[NYPOST] The lead counsel for a public inquiry into the 2018 death of a British woman poisoned by a Soviet-developed nerve agent said Monday that there was enough poison in the vial she unwittingly opened to kill thousands of people.
Dawn Sturgess and her partner collapsed after they came into contact with a discarded perfume bottle containing the nerve agent Novichok in the southwest England town of Amesbury.
She had sprayed the contents of the bottle on her wrist and died days later. Her partner survived.
''The evidence will suggest that this bottle — which we shall hear contained enough poison to kill thousands of people — must earlier have been left somewhere in a public place creating the obvious risk that someone would find it and take it home,'' lead counsel Andrew O'Connor said.
Their exposure came four months after a former Russian intelligence officer, Sergei Skripal, and his daughter were sickened by Novichok in an attack in the nearby city of Salisbury.
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She had sprayed the contents of the bottle on her wrist and died days later.
Poisoning by a nerve agent leads to constriction of pupils, profuse salivation, convulsions, and involuntary urination and defecation, with the first symptoms appearing in seconds after exposure. Death by asphyxiation or cardiac arrest may follow in minutes due to the loss of the body's control over respiratory and other muscles.
[Forbes] For at least the sixth time in eight months, Russian troops gathered out in the open for training or inspection within range of Ukraine’s American-made artillery rockets. And for at least the sixth time in eight months, Ukrainian batteries hit the assembled Russians with rockets packed with hundreds of grenade-sized submunitions—inflicting terrible carnage.
The most recent strike apparently took place this week, at an outdoor gun range in Zaporizhzhia Oblast in southern Ukraine. A Ukrainian surveillance drone observed around 15 Russian soldiers practicing with their weapons—and passed along the coordinates to elements of the 27th Rocket Artillery Brigade, the Ukrainian army's sole unit operating American-made High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems launchers.
The wheeled HIMARS opened fire with at least one M30/31 rocket packing 400 grenade-sized bomblets. The first rocket scored a direct hit. The drone observed at least one bomblet exploding directly where a Russian trainee was standing. The death toll could be catastrophic for the targeted unit.
"Cluster munitions are prohibited for those nations that ratified the Convention on Cluster Munitions, adopted in Dublin, Ireland, in May 2008. The Convention entered into force and became binding international law upon ratifying states on 1 August 2010"
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Korrespondent] Ukrainian Armed Forces Contain Russian Attacks in Eastern and Southern Ukraine.
The Russians carried out most of the attacks in the Kurakhovsky direction. The Ukrainian Armed Forces are currently repelling 14 assaults.
Since the beginning of the day, there have already been 96 combat clashes in 10 directions. This was reported by the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in a report as of 16:00 on Tuesday, October 15.
"The situation on the combat line remains difficult. The Ukrainian Defense Forces are directing their efforts to disrupt the offensive plans of the Russian aggressor and destroying its personnel and equipment," the statement said.
Thus, in the Kharkov direction, the Russians unsuccessfully stormed the positions of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the area of Volchansk and Staritsa.
In the Kupyansk direction, the enemy attacked 18 times near Kucherovka, Novoosinove, Grushevka, Peschanoye, Glushkovka, Lozovaya, Kruglyakovka and Vishnevoye. 11 clashes are still ongoing.
In the Liman direction, the invaders carried out 13 assaults near Grekovka, Makeyevka, Nevsky, Zarechny and Torsky. Nine combat clashes have ended, four more are ongoing.
In the Kramatorsk direction, two attacks were repelled in the area of Kalinovka and Predtechino.
In the Toretsk direction, seven enemy assaults took place in the area of Toretsk, Dachny and Shcherbinovka. All of them were stopped.
In the Pokrovsky direction, the occupiers carried out 14 attacks near Novotroitskoye, Mirolyubovka, Luch, Krasny Yar, Selidovo and Krutoy Yar. The defense forces repelled 11 enemy attacks, three combat clashes are ongoing.
In the Kurakhovsky direction, the invaders attacked 30 times in the direction of Kremennaya Balka, Novodmitrovka, Tsukurino, Novoselidovka, Georgievka, Konstantinovka, Antonovka and Katerinovka. 16 attempts by the occupiers to advance have already been repelled.
In the Vremevsky direction, one armed clash occurred near Razdolnoye.
In the Orekhov direction, the Russians attacked in vain near Malaya Tokmachka.
Also, once the enemy stormed the positions of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the Dnieper direction.
Let us recall that on October 14, more than 1,200 Russians were "minus" at the front. The total losses of the Russian Federation since the beginning of the war have exceeded more than 670 thousand people.
Worth noting, korrespondent.net has compiled its Invasion of Ukraine series into separate months, beginning May 9th, 2023. Linked in the title.
