Posts
October 22 2024
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin made an unannounced visit to Kyiv on October 21 to meet with President Zelenskyy and Defense Minister Rustem Umerov. The US has announced a new $400 million aid package for Ukraine.
It includes:
• HIMARS ammo;
• 155mm and 105mm artillery ammunition;
• 60mm, 81mm, and 120mm mortar systems and rounds;
• [Possibly 1000] TOW missiles;
• Javelin and AT-4 anti-armor systems;
• [Possibly 100] M113 Armored Personnel Carriers;
• Satellite communication equipment;
• Small arms and ammunition;
• Grenades and training equipment;
• Demolitions equipment and munitions;
• Equipment to protect critical national infrastructure; and
• Spare parts, ancillary equipment, services, training, and transportation.
• 155mm and 105mm artillery ammunition;
• 60mm, 81mm, and 120mm mortar systems and rounds;
• [Possibly 1000] TOW missiles;
• Javelin and AT-4 anti-armor systems;
• [Possibly 100] M113 Armored Personnel Carriers;
• Satellite communication equipment;
• Small arms and ammunition;
• Grenades and training equipment;
• Demolitions equipment and munitions;
• Equipment to protect critical national infrastructure; and
• Spare parts, ancillary equipment, services, training, and transportation.
The US has provided another, separate package of $800 million intended for the development and production of Ukrainian drones.
Ukraine destroyed a 9A317M launcher from a Russian Buk-M3 air defense system. This system was located 60 km behind the front lines. The system is estimated to be worth between 40 and $50 million.
On October 18, 2024, Russian soldiers shot two Ukrainian prisoners of war near the village of Selydove in the Donetsk region, according to Ukraine's Prosecutor General's Office. The captured soldiers were shot at close range with automatic weapons after being forced to lie face down on the ground.
Ukraine has developed a new interceptor drone called the ‘Sting’ to target Russian Shahed drones. It was created by the Wild Hornets group and is a cheaper alternative to anti-aircraft missiles. The Sting can fly over 160 km/h and reach altitudes of 3 km. It is a form of FPV drone. It has a warhead and AI targeting system and costs about 1/10 the cost of a Shahed. Specific details about the warhead's size, type, or explosive capacity haven't been disclosed.
The Sudanese Rapid Support Forces reported on social media that they shot down an IL-76 cargo plane in North Darfur, western Sudan. On October 21, 2024, RSF claimed they destroyed a Sudanese military Antonov bomber, but the wreckage identified the aircraft as a Kyrgyz IL-76T with the tail number EX-76011 that was owned by New Way Cargo Airline. This airline was previously suspected of transporting military cargo to the RSF. A crew member's badge and a Russian passport were found, but no information about survivors existed. The Russian Embassy in Sudan confirmed Russian citizens were on board. The aircraft was downed by MANPADS and multiple videos show burning wreckage and passports of crewmen.
On October 21, Russia attacked various settlements in Donetsk Oblast. They struck Pokrovsk, killing three people and injuring two. In Myrnohrad, two were killed, one injured, and several buildings were damaged. In Kurakhove, one person was killed, one was injured, and buildings were also damaged.
On the morning of October 21, Russia launched a ballistic missile attack on Zaporizhzhia, damaging several civilian buildings, including a kindergarten. Initially, two people were confirmed dead and 15 injured. Doctors continued treating the injured, and later, a third death was reported, a 44-year-old woman who died in the hospital.
On the night of October 22, 2024, Ukraine reported 60 shaheds were launched from Russia. Ukraine successfully shot down 42 of them. During the attack, 10 Russian drones were “lost”, one flew to Belarus, three returned to Russia, and one remained in Ukrainian airspace as of the time of writing. Unfortunately, three people were killed in the drone attack on Sumy shortly after midnight on October 22. One of the people killed was a child. The attack targeted residential areas and critical infrastructure. One drone struck a private house.
