[Korrespondent] 23:19 Over the past week, Germany has transferred to Ukraine an additional five Bergepanzer 2 armored recovery vehicles, as well as winter military uniforms and equipment, the country's government said. In particular, Ukraine received 100 tents, 183 generators, 116,000 winter jackets, 80,000 pairs of winter trousers and 240,000 winter hats for military personnel. In addition, the German side handed over 167,000 rounds of ammunition for small arms and seven pontoon systems. Germany plans to transfer an additional five armored engineering vehicles, 4,000 sleeping bags and 35 four-wheel drive trucks.
22:15 The United States intends to take aggressive measures against the backdrop of reports of Iran delivering its drones to Russia, said Vedant Patel, deputy head of the press service of the US State Department. According to him, the US has "a wide range of measures to disrupt Iranian arms sales."
22:13 Zelensky again called for limiting the use of equipment that consumes a lot of energy during peak hours: "The more conscious our household consumption of electricity from 17:00 to 23:00, the more stable our energy system will be."
22:10 Zelensky said in an evening video message that the very fact that Russia turned to Iran for help is the Kremlin's recognition of its military-political bankruptcy: "For decades they spent billions of dollars on their military-industrial complex, and in the end they went to Tehran to bow to get quite simple drones and missiles. Strategically, it won't help them in any way. But now, at the tactical level, the terrorists may still have certain hopes, some calculations. All this will fall apart, like their previous calculations."
9:31 pm The Pentagon is yet to confirm that Iran has entered into an agreement with Russia to sell surface-to-surface missiles in addition to more drones, US Department of Defense spokesman General Patrick Ryder said.
20:53 For the period from October 7 to October 18, the Russians launched more than 190 strikes with missiles and kamikaze drones in 16 regions of Ukraine, the State Emergency Service reported. At least 70 people were killed, more than 240 people were injured, more than 380 objects were damaged.
20:50 Acting "governor" of the Kherson region Volodymyr Saldo announced the "voluntary movement" of the civilian population to the left bank of the Dnieper: "There is an immediate danger of flooding of the territories due to the planned destruction of the dam of the Kakhovskaya hydroelectric power station and the discharge of water from the cascade of power plants above the Dnieper."
20:41 The Ministry of Internal Affairs awarded the police officers who shot down an Iranian drone in Kiev on October 17. The senior detective of the Kyiv police and three police officers of the Patrol Police Department received a badge for bravery in service.
20:38 The new commander of the Russian troops in Ukraine, Sergei Surovikin, said that "Ukrainians and I are one people and we want the same thing, that Ukraine be independent of the West and NATO, a friendly state for Russia."
In addition, Surovikin said that he "has information" about the possibility of Kyiv using "prohibited methods of war in the Kherson region, preparing a missile attack on the dam of the Kakhovskaya hydroelectric power station." In general, he described the situation in the "special operation" zone as "tense." According to Surovikin, the Russian Federation "does not strive for high rates of advancement, it protects every soldier."
Surovikin also noted that further actions in relation to Kherson "will depend on the emerging military-tactical situation, it is not easy, and difficult decisions are not ruled out."
19:48 Shmyhal said that the housing stock in the non-frontline communities of Ukraine is almost 100% ready for the heating season. According to the prime minister, now Ukraine is accumulating resources and forming reserves. It was possible to accumulate 14.1 billion cubic meters of gas in underground storage facilities. "Capacities for imports from EU countries, if necessary, are also prepared. There is twice as much coal in warehouses than last year for the same period," Shmyhal added.
19:14 Hidden mobilization is taking place in Belarus under the guise of training camps. According to the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the training of operators of anti-aircraft missile systems and tank crews is underway.
During the day, units of the Defense Forces repelled the attacks of the invaders in the areas of settlements: Ogurtsovo, Kharkiv region; Belogorovka, Luhansk region; Novokalinovo and Maryinka, Donetsk region.
19:01 The EU agreed on further sanctions against Russia and Belarus "within minutes," Radio Liberty Europe editor Rikard Jozwiak said: "It seems that within a few minutes there was a general consensus among the EU on further sanctions against Russia (although not in relation to energy) and Belarus". It is expected that work on sanctions will be accelerated in the coming days.
