Bob Homans October 26

20221026

Ukraine – 10/26 Sitrep
Compiled by: Robert Homans
Twitter: @rhomansjr
October 26, 2022

More on The House Progressive Caucus Letter (or the “Jayapal Letter”)

Yesterday, Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Washington State), Head of the Progressive Caucus of the House of Representatives and the former one-term Washington State Senator before her election to Congress, announced that the House Progressive Caucus had withdrawn the letter advocating direct talks with Putin.   For those who missed its release on Monday, letter is here.

Here is Rep. Jayapal’s statement withdrawing the letter.   Much of her statement appears to be untrue.   In her statement, Rep. Jayapal tried to separate the position of the Progressive Caucus on supporting Ukraine from a statement made by Rep. Kevin McCarthy the presumptive House Speaker if Republicans take control of the House next year, where he said that if Republicans assume control of the House of Representatives, we won’t give Ukraine a “blank check.”  In fact, their respective positions are virtually identical – the House Progressives and Republican Conservatives led by Tucker Carlson, are virtually on the same page.

It also appears that Rep. Jayapal wasn’t telling the whole truth, when she said that the letter was released without the knowledge of the signers of the letter.   I received the following from one of our email recipients –

New: When Congressional Progressive Caucus Chair Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) “withdrew” her letter calling for the Biden administration to seek a diplomatic solution in Ukraine, the controversial missive was described as being drafted “several months” ago and released by staff without the proper vetting.  NOTE – This is in Jayapal’s statement.

But in reality, a half dozen groups were circulating the letter for weeks on Capitol Hill, trying to drum up support for the effort among House Democrats. These groups included the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, Code Pink, Win Without War, Friends Committee on National Legislation, Just Foreign Policy, Peace Action and the Campaign for Peace, Disarmament and Common Security.   NOTE – Code Pink was visiting a number of Representatives’ offices, including that of Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-California) who ended up not signing the letter.

And a dozen Democrats signed onto the CPC letter during the last six weeks alone, according to an email we obtained that was sent by the Quincy Institute to Hill Democrats.

That Sept. 13 version of the CPC letter listed only 18 Democratic signees. The version of the letter released on Monday had 30 Democratic signatures, meaning lawmakers were still signing onto the letter months after it was initially drafted. For instance, Rep. Sara Jacobs (D-Calif.) said on Tuesday that she’d signed the letter on June 30, nearly four months before it was publicly released. Jacobs noted “a lot has changed since then. I wouldn’t sign it today.”

An official with the Quincy Institute – which counts the Charles Koch Institute and the George Soros’ Open Society Foundation as prominent early financial backers – acknowledged his organization was involved in the lobbying effort on the CPC letter.

“[The Quincy Institute] was one of several outside organizations that was shown an advance copy of the letter, endorsed it, and reached out to members to sign on,” Advocacy Director Marcus Stanley said.

The long delay between drafting the letter and releasing it was a huge part of the mess that Jayapal finds herself in now. Jayapal blamed her staff for releasing the letter “without vetting.”

Yet we were told by two sources that member offices were informed last week that Jayapal would be issuing the letter this week, and the document “was reviewed by everyone,” including Jayapal. Jayapal’s office declined to comment.

Rep. Mark Pocan (D-Wis.), chair emeritus of the CPC, posted a series of tweets on Tuesday that he dubbed “Anatomy of a D.C. Screwup.” Pocan added this: “Sums up what happened including the withdrawal of the letter by its author,” meaning Jayapal.

Summary - According to reports, Jayapal wants to run for the No. 2 position in the House Democratic Party Caucus.   If Nancy Pelosi retires, Jayapal could become the Leader of the Democrats in the House, eventually House Speaker if the Democrats retain control of the House this year (or regain control if the Republicans re-take the House).  

I wonder how comfortable Ukrainians will be with Jayapal as a possible House Speaker, from where she would control the flow of legislation going to the Floor, including future military appropriations for Ukraine.   It might make some Ukrainian public officials to think twice, about their expressed concerns about continuing military appropriations if Republicans take control.

The same concern should apply to anyone, who might worry about someone like Jayapal becoming House Speaker, a person who breaks bread with Tucker Carlson and his fellow travelers on aid to Ukraine, a person who has a consistent record of bad behavior during House proceedings (see her questioning of former Attorney General William Barr), and a person who continually relies on deceit and naked personal ambition.

Aid to Ukraine – the Numbers

The attachment breaks down the overall aid to Ukraine, by country and by type of aid.   What jumps out to me are the following:

·       Percent of military budgets – East European countries predominate.   This provides some credence to predictions I have made, regarding what might happen if the U.S. and other major European countries withdraw aid to Ukraine.   Ukraine will keep fighting, with the aid of Eastern European countries who have already committed a substantial amount of their military budgets to support Ukraine.    Europe will have a nasty guerilla war on its hands.

