Victory Chronicles-DAY 604

The Russian invaders have attacked on six fronts in Ukraine’s east over the past day, and Ukraine’s Defence Forces repelled over 40 Russian attacks on the Kupiansk front alone.

“Over the past day, 90 combat clashes took place. In total, the enemy launched 12 missile and 60 air strikes and carried out 53 attacks from multiple-launch rocket systems on the positions of Ukrainian troops and settlements,” reported the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Russian forces conducted airstrikes on 20 settlements, and about 150 settlements in Chernihiv, Sumy, Kharkiv, Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson Oblasts came under artillery fire.

Over the past 24 hours, the Ukrainian Air Force conducted one attack on a Russian command point, 13 strikes on clusters of personnel, weapons, and military equipment, and four strikes on anti-aircraft missile systems. Ukrainian defenders also destroyed four reconnaissance tactical UAVs. Ukraine’s Rocket Forces and Artillery struck one command post, two clusters of Russian personnel, weapons, and military equipment, two TOS-1A Solntsepyok heavy multiple-launch rocket systems, as well as 13 artillery pieces belonging to the Russians.

Russia keeps suffering losses in its war of aggression against Ukraine as Ukrainian defenders have killed 1,380 Russian soldiers and destroyed 55 tanks and 120 armored combat vehicles belonging to the Russians over the past 24 hours alone. The Russians suffered the bulk of their losses on the Avdiivka front.

The 37th Separate Marine Brigade published a photo of the Marines’ training. “Through sweat and fatigue to the best version of ourselves! The Marine Corps is a path of constant self-improvement and honing of acquired skills,” the 37th Brigade wrote.

In the Avdiivka sector, the enemy has resumed offensive actions and continues to try to encircle the city. However, our defenders hold the line and inflict considerable losses on the enemy. Operators of the 3rd regiment of the Special Operations Forces discovered heavy equipment of the occupants moving towards Avdiivka. Using the available weapons, namely FPV drones, Javelin man-portable air defense systems, mortars, our fighters quickly stopped the enemy. As a result of their efficient work, four armored personnel carriers, two tanks, and several dozen enemy troops were destroyed.

Russian sources continued to discuss larger-than-usual Ukrainian ground operations on the east (left) bank of Kherson Oblast on October 19, and Ukrainian forces likely maintain a limited presence in some east bank areas near the Dnipro River shoreline and the Antonivsky railway bridge. 

The prominent Russian milblogger who initiated Russian discussion of Ukrainian assaults on the east bank on October 18 claimed on October 19 that two Ukrainian sabotage and reconnaissance groups of a Ukrainian naval infantry brigade crossed the Dnipro River, overwhelmed the Russian troops in the area, and gained a foothold in the village of Krynky (30km east of Kherson City and about 2km inland from the Dnipro River shoreline). The milblogger claimed that Russian infantry counterattacked and pushed Ukrainian forces back towards the outskirts of the village but noted that Ukrainian troops still control some houses in Krynky and are waiting for reinforcements to arrive in the area.

Another Russian milblogger claimed that Ukrainian forces used more manpower in attacks on Krynky than in previous attacks. Several Russian sources, including Kherson Oblast occupation head Vladimir Saldo, claimed that Russian forces managed to push Ukrainian forces back from the Poyma-Pishchanivka-Pidstepne area (15km east of Kherson City) to the Dnipro River shoreline and to positions under the Antonivsky railway bridge, where they claim Ukrainian forces are trying to rest and regroup under constant Russian air and artillery strikes.

The Ukrainian General Staff also notably tacitly acknowledged Ukrainian operations on the east bank and reported on October 19 that Russian airstrikes hit Pishchanivka, implying Ukrainian forces were operating in the town. While Russian sources continue to offer slightly diverging claims about the scale of the Ukrainian attacks on the east bank, ISW continues to assess that current Ukrainian actions appear to be larger than previously observed tactical raids, and available geolocated footage indicates that Ukrainian forces maintain a presence along the shoreline and near the Antonivsky railway bridge despite Russian counterattacks.

22-year-old defender Oleksii Zadorozhnyi, with the call sign Alik, died on August 8, 2023, near the village of Kozachi Lageri in Kherson Oblast. While performing a combat mission, he was driving a boat to ferry his comrades to the occupied shore of Kherson. At that moment, the enemy shelling began. 

Oleksii was born in the village of Polianetske, Odesa Oblast. He graduated from the Odesa Professional Lyceum of Maritime Transport. He was fond of cars and everything related to them. This is how he earned his living. For some time, he worked as an electrician in apartment complexes and as a cook. He was fond of drifting in his car on specially designated tracks. It was his hobby. 

During the full-scale invasion, the man joined the Armed Forces of Ukraine to defend his country from the invaders. He served in the 126th separate Territorial Defense Brigade. He held the position of assistant grenade launcher.

“Oleksii was a very good man, respected by his family and friends. His mother raised him to be a real man. When the full-scale war started, he immediately started to rush to the TRO to defend his country, his friends and family. He did not listen to anyone because he had a very stubborn character, he answered everyone: “Who else but me?”. At first, the military enlistment office did not want to accept Oleksii, but he got his way. Then he was sent to the 126th Brigade. He participated in the liberation of Snihurivka. Later he enlisted in an assault brigade. But on 08.08.2023, my boyfriend’s life ended in the Kherson direction while performing a combat mission. That day I lost the meaning of life… We never managed to build a family and live happily. A young man with his whole life ahead of him gave his life for all of us. My stepfather is fighting in the hot spots. The mother was left alone, without her only child,” said the victim’s beloved, Olena Kachkovska.

The young defender was buried at the Western Cemetery in Odesa. Oleksii is survived by his mother, Olesya Vitaliivna, stepfather, Vasyl Viktorovych, girlfriend, other relatives, friends, and fighters-in-arms.

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