On day 940 of the war, we learn that Ukraine’s incursion into the Kursk region was not a total surprise for Russia. Putin’s army commanders had repeatedly warned, months in advance, about the risk of a Ukrainian invasion, but their warnings were ignored, as revealed by documents seized by Ukrainian troops in the Kursk region.
Russia continues methodically launching nighttime drone and missile attacks on Ukraine. The air defense system destroyed the vast majority of Russian drones last night in several regions of Ukraine.
Meanwhile, hostilities on the front line continue in the same direction, with Russian troops launching attacks along the entire contact line, especially in the Pokrovsk and Kurahove sectors. However, there is information that the Russians have advanced near four localities in the Donetsk region.
During this time, Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov is facing a problem: the Tesla Cybertruck electric car equipped with a machine gun, which he boasted about on social media channels, is no longer working, and he accuses Elon Musk of remotely disabling it.
Moreover, the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, has arrived in the Ukrainian capital, Kiev, to discuss the support of the European Union, winter preparedness regarding defense, and progress on loans from the G7.
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- Day 939 Unclear situation in Kursk. The victory plan is ready. Putin announces ten times more drones
Frontline situation
- Downed Drones - The Ukrainian air defense system shot down 61 out of the 70 Shahed drones launched by Russia during the night. The other nine drones disappeared from radars following active measures taken by Ukrainian troops, as reported by the Air Forces cited by Kyiv Independent. A Kh-59 cruise missile was also intercepted. Multiple explosions were heard last night in several regions, and the air defense system operated in the Kiev, Zaporizhia, Cherkasy, Lviv, and Ivano-Frankivsk regions.
- Over 200 Frontline Attacks - In the last 24 hours, 226 battles took place on the front line. The Russians were more active in the Pokrovsk and Kurahove sectors, where Ukrainian forces repelled 41 and 63 attacks, respectively, as reported Friday morning by the Ukrainian General Staff.
- Russians Advance in Donetsk - Russian troops have advanced in the Donetsk region, announced by DeepState, a Ukrainian Telegram channel monitoring the evolution of battles on the front. "The enemy has advanced near Niu-Iork (New York), Ivanivske, Halychynivka, and Toretk," noted the source.
- Russian Commanders Anticipated the Kursk Incursion - Russian army commanders anticipated that Ukraine was planning an incursion into the Kursk region several months before the operation was launched in August, according to documents seized by Ukrainian military, as reported by The Guardian. From the documents, whose authenticity could not be independently verified, it appears that Russian officers warned as early as January that Ukrainians could penetrate Kursk. The initial warnings were vague, but later became more detailed, mentioning that Ukraine might try to occupy the city of Suya, which happened in August. Russian commanders tried to strengthen security at the Kursk region's border and "organize additional exercises for the leadership of units (...) regarding the correct organization of defense" ahead of a possible Ukrainian attack, the documents cited. However, Russia was caught off guard by the incursion Ukraine launched on August 6, occupying 100 localities and an area of over 1,300 square kilometers.
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Developments in Russia
- Kadyrov Upset with Elon Musk - Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov (47 years old) accused Elon Musk, the billionaire owner of Tesla, of remotely disabling a Tesla Cybertruck electric vehicle that he claims to have received as a gift from him in August, as reported by AFP on Thursday. Ramzan Kadyrov, who has ruled Chechnya with an iron fist for over 17 years, shared a video in August showing him driving a Tesla Cybertruck with a mounted machine gun on the vehicle's back. Kadyrov said the vehicle was given to him by Elon Musk, a claim the American auto manufacturer's owner dismissed as a lie on the X social network. "Recently, Musk remotely disabled the Cybertruck," Ramzan Kadyrov stated in a message on Telegram. "It is not nice of Elon Musk to act this way. He gives expensive gifts from the heart and then deactivates them remotely," he added. The Chechen leader mentioned that the vehicle he received was used in military operations and sent to Ukraine, where it "performed admirably."
- Russia to Defend Interests in Arctic Region - Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov promised in an interview published Friday that Moscow would defend its interests in the Arctic region both diplomatically and militarily, as reported by Reuters. Russian news agencies quoted Lavrov as saying in a documentary series that Russia is determined to respond to the increasing number of military exercises organized by the United States and its NATO allies in the Arctic region. "We see how NATO is intensifying its exercises, related to possible crises in the Arctic area," Lavrov was quoted from the series titled "Soviet Progress." "Our country is fully prepared to defend its interests in military, political, and techno-military terms," he stated.
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Other Relevant Information
- Ursula's Eighth Visit to Kiev - President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, stated on Friday that she has arrived in the Ukrainian capital, Kiev, to discuss the European Union's support, winter preparedness for defense, and progress on loans from the G7, as reported by Reuters. Von der Leyen will meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and other officials. "My eighth visit to Kiev comes as the cold season is approaching, and Russia continues to target the energy infrastructure," wrote Ursula von der Leyen on the X social network. Von der Leyen announced that €160 million from frozen Russian assets proceeds would be allocated to meet Ukraine's urgent humanitarian needs for this winter. Russia has disabled approximately 9 gigawatts (GW) of Ukraine's energy infrastructure, which von der Leyen described as "the energy equivalent of the three Baltic states." She also mentioned that the EU intends to restore 2.5 GW of energy generation capacity and increase exports to provide 2 GW of electricity to Ukraine.
- Ukrainian Pilots Begin Training in Fetești - The first group of Ukrainian pilots has started training in Romania on 14 F-16 aircraft. They are currently undergoing theoretical training, the first stage of transitioning from Soviet MiGs to American aircraft. According to a statement from the Defense Ministry of Romania, 14 out of the 18 planes sent by the Netherlands to their country for this program are now being used in Fetești. Details HERE.