·       The United States Has More Heavy Weapons to Give – Currently, the United States has provided only 2% of stock, whereas Norway has provided over 23%, followed by Poland, one of the countries who likely would continue to support Ukraine after a withdrawal of aid from larger countries. Including the U.S.

·       Refugee Assistance & the Role of Poland – Poland continues to provide substantial assistance to refugees.   The fact that Ukrainians are staying in Poland is another indication that Ukrainian refugees desire to return to Ukraine when it is possible.

·       The EU – Adding back financial assistance coming from individual EU Member States, the information shows that the EU has provided slightly more financial aid to Ukraine than the U.S.  If EU Member States are able to absorb the substantially increased cost of energy over the Winter, and maintain support for Ukraine, then one has to conclude that EU is providing significantly more financial assistance to Ukraine than the U.S.

The Latest Lawrence Freedman & News From the Battlefield

This is a very long Substack Blog, but well worth reading.   His major subjects are Russia’s possible use of nuclear weapons and the role of “General Winter,” where he thinks Ukraine will have the advantage because of better logistics and troops who are better equipped. 

For me, Freedman effectively describes another Russian disadvantage – leadership.   Freedman’s post describes how Ukraine is actually fighting 3 armies under separate leadership: the regular Russian Army; the Chechens under Ramzan Kadyrov; the Wagner Group under Yevgeny Prigozhin.    All 3 are competing for supplies; the latter 2 don’t report to Russia’s High Command.  

The Chechens are known in Ukraine as the “Tik-Tok Army,” because of their extensive use of the social medial platform.  As the Latest Denys reports, this activity may have caused the loss of 100 Chechens, where Tik-Tok gave up their positions to the Ukrainians and their barracks in Kherson was destroyed by Ukrainian artillery.

The Wagner Group is fighting in front of Bakhumt.  Yesterday’s entry from “Reporting From Ukraine” reported that the Russians/Wagner are being pushed back in front of Bakhmut.  A defeat for Wagner here would cause personal embarrassment for Prigozhin, and substantially reduce his influence in the Kremlin.   Additionally, as reported in today’s “Reporting From Ukraine,” if Ukraine takes Kremina, in Luhansk Oblast, they may become a threat to Wagner by being able to attack Wagner from behind.

If this happens, Prigozhin will likely say that it was a failure of the Russian Army in Luhansk to protect Wagner’s flank, and the recriminations would start in earnest.   Previously, I likened the Wagner Group’s operations in one of the final scenes of the movie “Animal House,” with Prigozhin as “Stork,” leading the band down the alley.   The upcoming power struggle in the Kremlin might be similar to scorpions stinging each other, as in the opening scene of the movie “The Wild Bunch,” in my opinion one of the greatest Westerns ever made.

10/26 Sitrep (my comments in bold face)

Russian Invasion of Ukraine 12:00 noon October 24 to 12:00 noon October 25, 2022

Dnipropetrovsk Region has been located near the war zone, receiving displaced persons, and volunteers have gathered there for many years. During the full-scale invasion, the region survived 626 shellings.

Abbreviations:

RMA = Regional Military Administration             SBU = Security Service of Ukraine

INTERNATIONAL

October 26

11:56: Azerbaijan has offered Georgia to strengthen cooperation in the energy sector, - said President Ilham Aliyev.

·       "This year we are exporting 22 billion cubic meters, the next year - even more. The Memorandum on Strategic Partnership in the Field of Energy, signed between the European Commission and Azerbaijan in July this year, shows that Azerbaijan will double gas exports to Europe in the next 5 years" ," he said during a meeting with Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili.

11:48 ERR: Estonia will install the alarm sirens in 22 cities.

·       Estonia will purchase threat alert sirens from the Slovak company Telegrafia. They will be installed by the summer of 2023 in 22 Estonian cities, for which the authorities will spend 4.5 million euros.

11:42 Reuters: Poles prepare to build a wall on the border with Russia's Kaliningrad region

·       The Poles plan to build a 100 km long wall in the first two quarters of next year.

11:36 Deputy Minister for European Integration: European gas storage facilities are almost 100% full, and due to the warm autumn, gas demand is not yet increasing.

·       "LNG tankers have lined up around European ports, which have nowhere to unload gas. As a result, the price of gas in the EU over the past month has already fallen eight times and continues to decline," the deputy minister said.

11:28: Alexander Usyk is recognized as the World Boxer of the Year by the World Boxing Organization.

·       The Ukrainian attended the annual WBO convention and received a portrait in which he is depicted with a flag and a championship belt.

10:40: The Nobel Foundation, in connection with Russia's war against Ukraine, has decided not to invite ambassadors of the Russian Federation and Belarus to the prize ceremony in Stockholm this year.

10:30: The leaders of the United States and Italy have agreed to continue to provide assistance to Ukraine," the White House said.