18:45 Stoltenberg said that NATO will transfer funds to Ukraine to fight drones in the coming days. We are talking about hundreds of active interference stations.
18:28 Iran has promised to provide Russia with surface-to-surface missiles in addition to even more drones, two senior Iranian officials and two Iranian diplomats confirmed to Reuters. "Where they are used is not the question of the seller. We do not take sides in the Ukrainian crisis, like the West. We want to end the crisis through diplomatic means," the diplomat said.
At the same time, Iran refused to supply Russia with more powerful Arash-2 kamikaze drones, as it does not want the US to have access to these technologies.
18:21 Yermak said that on Monday, October 17, a Ukrainian delegation arrived at the contact line in the Zaporozhye region, but representatives of the ICRC did not join it: "We see the amazing scale of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocidal atrocities of Russia against Ukrainian They demand from all organizations involved in the observance of the norms and requirements of international humanitarian law, at least a clear position and determination ... Unfortunately, the Red Cross not only tolerates the violation of all norms of international law by Russians, but also does it silently. expects and demands from the International Committee of the Red Cross appropriate determination in gaining access to the Ukrainian captives in Yelenovka. After all, it was for such tasks that the organization was created.
17:49 In Kiev, power supply was resumed to 83,000 families left without electricity after the morning shelling of a critical infrastructure facility, Klitschko said. Because of the shelling, DTEK's power equipment was switched off, which supplies the water utility and the residential area of ​​​​Troeschina. The specialists managed to carry out technical work in seven hours and connect customers to a backup power scheme for a while, while they are restoring the city's infrastructure damaged by shelling.
Two critical infrastructure sites were seriously damaged today. In particular, an object in the Desnyansky district. After today's rocket attack, some consumers have also already resumed water supply, the mayor of the capital added.
17:31 British Defense Minister Ben Wallace urgently flew to the United States to discuss security issues, including Ukraine. His deputy said that Wallace canceled an appearance before the House of Commons Defense Committee this morning for an emergency trip to Washington.
17:27 Budanov said in an interview with Obozrevatel that by the end of the year, the Ukrainian defenders will move forward significantly: “Until the end of the year, we will still move forward significantly, these will be significant victories, you will see it soon ... I hope it could be Kherson. At the end of spring, this should all be over. By summer, everything should be over. To begin with, we will reach the borders of 1991. After the end of the war, a very serious political process will begin, associated with changes in the current Russian Federation: certain regions will be disconnected from Russia ... Moscow will pay reparations to us, this is all waiting for them, this will lead to the shift of a certain economic center of the Russian Federation to our territory ... that is, there are a lot of steps there."
17:21 Girkin is already on the territory of occupied Ukraine, said the head of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense Kirill Budanov in an interview with the Orestocracy project: "We know one of his whereabouts. He has already arrived on the territory of occupied Ukraine." Budanov recalled that the GUR is offering a reward of 100 thousand dollars for the transfer of Girkin to Ukrainian captivity. Send information to the number: 093 117 58 09.
According to the head of intelligence, this number has already received "several absolutely real proposals." He also noted that Girkin is "an important carrier of information" and is an important person for international criminal justice. "This, as they say, is a client of The Hague," Budanov added.
17:16 Podolyak is convinced that Russia offered "something important" to Iran in exchange for kamikaze drones and ballistic missiles. In his opinion, this could be uranium and other materials, nuclear technology or regional guarantees from the Russian Federation.
17:14 Ukraine is ready to hand over evidence of Iran's supply of drones to Russia, Kuleba said: "We are ready to hand over a bag of evidence to every EU country that doubts Iran's supply of drones to the Russian Federation. We will ask our colleagues in the European Union who exactly doubts, and we will hand over the bag to everyone evidence in the form of fragments of Iranian drones used by Russia - let them study it. I think that this "investigation" will end very quickly."
