Bob Homans October 28

20221028

This will be a bit more sporadic as electricity outages expand. Recommend you connect with Bob directly to get the posts more quickly - Graham

Ukraine – 10/28 Sitrep
Compiled by: Robert Homans
Twitter: @rhomansjr
October 28, 2022

“Russian Army’s Quiet Fatal Flaw: No Sergeants” “SpyTalk”

Conversely, the ability of sergeants and junior officers to make decisions on their own, without getting permission from headquarters is a major reason why Ukraine is winning the war.   The transition that Ukraine has made, from Soviet-style top-down command and control to decentralized decision-making, has substantially enhanced the effects of Western weapons.   The weapons are a necessary but not sufficient condition for Ukraine’s success on the battlefield.  The transition itself might not have happened without the influence of Ukrainian organizational and leadership traditions going back centuries.

As far as I’m aware, the training the Ukrainian Army received from U.S. advisers on giving non-commissioned officers and junior officers more authority to make battlefield decisions goes back until at least 2005, when I got to know one of the trainers, a retired U.S. Army colonel.  He said that Ukrainians were having trouble embracing the idea that the U.S. Armed Forces, and likely armed forces from other Western nations, were effectively run by non-commissioned officers.

The 2013/2014 Revolution of Dignity may have served as the catalyst, that established for Ukrainians the connection between what they were learning from Western advisors, with long-standing Ukrainian military traditions incorporating organization and leadership.   The volunteer battalions established during the Revolution of Dignity were organized along the lines of the Cossack tradition going back centuries, the “100s,” describing units made up of 100 soldiers.   In turn, the volunteer battalions organized during the Revolution of Dignity became the nucleus of the re-constituted Ukrainian Army that was established after 2014.   The training that Ukrainians had been receiving from U.S. advisors since at least 2005, started to make sense but in a traditional Ukrainian context.

Since 2014, I have been closely following the training that the Ukrainian Army has received from U.S., U.K., and Canadian trainers.  Much of the training took place at Yavoriv, a training facility located near Lv’iv in Western Ukraine.  I read what I could about the training, and I talked to people who visited Yavoriv during the training.   Like General Hertling, based only on the transformation of how the Ukrainian Army is now organized and led, from the beginning of the war both my collaborator and I predicted that Ukraine would win. 

It is not surprising that one of the first targets hit by Russian missiles after the start of the war was the Yavoriv Training Facility.  Over 30 people were killed.  The training continues, but instead the training for thousands of Ukrainian soldiers is being conducted in the U.K. and other Western countries.

Training received by Ukraine’s regular armed forces has been replicated in territorial defense units, volunteer groupings and the Partisan groups, many of which were organized as far back as 2014 after Russia’s invasion of Crimea, that are now operating around Melitopol, Khersnon and elsewhere.  The first example of the value of the reorganized leadership of the Ukrainian Armed Forces was in the battle around Kyiv.  Groups, often acting on their own, attacked Russian columns from multiple directions, causing confusion.

The article also describes the reaction Gen. Hertling said he received from some U.S. media outlets when he made his prediction – “I got some huge blowback on it from many in CNN,” he told me. “And some retired guys— Spider Marks, who’s never served in Europe, told me I was crazy—[and] some in different government agencies [critisized me]. But none had the experiences I had.”  From watching coverage of the run-up to the war on U.S. broadcast and cable networks, it seemed to me that they were, deliberately or not, ignoring those who agreed with Gen. Hertling.  

From my observations PBS, especially PBS “Newshour,” and Fox News were two of the most egregious examples of buying into the conventional wisdom that Ukraine’s position was futile.   Those in U.S. Government agencies who criticized Gen. Hertling should’ve known better – it was the United States that provided much of the training that has proven to be critical to the performance of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.  It seems as if the lack of appreciation of the true value of the training that Ukraine received led to the common refrain that Ukraine would not last for more than 3 days, and it likely contributed to U.S. delays in delivering offensive weapons to Ukraine.

“Economist” on Ukraine

“Ukraine’s Economy Seems to be Growing Again” – Commentators like Ben Aris, Editor of bne Inellinews, seem never to tire of saying the Ukraine’s economy is “collapsing.”  Apparently not.  Examples include:

·       80% of Ukraine’s firms are now operating at 50% capacity, or greater.

·       The Government is making pre-harvest credit available to Ukraine’s farmers, allowing to plant for the 2022/2023 season, including for Winter crops.

·       Within a week of Ukraine’s liberation of much of Kharkiv Oblast, local farmers began planting winter crops.

