Worth noting, korrespondent.net has compiled its Invasion of Ukraine series into separate months, beginning May 9th, 2023. Linked in the title.
[Korrespondent] 21:07 Zelensky announced new support packages for Ukraine next week, in particular from the Nordic countries: "We have created this new format of cooperation - Ukraine plus the Nordic countries. And within the framework of this format, we are invariably increasing our interaction - defense, political, economic. I am grateful to each country in this format: Finland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Iceland." According to the president, Kiev will discuss with these countries, in particular, "new fundamental steps that can increase pressure on Russia for this war and for the sake of honest diplomacy."
In turn, Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo announced that Zelensky will visit Iceland at the end of October, where he will take part in the 76th session of the Nordic Council.
17:45 Bryansk Region Governor Alexander Bogomaz announced an attempt to cross the state border by an armed group of people in the Klimovsky District. According to him, the situation in the district is currently stable.
16:14 During the day, Russians attacked the village of Dmitrovka in the Kutsurub community of the Nikolaev region three times with FPV drones, one person was killed, said the head of the OVA Vitaly Kim. In addition, the Russians fired at the police officers who arrived at the call. As a result of the hits, a fire broke out, which completely destroyed the service car, the law enforcement officers were not injured.
15:49 Vladislav Voloshin, spokesman for the Southern Defense Forces, confirmed the advance of Russians in the Levadnoye area of the Zaporizhia region: "The Russian army has increased certain efforts, regrouped and carried out massive assault operations. As a result, it had partial success, that is, it penetrated the Ukrainian defense to a depth of approximately a platoon strongpoint."
13:38 Head of the Presidential Office Andriy Yermak said in an interview with Corriere Della Sera that Kyiv may consider initiatives from China, Brazil and South Africa to integrate them into the peace formula: "At the beginning of November, we will complete our peace formula, and Zelensky said that then he will be ready to listen to other initiatives, such as those proposed by China, Brazil, South Africa, etc., to integrate them into ours. Then our proposal will have significant support."
Yermak also noted that in order to start negotiations, "we need to return to the situation that existed before the full-scale invasion of the Russian Federation. Then we will talk about how to return sovereignty to the 1991 borders." At the same time, the head of the OP emphasized that the only security guarantees that Kyiv considers real are NATO membership. He also confirmed that Zelensky is against freezing the war and any territorial compromises.
At the same time, Yermak was unable to answer the question of when the second Peace Summit would take place: "We will be ready to hold an international conference when we feel strong and supported by the Global South for negotiations with Russia." To a clarifying question from a journalist, whether this meant that the conference had been postponed until next year, Yermak replied: "We don't know, we will do it when the conditions are right, hopefully as soon as possible."
In addition, Yermak assured that elections in Ukraine will be held immediately after the end of the war.
13:03 Russians fired automatic weapons at a civilian car in Selydove, Donetsk Oblast, the prosecutor's office reported. A video posted on social media showed two people in the car during the attack, one of whom was wounded. Ukrainian soldiers then arrived at the scene, provided first aid to the wounded and evacuated civilians from the shelling. According to preliminary information, this happened on October 24.
In addition, according to media reports, the enemy shot two women in the city, and in the area of the private sector, which was practically not affected by active military actions, there are bodies of dead civilians. That is, these murders were probably committed after the enemy took control of these territories, the prosecutor's office noted.
12:07 In Berislav, Kherson region, Russians attacked a checkpoint with drones. As a result of an explosive device dropped from a drone, three police officers received chemical burns, the National Police reported.
10:41 Air defense destroyed 41 of 80 enemy drones (Shahed and unspecified types) in the Odessa, Mykolaiv, Kherson, Kyiv, Sumy, Kirovohrad, Cherkasy, Zhytomyr, Khmelnytsky and Chernihiv regions at night. Most of the UAVs were shot down in the Odessa and Kyiv regions, the Air Force reported. In addition, 32 Russian drones were lost, and another flew off in the direction of Belarus.
09:28 A UAV attack has caused a fire in Tambov Oblast, Governor Maxim Egorov reported. He clarified that "an isolated fire due to a bang" in Michurinsky Municipal District was quickly extinguished, and there were no casualties. Local residents report that the fire started at the Transneft-Druzhba control station in the village of Novonikolskoye. The Michurinsky Oil Refinery is also located in the same village.