·       "President Joe Biden spoke with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and congratulated her on her appointment. They discussed the commitment to continue to provide assistance to Ukraine, to hold Russia accountable for its aggression, to overcome challenges from China and to ensure stable and accessible energy resources," - the statement said.

·       It is noted that the parties also expressed readiness to cooperate within the transatlantic alliance to address common challenges.

10:14: U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken called Russia's allegations about the possibility of Ukraine using a "dirty bomb" false.

·       "I spoke today with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg to discuss further support for Ukraine and reject Russia's false claims that Ukraine is preparing to use a "dirty bomb " on its territory," he wrote.

08:31 Bloomberg: Elon Musk has actually already received funding to close the deal to acquire Twitter and promises to do so on October 28.This could give an additional boost for Republicans ahead of the crucial stage of the Senate election campaign – as it had previously promised to fundamentally change Twitter's policies and remove any "restrictions." freedom of speech" on the social network, as well as unblock the account of former US President Donald Trump, who was banned for spreading numerous "conspiracy theories".

08:15 CNN: US President Joe Biden says Russia risks making a very serious mistake if it decides to deploy and use nuclear weapons on the territory of Ukraine.

·       According to Biden, he spent "a lot of time" looking at these claims Russia made over the weekend.

·       " Let me just say that Russia would have made an incredibly serious mistake if it used tactical nuclear weapons. I can't guarantee you yet that this is a fake flag operation. We don't know. But it would be a serious mistake," the US president told reporters.

08 :00 Agerpres: Ukraine invited NATO foreign ministers to a summit in Bucharest

·       It is reported that in addition to Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia, Finland, Sweden and Bosnia and Herzegovina , which are not members of the North Atlantic Alliance, are also invited. The summit will be held on November 29 and 30 in Bucharest.

08:00 Reuters: Russia has not provided any evidence of Ukraine's possible use of a "dirty bomb" at a meeting of the UN Security Council on Tuesday, October 25 Britain's representative to the UN.

08:00 Reuters: The United States, Japan and South Korea have promised to deepen cooperation despite repeated "provocations" by North Korea, calling its actions a threat to stability in the region and beyond, -

00:50: Liechtenstein will increase humanitarian aid to Ukraine by 20% - President of the Landtag of Liechtenstein*

·       "We will continue to integrate Ukrainian children into our school system. Our parliament is increasing by 20% the budgets related to humanitarian assistance to Ukraine," said Albert Frick.

00:33 Pentagon: Russia has warned the United States of plans to hold annual nuclear exercises

·       We are talking about the Thunder exercise, which, according to two US officials, the Russian Federation plans to hold starting Wednesday.

00:00 Tasnim: A IRGC colonel, who was responsible for the supply of drones in Russia, was killed in Iran.

·       IRGC officer, Colonel Molashaha and one of the commanders of the Basij organization, Javad Kiha, were killed in a car. They are also accused of brutally suppressing anti-government demonstrations in Iran over the past decade and a half.

October 25

23:25 The Times of Israel: Israel to release evidence of Russia's use of Iranian drones in Ukraine -

·       It is reported that Israel conducted an examination, during which it proved that the Russian UAVs "Geran-2" and Iranian Shahed-136 are identical. Israeli President Yitzhak Herzog will provide the results to Biden.

21:59: Poland intends to double the army, to 300 thousand people.

·       "We are trying to increase, and this is recorded in our strategic documents, the number of the Polish army to 300 thousand. This, of course, is the prospect of 2035, but we are consistently increasing," said Deputy Defense Minister Wojciech Skurkiewicz.

20:33 The Washington Post: The left wing of the U.S. Democratic Party has withdrawn an open letter signed by 30 Liberals.

·       The letter urged President Joe Biden not to give up direct talks with Putin to end Russia's war against Ukraine.

20:22: British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak spoke about the Russian-Ukrainian war during his address.

·       "Putin's war in Ukraine has destabilized energy markets and supply chains around the world. The previous government made a mistake. I was elected leader of my party and your prime minister, partly to correct them," he said.

18:05: Russia today has clear features of totalitarianism and is moving towards a long-term break with the West, - Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gar Stere said in an address to parliament.

·       The prime minister added that the police are investigating cases of the infiltration of many, probably Russian drones, that were seen in Norway. The government is also introducing secret security measures at strategic infrastructure.

17:45: Italy will continue its credible partnership with NATO and support Ukraine, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said.

16:10 Forbes: The cost of natural gas in Europe fell below $1000 for the first time since June 14

·       All because of abnormally warm weather. During trading, prices fell by 15%, and exchange prices for gas fell to $995.5 per thousand cubic meters. The high level of reserves has eased fears about gas shortages this winter.

15:48 Polish Radio – Polish Minister of Family and Social Policy: About 600 thousand refugees from Ukraine are now working in Poland.

·       Marlena Maleng stressed that the additional labor force supports the Polish economy.

15:38: British Prime Minister Liz Truss, who is wrapping up her tenure today and handing over powers to Rishi Sunak, mentioned Ukraine in her farewell speech.