·       The National Bank of Ukraine and Ukraine’s commercial banks continue to be in relatively good shape.

There are roadblocks, including:

·       Russian strikes on the Ukrainian electrical grid.

·       Possible end to the grain export agreement n November.

·       The EU’s delay in transferring approximately 9 billion Euros in budget assistance, and requiring the assistance to be in the form of loans, not grants.

“The EU is Strengthening Democracy in Eastern Europe” – The last paragraph states, “Mr Putin might have hoped his invasion of Ukraine would slow his neighbours’ progress towards what he dismisses as “Western” values, such as the checks and balances of democracy. If anything, images of Russian draft-dodgers fleeing the country and the carnage of war show what a future without the rule of law portends.”   At the same time, Ukraine’s Western partners will need an attitude adjustment, from often behaving like an elementary school teacher berating his/her students about the evils of bad behavior, in most cases corruption, to a more collaborative stance.

News From the Battlefield

The Latest Denys covers the concern that Russia may re-open their Northern Front, from which they retreated at the end of last March.   Denys mentions:

·       It would likely take 1 million soldiers to take and hold Kyiv.  As Russia found out the last time, Kyiv is protected by swamps, rivers, and other barriers, narrowing possible invasion routes.

·       The same applies to most of the rest of Ukraine’s border with Belarus and, as Denys points out, Ukraine has blown all the bridges connecting Ukraine with Belarus.   Ukraine seems to have learned their lesson, then they didn’t blow the bridges connecting Crimea with Ukraine proper, especially to Kharson.

If Belarus joins the fight this time, my own prediction is that as soon as Belarusian troops cross the border with Ukraine, they will immediately surrender.

“Reporting From Ukraine” describes yet another encounter in Luhansk Oblast.  Ukrainians are getting quite close to Kremina, which in turn would open the way to Lysychansk and Sievierodonetstk, two cities that Ukraine lost to the Russians last Summer.   This would expose the Russian/Wagner Group that is assaulting Bakhmut to attack from the rear.

10/28 Sitrep

Russian Invasion of Ukraine 12:00 noon October 27 to 12:00 noon October 28, 2022

Abbreviations:

RMA = Regional Military Administration             SBU = Security Service of Ukraine

INTERNATIONAL

October 28

11:48: George Clooney's 5-year-old son dedicated an eloquent drawing to Putin.:

·        The wife of the Hollywood actor, British lawyer Amal Clooney, is currently "working on Ukrainian cases." So her young son knows that Russia attacked the Ukraine and, under the impression, painted a picture:

·        "The other day, my son drew a prison and said, 'Putin has to be here,'" Amal said.

11:00: Poland canceled the simplified employment procedure for Russians:

·        This was reported by the Minister of Family and Social Policy Marlene Mlong.

·         According to her, the decision was made against the background of Russia's attack on Ukraine and the risk of increased migration from the Russian Federation.

·        11:29 a.m. Social Networks: During the occupation of Kozacha Lopan, Kharkiv region, Russian invaders banned Ukrainians from calling relatives in Ukraine, took away mobile phones, and pointedly nailed them to a tree.

09:41 Reuters: Turkish defense company Baykar plans to complete the construction of its Bayraktar production plant in Ukraine within two years.

09:32: On the night of October 27, Israel struck the outskirts of Damascus, where Iranian drones could have been assembled

·        This is the third attack in the last week.

·        According to The National, the airstrikes were carried out a day after an Iranian IL-76 cargo plane landed there.

09:06: Elon Musk commented on why he bought Twitter

·        I didn't do it because it would be easy. I didn't do it to make more money. I did it to help the humanity I love," Musk wrote.

·        The Financial Times reports that if Musk had not purchased the social network by Friday, he would have been awaiting a trial in which he would most likely have lost.

08:38: In an interview with CNN, Strategic Communications Coordinator at the White House National Security Council, John Kirby, said Russia could consider using a "dirty bomb" and creates a reason to blame Ukraine for it.

·        At the same time, Kirby noted that Washington has not seen any signs of this so far.

08:32 NewsNation: US President Joe Biden has expressed skepticism about Putin's words that he does not intend to use nuclear weapons in Ukraine.

·        "If he has no intentions, why does he keep talking about it? Why is he talking about the ability to use tactical nuclear weapons?"

08:00 Associated Press: The United States will provide Ukraine with an additional package of weapons and other defense assistance totaling about $ 275 million, which is due to be officially announced on Friday

·        The United States expects to transfer NASAMS air defense systems to the Armed Forces in early November, as well as conduct military training at these complexes in the coming weeks. This was stated on Thursday during a briefing at the Pentagon by US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin

00:18: Pentagon Chief Lloyd Austin, during the presentation of the new US defense strategy, said that Russia is an acute threat to the United States and its allies.

