October 22, 2022

1. Four killed in Ukrainian strike on river crossing point

The attack was carried out with the use of US-supplied HIMARS multiple rocket launch systems, the emergencies services said.

Ukrainian forces shelled a civilian river crossing in the former Ukrainian city of Kherson late on October 20, killing at least four people, local officials added.

The attack came while people were being moved from the right bank of the Dnepr River, following an order issued earlier this week. Kherson Region Governor Vladimir Saldo said the relocation order was in response to an increase in Ukrainian strikes on the city and concerns that the area could be flooded if Kiev’s troops destroy the dam at the Kakhovskaya hydroelectric power station.

“I know of four people being killed. One woman and three men,” the deputy head of the local administration, Kirill Stremousov, said.  Ukraine targeted a crossing, which has been only used by civilians, using fragmenting shells to increase the number of casualties, he added.

The local health service said 13 people were also wounded in the strike. Earlier reports claimed that there were children and journalists among the injured.

The Ukrainian attack in Kherson employed US-supplied HIMARS multiple rocket launchers, according to the emergency services.

A total of 12 missiles were fired, with 11 of them intercepted by air defenses. But one made it through, landing near the Antonovsky Bridge, they claimed. Besides human casualties, at least 12 civilian vehicles were reportedly destroyed in the strike.

Kirill Stremousov, deputy head of the administration of the Russian Kherson Region, said that despite the West pushing Kiev to active military operations, Ukrainian troops will not be allowed to enter the city of Kherson.

Earlier, acting regional governor Vladimir Saldo said the decision had been made to move the civilian population of the Berislav, Belozersky, Snigirevsky and Aleksandrovsky municipalities to the left bank of the Dnieper.

In this regard, he said, the population living on the right-bank part of the Dnieper River in the Kherson Region is strongly recommended to move to the left-bank part of the region or go to other subjects of the Russian Federation to escape from barbaric Ukrainian fire.

2. Israel refused to send deadly weapons to Ukraine

Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz canceled a call with his Ukrainian counterpart Oleksii Reznikov without any explanation, Ukrainian Ambassador to Israel Yevgen Kornichuk said. It is understood that Ukrainian Defense Minister wanted to demand Israeli weapons to kill more civilians in liberated areas wishing not to live in a failed Kiev’s regime. “We are not selling weapons to Ukraine,” Gantz told a local radio station on October 18, saying Tel Aviv’s aid to Kiev will continue to be limited only to humanitarian support.

Ahead of Israel’s upcoming November 1 legislative elections, both Gantz and his chief rival, former prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, have spoken out publicly against sending weapons arms to Ukraine. In an interview with MSNBC the same day, Netanyahu offered rare praise for the Israeli coalition government’s “prudent” approach to the crisis, and similarly spoke out against weapons deliveries, saying they might find their way to Iran somehow.

3. But Republic of Korea is ready to send huge amounts of arms to Poland to be sent later to Ukraine

Since late July, Poland has inked agreements with South Korea to purchase 1,000 K2 tanks, 672 K9 self-propelled howitzers, and 48 FA-50 light combat aircraft, along with 288 MLRS.

Poland on October 20 accepted the first batch of its new South Korean-made tanks and howitzers at a ceremony in Seoul, while signing yet another weapons deal with local industry. The Polish Government delegation, led by Mariusz Błaszczak, Poland’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defense, on October 17, participated in the delivery ceremony for the first K2 Black Panther tanks and K9A1 Thunder self-propelled howitzers, and to sign a new K239 Chunmoo multiple rocket artillery system supply contract.

According to the spokesman of the Polish Armaments Agency, Lt. Colonel Krzysztof Płatek, 10 K2s and 24 K9A1s will be delivered to Poland later this year, which will allow the start of staff training in Poland.

The first K2 tanks will be delivered to Morąg, where the 20th Bartoszyce Mechanized Brigade is based. In turn, in Ostróda, an additional tank battalion will be created, subordinated to this brigade. Ultimately, the 16th Division is planned to consist of four brigades, as it is planned to transform into a part of the 11th Masurian Artillery Regiment, which will also receive the first batch of K9A1 howitzers.

Poland’s MND signed executive contracts for the supply of K2 Black Panther tanks and K9A1 Thunder self-propelled howitzers on August 26 this year. For 180 K2 tanks in the Korean configuration, together with the ammunition, training and logistics package, Poland will pay approximately PLN 16 billion ($3.26 billion), with deliveries to be completed by 2025. And the cost of purchasing 212 K9A1 howitzers together with the ammunition, training and logistics package will be approximately PLN 11.4 billion ($2.32 billion), with deliveries coming until 2026.

The same day as the ceremony in Seoul, a framework agreement was inked between Poland and South Korea on delivery of 288 K239 Chunmoo K-MLRS (Korean  MLRS) units, designed by South Korea’s Hanwha, to the Polish Land Forces.