[Korrespondent] 20:58 Zelensky will present his "victory plan" at the European Council on Thursday, October 17. European Council President Charles Michel said he invited the Ukrainian president to the EU summit for this purpose.
19:23 A decision has been made in the Kharkiv region on the mandatory evacuation of the entire civilian population from the Kupyansk direction, said the head of the OVA Oleg Sinegubov. In particular, the population of Kupyansk and three other communities located closer to the front line are subject to evacuation. "The military situation is currently worsening. We cannot ensure the heating season, electricity, or humanitarian aid there because the enemy is shelling critical infrastructure," Sinegubov explained. According to him, the Russians have approached the Oskol River and may soon try to force it.
19:11 The situation at the front is difficult, but the Defense Forces are holding their positions and "continuing to implement the assigned tasks" in the Kursk region, Zelensky said in an evening video address. The president also announced new contracts in Ukrainian defense production, in particular for the production of drones, electronic warfare, and artillery.
18:37 Russians shelled the Nikopol district of the Dnipropetrovsk region throughout the day; a pregnant woman and a four-year-old child were wounded in the Marganets community, reported the head of the OVA, Serhiy Lysak.
17:46 In the US, both Democrats and Republicans are demanding that Zelensky lower the mobilization age, said adviser to the head of the President's Office Serhiy Leshchenko: "I can confirm: American politicians from both parties are pressuring President Zelensky on the issue of why Ukraine is not mobilizing those aged 18 to 25... The partners' argument is this: when the US was in Vietnam, they were drafted from the age of 19. Therefore, the Americans are hinting: Western weapons alone are not enough, mobilization from the age of 18 is needed. President Zelensky did not push through and continues to convince politicians from both parties to provide weapons without changing the draft age."
17:00 Zelensky reported that he held a meeting of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief's Headquarters on energy and winterization. In particular, they discussed all levels of energy infrastructure protection: engineering, electronic warfare, and air defense forces. "Our aviation will take an active part. We also decided to strengthen air defense in border and frontline regions. The Ministry of Internal Affairs presented a plan for responding to shelling and promptly repairing damage. Work continues on creating a dispersed network of cogeneration units," the president said.
16:51 Suspilne reports, citing sources, that 18 North Korean servicemen have already fled from their positions on the border of the Bryansk and Kursk regions, 7 km from the state border with Ukraine. Russian military personnel are trying to hide this information from the high command.
16:44 Due to a budget deficit, France will not fulfill its initial plan for military aid to Ukraine this year, Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu said: "We will exceed 2 billion euros, but will not reach 3 billion euros."
16:35 The agreement on a "comprehensive strategic partnership" between Russia and the DPRK envisages the provision of mutual military assistance "in the event of aggression," said Deputy Foreign Minister of the Russian Federation Andrei Rudenko.
16:08 The number of cases of execution of Ukrainian prisoners of war by Russian troops increased in 2024, Prosecutor General Andrei Kostin said in an interview with the Belgian publication La Libre: "We can prove that these cases are not isolated incidents, but an organized and targeted policy. For example, we have an audio recording in which a Russian officer orders his troops not to take prisoners on the battlefield, but to kill Ukrainians."
15:57 The Cabinet of Ministers has authorized the processing of explosive objects using mobile complexes directly at demining sites. It is assumed that this will allow obtaining valuable processed products for the needs of the Defense Forces.
15:32 The government has approved the proposal of the Ministry of Digital Transformation to implement a pilot project for the recruitment of Ukrainian citizens in electronic form over the course of two years. It is envisaged that Ukrainian citizens aged 18 to 55 can participate in the project. Recruitment takes place electronically: a person chooses a military unit and specialty and submits an application for military service under a contract through Diia.
14:26 Russia is forming a battalion of North Korean citizens based on the Buryat brigade, Liga reports, citing a source in military intelligence. The estimated number of personnel in this battalion is 3,000 people. It is being formed on the basis of the 11th separate airborne assault brigade of the Russian Armed Forces. The military is currently being provided with small arms and ammunition. Intelligence admits that the battalion may be involved in combat missions near Sudzha and Kursk.
13:49 The Ground Forces reported the appointment of former MP, Lieutenant Oleh Lyashko to the post of commander of the unmanned systems battalion of the 63rd Separate Mechanized Brigade. The appointment is connected with his successes in this area. Thus, the 63rd Separate Mechanized Brigade claims that Lyashko has proven himself in the best possible way during his two years of service in this brigade.
13:18 Politico writes that the Persian Gulf countries do not support the EU's position on the war in Ukraine. The publication cites a draft joint statement following tomorrow's summit of the leaders of the two regions in Brussels. In particular, the Persian Gulf countries have abandoned the wording on ending material aid to the Russian Federation, bypassing sanctions, and condemning Iranian military supplies. At the same time, the parties intend to jointly condemn the massive missile strikes on Ukraine's energy infrastructure, although Russia is not directly mentioned in the document.
