Prepared by Sofia Oliynyk, Maryana Zaviyska, Anna Dovha
Photo: Zelenskiy Official telegram channel
Cities under attack.
Since October 10, Russian troops have carried out about 300 strikes on Ukraine’s energy system. As a result, about 40% of the total infrastructure and generating capacity of the energy system of Ukraine has been seriously damaged.
Mykolaiv region. On October 19, the Russian invaders shelled Bashtanka district. As a result of the shelling, one private house was destroyed and one was damaged. At night on October 20, the city of Mykolaiv was under Russian attack with Iranian kamikaze drones. Four drones targeted one of the city’s educational institutions. Another drone fell on closed private territory. As a result, two fires broke out in open areas.
Dnipropetrovsk region. On October 19, the Russian invaders shelled the energy infrastructure of Kryvyi Rih district. As a result, many villages were cut off from electricity and pumping stations of local water utilities were de-energized. In the city of Kyvyi Rih, a two-story building was damaged, no casualties were reported. On October 20, the Russian invaders struck an industrial enterprise and an energy infrastructure facility in Kryvyi Rih district.
Zaporizhzhia region. At night on October 19, the Russian military attacked a critical infrastructure facility in Zaporizhzhia district. Also, the Russian invaders fired at the city of Orikhiv. As a result, 8 people were injured, private houses, the building of the city council, and an educational institution were damaged. On October 20, as a result of the attack on the settlement of Komyshuvakha, a two-story building was damaged and a school of social rehabilitation was destroyed.
Sumy region. On October 19, as a result of shelling by the Russian military in Khotyn, the local fire department, the sports hall of the vocational school were destroyed, and private cars were damaged.
Chernihiv region. On October 19, three people were injured there as a result of an explosion on the territory of one of the enterprises in the city of Chernihiv.
Cities under occupation.
The President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, signed a decree on the ‘introduction of martial law’ in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine, namely in Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson Regions. The law envisages among all broad powers involvement of the local residents into the defense activities if necessary, confiscation of assets for defense purposes. In response, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine stated that the announcement of the so-called ‘martial law’ by the Russian Federation is aimed at suppressing the resistance of the residents of Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson Regions, who oppose the Russian occupation. Oleksiy Danilov, Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council, stated that Putin’s martial law in the annexed regions of Ukraine is a preparation for the mass deportation of the Ukrainian population to depressed regions of the Russian Federation in order to change the ethnic composition of the occupied territory.
Meanwhile, Russia has announced a so-called ‘evacuation’ of thousands of civilians from the area around Kherson, allegedly ahead of the possible upcoming assault to recapture the city by Ukrainian forces.
Foreign policy.
The Netherlands advocate the creation of a special tribunal in The Hague regarding Russian aggression against Ukraine. Currently the presented motion received a majority of support and as commented by MP Sjoerd Sjoerdsma is a step to be prepared to bring Putin to justice once the occasion occurs.
Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier canceled his visit to Kyiv planned for October 19 due to ‘security reasons’. On October 20, the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a telephone call with Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier. Volodymyr Zelenskyy noticed that Ukraine is working on the preparation of the Federal President’s visit to Ukraine.
Ukraine and the United States signed a Joint Statement on supporting Ukraine’s infrastructural stability and its restoration through enhanced bilateral cooperation. The statement provides for the creation of a Joint Task Forces, which will deal with the issue of involving American state institutions, businesses and experts in the process of restoring Ukraine’s infrastructure.
During a meeting of the UN Security Council convened at the initiative of the United States, France and the United Kingdom, concerns were raised that Russia was importing drones in violation of a resolution adopted by the UN Security Council in 2015. In response, Russia threatens to ‘reconsider cooperation’ with the UN Secretary General if experts are sent to verify the origin of drones used by the Russian military in Ukraine.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stated that Russia’s missile and drone attacks on power stations and other infrastructure in Ukraine are ‘acts of pure terror’ that amount to war crimes, Reuters reported.