·       "Democracies must be able to provide for their own people. We must be able to defeat autocratic regimes where several people hold power. And now, more than ever, we must support Ukraine in her brave struggle against Putin's aggression. Ukraine must win, and we must continue to strengthen the defense of our country," Liz Trass stressed.

15:08 Le figaro: French President Emmanuel Macron called on the Pope to talk with US President Joe Biden, Russian Patriarch Kirill and Putin, who started the war in Ukraine, to end it faster.

·       "We need the United States to sit down at the negotiating table to facilitate the peace process in Ukraine. Joe Biden has a genuine trusting relationship with the Pope. The Pope can influence him to resume American participation in Ukraine," Macron said.

·       In my opinion this is appalling advice from Pres. Macron.   Kirill is no more than a functionary within the Russian State.  Kirill presides over the Russian Orthodox Church, Moscow Patriarchate, which is nothing more than the Ministry of Religion within the Russian State.   Pope Francis I is yet to show any proof that he would be an honest broker in the kind of dialogue that Macron is proposing.

14:07 Reuters: The World Bank will allocate an additional $500 million to Ukraine

·       It is noted that the World Bank mobilized emergency funding for Ukraine totaling $13 billion, of which $ 11.4 billion was fully allocated.

13:26: King Charles III of Great Britain has officially accepted the resignation of Prime Minister Liz Trass.

·       In her farewell speech as prime minister, Trass called on her successor, Rishi Sunak, to continue to help Ukraine: "We must be able to replay autocratic regimes where power is concentrated in the hands of a small circle of people. Now more than ever, we must help Ukraine."

·       13:44: King Charles III commissioned Rishi Sunak to form a new government. Sunak officially became Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.

13:07: The Ministries of Sports of Ukraine and Poland have signed a Cooperation Program for 2023-2024.

·       The program provides for partnership in organizing international competitions, combating the manipulation of competitions, contractual matches, and doping, introducing an approach of inclusiveness and gender equality in sports, etc.

12:59: The EU will allocate €18 billion in aid to Ukraine next year," said European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

·       The European Union intends to support Ukraine assistance of 1.5 billion euros per month, which could amount to 18 billion euros in 2023.

12:38: The Conference on the Restoration of Ukraine, initiated by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, starts in Berlin.

·       President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy joined the event online, as well as the President of the European Commission, the Prime Minister of Poland, the President of Switzerland, and the Secretary General of the OECD.

·       12:44: German Chancellor Olaf Scholz believes that after the victory, Ukraine will become a powerful supplier of "green" energy, a giant in the digital industry, a member of the European Union and, in general, a state with justice and infrastructure that others will look up to.

·       13:20 President: "Port or train station, school or hospital, residential building or machine maintenance station, factory or bakery, wheat elevator or power plant... Russia is destroying it all. Missiles and Iranian strike drones have destroyed more than a third of the energy industry alone... And this is on the eve of winter!"

·       13:54: Frozen Russian assets should be sent to restore Ukraine and compensate for Russia's losses, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said during an international expert conference.

·       14:11: During a speech at the International Expert Conference on Recovery, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal called for the restoration of civilian infrastructure of Ukraine destroyed by shelling of the Russian military, without waiting for the end of hostilities.

·       Shmyhal stressed that Ukraine is ready to carry out the restoration in close cooperation with all international partners.

12:17: From now on, the Czech Republic closes the entry to the country for Russian citizens with tourist Schengen visas, - reports Radio Prague.

·       We are talking about all tourist visas, regardless of the state that issued it.

NATIONAL

October 26

11:22 Fox News -Ukrainian Defense Minister: The advance of the Armed Forces in southern Ukraine has slowed down due to rainy weather, but Ukrainian defenders are liberating territories step by step.

10:21 Minister of Digital Transformation: Ukrainians bought 70 thousand military bonds in Diia. This is almost UAH 70 million that works for the victory of Ukraine.

09:25 British Intelligence:

·       It will be difficult for Russia to protect the railway network used to transfer troops to Ukraine. Guerrilla groups will continue sabotage.

·       According to British intelligence, the Russian Armed Forces mainly rely on rail transport to transfer troops to Ukraine, but with a network of more than 33 thousand km long, which mainly crosses isolated areas, the system It is extremely difficult to protect against physical threats.

08:56 Institute for the Study of War:

·       Russians do not evacuate in the Kherson region, but resettle people

·       Analysts believe that the purpose of the "resettlement program" assumes that the Russians will resettle most of the population of the Kherson region for permanent residence in depressed Russian regions

·       Ukrainian troops continue attacks in the south to oust Russian troops from the Kherson region. At the same time, the Russians announced their intention to seize Avdiivka and intensify assaults on this sector of the front.

·       Street fighting, since there would be no ways to leave the city.