The Russian Defense Ministry stated that during the night, air defense systems intercepted and destroyed 51 UAVs: 18 over the Tambov Region, 16 over the Belgorod Region, four each over the Bryansk, Lipetsk, and Oryol Regions, three over the Voronezh Region, one over the Kursk Region, and one over the Sea of Azov.
09:13 The day before, Russians shelled the village of Radkovo in the Chuguevsky district of the Kharkiv region - one person was killed, one was wounded, reported the head of the OVA Oleg Sinegubov. In the village of Malinovka in the Chuguevsky district, as a result of the shelling, a grain storage warehouse was damaged.
08:55 In the Kherson region over the past day, as a result of Russian shelling, two people were killed and eight were injured, reported the head of the OVA, Oleksandr Prokudin.
08:37 At night, Russians launched a drone strike on critical energy infrastructure facilities in the Romensky district of Sumy Oblast, OVA reported. One person was injured in the Sumy community as a result of the drone attack.
08:21 In Donetsk Oblast, two people were killed as a result of Russian shelling on October 26 - in Konstantinovka and Nikolaevka. Another nine people in the region were injured in the past 24 hours, reported OVA head Vadim Filashkin.
07:53 The General Staff announced the estimated losses of the Russian Federation as of the morning of October 27:
personnel - about 689,040 (+1440) people,
tanks - 9113 (+4),
combat armored vehicles - 18,355 (+23),
artillery systems - 19,821 (+39),
MLRS - 1240 (+0),
air defense systems - 984 (+0),
aircraft - 369 (+0),
helicopters - 329 (+0),
Operational-tactical level UAVs - 17,799 (+73),
cruise missiles - 2625 (+0),
ships/boats - 28 (+0),
submarines - 1 (+0),
automotive equipment and tank trucks - 27,560 (+100),
special equipment - 3542 (+1).
05:26 Ukrainian OSINT project DeepState reports that the Russian army has occupied Levadnoye in the Zaporizhia region, and has also advanced near Shakhtarskoye, Novoukrainka, Bogoyavlenka in the Donetsk region, Novodarovka in the Zaporizhia region, and Stelmakhovka in the Luhansk region.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Korrespondent] Since the beginning of the day, there have been 84 military clashes.
In particular, in the Toretsk direction, the Russians tried to displace our units from their positions near Shcherbinovka and New York, where the Defense Forces repelled four attacks.
The situation at the front remains tense. The enemy, despite significant losses inflicted on it by our defenders, continues to try to break through the defense of the Ukrainian troops. This was reported in the General Staff report on Sunday, October 27.
In total, 84 military clashes have occurred since the beginning of the day.
Today, in the Kharkov direction, Russian occupiers twice stormed the defensive lines of the Ukrainian army in the Volchansk region; our defenders repelled the attacks of the Russians.
In the Kupyansk direction, the enemy actively attacked our units' positions in the areas of Kondrashovka, Sin'kovka, Kolesnikovka, Kruglyakovka, Lozovaya, Zagryzovoye, Pervomayskoye and Vishnevoye 13 times. Ukrainian soldiers are steadfastly holding the defense, six combat clashes are still ongoing. The situation is under control.
Today, in the Liman direction, the invading army carried out nine attacks on Ukrainian positions near Cherneshchyna, Novomykhaylovka, Makeyevka, Terny, Zarechnoye, Serebryanka and Grigorievka.
In the Kramatorsk direction, the invaders carried out two assault operations with the support of army aviation near Orekhovo-Vasilovka.
In the Toretsk direction, the Russians tried to displace our units from their positions near Shcherbinovka and New York, where the Defense Forces repelled four attacks. The occupiers are actively using aviation in this direction, in particular, the areas of Aleksandro-Kalinovoe and Romanovka are being bombed.
Since the beginning of the day, the enemy has already made 15 attempts to push our defenders from their positions in the areas of Mirolyubovka, Luch, Krutoy Yar and Selidovo in the Pokrovsk direction . The defense forces are holding back the pressure and have repelled ten enemy attacks so far. Enemy losses are being clarified.
Fighting continues near Novoselidovka, Novodmitrovka, Kurakhovka, Maksimilyanovka, Antonovka, Kurakhovo and Yekaterinovka in the Kurakhovsky direction . According to updated information, 19 attacks by the occupation army have been repelled today, two attacks are ongoing.
In the Vremovsky direction, the attack continues in the Novoukrainka area; in addition, the enemy dropped four guided aerial bombs in the Velyka Novosilka area.
In the Gulyai-Polye and Orekhov directions, the occupiers actively used aviation; for example, in the Malaya Tokmachka area, the enemy dropped 12 UABs and carried out two strikes on Belogorye with 40 unguided air-to-air missiles.
