On the 960th day of war, Russia launched a missile attack on the port infrastructure in the Odesa region in southern Ukraine, resulting in multiple casualties and significant material damage. This was the third attack in the region in the last four days, as Russians attempt to destabilize the maritime supply corridor established by Ukraine in August 2023.
Aerial attacks were reported this morning in Krivoi Rog, Zaporizhia, and Mykolaiv.
Fighting continues on the front lines, with nearly 150 armed confrontations recorded in the last 24 hours, with a higher intensity in Pokrovsk and Kurakhove.
Across the border, a depot in the Russian region of Krasnodar housing several hundred Shahed drones was destroyed by a Ukrainian drone attack. Another drone strike targeted a military airbase in southern Russia, in the Adygea region, this morning.
Meanwhile, Volodymyr Zelensky, on an extensive tour of Europe to garner support from allies, is accused in the country of pressuring the media. Ukrainska Pravda stated in a declaration that officials in the presidential administration are instructed not to communicate with the site's journalists, and they are denied access to official events. Additionally, companies are being pressured not to advertise on the site or sponsor events organized by the editorial team.
Frontline Situation
- Deadly Missile Attack in Odesa - A Russian missile attack on the port infrastructure in the Odesa region of southern Ukraine killed 6 people and injured 11, according to Ukrainian authorities. Deputy Prime Minister Oleksii Kuleba stated that a container ship flying the Panamanian flag, Shui Spirit, was damaged in the attack. The attack on the port of Chornomorsk was the third in the region in the last four days, as Russians seek to destabilize the maritime supply corridor established by Ukraine in August 2023 after Russia withdrew from the agreement on grain exports through the Black Sea.
- Attacks in Krivoi Rog and Zaporizhia - A five-story apartment building in the city of Krivoi Rog was damaged this morning by a Russian drone. One person was injured, announced Serhii Rih, head of the regional military administration. A gas pipeline in another area of the city was hit, causing a fire. In the city of Zaporizhia, four people were injured, and 29 buildings were damaged this morning following Russia's strikes, said Ivan Fedorov, head of the regional military administration. Vitali Kim, governor of the Mykolaiv region in the south of the country, reported that a cruise missile hit a storage area at an infrastructure facility, triggering a fire.
- Almost 150 Battles on the Front - In the last 24 hours, 149 battles have taken place on the front lines, particularly in the Pokrovsk and Kurakhove sectors. The enemy launched four missile attacks and 85 airstrikes, dropping 160 guided bombs on Ukrainian positions, the Ukrainian army's General Staff announced Thursday morning.
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Events in Russia
- Huge Fireball at Drone Depot - Ukraine announced that its armed forces destroyed a depot housing several hundred attack drones in southern Russia. Ukrainian forces "attacked a Shahed drone depot near Oktiabrskii in the Russian region of Krasnodar (...) Approximately 400 attack drones were stored there," the Ukrainian army wrote on Telegram. Video recordings posted on social media, claimed to be filmed in the area, show a huge fireball and large sparks. "The destruction of the Shahed drone storage base will significantly reduce the Russian occupier's capabilities to terrorize civilians in Ukrainian cities and villages," added the army. Local authorities in Krasnodar reported, however, "a fire in a depot" covering an area of approximately 800 square meters. "According to preliminary information, there are no casualties," they specified on Telegram. The Moscow Defense Ministry announced that Russian forces destroyed 92 drones overnight, with the majority (47) shot down in the Krasnodar Krai region, where the depot attacked by Ukrainians is located.
- Attack on an Air Base in North Caucasus - A drone strike targeted the Hanskaia military airbase in southern Russia's Adygea region this morning, as reported by the Russian news channel Mash, cited by Reuters. Mash published photos of an alleged long-range drone made in the USA, which was shot down near the airbase. Separately, regional governor Murat Kumpilov stated that the village of Rodnikovi in the same area was evacuated due to a fire following a drone attack. He mentioned that the attack targeted the suburbs of the city of Maikop - where the airbase is located - and that there were no casualties. A source from the Ukrainian security services told Kyiv Independent that during the attack, the airbase housed 57 Su-34 and Su-35 aircraft, training aircraft, and Mi-8 helicopters, and the extent of the damage caused is yet to be assessed. According to the Ukrainian army, the strike damaged the ammunition depot, causing a fire.