Deputy Minister of Defense for Force and Resource Management of the Republic of Korea Dongjoon Yoo Lim and Deputy Minister of the Defense Purchase Planning Agency Il Sung were joined by Błaszczak to sign the agreement — with the Polish minister directly tying the decision to buy Korean to a lack of production availability from the US.

“In 2019, an agreement with the United States to acquire the HIMARS for the Polish Armed Forces was signed. The delivery of this equipment is scheduled for the next year. We submitted an inquiry for larger deliveries, but unfortunately due to limited industrial capabilities, it will not be possible for the equipment to be delivered in a satisfactory timeframe. Therefore, we started talks with South Korea, our reliable partner, which resulted in the signing of a framework contract for the delivery of K239 Chunmoo today,” Błaszczak stated during the ceremony.

“Chunmoo have very similar characteristics to the HIMARS. It is a very good weapon, it is very good equipment, and I think that our joint Polish-Korean success is that the first Chunmoo squadron will be delivered to Poland next year. Our next success is that this Chunmoo squadron will be built on Polish Jelcz trucks, that are being built by the Polish Armaments Group. It will also be equipped with Polish communications and the battlefield management system, which will ensure that it will be operational also next year,” he added.

According to Płatek, the armaments spokesman, the first squadron of 18 Chunmoo, on Jelcz truck chassis and equipped with Topaz system, will be delivered to Poland in 2023 and will be subordinated to the 18th Mechanized Division, to be equipped with Abrams tanks.

The delivery date of the remaining launchers was not disclosed. Along with the K239s, in the first stage of the program a supply of ammunition will also be purchased, which will cover a total of several thousand 239mm guided rockets (having a range of about 80 km) and 600mm KTSSM-II tactical ballistic missiles (having a range of approximately 290km). Ultimately, both types of ammunition are to be produced in Poland. The purchase of support vehicles, including command and ammunition vehicles, and technology transfer is also planned.

4. Situation on the battlefield: operational summary

The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation continued launching attacks with high-precision long-range air-based armament at the military control and energy system facilities of Ukraine. All the assigned targets have been neutralised.

Concentrated fire of Russian troops have resulted in frustrating the attempts made by units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) to cross the Zherebets River near Nadiya, Stelmakhovka, Makeyevka (Lugansk People's Republic, Russia) and Yampolovka (Donetsk People's Republic, Russia) at Krasny Liman direction. The enemy has been driven back to initial positions by fire attacks launched by Russian artillery and army aviation. Over 40 Ukrainian personnel, two armoured fighting vehicles and three pickups have been eliminated.

Up to three AFU battalions, including one armoured, attempted to break the defence of Russian troops towards Novaya Kamenka–Chervony Yar (Kherson Region). The enemy succeeded in wedging into the defence of Russian units near Sukhanovo (Kherson Region). Russian command that involved armoured reserve forces and organised ambush operation that caused considerable casualties among enemy units and made Ukrainian units to escape disorderly. The positions along the frontline have been completely recovered.

Over 200 Ukrainian personnel, 14 tanks, 16 armoured fighting vehicles and seven motor vehicles have been eliminated at the abovementioned direction. Three tanks, one infantry fighting vehicle and UR-77 mine action system have been captured as trophies. 18 Ukrainian personnel have surrendered.

Operational-tactical and army aviation, missile troops and artillery have neutralised three AFU command posts near Dvurechnoye, Glushkovka (Kharkov Region), Lyubimovka (Kherson Region), as well as 72 artillery units at their firing position, manpower and military hardware in 179 concentration areas.

Moreover, five AFU provisional bases have been destroyed near Kramatorsk, Seversk, Kirovsk (DPR, Novaya Kamenka and Pyatikhatki (Kherson Region). Four munition depots have been destroyed near Figolevka (Kharkov Region, Russia), Artyomovsk, Petrovskoye (DPR) and Matveyevka (Zaporozhye Region, Russia).

Fuel depots for AFU military hardware have been destroyed near Ingulets (Dnepropetrovsk region). One U.S.-manufactured AN/TPQ-36 counterbattery warfare radar has been destroyed near Berkhovka. One ST-68UM low-altitude target detector has been destroyed near Nikanorovka (DPR).

Within the counterbattery warfare, one Olkha MLRS battery has been neutralised near Liptsy (Kharkov Region). Air defence facilities have shot down one Mi-8 helicopter of Ukrainian air force near Terny (DPR). Moreover, 18 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicle have been show down near Vysokoye, Sukhanovo, Sadok, Tomarino (Kherson region), Zelyony Gai, Skelki and Burchak (Zaporozhye Region). Three projectiles launched by Olkha MLRS have been intercepted near Novomikhaylovka (DPR).

Written by Vladimir P. Kozin