In the Dnieper direction, the enemy tried three times to drive Ukrainian soldiers from their positions, but without success.
Earlier, the General Staff reported that the situation on the front remains difficult. Over the past 24 hours, 174 combat clashes have been recorded. The enemy is trying to advance near Selidovo-Donbass.
Let us recall that over the past 24 hours, the Ukrainian Armed Forces eliminated 1,440 occupiers . Since the beginning of the full-scale war against Ukraine, the Russian army has lost 689,040 soldiers.
Article Linked Is Available Only Via VPN.
[EngMilRu] The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation continue the special military operation.
In Kharkov direction, the units of the Sever Group of Forces have inflicted fire damage on the AFU 57th Motorised Infantry Brigade, 105th, 113th, and 116th Territorial Defence brigades near Melovoye, Volchansk, and Ternovaya (Kharkov region).
The AFU losses were up to 60 troops, three motor vehicles, and two 122mm D-30 howitzers.
The units of the Zapad Group of Forces have improved the tactical situation and hit manpower and hardware of 14th, 43rd, 60th, 66th, 92nd Mechanised brigades, the 68th Jaeger Brigade, the 3rd Assault Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the 115th Territorial Defence Brigade, and the 27th National Guard Brigade near Petropavlovka, Novoosinovo, Berestovoye, Peschanoye, Kolesnikovka, Zagryzovo (Kharkov region), Nadiya, Novoyegorovka (Lugansk People's Republic), Terny (Donetsk People's Republic), and Serebryansky forestry.
Four counter-attacks of AFU 28th and 67th Mechanised brigades' assault detachments have been repelled.
The AFU losses were up to 500 troops, one U.S.-made M-113 armoured personnel carrier, three pickup trucks, one U.S.-made 155mm M-114 howitzer, one 155mm M-198 howitzer, one 122mm D-30 howitzer, and one U.S.-made 105mm M-119 gun. One Mandat M electronic warfare station and one ammunition depot have been neutralised.
The units of the Yug Group of Forces continued to advance into enemy defences and inflicted fire damage on the AFU 58th Motorised Infantry Brigade, 3rd, 5th Guards Tank brigades, the 143rd Infantry Brigade, 24th, 28th, 30th, 54th Mechanised brigades, the 79th Air Assault Brigade, the 5th Assault Brigade of the AFU, and the 18th National Guard Brigade close to Predtecheno, Belaya Gora, Uspenovka, Zaliznyanskoye, Kirovo, Chasov Yar, Kurakhovo, Starodubovka, Andreyevka, Yelizavetovka, and Konstantinovka (Donetsk People's Republic).
One counterattack by the AFU 33rd Mechanised Brigade has been repelled.
The AFU losses were up to 720 troops, one U.S.-made M-113 armoured personnel carrier, 11 motor vehicles, two 155mm M-777 howitzers, one U.S.-made 155mm M-198 howitzer, one 152mm Msta-B howitzer, one 122mm 2S1 Gvozdika self-propelled artillery system, and four 122mm D-30 howitzers. One Anklav-N electronic warfare station, one Israeli-made ieMHR tactical radar system, and three field ammunition depots have been neutralised
As a result of offensive actions, the units of the Tsentr Group of Forces have liberated Izmaylovka (Donetsk People's Republic).
In addition, Russian troops have launched attacks on manpower and hardware of the 95th Air Assault Brigade, the 114th Mechanised Brigade, the 46th Airmobile Brigade of the AFU, 109th and 122nd Territorial Defence brigades near Sukhaya Balka, Rozovka, Dzerzhinsk, Druzhba, Vishnyovoye, and Zarya (Donetsk People's Republic).
Eleven counter-attacks of 23rd, 53rd, 93rd, 100th, 110th Mechanised brigades, the 144th Infantry Brigade, the 68th Jaeger Brigade, the 25th Airborne Brigade, the 425th Assault Battalion of the AFU, the 37th Naval Infantry Brigade, and the 12th National Guard Brigade have been repelled.
The AFU losses were up to 600 troops, one tank, two Swedish-made Viking armoured personnel carriers, one infantry fighting vehicle, four motor vehicles, two 152mm D-20 guns, one 152mm Msta-B howitzer, four 122mm D-30 howitzers, and one 100mm Rapira anti-tank gun.
