Russian units do not allow the enemy to cling to the bank of the Dnieper and create a bridgehead there
Ukraine has launched a counteroffensive in the Kherson direction, but "there is no result yet," Russian President Vladimir Putin said on October 18. Russian troops have recorded a significant increase in Ukrainian activity in the area since October 16, sources told Izvestia. Ukrainian reconnaissance groups on boats and boats are operating on the Dnieper River and are trying to attack Russian positions. The VFU is trying to cling to the shore in this way in order to create a springboard there for further offensive, experts believe. Also on October 18, the VFU attacked the territory of Crimea with S-200 anti-aircraft missiles converted into a strike version.
The new direction of the VFU counteroffensive
Ukraine's counteroffensive in the Kherson direction brings losses, but not results, Russian President Vladimir Putin said.
— They have started the long-announced, expected next counteroffensive now in the Kherson direction. There is no result yet," Putin said at a press conference following his visit to China.
The Head of State emphasized that it was the same in Zaporozhye and other directions.
Since October 16, Russian troops have recorded a significant increase in Ukrainian activity in the Kherson direction, sources familiar with the situation told Izvestia. Every day, reconnaissance groups on boats and boats operate on the Dnieper River and try to attack Russian positions. Intelligence means revealed the transfer of several Ukrainian pontoon parks and the concentration of ferrying facilities. For the last three days, Russian troops have repeatedly attacked them. The Russian command notes the concentration of marine infantry units and airborne assault groups in the Dnieper region.
Combat work of MLRS "Grad" calculations in the Kherson direction
Image source: Photo: TASS/press service of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation
In all other directions, Ukrainian militants have already lost any prospects, military expert Vladislav Shurygin told Izvestia.
— There is a deep enough front, and it is clear that the VFU will not pass anywhere, — he explained. — Near Kherson, they are now trying to cling to the shore in order to create a bridgehead, and in the autumn they will leave with a more or less large area, from which they will then - perhaps in the spring — attack. On top of everything else, this is an opportunity to try to keep our units in suspense with small forces. Crossing the Dnieper, fighting for the islands — one way or another it takes strength.
Strengthening the military alliance with Belarus
Strategic partnership with Belarus is a particularly important factor in conditions when the situation at the borders of the Union State has sharply worsened due to the hostile activities of NATO, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said in his opening remarks at a meeting of the joint board of defense departments in Moscow on October 18.
— Belarus is a strategic partner and reliable ally of Russia. Our countries are united by fraternal relations, common cultural and moral values," he stressed.
The head of the military department drew attention to the fact that since February 2022, the number of NATO troops in Eastern Europe and the Baltic States has increased 2.5 times and exceeded 30 thousand people. More than half are US military personnel.
Meeting of the joint Board of the Defense Departments of Russia and Belarus
Image source: Photo: TASS/Dmitry Kharichkov
Also, according to him, large-scale military exercises are periodically held on the eastern flag of the bloc, which are based on scenarios of a military conflict with Russia and Belarus.
— The use of nuclear weapons is being practiced with the involvement of the strategic aviation of the United States of America and NATO tactical nuclear forces. The issue of transferring F-16 tactical fighters to Kiev has moved into the practical plane. They are expected to arrive next year. In response to these threats, we are taking appropriate measures, strengthening our western borders," Sergei Shoigu said.
The Minister noted that now mutually beneficial military-technical cooperation and cooperation of military-industrial complexes have been established between Russia and Belarus. And during the CSTO exercises on the territory of Belarus, the issues of logistics, medical support, intelligence and defense were worked out.
The demand for the extradition of Yaroslav Gunko
Sergei Shoigu instructed to work with the law enforcement authorities of the Russian Federation and Belarus to appeal to Interpol and Canada for the extradition of war criminal Yaroslav Gunko, who served in the SS division "Galicia" during World War II. This was reported by the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation on October 18.
— The facts of Nazi Gunko's direct participation in atrocities against the peaceful Soviet population on the territory of the Lviv region, then — the territory of the USSR, including the genocide of Poles and Jews, give us every reason to demand his extradition for prosecution, — he said.