·        He listed the risks that come from Russia: nuclear threats, long-range cruise missile threats, cyber and information operations, counterspace threats, chemical and biological weapons, submarine warfare and broad campaigns in the gray zone, aimed against democracies.

October 27

23:44: Britain and Germany confirmed further sanctions pressure on the Russian Federation and the President of the Russian Federation, — statement by British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.

·        Sunak said, “I look forward to working closely with Scholz, as I did at the level of finance ministers. This should ensure further pressure on Putin, support Ukraine and protect the energy security of Britain and Germany in the future.”

23:24: Latvian Foreign Minister Edgar Rinkēvičs called Putin's speech "a rehearsal of The Hague" on his Twitter.

·        "It's almost like rehearsing a defensive speech at the International Tribunal in The Hague or in Nuremberg," Rinkevichs wrote.

22:56: Joe Biden has no plans for talks with Putin at the G20 summit in Indonesia, White House spokesman John Kirby said.

22:46: U.S. to respond in case of Russian attack on commercial satellites, says White House

·        U.S. National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said any attack on U.S. infrastructure would meet an equivalent response.

·        He also noted that there is indeed publicly available evidence that Russia is seeking to use technology against satellites.

22:08: Poland is ready to help Ukraine in the post-war reconstruction of airports and railways, says Deputy Minister of Funds and Regional Policy of Poland Marcina Gorala.

·        "Centralny Port Komunikacyjny plans to build the Lublin – Zamość – Bełżec railway line to the Polish-Ukrainian border. In the future, it can be expanded east of the Carpathians to the Black Sea ports of Ukraine and Romania," Gorala said.

21:20: "Putin's speech is not so new and does not indicate a change in strategic goals," US President's press secretary Karin Jean-Pierre

20:54 Pentagon: The U.S. sees no signs that Russia or Ukraine are planning a dirty bomb incident.

17:26 The Telegraph: Boris Johnson considers setting up a new organisation to support Ukraine and rebuild the war-torn economy —

·        The organization will be a modern analogue of the "Marshall Plan". The publication also reports that Johnson has opened an office in Westminster from which he hopes to establish a foundation.

16:32: At a closed NATO event, Tide Sprint, Ukraine presented the Ukrainian Delta situational awareness program, which provides the military with various data on the enemy and coordination of forces on the battlefield.

·        This was reported by the Center for Innovation and Development of Defense Technologies of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine.

·        Delta provides a voluminous understanding of the battle space in real time, integrates enemy information from various sensors and sources (including intelligence) on a digital map, does not require additional settings and can work on any device (laptop, tablet smartphone).

15:13: A new assistance package from Spain will soon arrive in Ukraine along with the previously announced Hawk air defenses.

·        Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov had a conversation with his Spanish counterpart Margarita Robles, who informed about the allocation of a new assistance package.

14:52: Protests continue in Iran.

·        Footage shows one of the protesters in Tehran being punched in the face of one of the security forces from the dispersal.

12:52 NewsMaker: Moldovan Justice Minister Sergei Litvinenko has announced that his office will re-consider liquidating the pro-Russian Shor party, against which the U.S. has imposed sanctions.

·        "I have said before that a political party can be liquidated when there is a court decision confirming that it was illegally funded. After today's decision, we can further discuss this idea," Litvinenko said at a briefing.

12:05 Irpin Reconstruction Summit: In London, with the participation of the Irpin Reconstruction Summit and the Irpin City Council, a round table was held on the topic of restoring Ukrainian cities after de-occupation.

NATIONAL

October 28

09:15 Institute for the Study of War:

·        Putin continues to reject Ukraine's sovereignty in a way that is fundamentally incompatible with serious negotiations.

·        Putin threatened that Russia could target Western commercial satellites that support Ukraine.

07:56 Operational Command South: The Armed Forces of Ukraine destroyed 2 ammunition depots and a hangar with Russian equipment in the Beryslav district of the Kherson region.

·        The Russians lost 44 fighters in the south, a tank, two mortars and three armored vehicles.

07:15: Operational information from the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine:

·        During the day, units of the Defense Forces repulsed Russian attacks in the areas of settlements: Andreevka, Bilohorivka, Luhansk region; Bakhmut, Bakhmutske, Vremivka, Zelenopillia, Soledar, Mayorsk, Marinka, Nevelske, Novobakhmutivka, Pervomaiske, Yakovlivka, Donetsk region.