16:58 There are not enough air defense systems in Ukraine to completely remove the missile threat. In addition, Russia is actively using Iranian drones, which it has ordered in several batches, Kirill Budanov, head of the GUR MOU, said in an interview with Obozrevatel. According to him, Russia began to use these UAVs due to low accuracy and insufficient number of Russian missiles, of which it has about 30% left - this is a critical indicator. Budanov noted that drones, in terms of their characteristics, cannot replace rockets, but there are now a lot of them in Russia, and their accuracy is much higher compared to rockets.
According to the head of the GUR, the first batch of drones in Iran was ordered in the amount of 1,750 units. New orders have already been made, but their production and delivery to Russia takes time: "They are gradually running out of them, the Iranians are making new ones, but there is another side to this issue: we consistently shoot down about 70% of all drones."
16:42 The IRIS-T medium-range anti-aircraft missile system, which was recently transferred from Germany, has already become on alert and demonstrated the first results of work in Ukraine, Yuriy Ignat, spokesman for the Air Force Command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, said: "The complex has been successfully integrated into the air defense system Ukraine. It has good tactical and technical characteristics, so we hope to receive more IRIS-T units from Germany. In addition, we are waiting for the NASAMS complex, which will also strengthen the air defense of our state."
16:19 Kuleba said that today Ukraine will send an official note to the Israeli government with a request to immediately provide Kiev with air defense systems and begin high-quality cooperation to obtain appropriate technologies. According to the Foreign Minister, he has also already turned to the countries of the European Union and the United States with a request for air defense systems.
15:56 Kuleba initiated the severance of diplomatic relations between Ukraine and Iran: "Given the numerous destruction caused by Iranian drones to the civilian infrastructure of Ukraine, the death and suffering caused to our people, and also in connection with reports of a possible continuation of Iran's supply of weapons to Russia, I consideration of the president's proposal to break off diplomatic relations with Iran".
Kuleba stressed that Ukraine had never previously taken an anti-Iranian position, "but after Iran became a participant in the crime of aggression, today we will take a very clear and honest position. If Iran stops supplying weapons to Russia, we will talk about restoring relations."
15:42 In Ukraine, a state-owned online store selling firewood for the population has been launched, the Cabinet of Ministers said.
15:40 Putin will hold an online meeting of the Security Council of the Russian Federation tomorrow, on the agenda is the neutralization of national security threats in the migration sphere and "regulation of migration processes in the interests of the country's socio-economic development and socio-political stability", Medvedev will make a report, Russian media write.
15:32 Turkey has received US guarantees for the entry of Russian agricultural products to world markets, Erdogan's spokesman Ibrahim Kalyn said. He also said that Ankara is negotiating the extension of the grain deal: "In our opinion, it would be better if it operated for another six months or a year." According to him, the Russians have not yet given a clear answer, as they want their own fertilizers and grain to go international.
15:24 The "authorities" of the occupied Nova Kakhovka said that as a result of a Ukrainian missile attack on the stadium, two people were killed and one was wounded.
15:13 As a result of today's attack on the critical infrastructure of Kiev, three people were killed - employees of one of the facilities. Two objects received significant damage, Klitschko said.
15:09 Foreign Ministry spokesman Oleg Nikolenko called reports about the functioning of foreign diplomatic missions in Ukraine stuffing. According to him, most of them are made by Russian sources in order to sow panic. The latest example is the sudden "closure" of the Serbian embassy, ​​which actually left Kyiv back in March. Nikolenko stressed that not a single institution had reported intentions to leave Ukrainian territory.
14:26 The Russians continue to shell the border regions of Ukraine: the Yunakovskaya community of the Sumy region came under shelling. The invaders fired at the center of the village and its environs, two people died, one was injured. The store and buildings around were damaged, the President's Office reported.
14:00 The Pentagon is trying to speed up the delivery of two NASAMS air defense systems after the frequent attacks on Ukraine by Iranian drones, writes CNN. According to the publication, the US currently hopes to complete production of the two systems by the end of October or early November - perhaps a whole month earlier than originally planned. After that, the installations will be sent to Ukraine.
