Ukraine Invasion - Part 62

[MagicFox]

Thanks as always to everybody consistently posting and keeping us all up to date 🇺🇦

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UNITED24 Media Telegram Highlights

🇰🇵 Kim Jong Un has ordered an intensification of military exercises and an increase in the combat readiness of the North Korean army.
“The primary revolutionary task for company commanders is to complete the combat training of their units to ensure full readiness for war. The path to achieving this is to radically improve rigorous and intensive training,” the North Korean dictator stated.
He claimed that, thanks to the efforts of these commanders, the prospects for building a strong army are “extremely bright.”

❗️The hybrid war against the West continues: pro-Russian hackers are targeting water supply systems, factories, and even crematoriums in NATO countries, causing real-world incidents and malfunctions, Bloomberg reports.
Since late 2024, such attacks have been recorded in approximately 20 countries. In Spain, hackers disabled cremation furnaces, started a fire at a factory, and disrupted operations at wineries.
In Denmark, about 450 households were left without water after a pumping station was hacked. In the United States, hackers interfered with the operations of water treatment plants and refrigeration systems. At one meat-processing plant, more than 900 kilograms of meat spoiled, and an ammonia leak forced an evacuation.
The attacks are attributed to the groups CARR and Z-Pentest. U.S. prosecutors allege that Russia’s GRU military intelligence agency has been involved in funding and directing CARR.
Most alarmingly, the hackers often fail to grasp the consequences of their actions. They compromise whatever systems they can access, seeking to inflict maximum damage.
Yulia Pankratova, one of CARR’s leaders, told Bloomberg that the group intends to continue targeting hospitals and water infrastructure, asserting that it recognizes no “red lines.”

⚡️Ukraine and Russia have agreed to provide humanitarian aid to residents of the Kherson region at least once a month, with Melania Trump acting as an intermediary, Fox News reports.
According to the network, Ukrainian and Russian representatives signed an agreement in Belarus on October 23 concerning a humanitarian mission to the occupied town of Oleshky. The document was signed by Ukrainian Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets and Russian Commissioner for Human Rights Yana Lantratova.
[.]
Following the mission, Ukraine and Russia are expected to organize regular humanitarian aid deliveries and the return of residents to settlements in the Kherson region, with Melania Trump coordinating the efforts. Such operations are planned as needed, but at least once a month.
The agreement applies exclusively to humanitarian operations and does not entail a cessation of hostilities along other parts of the front line.

🤦‍♂️ European countries will not participate in the trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi. According to Yuri Ushakov, an aide to Russian leader Vladimir Putin, the involvement of European representatives was not discussed during Putin’s conversations with Finnish President Alexander Stubb and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre.
“Could the Europeans end up at the negotiating table? They could—if they buy tickets—but no one intends to invite them.”

Thirteen people were killed and another 10 wounded after an electric train from Dnipro to Zaporizhzhia was struck, police reported.

Rustem Umerov, Head of Ukraine’s Foreign Intelligence Service, reported that messages are being sent to diplomats and partners in various countries in his name in an attempt to obtain information about negotiations.
Umerov urged recipients to report any suspicious communications sent in his name to the Ukrainian side.

Russia is exporting grain through the Arctic port of Murmansk for the first time in an attempt to bypass logistical challenges on routes through the Black and Baltic seas, Reuters reports.
The first shipment, consisting of 3,400 tons of grain, is currently being loaded in Murmansk, a port nearly 2,000 kilometers north of Moscow and not far from the Norwegian border.
The route was previously used during World War II, when the Allies delivered supplies to the USSR via Murmansk. Now, the Kremlin is seeking to develop it as an alternative corridor for its own exports.
The move comes amid disruptions to established logistics in the Black Sea as a consequence of Russia’s own war against Ukraine. In the Baltic Sea, Moscow fears new risks posed by the presence of NATO member states.
For now, however, the route should be viewed as an experiment rather than a full-scale replacement for traditional routes. A shipment of 3,400 tons is negligible for one of the world’s largest grain exporters.
According to Reuters, preparations are also underway in Murmansk to ship approximately 28,000 tons of wheat to Morocco. The port remains ice-free year-round, and vessels can reach it through neutral waters without entering the Baltic Sea. However, the grain must be transported by rail from southern Russia, a journey spanning thousands of kilometers. Ukraine’s Foreign Intelligence Service estimates that this adds $18–25 per ton in costs.
Analysts estimate that Murmansk could potentially handle between 0.7 million and 1.1 million tons of grain annually—a fraction of the more than 46 million tons previously exported through the Azov-Black Sea basin. While the new route may offer some relief to Moscow, it cannot replace the southern ports.