·        During the day, the Russians launched 15 air and 1 missile strike, carried out more than 40 shellings from the MLRS, - General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine

·        The settlements of Bilohirka, Nova Kamyanka, Novohredneve, Kherson region, Stepove of Zaporizhia region, and Marinka and Pavlivka in the Donetsk region suffered from this.

·        In Zaporizhia region, 8 units of weapons and military equipment of various types were destroyed and up to 120 Russian servicemen were wounded

·        On the temporarily occupied territory of the Kherson region, about 100 wounded Russians were delivered to medical institutions.

·        The so-called "evacuation" from the temporarily occupied territory of the Kherson region continues. Considerable attention is paid to the export of medical equipment and property, as Russians say, of "nationalized" enterprises. Thus, from the settlement of Belozerka, the equipment of the local hospital is exported to the cities of Skadovsk and Henichesk

·        At the same time, there is an increase in the grouping of Russians in the right-bank part of the temporarily occupied territory of the Kherson region by mobilized servicemen of up to 1000 people. They are settled in the homes of local residents who have left these territories.

·        The Aviation of the Defense Forces during the past day inflicted 29 strikes. The defeat of 21 areas of concentration of manpower, weapons and military equipment of the Russian Federation, 3 strongholds and 5 positions of anti-aircraft missile systems was confirmed. Air defense units shot down 2 Russian Ka-52 helicopters and one Su-25 attack aircraft

·        Ukrainian rocket troops and artillery hit 4 areas of concentration of manpower, weapons and military equipment and 1 warehouse with Russian ammunition.

00:04: Volodymyr Zelenskyy: Evil always starts in the same way. The invaders call themselves liberators. The invasion of his army is self-defense. Like 80 years ago, Ukrainian people stand up for the defense of their native land. And the hostile blitzkrieg plan becomes a failure.

October 27

23:35: Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that American astronaut Scott Kelly has become an ambassador for the UNITED24 fundraising platform and will develop the "Medical Care" direction. His first project will be the collection of class C ambulances.

23:07: About 1 million Kyiv residents today are without electricity, says Yasno CEO Serhiy Kovalenko.

·        Currently, 159 thousand subscribers have been disconnected, and during the day about 320 thousand apartments were turned off.

22:30 National Police: In Ukraine, the number of traffic accidents has increased by a quarter against the background of a shutdown of street lighting due to energy savings.

·        "From October 10 to October 23, 51 pedestrians were killed, 38 of them in the dark. This number is 25% higher than in the previous two weeks," he said.

·        In this regard, the police urge pedestrians to wear reflective elements on their clothes to increase visibility in the dark.

22:20: Volodymyr Zelenskyy approved an increase in the military budget of 2022 by UAH 386.9 billion.

21:30 Press service of Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office: The High Anti-Corruption Court arrested in absentia ex-MP Andriy Derkach, who is suspected of treason and corruption.

·        The SAPO clarified that Derkach was put on the state and international wanted list.

20:36 press service: "Energy Company of Ukraine" carried out a test import of electricity from Europe, namely from Slovakia.

·        "In order to support the energy system of Ukraine in case of a shortage of generating capacity, the state energy trader JSC "Energy Company of Ukraine" carried out the first test delivery of electricity from Slovakia. The actual import with a capacity of 1 MW took place on October 27, 2022," the message says.

20:01: Environmental damage to Ukraine due to Russian aggression has exceeded UAH 1.35 trillion, said Olena Kryvoruchkina, chief coordinator of the Operational Headquarters for fixing Russian eco-crimes.

·        According to her, we are talking about 574 processed cases out of more than 800 that were entered in the register. The greatest damage was caused to atmospheric air, losses in this area amount to more than UAH 924 billion.

19:20 Ukraine Brigadier General Oleksiy Gromov:

·        During the retreat, the Russians may resort to carrying out a series of terrorist attacks with the explosion of residential areas.

·        There is no need to intensify or increase the pace of mobilization

·        "Measures of mobilization in Ukraine from February 24 are carried out as planned. Every month, military servicemen are called up for additional staffing of certain military structures or for the formation of new structures, according to the situation at the front," he said.

18:18 Operational information from the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine as of 18:00 on October 27:

·        During the day, the enemy launched three air strikes and carried out three attacks from multiple launch rocket systems.

·        The enemy shells the positions of our troops along the contact line, carries out fortification equipment of positions in certain directions, on the left bank of the Dnieper River, and actively conducts air reconnaissance.

