Newsletter 15/10/2024
Daily news digest
TOP
Injury toll in nighttime attack on Mykolaiv increases to 23
At about 02:30 on October 15, Russians attacked Mykolaiv presumably with S-300 missiles. An infrastructure facility, a restaurant complex, trade pavilions, residential buildings, and cars were damaged.
Names of 13 out of 16 Ukrainian POWs shot during surrender identified – PG’s Office
Law enforcement agencies have identified the names of 13 out of 16 servicemen who were shot while surrendering in the Pokrovsk direction.
"Regarding the recent incidents, we are working on the fact of the execution of 16 Ukrainian servicemen and have identified 13 military personnel; the data for the remaining three is still being established due to lack of access to the military unit," said Yurii Bielousov, head of the War Department at the Prosecutor General’s Office.
The official also commented on the execution of nine Ukrainian soldiers on October 10 in Russia's Kursk region: "Concerning the situation in Kursk, where nine Ukrainian servicemen were executed, we understand who these soldiers are. We are currently clarifying the details of the shooting of our prisoners of war. We know the location where this occurred in Kursk and are working on two Russian units that may be involved in the execution."
Intel sources confirm North Korean troops participating in Russia's war against Ukraine
These North Korean soldiers have been observed in Russia’s Bryansk and Kursk regions, with the potential for their deployment in combat near the towns of Sudzha and Kursk.
The Ukrainska Pravda previously reported about the formation of a “special Buryat battalion” comprising North Korean nationals. Also, 18 North Korean soldiers are reported to have deserted.
Ukrainian forces destroy 8B USD worth of Russian artillery in 2024 – MoD
From January 1 to October 1, 2024, the Ukrainian Armed Forces eliminated a total of 10,373 Russian artillery systems. The single most devastating day for Russian artillery was September 22, when, according to Ukraine’s General Staff, the Ukrainian defenders destroyed 81 enemy artillery units.
An artillery division typically includes 18 artillery units, and a brigade comprises 72 units, making the destruction equivalent to 144 artillery brigades in the past nine months.
The approximate value of the destroyed Russian equipment is at least USD 8 billion, based on open-source data and average international market prices for military assets. The destroyed equipment, including self-propelled guns, howitzers, and cannons, is considered to be some of the most expensive “scrap metal” worldwide due to its high cost and now-lost utility.
War
ISW explains why Russia is attacking Ukrainian ports
The Russians are attacking Ukrainian ports in order to undermine international support for Ukraine and push it to negotiate.
This is what Toretsk in Donetsk region looks like today
Russian forces attack minibus in Kherson with drone
Kharkiv region announces mandatory evacuation from Kupiansk and three neighboring communities
Russians shelled Kherson suburb with drone - young man wounded
Two civilians injured in Russian drone attacks in Beryslav
Pregnant woman and child injured in Russian shelling of Nikopol district
Pokrovskyi direction. Guardsmen found Russian equipment and destroyed it
CCD refutes reports about 100,000 North Korean troops being trained for war against Ukraine
“Reports about the training of 100,000 North Korean troops and their deployment on the territory of Ukraine, which emerged in the media, are not true,” wrote Andriy Kovalenko, head of the Center for Countering Disinformation, adding that less than 1% of the North Korean army's officers speak Russian.
Society
Ukraine's cultural heritage destruction: CoE Congress adopts declaration
The Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe has stated that the issue of restoring Ukraine's cultural heritage should be put high on the agenda of the 2025 Ukraine Recovery Conference to be held in Rome. Moreover, the regional authorities should facilitate the work on documenting these crimes and submitting applications to the Register of Damage.
Over 60% of Ukrainians support having single Orthodox Church in country
This is according to a survey by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS) conducted from September 20 to October 3, 2024.
The survey results show that 61% of Ukrainians favor the concept of a single Orthodox church in Ukraine, while 16% oppose it, and 20% feel indifferent. Support for a single church is consistent across regions, though it decreases from west to east: 71% support it in the west, while 45% support it in the east, where 20% oppose it, and the rest are mostly indifferent.
Rector of university in Russian-occupied Luhansk to be tried as collaborator
The rector of Luhansk State Agrarian University will be tried as a collaborator for training personnel for the Russian agricultural sector and military forces.
"For collaborative activities in the field of education, the so-called rector of the Luhansk State Agrarian University named after Voroshilov will be held accountable before the law. The SBU investigators have submitted the indictment materials to the court. Since 2020, the offender has been heading the 'clone' of the Luhansk Agrarian University created by the occupiers," the statement reads.
It is noted that in 2023, the institution was renamed as a Federal State Budgetary Educational Institution and placed under Russia’s Ministry of Agriculture.