Oleksiy Reznikov of Ukraine (R) and Lloyd Austin of the US at the NATO Defense Ministers Summit, Ramstein, Germany, October 12, 2022

Wednesday’s Coverage: Russia Continues Its Missile Strikes Across Country

Source: Institute for the Study of War

UPDATE 1811 GMT:

Ukraine and Russia have exchanged 40 prisoners of war, 20 on each side.

Ukraine’s 20 POWs were freed from captivity in Olenivka in the Donetsk region in the east and in the Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions in the south.

Andriy Yermak, the Ukraine President’s Chief of Staff, wrote on Telegram, “We will bring everyone back.”

UPDATE 1805 GMT:

In the face of Ukraine’s counter-offensive in the south, Russia has advised residents to evacuate the Kherson region, “annexed” 22 days ago by Vladimir Putin.

Deputy Prime Minister Marat Khusnullin said on State TV:

The government took the decision to organise assistance for the departure of residents of the [Kherson] region to other regions of the country.

We will provide everyone with free accommodation and everything necessary.

Moscow responded to the appeal of the Russian proxy head of Kherson, Vladimir Saldo:

We suggested to all people of the Kherson region to, if they wish, leave to other regions to protect themselves from missile hits.

In addressing the leadership of [Russia], I ask you to help organise this work.

UPDATE 1759 GMT:

Ukraine State energy operator Ukrenergo says the power grid has been stabilized after Russian missile and drone strikes that targeted energy infrastructure.

Ukrenergo chief Volodymyr Kudrytskyi said on Facebook.

The introduction of scheduled emergency blackouts is currently not being planned….We withstood what was probably the largest missile attack on energy infrastructure in history.

UPDATE 1744 GMT:

In talks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Vladimir Putin has avoided discussion about the political and military situation in Ukraine, including the possibility of negotiations to end his invasion.

Instead, Putin pressed the idea of a gas hub in Turkey to help him put further pressure on Europe over supplies.

Putin said in the meeting in Kazakhstan:

In the course of the work of this hub, which we could create together, of course, it would also be a platform not only for supplies, but also for determining the price, because this is a very important issue — the issue of pricing.

Today, these prices are sky-high; we could easily regulate at a normal market level, without any political overtones.

Putin suggested the hub on Wednesday, redirecting supplies intended for the damaged Nord Stream 1 and 2 undersea pipelines.

Swedish and Danish authorities are investigating the blasts causing three leaks in the pipelines as acts of sabotage, but have not yet said whom they believe was responsible.

Erdoğan did not comment publicly on Putin’s proposal.

The Turkish President mentioned Russia’s construction of Turkey’s first nuclear power plant, which Ankara hopes to open next year, and raised the idea of a second plant in the north of the country.

He also defended Turkish trade with Russia, which has doubled in recent months in defiance of
international sanctions over the Russian invasion.

UPDATE 0613 GMT:

The UN General Assembly has condemned Vladimir Putin’s “annexation” of occupied Ukrainian territory, with 143 of 193 countries supporting the resolution.

Only five countries voted No: Russia, Syria, Nicaragua, North Korea, and Belarus. Another 35 countries abstained, including China, India, South Africa, and Pakistan.

The resolution declared that the annexations, announced by Putin on September 21, “have no validity under international law and do not form the basis for any alteration of the status of these regions of Ukraine”. Russia must “immediately, completely and unconditionally withdraw all of its military forces from the territory of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders.”

ORIGINAL ENTRY: Ukraine has welcomed air defense systems from Germany and the US as Russia continues missile and drone strikes on Ukrainian cities from the capital Kyiv to Mykolaiv in the south.

Defense minister Oleksiy Reznikov hailed the arrival of the first of four Iris-T defence systems from Germany and the “expedited” delivery of National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems from the US.

France has promised radar and air defense systems in the coming weeks. Dutch Defense Minister Kajsa Ollongren wrote Parliament that the Government is delivering $14.4 million of air defenses
. The UK will provide Amraam anti-aircraft missiles, which can be used with the advanced US NASAMS systems.

Reznikov posted from Ramstein, Germany where he attended a two-day summit of NATO Defense Ministers with air defense as the first item on the agenda. After a meeting with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, he wrote, “We have come a long way and have de facto joined the Alliance.”

The Defense Minister also thanked Canadian counterpart Anita Anand for Canada’s latest provision of $47 million in military aid, including artillery rounds and winter clothing.

Ukraine President Volodmyr Zelenskiy added in his nightly address to the nation:

The more audacious and cruel Russian terror becomes, the more obvious it is to the world that helping Ukraine to protect the sky is one of the most important humanitarian tasks for the Europe of our time. I believe that we will cope with this task.

And I am grateful to those of our partners who have already made a decision to strengthen such support for our state.

Russia continued its aerial assault on Wednesday morning, attacking infrastructure in Kyiv with “kamikaze drones”. Rescuers are on the scene as residents are urged to stay in shelters.

The Russians again fired missiles on Mykolaiv in southern Ukraine. Mayor Oleksandr Senkevich wrote on Telegram just before 4 am:

After the first night [of attacks], Mykolaiv was massively shelled. A five-story residential building was hit. The two upper floors were completely destroyed, the rest under rubble. Rescuers are working on the spot.

An 11-year-old boy has been rescued, but it is feared that seven other people are still buried.

Further Ukraine Advance in South

Meanwhile, Ukraine’s counter-offensives continue to advance. Territory has been reclaimed in the east in the Luhansk region, which was overrun by the Russians this summer. In the south, five more settlements were liberated in the Kherson region on Wednesday.

Russian forces are trying to consolidate a new frontline west from the village of Mylove. However, amid intense fighting, the occupiers are no longer protected by the Inhulets River.

UK military intelligence assesses:

In recent days, the Russian occupation authorities have likely ordered preparation for the evacuation of some civilians from Kherson. It is likely that they anticipate combat extending to the city of Kherson itself.