12:07 Ukraine is preparing for massive Russian attacks on the energy sector with the start of the heating season, said the Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine Oleksandr Litvinenko. At the same time, he added that the Ukrainian energy sector has already demonstrated its ability to implement innovative solutions during the war, and Russia's intentions to destroy the Ukrainian economy are not achieving their goal.
11:59 Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen has spoken of "real fatigue" in the West over the war in Ukraine: "It is real, and it is growing." According to Valtonen, some Western officials have begun to privately discuss ways to end the fire.
11:08 In Nikolaev, the number of those wounded as a result of the Russian attack overnight has risen to 23, reported the head of the OVA, Vitaly Kim.
10:31 The SBU reported that it had detained a traitor who, during the battle for Chasiv Yar, directed Russian artillery at his brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. The FSB agent turned out to be a 22-year-old operator of unmanned systems of one of the combat brigades of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, which holds the defense in the Kramatorsk direction. Counterintelligence exposed the traitor in advance, thus preventing enemy strikes on the locations of Ukrainian troops. The offender is in custody, he faces life imprisonment with confiscation of property.
09:43 Zelensky has been taking his so-called "victory plan" - a set of steps to end the war in Ukraine - to the US and Western Europe, and is now finally ready to show it to Ukrainians. On October 16, the president will address parliament, where he will likely present his plan. For more details, see the article "Victory Plan" Will Be Shown to Everyone: New Details .
08:56 In Berislav, Kherson region, two people were injured as a result of morning attacks by Russian UAVs, OVA reported. Over the previous day, four people were killed and six were injured as a result of Russian shelling in the region.
08:42 Air defense destroyed 12 out of 17 attack UAVs in Mykolaiv, Kyiv, Odesa, Poltava, Chernihiv, Kirovohrad and Cherkasy regions at night, the Air Force reported. Four more enemy drones were lost, one remains in the air, combat operations continue. In addition, at night, the Russian Federation struck Mykolaiv region with seven S-300/400 anti-aircraft guided missiles from the territory of Crimea and two Kh-59 guided air missiles in Chernihiv and Sumy regions.
08:30 In Donetsk region on October 14 as a result of Russian shelling five people were wounded: three in Shakhtarskoye, one each in Zakotnoye and Reznikovka, reported the head of the OVA Vadim Filashkin.
07:57 The General Staff announced the estimated losses of the Russian Federation as of the morning of October 15:
personnel - about 671,400 (+1210) people,
tanks - 8988 (+13),
combat armored vehicles - 17,939 (+44),
artillery systems - 19,430 (+9),
MLRS - 1231 (+0),
air defense systems - 978 (+0),
aircraft - 369 (+0),
helicopters - 329 (+0),
Operational-tactical level UAVs - 17,019 (+10),
cruise missiles - 2620 (+1),
ships/boats - 28 (+0),
submarines - 1 (+0),
automotive equipment and tank trucks - 26,654 (+32),
special equipment - 3441 (+4).
07:29 At night, Russians attacked Nikolaev - according to preliminary information, with S-300 missiles, said OVA head Vitaly Kim. An infrastructure facility, a restaurant complex, shopping pavilions, residential buildings were damaged, firefighting continues. As a result of the shelling, one person was killed, 16 were injured.
Article Linked Is Available Only Via VPN.
[EngMilRu] The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation continue the special military operation.
In Liptsy and Volchansk directions, units of the Sever Group of Forces inflicted losses on formations on the 57th Motorised Infantry Brigade of the AFU and 113th Territorial Defence Brigade near Volchansk and Velikiye Prokhody (Kharkov region).
The AFU losses amounted to up to 30 troops, two motor vehicles, and one field ammunition depot.
Units of the Zapad Group of Forces took more advantageous lines and positions and inflicted losses on manpower and hardware of the 14th, 53rd, 63rd, 77th Mechanised brigades, and 3rd Assault Brigade of the AFU near Petropavlovka, Berestovoye (Kharkov region), Grigorovka (Donetsk People's Republic), and Chervonaya Dibrova (Lugansk People's Republic).
Four counterattacks launched by AFU assault detachments were repelled. The AFU losses amounted to up to 300 troops, one tank, two motor vehicles, and two 122mm D-30 howitzers. Two ammunition depots were wiped out.
Units of the Yug Group of Forces continued advancing to the depth of the enemy's defences and inflicted losses on formations of the 24th, 30th, 33rd Mechanised brigades, and 5th Assault Brigade of the AFU near Katerinovka, Zaliznyanskoye, Minkovka, and Antonovka (Donetsk People's Republic).
