Kakhovka dam mining and Elon Musk’s problems in Washington: timeline and solutions of October 21

Ukrainian army's successes

📌 At night, an explosion occurred on the Antonivka bridge in Kherson. The russian elite units planned to escape through the crossing near the bridge. The Ukrainian troops hit the pontoon crossing.

As a result of an attack on a crossing in Kherson, a russian propagandist died. Oleg Klokov worked for the First TV channel, Russia Today, and then came to Kherson to help the occupiers "develop local television." 

📌 Currently, the russian occupiers are evacuating "state institutions" and "banks." In addition, lists of russian medical workers and teachers brought to the region were prepared. Humanitarian facilities in Kherson also stop working.

📌 The Armed Forces of Ukraine has every chance to succeed in the south and east in the next six weeks, says American intelligence. Individual units of the russian occupiers may crumble under Ukrainian pressure, which will allow the Ukrainian Armed Forces to take control of Kherson and some cities in Donbas.

📌 Losses of russian occupiers in the south are growing. According to Ukraine's General Staff, russia sent up to 2,000 mobilized individuals to the Kherson region.

🇺🇦 As of today, the Ukrainian forces have liberated 88 settlements in the Kherson region. Another 551 towns were de-occupied by Ukrainian defenders in the Kharkiv region. 

📌 During the daytime air raid alert, the Armed Forces of Ukraine shot down a russian Su-25 attack aircraft.

📌 Soldiers of Ukraine's missile troops and artillery hit four control points, seven areas of concentration of russian soldiers, weapons and military equipment, an ammunition depot, an air defense vehicle, a bridge, and a pontoon crossing in a day.

📌 Yesterday, the Ukrainian Armed Forces repelled attacks in the areas of Bilohorivka, Luhansk region, as well as Doslidne, Bakhmut, Peremoha, and Maryinka, Donetsk region.

📌 russian forces are likely falsifying claims of an offensive in the Bakhmut area to portray themselves as victorious in at least one sector amid losses in northeastern and southern parts of Ukraine, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) reports.

russia's crimes

📌 In the morning, the russian army shelled Kharkiv. An administrative and industrial building on the territory of one of Kharkiv's enterprises was hit, leading to destruction. Six people were injured.

The second morning's shelling of the city was launched at the Kyivskyi district. Three people were wounded.

📌 The russian occupiers also attacked Zaporizhzhia. The strike impacted the school. Residential buildings and city infrastructure were damaged. Three people are reportedly wounded.

📌 On October 20, the russians killed two civilians in the Donetsk region—in Bakhmut. In addition, law enforcement officers discovered the bodies of 9 civilians killed by the russians during the occupation: seven in Novoselivka and two in Lyman. One more person was injured yesterday.

In the Lysychansk direction, the russians actively shelled Torske and Zarichne in the Lyman community. At least one person died, and one more was injured.

📌 The night on the territory of the Sumy region was quiet, but after 5 a.m., six mines were launched by the russians at the Znob-Novhorod community. There were no victims or destruction.

📌 President Zelensky reported that the russians mined the dam and units of the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant (HPP). If russian terrorists blow up this dam, about 80 settlements, including Kherson, will be in the flood zone. Zelensky emphasized that this act of terrorism could leave the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) without water for cooling and destroy the channel through which water goes to occupied Crimea.

Ukraine's Defense Intelligence clarified that the russian military mined the Kakhovka HPP back in April, and this week they additionally mined the locks and pillars of the station. Also, according to intelligence, two trucks full of explosives are on the dam.

Life amid war

📌 57% of Ukrainians began to communicate more or switched to Ukrainian with the beginning of russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24. This is evidenced by a poll commissioned by Suspilne on October 18-19.

📌 In the Kharkiv region, a gas well was launched that can produce 51 million cubic meters per year. This volume will help save $102 million on gas imports.

📌 The two-meter doll was made from ears of corn and herbs by artisans from Myrne, Kalynivka community, Vinnytsia region. It symbolizes Mother Ukraine, which embraces 25 "babies"—24 regions and Crimea.

Foreign partners' support

💡 The UK, following the EU, introduced sanctions against Iran for selling Shahed-136 to russia. Sanctions have been applied to Iranian individuals and legal entities responsible for supplying kamikaze drones used to attack Ukraine.

💡 At the same time, the USA confirmed the presence of Iranian instructors in the annexed Crimea. Tehran is promised a response and sanctions.

💡 The UK's Defense Secretary, Ben Wallace, announced preparing a package of military aid for the Ukrainian military for the winter period. There will be 25,000 sets of winter uniforms.

💡 The Ministry of Defense of the Czech Republic announced a new aid package to Ukraine of 22 million crowns.

💡 The UK and Poland signed a memorandum on providing humanitarian aid to Ukraine. According to the agreement, Great Britain will transfer 10 million pounds to the Polish International Solidarity Foundation, which the Polish will use for humanitarian aid for refugees from the war in Ukraine.

💡 A German-Ukrainian school was opened in Berlin. This is a project that will give children the opportunity to study in two languages ​​and receive certificates of secondary education in both countries.

💡 The US presidential administration is considering inspecting Elon Musk regarding his activities' compliance with national security interests. Washington is "concerned by Musk's threats" to stop Ukraine's Starlink satellite communication system.

💡 In any case, we will not be left without Starlink: Ukraine has found sources of funding for satellite Internet. If necessary, the connection will be financed by the Pentagon, the EU, and private donors. 

Ukrainians, let's unite! 

💡 500 Ukrainian women from Ukraine, Germany, Finland, Spain, and Poland joined the Warm Up movement. They knit hats and socks for our military. They knit after work, in bomb shelters, and even by candlelight. So that every soldier can say, "Mom, I'm in a hat!" You can join here.

💡In the YaMariupol center in Vinnytsia, the children organized a charity event and called on everyone to join ⬆️. The initiative appeared before Defender's Day. The little children brought not only their letters with wishes to Ukrainian soldiers but also chocolates for our heroes. "If you want to help, send support to the center YAMariupol in Vinnytsia. Our address is str. Soborna, 50. We will take it to the hospital," the organizers write.

💡 Ukrainian singer ONUKA will perform in Warsaw and Berlin. Part of the funds from the concerts will go to restore the architecture of Chernihiv.

💡 10 sets of thermal underwear worth six thousand hryvnias were handed over to the military by students of the 10th grade of the scientific high school at the Zhytomyr Polytechnic State University. 

💡 In Dnipro, a flag was made from 5 thousand blue and yellow sushi rolls. Anyone can buy them, and with the proceeds, the organizers plan to buy a quadcopter for the military and products for the residents of Nikopol.

💡 Ukraine's Ministry of Culture and State Agency for Arts and Art Education, together with volunteers, launched a platform for targeted assistance to cultural institutions called Save the Spot. You can support your chosen museum, library, cultural center, zoo, or other institutions that need help there. For this, you need to buy a virtual ticket. On the website, you can find the Maria Primachenko Museum in Ivankiv, the Hryhorii Skovoroda Museum in Kharkiv, the 12 Months Zoo in Demydiv, the Cultural Center in Irpin, and others.