Russia fired dozens of missiles at Ukraine again on Monday morning. Slovenia handed over 28 Soviet M-55S main battle tanks to Ukraine attacked by Russia. All news about the Ukraine war in the ticker.
Monday, October 31, 7:29 a.m .: On Monday at the beginning of the new week, Russia again fired rockets at numerous cities in Ukraine. There was an air alert in large parts of the country, and the Ukrainian anti-aircraft defense system was active, according to the authorities there. Explosions were also heard in the capital Kyiv, Kharkiv and Zaporizhia. The authorities called on people to get to safety in bunkers and other rooms. There were reports of power outages.
7:16 p.m .: Drunk Russian soldiers are said to have been locked in a cage as punishment. This is reported by the Russian news site 116.RU from the city of Kazan. Photos showing at least three men in a cage in the exhibition hall in Kazan have been seen on social media. There is no independent confirmation of these images.
The military commissariat is said to have given no comment at the request of the news site. But Almir Mikheev, Deputy of the State Council of the Republic of Tatarstan, considers the measure appropriate. He pointed out that performing military service while under the influence of alcohol or drugs is a serious disciplinary offence.
“Mobilized citizens are citizens subject to martial law. Commanders’ disciplinary powers allow them to detain suspected offenders for up to 48 hours or pending a court decision,” the law said.
6:04 p.m .: As early as September there was speculation that so-called drone boats could be the Ukrainians’ new secret weapon. Now it seems to have happened. The Ukrainian troops are said to have attacked the Russian Black Sea Fleet with one or more drone ships. This is shown by recordings released by the Ukrainian army on Saturday. Among other things, the flagship “Admiral Marakov” is said to have been the focus of the attacks.
The governor of Crimea’s largest city, Mikhail Rasvoyaev, told the TASS news agency that Ukraine had attacked with drones and “remote-controlled surface vehicles”. A month ago, drone boats were found off the coast of Sevastopol in Crimea, and speculation has been raised that these boats could be Ukraine’s new superweapon.
The remote-controlled combat boats were launched at night near the Ukrainian port city of Odessa, the Russian Defense Ministry announced in Moscow on Sunday. The boats initially used the sea corridor set aside for transporting grain, and then set course for Sevastopol. Evidence of this was not attached to the written communication.
Russian experts read the route from the electronics of the swimming drones. It can be assumed that at least one drone at sea was launched from one of the grain ships. This was also not documented – no ship name was given either. The navigation technology of the kayak-shaped boats came from Canada, it said. Moscow repeated the accusation that British instructors helped the Ukrainians with the operation.
The drone boat is a small, narrow boat with a shallow draft and a small water jet drive. Cameras are mounted on top of the boat and on the bow. Two sensors can also be seen in the photos. It is not known exactly what technology the drone boats use to attack. But the sensors could indicate that the targets will be blown up if they hit the boat.
Where the boats come from is unclear. No NATO country has such a weapon, reports the “Bild”. The boats could potentially be part of US deliveries of “unmanned coastal defense vessels” handed over to Ukraine back in April. The Pentagon declined to comment at the end of August.
2.45 p.m .: According to British intelligence services, the Russian mercenary group Wagner has significantly weakened its strict recruitment criteria due to significant losses. “In previous conflicts, it has maintained relatively high recruitment standards, and many of its mercenaries had previously served as professional Russian soldiers,” the Defense Ministry said in London on Sunday. Recently, however, Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin suggested in an online post that the group would now also recruit prisoners with serious illnesses such as hepatitis C.
“The admission of prisoners with serious medical concerns underscores that quantity is now the priority over experience or quality,” the UK ministry commented. Prigozhin also recently discussed plans to build a 200-kilometer defense position called the “Wagner Line” in eastern Ukraine. “This undertaking would require great manpower. There is a realistic possibility that some of the prisoners recruited from prisons will first be used to build up the defences,” it said in London.
Sunday, 11.10 a.m .: Slovenia has handed over 28 Soviet M-55S main battle tanks to Ukraine, which was attacked by Russia. This was reported by the Slovenian news portal “24ur.com” on Sunday, citing the Ministry of Defense in the capital Ljubljana. The tanks were brought to Ukraine by rail via Poland. The EU and NATO partner country Slovenia will now receive 43 heavy military trucks from Germany as part of a so-called ring exchange.
Under such agreements, Central and Eastern European allies deliver Soviet-made weapons to the Ukraine and receive military equipment from Germany in return. Soviet-made weapons are easier for Ukrainian soldiers to use than Western-made equipment, which is new to them. Slovenia had already delivered 35 armored personnel carriers to Ukraine in July.
The M-55S is a thoroughly modernized version of the Soviet T-55 main battle tank. It is equipped with a new, more efficient gun, an improved engine and state-of-the-art targeting electronics. Experts speak of a completely different combat vehicle than the original T-55.
3.10 p.m .: According to Russian information, a warship of the Black Sea Fleet was hit in Sevastopol during the drone attacks on the Crimean peninsula annexed by Russia. The minesweeper Ivan Golubez and facilities in a bay were slightly damaged, the Defense Ministry said in Moscow on Saturday. The attacks were carried out under the guidance of British specialists in Ukraine. These units were also responsible for the attacks on the Nord Stream 1 and 2 Baltic Sea gas pipelines in September, the ministry claimed.
“This morning at 4:20 a.m. a terrorist attack was carried out by the Kiev regime on the ships of the Black Sea Fleet,” the ministry said. A total of 16 drones were fired at Sevastopol. Most were intercepted. The ministry pointed out that the Black Sea Fleet warships are involved in the agreement concluded through Turkey and the United Nations to export grain from Ukrainian ports. Russia had repeatedly threatened to rupture the agreement in the event of acts of terrorism or sabotage.
The governor of Sevastopol, Mikhail Rasvoschaeyev, had previously informed about the attacks. “No objects were hit in the city,” he wrote on the Telegram news channel. According to the authorities, ferry traffic in the bay has been stopped for safety reasons. Sevastopol is important as the base of the Black Sea Fleet.
10.18 a.m .: According to Ukraine, Russia has made no progress in the war against each other even after partial mobilization. Despite an overweight of weapons and other soldiers – including drafted reservists – the enemy is not successful, the commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian armed forces, Valeryi Zalushnyi, said in Kyiv on Saturday. The Russian Defense Ministry had previously announced that the partial mobilization of 300,000 reservists had been completed.
Ukraine is still concentrating on liberating occupied territories and preventing the Russian occupiers from taking over new regions, Salushnyj said in a talk with US Chief of Staff Mark Milley. In addition, the air defense is active to protect important infrastructure from missile attacks.
9:25 a.m .: According to official information, warships of the Russian Black Sea Fleet have fended off several drone attacks in the Bay of Sevastopol on the Crimean peninsula annexed by Russia. “No objects were hit in the city,” Governor Mikhail Rasvozhayev said on Saturday on the Telegram news channel. “We keep calm. The situation is under control.” According to the authorities, ferry services in the bay have been temporarily suspended as a precaution. Sevastopol is important as the base of the Black Sea Fleet.
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