On October 20, Russian attacks and combat caused power outages in Donetsk, Lviv, Sumy, Kharkiv, and Chernihiv oblasts. A substation in Sumy Oblast was hit, causing a fire and a power outage that affected overhead power lines and residents in two oblasts. Power was partially restored. In Lviv Oblast, a UAV attack damaged an overhead power line, cutting off power. In Chernihiv Oblast, a Russian attack left 459 residents without power. Air raids in Kharkiv Oblast disrupted power to substations, residents, and industrial facilities, but the damage was repaired. As of October 21, 585 settlements in Ukraine are stuck without power.
The Government of the United Kingdom announced that they will provide Ukraine with a €2.71 billion loan financed by the revenue generated by interest on frozen Russian assets. The loan from the UK is designated for budgetary support of Ukraine’s military expenditures in key equipment, such as air defense, artillery, and other priorities. The UK’s loan is the first contribution to the G7 Extraordinary Revenue Acceleration (ERA) Loans to Ukraine scheme, this makes the UK the first country in the G7 to implement such a scheme.
India has secured the repatriation of 85 of its citizens who were deceptively recruited by Russia to fight in the war against Ukraine. The Indian Minister of External Affairs Vikram Misri stated that they have received remains from several Indians who died fighting for Russia, and nearly 20 Indians still remain in the Russian army.
Ukraine and France signed a grant agreement worth €200 million to promote the restoration and support of critical infrastructure in priority sectors of the Ukrainian economy. It will enable companies from France and Ukraine to use the funds to maintain critical infrastructure and mining operations in Ukraine.
High-school students in occupied Luhansk Oblast are being encouraged to sign contracts with the Russian Armed Forces, with promises of money and benefits. Teachers in Starobilsk are pressuring students, who will be conscripted in a year or two, to join now, describing military service as "financially beneficial.”. Additionally, new methods to identify men of conscription age have been introduced, including using the "Fathers of Russia" organization, which collects personal data on men and their families through a Telegram bot and forwards it to military enlistment offices. Territorial offices have been established in several towns.
Lviv Mayor Andrii Sadovyi said that discussions about reopening Lviv Airport are ongoing among experts and promised that journalists would be informed first if a decision is made. Sadovyi highlighted the potential benefits of reopening the airport for foreign investors and tourists. In July, Lviv International Airport staff met with a Japanese delegation about airlines willing to resume flights.
Ukraine's victory plan presented by President Zelenskyy includes five main points and three confidential appendices. Poland is asking to have access to the classified appendices. Only some partner countries have access to the full details, Polish Deputy Foreign Minister Wladyslaw Teofil Bartoszewsk commented that Poland is not among those granted full access, despite its significant military support to Ukraine, especially in the very early stage of the full-scale invasion. "We provided Ukraine with military aid in the most crucial way because when Germany was talking about sending them helmets, we sent 320 tanks.” Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said that the plan will be reassessed after the upcoming U.S. presidential election and said that Poland continues to support NATO membership for Ukraine.
A North Korean KN-23/24 missile, shot down over Ukraine, contained Western-made components. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiga urged allied countries to tighten sanctions more comprehensively on North Korea and Russia.
Moldova held a referendum on whether or not they should join the European Union. The people of Moldova narrowly voted yes at 50.46% to 49.54% once all votes were counted after a tense day of vote counting. There are accusations that Russia tried to buy votes to secure a “no” vote.
The Ilyich Iron and Steel Works in Mariupol is being dismantled by Chechen warlord Ramzan Kadyrov and his associates, who are selling the equipment and scrap metal to Russia. While the Azovstal plant was thoroughly destroyed, the Ilyich plant largely survived. One of Kadyrov’s trusted lieutenants, Vakhit Geremeev, was tasked with seizing the Ilyich plant. Following its capture by Russia, a new company LLC Ilyich MMK, owned by Geremeev's son and a military-connected businessman began exporting steel from Ilyich. The plant's operations now focus on processing scrap metal, and the resulting recycled metal gets sent to Russia and is being repurposed for the manufacture of trucks and cars, and is being used by the construction industry.