Russia’s decision to defend Kherson may be a bad decision – for Russia.  It would likely mean even more Russian troops trapped in Kherson, that it would be if Russia retreated.   The river crossings are within artillery range of Ukraine, and Ukraine has air superiority.  It is likely that Russia will be using recently arrived conscripts to defend Kherson, to cover the withdrawal of more experienced Russian troops.

CNBC - Raytheon CEO: Two NASAMS air defense systems are already in Ukraine and are ready for practical use.

07:14 Operational Command South: In the Black Sea, the Russian grouping has quantitatively decreased to 9, but has been qualitatively strengthened by a submarine. Thus, at the ready - 3 missile carriers, one of which is underwater, and hence 20 "Calibers".

07:20 General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine:

·       Over the past day, units of the Defense Forces repulsed Russian attacks in the areas of the settlements of Ivangrad, Bakhmut, Bakhmut, Soledar, Kurdyumivka, Krasnohorivka, Novomykhailivka , Nevelskoye and Ternova .

·       As a result of targeted artillery strikes of the Defense Forces, an ammunition depot and more than 10 so-called "Kadyrivtsi" were destroyed in the village of Novoivanivka, Luhansk region. In the village of Svatove, up to 10 Russian soldiers and about 5 trucks with ammunition were also destroyed.

·       Aviation of the Defense Forces during the past day inflicted 21 strikes. The defeat of 17 areas of concentration of weapons and military equipment, 2 strongholds, as well as 2 positions of anti-aircraft missile systems of the Russian Federation was confirmed. Air defense units shot down 5 Russian UAVs.

·       Units of the missile forces and artillery hit the control point, two areas of concentration of manpower, weapons and military equipment , a radar station and other important military objects of the Russian Federation.

00:40: Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that the new British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, made the first call in his new post in Ukraine.

·       The head of the British government promised to always be with Ukraine and assured that Ukrainian people can count on further solidarity and support of Great Britain.

October 25

23:05: Volodymyr Zelenskyy: "I held very meaningful talks with the President of Germany, who arrived in Ukraine. President Steinmeier visited Chernihiv region today, the districts that were under occupation.

·       He was caught there by an air alarm. And, in fact, Russian missile terror, the use of Iranian drones by the enemy – this is what was one of the main topics in our negotiations.

·       He spoke with the new British Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak. I believe that the partnership between our countries and the already traditional British leadership in the protection of democracy and freedom will only continue to be strengthened. I invited Mr. Prime Minister to visit Ukraine."

·       22:16: Germany will provide Ukraine with 2 MARS installations, 4 howitzers and continue to supply air defense systems. This was stated by Steinmeier after a meeting with Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

·       23:18: German President Steinmeier will be engaged in the restoration of the Chernihiv region. Together with Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the Head of Germany signed a statement on personal patronage of the region.

·       This was announced by the heads of state during a joint press conference.

21:12: President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier.

·       "Welcome Federal President of Germany Frank-Walter Steinmeier to Kyiv! Germany's contribution to our path to peace and the restoration of territorial integrity is very important," Zelenskyy wrote on social networks.

·       We should all remember that Pres. Steinmeier was the author of the “Steinmeier Plan,” that was designed to force Ukraine into accepting the terms off Minsk II.  Steinmeier has come a long way since then.

19:15 Operational information from the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine:

·       During the current day, the enemy inflicted 3 missile and 11 air strikes, carried out more than 25 attacks from multiple launch rocket systems.

·       Enemy strikes were carried out by areas of 25 settlements. Among them are Nikopol of Dnipropetrovsk region, Bakhmut and Vuhledar of Donetsk region and Nova Kamyanka in Kherson region.

·       The enemy carried out shelling in many directions

·       in the Seversky direction - from mortars and barreled artillery, within the settlements of Senkivka and Kamensk Sloboda of the Chernihiv region and Rozhkovichi, Basivka and Popivka of the Sumy region. He used strike UAVs;

·       in the Slobozhansky direction – with the use of mortars, barreled and rocket artillery, in the areas of the settlements of Dvorichnaya, Krasne, Ogirtsevo and Strelech;

·       in the Kupyansk direction - from mortars, barreled and rocket artillery, in the areas of the settlements Vyshneve, Kyslivka and Stelmakhivka

·       in the Liman direction – from mortars, barreled and rocket artillery, in the areas of the settlements of Novoegorivka, Terny, Zarichne and Yampolivka;

·       in the Bakhmut direction – for the armament of tanks, mortars, barreled and jet artillery, in the areas of the settlements of Bakhmutske, Ivangrad, Bilohorivka, Mayorsk, Soledar and Opytne;

·       in the Avdiivka direction, the enemy fired from tanks, mortars, barrel and rocket artillery at the areas of the settlements of Avdiivka, Vodiane, Krasnohorivka, Marinka and Pervomaiske

·       In the Novopavlovsk and Zaporozhye directions, the enemy did not conduct active offensive actions. He fired on the positions of the Defense Forces and civilian infrastructure in areas of more than 20 settlements along the entire line of contact.

