Russian forces are increasing their presence at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in occupied Enerhodar, Ukraine's General Staff reported on Oct. 14. According to it, Russia uses the plant's territory as a base for their personnel because the object is not under fire by Ukrainian forces.
There's only 25-28% of the high-precision missiles left out of the total amount Russia had before its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the Secretary of Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council Oleksii Danilov told NV, referring to Ukraine's intelligence data. Danilov added that the time when Russia wouldn't be able to use those missiles "is already approaching."
Over the last three days, Russian troops "have made tactical advances" towards the center of Bakhmut in Donetsk Oblast – they advanced into villages Opytine and Ivanhrad to the south of the town, the U.K. Defense Ministry reported on Oct. 14. It's happening "very slowly" and mostly due to successful operations of Russian mercenary organization Wagner Group, reads the report.
In the past 24 hours, Russian forces have hit several settlements in Kharkiv Oblast, injuring eight people, including two 16-year-old boys, Oleh Syniehubov, the oblast governor, reported on Oct. 14. Russia's attacks wounded six civilians in Donetsk Oblast; four more people killed by Russian troops during the occupation were found in liberated Lyman and Yakovlivka, according to the oblast governor, Pavlo Kyrylenko.
Dictator Alexander Lukashenko has started to conduct small-scale covert mobilization to "man up the existing combat units," according to independent Belarusian publication Nasha Niva. "It will go under the guise of a combat capability test," Nasha Niva writes, citing several unnamed sources. "At the first stage, it will not affect large cities – the rural population will be mobilized first."
Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov said Spain would provide Ukraine with four Hawk air defense systems; he thanked his Spanish counterpart Margarita Robles for that. "There are (even) more Hawks on the way," Reznikov said. "Today air defense is a priority not only for Ukraine but for all of Europe."
Ukraine's General Staff reported on Sept. 29 that Russia had also lost 2,521 tanks, 5,172 armored fighting vehicles, 1,566 artillery systems, 362 multiple launch rocket systems, 186 air defense systems, 240 helicopters, 268 airplanes, 1,199 drones, and 16 boats.
A counter-terrorist operation regime has been declared in Belarus, and the country's army and special services are "ready to respond to any provocations from neighboring countries," Belarusian Foreign Minister Vladimir Makei told Russian Izvestiya newspaper in an interview published on Oct. 14.
Speaking via video link at a PACE session on Oct. 13, President Volodymyr Zelensky said he doesn't consider diplomacy with Russia possible under the current conditions, European Pravda reports. "There can be no diplomacy with Russia today," said Zelensky. "There can be no respect for the leadership that kills, captures, does not respect international law."
Ukraine is constantly monitoring the level of military threats from the Belarusian territory; it "takes measures" to ensure that Ukrainian troops are "in the appropriate number with the necessary weapons, military equipment, and combat potential," according to Lieutenant General Serhii Naiev. "We are ready for an attack from the Republic of Belarus," Naiev said.
The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe has adopted a resolution stating that the Russian regime is terrorist, according to lawmaker and member of the Ukrainian delegation to PACE Oleksii Honcharenko. The resolution also declares the need to provide Ukraine with air defense systems and to create an international tribunal for Russian crimes, according to Honcharenko.
Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas said on Oct. 13 that her country would send and "deliver fast" winter gear, equipment, and ammunition to Ukraine. "Let us all speed up our help, so Ukrainians can free their territories. This is the way to peace," said Kallas.
Defense ministers of 14 NATO allies and Finland have agreed to develop an air and missile defense system called "European Sky Shield Initiative" to strengthen NATO's ability to defend its members, the organization reported. "This commitment is even more crucial today, as we witness the ruthless and indiscriminate missile attacks by Russia in Ukraine," said NATO Deputy Secretary General Mircea Geoana.
Russian forces in some areas, particularly in Donetsk Oblast, have begun to receive orders from their leadership to stop offensive operations, Ukraine's General Staff reported on Oct. 13. The main reasons behind those orders are "the extremely low morale and psychological condition of the recruits, numerous facts of desertion, and refusing to obey combat orders," reads the report.
The money will be spent on social programs, as well as on strengthening Ukraine's defense capabilities and economy, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal reported on Oct. 13. In total, the IMF has provided Ukraine with more than $2.7 billion since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion on Feb. 24, according to Shmyhal.
"Our doctrine is based on the fundamental interests of (our) nation, and they are clearly defined. If there were a nuclear ballistic attack in Ukraine, these interests would not be called into question," French President Emmanuel Macron told France 2 on Oct. 12, referring to France's nuclear doctrine of deterrence.
Russian forces have started to prepare for the evacuation of some civilians from occupied Kherson, which means they "anticipate combat extending to the city of Kherson itself," the U.K. Defense Ministry reported on Oct. 13. After their retreat about 20 kilometers in the north of the Kherson sector, Russian troops may try to build up a new front line west from the village of Mylove.
