Newsletter 25/10/2024
Daily news digest
Ukrainian soldiers on the front lines joined in writing the National Unity Radio Dictation. The General Staff published photos.
For the third consecutive year, in areas of active combat, soldiers who have the opportunity write the National Unity Radio Dictation: at firing positions, near cannons, combat vehicles, at command posts, even in hospitals!
Today, the melodious and harmonious Ukrainian word rang out clearly from loudspeakers and laptops in all areas where combat tasks are being performed.
"Our Ukrainian voice will never be silenced or drowned out by anyone ever again. Language matters, language is a weapon, the weapon of our Victory," emphasized the General Staff.
TOP
First North Korean troops expected to be deployed by Russia to combat zones on Oct 27–28 – Zelensky
President Volodymyr Zelensky has received a report from Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Syrskyi, which includes intelligence indicating that Russia will deploy North Korean troops to combat zones as early as October 27-28.
He stressed that the world can clearly see Russia’s true intentions: to continue the war. “This is why a principled and strong response from global leaders is essential,” the President emphasized.
Putin's claim of Ukrainian troops “surrounded” in Kursk region “false” - CinC Syrskyi
According to CinC, Ukrainian troops pursue active operations in the Kursk axis, undermining the enemy's combat capabilities for the third month in a row. Despite massive enemy pressure in this area, the Russians suffer significant losses in manpower and military equipment, according to Syrskyi. Since August 8, Russian troops in this part of the front have suffered 17,819 casualties, including 6,662 killed in action, 10,446 wounded in action, and 711 captured, Syrskyi emphasized.
Zelensky “does not confirm” Guterres’s visit to Ukraine – source in President’s Office
President Volodymyr Zelensky did not confirm the visit of UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres to Ukraine after the latter attended the BRICS summit in Kazan.
EUR 1.4B aid package for Ukraine being finalized – German gov’t
The assistant spokesperson fir the federal government, Christiane Hoffmann recalled that a $50 billion loan to Ukraine, approved this summer by the G7 countries, had been approved.
The spokesperson for the Ministry of Defense Arno Kollats confirmed the fact of the provision of a package of military aid worth EUR 1.4 billion, which includes, air defense equipment, artillery and much more. He added that Germany is transferring to the Armed Forces of Ukraine materiel and equipment that is possible to donate “from a political, financial, and industrial perspective".
Ukraine to receive $50B from G7, EU this year – PM Shmyhal
The European Union, the United States, and the United Kingdom have agreed to provide Ukraine with financial support from frozen Russian assets, with $50 billion to be made available as early as this year.
War
Russian soldiers hostile to arriving N.Korean soldiers, intercepts show
The gradual arrival of North Korean soldiers intended to be embedded in the Russian regular army annoys Russian troops as both officer and soldiers even express hostility to these foreigners.
"Aggression and bullying of representatives of other ethnic groups is a fairly common phenomenon within the Russian occupation forces, so the DPRK soldiers now have the opportunity to fully get to know their Russian ‘elder brothers,’” noted the defense intelligence agency.
Road of death in the Kursk region
Intercepts: Russian military preparing to meet N.Korean soldiers
Enemy increases strike range of guided aerial bombs to attack Zaporizhzhia – military spox
Ukraine’s MoD launches artillery range simulator for training
Lubinets in Qatar receives lists of missing Ukrainian soldiers
Russians launch 26 strikes on Nikopol district causing damage
Ukrainian forces hit Russian Buk-M3, destroy radar station in Luhansk region
On the night of October 25, units of the Ukrainian Unmanned Systems Forces, in cooperation with other units of the Defense Forces, as part of the tasks of detecting and eliminating Russian air defense systems, hit a Buk-M3 missile system and destroyed a 9S36 missile guidance radar of 9K317 Buk-M2 missile system.
The targets were located on the territory of the Luhansk region temporarily occupied by Russia, several dozen kilometers from the front line.
Defense
Rheinmetall hands over further 20 Marder IFVs to Ukraine
Germany’s arms manufacturer Rheinmetall has handed over 20 more Marder infantry fighting vehicles to Ukraine.
“Rheinmetall has handed over 20 additional Marder infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs) to the Ukrainian armed forces for their defence against the Russian aggressor,” the statement reads.
Thus, this brings the total number of combat vehicles delivered directly to Ukraine or in the context of so-called ring exchanges (Ringtausch) to around 200. A three-digit number of these systems are Marder 1A3 infantry fighting vehicles.
Politics
N. Korea’s Foreign Ministry on troop deployment to Russia: if true, it aligns with international law
The North Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs has, for the first time, addressed reports of North Korean troop deployment to Russia, stating it has no information on the matter but adding that if true, it would align with international law.
Lukashenko doubts Putin’s intentions to involve North Korean troops in war against Ukraine – ISW
The ISW summary referenced Lukashenko's response to a question from the BBC on October 23 about reports suggesting that North Korean troops might fight alongside Russian forces in Ukraine. Lukashenko dismissed these claims as "rubbish," stating that Putin "would never try to persuade” another state to deploy its military in Russia's war against Ukraine and noted that the deployment of armed forces from any state, including Belarus, would be a "step towards the escalation" of the war.
Lukashenko further claimed that if Belarus were to become involved in the war, this would be the “path to escalation" and provoke NATO to deploy their forces to Ukraine in response. He also continued to deny Belarus’s involvement in Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, specifically from Belarusian territory, as the report notes.
Economy
Ukrzaliznytsia expects to increase freight traffic volumes by 15% in 2024
Ukraine accumulates sufficient fuel reserves for winter – Ministry of Energy
Society
Kyiv courts pass prison sentences for draft evaders
"Seven men who avoided military service conscription have been sentenced by Kyiv courts. One resident of Solomianskyi district received a four-year prison sentence, while another from Obolon was sentenced to five years in prison," stated the report.
Since the beginning of the year, investigators have completed pretrial investigations and submitted indictments in 26 criminal cases related to evasion of conscription and military registration. To date, 51 individuals have been formally notified of suspicion in similar cases.
Crime
SBU, police nab group suspected of attempt to disrupt military draft via social media influence
The Security Service of Ukraine and National Police exposed 19 administrators and subscribers of a number of Telegram channels who had conspired to disrupt the Army mobilization campaign and made public the locations of the Ukrainian military.
Also, the perpetrators would post provocative video streams and circulate misinformation about the Ukrainian military, including draft officers.
In Khmelnytskyi region, 14 suspects had been publicly calling on potential conscripts to dodge draft and post on Telegram the routes of draft officers and police teams who were checking draft-age men’s military IDs.
In Kyiv, four local residents were exposed, who had been publishing on Telegram the exact locations of mobile roadblocks deployed across Kyiv region.
In order to conceal their criminal operation, the suspects set up anonymous accounts on Telegram using aliases.
SBU detains Russian agent in Dnipropetrovsk region
The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) has detained a Russian agent who was coordinating missile and drone strikes on Synelnykove, a front-line area in Dnipropetrovsk region, and who expressed hopes for the region’s eventual annexation by Russia.
The detained suspect, a 30-year-old unemployed local resident, came under Russian attention due to his pro-Kremlin comments on social media. In various online chats, he expressed aspirations for Dnipropetrovsk region to be "joined" to Russia.
A Telegram channel administrator, reportedly under Russian intelligence control, approached the suspect in one of these chats and remotely recruited him. His task was to gather coordinates for airstrikes in Synelnykove district. Read more