·        The aviation of the Defense Forces, the current day, inflicted 14 strikes on areas of concentration of enemy manpower, weapons and military equipment.

·        During the day, air defense units shot down an enemy helicopter and an aircraft - according to preliminary information Ka-52 Alligator and a Su-25 attack aircraft.

·        Units of rocket troops and artillery struck two areas of concentration of manpower, weapons, and military equipment of the invaders.

·        During the previous days, the destruction of two ammunition depots and a pontoon crossing with enemy military equipment in the Kherson region was confirmed.

·        The lack of warm clothes has led to an increase in the number of cases of theft and looting by servicemen of the RF Armed Forces in the temporarily occupied territory of the Kherson region.

·        Mobilized soldiers who arrived in the area of combat missions did not undergo appropriate training, do not have practical skills in using the main types of weapons. This leads to significant losses of the enemy in manpower.

·        The unsatisfactory condition of military equipment, which was removed from storage and arrived to replenish current losses, was the result of frequent cases of desertion and surrender of the occupiers to the Defense Forces of Ukraine.

18:02: Real estate of enterprises worth more than UAH 60 million owned by citizens of the Russian Federation was seized, according to the Office of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine.

·        Non-residential premises of commercial purpose and the integral property complex of an oil depot with an area of more than 30 thousand square meters were arrested, and the transfer of seized property to the management of ARMA is currently underway.

17:51 RBC-Ukraine: Ukraine received a unique British-made machine for demining the Armtrac 400.

·        The car was purchased thanks to donors from all over the world through the UNITED24 platform. The cost of such funds is more than 18 million hryvnias. Now the vehicle is demining the liberated settlements of the Kharkiv region.

17:42 Interfax-Ukraine - Finance Minister: Ukraine expects 2.5 billion euros of EU macro-financial assistance in November and 500 million euros in December.

·        According to him, on another 3 billion euros, internal debates are ongoing in the EU, in what form to provide them.

16:54 Defense Ministry's Main Intelligence Directorate: Currently, Belarus does not have a strike group that would be properly equipped for the offensive.

·        At the same time, according to him, Belarus is conducting training of personnel to divert the attention and forces of Ukraine from the east and south.

·        "Of course, there is a potential danger from Belarus for Ukraine. Strike UAVs are being launched from the territory of the Republic of Belarus, which the Russian Federation has purchased from Iran, MiG-31K aircraft have been moved there, which can carry Dagger missiles," Chernyak said.

17:01: Russians officially impose military censorship in the temporarily occupied territories, according to Melitopol Mayor Ivan Fedorov.

·        According to him, from today the mobile phone of a resident of each occupied settlement of the Zaporizhia region can be taken for inspection. And if they find a subscription to Ukrainian telegram channels there, they will be fined or thrown "to the basement" altogether.

16:44 Deputy Minister of Defense: By the end of the year, all the necessary funds are provided for the payment of monthly cash support for the military.

·        "The necessary procedures are underway after the adoption of amendments to the State Budget for 2022. And at the end of these procedures, all our servicemen will receive payments in full. This money is provided by the budget," she said.

16:14 Deputy Chief of The Main Operational Directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine: Ukraine has strengthened its grouping in the northern region near Belarus to counter any possible resumption of Russian attack across the border.

16:25 Corriere della Sera - Zelensky: The Russians have not retreated from Kherson. This is an information fake with attempts to lure Ukrainian troops.

·        "I don't see them running away from Kherson. This is an information attack. This is such an attack for us to go there to transfer troops from other dangerous areas.".

·        Ukraine has sent a request to Italy for SAMP-T air defense systems.

·        The situation on the battlefield will not affect the decision of the Russian Federation on the use of nuclear weapons.

·        "If Russia decides to use nuclear weapons, it will use them. If she decides not to, which depends on the pressure of the Western world, she will not apply it. Regardless of what is happening on the battlefield," the President of Ukraine said.

16:05: Volodymyr Zelenskyy approved an increase in the military budget by almost UAH 400 billion.

·        The President of Ukraine signed amendments to the law on the state budget for 2022. Expenditures on the security and defense sector have been increased by UAH 387 billion.

15:48: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine will initiate a case against Maria Lvova-Belova, the Commissioner for Children's Rights under the President of the Russian Federation, on the illegal adoption of a Ukrainian child abducted in Mariupol by Russian invaders.

·        The ministry also notes that the Russian commissioner also admitted to facilitating the illegal adoption in Russia of about 350 more children from the occupied regions in eastern Ukraine.

