Yesterday, around 1300 enemy troops encountered significant setbacks in Ukraine.
Ukrainian Army Reports 1,300 Russian Casualties in Last 24 Hours
The General Staff of the Ukrainian military reports 1,300 casualties on the Russian side in the past 24 hours. This raises the total number of enemy injuries or fatalities since the commencement of the war in February 2022 to approximately 669,000, as per Ukrainian statistics. Furthermore, nine enemy tanks, 49 armored vehicles, 29 artillery systems, and two air defense systems have been destroyed since yesterday. The General Staff also confirms the destruction of 45 Russian drones.
07:48 Russia: 13 Ukrainian Drones Downed
Russia alleges to have taken down 13 Ukrainian drones throughout the night across three border regions. The air defense system knocked down six drones over the Russian regions of Belgorod and Kursk, and one drone over the region of Bryansk, as per the Russian Defense Ministry's announcement on Telegram.
07:16 DeepState Reports Ukrainian Advance in Donetsk
DeepState, a group of military analysts, reports that Ukrainian forces made progress in the Donetsk Oblast during the night. Near the city of Novohrodivka, it's said that the Ukrainians retook their lost positions from the Russians. Meanwhile, DeepState also reports Russian victories in Donetsk, with Moscow's troops advancing near the settlement of Veseloe.
06:30 Lithuanian Elections: All Major Parties Support Ukraine
Lithuanians are voting for a new parliament today. Polls indicate a power shift is likely, with the Social Democrats poised to replace the incumbent conservative Homeland Union as the leading force. The "Aušra of Nemunas" may also gain entry into parliament for the first time, a populist party. All major parties in Lithuania, a country of 2.8 million people, agree that Ukraine should receive further assistance and its defenses against Russia should be bolstered.
04:39 Investigation: Older Russians Making Up Larger Share of Troops
The Russian troops deployed in Ukraine are, on average, older, according to numbers compiled and shared by Russian oppositional media project Mediazona and BBC Russia. Researchers examined data from nearly 73,000 Russian soldiers killed since Russia's invasion of its neighboring country. In the first half of the war, most of the fatalities were between 21 and 23 years old. However, the mobilization of reserves, use of convicts, and recruitment of volunteers have shifted the age distribution. Notably, most of the volunteers were between 48 and 50 years old, according to Mediazona.
01:05 Zelenskyy Pushes to Increase Weapon Production in Ukraine
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy advocates for significantly boosting weapon production with Western investment. "Our industrial capacity allows us to generate far more drones, ammunition, and military equipment than Ukraine's finances permit," he says in his evening video address. The West can finance this, especially since various allies are currently struggling to fulfill their own aid commitments due to insufficient stockpiles. During his trip to Paris, a new Ukrainian-French weapon model was discussed, which will now be further developed at the level of defense ministers.
23:31 Zelensky: Ukrainian Forces Hold Kursk Positions
Ukrainian forces are maintaining their positions in the Russian border region of Kursk, according to President Volodymyr Zelensky. "Regarding Operation Kursk, Russia has made efforts to push back our positions, but we are maintaining the designated lines," Zelensky said in his evening video address. The Russian Ministry of Defense had earlier reported that its forces had recaptured two villages in Kursk. In August, around 1,000 Ukrainian soldiers entered Kursk in one of the largest incursions on Russian territory since the war began in February 2022, crossing the border with tanks and armored vehicles.
22:21 Media: Ukrainian Drone Attacks May Inform Future Strikes in Russia
Ukraine has recently targeted Russian ammunition and fuel depots with drones, causing significant explosions and disrupting supplies. Ukrainian army leader Oleksandr Syrskyi is content with the pace of these operations. Ukrainian media suggest this could serve as a model for Ukraine's potential enhanced strike capabilities with long-range weapons against military targets deep within Russian territory – if such deployments are permitted by Western allies. This is believed to be a key component in President Zelensky's "victory plan" discussed with multiple world leaders recently.
21:58 NGO: Belarus Charged with Crimes Against Ukrainian Children
The American non-governmental organization Freedom House accuses the Belarusian regime of serious offenses against Ukrainian children. It is actively involved in relocating, brainwashing, and militarizing children from Russian-occupied Ukrainian territories in violation of international law, according to a report by the organization. This forms part of Russia's policy aimed at eradicating Ukrainian culture and identity. As per its own statistics, over 2,000 children have been identified as having been transferred from occupied Ukrainian regions to Belarus, where they are said to undergo indoctrination in re-education camps.
21:39 Serbia Obtains Additional Gas from Russia
Serbia has secured additional gas supplies from the Russian state-owned company Gazprom. Gazprom CEO Alexei Miller and the head of the Serbian state-owned company Srbijagas signed a corresponding agreement at the international gas forum in St. Petersburg. Serbia continues to rely heavily on Russian gas supplies, which account for up to 80 percent of its needs. Serbia signed a three-year supply contract with Gazprom shortly after the start of the Russian invasion in May 2022. A decision on extending this contract is anticipated in early 2023.
20:50 Zelensky: Ukraine has potential for boosting drone manufacturing significantlyWith aid from international allies, Ukrainian President Zelensky is looking to ramp up the production of military products within Ukraine, including ammunition and notably, drones. These investment plans stem from recent foreign trips and were sparked due to Ukraine's current underutilization of its production capabilities, as Zelensky pointed out. Funding-strapped countries that may lack their own supplies or be unable to provide military aid due to various reasons are ready to financially back Ukraine's defense industry and invest in its growth.
20:11 Iran sends two homegrown satellites to RussiaAccording to a news outlet, Iran has shipped two locally-developed satellites to Russia for launch into orbit by a Russian spacecraft. This marks the latest space collaboration between the two nations, which has drawn criticism from the US according to Tasnim, a semi-official source. The launch represents Iran's first major venture in the private space sector, with the development of Kowsar, a high-resolution imaging satellite, and Hodhod, a compact communication satellite. Russia has previously put Iranian satellites into orbit in February and 2022. US officials voiced concerns at the time district about the collaboration between Russia and Iran in space, worrying that it could aid Russia in Ukraine and also assist Iran in monitoring potential military targets in Israel and the Middle East.
19:48 Russian forces ramp up counterattacks in KurskA report from the American Institute for the Study of War (ISW) indicates that Russian troops have stepped up their assaults against Ukrainian forces in the Kursk region. The Russians are making headway in the Kursk Oblast, with nearly the entire Ukrainian defenses pushed back in the Glushkovsky district as per the ISW. It appears that the Russian military aims to repel the Ukrainian offensive in Kursk before the adverse weather conditions set in at the end of autumn/beginning of winter.
You can catch up on all previous developments here.)
Despite the ongoing conflict and reported Russian casualties, there have been concerns raised about the aging of Russia's military force. According to Russian oppositional media project Mediazona and BBC Russia, the Russian troops deployed in Ukraine are, on average, older than before. In contrast, cyberwarf tactics could potentially level the playing field, as Ukraine and its allies might consider using cyberattacks against Russia's critical infrastructure to disrupt their war efforts.