The units of the Vostok Group of Forces have improved the situation along the front line, defeated the 21st National Guard Brigade and the 48th Assault Battalion of the Territorial Defence near Makarovka and Oktyabr (Donetsk People's Republic).
One counterattack launched by assault detachments of the AFU 58th Motorised Infantry Brigade has been repelled.
The AFU losses were up to 140 troops, one tank, one U.S.-made M-113 armoured personnel carrier, two armoured fighting vehicles, seven motor vehicles, one U.S.-made 155mm M-777 howitzer, two 155mm D-20 howitzers, and two Anklav-N electronic warfare stations. One AFU ammunition depot has been also destroyed.
The units of the Dnepr Group of Forces have engaged manpower and hardware of the 128th Mountain Assault Brigade of the AFU, the 35th Naval Infantry Brigade, 117th, 124th, and 126th Territorial Defence brigades close to Zherebyanki, Novodanilovka (Zaporozhye region), Antonovka, Tokarevka, and Lvovo (Kherson region).
The AFU losses were more than 80 troops, two motor vehicles, and two 152mm D-20 howitzers.
Two electronic warfare stations have been destroyed.
Operational-Tactical Aviation, attack unmanned aerial vehicles, Missile Troops and Artillery of the Russian Groups of Forces have launched attacks on ammunition and fuel depots, the infrastructure of military airfields, assembly and storage sites for unmanned aerial vehicles, temporary deployment sites as well as engaged AFU clusters of manpower and armoured hardware in 134 areas.
Air defence facilities have shot down three U.S.-made HIMARS MLRS projectiles, one French-made Hammer aerial bomb, an S-200 missile converted to hit ground targets, and 172 fixed-wing UAVs.
In total, since the beginning of the special military operation, 647 aircraft, 283 helicopters, 34,565 unmanned aerial vehicles, 584 anti-aircraft missile systems, 18,887 tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles, 1,480 MLRS combat vehicles, 16,837 field artillery guns and mortars, and 27,654 units of support military vehicles have been neutralised.
The units of the Sever Group of Forces continued offensive actions and have inflicted losses on formations of 22nd, 41st, 115th Mechanised brigades, the 17th Tank Brigade, 82nd, 95th Air Assault brigades, the 36th Naval Infantry Brigade, 112th and 129th Territorial Defence brigades of the AFU near Daryino, Zeleny Shlyakh, Nizhny Klin, Nikolayevo-Daryino, Novoivanovka, and Plyokhovo.
The Group's units have repelled eight enemy counterattacks in the direction of Daryino, Zeleny Shlyakh, Nizhny Klin, Nikolayevo-Daryino, and Novoivanovka.
The AFU losses were up to 60 troops killed and wounded, and one U.S.-made Stryker armoured personnel carrier. One AFU serviceman surrendered.
Army aviation and artillery have inflicted losses on clusters of manpower and hardware of 21st, 22nd, 41st, 47th, and 115th Mechanised brigades, the 17th Tank Brigade, 82nd, and 95th Air Assault brigades, the 36thNaval Infantry Brigade, 103rd, 112th, and 129th Territorial Defence brigades of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and the 17th National Guard Brigade near Aleksandriya, Viktorovka, Gogolevka, Guyevo, Daryino, Zeleny Shlyakh, Kazachya Loknya, Kolmakov, Kruglenkoye, Kurilovka, Lebedevka, Leonidovo, Martynovka, Melovy, Nikolayevo-Daryino, Nikolsky, Novoivanovka, Novy Put, Oleshnya, Plyokhovo, Sverdlikovo, Tolsty Lug, and Cherkasskoe Porechnoye.
Operational-Tactical Aviation and Missile Troops have delivered strikes at assembly areas in Sumy region and reserves of 21st, 41st, 47th, 61st, 115th Mechanised brigades, the 95th Air Assault Brigade, the 1004th Security and Service Brigade, 101st, 103rd, 107th, 129th Territorial Defence brigades of the AFU, and the 1st National Guard Brigade near Basovka, Belovody, Zhuravka, Miropolye, Pavlovka, Stetskovka, and Sumy.
During the day, the enemy losses were up to 250 troops, two armoured vehicles including one U.S.-made Stryker armoured personnel carrier, and one armoured fighting vehicle as well as one mortar and one motor vehicle. One AFU serviceman surrendered.
