On the 975th day of the war, Russia sent two waves of drones towards the capital of Ukraine overnight, in the 15th aerial attack on Kyiv this month.
Ukrainian border guards announced that they used a Vampire attack drone to repel the advance of Russian troops, causing damage to military vehicles and enemy shelters.
The Kremlin faces another problem: members of the Atesh partisan movement have infiltrated the Russian army, allowing them to gather information and launch direct operations in enemy military units, the group reported.
Fighting is ongoing on all fronts, with most clashes reported in Pokrovsk in the last 24 hours. Kyiv announced that its forces are repelling the attacks, causing heavy losses to the enemy. The total tally of Russia's losses has reached 685,000 military personnel since the beginning of the invasion, as reported by the Ukrainian General Staff.
Elon Musk has been in regular contact with Vladimir Putin since the end of 2022. Discussions confirmed by several current and former American, European, and Russian officials pose a dilemma for the American government.
Vladimir Putin stated on Friday that it is Russia's business whether it decides to use North Korean troops or not, emphasizing that, given Ukraine's desire to join NATO, Moscow can do whatever it wants to ensure its own security.
And on the last day of the BRICS summit, the Kremlin leader said that through Turkey he received a secret proposal from Kyiv last month. Putin did not provide details about the proposal but mentioned that he had accepted it, although Zelensky immediately canceled the possibility of discussions.
Meanwhile, more barriers are emerging in Ukraine's hopes of joining NATO. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz stated that a country at war, like Ukraine, cannot become a NATO member, a position unanimously accepted by the allies.
The latest information from the front
- Drone Waves in Kyiv - Russia sent two waves of drones towards the capital of Ukraine overnight, in the 15th aerial attack on Kyiv this month, city officials said on Friday, as reported by Reuters. More than a dozen drones were shot down over the city during the four-hour attack, said the city's military administrator, Serhii Popko, on Telegram. He added that authorities did not receive reports of casualties and that drone debris ignited a fire that was extinguished. Several explosions were heard in the morning in the city. In total, the Ukrainian air defense destroyed 36 out of the 63 drones launched overnight by Russia over different regions of Ukraine. Most were shot down over the Kiev and Odesa regions in the south, while another 16 were "locationally lost."
- Attacks in Kharkiv and Kherson - Russian forces attacked the village of Borova in the Kharkiv region in the morning with a multiple rocket launcher system (MLRS). A 61-year-old woman was killed, and several houses were damaged, authorities announced on Telegram. In the morning, the Russians also shelled the center of the city of Kherson, injuring two people, a 64-year-old woman and a 72-year-old man. The two injured received medical care on the spot, announced the head of the regional military administration, Roman Mrociko, on Telegram.
- Vampire Drone wreaks havoc in Vovchansk - Ukrainian border guards deployed on the front line in the Vovchansk area used a Vampire attack drone to repel the advance of Russian troops, causing damage to military vehicles and enemy shelters, according to a report from the Ukrainian Border Service cited by Ukrinform. Members of the "Fury" unit spotted a group of Russian soldiers heading towards their positions. At the specified coordinates, the Vampire drone was activated. Following the attack, several military vehicles, soldier shelters, and construction materials brought by Russian troops to reinforce positions were significantly damaged.
- Infiltrated Partisans in the Russian Army - Members of the Atesh partisan movement have infiltrated the Russian army, providing the group with access to information and the ability to launch operations directly in enemy military units, the organization reported on Telegram. For the first time since the war began, Russia has started recruiting Ukrainians from the occupied territories into the army, mentioned the source cited by Kyiv Post. "Our agents took advantage and went as volunteers to the recruitment centers. This will allow us to carry out operations in military units and gather more important information," the partisans transmitted.
- Ukrainians Destroy Radar System - Ukrainian forces destroyed the radar guidance system of a Buk-M2 air defense system last night and also hit a Buk-M3 defense system in the Luhansk region, announced the Kiev General Staff on Friday. The Russian targets were located several tens of kilometers behind the front line, as reported by Kyiv Independent. Buk is a family of self-propelled medium-range air defense systems developed in the '70s by the Soviet Union. Buk-M2 and M3 are modernized variants capable of hitting aerial targets at distances of 50 and 65 km. Ukraine also destroyed a Buk-M3 system last Monday night.
