War

New polling by Russia's state-owned Russian Public Opinion Research Centre (VTsIOM) suggests that the authorities are successfully using the "foreign agent" designation as a tool to manipulate public opinion behind the state’s anti-West, pro-war narratives. The UK Defense Ministry said this in an intelligence update posted to X (formerly known as Twitter), Ukrinform reports. The ministry said that on September 26, 2023, VTsIOM reported the results of a poll of Russians' attitudes towards people and organizations registered as "foreign agents." VTsIOM claimed 61% of those surveyed said that they considered "foreign agents" to be "traitors" who "disseminate lies" about Russia.…

Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur has paid a working visit to the Kyiv region. He visited the Kyiv suburbs of Irpin and Bucha, the cities most affected during active hostilities. The Kyiv Regional Military Administration said this in a post on Facebook, Ukrinform reports. The minister visited the Hostomel highway where active reconstruction of residential houses and the road is underway. He also familiarized himself with the construction of apartment buildings in the Irpinski Lypky residential complex, one of which was completely destroyed. In addition, he inspected the site of the comprehensive reconstruction of private houses opposite Irpinsky Lypky. In…

Australia's defense technology company Electro Optic Systems (EOS) has produced and delivered the Slinger "drone killer" system to Ukraine. That's according to ABC News, Ukrinform reports. The system will help Ukraine better protect its skies. According to the report, the system, which is being assembled at an industrial site in Canberra, will help Ukraine better defend itself against Russian drone attacks. Read also: Poland repairs, sends first two Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine A replica cannon mounted on the back of a pick-up truck tracks its target, part of a weapons system that launches "hard kill" strikes to blow drones…

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky had a phone conversation with Prime Minister of Spain Pedro Sánchez. According to the president’s press service, Zelensky thanked the Spanish people and government for their principled political and military support for Ukraine. The parties discussed further defense cooperation between the two countries. Zelensky has said he expects that Spain's Presidency of the Council of the European Union will be fruitful in terms of opening Ukraine’s EU accession talks. Read also: Zelensky, Tajani discuss battlefield situation, peace formula, defense In addition, the parties discussed key upcoming international events and security topics on the shared European…

The first two Leopard 2 tanks damaged in the combat zone have been repaired at the Polish defense enterprise Bumar-Labedy in Gliwice (southern Poland) and sent to Ukraine Beata Perkowska, the spokesperson for the Polish Armaments Group (PGZ), said this in a comment to Ukrinform. "Poland has repaired the first two Leopard 2 tanks and has already handed them over to the Ukrainian side," Perkowska said. She specified that not only Leopard 2s, which Poland transferred to Ukraine, but also all Leopard tanks, which Kyiv received from the international coalition, are being repaired at the defense enterprise in Gliwice. Bumar-Labedy…

It is up to Ukraine to decide when to start negotiations with the Russian aggressor. According to an Ukrinform correspondent, Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg said this in an interview with the German TV channel Die Welt. "I hope that this (peace talks to resolve the Russian-Ukrainian war - ed.) will happen in the near future. The key point for me is, and this should be the guiding principle: no negotiations on Ukraine without Ukraine," he said. The Austrian minister also said that it is up to Ukraine to decide "when the time for negotiations comes." Read also: Shmyhal: Ukraine…

Russia kept three warships, not armed with Kalibr cruise missiles, on combat duty in the Black Sea as of October 2. The Ukrainian Navy Command said this in a post on Facebook, Ukrinform reports. "There are three enemy ships on combat duty in the Black Sea, one enemy ship in the Sea of Azov, and one enemy ship on combat duty in the Mediterranean Sea," the post reads.

Ukrainian attack drones on October 1 hit a Russian aircraft factory where Kh-59 missiles were produced. That's according to the press service of the Main Intelligence Directorate (GUR) of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, Ukrinform reports. "On October 1, 2023, a strike on the Smolensk Aviation Plant disrupted the production of Kh-59 missiles of various modifications," the post reads. According to confirmed data, three out of four drones hit the target, causing significant damage to the production facilities of the military enterprise of the aggressor state. According to the Ukrainian military intelligence agency, the Kh-59 air-to-surface missile (in the…

The GUR defense intelligence thoroughly vetted Russian Lieutenant Danil Alfyorov before concluding it was possible to approach him. That’s according to Andrii Yusov, a spokesman for the Main Intelligence Directorate of Ukraine’s Defense Ministry, who spoke at the national telethon. "It turned out to be the right decision as Lieutenant Alfyorov agreed to cooperate. This was in line with his civic position, despite the fact that he is a regular Russian military officer. That’s because he had previously been dismissed from the ranks of the army, and later forcibly mobilized and forced to sign a contract," said the GUR official.…

The Russians will use the male population of temporarily occupied territories in Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions as a human shield for the Russian troops, therefore local are advised to seek ways to flee before they are drafted for service with the invasion army. That’s according to a rights activist Pavlo Lysianskyi, chief of the Institute of Strategic Research and Security, who spoke on FREEDOM TV. "Occupation authorities in the Russia-seized Ukrainian territories reassure the population that there is no need for mobilization as the Russian army has enough people. At the same time, they have already completed preparatory measures for…