In March, Russia announced that 130,000 tons of iron byproducts, worth approximately $16 million, had been exported from the plant over the previous six months. Metinvest, the plant's rightful owner, said that a production line valued at $220 million, which had been installed just before the war, was dismantled and sent to Russia. A Moscow-based company bought $380,000 worth of steel products from the Ilyich plant in September 2022. $50,000 worth of products were shipped to Uzbekistan in January 2023. Last year, Alash Dadashov, an associate of Kadyrov, became a joint owner of the Ilyich steel plant. He runs the Moscow branch of a martial arts club linked to Kadyrov. Additionally, through his company, LLC Technical Materials, Dadashov and a former Azovstal executive sell industrial gases from Mariupol to various clients, including the Russian space agency Roscosmos. This whole situation closely mirrors Wagner’s operations in Africa, where they provide military/mercenary assistance in exchange for profiting off of local/natural resources. Before the war, 1/3 of Mariupol’s budget was funded by taxes paid by the Azovstal and the Ilyich steelworks.
South Korean media report that, in response to North Korea deploying troops to support Russia, the government is reviewing a plan to send personnel, including specialists to assist with interrogations and provide intelligence on North Korean tactics. The South Korean Defense Ministry is also open to discussing lethal weapons supplies to Ukraine. There is talk of providing 155mm artillery shells, but their current arms export laws prevent them from providing them directly to Ukraine. South Korea may send shells to the US or other countries, and those countries can send their own shell stocks to Ukraine. South Korea has unrelatedly expressed a desire to become one of the largest arms exporters in the world, they are currently ranked the 9th largest exporter.
Cuban nationals are reportedly fighting alongside Russian forces in Kherson Oblast after receiving Russian citizenship and signing military contracts. It was reported in October 2023 that over 100 Cubans completed military training in Russia, with many agreeing to fight for $2,400.
On October 22, at least two drones targeted a thermal power plant in Yefremov, Russia, causing a fire and explosions. The region’s governor said there was damage to two distilleries during the drone attacks. There was also a fire near the Yefremov Synthetic Rubber Plant. He also reported that drones also struck the Biokhim plant in Tambov Oblast. In Bryansk Oblast, a drone attack targeted a thermal power plant in the Suzemka district, resulting in explosions. A distillery in the Suvorov district of Bryansk Oblast was also damaged. There were no reported casualties from these incidents.
Ukrainian soldier Officeralex_33:
Ukraine destroyed a 9A317M launcher from a Russian Buk-M3 air defense system. This system was located 60 km behind the front lines. The system is estimated to be worth between 40 and $50 million.
On October 18, 2024, Russian soldiers shot two Ukrainian prisoners of war near the village of Selydove in the Donetsk region, according to Ukraine's Prosecutor General's Office. The captured soldiers were shot at close range with automatic weapons after being forced to lie face down on the ground.
Ukraine has developed a new interceptor drone called the ‘Sting’ to target Russian Shahed drones. It was created by the Wild Hornets group and is a cheaper alternative to anti-aircraft missiles. The Sting can fly over 160 km/h and reach altitudes of 3 km. It is a form of FPV drone. It has a warhead and AI targeting system and costs about 1/10 the cost of a Shahed. Specific details about the warhead's size, type, or explosive capacity haven't been disclosed.
The Sudanese Rapid Support Forces reported on social media that they shot down an IL-76 cargo plane in North Darfur, western Sudan. On October 21, 2024, RSF claimed they destroyed a Sudanese military Antonov bomber, but the wreckage identified the aircraft as a Kyrgyz IL-76T with the tail number EX-76011 that was owned by New Way Cargo Airline. This airline was previously suspected of transporting military cargo to the RSF. A crew member's badge and a Russian passport were found, but no information about survivors existed. The Russian Embassy in Sudan confirmed Russian citizens were on board. The aircraft was downed by MANPADS and multiple videos show burning wreckage and passports of crewmen.
On October 21, Russia attacked various settlements in Donetsk Oblast. They struck Pokrovsk, killing three people and injuring two. In Myrnohrad, two were killed, one injured, and several buildings were damaged. In Kurakhove, one person was killed, one was injured, and buildings were also damaged.
On the morning of October 21, Russia launched a ballistic missile attack on Zaporizhzhia, damaging several civilian buildings, including a kindergarten. Initially, two people were confirmed dead and 15 injured. Doctors continued treating the injured, and later, a third death was reported, a 44-year-old woman who died in the hospital.
