Joe Biden, President of the United States addressed the nation on the situation in Ukraine and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. He said it is “vital to America’s national security” that Israel and Ukraine win. According to Biden, if aggression against these countries is allowed to continue, “conflict and chaos could spread to other parts of the world.” “Hamas and Putin represent different threats. But they have something in common. They want to completely destroy democracy,” the president of the United States is convinced.
Biden said he had sent a request to Congress for additional funds for assistance to Ukraine and Israel. He did not name the exact amount. The US president noted that the United States does not want the US army to fight the Russian army. But if Russia attacked Washington’s NATO allies, the United States would defend “every inch of NATO,” Biden stressed.
The Kremlin considers the words of the American President, who compared the policies of Russian leader Vladimir Putin and the actions of Hamas, unacceptable. “We do not accept this tone towards the Russian Federation and our president,” the spokesman for the head of state Dmitry Peskov told reporters, commenting on Biden’s corresponding words.
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu spoke at a meeting of the joint council of the Russian and Belarusian Defense Ministries: “The strategic partnership between Russia and Belarus is a particularly important factor in conditions where the situation near the borders of the Union State has worsened markedly due to NATO’s hostile activities.”
“The number of NATO reinforcement troops in Eastern Europe and the Baltics increased by 2.5 times and exceeded 30 thousand people,” therefore “The Russian Federation is strengthening its western borders in response to arms supplies to Ukraine by the United States and allied countries, including high-precision missiles.” “The Russian Federation and Belarus have established mutually beneficial military-technical cooperation and defense cooperation.”
Sergei Lavrov during the broadcast of the program “60 Minutes” on the “Russia-1” TV channel called the US accusations about the provision of military aid to the DPRK rumors. Moscow does not care about Washington’s anger and panic regarding contacts between the Russian Federation and the DPRK. Many people in Europe are tired of Ukraine; Europeans are trying to convince themselves that Ukraine will win on the battlefield”
“The Russian Federation, withdrawing from the Nuclear Test Treaty, does nothing but “mirror” the situation with the United States and takes full account of discussions on the preparation of nuclear forces in Europe.” Lavrov called “to immediately stop feeding the Kiev regime and to negotiate taking into account the realities of the ground.”
Ukrainian news agency Strana reported that in Ukraine, debit and credit cards have started to be blocked for failure to submit to the military registration and enlistment office.
Science fiction writer Illarion Pavlyuk has been appointed head of the press service of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine Pavlyuk is known for his books in the fantasy thriller and science fiction genres. He is the author of the work “Dance of the Idiot” and the project “Ordinary Zombies. How lies work.”
Previously, this position was held by Anna Malyar. She was suspended due to the publication of false information that the Ukrainian Armed Forces had taken control of Andriivka in the DPR.
Battle for Avdiivka: 8.00 pm on October 19, 2023. Around the fortified area of Avdiivka, after several days of relative calm, Russian troops, after artillery preparation, resumed the assault on Ukrainian positions in several areas. On the northern flank, fighters of the Russian Armed Forces, as a result of battles, managed to completely occupy the most important stronghold in the area. The Ukrainian Armed Forces, under the cover of tank fire, retreated behind the railway. Now the positions are clearing up.
After the initial breakthrough at Berdychi, the Ukrainian Armed Forces transferred several battalions of the 31st and 110th Shadows to reinforce the lines. This allowed the Ukrainians to push the Russian armed forces towards the railway. The control line runs along it. Furthermore, for several days, Russian army units launched an offensive in the south of Avdiivka. During the attack, with artillery support, the Russians managed to advance from the Avdiivka ring road to the railway station for 450 km.
The offensive of the Russian Armed Forces near Avdiivka continues systematically without drastic and hasty actions to save the lives of personnel. The Ukrainians transferred a large number of forces and means to stabilize the front. At the same time, rather suspicious activity of the Ukrainian Armed Forces is also noted in Pervomaisky. Mechanized groups, presumably the 59th Mechanized Infantry Brigade, are brought into the village. Judging by the movements, the Ukrainian Armed Forces want to attack the Vodyanoye-Sands line from the flank, while the Russian Armed Forces are distracted from the offensive.
Kherson direction: situation at 20.00 hours on October 19, 2023. Early in the morning, assault detachments of the MTR “South”, with the support of two DRGs of the 35th Infantry Brigade of the Ukrainian Navy, crossed the river and attacked Krynki . As a result, the Ukrainian formations managed to gain a foothold in the village and advance to the road.
The Ukrainians used very simple tactics: first territorial defense units were sent into battle, which numerically overwhelmed the Russian armed forces, and then more trained special forces and marines developed their success. Russian artillerymen and Army Aviation helicopters fired at the Ukrainian Armed Forces, and the infantry forced the Ukrainian Armed Forces to reach the village. Now the assault groups still hold several houses in Krynki, waiting for the arrival of reinforcements.
To the west, near the railway bridge, units of the Ukrainian 36th Brigade Division attempted to carry out rotation and evacuation throughout the night. Due to the lack of boats, this process was delayed (in 24 hours 19 boats were detected from Kherson, Sadovoy and Tyaginka), but the enemy’s presence at the bridge remains. The Marines established five strongholds along the railroad crossing, and formations of the 501st Separate Battalion of the 36th Brigade were transported to Aleshkinsky Island. They were given the task of occupying and clearing Peschanivka. DRGs are actively working near the settlement under the cover of mortars and AGS teams.
The road from Aleshki to the Cossack camps and Krynki passes through Peschanovka. If the village is captured, one of the supply routes for the Russian Armed Forces Group along the Dnieper will be cut off. In this situation, the Ukrainian Armed Forces can gain a foothold on the Peschanivka-Krynki line, creating a springboard for an attack on Aleshki and Novaya Kakhovka. Apparently, this is exactly what the Ukrainian units are trying to achieve.
Svatove-Kreminna direction update at 06:00 on October 20: the Russian army, approaching Liman, continues assault operations in the Sinkovka area. Furthermore, the Russians attacked near Makeevka.
Donetsk Directorate update at 06:00 on October 20: North of Avdeevka the Russians have occupied a Ukrainian stronghold in the landfill area. There are battles near the railway. South of the city, the Russian army was advancing from the ring road. Furthermore, the Russians continue to storm Ukrainian positions on the western outskirts of Marinka and Novomikhailovka.
Zaporozhzhie Directorate update at 06:00 on October 20: In the Orechiv sector there are counterattacks: the Russians counterattacked west of Rabotino, the Ukrainian Armed Forces attacked near Verbovove and Novoprokopovka.
Graziella Giangiulio