13:58 Ukraine received 2 billion euros of macro-financial assistance from the EU - the first part of the package in the amount of 5 billion euros, Shmyhal said. According to him, this tranche is aimed at maintaining the economic stability of Ukraine. An additional financial resource will help cover urgent budgetary expenditures, in particular in the social and humanitarian spheres. In total, this year Ukraine received 4.2 billion euros of macro-financial assistance from the EU.
13:56 Russia is no longer launching missiles from the Caspian Sea, but from under Rostov-on-Don, so there is less time to prepare for strikes, Yuri Ignat, spokesman for the Air Force Command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, said. According to him, the rocket flies at a speed of 900 km/h, and if it is launched from the Caspian Sea region, then the Air Force has more time to react, and people have more time to go down to the shelter. Now the distance is less, and the time is also less.
13:53 The Estonian Parliament has declared Russia a terrorist regime.
13:49 Pushilin said that the "DPR" from today opens all checkpoints with the Russian Federation, the "Ministry of State Security" no longer carries out border control.
13:42 The SBU reported that the officials of the Antonov state enterprise did not save Mriya from destruction, despite warnings. According to the investigation, the employees of the enterprise for a long time hindered the Defense Forces, who wanted to secure the airfield. Investigators also found that Antonov's former CEO illegally smuggled Ukrainians of draft age abroad.
13:27 The Rada adopted as a basis and in general draft law No. 8109 on the features of conscription for military service and the activities of draft commissions. According to it, in particular, during the period of martial law, conscription for urgent military service is not carried out.
13:24 The Verkhovna Rada supported the recognition of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria as temporarily occupied by the Russian Federation and the condemnation of the genocide of the Chechen people.
12:41 Ukrainians need to prepare for blackouts of electricity, water and heat, said Deputy Head of the President's Office Kyrylo Tymoshenko: "We have a critical situation throughout the country. One region depends on another. We must prepare throughout the country for the fact that there may be blackouts like electricity as well as water supply and heat supply.
12:25 The Pentagon believes that the deployment of a regional grouping of troops from Belarus and Russia will not lead to fundamental changes in the course of the war in Ukraine, a representative of the US defense department said at a briefing: "As for Belarus, we are certainly following it. Currently there are no signs that would cause us to change our views on the battlefield in its current form."
12:21 Peskov was asked whether the Russian "nuclear umbrella" extends to "new territories", to which he replied that "work is underway to integrate them, while they are an integral part of the country."
12:15 UAF destroyed 12 air targets in a day - six Iranian kamikaze drones, five cruise missiles and a Russian Su-25 attack aircraft, the Air Force reported.
12:13 Zelensky said that since October 10, 30% of Ukrainian power plants have been destroyed , which led to massive power outages across the country. "There is no room left for negotiations with the Putin regime," he added.
12:07 In the Belgorod region of the Russian Federation, the movement of trains was suspended due to the shelling of a railway station in one of the villages, Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said. According to him, the contact network of railway tracks was damaged, one person was injured.
12:05 As a result of the morning missile strikes on the energy infrastructure of Zhytomyr, two people were injured, the mayor of the city, Sergei Sukhomlin, said.
12:01 The number of victims of a kamikaze drone strike on a residential building in the center of Kiev on October 17 rose to five - the body of another dead resident was removed from the rubble, Klitschko said. Search and rescue work in the house continues.
11:39 In Kiev, as a result of rocket attacks, two critical infrastructure facilities were damaged, the liquidation of the emergency continues, Klitschko said. Currently, electricity and water supply is partially limited in many houses on the left bank of the capital. In some houses, it is possible to reduce the pressure in the water supply network, change the color and transparency of the water.
Klitschko called on all Kyivans to save energy as much as possible, not to turn on powerful electrical appliances - air conditioners, electric kettles, microwave ovens, etc. Also, residents, where the pressure in the water supply network is reduced, need to use water as economically as possible.
11:21 The Russians today fired at the territory of Ukraine with calibers fired from the sea, as well as ballistic missiles, Yuriy Ignat, spokesman for the command of the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, said. According to him, Kalibr were launched from the south, and ballistic missiles - from the north. "And, of course, strategic aviation from the Rostov region is Tu-95, Tu-160 aircraft. Six aircraft, each of which can have 8-12 missiles. They attack, as expected, energy and critical infrastructure facilities" - added Ignat.