15:32: Two city and 18 village and settlement military administrations were formed in the Kherson region.

·        8 military administrations formed in Kharkiv region and leaders appointed.

·        The relevant decree was signed by President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy on October 27.

15:22 Press service of Ukrspetssystems: A new SHARK drone has been created in Ukraine, which conducts deep reconnaissance and can correct HIMARS targeting.

·        The development of "SHARK" was carried out already during a full-scale invasion as an operational response of the company to the challenges and needs of the Ukrainian army. Today, drones are ready for use in combat conditions.

14:58: Ukrainian military liquidated another Russian lieutenant colonel Yuri Zhuk.

·        This was announced by Colonel of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, blogger Anatoliy Shtefan ("Stirlitz")

13:43: Civilian casualties of Russian aggression in Ukraine during October 26, 2022

·        Donetsk – 3 killed and 3 wounded

·        Zaporizhia - 1 killed and 1 wounded

·        Kharkiv – 1 killed and 7 wounded

13:36 Ministry of Infrastructure: Today, 7 vessels carrying 102 thousand tons have left the ports of Chornomorsk and Yuzhny. tons of agricultural products. The vessels are heading to Africa, Asia and Europe.

·        Among them is the STELLA GS bulk carrier with 30.6 thousand tons of corn for Tunisia.

13:22: The SBU may be behind the explosion of the Crimean bridge. This was hinted at in his first interview by the head of the Security Service of Ukraine Vasyl Malyuk.

·        Saying whether the SBU was involved in the "self-liquidation" of collaborators, he ironically replied that "Russians simply do not know how to properly handle cotton." That is why different processes take place in them – someone drinks low-quality coffee, someone refuels with low-quality fuel." Although he promised to announce the details after the victory. Interestingly, he answered Kid's questions against the background of a vase of "cotton" standing in his office.

12:18 Deputy Defense Minister: Since the beginning of the war, Ukraine has carried out 28 exchanges of prisoners of war - 978 people were released. Among them are 99 civilians.

12:12 Acting Head of the Security Service of Ukraine: According to the latest data, Russian servicemen used thermobaric bumblebee grenades during a terrorist attack in the prison colony in Olenivka, where Ukrainian prisoners were held.

·        "The pre-trial investigation is currently underway. We have serious evidence, including those obtained tacitly. A number of 'Azovians' who have returned are also giving important testimony," Malik said.

MORDOR (Russia)

October 28

11:39: In the Arkhangelsk region, a military contractor drove over a column of conscripts. 2 people were killed, another 11 servicemen were injured:

·        The incident occurred at a training ground near the city of Mirnyi. The military "KAMAZ", led by 22-year-old Israpil, drove over a convoy of 20 conscripts. One person died immediately, another died later , in hospital. 11 people from various injuries were taken to the hospital of the Ministry of Defense.

00:58: During the football match "AEK" - "Dynamo" in Cyprus, the steward took away an anti-Russian poster from Ukrainian fans.

·        This was explained by the fact that in the stands there is a Russian mafia that does not want to see such posters.

00:37: Ramzan Kadyrov confirmed the death of Kadyrovites in the Kherson region. According to him, 23 people were killed and 58 injured.

October 27

20:25: Putin has not ruled out going to the G20 summit in Indonesia and said he was considering the decision.

19:32: Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Russia allegedly faced problems exporting agricultural products, so it may not agree to extend the grain agreement.

·        "The UN Secretary-General has said it is a package agreement. It was his idea, about the equality of two parts... We cannot accept such a situation. This is a package agreement, and all parts of it must be fulfilled," Zakharova said, adding that the Russian part of the agreement "is not being implemented."

18:59: Russian singer Zemfira again called on Russia to stop shelling Ukraine daily.

·        "Today is the 245th day of the war unleashed by my country. Permanent shelling of Ukraine has been taking place for more than two weeks. I believe my country should stop this war," she said from a stage in Berlin.

18:51: Putin says Russia does not need a nuclear strike on Ukraine because "there is no point - neither political nor military."

·        At the same time, he said that as long as nuclear weapons exist, there is always a danger of their use.

·        Putin also clarified that he personally ordered Shoigu to call his foreign colleagues and warn them about the threat of "provocation" in the form of a "dirty bomb".

KHARKIV

October 28

09:22 Kharkiv RMA: The settlements of Vilkhovatka, Vovchansk, Okhrimivka and Staritsa of the Chuhuiv and Kupyansk districts were shelled from the territory of the Russian Federation. In addition, from tanks, mortars, barreled and rocket artillery, the occupiers shelled areas of the settlements of Druzhelyubovka and Petro-Ivanovka in the Izyum and Kupyansk districts

·        During the day, no civilians injured by enemy shelling were recorded.

