Key developments on Oct. 23
- Ukraine says Russia hastily relocated manpower, equipment away from Kherson
- Report: Russia cuts internet, mobile connection in Kherson to 'isolate' city
- Minister: 90% of wind power, 50% of solar power facilities in Ukraine lost due to war
- Russia fires 2 missile strikes, 25 airstrikes across Ukraine
Russia withdraws from Kherson as Ukraine's counteroffensive advances, the southern military command said on Oct. 23.
The command's spokeswoman Natalia Humeniuk said Russian troops are being relocated to the left bank of the Dnipro River as Ukrainian troops approach the regional capital.
Ukraine liberated 88 settlements in Kherson Oblast as of Oct. 21, according to Deputy Head of the President's Office Kyrylo Tymoshenko.
According to the National Resistance Center, a website launched by the Special Operation Forces of Ukraine's military, Russian forces had dismantled telecommunication equipment to cut internet and mobile connection in Kherson, in an attempt to "isolate" the city.
The report said that Moscow sought to create an information blockade in Kherson during the counteroffensive.
"In the future, the Russians plan is to leave the city without communications, television, and radio broadcasting," according to the National Resistance's report.
Eastern front
On the eastern battlefield, Russians appear to be preparing for a further Ukrainian counteroffensive in mostly occupied Luhansk Oblast.
The U.K. intelligence said that "Russia is making a significant effort to prepare defenses in-depth behind the current front line" in Luhansk Oblast amid the ongoing counteroffensive.
In neighboring Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine's General Staff reported that it had repelled attacks near seven settlements in the region, including Bakhmut and Avdiivka.
According to Ukraine's General Staff, Russia is trying to hold onto occupied territories in Ukraine by sending inexperienced soldiers.
The General Staff also reported that Ukraine shot down 12 Iranian-made Shahed-136 kamikaze drones across the country on Oct. 23.
Power outages
The weekend began with a renewed barrage of Russian missile strikes, predominantly in the country's west, that targeted energy facilities across Ukraine early on Oct. 22,
Tymoshenko said that over 1.4 million households in seven regions were left without electricity as of Oct. 22.
The next day, energy company DTEK said that the situation remains difficult with the energy system. Kyiv had witnessed sporadic power outages.
State-owned grid operator Ukrenergo reported that Oct. 22 Russian strikes on energy facilities might be worse than the attacks on Oct. 10-12.
Ukraine needs effective air defense systems to reduce the number of Russian missiles hitting energy infrastructure, Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko said on Oct. 23.
The minister said in the same interview that 90% of wind and 50% of solar power facilities in Ukraine are no longer being used due to the war.
He added that green energy made up about 10% of Ukraine's energy system in 2021.
Casualties and attacks
Russian forces launched two missile strikes and 25 airstrikes across Ukraine on Oct. 23, according to Ukraine's General Staff.
In Donetsk Oblast, Governor Pavlo Kyrylenko said that Russian forces shelled an intensive care hospital in Bakhmut with artillery. He added that the building was partially destroyed, but there were no casualties.
Kyrylenko reported that authorities found four bodies of civilians over the past day.
In Zaporizhzhia Oblast, Governor Oleksandr Starukh said Russia attacked Zaporizhzhia with Shahed-136 kamikaze drones. Russia also attacked the region with S-300 missile systems overnight.
No casualties were reported, according to Starukh.
Further south in Mykolaiv, regional council head Hanna Zamazieieva said that Russian forces launched missiles on the city overnight, destroying residential buildings, a playground, a heating station, and dozens of cars.