11:15 During an enemy attack on the Dnieper, Ukrainian air defense forces destroyed four Russian missiles, said the head of the UVA, Valentin Reznichenko.
11:13 Due to morning attacks on energy infrastructure, power outages are possible in Kiev and Dnipro, DTEK warns. Ukrainians are asked to charge phones and power banks, as well as to limit the use of energy-intensive appliances: boilers, washing machines, heaters and air conditioners.
11:10 Due to attacks on the energy infrastructure of the Zhytomyr region, 11 settlements were left without electricity, said the head of the OVA Vitaliy Bunechko. According to him, there is an emergency reconnection to backup networks in the region, there are no victims or injured.
11:02 In Belarus, three supersonic fighter-interceptors MiG-31 were noticed - they landed at the airfield in Machulishchi, reports the monitoring group of Belaruska Gayun. Observers explain that these are not standard MiG-31s, but a special modification - the MiG-31K. This model can carry Kh-47M2 Kinzhal hypersonic aeroballistic missiles and launch them at a distance of 2000 km. Belarusian Gayun does not rule out that Daggers were brought along with the MiG-31K.
10:48 In Liman, the police exhumed the bodies of five murdered children, the Ministry of Internal Affairs reported. Investigators found four children in a mass grave at the cemetery, another child was buried by the mother in her own yard. It was preliminary established that all of them died from shrapnel wounds as a result of Russian shelling.
As of the morning of October 18, the bodies of 35 servicemen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and 131 civilians were exhumed in the Kramatorsk region. Among the civilians - 67 men, 56 women, five children, the gender of six people has not been established.
10:32 The invaders plan to capture Bakhmut by the end of October - such a task was set for the soldiers by the generals in the Kremlin, Deputy Defense Minister Anna Malyar said: "The Russians have set their troops - for the fifth time since the start of a full-scale invasion - the deadline when they must fully reach the administrative border Donetsk region. Now they have a plan that they must fully occupy Bakhmut by the end of this month."
According to Malyar, the situation in eastern Ukraine is now "different". The heaviest battles are taking place in Bakhmut. At the same time, the Armed Forces of Ukraine continue to advance in the Donbas, but the Russians do not stop advancing, she added.
10:07 In the morning, the Russians attacked two DTEK energy enterprises, as a result of which one person died and six were injured, the company said.
10:05 Ukrenergo asks Ukrainians to help power engineers and turn off energy-intensive electrical appliances according to the schedule:
09:54 The American Institute for the Study of War (ISW) believes that the Russian oligarch close to Putin, the founder of the Wagner Group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, can pull over the role of "strong man" to himself. While Prigozhin does not directly oppose or criticize Putin, his growing popularity among the nationalist community may undermine Putin's "strong man" appeal compared to him. Emerging discussions about the civil war in Russia could further undermine Kremlin narratives about national, ethnic and religious unity within Russia, analysts say.
09:46 Zelensky published a video with the consequences of the strike on Mykolaiv:
09:33 The General Staff announced the approximate losses of the enemy on the morning of October 18.
- personnel - about 65,850 (+530) people liquidated,
- tanks - 2548 (+11),
- armored combat vehicles - 5219 (+14),
- artillery systems - 1622 (+23),
- MLRS - 372 (+6),
- air defense systems - 188 (+1),
- aircraft - 268 (+0),
- helicopters - 242 (+0),
- UAV operational-tactical level - 1276 (+35),
- cruise missiles - 318 (+2),
- ships/boats - 16 (+0),
- automotive equipment and tankers - 3985 (+16),
- special equipment - 144 (+0).
09:28 Mayor of Zhytomyr Sergey Sukhomlin said that the city was left without electricity and water after hitting an energy infrastructure facility.
09:25 Yermak commented on the strikes on Ukraine: “Terrorists from the Russian Federation continue their naive attempts to break and intimidate us. They think they will achieve the goal of freezing Ukrainians, leaving us without light and heat. Naive, because losers and cowards cannot break a nation of strong people "And you will have to pay for everything. As history shows, in double or even triple the amount. 78 years ago, someone also tried to act according to a similar scenario - it was an agony, the same as now in Russia. Everyone remembers what happened next. What will happen next with the Russian Federation is already clear too.