00:45: In de-occupied Izyum, they are going to rename streets and squares whose names are associated with Russia and the Soviet past.

·        This was announced by the deputy mayor of Izyum Volodymyr Matsokin. According to him, the mayor gave the corresponding order to the toponymic commission.

·        "We do not need Gagarin Street, because it is the history of the people-tribe who disgraced themselves with the blood of our brothers and sisters, we need Dzhokhar Dudayev Street, London Street and Latvian Square, because it is a tribute to the nations standing next to us in the battle with the horde," Vladimir Matsokin wrote.

LUHANSK

October 28

08:50 Luhansk RMA: about the situation of the region

·        the liberated settlements are still unstable;

·        Russians mined a very large area in the Luhansk region

·        We are trying to evacuate people from de-occupied villages

·        near Svatovo, the Russians pulled a large amount of equipment.

DONETSK

October 26

10:38 Donetsk RMA: At night and in the morning, Russians continued shelling settlements on the front line

·        In the Donetsk direction, there were no casualties. Marinka, Krasnohorivka and Maksimilianivka of the Mariinsky community came under fire at night, and Avdiivka came under fire several times in the morning

·        In the Horlivka direction, under shelling of the Toretsk, Soledar and Svitlodarsk communities

·        In the Lysychansk direction, there is again a restless night in the Torsk and Zarechny Liman communities.

10:29 Advisor to Mariupol Mayor:

·        People continue to survive in basements. At the same time, the occupation administration, together with the "contractors" of the civilian occupiers, invented a new income. Now Mariupol residents can "buy back" their house from demolition. It's enough to 'bring in the right man' and your home remains as it is."

08:16 Donetsk RMA: On October 27, it became known about 4 civilians of Donetsk region killed by Russians: 3 in Bakhmut and 1 in Svyatogorsk

·        In addition, law enforcement officers found the bodies of 5 civilians who died during the occupation in Shandrygolove.

·        Another 9 people were injured yesterday.

20:12 Prosecutor General's Office: Two informants in the Donetsk region who transmitted information about the location of infrastructure facilities have been convicted.

·        Prosecutors in court proved that from November 2021 to February 2022, convicts, following enemy instructions, photographed government buildings, military facilities, bridges, video surveillance cameras, electrical substations, railway timetables, etc.

·        The woman was sentenced to 5 years, and the man – 6.6 years in prison.

13:53: Mariupol City Council published a video of the Cheryomushki microdistrict.

·        "Garbage, broken stops and houses. The once quiet sleeping area has turned into a ruined ghetto. Mariupol residents continue to survive in such conditions. The invaders show 'pictures' with the resumption of life in a few blocks but hide what the real face of the city looks like."

13:14: In the temporarily occupied Shakhtarsk, an explosion is reported.

13:06 Mayor of Mariupol: Russian occupiers are trying to hide the traces of their war crimes in Mariupol.

·        "They form, it sounds scary, concrete mass graves. But Russian war crimes have already been recorded. I am sure that the military-political leadership of Russia, which gave criminal orders, will be punished, – Vadim Boichenko.

·        The mayor of Mariupol also added that according to preliminary estimates, 40,000 Mariupol residents in the occupied city do not have housing, and the occupation authorities are not engaged in solving this problem.

ZAPORIZHIA

October 26

14:36: In the temporarily occupied Berdyansk, Russians will check the phones of residents.

·        Local occupation authorities threaten subscribers to Ukrainian resources with imprisonment.

14:27: During the retreat, the Russian army may resort to blowing up residential areas and explosions at ZNPP, - said the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine

DNIPRO

October 28

08:24 Dnipro RMA: The Russians covered three communities with fire - Nikopol, Marganetsk and Krasnogrigorovskaya. People were not affected

·        In Nikopol, a dozen multi-storey and private houses were damaged. Broken power lines.

·        Without electricity, almost 1,000 families.

October 27

13:50 Social Networks: Locals report explosions in Nikopol.

KHERSON

October 28

October 27

23:15 Kherson Regional Council: Russians in the temporarily occupied Kherson have closed part of retail outlets and pharmacies, limited supplies and reduced medical facilities.

·        According to Sobolevsky, the Russians seek to complicate the living conditions of the city's population as much as possible, which forces people to leave it.

·        "At the same time, most of our people refuse to 'evacuate', waiting for the de-occupation of the city," Sobolevsky explained.

