Ukraine war latest: Russian mass attack kills civilians in Kyiv, blackouts begin as energy grid damaged
Hi, this is Francis Farrell reporting from Kyiv on day 1,337 of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Our top story so far today:
A large-scale missile and drone attack on energy infrastructure across Ukraine killed six people and injured at least 36 overnight on Oct. 22, according to authorities.
In Kyiv, two people were killed and 21 injured, while four were killed in the Brovarsky district of Kyiv Oblast, regional authorities said. In Zaporizhzhia Oblast, at least 15 civilians were injured, Governor Ivan Fedorov said.
The strikes were widespread — President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Oct. 22 that Russia had also struck sites in Odesa, Chernihiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Kirovohrad, Poltava, Vinnytsia, Cherkasy, and Sumy oblasts.
Ukraine's biggest private energy firm, DTEK, said emergency power outages were in place in Kyiv, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, and reported "significant damage" to energy infrastructure in Odesa Oblast.
"I was sitting in the corridor, waiting out the attack, when I heard a powerful explosion." Halyna Ivanivna Sharii, a resident of a building in the Dniprovskiy District , located on the left bank of the capital, told the Kyiv Independent.
"For a moment, I thought our building was collapsing but it turned out it was the one next door. It was terrifying. But what can you do? It’s not the first time my building has shaken like this.
"We just have to endure it. This is war."
Abbey Fenbert
Ukrainian forces liberate Kucheriv Yar in Donetsk Oblast as clean-up of Dobropillia breakthrough continues
The small village of Kucheriv Yar in Donetsk Oblast has been cleared of Russian troops, the Ukrainian military announced on Oct. 22.
A video posted by Ukraine's Air Assault Forces purportedly shows soldiers of the 132nd Separate Reconnaissance Battalion raised the Ukrainian flag in the largely ruined village.
Kucheriv Yar was one of several villages overrun by Russian forces in a dramatic infiltration of Ukrainian lines in August near the mining city of Dobropillia.
With the breach threatening to compromise the defense of the entire region if allowed to develop, Ukraine redeployed hardened forces in response, including the 1st Azov Corps command, the 93rd Mechanized Brigade, as well as several assault and paratrooper units.
In the following months, most of the territory taken in the breach has since been cleared, according to open-source mapping projects, with Kucheriv Yar — effectively encircled — being one of the few remaining Russian holdouts.
According to the Air Assault Forces, 50 Russian soldiers were taken prisoner during the operation.
Intercepted radio suggests Russian commander ordered troops to shoot civilians near Pokrovsk, HUR says
An intercepted radio communication released by Ukraine's military intelligence (HUR) suggests a Russian commander ordering his soldiers to shoot civilians near the embattled city of Pokrovsk.
"Don't let anyone pass on the way, anyone with large civilian bags, just f*ck them up," a Russian commander can be heard saying in audio published by HUR on Oct. 22.
The order to kill civilians was issued by the field commander of Russia's 30th Separate Motorized Infantry Brigade, part of the 2nd Combined Arms Army of the Central Military District, according to HUR. The Kyiv Independent cannot independently verify the contents of the intercepted radio transmission.
The radio chatter is allegedly linked to a video released Oct. 20 by the 7th Corps of Ukraine’s Air Assault Forces that, according to the Ukrainian military, shows the aftermath of an incident in which a Russian assault group, after infiltrating behind Ukrainian lines, shot and killed several unarmed civilians in Pokrovsk.
On top of being another case of Russian soldiers shooting dead Ukrainian civilians in plain sight, the incident brings forboding news for Ukraine's defense of the key Donetsk Oblast city, with the Russian soldiers involved succeeding in progressing several kilometers past Ukrainian lines before behind spotted and targeted.
Yuliia Taradiuk
SBU reveals next-gen Sea Baby naval drones, confirms use in June Crimea Bridge attack
The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) has revealed on Oct. 22 the next generation of its Sea Baby naval drones, and confirmed they were used in an attack on the Crimea Bridge earlier this year.
The SBU showed two versions of the drone in a video — the first, equipped with a stabilized machine gun turret featuring an automatic aiming system, and the second, carrying a 10-round Grad multiple launch rocket system.
The upgraded drones can cover distances of over 1,500 kilometers (930 miles), carry up to 2,000 kilograms (4,409 pounds) of cargo, and feature reinforced engines with a modern navigation system, according to the SBU.
Yuliia Taradiuk
Up to 150 Gripens — Ukraine, Sweden sign memorandum on long-term deal for Swedish jets
Sweden and Ukraine signed a letter of intent for a potential deal on up to 150 Gripen fighter jets over the coming years.
