Day 954 of the war began with a new overnight drone attack launched by Russia on Ukraine. Most targets were shot down or jammed. A block in Kiev was damaged, but there were no casualties.
The commander of the Ukrainian army, General Oleksandr Syrskyi, ordered the reinforcement of defense in the eastern Donetsk region, a day after Kiev forces announced their withdrawal from the city of Vuhledar.
Russian forces have advanced westward in key points along a front of approximately 150 km in Donetsk, with the logistics center at Pokrovsk being a target. This sector of the front has remained the theater of the most violent clashes in the last 24 hours.
The Russian offensive is nearing its peak, but they do not have the resources to maintain the intense pace of advancement. Russian operations in eastern Ukraine are expected to reach their peak in the coming weeks or months, estimates the Institute for the Study of War.
Across the border, the regional headquarters of the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) in Novosibirsk, the largest city in Siberia, was engulfed in flames. Ukrainian intelligence speaks of sabotage, but has not directly claimed the attack.
Additionally, two oil depots in the Russian region of Voronezh and Perm Territory caught fire following Ukrainian drone attacks. The Russian Ministry of Defense announced that it had shot down drones in the Voronezh, Belgorod, Rostov regions, and over the Sea of Azov during the night.
On the other hand, Russian Shahed drones are reaching places they shouldn't. Three such drones entered Belarusian airspace while President Alexander Lukashenko was flying over the country in a helicopter.
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NATO has stated that it will not intercept missiles and drones over Ukraine as it does over Israel, as they are "two very different landscapes and battlefields." An attack on Romania or Poland would change the nature of U.S. involvement, said Sabrina Singh, the Pentagon's deputy press secretary.
Frontline Situation
- Destroyed Drones - Russia attacked infrastructure with 19 drones overnight, announced the Ukrainian Air Forces. Air defense shot down nine drones, with seven others likely affected by electronic jamming, without detailing what happened to the remaining three. Kiev Mayor Vitali Klitschko said a block was damaged in the capital, but no casualties were reported. The fire was quickly extinguished. The attack also damaged an administrative building in the central Kirovohrad region, causing minor injuries to one employee, said Governor Andrii Raokovici. In the last 24 hours, Russian forces also targeted critical infrastructure, utility facilities, and 35 homes in the southern Herson region, said Governor Oleksandr Prokudin. Attacks there killed one person and injured four.
- General Syrskyi Orders Defense Reinforcement in the East - Ukrainian army commander General Oleksandr Syrskyi ordered the strengthening of defense in the eastern Donetsk region, a day after Kiev forces announced their withdrawal from Vuhledar. Syrskyi works in "one of the hottest sectors of the front" with the 25th Airborne Brigade Siceslav. He did not provide location details, but the brigade operates on the Pokrovsk front, an area where Russian attacks are intensifying. "While working in the brigade, we made a series of decisions aimed at strengthening the stability and effectiveness of our defense," he said. The military command in eastern Ukraine ordered the withdrawal from Vuhledar to avoid encirclement by Russian troops and to "preserve personnel and military equipment."
- Pokrovsk, the Theater of the Most Violent Clashes - Russian forces have advanced westward in key points along a 150 km front in Donetsk, with the logistics center at Pokrovsk being a target. The Pokrovsk sector has remained the theater of the most violent clashes, with 28 attacks launched by Russian forces here in the last 24 hours and another 23 in the nearby Kurahove sector, announced the Ukrainian Army General Staff. A total of 142 battles took place across the entire front line during this period.
- Russian Offensive Nearing its Peak - Ukrainian forces are effectively defending on multiple layers along the front line, yielding ground while inflicting massive losses on Russian troops. This defense slows the Russian advance, but the operational difficulties of Ukrainian forces allow Russian troops to achieve tactical successes, as shown by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW). However, Russia faces a shortage of personnel and equipment, making it unlikely that they can sustain such an intense offensive pace for an extended period. It is expected that Russian operations in eastern Ukraine will peak in the coming weeks or months, according to their estimates.
- Civilians Killed in Donetsk - Two people were killed and two others injured in Russian strikes on the Donetsk region in the last 24 hours. "The Russians killed two residents of Stara Mykolaivka and Kreminna Balka in the Donetsk region on October 3. Two other people were injured in the region in the last 24 hours," said Vadim Filashkin, head of the military administration, as quoted by Ukrainska Pravda.
