October 5 2024

A Reuters cameraman named Ivan Lyubysh-Kirde was injured in a Russian strike on a hotel in Kramatorsk on 24 August. He has now regained consciousness and begun speaking. His wife, Mariia, said that he recognizes people and can answer simple questions, but he struggles with speech and memory. He remembers song lyrics but is confused about his age and other specifics. Ivan’s recovery will be lengthy; he has a broken jaw, among other injuries.


Ukraine's Defense Ministry has opened the first center for recruiting Ukrainians living abroad into its Ukrainian Legion. The center is now open at the Ukrainian consulate in Lublin, Poland, and operates daily from 09:00 to 17:00. It provides consultations, medical exams, and assistance throughout the recruitment process. Volunteers can apply online or at consulates. After registration, they undergo a 35-day training program in Poland. So far, 138 online applications and 58 consular applications have been submitted. Ukraine will provide uniforms and logistical support, while Poland will provide equipment and weapons.


So far, of the 500,000 artillery shells pledged to be delivered to Ukraine by the end of the year, more than ⅓ have already been delivered, according to Vasyl Zvarych, Ambassador of Ukraine to the Czech Republic. He said that he is unaware of any reports of the ammunition being of poor quality. He also said that Ukraine was not only looking to expand the initiative but also get more financial assistance in expanding domestic production of smaller caliber ammunition.


Ukraine demonstrated a prototype of the towed Bohdana howitzer for the first time. The artillery piece is a 155mm artillery gun mounted on a 152mm 2A36 Giatsint-B carriage. This towed version is a cheaper alternative to the self-propelled Bohdana system already in production and use.


On 3 October, Russia attacked Sumy using at least one Shahed, injuring 8 people. Additionally, Russia launched 82 attacks across various border areas and settlements in Sumy Oblast, resulting in 160 explosions. The targeted hromadas include Sumy, Mykolaivka, Khotyn, Yunakivka, Myropil, Bilopillia, Richky, Krasnopillia, Velyka Pysarivka, Nova Sloboda, Hlukhiv, Shalyhyne, Esman, and Seredyna-Buda.

A Russian drone strike in the village of Tokarivkain Kharkiv Oblast injured a 62-year-old woman and a 67-year-old man. The drone dropped two grenades on them. The woman suffered shrapnel wounds to her shins and left hand, while the man sustained injuries to his legs, arms, and chest. Both people have been hospitalized.

On October 5, 2023, Russia launched an attack on Ukraine using three Kh59/69 missiles and 13 shaheds. The Ukrainian Air Force reported that three drones were intercepted in Odesa Oblast, while the remaining ten drones were lost in the northern and southern parts of the country, with no information available on casualties or damage. According to the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the guided missiles did not reach their targets due to electronic warfare countermeasures. The missiles supposedly were targeting infrastructure in Mykolaiv; there were no casualties reported from the missile attack.


The Romanian Ministry of Defense confirmed that they discovered drone fragments near the Litcov Canal, approximately 20 to 30 km from the border with Ukraine. Specialists from the Romanian Intelligence Service and the Ministry of Internal Affairs searched the area where they found Russian drone fragments and collected them for further analysis. The Ministry condemned Russia’s attacks on Ukrainian civilian infrastructure, labeling them unjustified and a violation of international law.


The Ukrainian government signed a deal with French/German weapons manufacturer KNDS to manufacture 12 Caesar 155 mm self-propelled howitzers. They will be sent to Ukraine as soon as they are finished. The purchase was funded by Ukraine.


Switzerland will provide humanitarian aid worth €5.3 million to Ukraine. 30 debris removal machines and 30 firefighting pumps will be donated to Ukraine by the Swiss Federal Department of Defense. They will be delivered by train and should arrive within days and be handed over to the Ukrainian Ministry of the Interior.


On October 3rd as the result of a missile strike on a Russian training base in occupied Donetsk Oblast, 20 soldiers were killed, including 6 North Korean officers and 3 North Korean soldiers. Before the strike, the Russians were demonstrating how Russia trains for assaults to the North Korean officers. It’s also speculated that North Koreans were brought to Russia to ensure the supply of cheap North Korean labor as there are labor shortages in Russia due to the war.


Slovak Prime Minister Fico said he intends to visit Moscow next year to commemorate the 80th anniversary of Victory Day.


Footage was published of a Ukrainian kamikaze drone striking and damaging/destroying a 96L6-CP radar that is part of an S-400 air defense system.


Ukrainian Defense Intelligence blew up Andrii Korotkyi, a collaborator who had served as the "head of physical security" at the occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant and led Enerhodar’s "council of deputies” in Enerhodar, on October 4, 2024. Korotkyi had been involved in repressing pro-Ukrainian locals and aiding Russia's invasion.


Polish Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz has stated he will block Ukraine's EU accession until Ukraine and Poland resolve their disputes related to the Volyn massacre/tragedy, emphasizing Poland’s demand for exhumation and honoring victims. He disagrees with Polish President Duda's opinion that opposition to Ukraine’s membership supports Putin's geopolitical desires.


Former NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg proposed that Ukraine could join NATO even with some territories occupied by Russia by defining specific areas that qualify for some form of protection under Article 5. He suggested that these areas would be under Ukrainian control and not necessarily conform to the international border. This would give a portion of Ukraine NATO protection that can be expanded as Ukraine reclaims its territories without risking pulling NATO directly into the war. As of late August, Russia controlled about 27% of Ukraine. While this plan may seem rather underwhelming to some, it would allow Ukraine into NATO and could allow for NATO to protect certain Oblasts. For instance, if Odesa and Kyiv were granted Article 5 protection, Ukraine could redirect forces to the front that are currently defending from potential attacks from Transnistria and Belarus. Stoltenberg also said that the West should have armed Ukraine better before the full-scale invasion, and more rapidly after its onset.


