Saturday, October 19

Russia’s war against Ukraine

Relatives welcome Ukrainian prisoners of war (POWs) following a prisoner swap with Russia at an undisclosed location on Oct. 18, 2024. Ukraine exchanged 95 soldiers for an equal number of its forces in the first major POW return in more than a month. (Andrew Kravchenko/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Azov soldiers, human rights activist Butkevych among those returned in 190-person prisoner swap. Ukraine and Russia on Oct. 18 conducted their 58th prisoner exchange, involving 190 prisoners of war, President Volodymyr Zelensky announced.

Ukraine liberates Kharkiv Oblast village key for defense of Kupiansk, military intelligence says. “As a result of the operation, the enemy was driven out of the settlement, and the occupiers’ routes of movement were mined,” Ukraine’s military intelligence said.

Budanov says close to 11,000 North Korean troops in Russia, will be ‘ready to fight’ in Ukraine by Nov 1. Ukraine’s military intelligence head Kyrylo Budanov said the first group of 2,600 soldiers will be deployed to Russia’s Kursk Oblast, where Ukraine began a cross-border incision in August and still holds significant swathes of territory.

Video purportedly showing North Korean soldiers at Russian military camp published by Ukrainian agency. Ukraine’s Center for Strategic Communication and Information Security published a video that purportedly shows North Korean soldiers in a Russian military camp preparing to join Moscow’s war effort against Ukraine.

Kursk Oblast conscripts among Russians returned in POW exchange, Russian org says. The returned prisoners also reportedly included some mobilized Russian fighters and contract soldiers, including kadyrovtsy, the notoriously ruthless troops named for Chechen strongman Ramzan Kadyrov.

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Western-made parts found in North Korean missile downed over Ukraine, report shows. Microelectronics made by companies from the U.S., Switzerland, the U.K., and the Netherlands were found in the North Korean missile that was shot down over Poltava Oblast.

Ukraine improving interceptor drones to counter Russia, Syrskyi says. Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi called Ukraine the leader in the development of interceptor drones.

Russian troops have not gained foothold across canal in Chasiv Yar, military says. “The overall strategic position of the city remains under the control of Ukraine,” Anastasia Bobovnikova, a spokesperson of the Operational Tactical Group Luhansk, said on Oct. 18.

Russia suffers 2nd deadliest day since start of full-scale invasion, according to Ukraine’s military. The bloodiest day for Moscow’s forces was on May 13 when they suffered a reported 1,740 casualties.

Romania, Belarus scramble jets amid mass Russian drone attack on Ukraine. Ukraine’s Air Force said that beyond the 80 drones that were shot down across the country, another 44 were “lost.”

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Human cost of war

Ukraine retrieves bodies of 501 fallen soldiers. According to the authorities, the bodies were retrieved from Donetsk, Luhansk, and Zaporizhzhia oblasts, as well as one from a morgue in Russia.

General Staff: Russia has lost 675,800 troops since Feb 24, 2022. This number includes 1,530 casualties Russian forces suffered over the past day.

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Ukraine war latest: 11,000 North Korean troops will be ‘ready to fight’ in Ukraine by Nov. 1, Budanov says

Close to 11,000 North Korean troops are in Russia and will be “ready to fight” in Ukraine by Nov. 1, Ukrainian military intelligence head Kyrylo Budanov said in comments published by the War Zone on Oct. 17.

Photo: Ed Jones/AFP via Getty Images

International response

Western leaders discuss Ukraine’s victory plan, providing additional assistance at high-level talks in Germany, White House says. The leaders of the United States, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom discussed Ukraine’s five-point victory plan as well as plans to provide additional military and humanitarian assistance on Oct. 18 during high-level talks in Berlin, a readout by the White House said.

European Council says Russian assets should remain frozen until end of war, payment of reparations. The European Council reiterated it would adhere to the “security and defense policy” of “certain member states” regarding the use of revenues generated from the frozen assets, and added it would continue to “address all relevant legal and financial aspects.”

Germany, Netherlands detail new military equipment being sent to Ukraine, including Leopard tanks, air defense systems. According to the Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW Kiel), which tracks international aid for Ukraine, Germany and the Netherlands have allocated 15 billion euros ($16.2 billion) and 6.4 billion euros ($6.9 billion), respectively.

Denmark announces $350 million military aid package for Ukraine. The latest aid package for Kyiv includes weapons from Denmark’s stockpiles, funding for air defense systems with Germany, and contributions to the U.K.-led International Fund for Ukraine.

Polish PM Tusk says Zelensky’s victory plan will be reassessed after US election. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said there is a lack of consensus among EU leaders regarding the plan, and it is difficult to tell how realistic it is because “much depends on the outcome of the U.S. presidential election.”

North Korean troops preparing to help Russia’s war in Ukraine a ‘grave security threat,’ says South Korea. South Korea’s National Intelligence Service said it believes North Korea will deploy four brigades totalling 12,000 soldiers to the war in Ukraine, including special forces.

US offers $10 million reward for information on Russian media organization accused of election interference. The United States is providing a reward of up to $10 million for information that helps prevent or disrupts foreign election interference linked to the Russian state-sponsored Rybar media organization, the U.S. State Department announced. Rybar and its employees are accused of using social media to meddle in the upcoming U.S. presidential election.

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