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Developments in Russia
- Fire at FSB - A fire broke out at the regional headquarters of the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) in Novosibirsk, the largest city in Siberia. According to Ukrainian intelligence, the incident occurred Thursday evening, with flames ignited by an incendiary device thrown through a broken window. "Such incidents from the aggressor state are becoming more frequent as people's willingness to take desperate measures against the criminal regime in the Kremlin grows," conveyed the Ukrainian Intelligence Service (DIU) without directly claiming this attack.
- Oil Depots Ablaze - Two oil depots in the Voronezh region and Perm Territory, about 1,800 km northeast of Ukraine, caught fire last night, local authorities reported by Kyiv Independent. According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, anti-aircraft forces shot down six Ukrainian drones in the Voronezh region, six in Belgorod, one in Rostov, and one over the Sea of Azov overnight. Voronezh region Governor Alexandr Gusev announced that air defense destroyed several Ukrainian drones and that no one was injured. He specified that an empty tank at an oil depot was hit during a drone attack. The Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations announced that the fire at the depot in the village of Osentii, Perm Krai, spread over an area of over 10,000 square meters, but no casualties were reported. Social media showed images of the two depots engulfed in flames.
- Moscow Warns - The current confrontation between Russia and the West regarding Ukraine is unprecedented in history, and a mistake could lead to catastrophe, said a senior Russian diplomat, Sergei Ryabkov, who was asked to compare it to the Cuban missile crisis of 1962. Ryabkov, responsible for arms control and relations with North America, told reporters in Moscow that the danger of armed confrontation between nuclear powers should not be underestimated. "We are moving on uncharted military and political territory," he said. Ryabkov warned that a mistake in the current situation could lead to disaster and questioned whether those in the West are capable of "sensitively assessing the consequences of the course they are following."
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Other Relevant Information
- Three drones entered Belarus - Three Shahed drones entered Belarusian airspace on Thursday while Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko was flying in a helicopter over the country, according to the Belaruski Hajun monitoring group cited by Kyiv Independent. The drones, which flew from the Ukrainian region of Chernihiv, were observed heading towards the Gomel region in Belarus. Two flew over the border area of Novaia Guta towards Gomel, while another drone flew over Loiev, also in the Gomel region. At the same time, Lukashenko's helicopter was reportedly flying south from his residence in Ozerni. The incident occurred about a month after Belarusian air forces first shot down Shahed drones over their airspace on September 5.
- NATO will not intercept missiles and drones over Ukraine - NATO will not intercept missiles and drones over Ukraine as it does over Israel, as they are "two very different landscapes and battlefields." An attack on Romania or Poland would change the nature of U.S. involvement, said Sabrina Singh, the Pentagon's deputy press secretary. "President Joe Biden promised that the U.S. will not intervene in the war in Ukraine, but will support Kiev in its efforts to regain its territory," she emphasized. Asked if hitting targets from Polish or Romanian territory would also be considered "putting boots on the ground," Singh said that would mean engaging in a war in a different way.
- Recruitment office for "Ukrainian Legion" in Poland - Authorities in Kiev announced the opening of the first recruitment office for the "Ukrainian Legion" in Poland aimed at attracting Ukrainians living abroad to join their country's army. The office is located within the Ukrainian consulate in Lublin, eastern Poland. "After registration, volunteer training will take place on the training ground" in Poland, he added, mentioning that Ukraine provides uniforms and logistical support, while Polish partners supply weapons and other equipment. The "Ukrainian Legion" project was announced by Kiev in July. The recruitment process for the Legion is carried out through its website or through consulates and embassies. In July, Kiev estimated that there are 300,000 Ukrainians of enlistment age residing in Poland.
- $15 million Russian plot in Moldova - Authorities in Chisinau revealed a coordinated plan by a pro-Russian oligarch aimed at influencing elections by purchasing voters' votes so they would express opposition to the country's Western integration. Over $15 million from Russian funds were distributed to more than 130,000 Moldovan citizens, writes Politico. Voters were instructed on how to vote and spread disinformation about the EU on Telegram. Behind the operation is the Moldovan-Israeli tycoon Ilan Shor, under investigation for money laundering and coordinating the network after his party was banned in the Republic of Moldova. The plot is part of the Kremlin's efforts to undermine Moldova's pro-Western leadership ahead of the EU referendum and presidential elections on October 20.