Three counter-attacks launched by units of AFU 28th, 46th Mechanised brigades, and 81st Airmobile Brigade were repelled. The AFU losses amounted to up to 590 troops, one armoured fighting vehicle, two motor vehicles, one U.S.-made 155mm M-777 howitzer, one 122mm D-30 howitzer, and one U.S.-made 105mm M-119 howitzer.
Units of the Tsentr Group of Forces improved the tactical situation along the front line and inflicted losses on manpower and hardware of the 110th Mechanised Brigade, 142nd, 152nd Motorised Infantry brigades of the AFU, 38th Marine Brigade, 109th Territorial Defence Brigade, and 14th National Guard Brigade near Dimitrov, Nikolayevka, Novodmitrovka, Selidovo, Druzhba, and Sukhaya Balka (Donetsk People's Republic).
Two counter-attacks launched by assault detachments of the AFU 100th Mechanised Brigade were repelled. The AFU losses amounted to up to 500 troops, one armoured fighting vehicle, two motor vehicles, one 122mm D-30 howitzer, and one 100mm Rapira anti-tank gun.
Units of the Vostok Group of Forces took more advantageous lines and inflicted losses on manpower and hardware of the 58th Motorised Infantry Brigade of the AFU and 21st National Guard Brigade near Velikaya Novosyolka and Oktyabr (Donetsk People's Republic).
The AFU losses amounted to up to 95 troops, one armoured personnel carrier, four motor vehicles, and one 155mm Bogdana self-propelled artillery system.
Units of the Dnepr Group of Forces inflicted losses on formations of the 35thNavalInfantry Brigade and 124th Territorial Defence Brigade near Stepnoye (Zaporozhye region) and Antonovka (Kherson region).
The AFU losses amounted to more than 60 troops and two motor vehicles. One ammunition depot was destroyed.
Operational-Tactical Aviation, unmanned aerial vehicles, and Missile Troops and Artillery of the Russian Groups of Forces engaged AFU manpower clusters and hardware in 129 areas during the day.
Air defence units shot down one French-made Hammer guided aviation bomb and 43 fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles.
In total, since the beginning of the special military operation, 646 aircraft, 283 helicopters, 33,648 unmanned aerial vehicles, 582 anti-aircraft missile systems, 18,629 tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles, 1,472 MLRS combat vehicles, 16,186 field artillery guns and mortars, and 27,265 units of support military vehicles have been neutralised.
The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation continue the operation to neutralise an enemy group, which broke into the territory of Kursk region.
Units of the Sever Group of Forces continued offensive operations and inflicted losses on formations of the 22nd, 41st, 47th, 115th Mechanised brigades, 17th Tank Brigade, 82nd, 95th Air Assault brigades, 36th Naval Infantry Brigade, 103rd, and 129th Territorial defence brigades of the AFU near Lyubimovka, Malaya Loknya, Novy Put, Novoivanovka, and Plyokhovo.
In addition, over the past 24 hours, units of the Sever Group of Forces repelled eight enemy counter-attacks in the direction of Zeleny Shlyakh, Nizhny Klin, Novoivanovka, and Russkaya Konopelka. As a result, the AFU losses amounted to up to 90 troops, one Stryker armoured personnel carrier, and two motor vehicles.
Army Aviation and artillery strikes inflicted losses on manpower clusters and hardware of the 22nd, 41st, 47th, 61st, 115th Mechanised brigades, 17th Tank Brigade, 80th, 82nd, 95th Air Assault brigades, 36th Naval Infantry Brigade, 1st, 17th National Guard brigades, 103rd, 112th, and 129th Territorial Defence brigades of the AFU near Bogdanovka, Bondarevka, Daryino, Knyazhy Pervy, Kruglenkoye, Kolmakov, Lyubimovka, Loknya, Martynovka, Makhnovka, Melovoy, Novy Put, Nikolayevo-Daryino, Plyokhovo, Pravda, Rubanshchina, Sverdlikovo, Staraya Sorochina, and Cherkasskoye Porechnoye.
Operational-Tactical Aviation and Missile Troops delivered strikes at concentration areas in Sumy region and reserves of the 21st, 41st, 47th, 115th Mechanised brigades, 95th Air Assault Brigade, 101st, 103rd, 107th, and 129th Territorial Defence brigades near Belovody, Budivelnoye, Zhuravka, Zarutskoye, Katerinovka, Pavlovka, Rozsoshy, Trostyanets, Shalygino, Chernevoye, and Ulanovo.
Over the past 24 hours, the AFU losses amounted to more than 200 troops, four units of hardware, namely, one tank, one armoured fighting vehicle, and two armoured personnel carriers, including one U.S.-made Stryker armoured personnel carrier as well as three mortars, one 122mm BM-21 Grad MLRS launcher, and two motor vehicles.