In the past 24 hours, Russian forces have shelled several settlements in Kharkiv Oblast, injuring two men, Oleh Syniehubov, the oblast governor, reported on Oct. 13. Russia also fired eight S-300 missiles at Mykolaiv, hitting a high-rise apartment building. The attack killed one and injured two civilians, including an 11-year-old boy.
Ukraine’s General Staff reported on Oct. 13 that Russia had also lost 2,511 tanks, 5,167 armored fighting vehicles, 3,935 vehicles and fuel tanks, 1,556 artillery systems, 357 multiple launch rocket systems, 183 air defense systems, 268 airplanes, 240 helicopters, 1,182 drones, and 16 boats. The General Staff revised the data, that's why the number of armored fighting vehicles, for example, is lower than on Oct. 12.
U.K. Defense Secretary Ben Wallace said the U.K. will deliver AMRAAM missiles to Ukraine. “These weapons will help Ukraine defend its skies from attacks and strengthen their overall missile defense alongside the U.S. NASAMS,” Wallace said, the Guardian reports.
Russian dictator Vladimir Putin offered to resume gas supplies to Europe through parts of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline that were not damaged by explosions in September. He also suggested an alternative supply route through Turkey. "The ball is in the EU's court. If they want to, then the taps can be turned on, and that's it," he said. Since Sept. 26, four leaks have been discovered in the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 pipelines. Following the leaks, several Western officials, including U.S. President Joe Biden, called them a "deliberate act of sabotage."
iStories, a Russian independent investigative journalism project, cited an anonymous source at the country’s Federal Security Service and a former intelligence officer. The irrecoverable casualties include those killed in action, missing in action, those who died in hospital, and injured troops who cannot return to military service. In late August, U.K. Defense Minister Ben Wallace said Russia had lost over 80,000 troops in six months in Ukraine compared to the 15,000 they lost in a decade in Afghanistan.
According to the regional prosecutor's office, law enforcement officers found the body of a civilian shot by Russian troops near the village of Kurylivka, Kharkiv Oblast. Previously 24 people killed by Russian troops, including a pregnant woman and 13 children, had been identified near Kurylivka.
The U.S. administration is weighing a complete ban on Russian aluminum, which was not included in earlier sanction packages over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Bloomberg reported, citing sources familiar with the matter. According to the report, the White House is eyeing three options: an outright ban, increasing tariffs to levels so punitive they would impose an effective ban, or sanctioning the company that produces the nation’s metal. In September, Reuters reported that the U.S. and EU had increased Russian aluminum and nickel imports since Feb. 24, with the total value of imports amounting to $1.9 billion in the period.
The Czech Republic will ban the entry of Russian citizens coming for tourism, culture, or sports purposes starting from Oct. 25. The ban applies to Russians holding Schengen Area visas issued by any country, according to Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky. Earlier, the Baltic states, Poland, and Finland also imposed travel bans on Russian tourists. The Finnish government made the announcement on Sept. 30, cutting off the last easily accessible route for Russians with Schengen tourist visas into Europe.
The Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant has restored its external power supply after an outage on the morning of Oct. 12, according to Rafael Mariano Grossi, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). "We need a protection zone as soon as possible," he said. The power outage happened due to Russian strikes at the Dnirpovska electrical substation in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, according to Energoatom, Ukraine's state nuclear monopoly. Russia, which has been shelling Ukrainian positions from the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in Russian-occupied Enerhodar, is accused of using it as a shield and a tool of blackmail.
Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said that Ukraine’s energy system functions normally while repair work is ongoing. On Oct. 10, Russian forces hit infrastructure, including energy facilities, in 12 oblasts and Kyiv, causing more than 30 fires. Shmyhal said parts of Ukraine were cut off from electricity and that the Ukrainians should prepare for temporary power, water supply, and mobile network disruptions.
Canadian Defense Minister Anita Anand said on Oct. 12 that the new military aid package would include winter clothing and equipment, artillery rounds, and communications technology. Earlier, she said that Canada’s military would deploy around 40 combat engineers to Poland to train Ukrainian troops in engineering skills, using explosives for demolition work, and demining.
The information was provided by Vinnytsia Oblast Governor Serhiy Borzov. Suspilne television reported explosions in Vinnytsia Oblast.
Following Russia’s recent mass missile strikes on Ukraine, Defense Minister Kajsa Ollongren said on Oct. 12 that these attacks “can only be met with unrelenting support for Ukraine and its people.”
Germany will hand over to Ukraine "more" self-propelled artillery howitzers Panzerhaubitze 2000 and multiple launch rocket systems MARS II “in the next few weeks,” the German Defense Ministry tweeted during the sixth Ramstein format meeting in Brussels on Oct. 12.
The U.S. will provide Ukraine with $4.5 billion in direct budget support in the coming weeks, Reuters reports, citing the U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen. "We're committed to getting this funding to you as soon as possible because we know how important it is in supporting your brave resistance to Russia's illegal invasion," Yellen said.