War criminal Yaroslav Gunko, who served in the SS division "Galicia", in the Parliament of Canada
Image source: Photo: Social networks
Shoigu also noted that such crimes against humanity have no statute of limitations, especially since Canada once ratified the relevant UN convention "On the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide."
— The concealment of this Nazi criminal, or simply put, a fanatic, on whose hands the blood of hundreds, if not thousands of our citizens, including children, cannot be justified for any reason. Gunko must take full responsibility for his bloody crimes," the Russian Defense Minister said.
Unsuccessful VFU attacks
During the day, Russian troops continued to successfully repel the attacks of the VFU on Kupyansk, Krasnolimansk, Yuzhnodonetsky and Zaporozhye directions, the Russian Defense Ministry reported on October 18.
In the Kupyansk direction, units of the Western Group of Troops repelled 13 attacks by the VFU assault groups in the areas of the settlements of Sinkovka, Ivanovka, Pershotravnevoye, Orlyanskoye of the Kharkiv region and Sergeyevka in the LPR.
Photo: RIA Novosti/Stanislav Krasilnikov
Image source: iz.ru
The troops and equipment of the VFU jaeger brigade and the Theroborona brigade were defeated in the area of Nadia in the LPR and Berestovoye in the Kharkiv region.
In the Krasnolimansky direction, units of the Center group of troops repelled an attack by assault groups of the mechanized brigade of the VFU in the area of Chervona Dibrova in the LPR.
The assault and army aviation strikes defeated the personnel and equipment of the mechanized brigade of the VFU, the National Guard brigade, the special purpose brigade and the territorial defense brigade in the areas of the settlements of Grigorovka in the DPR, Chervonaya Dibrova in the LPR and Serebryansky forestry.
In the Donetsk direction, units of the Southern Group of troops defeated the troops and equipment of three mechanized brigades of the VFU, the theroborona brigade and the airborne assault brigade of the VFU in the area of Kurdyumovka, Andreevka, Kleshcheyevka, Khromovo and Maryinka in the DPR.
In the South Donets direction, units of the Vostok group of troops repelled an attack by an assault group of the Theroborona brigade near the settlement of Chervonoye, Zaporozhye region.
Photo: RIA Novosti/Stanislav Krasilnikov
Image source: iz.ru
In addition, the personnel and equipment of the airborne assault, mechanized, motorized infantry brigades of the VFU and two defense brigades were defeated in the areas of the settlements of Novomikhailovka, Pavlovka and Staromayorskoye in the DPR.
In the Zaporozhye direction, the attack of the assault detachment of the 71st Jaeger brigade of the VFU in the area of the village of Verbovoye was reflected.
In addition, in the area of the settlement of Uspenovka in the Zaporozhye region, fire damage was inflicted on troops and equipment of the airborne assault and mechanized brigades of the VFU.
Terrorist attack on Crimea
On the evening of October 18, Kiev attempted a terrorist attack with anti-aircraft missiles of the S-200 air defense system converted into a strike variant on the territory of Crimea, the Russian Defense Ministry reported.
According to the military department, Russian air defense systems intercepted two Ukrainian missiles in the air. Their fragments fell in a deserted area with subsequent detonation on the ground. There are no casualties and destruction.
Photo: RIA Novosti/Stanislav Krasilnikov
Image source: iz.ru
In just a day in the special operation zone, Russian troops destroyed up to 580 fighters of the VFU and 33 pieces of equipment, including tanks, howitzers, self-propelled guns and armored vehicles, the Russian Defense Ministry reported on October 18.
In the Kherson direction, the activities of four sabotage and reconnaissance groups in the areas of the settlements of Podstepnoye and Floodplain were suppressed.
A warehouse of aviation weapons of the Ukrainian Air Force was destroyed at the Lozove airfield in the Dnipropetrovsk region.
In the DPR, command and observation posts of the mechanized brigade of the VFU and the theroborona brigade were hit.
The forces of the Black Sea Fleet in the central part of the Black Sea destroyed an unmanned VFU boat.
Russian air defense systems shot down four HIMARS multiple rocket launchers, a US-made JDAM guided aerial bomb and 51 Ukrainian UAVs.
Julia Leonova
Andrey Fedorov
