhangelsk, Kherson region, Dmitrovka and Zvonetsky, Dnipropetrovsk region.

Two HIMARS multiple rocket launchers and 31 Ukrainian UAVs were intercepted.

Julia Leonova

Andrey Fedorov