22:36 Social Networks: Explosions are heard in the temporarily occupied Nova Kakhovka.

21:43 Kherson Police: In the temporarily occupied Kherson, Beryslav, Kakhovka and Henichesk districts, 10-15 Russian servicemen are settled in apartments and houses of local residents

·        They use the property of the owners, as well as take out all valuables from the apartments. According to law enforcement officers, from the recently liberated villages, the police receive statements about looting by the Russian army.

17:34: In the liberated territory of the Kherson region, four residents of the Beryslav district who participated in the pseudo-referendum were exposed and notified of suspicion, the Office of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine reports.

·        According to the investigation, from September 23 to September 27, 2022, the suspects, accompanied by armed representatives of the Russian Federation, went to the homes of local residents with ballots and an urn, "recommending" to participate in illegal voting. Currently, the court has chosen a preventive measure - detention.

MYKOLAIV

October 28

08:43 Mykolaiv RMA: After midnight on October 28, Russian troops hit Nikolaev with missiles from S-300 systems

·        It is currently known about hitting the residential private sector. He also worked at the place of arrivals, including the rapid response unit of the Ukrainian Red Cross Society.

·        08:58 At night, at about 02:00, Mykolaiv was shelled from the S-300 anti-aircraft missile system. As a result of the missile strike, a three-story administrative building was destroyed and a nearby multi-storey new building was damaged. The bakery was also damaged. One person was lightly injured, says OVA chairman Vitaliy Kim*

·        Mykolaiv and Bashtansky districts were also shelled

October 25

20:48 Social Networks: Explosions are heard in the Mykolaiv area.

KYIV -  October 27/28

11:19: On October 28, from 08:25, by order of NPC Ukrenergo, emergency power outages continue in Kyiv:

·        The schedules of stabilization outages, drawn up the day before, are not relevant. Due to significant damage and imbalances in the power system, longer power outages may be used.

10:06 DTEK's press service: Ukrenergo canceled the blackout in the Kyiv region, which was introduced on Thursday because of a Russian attack on an energy facility.:

12:00: In the Sumy region, police documented 100 strikes of the Russian army:

·        Over the past day, the enemy once again fired on the territory of the Sumy region. As a result, 7 private houses and a power line were damaged.

10:06: Ukrenergo cancels the blackouts in the Kyiv region, which were introduced on Thursday because of a Russian attack on an energy facility.

·        This was reported by the press service of DTEK Kyiv Regional Grids.

21:07: More than 40 streets, lanes and squares have been renamed in Kyiv today. The streets were renamed because they had been named after Soviet or Russian celebrities. 

14:03 RMA: At night, the Russians damaged the energy infrastructure of the Kiev region. A number of critical objects have been disabled.

·        "We need to prepare for emergency power outages indefinitely."

14:11: Due to the night impact on energy facilities in the Kyiv region, the former schedules of rolling blackouts in the capital are no longer relevant, the outages will be unscheduled and prolonged.

·        This is stated on the Yasno Facebook page.

12:33 Kyiv RMA.: Today, October 27, technical work will be carried out at the Rokytnyansky quarry, which will be accompanied by explosions.  Don’t panic.

12:25 Secretary of the Kyiv City Council: Kyiv received generators and heat cannons from Israel," the deputy mayor said.

·        A total of 10 generators and 20 cannons were received.

SUMY -  October 27/28

11:19: On October 28, from 08:25, by order of NPC Ukrenergo, emergency power outages continue in Kyiv:

·        The schedules of stabilization outages, drawn up the day before, are not relevant. Due to significant damage and imbalances in the power system, longer power outages may be used.

10:06 DTEK's press service: Ukrenergo canceled the blackout in the Kyiv region, which was introduced on Thursday as a result of a Russian attack on an energy facility.:

12:00: In the Sumy region, police documented 100 strikes of the Russian army:

·        Over the past day, the enemy once again fired on the territory of the Sumy region. As a result, 7 private houses and a power line were damaged.

23:55: The head of the Sumy RMA, Dmitry Zhivitsky, said that today the Russians fired at the Khotyn community from Grad rockets and barreled artillery. The strikes were in the center of the village, on the houses of civilians.

·        5 dwellings suffered significant damage. Also, the village library and the outpatient clinic are damaged.

17:17 Sumy RMA: The Khotyn community suffered from the morning explosions.

·        According to him, the Russians sent volleys from "Grads" and another 33 shells from 152 mm caliber barreled artillery to peaceful streets and civilians. The explosions were in the center of the village: 5 private houses were damaged. Damaged power lines, internet.

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.news