Sunday, October 22

Russia’s war against Ukraine

The 108th Independent Brigade of the Territorial Defense Forces undergoes training at the trenches around Zaporizhzhia on Oct. 18, 2023. (Ozge Elif Kizil/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Ukraine Peace Formula meeting to take place in Malta next week. Malta will host the Ukraine Peace Formula meeting from Oct. 28 to 29, the Maltese Foreign Ministry announced on Oct. 20. The peace formula, supported by many Western allies, includes the restoration of the country’s territorial integrity, a complete withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukraine, and judging those responsible for war crimes.

PM Shmyhal: Ukraine has spent over $27 billion on defense this year. Ukraine has spent over Hr 1 trillion ($27.4 billion) on defense in the first nine months of 2023, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said on Oct. 20.

Umerov holds call with Austin over ATACMS delivery. Defense Minister Rustem Umerov thanked the U.S. leadership for delivering the long-range Army Tactical Missiles Systems (ATACMS) to Ukraine during a call with U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Oct. 21.

Military: Russian forces use new tactics, remote-controlled vehicles in Avdiivka. Russian troops are reportedly adapting their tactics by digging tunnels to launch assaults from closer to Ukrainian positions and using unmanned ground vehicles, Anton Kotsukon, the 110th Separate Mechanized brigade’s spokesperson, said on air on Oct. 21.

Economy Minister: Russia has committed 2,500 crimes against the environment. Ukraine has already documented 2,500 war crimes committed by Russia against the environment since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, Economy Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko said during an event on Oct. 21.

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3 more children rescued from Russian captivity. The mission was carried out in cooperation with international partners and NGOs, including the Orphans Feeding Foundation, the NGO Heroiam Slava, and the Charitable Foundation Smile USA, Ukraine’s Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets said on Oct. 21.

ISW: Russian forces are struggling to hinder Ukrainian resupply, reinforcement in eastern Kherson Oblast. Ukrainian ground forces are reportedly engaged in efforts to secure the village Krynky, located 30 kilometers northeast of Kherson and just two kilometers from the Dnipro River, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said in their Oct. 21 update, citing BBC Russia.

Military: Russian forces engaging in ‘complex’ aerial warfare in south. Russian forces are using complex aerial tactics to attack targets in the south of Ukraine, Natalia Humeniuk, spokesperson of Ukraine’s Southern Operational Command, said on air on Oct. 21.

UK Defense Ministry: Putin flaunts Kinzhals for ‘strategic messaging purposes.’ Russian President Vladimir Putin’s recent announcement of Kinzhal missiles-armed jet patrols over the Black Sea was mainly for strategic messaging purposes, as Kinzhals’ actual performance has been lackluster, the U.K. Defense Ministry said in its report on Oct. 21.

Boryspil airport plans to resume operations within a month of war’s end. Ukraine’s largest airport, Kyiv’s Boryspil International, is prepared to resume flights within one month after the end of the war, the airport’s director general Oleksiy Dubrevskyy said in an interview with Politico on Oct. 18.

Human cost of war

Russian missile attack on post office in Kharkiv Oblast kills 6. A Russian missile struck a post office in Kharkiv district on Oct. 21, killing six people at the depot of the Ukrainian privately-owned postal service Nova Poshta, Kharkiv Oblast Governor Oleh Syniehubov said.

16 wounded in Russian missile attack on post office in Kharkiv Oblast. The number of wounded in a Russian missile strike on the Kharkiv district on Oct. 21 increased by two people, and now stands at 16, according to Ukraine’s Interior Ministry. Russian forces attacked the region with S-300 missiles.

International response

Germany pledges further $210 million for Ukraine reconstruction. These funds will be used for the restoration of Ukraine’s healthcare, education, drinking water supply, and for urban reconstruction, Germany’s State Secretary for Development Jochen Flasbarth said.

Biden: Israel, Ukraine’s success vital to US national security. U.S. President Joe Biden reminded American citizens on Oct. 21 that the continuation of support for Ukraine and Israel remains vital to the U.S. in particular, calling it a matter of “national security.”

Media: New EU sanctions package to include Russian diamonds ban. The next package of European Union sanctions against Russia is set to include a long-awaited ban on Russian diamonds, Brussels-based media outlet EUobserver reported on Oct. 20, citing an unnamed European diplomat.

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In other news

UEFA fines Lithuania for anti-Putin football chant. The Lithuanian Football Federation has appealed a 10,000 euro ($10,600) fine issued by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA), after fans chanted derogatory slogans about Russian dictator Vladimir Putin during a match, Lithuanian media outlet LRT.lt reported on Oct. 20.

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Today’s Ukraine Daily was brought to you by Oleksiy Sorokin, Martin Fornusek, Lili Bivings, Elsa Court, Teah Pelechaty, Alexander Query, and Olena Goncharova.

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Ukraine Daily Summary - Sunday, October 22

3 more children rescued from Russian captivity -- Russian forces use new tactics, remote-controlled vehicles in Avdiivka -- Russian forces are struggling to hinder Ukrainian resupply, reinforcement in eastern Kherson Oblast -- Putin flaunts Kinzhals for 'strategic messaging purposes' -- and more