War

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…

The European Union has already provided EUR 25 billion in military aid to Ukraine, and the total amount of support for the country, including military, civilian and humanitarian support, has reached EUR 85 billion. EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell said this at a press conference in Kyiv on Sunday, October 1, Ukrinform reports, citing Ukraine's public broadcaster Suspilne. "We know how important it is. And I assured the minister [Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov] that we work for peace, but in the meantime, we have to continue our support," Borrell said. Read also: Umerov,…

Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov and U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin have discussed further U.S. assistance to the Ukrainian army. Umerov announced this on his Facebook page, Ukrinform reports. "I had a phone conversation today with my U.S. colleague to discuss further military assistance from the U.S. Secretary Austin assured me that U.S. support for Ukraine will continue," he said. Read also: EU’s Borrell elaborates on meeting with defense minister Umerov According to Umerov, Ukrainian defenders will continue to have a strong backup on the battlefield. Umerov also thanked Austin for his support.

Commander of the Ground Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Colonel General Oleksandr Syrskyi has presented awards to the defenders fighting in the eastern direction. The relevant statement was made by the Ground Forces Command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Facebook, an Ukrinform correspondent reports. “On Day of Defenders of Ukraine, I presented awards to the brave men and women, defending our state in the east,” Syrskyi noted. He thanked the defenders for their commitment to the Ukrainian people and professional competence. “You are holding the front and moving forward. I am proud of each of you,”…

President Volodymyr Zelensky has awarded the Hero of Ukraine title to 35 defenders, including 31 of them posthumously. The corresponding decrees, No. 638/2023-No. 72/2023, were published on the president’s website, Ukrinform reports. Soldiers were awarded the title "for personal courage and heroism, shown in the defense of Ukraine’s state sovereignty and territorial integrity, selfless service to the Ukrainian people." Read also: President Zelensky congratulates defenders: No one will manage to ‘switch off’ Ukrainian resilience Thus, the Hero of Ukraine title with presenting the Golden Star order was awarded to Staff Sergeant Oleksandr Kostenko, Sergeant Viktor Nasonov, Lieutenant Andrii Doktorenko, Junior…

On the night of October 1, 2023, Ukrainian forces destroyed 16 out of about 30 enemy drones, attacking the country’s territory. The relevant statement was made by the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Telegram, an Ukrinform correspondent reports. Last night Russian invaders attacked Ukraine’s territory with the Shahed-131/136 loitering munitions from the southern, southeastern and northern directions (Chauda Cape in the temporarily occupied Crimea, Russia’s Primorsko-Akhtarsk and Kursk). The enemy launched about 30 combat drones in total. In cooperation with the air defense units of Ukraine’s Defense Forces, the Air Force managed to intercept 16 Shahed…