Since the beginning of hostilities in Kursk region, the AFU losses amounted to more than 27,150 servicemen, 177 tanks, 97 infantry fighting vehicles, 106 armoured personnel carriers, 1,014 armoured fighting vehicles, 693 motor vehicles, 229 artillery guns, 40 multiple rocket launchers, including 11 of HIMARS and six of MLRS made by the USA, nine anti-aircraft missile launchers, seven transport and loading vehicles, 57 EW stations, 11 counter-battery warfare radars, three air defence radars, 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] 21:15 Novodmitrovka settlement, assault:
Conducted a successful attack in the Tsukurino area. Assault groups managed to enter and gain a foothold on the eastern outskirts of the village.
19:57 Selidovo under Russian control.
30th Separate Reconnaissance Battalion of the 90th Motorized Rifle Division, Chebarkul dropped Ukrainian flag from the city council building. The "Center" group of troops finishes clearing the city.
19:50 Situation in the Elizavetovka area:
The 39th Guards Motorized Rifle Brigade, together with other units of the 68th Army Corps, have come close to Yelizavetovka. After fierce battles for forest belts to the southeast, the resistance of the Ukrainian Armed Forces units here is becoming weaker.
18:48 An attempt to cross the state border by an armed group of individuals was stopped in the Klimovsky district of the Bryansk region; the enemy was inflicted with fire damage, Governor Bogomaz said.
According to him, the situation in the area is stable and is under the control of the regional Operational Headquarters forces.
17:55 The Russian flag was raised in the village of Vishnevoye (west of Selidovo) –video.
17:34 Svatovskoye direction: taking control of the northwestern sector in the Stelmakhovka area by the Russian Armed Forces –map.
17:20 "The Pacer" destroyed Self-propelled guns of the Ukrainian Armed Forces militants in Sumy region.
The aerial reconnaissance of the Sever group of forces detected a camouflaged position of a self-propelled artillery unit of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. After analyzing the intelligence data received, a decision was made to destroy the enemy's weapon. As a result of the missile strike carried out by the crew of the Inokhodets UAV, the self-propelled artillery unit of the Ukrainian Armed Forces was destroyed along with its crew.
16:58 The Ukrainian Armed Forces Command confirmed the advance of Russians in the Levadnoye area of the Zaporizhia region.
"The Russian army increased certain efforts, carried out a regrouping and massive assault operations. As a result, it had partial success, that is, it penetrated into the Ukrainian defense to the depth of approximately a platoon strongpoint," said Vladislav Voloshin, spokesman for the Southern Defense Forces.
The Deep State public claimed that Russia had captured Levandnoye, having also advanced in several other areas nearby.
16:10 Russian military personnel came into Katerinovka.
The fighters of the 255th Motorized Rifle Regiment continue their confident offensive in the Kurakhovsky direction: the Ukrainian Armed Forces units were forced to retreat from the settlement, leaving key positions.
During the offensive, the Russian Armed Forces took control of farms where enemy fortifications had previously been located. The assault on the village continues, and Russian fighters are systematically moving forward, knocking out the remnants of Ukrainian units.
15:59 Calculations of the anti-aircraft missile and gun systems "Pantsir-S" around the clockcontrolairspace over the positions of Russian troops in the border areas of the Kursk region.
14:57 Destruction of the 120mm 2S9 self-propelled mortar "Tulip" of the Armed Forces of Ukraine by the loitering munition "Lancet" in the Khar'kov region -video.
14:17 The Ukrainian Armed Forces have withdrawn from most of their positions in the village of Bogoyavlenka in the DPR, where the Ugledar group retreated, the security forces reported.
13:58 Calculation of the Okhotnik UAV of the 25th Combined Arms Army of the West Forces Group using only drones evacuates other drones lost on the front line in the Krasnolimansky area.
13:35 Destroyed armored personnel carrier BTR-80 of Ukrainian formations –photo.
12:57 Units of the Russian Armed Forcesare moving forwardalong the left bank of the Oskol in the Boguslav direction. Fighting is taking place in the northern part of the settlement of Zagryzovo. At night, the enemy attempted a counterattack, but was unsuccessful and lost up to 20 fighters. The arrival of a battalion-sized reserve of the Ukrainian Armed Forces is noted in Boguslavka.
12:30 Summary of the Russian Ministry of Defense on the progress of the special military operation (as of October 27, 2024):
Units of the North group of forces in the Khar'kov direction inflicted losses on formations of the 57th Motorized Infantry Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the 105th, 113th and 116th Territorial Defense brigades in the areas of the settlements of Melove, Volchansk and Ternovaya in the Khar'kov region.
