Ukraine Daily

Sunday, October 9

Russia’s war against Ukraine

Zynaida Chupryna, 75, sits on the doorstep of her house which was partially destroyed by shelling, in the recently recaptured resort village of Schurove in the Donetsk region, on October 8, 2022, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. (Photo by Yasuyoshi CHIBA / AFP via Getty Images)

Explosion reported at Crimean Bridge, Russia blames Ukraine. Ukrainian media reported that a fire broke out at the Crimean Bridge — the strategic bridge that connects Russia with the occupied Crimea peninsula — at around 7 a.m. on Oct. 8. The fire has already been eliminated, the Russian state news agency TASS reported.

Podolyak: Crimean Bridge explosion result of conflict between Russian military, law enforcement. Mykhailo Podolyak, an advisor to the President’s Office, said that the explosion that occurred at the Crimean Bridge on Oct. 8 is the result of a conflict between Russia’s Security Service (FSB) and private military companies on one side, and Russia’s Defense Ministry and General Staff on the other.

Zelensky: Today was ‘cloudy in Crimea.’ In a video address on Oct. 8, President Volodymyr Zelensky said, while it was a “good and mostly sunny day” throughout Ukraine, it was “cloudy in Crimea.” Earlier on Oct. 8, an explosion occurred at the Crimean Bridge over the Kerch Strait connecting the Crimean Peninsula to Russia. Zelensky added that Ukrainians “know that our future is sunny without occupiers on our territory.”

Kremlin spokesman: No forecasts on when Crimean Bridge will be restored. Russian dictator Vladimir Putin’s spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said that “there are still no forecasts” for restoring the Crimean Bridge, Russian state news agency RIA Novosti reported. The fire has already been eliminated, Russian state news agency TASS reported. Russian media also reported that all trains from Russia to Crimea had been canceled due to the fire, and the sale of train tickets to the peninsula had been suspended. Ukrainian media reported an explosion at the Crimean Bridge, which links the Russian-occupied peninsula with Russia via the Kerch Strait, at around 6 a.m. on Oct. 8.

Russian proxy claims car traffic resumed at Crimean Bridge after morning explosion. Russia’s proxy in occupied Crimea, Sergey Aksenov, said that cars and buses can again cross the bridge over the Kerch Strait after going through a security check.

Sevastopol occupation government introduces rationing, cancels it in an hour. Following the early morning explosion at the Crimean Bridge, Mikhail Razvozhaev, head of the illegal Russian occupation government in Ukraine’s Sevastopol, announced that rationing for grocery products and gasoline had been introduced in the city. About an hour later, Razvozhaev lifted the ban, claiming that the occupation authorities had established the logistics for food and fuel delivery and that there would be no shortages.

Governor confirms liberation of Shevchenkivka village in Kherson Oblast. According to Kherson Oblast Governor Yaroslav Yanushevych, the authorities are now bringing humanitarian aid to the village and preparing locals ahead of the winter.

Russian proxies to illegally deport children from occupied parts of Kherson Oblast to Crimea, Russian regions. Russia’s proxy in occupied Kherson Oblast, Volodymyr Saldo, said that 30,000 children with their parents could be sent to Krasnodar and Stavropol regions, as well as the Russian-occupied Crimea.

Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant resorts to diesel generators due to Russian shelling. Ukraine’s state nuclear operator Energoatom said overnight shelling cut power to the nuclear plant, which requires cooling to avoid a meltdown, forcing it to resort to its emergency generators. Energoatom head Petro Kotin told BBC that the diesel generators have a limited supply of fuel. “If (the generators) run out of fuel, after that they will stop, and after that there will be a disaster… there will be a melting of the active core and a release of radioactivity from there,” Kotin said. “Right now, we are working on logistics to supply more fuel for these generators,” he added.

Russia appoints new commander of Russian forces fighting in Ukraine. Russia’s Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu appointed Gen. Sergei Surovikin to command the Russian forces fighting in Ukraine on Oct. 8.

General Staff: Russian forces conduct 19 missile strikes, airstrikes across Ukraine on Oct. 8. Ukraine’s General Staff reported that Russian troops had shelled Kharkiv, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, Dnipropetrovsk, and Sumy oblasts with artillery on Oct. 8.

Ukraine’s military destroys 3 ammunition depots, Russian command post in southern Ukraine. Ukraine’s Operational Command “South” reported on Oct. 8 that Ukrainian forces also killed 83 Russian troops and destroyed four tanks, four Msta-B howitzers, two 120 mm mortars, and seven armored vehicles. According to the command, air defense units downed two Russian kamikaze drones in Mykolaiv region. Ukrainian forces also reportedly shot down one Orlan-10 drone over Mykolaiv Oblast and one in Odesa Oblast.

Economy Ministry: Ukraine’s GDP has dropped by 30% in 9 months. The Economy Ministry notes that Russia’s full-scale war and the weather, which has been rainy and thus slowed harvest in some regions, are critical reasons for the decrease in the first three quarters of 2022.