- Ukrainians Can Stay in Kursk for a Long Time - US officials estimate that Ukrainian forces will be able to stay for months in the occupied territories of the Kursk region. A reliable supply flow to the region and Russia's focus on progress in eastern Ukraine are key factors for the Ukrainian occupation in Kursk, American officials told Bloomberg, speaking on condition of anonymity. After enduring months of ammunition shortages, Ukrainian troops are now receiving a steady supply of shells. Allied efforts to bolster artillery ammunition depots in Kyiv have contributed to improving the supply chain. An initiative led by the Czech Republic for procuring ammunition is already making deliveries and aims to send between 80,000 and 100,000 rounds per month to Ukraine by the end of this year. Meanwhile, Russia's counteroffensive in Kursk has not yet eliminated Ukrainian forces from the region. The Ukrainian army announced on September 18 that the Russian operation had ceased, with the enemy only regaining a few localities. Moscow is instead focusing on its slow advance in eastern Ukraine, nearing the cities of Pokrovsk and Toretsk in the Donetsk region.
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Other Relevant Information
- Zelensky accused of pressuring the media - Ukrainska Pravda, one of the most important news websites in Ukraine, has denounced the "continuous and systematic pressure" from the Zelensky administration. "He threatens our activity and attempts to influence our editorial policy," a statement published by UP reads. According to the statement, officials are instructed not to communicate with the website's journalists, and they are denied access to official events. Additionally, companies are pressured not to advertise on the site and not to sponsor UP's events. The website also mentions a heated exchange between journalist Roman Kravets and Zelensky during a recent press conference, where the president questioned the editorial independence of Ukrainska Pravda. "These and other unofficial signals indicate attempts to influence our editorial policy," the statement reads. The website notes that any future attempts by the presidential administration to pressure the editorial team will be made public. The presidential office has not commented.
- Ukrainian soldier arrested after announcing desertion - Ukrainian soldier Serhii Gnezdilov was arrested and placed in detention after publicly announcing on Facebook on September 21 that he was leaving his unit without permission, with the aim of demanding the demobilization of soldiers exhausted from over two and a half years of fighting. The soldier faces up to 12 years in prison, announced the Ukrainian Bureau of Investigations (DBR). "The demonstrative and public abandonment of a military unit during wartime is not only immoral" towards his comrades, but also "demoralizes society and sparks a false debate that clearly plays into our enemy's hands," the DBR accuses. The indefinite duration of military service during martial law is a subject of debate in Ukraine, which has been facing the most serious armed conflict in Europe since 1945 since February 2022, resulting in tens of thousands of deaths. In May, Ukraine adopted a new law aimed at strengthening the mobilization and enlistment of tens of thousands of men. According to Le Figaro, over 5,000 Ukrainian soldiers desert or abandon their units every month, according to Ukrainian justice, whose figures may be underestimated.
- Moscow disturbed by Ciolacu's visit to Chisinau - Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova accuses Romania of wanting to take over the Republic of Moldova, following Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu's visit to Chisinau, to which she made ironic remarks. "But why was he timid? He should have said this: not in the EU, but in Romania. That's what they want," Zakharova said. Details HERE.
- Stoltenberg admits Ukraine should have been helped in 2014 - NATO could have provided substantial military support to Ukraine in 2014, which could have prevented Russia's invasion in 2022, former NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said in an interview published by Politico. Stoltenberg, who held the position for 10 years, expressed disappointment at the international community's inadequate response to Russia's aggression at that time. He added that Russia's war in Ukraine did not start with the 2022 invasion, but with the illegal annexation of Crimea and the conflict in Donbas in 2014. "If we had delivered a fraction of the weapons provided after 2022, we could have effectively prevented the war," he added.
- Zelensky starts European tour - Volodymyr Zelensky begins a European tour on Thursday, starting in the United Kingdom, France, and Italy, in search of support. "I will meet with the leaders of the United Kingdom, France, Italy, and Germany separately in each country," Zelensky announced in Dubrovnik, Croatia, after a summit with representatives from Balkan countries. He is set to travel to London on Thursday for discussions with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and to Paris for talks with Emmanuel Macron in the afternoon. Zelensky is also expected to take the opportunity to meet with Mark Rutte, the new NATO chief, in London. He will then travel to Rome to meet with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni in the evening, before meeting with Pope Francis at the Vatican on Friday morning. He is also expected in Germany on the same day, where he was supposed to participate in a meeting on Ukraine's defense on Saturday, which was eventually postponed after Joe Biden canceled his trip due to Hurricane Milton hitting Florida. Zelensky will be received in Berlin by Chancellor Olaf Scholz, whose government planned to halve bilateral military aid to Ukraine by 2025, much to Kiev's dissatisfaction.
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