Servicemen of the "West" force improved their tactical position, defeated the manpower and equipment of the 14th, 43rd, 60th, 66th, 92nd Mechanized, 68th Jaeger, 3rd Assault brigades of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, the 115th Territorial Defense brigade and the 27th National Guard Brigade in the areas of the settlements of Petrovpavlivka, Novoosinovo, Berestovoye, Peschanoye, Kolesnikovka, Zagryzovo in the Khar'kov region, Nadiya, Novoegorovka in the Luhansk People's Republic, Terny in the Donetsk People's Republic and Serebryanskoye forestry. Four counterattacks of the assault groups of the 28th and 67th mechanized brigades of the Ukrainian Armed Forces were repelled.
Units of the "Southern" group of forces continued to advance deep into the enemy's defenses, inflicted losses on the formations of the 58th Motorized Infantry, 3rd, 5th tank, 143rd Infantry, 24th, 28th, 30th, 54th Mechanized, 79th Airborne Assault, 5th Assault brigades of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the 18th National Guard Brigade in the areas of the settlements of Predtecheno, Belaya Gora, Uspenovka, Zaliznyanske, Kirovo, Chasov Yar, Kurakhovo, Starodubovka, Andreyevka, Elizavetovka and Konstantinovka of the Donetsk People's Republic. They repelled a counterattack by units of the 33rd mechanized brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
As a result of active offensive actions, fighters of the Center group of forces liberated the settlement of Izmailovka of the Donetsk People's Republic. In addition, they defeated the manpower and equipment of the 95th Airborne Assault, 114th Mechanized, 46th Airmobile brigades of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the 109th and 122nd Territorial Defense brigades in the areas of the settlements of Sukhaya Balka, Rozovka, Dzerzhinsk, Druzhba, Vishnevoe and Zarya of the Donetsk People's Republic. Eleven counterattacks by the 23rd, 53rd, 93rd, 100th, 110th Mechanized, 144th Infantry, 68th Jaeger, 25th Airborne brigades, 425th Assault Battalion of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, 37th Naval Infantry Brigade and 12th National Guard Brigade were repelled.
Units of the "East" group of forces improved their position along the front line, defeated the formations of the 21st National Guard Brigade and the 48th Assault Battalion of the Territorial Defense in the areas of the settlements of Makarovka and Oktyabr of the Donetsk People's Republic. A counterattack by the assault group of the 58th Motorized Infantry Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine was repelled.
The Dnepr group of forces inflicted losses on the manpower and equipment of the 128th Mountain Assault Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, the 35th Naval Infantry Brigade, the 117th, 124th and 126th Territorial Defense brigades in the areas of the settlements of Zherebyanka, Novodanilovka in the Zaporizhia region, Antonovka, Tokarevka and Lvovo in the Kherson region.
Operational-tactical aviation, strike unmanned aerial vehicles, missile troops and artillery of the groups of troops of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation destroyed ammunition and fuel depots, and also damaged the infrastructure of military airfields, assembly and storage sites for unmanned aerial vehicles, temporary deployment points, concentrations of enemy manpower and military equipment in 134 districts.
Air defense systems shot down three US-made HIMARS rockets, a French-made Hammer guided aerial bomb, an S-200 anti-aircraft guided missile converted for firing at ground targets, and 172 aircraft-type unmanned aerial vehicles.
11:54 The Russian Armed Forces have yet to liberate a third of the city of Dzerzhinsk in the DPR, Zarubin reported, citing military reports.
In addition, he noted that the Russian Armed Forces advanced to a depth of 1.5 km in Chasovy Yar, and also pushed the Ukrainian Armed Forces back 20 km from Lisichansk.
11:32 The Ukrainian group in the village of Kurakhovka in the Krasnoarmeysk direction was half-encircled, the security forces reported.
11:10 Powerful strikes with guided aerial bombs are carried out on enemy targets in the Khar'kov region.
10:50 Flight of the Ukrainian Armed Forces from Izmailovka –video.
10:31 After a strike on an infrastructure facility in the Cherkasy region, a fire broke out there, - local authorities
10:02 The Russian Army is already in Shakhtarsk, the Ukrainian Armed Forces are retreating from the settlement, writes Shepot Fronta.
09:47 Deadly strikes from 240mm 2S4 Tyulpan mortars hit targets even where drones cannot fly –video.
09:14 Scouts of the "East" group of forces captured captured weapons of the Ukrainian Armed Forces of foreign manufacture, including a batch of American Javelin antitank guided missiles. This was reported by the Russian Defense Ministry.