On the night of October 22, 2024, Ukraine reported 60 shaheds were launched from Russia. Ukraine successfully shot down 42 of them. During the attack, 10 Russian drones were “lost”, one flew to Belarus, three returned to Russia, and one remained in Ukrainian airspace as of the time of writing. Unfortunately, three people were killed in the drone attack on Sumy shortly after midnight on October 22. One of the people killed was a child. The attack targeted residential areas and critical infrastructure. One drone struck a private house.
On October 20, Russian attacks and combat caused power outages in Donetsk, Lviv, Sumy, Kharkiv, and Chernihiv oblasts. A substation in Sumy Oblast was hit, causing a fire and a power outage that affected overhead power lines and residents in two oblasts. Power was partially restored. In Lviv Oblast, a UAV attack damaged an overhead power line, cutting off power. In Chernihiv Oblast, a Russian attack left 459 residents without power. Air raids in Kharkiv Oblast disrupted power to substations, residents, and industrial facilities, but the damage was repaired. As of October 21, 585 settlements in Ukraine are stuck without power.
The Government of the United Kingdom announced that they will provide Ukraine with a €2.71 billion loan financed by the revenue generated by interest on frozen Russian assets. The loan from the UK is designated for budgetary support of Ukraine’s military expenditures in key equipment, such as air defense, artillery, and other priorities. The UK’s loan is the first contribution to the G7 Extraordinary Revenue Acceleration (ERA) Loans to Ukraine scheme, this makes the UK the first country in the G7 to implement such a scheme.
India has secured the repatriation of 85 of its citizens who were deceptively recruited by Russia to fight in the war against Ukraine. The Indian Minister of External Affairs Vikram Misri stated that they have received remains from several Indians who died fighting for Russia, and nearly 20 Indians still remain in the Russian army.
Ukraine and France signed a grant agreement worth €200 million to promote the restoration and support of critical infrastructure in priority sectors of the Ukrainian economy. It will enable companies from France and Ukraine to use the funds to maintain critical infrastructure and mining operations in Ukraine.
High-school students in occupied Luhansk Oblast are being encouraged to sign contracts with the Russian Armed Forces, with promises of money and benefits. Teachers in Starobilsk are pressuring students, who will be conscripted in a year or two, to join now, describing military service as "financially beneficial.”. Additionally, new methods to identify men of conscription age have been introduced, including using the "Fathers of Russia" organization, which collects personal data on men and their families through a Telegram bot and forwards it to military enlistment offices. Territorial offices have been established in several towns.
Lviv Mayor Andrii Sadovyi said that discussions about reopening Lviv Airport are ongoing among experts and promised that journalists would be informed first if a decision is made. Sadovyi highlighted the potential benefits of reopening the airport for foreign investors and tourists. In July, Lviv International Airport staff met with a Japanese delegation about airlines willing to resume flights.
Ukraine's victory plan presented by President Zelenskyy includes five main points and three confidential appendices. Poland is asking to have access to the classified appendices. Only some partner countries have access to the full details, Polish Deputy Foreign Minister Wladyslaw Teofil Bartoszewsk commented that Poland is not among those granted full access, despite its significant military support to Ukraine, especially in the very early stage of the full-scale invasion. "We provided Ukraine with military aid in the most crucial way because when Germany was talking about sending them helmets, we sent 320 tanks.” Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said that the plan will be reassessed after the upcoming U.S. presidential election and said that Poland continues to support NATO membership for Ukraine.
A North Korean KN-23/24 missile, shot down over Ukraine, contained Western-made components. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiga urged allied countries to tighten sanctions more comprehensively on North Korea and Russia.
Moldova held a referendum on whether or not they should join the European Union. The people of Moldova narrowly voted yes at 50.46% to 49.54% once all votes were counted after a tense day of vote counting. There are accusations that Russia tried to buy votes to secure a “no” vote.
