++ News Ukraine: Losses for Russia: “Situation at the escalation front”

In the southern Kherson region one morning this month, AFP reporters saw about 20 tanks, as well as rocket launchers and transport vehicles, which appeared to be destroyed or damaged. Just a few hours later, about six of them appeared to have been taken away. Russia and Ukraine use similar Soviet-era equipment, which means Ukrainian soldiers often don’t need a lot of training to use them.

News on the war in Ukraine: an overview of Russia’s losses

+++ 10:40: Since the invasion of Ukraine began on February 24, Russia has suffered heavy losses. There is hardly any information on the numbers from the Russian side. In September, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu provided official data for the first time since March. “Russia’s losses amount to 5937,” he said at the time. However, the Ukrainian General Staff publishes a new update on the numbers every day. As a result, the casualties are 66,650 soldiers. This cannot be independently verified.

• Soldiers: 66,650 (+370 the previous day)
• planes: 269 ​​(+0)
• Helicopter: 243 (+1)
• Panzer: 2567 (+13)
• Armored combat vehicles: 5255 (+20)
• Artillery system: 1646 (+9)
• Air defense systems: 189 (+0)
• Multiple Rocket Launcher Systems: 372 (+0)
• Cars and other vehicles: 4005 (+6)
• Ships: 16 (+0)
• Unmanned Combat Drones: 1311 (+25)
• Starting Thursday 20 October 2022
• Information about Russia’s losses in the war in Ukraine comes from the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense. They cannot be independently verified. The Kremlin itself provides very little information on its own losses.

Russia Losses: 233 drones and “dozens of missiles” destroyed.

+++ 09:20: Russia continues to attack Ukraine with combat drones. However, the defenders reportedly managed to destroy 14 of these Shahed-136 kamikaze drones overnight in Mykolayiv Oblast. According to Task Force South, they were shot down by the military, the National Guard and the police.

+++ 07:40: The Ukrainian army attacked Russian surface-to-air missile systems in the south. This was reported by the Southern Task Force. Russian casualties amounted to 43 soldiers, six tanks, nine armored vehicles, two 152 mm howitzers, a command vehicle, a reconnaissance drone and two ammunition depots in the Beryslav district in the Kherson oblast.

Losses for Russia: 233 drones and “dozens of missiles” destroyed.

Update from Thursday 20 October, 6:20 am: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed his country shot down a total of 233 Iranian-made Russian kamikaze drones over Ukraine last month. In addition, Selensky spoke in his evening video speech about “dozens of missiles” which had destroyed Ukraine.

+++ 22:33: Apparently, Russian flags have been removed from flagpoles in the occupied city of Mariupol. “All the Russian rags have suddenly disappeared from the flag pole in Liberty Square. Maybe it’s not a coincidence. (…) Greetings from the resistance of Mariupol ”, wrote on Telegram Petro Andriushchenko, adviser to the Ukrainian mayor of the city. The official attached a photo to the post of him, which is said to show the posts that are no longer marked. Unable to verify information.

Losses to Russia: Ukraine launches 10 air strikes on enemy positions

+++ 20:19: According to its own statements, the Ukrainian air force carried out ten airstrikes on enemy positions in one day. “Damage to six groups of weapons and military equipment and four positions of enemy anti-aircraft missile systems have been confirmed,” reads a Facebook post.

Ukrainian artillery also hit three Russian military checkpoints, arms depots, an electronic warfare station, a bridge and a boat passage. “We believe in the armed forces! Together we will win! Glory to Ukraine! ”She said.

Losses for Russia: Ukraine brings Kamikaze drones from the sky

+++ 16:56: Furthermore, Russia has to accept heavy material losses. According to its own information, on Wednesday (October 19) the Ukrainian air force shot down four Russian cruise missiles and ten Iranian-made kamikaze drones fired by the Russian army in Ukraine. Furthermore, the cruise missiles could be destroyed.

“On October 19 at 12:05 the enemy attacked Ukraine with strategic fighter jets from the northeast. Six Kh-101 / Kh-555 cruise missiles were shot down by Tu-95 and Tu-160 bombers, “Ukrainian Air Force wrote on Telegram. At the same time, numerous kamikaze drones were launched from the north, in particular from the Belarus, loyal to Putin.

Losses for Russia: even “General Armageddon” admits problems

+++ 15:19: The infamous new commander of the Russian army has admitted weaknesses in his own strengths. The situation for the armed forces is particularly difficult in the Cherson region. “Overall, the situation in the military special operations area can be described as tense,” General Sergei Surovikin told state TV, according to the BBC.

Now they want to take care of the civilians in the area, explained the army known as “General Armageddon”. “First of all, the Russian army will ensure the safe evacuation of the population of Kherson,” he said.

+++ 13:40: Russia is increasingly relying on drones from Iran in the war in Ukraine. However, Ukraine repeatedly manages to render these weapons harmless. According to the Ukrainian army, defenders have destroyed 223 Iranian-made Shahed-136 drones on Ukrainian territory since mid-September.

News on war in Ukraine: Russia makes it difficult to create losses

Updated from Wednesday 19 October, 12:15 pm: The partial mobilization of Russia in the war in Ukraine has so far been unsuccessful. On the contrary: the first Russians enlisted have already returned home in the coffins. The riots are actually so great that the governors and members of parliament in Russia have long since intervened. Deputy of the Duma Andrei Gurulev, for example, expressed his horror: one and a half million sets of personal equipment had disappeared and no one explained why. Vladimir Putin fired Deputy Defense Minister Dmitry Bulgakov, who is responsible for equipping the armed forces. However, Gurulev complains that this does not explain “why conscripts are not provided with uniforms”.

Governors are now purchasing their own binoculars and night vision devices for the recruits, bypassing the Defense Ministry budget. The eminent deputy Leonid Slutsky thundered: “It’s a shame.” Sometimes there was also a lack of ammunition and weapons.

News on the war in Ukraine: Moscow lacks capable officers

First reportage of Wednesday 19 October: Moscow – Russia is having a hard time in the war in Ukraine, especially on the ground. The losses suffered by the Russian armed forces are truly enormous. In its October 19 report, the Ukrainian general staff estimated the number of Russian soldiers killed at 66,280. For comparisonAccording to official figures, 58,220 US soldiers lost their lives in the Vietnam War. And in the war in Afghanistan (1979-1989) 14,453 soldiers were killed by the Soviet side.

News on the war in Ukraine: Russia lacks competent leadership

According to British intelligence, the problems on the front lines in Ukraine are partly due to the lack of competent leadership. The army has fewer and fewer young officers capable of educating and guiding new recruits, the UK Defense Ministry said in its daily briefing on Wednesday (19 October). This probably worsened the morale and cohesion of the Russian troops.

Four out of five generals with direct operational responsibility for the war of aggression started by Russia in February have been sacked: the British are convinced that their successors have not improved the situation. In the Russian military, this leadership weakness has even greater repercussions than Western ones, as Russian doctrine dictates that the personal decisions of a single commander count more than collective effort. (cs / dpa)