·       In the Yuzhnobuzhsky direction, more than 30 settlements suffered fire damage. Russian troops continue to mine areas along the coastline of the Dnieper River.

·       They are trying to restore the affected pontoon-bridge crossings. For aerial reconnaissance, the enemy made up to 55 sorties of UAVs of various types.

·       As a result of point attacks by artillery of the Defense Forces, in the settlement of Cairo, Kherson region, up to 30 Russian troops were killed, and more than a hundred enemy servicemen remained under the rubble.

·       Aviation of the Defense Forces during the current day has inflicted 15 strikes. The defeat of 12 areas of concentration of weapons and military equipment, 2 strongholds, as well as the positions of the enemy's anti-aircraft missile system was confirmed. Air defense units shot down the UAV.

·       Soldiers of rocket troops and artillery hit the control point, 8 areas of concentration of manpower, weapons and military equipment, ammunition depot and other important military facilities of the Russians.

18:14 BBC: Ukraine demands Russia's withdrawal from FIFA and UEFA, said Ukrainian football federation president Andrei Pavelko.

·       Pavelko said letters demanding that Russia be excluded from UEFA and FIFA had already been sent.

·       It will be interesting if either UEFA or FIFA agrees to Ukraine’s demand, given the amount of money that Russia, much of it via Gazprom, have “contributed” to both organizations over the years.

17:36 Operational Command South: The Ukrainian military in the Kherson region destroyed 13 Russian targets, including two ammunition depots, a tank, MT-LB, six units of military vehicles.

17:20: The State Border Guard Service has shown how border guards are trained to use the NLAW anti-tank complex.

·       "NLAW is a Swedish-British portable anti-tank guided missile. The principle of its operation: to direct, aim, and open fire. This is what fighters bring to automatism during training in an interactive shooting range. So far, our record is that all targets have been hit in 9.39 s.," the service said.

17:10: The Ukrainian Red Cross calls on partners to introduce strict measures against the Russian Red Cross, which raises funds to support the families of mobilized Russians.

·       "The Russian Red Cross once again violates the principle of neutrality, in this case by starting support for the political action of the #МЫВМЕСТЕ, which was launched by the leadership of the aggressor state, Russia, within which assistance is provided to servicemen," the organization said.

·       The International Red Cross has shown itself, time and again, to be a completely corrupt organization.

14:40 Minister for Communities and Territories: Ukraine will receive from Germany 20 million euros for the purchase of reserve equipment that will help eliminate the consequences of Russian attacks on critical infrastructure.

·       "The funds allocated by Germany will be used primarily for mobile diesel generators, automatic pumping stations for water supply, and mobile thermal power plants. There will be alternative energy sources in Ukraine," Chernyshov stressed.

14:23: Ukrainians who are now abroad should not return home until spring," said Minister of Reintegration of the Temporarily Occupied Territories Iryna Vereshchuk.

·       "I will ask you not to return, we need to survive the winter. Unfortunately, the networks will not survive, you see what Russia is doing. No need to do this. If there is an opportunity, to stay, to spend the winter abroad for the time being," Vereshchuk said.

13:40: The head of Ukrenergo, Volodymyr Kudrytsky, explained why the lights are turned off not on schedule.

·       "When the limit on the use of electricity is exceeded in some area, the energy units with the highest consumption are sometimes turned off to stabilize the power system. It doesn't always happen on schedule," he said.

·       He clarified that the lists of disconnected consumers are compiled by distribution network operators (oblenergos). The use of graphs is associated with a specific situation that has developed in the power system at a certain point.

13:35 Ministry of Infrastructure: Today, more than 107 thousand tons of food have been sent from the ports of Greater Odessa.

·       Since the release of the first vessel with Ukrainian food, 8.9 million tons of agricultural products have been exported.

12:24 President of Ukraine: The return of the Ukrainian flag to Crimea will mean the arrival of the European Union on the peninsula in the full sense of these words, speaking online at the parliamentary summit of the Crimean Platform.

12:05 Ministry of Reintegration: Ukraine has returned the bodies of 25 defenders.

·       The operation to transfer home fallen servicemen included the Commissioner for missing persons and several Ukrainian law enforcement agencies.

12:30 Navy of the Armed Forces of Ukraine: In the Black Sea on combat duty there are 3 enemy carriers of cruise missiles "Kalibr,” a total volley - 20 missiles

·       In the Sea of Azov, the enemy continues to control maritime communications, keeping up to 6 ships and boats on alert. In the Mediterranean Sea - 13 enemy ships, including 5 carriers of cruise missiles "Caliber".

MORDOR (Russia)

October 26

11:00 Russian Media: The German concern Mercedes-Benz has closed a deal to sell its plant near Moscow. The production of Chinese cars is likely to begin on the site.