- Fighting in Pokrovsk - Ukrainian and Russian forces clashed 187 times on the front in the last 24 hours, with most battles (55) recorded in the Pokrovsk sector. The Russians concentrated most of their attacks near the towns of Selidove and Promin. "The situation remains challenging. The enemy, using its superiority in terms of personnel and equipment, continuously attacks our positions," transmitted this morning the Ukrainian army General Staff. According to the cited source, Ukrainians are fighting back and repelling the attacks, causing heavy losses to the enemy.
- Russia's Losses - 1,630 Russian soldiers were killed and injured just in the last day of the war, bringing the total tally of losses to 685,000 military personnel since the beginning of the invasion, as reported by the Ukrainian General Staff.
- Maritime Drone Attacked by Russian Helicopter - A video posted on a Russian Telegram channel shows the moment when a Russian army Ka-29 multirole helicopter attacked a Ukrainian maritime drone MAGURA. The incident apparently took place near Crimea, and the Russian crew used all the onboard machine guns to destroy the target, but the footage does not indicate a hit. The drone was modified and equipped with an R-73 air-to-air missile, but it cannot hit targets closer than 300 meters, so the operator could not attack the helicopter, as reported by Kyiv Post. The footage can be viewed HERE.
What's Happening in Russia
- Putin Received a Secret Proposal from Kyiv - Vladimir Putin claimed at the BRICS summit that a Turkish representative received a proposal from Ukraine addressed to Russia during the September session of the UN General Assembly in New York, and the information was conveyed to the Kremlin, as reported by the Russian news agency RIA Novosti, cited by Ukrainska Pravda. Putin did not provide details but stated that he agreed with the proposal; however, shortly after, Volodymyr Zelensky presented a peace plan, canceling the possibility of discussions.
- North Koreans in Kursk - Ukraine announced on Thursday that North Korean military personnel have been deployed in the Russian region of Kursk, where Ukrainian troops control hundreds of square kilometers, and the West fears that their participation in the fighting could lead to a major escalation in the war. "On October 23, 2024," Wednesday, "their presence was recorded in the (Russian) region of Kursk," announced the Ukrainian army intelligence service, GUR. Details HERE
- Putin: It's Russia's Business If It Uses North Koreans - Russian President Vladimir Putin declared on Friday that it is Russia's business whether it decides to use North Korean troops or not, emphasizing that, given Ukraine's desire to join NATO, Moscow can do whatever it wants to ensure its own security, as reported by Reuters. "If we need to decide something, then we will decide... but it is our sovereign decision whether to implement it or not, if we need it. This is our business," stated Putin on Russian state television. Vladimir Putin emphasized that the West has repeatedly declared that it is Ukraine's business how it ensures its security, "with or without NATO." "The sooner they realize the failure of such an approach in relations with Russia, the better it will be for everyone and, perhaps, primarily for them," Putin said. At a press conference held at the end of the BRICS summit, Putin did not deny the presence of North Korean troops in Russia. He pointed to the military assistance provided to Ukraine by the West and also spoke about foreign mercenaries fighting alongside the Ukrainian army.
Other Relevant Information
- Musk stays in touch with Putin since 2022 - Elon Musk has been in regular contact with Vladimir Putin since the end of 2022. The discussions, confirmed by several current and former American, European, and Russian officials, cover personal matters, business, and geopolitical tensions, writes The Wall Street Journal. At one point, Putin asked the billionaire to avoid activating his Starlink satellite internet service above Taiwan as a favor to Chinese leader Xi Jinping, said two people familiar with the request. A person familiar with the discussions stated that the U.S. government is facing a dilemma as it is heavily reliant on the billionaire's technologies. SpaceX launches satellites crucial for national security into orbit and is the company NASA relies on to transport astronauts to and from the International Space Station. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated that the only communication the Kremlin had with Musk was a phone call where he and Putin discussed "space, as well as current and future technologies." Additionally, he said that neither Putin nor Kremlin officials had regular conversations with Musk.
- Ukraine cannot join NATO during the war - German Chancellor Olaf Scholz believes that a country at war, such as Ukraine, cannot become a NATO member, adding that this position is unanimously accepted among allies in an interview with ZDF. He specified that NATO allies have "offered a perspective" on Ukraine's future integration but considered that "a new decision is not needed at this time." Alongside Slovak President Peter Pellegrini, Scholz argued that immediate accession is "not realistic," a position supported by other European leaders. Details HERE
- Reaction from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs - The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MAE) considers the arrest warrant issued by a Russian court for journalist Mircea Barbu and other foreign journalists as "a blatant attack on press freedom." "Criminalizing independent press is an attempt to silence the truth. We stand in solidarity with all journalists facing persecution," MAE conveyed in a message posted on X.