Day 980 of the war began with a drone attack on the capital of Ukraine, where at least nine people were injured, and several apartments caught fire last night.
Kyiv, the surrounding region, and almost half of eastern Ukraine have been on high alert for an air raid since 01:30 GMT (03:30, Romania time). Russia launched 62 drones over Ukraine during the night.
On the other side of the border, six Russian regions were attacked by Ukrainian drones overnight, with 23 being intercepted, announced the Ministry of Defense in Moscow.
Ramzan Kadyrov promised to avenge the drone attack on Tuesday in Chechnya. He also stated that he would use Ukrainian prisoners as human shields.
On the front lines, the pace of Moscow's troop offensive has increased, but remains slow compared to the beginning of the war, with the Russian army engaged in positional battles, notes the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).
Ukraine could face its most challenging winter since the start of Russia's large-scale invasion, said the interim head of the state energy company Ukrenergo. If Russia continues its attacks on critical energy infrastructure as it did last winter, Ukrainians could face up to eight hours of power outages on the "most critical days," he said.
And U.S. President Joe Biden stated that Ukraine should retaliate if North Korean troops cross its border.
Latest Frontline Updates
- Drone Strikes in Kiev - At least nine people were injured and several apartments caught fire after a Russian drone attack in Kiev, Ukrainian officials reported, as cited by Reuters. "Following a drone attack, a fire broke out on the second and third floors of a nine-story building" in the Solomianskyi district (west), announced Ukrainian rescuers in a statement published on Telegram. According to them, the fire, which broke out over an area of 40 square meters, was quickly extinguished. Another damaged building also had a fire put out. Kiev, the surrounding region, and almost half of eastern Ukraine have been on high alert for an air raid since 01:30 GMT (03:30, Romania time).
- Downed Drones - Russia launched 62 drones over Ukraine during the night. The air defense shot down 33, while another 25 disappeared from radar due to jamming, announced the Ukrainian Air Forces.
- Russian Offensive Remains Slow - The pace of Moscow's troop offensive in Ukraine has increased but remains modest compared to the early stages of the war, with the Russian army now engaged in positional battles, according to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW). "The pace of Russian advances in Ukraine has increased in recent weeks but remains slow and consistent with positional warfare rather than rapid mechanized maneuver," noted American analysts. According to ISW, in September, Russian forces recorded an average advance of 14 square kilometers per day, 90 times less than the daily average of 1,265 square kilometers in March 2022.
Events in Russia
- Drone Attack in Multiple Regions - Six regions were attacked by Ukrainian drones overnight, with 23 being intercepted, announced the Russian Ministry of Defense. Targets were destroyed in Rostov, Smolensk, Oryol, Bryansk, Belgorod, and Kursk (video).
- Kadyrov Vows Revenge - Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov promised on Tuesday to avenge a drone attack that caused a fire at a military training academy in the southern Russian republic. "They bit us - we will destroy them. In the very near future, we will show them the kind of revenge they never even dreamed of," Kadyrov told reporters in a video published by the Russian state news agency RIA. Earlier, Kadyrov announced on Telegram that the drone attack set fire to the roof of what he said was an empty building at the "special forces university" in the city of Gudermes. He stated that there were no casualties, according to Reuters. He also claimed that he would use Ukrainian prisoners as human shields, as reported by The Kyiv Independent. "Up to ten Ukrainian prisoners are held at each strategic facility in the republic (Chechnya), including on the territory of the Russian Special Forces Academy," Kadyrov announced on Telegram.
Other Relevant Information
- Ukraine Negotiates with Putin - Ukraine and Russia are in preliminary discussions to halt mutual strikes on energy infrastructure, writes the Financial Times (FT). Moscow and Kyiv have already reduced the frequency of attacks on each other's energy infrastructure in recent weeks as part of an agreement reached by their intelligence agencies, according to a senior Ukrainian official. Details HERE.
- Facing the Toughest Winter of War - Ukraine could face its most difficult winter since the start of Russia's large-scale invasion, said Oleksii Breht, the interim head of the state energy company Ukrenergo in an interview cited by Kyiv Independent. If Russia continues its attacks on critical energy infrastructure as it did last winter, Ukrainians could face up to eight hours of power outages on the "most critical days." From March to August, Russia destroyed all thermal power plants and nearly all hydroelectric capacity in Ukraine, said Volodymyr Zelensky on September 25 in a speech at the UN General Assembly in New York. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced on September 19 that the EU aims to cover approximately 4.5 GW of energy capacity this winter, or about 25% of Ukraine's winter needs. The EU announced on Tuesday that it will increase its export capacity to 2.1 GW starting December 1. According to a report by the International Energy Agency (IEA), Ukraine's electricity deficit could reach 6 GW this winter due to the attacks, representing about one-third of the projected peak demand.
- Kyiv Must Respond - U.S. President Joe Biden said on Tuesday that Ukraine should respond if North Korean troops cross its border, Reuters reports. "I'm concerned," Biden said when asked about the presence of North Korean troops in the Kursk region. "If they come into Ukraine, yes," he replied when asked if Ukrainians should respond.