Human rights.
More than 3000 Russian soldiers contacted the Ukrainian hotlines of the ‘I want to live’ project to surrender to the Ukrainian army, according to the speaker of the project, Vitaliy Matvienko.
According to the Mayor of Kharkiv, Ihor Terekhov, more than 150000 Kharkiv residents lost their homes due to constant shelling by the Russian occupiers
Dmytro Lubinets, the Verkhovna Rada Commissioner for Human Rights, said that Ukraine is looking for alternatives to the International Committee of the Red Cross to visit Ukrainian prisoners of war in Olenivka and other places of detention.
Forced Migration.
In the municipality of Gros-Stremkendorf, Germany, a hostel for Ukrainian refugees burned down almost to the ground. The police consider arson as the main version. Before that, unknown people painted graffiti with a swastika on a sign with the name of the hostel. The head of the municipality administration, Tino Schoeman, suggests that the fire was deliberately set.
Energy security.
The President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported that the Russian occupiers mined the dam and units of the Kakhovska Hydro Power Plant. He emphasized that in case of blowing up the dam, more than 80 settlements, including Kherson, will be in the flood zone.
The President of Ukraine, due to the Russian military’s attacks on the energy infrastructure of Ukraine, set the task of quickly creating mobile power points for the critical infrastructure of cities, towns and villages.
Digital security.
A network of shadowy editors, who have been attempting to sway the narrative about the Russo-Ukrainian war by making subtle changes to the website’s articles, were exposed.
Economic security.
The European Commission announced a new emergency shelter and winterised facilities programme for Ukraine and will provide €175 million in humanitarian assistance to support those most.
Sanctions.
Ukraine introduced sanctions against 1374 companies and 256 Russian businessmen. Also, the list includes the cultural actors who supported the Russian aggression against Ukraine.
The UK implemented new sanctions on Iranian individuals and businesses responsible for supplying Russia with kamikaze drones used to bombard Ukraine. Meanwhile, EU ambassadors agreed on sanctions against entities supplying Iranian drones that hit Ukraine. Also, Canada implemented the third package of sanctions against the Iranian regime.
Awards.
The European Parliament has awarded the brave people of Ukraine, represented by their president, elected leaders and civil society, the 2022 Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought.
Reading corner.
- ‘Human Life Has No Value There’: Baltic Counterintelligence Officers Speak Candidly About Russian Cruelty | Eesti Ekspress (delfi.ee) – The Estonian weekly Eesti Ekspress interviewed the heads and several employees of Estonia’s, Latvia’s, and Lithuania’s state security agencies. This is what they had to say regarding Russia.
Watchlist.
On March 1 Dmytro Bahnenko, a journalist in Kherson, southern Ukraine, secretly started filming everything around him, sensing history in the making. Over the next three months Dmytro records his city’s resistance. Acts of defiance, including large demonstrations are followed by a violent crackdown. The city changes. Food and medicine become scarce. Russian military vehicles marked with the ‘Z’ speed up and down Kherson streets. Shelling is heard round the clock. Many people flee. Friends and prominent local people start to disappear – others are put through mock executions. See the film of Dmytro reflecting his life during the first months of Person’s occupation.
Statistics.
- General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine announced the total estimated losses of the Russian military as of 10 a.m., October 21, 2022: personnel – around 66750, tanks ‒ 2573, APV ‒ 5258, artillery systems – 1648, MLRS – 372, anti-aircraft warfare systems – 189, fixed-wing aircraft – 269, helicopters – 243, operational-tactical level UAV – 1325, cruise missiles –323, boats and light speed boats – 16, soft-skinned vehicles and fuel tankers – 4006, special equipment – 146.
Every action counts, no contribution is too small!
- Support SharetheTruth project becoming one of the volunteers translating it into your local language.
- Subscribe to our daily updates on Twitter and our website.