According to a Reuters study, some of Russia’s troops in Ukraine are only 20 percent occupied. Ukraine gets more weapons from Germany. Twelve fuel depots caught fire in the Donbass overnight. An overview from the night and a view of the day.
An investigation by the Reuters news agency has revealed the poor state of the Russian armed forces. Examination of documents found at an abandoned Russian command post in Balakliya, Kharkiv Oblast, revealed that Russian units were severely undermanned: a combat battalion was only 19.6 percent operational and a reserve unit only 23 percent operational, it was believed The analysts of the US think tank “Institute for the Study of War” summarized the results. The poor morale, logistics and overbearing commanders would contribute to the poor performance of the Russian forces. The Ukrainians drove the Russians out of the city between September 8 and 10.
According to the Ukrainian Air Force, the air defense forces shot down 17 Iranian kamikaze drones in the space of two hours on Wednesday. Two other Shahed 136 drones were destroyed by other Defense Forces units. President Volodymdy Zelenskyy spoke on Wednesday of around 400 kamikaze drones that Russia has used against Ukraine so far.
Ukraine gets more weapons from Germany in the war against Russia. Four more self-propelled howitzers 2000 and two more MARS II multi-propellant rocket launchers were handed over to the Ukrainian armed forces, according to the federal government in its current overview of military achievements. Previously, Ukraine had already received ten howitzers, three MARS II missile systems and two surface drones from Germany.
In the Russian-held city of Shakhtarsk in the Donbass, 12 fuel depots were set on fire during the night. Ukrainian troops fired on the reservoirs, reports the Russian news agency Tass, citing the administration of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic. Measures are being taken to prevent a fuel shortage.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has described the Russian airstrikes as an unprecedented attack on his country’s energy supply. He warned of impending widespread power cuts across the country and called on the population to save energy. “Russian terrorists have created such difficult conditions for our energy workers that no one in Europe has ever seen or experienced anything like it,” Zelenskyy said in his daily video address on Wednesday.
In addition, he criticized what he said was insufficient implementation of the grain agreement. Russia continues to impede the export of Ukrainian food by sea. 175 ships were therefore stuck in traffic waiting to be cleared. “It is evident that Russia intends to re-escalate the global food crisis to bring back the threat of starvation.”
After talks in Moscow and Washington, the United Nations hopes to extend the agreement on exporting Ukrainian grain across the Black Sea. “We are very keen for this to be renewed promptly now. It’s important for the market. It’s important for continuity. And I’m still relatively optimistic that we can do it,” UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Martin Griffiths said in New York on Wednesday. Without renewal, the deal would expire on November 18. Russia had previously threatened several times to scrap the important agreement – under which around nine million tons of grain have been shipped from the war-torn country since the end of July.
What will be important on Thursday
Kremlin chief Putin speaks at the plenary session of the Valdai International Discussion Club. A detailed speech from Putin is expected, in which he will probably also address the current situation in Ukraine and Russia’s goals.
Also read: The Ukraine update on October 26th
Israel has been heavily criticized in recent days. The government is accused of not providing sufficient support to Ukraine. The Israeli President now explained his country’s strategy to CNN.
Russian veterans from Afghanistan, Chechnya and Ukraine are said to have written a guide with their experiences for recruits in the Ukraine war. The handbook is to be distributed to soldiers before they go to the front, reports say. The chapters range from war propaganda to cooking recipes.
Russian President Vladimir Putin needs his military elite for the war in Ukraine. But two men gain more and more power. The “Siloviki” Yevgeny Prigozhin and Ramzan Kadyrov corner the President.