Since the beginning of hostilities in Kursk region, the enemy lost more than 23,150 troops, 158 tanks, 72 infantry fighting vehicles, 100 armoured personnel carriers, 918 armoured fighting vehicles, 632 motor vehicles, 189 artillery guns, 37 MLRS launchers, including nine of HIMARS and six of MLRS made by the USA, nine anti-aircraft missile launchers, five transport-loading vehicles, 48 EW stations, nine counterbattery warfare radars, three air defence systems, 22 pieces of engineering and other equipment, including 13 counterobstacle vehicles, one UR-77 mine clearing vehicle, and three armoured recovery vehicles.
The operation to neutralise the AFU units is in progress.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[NewsFront] 19:15 Russian Armed Forces launched a missile strike on a Ukrainian Armed Forces facility in Ivanopol (Kramatorsk district in the DPR)
Today, at about 17:00, Russian troops launched a pinpoint missile strike on a military infrastructure facility on the territory of the Ivanopol comprehensive school; the building was used by the Ukrainian Armed Forces to accommodate personnel and store military equipment.
19:05 The moment five Iskander-M ballistic missiles landed on the Nikolaev armored plant –video.
18:22 The Russian Armed Forces have made significant progress in three sections of the Vrem'evsky direction in the Zaporizhia region and may disrupt the logistics of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the region, said Vladimir Rogov.
18:20 Servicemen of the "West" group torn off rotation of the personnel of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Khar'kov region.
Servicemen of the reconnaissance unit of the "West" group of troops in the Khar'kov region, using a UAV in the area of a forest belt, detected the movement of a pickup truck with Ukrainian Armed Forces personnel heading to positions for the rotation of personnel.
The scouts made a covert march from the rear area to the front line to carry out a combat mission. Having waited for the right moment, the combat UAV operator destroyed a pickup truck of the Ukrainian Armed Forces militants with several precise hits, disrupting the rotation.
18:00 An Inokhodets missile "torn apart" a Ukrainian Armed Forces tank in the Kursk border area. It failed to hide in the forest from our drone –video.
17:50 The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine announced a difficult situation along the entire front line. The largest number of clashes were recorded in the Kurakhovo direction in the areas of the DPR controlled by Kyiv.
17:45 The Ukrainian Armed Forces units that invaded the Kursk region are preparing to retreat to Ukrainian territory. This was reported by Ukrainian blogger Anatoly Shariy.
17:42 Fighters of the "West" military group in the Khar'kov region destroyed pickup truck of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and disrupted the enemy's rotation, the Russian Defense Ministry reported.
17:00 A strike was carried out on enemy targets in Konstantinovka (occupied part of the DPR)
16:35 A bombing strike was carried out on enemy targets in Khar'kov.
16:22 Russian forces have made a breakthrough in the last month and are already two kilometers from the city of Kurakhovo in the DPR, German journalist Julian Röpke said.
"The fighting near Kurakhovo is becoming increasingly serious. We see a major breakthrough that has been made here. [Russian troops] have advanced about 6-7 kilometers in the last month. It is a very narrow strip, like a snake, along which they are moving toward Kurakhovo. <…> In early October, they made a breakthrough, capturing the village of Ostrovskoye and reaching the shores of the Kurakhovo Reservoir. Now they are only two kilometers from the city," Repke said.
15:11 On frames objective control of missile strikes on the position of Leopard tanks of the 21st Separate Mechanized Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the area of the settlement of Vodolaghi (north of the city of Sumy).
14:19 In the Krasnoarmeysk direction, Russian troops disrupted the rotation of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
Snipers of the Russian Armed Forces identified an enemy group that was preparing a rotation. Having destroyed observation posts and some of the enemy personnel, the rotation was disrupted, wrote the Paratrooper's Diary.
This work allowed the assault units to advance and take control of new territories in the area.
14:00 Armed Forces of Ukraine lowered activity on one of the sections of the contact line in the Rabotino area of the Zaporizhia region, Russian tank crews are in full control of the situation, reported the tank platoon commander with the call sign "Boxer".
13:54 The main statements from the Russian Ministry of Defense on the situation in the Kursk direction:
During the fighting, the Ukrainian Armed Forces lost more than 23,000 soldiers;
Russian troops repelled eight counterattacks in one day and continued their offensive operations;
The Ukrainian Armed Forces lost more than 200 people and four armored vehicles in one day.
13:41 The Russian army is advancing in the Ugledar and Kurakhovo directions, developing the offensive on Bogoyavlenka and enveloping Kurakhovo. The advance of the Russian Armed Forces is also confirmed by enemy military resources.