October 25

22:37: In his address, Kadyrov called on mobilized Russians who complain about the lack of equipment to "not cry,” but to take away weapons and equipment from the Armed Forces of Ukraine — or to look for everything they need on their own.

20:53: The owner of Zara, Pull&Bear and Bershka has agreed to sell the business in Russia.

·       Spain's Inditex has agreed to sell its business in Russia to Lebanese partner Daher Group, the company said in a statement. Inditex owns the Zara, Massimo Dutti, Pull&Bear, Oysho, Bershka and Stradivarius brands. Daher Group is to open stores not related to Inditex in their place.

18:55 Defense Express: Russia will hold its second nuclear deterrent exercise "Grom-2022" in a year. The first occurred five days before the invasion of Ukraine.

·       Russia plans to conduct its Thunder exercises after the completion of NATO's nuclear deterrence exercises Steadfast Noon, which started on October 17 and will continue until October 30.

·       The exact dates of the "Grom-2022" have not yet been announced, but under the agreement with the United States, the Kremlin must warn about them in advance.

13:49 Peskov: The Kremlin does not expect positive developments in relations with the UK after the appointment of a new prime minister.

13:14 Intelligence Directorate - Ministry of Defense: PMC "Wagner" began to massively recruit prisoners suffering from serious infectious diseases, in particular HIV and hepatitis C.

·       To "label" infected militants, the occupiers use bracelets of red (HIV) and white (hepatitis) colors.

KHARKIV

October 26

09:48: The SBU detained a collaborator who headed the occupation "rosposhta" in Kharkiv region. She was notified of suspicion.

·       The collaborator robbed one of the city branches of Ukrposhta and transferred to the Russian Federation almost UAH 2 million paid by citizens for the services of a state-owned enterprise.

·       The traitor was a former employee of the regional postal service. The woman formed a Russian-controlled postal network in Balaklia and Izyum.

October 25

19:05 Kharkiv RMA: In the Kharkiv region, 28 settlements of the Dvorychansk and Petropavlovsk communities in the Kupyansk district remain temporarily captured, fighting is taking place for their liberation.”

LUHANSK

October 26

10:00 Luhansk RMA:  on the de-occupation of Luhansk region this morning:

·       shelling by Russians yesterday in Bilohorivka killed two local residents who had previously refused to evacuate;

·       it has been raining in Luhansk region for two days now – the equipment is harder;

·       Russians conduct counterattacks to identify weak areas in the Armed Forces of Ukraine;

·       mobilized by the Russian Federation complain that they are left without water and food.

DONETSK

October 26

11:14 RMA: During the night, frontline communities in the center and north of the Donetsk region were shelled.

·       In Donetsk sector, Russians fired at the Pervomaisk Ocheretynska community and Marinka , Krasnohorivka and Katerynivka of the Mariinsky community, with no information about casualties or destruction . On the Gorlovka direction The Chasovoyarsk and Bakhmut communities suffered. In Bakhmut, 1 person died.

09:35 Donetsk RMA: In the Donetsk region, law enforcement officers found the bodies of four more civilians who died during the Russian occupation

·       In addition, last day Russian troops shelled several settlements in the region. The shelling killed one civilian in Bakhmut. Four people were injured.

October 25

17:55 Associated Press: The Armed Forces of Ukraine in a confrontation with the "Wagnerians" hold positions on the outskirts of Bakhmut.

16:28 Social Networks: Report that explosions are heard in the temporarily occupied Donetsk.

14:17 Adviser to Mariupol’s mayor: Russian passportization has begun in the temporarily occupied Mariupol. In the Mariupol district in the village of Mangush, the first Russian passports were issued, however, not without a "black mark".

·       "The place of registration is "DPR Mariupol". You are like a "Russian", but not like the Russians. Inhuman," he notes.

ZAPORIZHIA

October 26

10:50 Zaporizhia RMA: The Russians shelled Orikhiv and the village of Preobrazhenka nearby

·       As a result of the attack, fires broke out in a high-rise building in the city center and private houses around. Six apartments were on fire. Information on the victims is being clarified.

·       It is already known that two people were killed and one wounded in the village of Preobrazhenka.

October 25

16:20 Mayor of Melitopol: In one of the villages of the Melitopol district, the military from Belarus has been staying for more than three weeks.

·       "In the village of Mirne near Melitopol, locals recorded the presence of the Belarusian military — this is a full-fledged unit together with soldiers and officers," he said.

·       Fedorov also noted that the Russian military armies in large numbers are daily settled in the villages of the Melitopol district and Melitopol City.

·       According to him, the officers occupy vacant houses or evict people from rural houses, and the mobilized are settled on the streets.

16:03 Social Networks: Explosions are heard in the temporarily occupied territory of Zaporizhia region.

14:00 Deputy mayor: The city of Orikhiv, Zaporizhia region, was destroyed by 70% due to constant shelling by the Russian army.