09:23 Klitschko announced attacks on a critical infrastructure facility in the Desnyansky district of Kiev. Residents of the residential area Troyeshchina report a lack of electricity.
09:18 The OP reported three enemy strikes in Kiev on an energy supply facility on the Left Bank of the city.
09:16 British intelligence notes that since October 10, Russia has maintained an increased rate of long-range strikes on targets in Ukraine. The strikes are carried out by cruise missiles, surface-to-surface air defense missiles and Iranian-provided Shahed-136 drones. According to analysts, the key goal of this campaign is to cause widespread damage to the energy distribution network of Ukraine. Intelligence also suggests that the Russian Federation is actively striking at civilian infrastructure, since it has suffered setbacks on the battlefield since August.
09:13 The mayor of Brovary, Kiev region, Igor Sapozhko, reports that explosions are heard in the city - air defense is working.
09:08 On October 17, Russian invaders detained and took out in an unknown direction the head of the information technology service of the Zaporozhye NPP, Oleg Kostyukov, and the assistant to the general director of the plant, Oleg Osheka. Nothing is known about them at present, Energoatom said.
09:04 In Zhytomyr, the Russians fired two missiles at an energy supply facility, the President's Office reported. Locals report that the city lost power. Also, the OP reported that in Dnipro, due to the shelling of the city, in some areas there may be no electricity and water supply.
09:01 Tonight, the enemy attacked Zaporozhye using the Shahed UAV, as a result of the attack, a fire broke out at the infrastructure facility. One rocket hit a warehouse in one of the districts of the city. In both cases, there were no victims, said the head of the OVA Alexander Starukh.
08:58 US will impose sanctions against companies and countries cooperating with Iran in developing drones that attack Ukrainian cities, State Department spokesman Vedant Patel said: "Anyone who does business with Iran and may have something to do with the development of drones or ballistic missiles, as well as the supply of weapons from Iran to Russia, must be very careful and exercise due diligence, as the United States will not hesitate to impose sanctions or other measures against violators." According to him, the strengthening of the alliance between Moscow and Tehran should be seen as a serious threat to the whole world.
08:52 In the Donetsk region, as a result of enemy shelling over the past day, six civilians were killed - three in Bakhmut, two in the village of Konstantinovka, one in Orlovka. In addition, law enforcement officers found the bodies of eight more civilians killed by the Russians during the occupation: seven in Liman and one in Dibrov. Eight more people were injured yesterday, Pavel Kirilenko, head of the OVA, said.
08:47 Over the past day, units of the Defense Forces repelled the attacks of the invaders in the areas of the settlements of Berestovo, Kharkiv region; Bakhmutskoye, Ivangrad, Kleshcheevka, Pervomayskoye and Maryinka of the Donetsk region, the General Staff said in the morning report .
08:40 This morning, Russian troops attacked the northern part of Krivoy Rog, repeated attacks are possible, said the head of the VA Alexander Vilkul.
08:37 The Office of the President reported two strikes on an energy infrastructure facility in the Dnieper, there is serious damage.
08:31 Kharkiv Mayor Igor Terekhov reported on the shelling of the city: there were two series of explosions in five minutes. According to preliminary information, the area of ​​one of the industrial enterprises is under attack.
07:44 At night, Nikolaev was again fired with S-300 missiles, one of them hit a two-story building. The body of one of the dead was found under the rubble, rescue and search operations are continuing, said the head of the OVA, Vitaly Kim. As of 6:20 a.m., electricity was restored in the city. The invaders also destroyed the flower market, there are no casualties.
06:06 As a result of the crash of a military aircraft in Russian Yeysk, 13 people were killed, including three children, 19 were injured, the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation reported.
02:23 The head of the IAEA, Rafael Grossi, said that he considers it possible to reach an agreement on a security zone around the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant before the end of the year. He also said that he wants to meet with Putin again as soon as possible.
00:08 Italy has provided Ukraine with a new package of military assistance, Reznikov said without details.