The Ilyich Iron and Steel Works in Mariupol is being dismantled by Chechen warlord Ramzan Kadyrov and his associates, who are selling the equipment and scrap metal to Russia. While the Azovstal plant was thoroughly destroyed, the Ilyich plant largely survived. One of Kadyrov’s trusted lieutenants, Vakhit Geremeev, was tasked with seizing the Ilyich plant. Following its capture by Russia, a new company LLC Ilyich MMK, owned by Geremeev's son and a military-connected businessman began exporting steel from Ilyich. The plant's operations now focus on processing scrap metal, and the resulting recycled metal gets sent to Russia and is being repurposed for the manufacture of trucks and cars, and is being used by the construction industry.
In March, Russia announced that 130,000 tons of iron byproducts, worth approximately $16 million, had been exported from the plant over the previous six months. Metinvest, the plant's rightful owner, said that a production line valued at $220 million, which had been installed just before the war, was dismantled and sent to Russia. A Moscow-based company bought $380,000 worth of steel products from the Ilyich plant in September 2022. $50,000 worth of products were shipped to Uzbekistan in January 2023. Last year, Alash Dadashov, an associate of Kadyrov, became a joint owner of the Ilyich steel plant. He runs the Moscow branch of a martial arts club linked to Kadyrov. Additionally, through his company, LLC Technical Materials, Dadashov and a former Azovstal executive sell industrial gases from Mariupol to various clients, including the Russian space agency Roscosmos. This whole situation closely mirrors Wagner’s operations in Africa, where they provide military/mercenary assistance in exchange for profiting off of local/natural resources. Before the war, 1/3 of Mariupol’s budget was funded by taxes paid by the Azovstal and the Ilyich steelworks.
South Korean media report that, in response to North Korea deploying troops to support Russia, the government is reviewing a plan to send personnel, including specialists to assist with interrogations and provide intelligence on North Korean tactics. The South Korean Defense Ministry is also open to discussing lethal weapons supplies to Ukraine. There is talk of providing 155mm artillery shells, but their current arms export laws prevent them from providing them directly to Ukraine. South Korea may send shells to the US or other countries, and those countries can send their own shell stocks to Ukraine. South Korea has unrelatedly expressed a desire to become one of the largest arms exporters in the world, they are currently ranked the 9th largest exporter.
Cuban nationals are reportedly fighting alongside Russian forces in Kherson Oblast after receiving Russian citizenship and signing military contracts. It was reported in October 2023 that over 100 Cubans completed military training in Russia, with many agreeing to fight for $2,400.
On October 22, at least two drones targeted a thermal power plant in Yefremov, Russia, causing a fire and explosions. The region’s governor said there was damage to two distilleries during the drone attacks. There was also a fire near the Yefremov Synthetic Rubber Plant. He also reported that drones also struck the Biokhim plant in Tambov Oblast. In Bryansk Oblast, a drone attack targeted a thermal power plant in the Suzemka district, resulting in explosions. A distillery in the Suvorov district of Bryansk Oblast was also damaged. There were no reported casualties from these incidents.
Ukrainian soldier Officeralex_33:
“The situation in Selydovo is assessed as difficult, the enemy had success in the eastern part of the city, managed to advance and gain a foothold within the city in the private sector.
After the successes on the flanks, it was obvious that the moment would come when they would start to press in the center and sharply escalate the situation, that moment has arrived.
They attack exclusively with infantry, like cockroaches running from house to house.”
After the successes on the flanks, it was obvious that the moment would come when they would start to press in the center and sharply escalate the situation, that moment has arrived.
They attack exclusively with infantry, like cockroaches running from house to house.”
Ukrainian soldier Stanislav Osman:
“The situation in Selydove is bad, to put it mildly.
Having overcome the difficult way to approach the town, the [Russians] began to actively advance through residential areas and have already occupied half of the settlement.
I think the reasons for this collapse are clear... there is simply no one to stand in defense, small groups of [Russians] are infiltrating the positions, and if they encounter resistance, they bypass it.”
Having overcome the difficult way to approach the town, the [Russians] began to actively advance through residential areas and have already occupied half of the settlement.
I think the reasons for this collapse are clear... there is simply no one to stand in defense, small groups of [Russians] are infiltrating the positions, and if they encounter resistance, they bypass it.”
Quote of the Day:
“I have said: "Blow out the lamp! The hedgehog is here!" And you keep saying: "Give me a lamp so I can find the hedgehog.”
― Frank Herbert, Dune Messiah