·       Mandrych said that the city is under fire day and night, and shelling can last for 7-14 hours in a row.

DNIPRO

October 26

09:11 Dnipro RMA: As a result of a missile attack on the Dnieper, during which the wreckage of one of the missiles fell at a gas station, the number of wounded increased to 4 people

·       "A Russian rocket that flew to Dnipro killed two people. According to the updated information, four were injured. They are two women and two men. Everyone is in the hospital. Three are heavy," he said.

·       09:15: In addition, according to Reznychenko, the Armed Forces of Ukraine shot down another Russian drone.

·       "The military from Air Command East shot down the Shashed-136 kamikaze drone in the sky over the Nikopol district," the head of the region added.

October 25

21:16 Social Networks: Explosions are heard in Dnipro, subscribers report.

·       21:24: As a result of the explosion, a fire broke out in the Dnipro area. The information is being clarified.

·       21:42: Mayor of Dnipro Borys Filatov confirmed an explosion in the city.

·       21:51: Deputy Head of the Presidential Office Kyrylo Tymoshenko said that the wreckage of a rocket in Dnipro fell on a gas station and provoked a fire.

·       22:09: The mayor of Dnipro Boris Filatov reported two dead as a result of the explosion at the gas station.

·       22:29 Presidential Office: Announced details about the fire at the gas station in Dnipro.

·       "As of now, the fire has been localized on an area of 300 square meters. 2 people died. 2 people were saved," Tymoshenko wrote.

·       23:11 RMA: Among the dead as a result of the fall of the wreckage of Russian missiles at a gas station in Dnipro is a pregnant woman, said the head of the OVA Valentyn Reznichenko

16:28 Social Networks: In Nikopol, Dnipropetrovsk region, the sounds of explosions are heard.

KHERSON

October 25

23:42: On October 25, at about 21:00, in the Kherson region, a unit of the Kherson anti-aircraft missile brigade of the Air Command "South" shot down two enemy drones "Shahed-136".

21:34 Social Networks: Explosions are heard around the temporarily occupied Kinburska Spit of the Kherson region.

12:11 Mayor of Oleshky: In the Kherson region, the Russian military fired on a civilian car. Two dead. The child, who was also in the car, is in the hospital.

MYKOLAIV

October 25

15:31 BBC: The Russian military deliberately destroyed the water supply system leading to Mykolaiv back in April. Such actions are considered as a violation of international humanitarian law.

·       According to sources in Mykolaiv, after the explosion on April 12, the pipeline leaked for about 8 hours. As a result of the actions of the Russians, about 40 million liters of water were lost until its supply was stopped.

RIVNO -  October 25/26

16:00: The mayor of Rivne said that due to the emergency situation at one of the substations, most of the city was left without power supply and called on residents to reduce electricity consumption.

·       "Compliance with the schedules of outages and connections is currently in question. Power engineers are working to solve the problem!" he added.

KYIV -  October 25/26

21:05: Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko shows German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier today the consequences of terrorist attacks by Russian troops in the center of Kyiv.*

·       "We talked about further support for Ukraine. We need weapons, we need air defense systems to protect the homes of Kyiv residents and all Ukrainians, to protect critical infrastructure. Because Russia has angered and is intensifying terrorist attacks. " Klitschko wrote on his Telegram.

17:29: Tomorrow, all educational institutions of the Kyiv region can resume full-time and mixed formats, - said the Department of Education and Science of the Kyiv RMA.

·       "The situation in the region makes it possible to resume the educational process within the walls of the school for each of the students, subject to the existing equipped shelter," the message says.

CHERNIHIV -  October 25/26

17:01 Bild: During a visit to the Chernihiv region, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier spent more than an hour in shelter during an air raid.

·       "I look with great admiration at the courage, courage, steadfastness of people all over Ukraine: at the front in the east, in cities and rural areas, as well as in the liberated regions," the Head of State emphasized.

14:56: Chernihiv Mayor Vladyslav Atroshenko gave advice on how Ukrainians can survive this winter and prepare for the cold weather.

·       18:19: Chernihiv Mayor Vladyslav Atroshenko explained why there are active calls for saving electricity, and what can happen if they are ignored.

14:34 RMA: In the Chernihiv region, 40 bodies of Russian soldiers who died during active hostilities in February-March were found.

·       "On the territory of the region, 40 bodies of representatives of the enemy army were seized, which will be a resource for exchange for our dead," he said.

Comparing Soviet invasion of Afghanistan to Russian invasion of Ukraine using Wikipedia and Ukraine Ministry of Defense Daily Bulletins. Soviet and Russian military losses not including captured equipment.

SOURCES

https://www.pravda.com.ua/eng/

https://euromaidanpress.com/

https://invite.viber.com/?g2=AQBD3wxTrZ6XUU7IdXeHUfjVCydekezQCCGuwYnT6qPd1r7n1aVbFIewa6ng6Lis

www.ubn.ne