The Saab JAS 39 Gripen is a light 4.5-generation fighter jet that can be used for both defensive and offensive tasks. Kyiv and Stockholm have repeatedly discussed the possibility of supplying the aircraft to Ukraine's Air Force, which already operates Western planes, such as the Mirage 2000 and F-16s.
Later in the day, Zelensky and Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson signed a letter of intent for long-term defense cooperation between their countries.
President Volodymyr Zelensky visited Norway and Sweden on Oct. 22 to discuss support for Ukraine with the countries' leaders.
The Ukrainian president and First Lady Olena Zelenska first arrived in Oslo to meet Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere, presidential spokesperson Serhii Nykyforov confirmed for the Suspilne broadcaster.
Norway committed to supplying Ukraine with around $150 million for winter gas purchases, as Russia increases its assaults on Ukraine's energy infrastructure, Zelensky said.
Russian strike on Kharkiv kills 1, injures at least 6; kindergarten hit
Last updated 2:00 p.m. Kyiv time.
Russia attacked Kharkiv with drones on Oct. 22, damaging a kindergarten and killing one person and leaving six injured, local authorities reported.
Regional Governor Oleh Syniehubov said that drone strikes occurred in the city's Kholodnohirskyi district in the western part of the city, and that the person killed was a 40-year-old man.
Amil Omarov, the head of the Regional Prosecutor's Office, said that it was likely the attack included jet-powered Geran-2 Shahed-type drones.
Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov said that the children were sheltering at the time the drone hit and were not injured. Terekhov also said the kindergarten was directly hit, and at the time of the attack, 48 children and teachers were there, as reported by Suspilne Kharkiv.
Yuliia Taradiuk
Ukrainian drones attack oil refinery, mechanical plant in Russia, media reports
Last updated 1:35 p.m. Kyiv time.
Drones reportedly struck an oil refinery in Makhachkala, Dagestan, and a mechanical plant in Saransk, Mordovia, on Oct. 22, the Astra Telegram channel reported, citing local residents.
Russian air defenses intercepted 44 Ukrainian drones overnight and into the morning of Oct. 22, including eight over Dagestan, according to Russia's Defense Ministry. No drones were reportedly shot down over Mordovia.
Meanwhile, drones were sighted over Saransk, the largest city in Mordovia. Artyom Zdunov, the head of the republic, confirmed that the region had come under a large-scale drone attack, which caused damage to a local enterprise.
At least one drone struck the Saransk Mechanical Plant, a facility known to produce explosives, according to open-source intelligence analyzed by Astra.
The Saransk Mechanical Plant is part of the state-owned Rostec Corporation and manufactures equipment and components for various industries, with a primary focus on mechanical engineering and the defense sector.
Kateryna Hodunova
At least 12 killed, 76 injured in Russian attacks on Ukraine over past day
Six civilians were killed and 21 injured in the Ukrainian capital Kyiv and the surrounding region overnight as Russian forces struck civilian energy infrastructure, local authorities reported.
Four civilians were killed and 11 injured in the city of Novhorod-Siverskyi in Chernihiv Oblast after Russian forces struck the city center with Shahed-type strike drones and Tornado rockets, according to Governor Viacheslav Chaus.
Located less than 40 kilometers from the Russian border, Novhorod-Siverskyi and other settlements in the area are particularly vulnerable to Russian attacks.
In Donetsk Oblast, two civilians were killed and two more injured in the front-line city of Kostiantynivka, according to Governor Vadym Filashkin.
15 civilians were injured in two separate Russian attacks in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, including a Shahed-type drone attack on the regional capital that injured 13 people — including two children — and caused extensive damage to apartment buildings, Governor Ivan Fedorov said.
A total of 14 civilian residents were injured in Russian drone and artillery attacks in Ukrainian-controlled Kherson Oblast, according to Governor Oleksandr Prokudin.
In Sumy Oblast, 12 civilians were injured in Russian drone attacks on the regional capital of Sumy, Governor Oleg Hryhorov said.
In Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, a 66-year-old women was injured in a Russian strike on Nikopol district on the bank of the Dnipro River, Governor Vladyslav Haivanenko reported.
General Staff: Russia has lost 1,133,250 troops in Ukraine since Feb. 24, 2022
Russia has lost around 1,133,250 troops in Ukraine since the beginning of its full-scale invasion on Feb. 24, 2022, the General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces reported on Oct. 22.
The number includes 1,050 casualties that Russian forces suffered over the past day.
According to the report, Russia has also lost 11,280 tanks, 23,447 armored fighting vehicles, 65,122 vehicles and fuel tanks, 33,914 artillery systems, 1,524 multiple launch rocket systems, 1,229 air defense systems, 428 airplanes, 346 helicopters, 72,760 drones, 28 ships and boats, and one submarine.
The Kyiv Independent