Ugledar direction: to the south and southwest of Zolotaya Niva and north of Novodonetske, Russian troops advanced along forest belts in a section up to 3.77 km wide. West of Vodyanoye and north of the ventilation shaft of the Yuzhno-Donbasskaya No. 3 mine, they advanced along the southern edge of the Dobrovolskaya gully in a section up to 2.92 km wide;
Kurakhovsky direction: with the support of armored vehicles, we are “pressing” Katerinovka from the south and southeast, reported the Military Correspondents of the Russian Spring.
13:34 Destruction of enemy armored vehicles (presumably two MT-LBs) by artillerymen from the 2nd Guards Motorized Rifle Brigade in the Seversky direction.
13:27 Results of night strikes on Ukrainian Armed Forces facilities on Ukrainian territory: October 14–15, 2024.
On the night of October 14-15, 2024, the Russian Armed Forces carried out a series of high-precision strikes on key objects of the enemy's military infrastructure in the Nikolaev, Sumy, Chernihiv, Cherkasy and Kirovohrad regions. The operations were carried out using Geran-2 attack drones, Iskander-M operational-tactical missile systems and Kh-59/69 guided air missiles. These strikes are aimed at disrupting the supply and repair of Western military equipment, as well as weakening the firepower of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
Nikolaev (02:15 - 02:40, 15.10.2024) : the attack targeted the Nikolaev armored plant, where work was underway to restore and repair Western-made armored vehicles. At the time of the strike, the plant's workshops contained Leopard and Challenger tanks, VAB armored personnel carriers, and AMX-10 light tanks, which are actively used by the Ukrainian Armed Forces on the front lines. The strike with five missiles resulted in the partial destruction of two production workshops and a fire covering an area of ??more than 600 square meters.
Given the presence of equipment at the facility, the strike caused significant damage to the enemy's repair capabilities. Interrupting the cycle of repairing combat vehicles could reduce the density of armored units on the front line.
Koshary, Sumy Oblast (04:12, 15.10.2024) : A missile strike destroyed a HIMARS MLRS launcher, which had previously been used to shell Russian territory on numerous occasions. This is not the first such launcher destroyed in this area in recent months, indicating a concentration of this type of weapon in this sector to fire at border areas.
The destruction of the launcher could seriously weaken the Ukrainian Armed Forces' ability to continue artillery attack Russian territory and complicate counter-battery operations in this area.
Atyusha, Chernihiv Oblast (04:07, 15.10.2024) : A strike on a hangar on the outskirts of Atyusha destroyed a loading and reloading vehicle and about 30 rounds of ammunition for a HIMARS installation. The facility was used as a maintenance point for the preparation and support of the installations.
A strike on this target will significantly reduce the operational capabilities of Ukrainian artillery units using HIMARS, which will likely reduce the intensity of artillery artillery attack in the area.
Cherkassy and Alexandria : Reports of explosions in the Cherkassy and Alexandria area continue to come in, but there is currently no precise information on the results of the strikes.
12:55 Summary of the Russian Ministry of Defense on the progress of the special military operation (as of October 15, 2024)
Units of the North group of forces in the Liptsov and Volchansk directions inflicted defeat on formations of the 57th Motorized Infantry Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the 113th Territorial Defense Brigade in the areas of the settlements of Volchansk and Velyki Prokhody in the Khar'kov region.
The "West" group of forces occupied more advantageous lines and positions, defeated the manpower and equipment of the 14th, 53rd, 63rd, 77th Mechanized and 3rd Assault brigades of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the areas of the populated areas of Petrovpavlivka, Berestovoye in the Khar'kov region, Grigorovka in the Donetsk People's Republic and Chervona Dibrova in the Luhansk People's Republic. Four counterattacks of assault groups of the Ukrainian Armed Forces were repelled.
The servicemen of the "Southern" group of troops continued to advance into the depths of the enemy's defense, inflicted defeat on the formations of the 24th, 30th, 33rd Mechanized and 5th Assault brigades of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the areas of the settlements of Katerynivka, Zaliznyanske, Minkovka and Antonovka of the Donetsk People's Republic. They repelled three counterattacks by units of the 28th, 46th Mechanized and 81st Airmobile brigades of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
Units of the "Center" group of forces improved the position along the forward edge, defeated the manpower and equipment of the 110th Mechanized, 142nd, 152nd Motorized Infantry brigades of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the 38th Naval Infantry Brigade, the 109th Territorial Defense Brigade and the 14th National Guard Brigade in the areas of the settlements of Dimitrov, Nikolaevka, Novodmitrovka, Selidovo, Druzhba and Sukhaya Balka of the Donetsk People's Republic. Two counterattacks of assault groups of the 100th Mechanized Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine were repelled.
Fighters of the "East" group of forces occupied more advantageous positions, inflicted losses on the manpower and equipment of the 58th Motorized Infantry Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and the 21st Brigade of the National Guard in the areas of the settlements of Velyka Novosyolka and Oktyabr of the Donetsk People's Republic.