08:11 RF Armed Forcestorn offattempt to break through the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the Glushkovsky district
An armored personnel carrier of the Ukrainian military, together with its crew, was blown up by a mine.
08:08 On frames: destruction of enemy armored combat vehicles (BBM) in the Kursk region.
08:06 "Gerani" hit targets in Poltava region.
08:04 The "Kozak" armored fighting vehicle of the Ukrainian nationalist battalion "Kraken*" has become trophy of paratroopers in the Kursk border area, the Russian Defense Ministry reported.
The armored vehicle fell into the hands of Russian servicemen without critical damage. After minor repairs, it was possible to restore almost all units and assemblies.
08:02 Enemy reports:
"The Russian Armed Forces took control of Levandnoye and also advanced near Shakhtyorskoye, Novoukrainka, Bogoyavlenka, Novodarovka, Stelmakhovka, in Gornyak and Alexandropol."
08:00 Selidovo liberated, mop up underway
If everything goes according to plan, expect Vyshneve to fall. The Ukrainian Armed Forces are already ready to retreat beyond Grigorovka, Shepot Fronta reported.
Commentary by Russian military journalist Boris Rozhin is in italics.
[ColonelCassad] Russian special services, together with units of the 36th Guards Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade of the 29th Guards Combined Arms Army of the Eastern Military District of the Russian Ministry of Defense, carried out an operation to evacuate a valuable operational source - a US citizen who played a key role in preparing the assault on the village of Bogoyavlenka in the Ugledar direction.
Kenneth M. (name changed) of the SVO was on the territory of Ukraine for 2 years and transmitted valuable intelligence to Russia, which allowed it to carry out high-precision strikes on the enemy, minimizing damage to civilian infrastructure and the civilian population.
The life of the rescued American is not in danger. The issue of granting political asylum and obtaining Russian citizenship is being decided.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited. by Victor Lavrinenko
[REGNUM] The Rail Baltica "European gauge" railway project, which the Baltic countries are building with EU money, is under threat. The "road to nowhere", which has been under construction for ten years, has become a very profitable enterprise, but not for the countries building it, but for the individuals involved. And it is in the interests of the Baltic officials that this project continues forever and never ends.
The colossal amounts of money already allocated by the European Union for Rail Baltica somehow quietly disappeared into the pockets of those involved, and suddenly it turned out that there was no more money for further construction. What to do next with the gigantic unfinished construction? Now in Riga and Tallinn they are feverishly trying to come up with something.
COLOSSAL WASTE
The allocation of funds by the European Union for the construction of the Rail Baltica route was once lobbied by Estonian Siim Kallas, who took the post of European Commissioner for Transport. Siim is the father of the now former Prime Minister of Estonia Kaja Kallas, who has now been put in charge of EU foreign policy.
The most interesting point is the significant increase in the budget. The initial estimate for the cost of the entire highway was 3.68 billion euros. In 2017, the figure was revised, increasing to 5.79 billion. A year ago, it became clear that the cost of the Latvian part of the project alone could grow to 8 billion euros. And four months ago, this figure was also adjusted: under certain conditions, the cost could “swell” to 9.6 billion.
The audit showed that the deficit of the necessary budget on a regional scale could reach 10-19 billion, and the project implementation is years behind schedule. Meanwhile, the long-term EU budget until 2028 has allocated “only” 9 billion euros for the Rail Baltica project – and not just for Latvia, but for all three Baltic countries. The project’s implementers then proposed taking out a loan to complete the work, thereby increasing the country’s external debt.
It is possible that due to a lack of funds the new railway will bypass Riga altogether, without entering it. The European Commission coordinator Kartin Trautman spoke categorically: supposedly, freight and passenger transportation on the Rail Baltica railway line should begin before 2030 – regardless of whether it is connected to the central station in Riga or not. This is a sore spot for Brussels: the European Commission expresses concerns that even 2030 will not be the final deadline for the completion of construction and that money for the project will have to be allocated in the future.
Meanwhile, contractors are leaving the project for various reasons. At the end of April 2024, the chairman of the board of the state-owned company European Railway Lines (EDzL) and his assistant suddenly resigned without any clear explanation (“for personal reasons”). This company is working on the construction of Rail Baltica in Latvia. “You filled your pockets — give in to someone else,” Latvian residents joked on social media.
At the same time, it became known that the state had terminated the contract with the Latvian-Spanish company Rere Ineco, which had undertaken to build 16 railway stations. The insolvency of the businessmen was to blame.
