Iran and Russia train operators for Shahed-136 and new Arash-2 drones – General Staff report

UKRAINSKA PRAVDA – THURSDAY, 20 OCTOBER 2022, 07:05

Iran and the Russian Federation have reached an agreement on the sending of experts and instructors on the use of [Iranian-made] attack drones to Russia. The General Staff has obtained information that in addition to being trained to handle Shahed-136 drones that Russia has already been deploying in Ukraine, drone operators are also being trained to operate Arash-2 drones, which may be deployed in the future.

Source:  General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Facebook, information as of 06:00 on 20 October

Details: Over the course of the past 24 hours, the Ukrainian Armed Forces repelled Russian attacks in the vicinity of Bilohorivka (Luhansk Oblast) and Bakhmut, Bakhmutske, Klishchiivka, Krasnohorivka, Novomykhailivka, Nevelske, Opytne and Marinka (Donetsk Oblast).

Meanwhile, Russian forces carried out 11 missile strikes and 28 airstrikes, as well as over 65 attacks using multiple-launch rocket systems [MLRS] over the course of the past 24 hours. More than 25 cities, towns and villages came under Russian fire, including Burshtyn (Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast), Ladyzhyn (Vinnytsia Oblast), Zelenodolsk (Dnipropetrovsk Oblast), Siversk, Sloviansk and Terny (Donetsk Oblast), Znachkove (Zaporizhzhia Oblast) and Davydiv Brid (Kherson Oblast).

The Russians deployed cruise, air-to-surface and anti-aircraft guided missiles to attack Ukraine. They also deployed over 10 Shahed-136 drones, more than half of which were launched from the territory of Belarus.

There were no significant changes on the Volyn, Polissia and Sivernshchyna fronts. On other fronts, the Russians continued to fire on military and civilian targets:

• On the Slobozhanshchyna front: Russian forces deployed artillery of various calibres to fire on areas in and around Hoptivka, Hrianykivka, Kolodiazne, Krasne, Ohirtseve and Strilecha (Kharkiv Oblast);

• On the Kupiansk and Lyman fronts: Russian forces deployed tubed and rocket artillery to fire on areas in and around Berestove, Kyslivka and Pershotravneve (Kharkiv Oblast); Kovalivka, Novoyehorivka and Novolubivka (Luhansk Oblast); and Zarichne, Terny and Torske (Donetsk Oblast);

• On the Bakhmut front: the Russians deployed tank guns and artillery to fire on areas in and around Andriivka, Bakhmut, Bakhmutske, Bilohorivka, Zelenopillia, Klishchiivka, Kurdiumivka, Pivnichne, Maiorsk, New-York, Soledar and Yakovlivka (Donetsk Oblast);
• On the Avdiivka front: the Russians deployed tank guns, mortars and tubed and rocket artillery to fire on areas in and around Avdiivka, Vodiane, Pervomaiske, Opytne, Krasnohorivka, Marinka and Novomykhailivka (Donetsk Oblast);

• On the Novopavlivka and Zaporizhzhia fronts the Russians did not undertake offensive operations, but continued to fire on Ukrainian cities, towns and villages along the entire line of contact, hitting more than 20, including Velyka Novosilka,  Vremivka, Vuhledar and Zolota Nyva (Donetsk Oblast) and Mykilske, Orikhiv and Chervone (Zaporizhzhia Oblast);

• Russian forces are continuing to fit out defence positions on the Pivdennyi Buh front and are continuing to fire on cities, towns and villages along the entire line of contact in order to repel the Ukrainian counteroffensive.

The Russians are continuing their attempts to advance on the Bakhmut and Avdiivka fronts.

Recently conscripted Russian soldiers have arrived on the temporarily occupied territory of Luhansk Oblast to reinforce the Russian presence there. Numerous cases of robberies and looting have been reported. It is possible that a significant share of the newly arrived soldiers have been conscripted at prisons.

There is a significant chance that the Russian occupying forces will carry out attacks on and shelling of civilian residents in Kherson Oblast. The General Staff reports that the Russians sent out messages on 19 October calling on residents of Nova Kakhovka to evacuate, claiming that the Ukrainian Armed Forces were preparing attacks on the city.

The General Staff has confirmed that, over the course of the past few days, Ukraine’s defence forces [collective name for all Ukrainian military formations involved in the ongoing combat in this country - ed.] injured up to 150 enemy soldiers and destroyed around 15 weapons and pieces of military equipment in Zaporizhzhia Oblast.

Ukrainian aircraft carried out 10 airstrikes on 19 October, striking 6 areas of concentration of Russian weapons and equipment and 4 anti-aircraft defence systems. In addition, Ukrainian air defence forces struck down 6 Russian cruise missiles, a Ka-52 helicopter and 16 UAVs, including 14 Shahed-136 drones. Ukraine’s Rocket Forces and Artillery struck 3 Russian command posts, 6 areas where Russian military personnel, weapons and equipment were concentrated, 1 ammunition storage point, an electronic warfare system and 6 other targets, including a bridge and a pontoon crossing used by the Russians.

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