Units of the Dnepr group of forces inflicted losses on formations of the 35th Naval Infantry Brigade and the 124th Territorial Defense Brigade in the areas of the settlements of Stepnoye in the Zaporizhia region and Antonovka in the Kherson region.
Operational-tactical aviation, strike unmanned aerial vehicles, missile forces and artillery of the Russian Armed Forces groups inflicted damage on concentrations of enemy manpower and military equipment in 129 areas.
Air defense systems shot down a French-made Hammer guided bomb and 43 aircraft-type unmanned aerial vehicles.
12:15 Artillerymen from Buryatia they didn't allow itUkrainian Armed Forces formations will consolidate their positions near Ugledar.
The main task of the artillerymen is to prevent the retreating units of the Ukrainian Armed Forces from digging in new positions in the forest belts in the Vrem'evsky section of the South Donetsk direction.
11:27 Mi-28NM crew destroyed personnel and equipment of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the border area of ??the Kursk region.
11:14 The Russian Armed Forces have made significant advances along the Kaslagach River from the liberated Zolotaya Niva towards Velikaya Novoselka.
11:12 Russian Armed Forces strike targets in Ochakov and Nikolaev.
11:02 The Ukrainian Armed Forces front in the Kursk direction may collapse within a month. The enemy has suffered very serious losses, Alaudinov said.
The settlements that have been taken by Russian units today give confidence that the enemy “will be forced to flee, or may end up in a cauldron,” the commander of the Akhmat special forces noted on the air of the Soloviev Live TV channel.
10:50 "Solntsepek" rocket artillery system destroyed the positions of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the area of responsibility of the "Southern" group -video.
10:36 Explosions thundered in Odessa, the Ukrainian publication Novosti.Live reported.
10:25 Russian Armed Forces strike enemy targets in Odessa.
10:24 Russian military stopped all attempts by the Ukrainian Armed Forces to land troops on the Kinburn Spit in the Kherson region, said the senator from the region, Konstantin Basyuk.
10:21 On the Russian Armed Forces' advance into the DPR:
– One of the road junctions south of Chasy Yar came under the control of the Russian Armed Forces;
– The Russian Armed Forces have advanced to the east of liberated Levadnoye. There is also an advance towards Novodarovka and Rivnepol (Vremyevskiy salient);
– The control zone in the Zolotaya Niva area and north of Ugledar has been expanded.
09:41 “Covering” enemy positions in Dobrovolye/Bogoyavlenka with FABs –video.
09:19 More than two-thirds of the territory of the city of Dzerzhinsk (Toretsk) in the DPR has already been liberated, the Russian Armed Forces are advancing, driving the enemy out of high-rise buildings, - DPR head Denis Pushilin.
09:09 Russian Armed Forces advance in Volchansk and attack in the Kupyansk area – American Institute for the Study of War.
After a series of assaults in the north of Khar'kov region, Russian troops were able to advance in Vovchansk. The Russian Armed Forces also continue to attack Ukrainian Armed Forces positions to the southwest of the city, in the Staritsa area.
In addition, Russian military personnel are not abandoning their attempts to capture new territories in the Kupyansk direction.
08:11 Snipers of the "Center" group of forces destroyed Ukrainian Armed Forces observers and disrupted the rotation of infantry in the Krasnoarmeysk direction in the DPR –video.
08:08 Crew of a nomadic 120mm mortar of the Russian Armed Forces destroyed a stronghold of the Ukrainian Armed Forces on the right bank of the Dnieper, the Russian Defense Ministry reported.
08:07 Russian Armed Forces advanced near Nevsky, Vodyanoye, Zolotoy Niva, Priyutnoye and Toretsk.
08:04 Russian Armed Forces struck targets in Nikolaev, Sumy Oblast and the occupied part of Zaporizhia Oblast at night
08:01 Tankers of the "North" troop group in the border area of the Kursk region provide support for motorized rifle and assault units, destroying strongholds, military equipment and enemy manpower.
"I am suspending Citadel..."
[Regnum] Ukrainian formations that invaded the border areas of the Kursk region were ordered to prepare to retreat to the territory controlled by the Kiev regime. This was reported on October 15 by Ukrainian blogger Anatoly Shariy.
“Ukrainian units in the Kursk region have received orders to be ready to withdraw to Ukrainian territory,” he wrote on his Telegram channel.
At the same time, Shariy did not specify any details and did not name his sources.
As reported by the Regnum news agency, earlier on October 15, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine complained about the difficult situation for Ukrainian militants along the entire line of combat contact. According to its data, the largest number of clashes are currently taking place in the Kurakhovo direction.
