Sunday, October 15

Russia’s war against Ukraine

Servicemen of the Ukrainian first presidential brigade “Bureviy” ride an armored personnel carrier (APC) as they participate in military exercises in Chernihiv Oblast on Oct.13, before deployment on the front line. (Sergei Supinsky / AFP via Getty Images)

White House says new Russian offensive in eastern Ukraine hasn’t made much progress. Russia’s “renewed offensive” in eastern Ukraine hasn’t made much progress despite the Russian military bringing back its infamous “human wave” tactics, U.S. National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said on Oct. 13, as cited by Politico.

Zelensky: Almost a third of Ukrainian territory unsafe due to mines, unexploded ordinance. Mines and unexploded ordinance from Russia’s war have made almost a third of Ukrainian territory unsafe, President Volodymyr Zelensky said in an evening address on Oct. 14.

Russian strike destroys 5-story apartment building in Avdiivka, 1 possibly under rubble. A Russian air strike hit a five-story apartment building in the embattled city of Avdiivka, partially collapsing it and possibly burying a 59-year-old man under the rubble on Oct. 13, Ukraine’s National Police wrote on Oct. 14.

Military reports intensified Russian attacks on Kupiansk-Lyman axis. Russian forces have ramped up their assaults near Makiivka in the Lyman direction and towards Kupiansk in Kharkiv Oblast, Oleksandr Syrskyi, the commander of Ukraine’s Land Forces, reported on Oct. 14.

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Russia claims 27 drones downed overnight. Russia’s Defense Ministry said via its Telegram channel that its forces shot down 27 Ukrainian drones overnight on Oct. 15 over the Belgorod and Kursk regions.

UK Defense Ministry: Russia’s Black Sea Fleet doubles down on defense. Russia’s Black Sea Fleet has expanded defensive and reactive measures since suffering setbacks in recent months, the U.K. Defense Ministry wrote on Oct. 14.

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Russia, China, and North Korea have new dynamics. And it’s bad for Ukraine

Experts suggest that Moscow could furnish North Korea with the technology they needed for its struggling spy satellite program in return for Pyongyang’s stockpile of Soviet-era weaponry – primarily artillery shells that could be used for Russian guns in Ukraine.

Photo: Mikhail Metzel/Pool/AFP via Getty Images

Human cost of war

Russian shelling kills 1 in Beryslav, Kherson Oblast. Russian forces shelled Beryslav in Kherson Oblast, killing a woman, regional governor Oleksandr Prokudin wrote on Oct. 14.

Police: Russian attack on Donetsk Oblast village kills 11-year-old boy. Russian forces launched a rocket attack against the village of Bahatyr, Donetsk Oblast, killing a boy aged 11 and wounding his six-year-old brother, Ukraine’s National Police reported on Oct. 14.

This Week in Ukraine Ep. 29 — Is support for Ukraine declining worldwide?

International response

Media: Ruling Georgian party did not vote for PACE resolution declaring Russia dictatorship. Representatives from Georgia’s ruling party, Georgian Dream, did not vote for the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) resolution that declared Russia a dictatorship, RFE/RL’s Caucasian service reported on Oct. 14.

Minister: Finland considers legislation limiting Russians from certain real estate deals. Finland is considering several security-related legislative initiatives, including limiting Russians from certain real estate deals, Finnish Defense Minister Antti Hakkanen told newspaper Helsingin Sanomat on Oct. 14.

In other news

207 Ukrainians have evacuated from Israel. The first evacuation flight with 207 Ukrainian citizens on board, including 63 children, has taken off from Israel’s Tel Aviv to Bucharest, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Oleh Nikolenko reported on Oct. 14.

Ombudsman arrives in Egypt to help facilitate evacuation of Ukrainians from Gaza. Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets flew to Egypt to assist in the process of evacuating Ukrainian citizens from besieged Gaza, according to a Facebook post on Oct. 14.

Ombudsman: Israel withdraws permission for foreigners to evacuate from Gaza via Rafah crossing. Israel’s Foreign Ministry revoked their previously granted permission for foreigners to be evacuated from Gaza using the Rafah border crossing into Egypt, Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets said on television on Oct. 14.

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