Key developments on Oct. 4:
- Oil depots on fire in Russia's Voronezh Oblast, Perm Krai
- Russian forces less than 7 km away from Pokrovsk, authorities say
- At least 177 Ukrainian POWs have died in Russian captivity, Kyiv says
- EU readies to sanction Iran over missile shipments to Russia, Bloomberg reports
- Kursk operation 'motivates those who give us weapons' — Zelensky visits troops in Sumy Oblast
Fires broke out at two oil depots in Russia's Voronezh Oblast and Perm Krai overnight on Oct. 4, local authorities reported.
According to the Russian Defense Ministry, its air defense downed six Ukrainian drones over Voronezh Oblast, six over Belgorod Oblast, one over Rostov Oblast, and one over the Azov Sea.
Ukrainian soldiers attacked the Annanefteprodukt fuel and lubricants storage base near the village of Anna in Voronezh Oblast, Ukraine's General Staff said. It was not specified what kind of weapon was used in the attack.
A source in the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) told the Kyiv Independent later that the oil depot was struck by drones operated by the SBU.
According to the source, the oil storage facility housed 20 tanks with fuel and lubricants.
"It was confirmed that at least one of the vertical tanks was hit," the General Staff said.
Alexander Gusev, the Voronezh Oblast governor, claimed that an empty tank at an oil storage facility was hit during the drone attack.
A large-scale fire also broke out at an oil depot in the village of Osentsy in Perm Krai. Russia's Perm Krai lies around 1,800 kilometers (1,120 miles) northeast of Ukraine.
The fire engulfed fuel tanks and spread over 10,000 square meters, the Russian Emergency Ministry reported. No casualties were reported either region.
The Kyiv Independent could not verify Russia's claims.
In recent months, Ukrainian forces have launched a series of drone strikes aimed at damaging Russia's oil industry, whose profits fuel Moscow's war efforts.
Dominic Culverwell
Russian forces less than 7 km away from Pokrovsk, authorities say
Russian forces are less than 7 kilometers (4 miles) from the outskirts of the town of Pokrovsk in Donetsk Oblast as of Oct. 4, said Serhii Dobriak, the head of Pokrovsk's military administration.
The eastern front near Pokrovsk has been the scene of fierce fighting for several months and a focal point of Russia's offensive in Donetsk Oblast. The city is an important logistical hub for Ukrainian forces.
Speaking on national television, Dobriak said that Russia attacked civilian infrastructure in Pokrovsk with guided aerial bombs a day earlier, injuring people.
"(Critical infrastructure) is damaged or destroyed from almost 80%. The enemy leaves us without electricity, water, and gas," he added.
Residents of the northern part of Donetsk Oblast will be left without water supply for an "indefinite period" due to Russian attacks, Donetsk Oblast Governor Vadym Filashkin said on Oct. 3.
Around 13,000 people, including 94 children, remain in Pokrovsk as the evacuation is ongoing. The town had a population of around 60,000 in January 2022.
As the security situation deteriorates, Pokrovsk's train station was closed for civilian evacuations earlier this month. Evacuations now depart from the train station in Pavlohrad in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, a city 100 kilometers (62 miles) west of Pokrovsk.
Francis Farrell
At least 177 Ukrainian POWs have died in Russian captivity, Kyiv says
At least 177 Ukrainian prisoners have died in Russian captivity since the beginning of Moscow's full-scale invasion, said Victoria Tsymbaliuk, a representative of the Ukrainian Coordination Center for the Treatment of Prisoners of War (POWs).
According to Tsymbaliuk, due to the lack of international oversight, the real number of deaths in Russian prisons could be much higher. Most Ukrainian soldiers who were released had never been visited by the Red Cross representatives while in Russian captivity, Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets said in July.
Russia refuses to confirm the captivity or whereabouts of thousands of Ukrainian POWs, the representative added.
"Of course, not all the bodies are returned, and many are not even confirmed by Russia as being in captivity," Tsymbaliuk said.
There have been multiple reports of Ukrainian POWs being tortured or killed while in Russian captivity. The Prosecutor General's Office said on Oct. 4 that at least 93 Ukrainian prisoners were summarily executed on the battlefield, a figure not including those killed in places of detention.
Sixteen POWs appeared to have been shot by Russian forces after surrendering on the front line near Pokrovsk, the prosecutors said on Oct. 1. This is the largest recorded case of mass execution of surrendered soldiers on the battlefield.
Ukraine and Russia have conducted 57 prisoner exchanges since the outbreak of the full-scale war.
A total of 3,672 Ukrainians have been brought back from Russian captivity. Kyiv aims to conduct an all-for-all prisoner exchange, which was one of the subjects at Ukraine's peace summit in Switzerland in mid-June.
Chris York
EU readies to sanction Iran over missile shipments to Russia, Bloomberg reports
The EU is moving toward a sanctions package against Iran over providing ballistic missiles to Russia amid the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Bloomberg reported on Oct. 4, citing undisclosed sources.
The U.S. confirmed in September that Tehran had supplied Russia with short-range Fath-360 ballistic missiles as another step in its growing military cooperation with Moscow.
Kyiv, Washington, and other Western countries subsequently imposed new economic restrictions against Iran, which already faces heavy sanctions over its nuclear program and backing of militant groups in the Middle East.
According to Bloomberg, the EU sanctions would target roughly a dozen individuals and entities, which includes firms involved in the engineering, metals, and aviation sectors.
The step should be reportedly approved by the upcoming EU summit in Brussels, scheduled for Oct. 16-18. This package would only be the first step and additional listings are under consideration, the sources told Bloomberg.
Russia and Iran have deepened their military and political ties since the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Tehran has provided Moscow with thousands of Shahed kamikaze drones used in attacks against Ukraine.
Tehran has repeatedly denied backing Russia in the war. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian claimed during a U.N. meeting in September that his country has never supported Moscow's invasion and denied the supplies of ballistic missiles.
Ukraine's military said on Sept. 29 that it had destroyed a Russian arsenal in Volgograd Oblast, which had allegedly received a shipment of Iranian missiles shortly before the strike.
Chris York
Kursk operation 'motivates those who give us weapons' — Zelensky visits troops in Sumy Oblast
President Volodymyr Zelensky began a visit to Sumy Oblast on Oct. 4 with a meeting with soldiers of the 82nd Air Assault Brigade fighting in Russia's Kursk Oblast.
Russia has intensified strikes against Sumy Oblast, a northeastern region lying at Ukraine's border with Russia, since Kyiv launched a cross-border incursion into neighboring Kursk Oblast.
Ukraine started its offensive into Kursk Oblast on Aug. 6, claiming to have seized around 100 settlements since then.
Zelensky listened to reports from the commanders and awarded soldiers during the visit.
"Thank you for your service in defending our state. I thank all the commanders, sergeants, and soldiers for the Kursk operation, which greatly helped motivate those who give us weapons," the president said.
During the visit, Zelensky also met with the Headquarters of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief, the top command and control body for all branches of Ukraine’s defense and security apparatus, to discuss protecting infrastructure, Ukraine's energy sector, and air defenses.
The president listened to reports from Ukrainian military commanders, including the Air Force and the Operational Command East, as well as from Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko.
"There are solutions to support the region, and there will be separate meetings on the energy sector in Sumy Oblast and our other border regions. Before winter, the most important thing is to have a safety margin," Zelensky said.
Chris York