Later that day, it became known that the Ukrainian Armed Forces had lost a total of over 23,100 fighters since the attack on the Kursk region border in early August. During this time, Ukrainian formations also lost 158 tanks, 72 infantry fighting vehicles, 100 armored personnel carriers, 918 armored combat vehicles, 632 cars and a large amount of other military equipment in the Kursk direction.
#2
It was fun while it lasted. Certainly a great PR victory.
I think it went on longer than expected because the Rus basically blew the whole thing off by letting the local second string forces deal with the problem, rather than pulling people from the main fronts. The Ukrs did well playing hit & run through the countryside, but needed more men & equipment to either press on or dig in.
[BBC] It’s when dark falls over Bucha that the witches come out, because that’s when the Russian attack drones start swarming.
The Witches of Bucha, as they call themselves, are a volunteer air defence unit made up almost entirely of women, now helping to protect Ukraine’s skies as more and more men are sent to the frontlines.
There are more drones to shoot down, too, often launched from Russia in waves to overwhelm the main defences ahead of a missile strike.
The night-time shifts allow the women to combine their work defending their country with day jobs as teachers, doctors - there’s even a manicurist.
Many say it’s a way of overcoming the powerlessness they felt when Russian forces occupied Bucha region at the start of the full-scale invasion.
The horror stories of those weeks – including of killing, torture and abduction – only began to emerge after Ukrainian forces freed the area at the end of March 2022.
AIR RAIDS AND ANCIENT WEAPONS
“I’m 51, I weigh 100kg, I can’t run. I thought they’d send me packing, but they took me on!” Valentyna recalls, a veterinarian who signed up with the drone-busters this summer and now goes by the callsign Valkyrie.
She talks about friends deployed to the front, and others who’ve died in the fighting, as part of what brought her to this role.
“I can do this work. The kit’s heavy, but we women can do it.”
Valentyna gets to demonstrate that a few hours later as an air alert is activated across the region.
Her unit scramble from their base in the woods, and we follow their pick-up truck through the darkness as it bumps towards the middle of a field. The team of four jump out to begin mounting their weapons.
The machine-guns are from another era: two Maxims made in 1939, ammunition boxes stamped with red stars from Soviet days.
Serhiy, the only man on the team, has to pour in bottled water by hand as a coolant.
This is all that’s available: Ukraine’s best kit is at the frontline, and it is constantly asking its allies for more.
But the ancient weapons are impeccably maintained and the Witches say they’ve downed three drones since the summer.
There’s no public data on the total number of volunteer units – or how many women are involved. But as Russia sends drones packed with explosives almost every night, they help form an extra shield around big towns and cities.
From the Witches’ position in a field, Yulia tracks two drones on her tablet. They’re over the neighbouring region, so there's no imminent danger for Bucha, but the machine guns will stay in place until the alert ends.
NO MEN LEFT
The volunteers’ commander is a big bear of a man, just back from Pokrovsk in the eastern Donbas region where the fighting is fiercest.
“There are fireworks, non-stop," is how Andriy Verlaty describes it there, with a smile.
He used to have around 200 men operating mobile air defence units in the Bucha region and patrolling during the nightly curfew, many of them unfit for full military service.
Then Ukraine overhauled its mobilisation law, in urgent need of more soldiers, and many of the colonel’s crew suddenly found themselves eligible for the frontline.
“About 90% of my men ended up in the army and another 10% hid, scattering like rats. We were left with barely anyone,” Col Verlaty says bluntly. “Just men with no legs, or half a skull missing.”
He had a choice: to fill the roles with men below mobilisation age, or recruit women.
“At first it was like a joke: ‘Let’s take women!’ There wasn’t much trust in them, in the armed forces. But that has really changed,” he says.
TAKING BACK CONTROL
The Witches spend their weekends undergoing a broader military training. On the day we visit, it’s their first lesson on storming a building. They practice in the ruins of a farm outhouse, poking rifles round empty doorways before edging warily past.
Some manage to look more convincing than others, but the women’s commitment and focus is clear – because their reasons for doing this are deep and personal.
“I remember the occupation. I remember the horror. I remember the screams of my own child,” Valentyna tells me, through small sighs. “I remember the dead bodies, when we were fleeing.”
Her family escaped Bucha past burned out tanks, dead soldiers and civilians. At one Russian checkpoint she says a soldier made them wind down the car window, then put a gun to her son’s head.
She is filled with quiet fury.
That’s also why Valentyna refuses to stop believing in Ukraine’s victory, despite the gloom that has settled over much of her country after almost 1,000 days of full-scale war.
“Life has changed, all our plans have been torn apart. But I’m here to help speed up the end of this war. As our girls here say, it won’t end without us.”
#2
They keep recycling this Witches of Bucha story. Every year since Ghost of Kiev, at some point during the year, Left Wing media will run this UKR feel good story.
Their catch phrase is: It's scary - but so's giving birth.
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