The human cost of Russia’s war

Update: Death toll from Russia’s Oct. 6 attack on Zaporizhzhia rises to 19. Another body has been found under the rubble following Russia’s attack on Zaporizhzhia on Oct. 6, reports Ukrinform news agency. Russian forces attacked the city with Iranian-made Shahed-136 drones.

Update: 32 killed by Russian strike on civilian convoy in Zaporizhzhia. According to Zaporizhzhia Oblast Governor Oleksandr Starukh, one more person who had been injured in the Step. 30 attack died in hospital on Oct. 8.

Governor: Russian attacks killed 6 civilians in Donetsk Oblast on Oct. 7. Two people were killed in Zarichne, two more in Ocheretyne, and the rest in Bakhmut and Pavlivka, Donetsk Oblast Governor Pavlo Kyrylenko said. According to him, 17 people were injured in Donetsk Oblast on Oct. 7. Also, the bodies of nine killed civilians were found in the recently-liberated Lyman, Sviatohirsk, and Yarova settlements in Donetsk Oblast on Oct. 7, Kyrylenko said.

Russian strike on Zaporizhzhia kills 17. Acting Mayor of Zaporizhzhia Anatoly Kurtev reported that 17 people were killed as a result of a Russian attack on the city overnight on Oct. 9. According to preliminary data, five houses were destroyed and about 40 were damaged, Kurtev said.

Governor: Russian forces kill 3 civilians, injure 14 in Donetsk Oblast on Oct. 8. According to Donetsk Oblast Governor Pavlo Kyrylenko, two people were killed in Chasiv Yar and one in Bakhmut. It is currently impossible to determine the exact number of victims in Mariupol and Volnovakha, Kyrylenko added.

Russia claims 3 killed in Crimean Bridge explosion. Russia’s Investigative Committee said all victims were in the same car that was passing by the truck that exploded while crossing the bridge, according to Russian state news agency RIA Novosti.

Prosecutors find 4 bodies of civilians executed by Russia in Kharkiv Oblast. According to the Prosecutor General’s Office, Russian soldiers shot three women and a man in the basement of a house in the Kupiansk-Vuzlovyi town in Kharkiv Oblast in mid-September. The town was confirmed to have been liberated by Ukraine on Sept. 27.

Governor: 3 injured by recent Russian missile strike in Donetsk Oblast. Six residential buildings were damaged by the strike in Kurakhove city, according to Donetsk Oblast Governor Pavlo Kyrylenko. The rescue operation continues, the official said on Oct. 8.

General Staff: Russia has lost 62,060 troops in Ukraine since Feb. 24. Ukraine’s General Staff reported on Oct. 8 that Russia had also lost 2,472 tanks, 5,111 armored fighting vehicles, 1,459 artillery systems, 345 multiple launch rocket systems, 180 air defense systems, 266 airplanes, 234 helicopters, 1,079 drones, and 15 boats.

International response

PM: Allies have provided Ukraine with $20 billion since Feb. 24. Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said that Ukraine also expects “a new major program” from the International Monetary Fund in 2023, as well as funding from the USA, the EU, and other G7 countries. He said that the IMF will provide Ukraine with an additional $1.3 billion, which will be used to support defense capability, pensions, and social payments, and to strengthen the stability of Ukraine’s economy. “We thank the allies who help us to persevere in the struggle for the independence and freedom of Ukraine,” Shmyhal said.

CNN: Germany announces new weapon deliveries to Ukraine. The weapons package provided to Ukraine by Germany will include the IRIS-T air defense system and 100 tanks from Greece and Slovakia. “We live in serious times, and in such times, it is also important to know where we have gaps in defense,” said Germany Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht on Oct. 8. “The air defense is one such area where it is urgent to act.”

Estonian FM ‘congratulates’ Ukraine on allegedly hitting Crimean Bridge. According to the media outlet Delfi, Estonian Foreign Minister Urmas Reinsalu assumed that Ukraine was behind the explosion at the illegally constructed bridge connecting the Russian-occupied Ukrainian peninsula Crimea with mainland Russia via the Kerch Strait earlier on Oct. 8. “Estonia certainly welcomes this and congratulates the Ukrainian special operations units, who are expected to be behind this operation,” Reinsalu said as quoted by the media.

EU condemns Russia’s illegal seizure of Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, calls to ‘reinforce IAEA presence.’ The European External Action Service said on Oct. 8 that Russia must “fully withdraw its military forces and equipment and hand back control” of the nuclear plant to Ukraine. The statement called Russia’s seizure “legally null and void” and urged the International Atomic Energy Agency to strengthen its presence at the plant. On Oct. 7, Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin signed a decree claiming the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant a so-called Russian “state enterprise.”

Want to get the news faster? Follow our website: kyivindependent.com.

Today’s Ukraine Daily was brought to you by Oleg Sukhov, Daria Shulzhenko, Toma Istomina, Alexander Khrebet, Teah Pelechaty, Natalia Datskevych, and Anastasiya Gordiychuk.

If you’re enjoying this newsletter, consider becoming our patron on Patreon or donating via GoFundMe. Start supporting independent journalism today.