On October 4, Ukraine's Defense Ministry released a video showing a "dragon drone" armed with thermite destroying a Russian tank. The footage features artillery fire stopping the tank, followed by a drone dousing the vehicle in molten thermite, engulfing the vehicle in flames, and leading to a small detonation.


Russia is increasingly using various cheap, unspecified drone models alongside Shahed drones in attacks against Ukraine, according to former Air Force spokesperson Yurii Ihnat. New drones are reportedly being used to identify air defense systems and are acting as decoys.


Ukraine reports that 93 Ukrainian POWs have been executed by Russian soldiers during the war, with 80% of these cases occurring in 2024. Yurii Belousov from the Prosecutor General's Office reported a significant deterioration in the treatment of POWs since November 2023. A mass execution of 16 POWs was committed on October 1 in Donetsk Oblast, involving soldiers from two units. The office is still verifying the identities of the deceased.

In the summer of 2024, Russian troops executed four Ukrainian servicemen at the Aggregate Plant in Vovchansk. An investigation being conducted by the Kharkiv Regional Prosecutor's Office is based on evidence from captured Russian soldiers. One of the suspected murderers is currently being held as a prisoner by Ukraine.

At least 177 Ukrainian soldiers have died in Russian captivity since the full-scale invasion began in 2022, according to Politico. The actual death toll is likely higher due to a lack of international oversight. Victoria Tsymbalyuk, a representative of the Coordinating Staff for the Treatment of Prisoners of War, said that not all bodies are returned and that Russia does not confirm the number of Ukrainians it holds captive. A previous report from the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights indicated that Russian forces routinely torture Ukrainian POWs. The UN recently reported that 10 Ukrainian POWs had died from “torture, lack of medical care, and dire health conditions."


BBC Russia reported that Russia's “elite” Marines have experienced 4 times as many losses near Vuhledar in Donetsk Oblast than they lost in the decade-long Second Chechen War, with at least 211 marines from the 155th Brigade killed and 42 missing.


Since Russia's full-scale invasion began, Ukraine's State Emergency Service has detected and disposed of over 533,200 pieces of explosive ordnance, clearing around 148,858 hectares. In the past 24 hours, they responded to 173 calls, removing 293 explosives devices including two aerial bombs. The most affected regions include Kharkiv, Kherson, and Donetsk. Ukraine is the world's most mined country, with 174,000 square kilometers contaminated by explosives.


North Korea supplies half of the artillery shells Russia is using in Ukraine, providing them at a rate of around 3 million per year. Many are faulty, with some batches having up to 40% being duds that misfire or damage the artillery piece. Nearly half of all ballistic missiles provided by North Korea are faulty and explode in mid-air. In return for these weapons, Russia provides military technology and help with satellites.


On October 4, 2024, a drone attack targeted the Annanafteprodukt oil depot located in the town of Anna within Voronezh Oblast, Russia. Eyewitnesses reported that a fire broke out following an explosion at the facility. The local governor stated that the fire was caused by debris from a downed drone striking an empty tank at the depot. There were no reported injuries from the attack. A video shows a small fire.


The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported successful strikes on the command centers of the 35th and 27th Separate Guards Motor Rifle Brigades, as well as one of the command centers of the 2nd Guards Combined Arms Army. The command centers were located in a concrete plant in Avdiivka. The strikes were carried out using Storm Shadow cruise missiles and GMLRS rockets.


There were reports that the Russian military lost another Su-25 attack aircraft, with claims that it was shot down by friendly fire from a Su-57. However, further information came forward that the downed aircraft was actually an S-70 Okhotnik UAV. This is a rare, expensive drone, and only a few units were produced for testing. Russian sources have tried to frame the loss positively, pointing out that no pilots were killed. Despite Russian claims that the S-70 is being used extensively in Ukraine, available information indicates that only three prototypes were known to exist, with additional airframes still under construction. The Russian military may have been testing these drones in real combat conditions before mass production, which is expected to begin in 2025. Previously, these were supposed to enter mass production in the second half of 2024. This incident is the first known sighting of the S-70 Okhotnik operating in Ukrainian airspace. The S-70 Okhotnik has a length of 14 meters, a wingspan of 19 meters, a takeoff weight of over 20 tons, and can carry missiles and air bombs with a total weight of up to 2.8 tons in its internal weapons compartments. It is also supposed to be stealthy. There is a lot of footage of the drone being shot down, crashing, and laying on the ground as debris. The debris landed in Ukrainian-held territory. The S-70 Okhotnik has an estimated cost of approximately $15-$18 million.


Over 33,500 pilgrims traveled to Uman in Ukraine to celebrate Rosh Hashanah.


Russia's Defense Ministry plans to recruit around 225,000 contract soldiers over the next three years, with a budget of $941 million for signup bonuses. The current one-time payment for signing a contract is $4,184. If they increase the signup bonus further, they will either have to allocate more money or recruit fewer men.


Ukraine Forbes reported on October 4 that Ukraine's Defense Intelligence was excluded from the Kursk offensive due to a reported conflict between its head, Kyrylo Budanov, and Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi. Tensions arose because Budanov allegedly refused to share intelligence with Syrskyi in the past, leading to the HUR's left out of the operation. Additionally, sources indicate that Budanov's relationship with Andriy Yermak, head of the President's Office, is poor. Yermak doesn’t like Budanov’s media appearances and popularity. President Zelenskyy has also reportedly lost confidence in Budanov after several failed HUR operations which led to the deaths of several HUR operatives.

Quote of the Day:
“We must not only obtain hedgehogs: we must enjoy hedgehogs.”
― Marcus Tullius Cicero, Selected Works