Ukraine Daily

Saturday, October 29

Russia’s war against Ukraine

People forcibly drafted as part of Russia’s ongoing mobilization, attend in Russian-occupied Sevastopol, Crimea, on Sept. 27, 2022. (Getty Images)

Mayor: Russia to force citizenship on residents in Zaporizhzhia Oblast from Oct. 30. Residents of occupied Zaporizhzhia Oblast will “automatically” receive Russian citizenship, according to Melitopol Mayor Ivan Fedorov on Oct. 28. Fedorov said locals largely refused to accept Russian passports in August and now Russia is threatening them with forced mobilization. Russia’s “decrees, propaganda, and efforts are worthless,” Fedorov said. “They do not have any legal consequences.”

Zelensky: Russia closes hospitals, steals medical equipment **from occupied territories.**In an evening address on Oct. 28, President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russian forces are also forcing Ukrainian medical personnel to go to Russia from Ukraine’s occupied regions. “The world must respond to this,” Zelensky said.

Southern Command: Russian forces give residents near Kherson two days before forced deportation. Ukraine’s Operational Command “South” reported on Oct. 28 that Russian troops gave locals near Kherson two days before they will be forced to leave their homes and be taken to Russian-occupied Crimea. “Additional checkpoints have been set up along the so-called evacuation routes to the temporarily occupied Crimea, where a thorough inspection and check of civilians has been organized,” the command added.

General Staff: Russia strengthens its units in Kherson Oblast. Up to 1,000 mobilized military personnel have joined Russian units on the right bank of Kherson Oblast, the General Staff reported on Oct. 28. These troops are settling in the houses of local residents who left the occupied territories, said General Staff spokesman Oleksandr Shtupun.

Biden: Putin is ‘dangerous’ in how he talks about nuclear weapons. U.S. President Joe Biden has expressed skepticism about Russian dictator Vladimir Putin’s statement that he had no intention of using nuclear weapons in Ukraine. “If he has no intention, why does he keep talking about… the ability to use a tactical nuclear weapon? He’s been very dangerous in how he’s approached this. He can end this all. Get out of Ukraine,” Biden told NewsNation.

Polish president: Russia tries to freeze war in Ukraine using nuclear intimidation tactics. Russia’s unproven claims about Ukraine possibly using a “dirty bomb” is an attempt to make the West stop providing aid, to freeze the war that “Russia cannot cope with,” said Polish President Andrzej Duda, according to Ukrinform. Duda urged Western countries not to give in to Russia’s blackmail and continue helping Ukraine until it restores control over its borders.

Air Force: Russia runs out of missiles, stops attacking Ukraine’s military bases. Due to a shortage of high-precision weapons, Russia has changed its tactics in Ukraine, attacking only critical infrastructure sites – not military bases, according to Air Force spokesman Yurii Ihnat. As Russia’s stock of Iskander ballistic missiles has run out, the Kremlin started trying to buy missiles from Iran and North Korea, Ihnat said.

Finance minister: Ukraine needs $38 billion a year for post-war reconstruction. The Ukrainian government can take the funds necessary for Ukraine’s reconstruction from the state budget, but it has to look for other sources too, Finance Minister Serhii Marchenko told Suspilne. According to him, the country could use Russia’s money arrested on Ukrainian territory for future repair works. “We are currently looking for resources for critical recovery… We are talking about roughly $38 billion a year,” said Marchenko.

Belarus has provided Russia with 65,000 metric tons of ammunition since March. According to Belarusian watchdog Belarusian Hajun, Minsk has sent around 1,940 railcars with ammunition to Russia since March. Belarusian Hajun said the largest transfer of ammunition was in April when Belarus transferred 22,535 metric tons.

Shoigu claims mobilization complete in Russia, over 80,000 soldiers already sent to Ukraine. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu claimed Russia has mobilized 300,000 people with an average age of 35, according to Russian state-controlled media RIA Novosti. Shoigu alleged that 41,000 of the troops sent to Ukraine are already engaged at the front line. Russian President Vladimir Putin has not signed a decree terminating mobilization in Russia.

Zaluzhnyi: Ukraine’s defense operations successful. Commander-in-Chief of Ukraine’s Armed Forces Valerii Zaluzhnyi told the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley in a phone call on Oct. 28 that Russia isn’t succeeding on the battlefield despite its fire superiority and increased number of troops.

Governor: Strategic highway in Luhansk Oblast ‘almost under Ukraine’s control.’ Luhansk Oblast Governor Serhii Haidai made the announcement on Oct. 28 regarding the Svatove-Kreminna highway in Luhansk Oblast. Haidai said in a televised address that he hopes photos and videos taken from parts of Luhansk Oblast newly liberated by Ukraine will be published next week.

Energoatom: Around 100 Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant employees signed contracts with Russia. Ukraine’s state nuclear operator Energoatom said on Oct. 28 that the rest of the plant’s roughly 6,700 employees have refused to collaborate with Russia, despite coercion. Energoatom said Moscow’s claims that 1,000 of its employees have agreed to work with Russia’s state nuclear company Rosatom are false.

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Ukraine war latest: Russia says mobilization is over, 80,000 additional troops already in Ukraine. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu claimed on Oct. 28 that the country had mobilized 300,000 people with an average age of 35.

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Kremlin propaganda more aggressive as Russia steps up attacks. As Russia is escalating its war against Ukraine and using massive missile and drone strikes to destroy infrastructure, Kremlin propaganda is becoming even more bloodthirsty.

Photo: Getty Images

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The human cost of Russia’s war

Governor: Russian forces kill 3 civilians, injure 8 in Donetsk Oblast on Oct 28. According to Donetsk Oblast Governor Pavlo Kyrylenko, Russian troops killed two people in Kurdiumivka and one in Pivnichne. It is currently impossible to determine the exact number of victims in Mariupol and Volnovakha, Kyrylenko added.

General Staff: Russia has lost 69,700 troops in Ukraine since Feb. 24. Ukraine’s General Staff reported on Oct. 28 that Russia had also lost 2,640 tanks, 5,378 armored fighting vehicles, 4,088 vehicles and fuel tanks, 1,698 artillery systems, 379 multiple launch rocket systems, 192 air defense systems, 272 airplanes, 251 helicopters, 1,401 drones, and 16 boats.

International response

US supplies 2.3 million Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines to Ukraine. The United States has supplied Ukraine with 2.3 million Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines through the global program COVAX. The vaccines have been delivered by UNICEF, according to Ukraine’s Health Ministry.

Canada to impose more sanctions against Russia, sell bonds to support Ukraine. Canada announced new measures against 35 senior Russian officials, such as Russian Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov, and six energy entities, including Russia’s energy giant Gazprom. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Ottawa will continue to “tighten the screws on anyone abetting this illegal invasion.” Canada will also sell a five-year bond to raise money for Ukraine. The proceeds will help the Ukrainian government “continue operations, including providing essential services to Ukrainians, like pensions, and purchasing fuel before winter.”

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Today’s Ukraine Daily was brought to you by Denys Krasnikov, Dinara Khalilova, Teah Pelechaty, Natalia Datskevych, and Anastasiya Gordiychuk.

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