But Latvian Transport Minister Kaspars Briškens is not losing his presence of mind and promises to optimize the Rail Baltica construction plan in such a way as to reduce costs by 35%.
EVERYONE AND NO ONE IS TO BLAME
On October 6, Briškens stated that Latvia currently has less than 1.5 billion euros at its disposal for the construction of the railway. In order to build it even “in the most minimal volume,” he said, “two to three times more” is needed. All hope is to wheedle the missing money out of the European Union. “If we set the task of completing the entire route by 2030 with the money that is available to us today, then this is an impossible task. It is impossible. We see that we are short at least 3-4 billion even for the most minimal volume,” Briškens admitted.
According to the Latvian minister, much now depends on the decisions that will be made when planning the next budget of the European funds. The politician does not deny that according to the original plan of the project, the railway should have been built many years ago. But, as Briškens claims, the process has been delayed due to the “inaccuracy of the draft designs” made in the first half of the 2010s.
According to him, “they were made by Latvian companies and perhaps they lacked the knowledge and technology to make better sketches.” Nevertheless, “based on these projects, the Cabinet of Ministers made a decision in 2016 regarding the geography of the route, including the main line through Riga.”
The Latvian parliament convened a special investigative committee, and in August it concluded that it would be impossible to do without involving the prosecutor's office. And, of course, the question arose: what to do with the unfinished road next? Prime Minister Evika Silina loudly declared that she does not see "how we can still find additional funding for Rail Baltica in the budget now."
However, as the head of the parliamentary investigative committee, Andris Kulbergs, emphasizes, even stopping the project will require significant expenses: “If money is not set aside at least for the conservation of what has already been built, this could result in losses of hundreds of millions of euros in a year or two.”
Just to keep the project from stopping altogether, an additional 80 million euros must be urgently allocated. And if the project does stop, there is a risk that Latvia will have to return up to a billion euros to the EU. Kulbergs also emphasized another important detail: Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia requested European funding for Rail Baltica together. And if one of the three countries does not fulfill its part of the task, the risks will also extend to the other participants in the project.
Kulbergs emphasizes that work on the central railway station under construction in Riga cannot be stopped: the temporary retaining wall could collapse. And the supports of the future railway bridge across the Daugava cannot just stand there. The new structures of the railway terminal at the Riga airport need to be mothballed for the winter, but no money has been allocated for this.
Andris Kulbergs said that the interim report of the parliamentary investigative committee is ready, but it does not include the names of those guilty of the massive embezzlement. "This is the first big problem: in Latvia, there was not a single person responsible for the entire project," the politician said, emphasizing "collective irresponsibility." He promised to find the culprits and avoid punishing only the "scapegoats," as in the case of the theft of money from the project to strengthen the border with Russia.
"FOR TROOP TRANSPORT ONLY"
The difficulties of their Latvian colleagues, however, do not bother the Estonian developers of the project – they express unwavering determination to move forward.
In early September, the Baltic transport ministers discussed the idea of opening the Rail Baltic route for traffic "in parts". Later, the Estonian Minister of Infrastructure and Economy Vladimir Svet supported this idea. And now the developers of the Estonian part of the railway hope to launch the Tallinn-Pärnu connection not in 2030, but a year or two earlier.
On October 24, the government decided to allocate another 4 million euros to Rail Baltica Estonia for current expenses. Compared to the previously announced tender for 1.3 billion, this is a small amount.
However, "the saddest thing is that this project is in principle in question, since Latvia refused to invest its funds in it. That is, the track may end in the border town of Valga," warns opposition member of the Estonian parliament Alexander Chaplygin.
Kaliningrad political scientist Alexander Nosovich writes that if all the billions of euros stolen over the decades of building the “road to nowhere” were added up and distributed to the population of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia, the Baltics would instantly catch up and surpass Switzerland in terms of GDP per capita.
"All the experts who have ever addressed the topic of Rail Baltica have agreed that this project cannot have any common sense other than military. A narrow-gauge railway from Scandinavia to Central Europe through the Baltics can only be useful for transporting troops. It is not needed for anything else," Nosovich writes.
In his opinion, the fact that Rail Baltica has been “slipping” for many years is good news – it shows that all the anti-Russian antics of the Baltic countries are their personal initiative, and the overseas hegemon is not planning a war with Russia in this region. Otherwise, those involved “would have been given a magic kick in the pants long ago and forced to finish building and launch the unfortunate narrow-gauge railway at a rapid pace.”
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.