The National Chornobyl Museum will host the international exhibition CHORNOBYL40, featuring artists from 19 countries.
The exhibition will bring together 40 artists from Ukraine, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Austria, Australia, and other countries. They will present a total of 30 works exploring the intersection of art, science, and technology.
The program includes three thematic days dedicated to nuclear safety, ecology, science, and the future of the Exclusion Zone. It will also feature screenings of the VR film Prometheus and the XR exhibition Lessons of Chornobyl.
CHORNOBYL40 is taking place after the museum sustained significant damage in a Russian missile attack on May 24, 2026. Although the main exhibition halls were destroyed, a new exhibition hall survived and will host the artists’ works.

Two Ukrainian films will compete for awards at the Interfilm festival in Berlin.
Kyrylo Zemlianyi’s film Unavailable, about a volunteer attempting to rescue his mother from occupied territory, will be screened as part of the international competition.
Yelyzaveta Toptyhina’s film Curfew will compete for the Audience Award in the European Short Film Audience Award program.

Russia attacked a poultry farm in the Boryspil district of the Kyiv region, where 16,000 birds were kept, the State Emergency Service reported.

The KSD publishing house has revealed the condition of its warehouse after a Russian attack on October 27. The facility held 300,000 books, but it is still unknown how many can be saved.
Fires broke out at the site and were extinguished by emergency responders. Yet even books spared by the flames and water may have been damaged by the thick smoke that spread through the warehouse. https://t.me/United24media/47467
In recent months, Russia has systematically targeted the warehouses of Ukrainian publishing houses. By early September alone, Russian strikes had destroyed an estimated 10 million to 15 million books.

The R.T. Weatherman Foundation, led by Megan Mobbs, daughter of American General Keith Kellogg, is prepared to assist in identifying the bodies of fallen Ukrainian service members, according to Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council (NSDC).
NSDC Secretary Ihor Klymenko discussed potential cooperation with the foundation’s head.
The talks focused on identifying the remains of Ukrainian defenders killed during the war. Klymenko noted that the NSDC coordinates efforts in this area, involving both state institutions and experts.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the Ukrainian people are to be honored with a medal named after a figure from the resistance against Hitler, the German news portal Hessenschau reports.
On December 1, Hesse Minister-President Boris Rhein of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) will present President Zelenskyy with the 2026 Wilhelm Leuschner Medal, the highest honor of the German federal state of Hesse.

Ukrainian wrestler Anastasiia Alpieieva has become the 2026 World Champion in freestyle wrestling.

❗️At least 17 people have been killed across Ukraine this morning alone. The number of dead and wounded from Russian strikes continues to rise.
In Chernihiv, two 15-year-old girls were killed and 11 people, including two children, were wounded in a strike on the city center.
In Kremenchuk, two people were killed and two wounded.
In Dnipro, 13 people were killed and 10 wounded in a strike by a jet-powered UAV.
In Zaporizhzhia, at least five people were wounded after a drone struck a minibus.

❗️Six people are in serious condition following a Russian strike on the railway station in Dnipro, including an 11-year-old boy, the regional military administration reported.
All the victims sustained multiple shrapnel wounds. A 40-year-old man had both legs amputated. A total of 14 people were injured.

❗️Nineteen people have been injured in a Russian attack on Kremenchuk, including five children, the regional military administration reported.
Eleven people have been hospitalized, including one child.

Kyiv Post Telegram Highlights

The death toll from the Russian strike on a railway platform in Dnipro has risen to 14. Another 14 people were injured, including an 11-year-old boy.
“Many fractures, body parts torn away. Six are in extremely critical condition,” said Serhii Ryzhenko, director-general of Mechnikov Hospital.

President Volodymyr Zelensky said the US had proposed demilitarized zones in Donbas and on part of the Kinburn Spit during peace negotiations.
Ukraine was prepared to discuss a compromise involving a zone on both sides of the front line. The ideas appeared in successive negotiating documents, but no agreement on the territorial issues has been reached.

Ukraine appears to be shifting its drone campaign from Russian oil refineries to steel plants after US pressure halted attacks on the oil sector.
The new strikes threaten to deepen a crisis in Russia’s steel industry, where sanctions, falling domestic demand, and soaring borrowing costs have driven production and profits to multi-year lows.

South Korea increased imports of Russian coal by 34% from January to August, up 34% from the same period in 2025, energy think tank CREA said.
It attributed the 18 million metric ton rise to increased coal-fired power generation to offset nuclear power losses following the expiration of reactor licenses.

Zelensky said Norway and Finland briefed Kyiv before speaking with Putin about a possible November meeting in Abu Dhabi.
FT reported that Putin spent much of their 90-minute conversation discussing history, while an immediate ceasefire was barely raised.

Norwegian PM Støre has rejected the Financial Times’ report that Putin spent most of a 90-minute call giving a lecture on medieval Slavic history.
The newspaper stands by its reporting and has refused to issue a correction.

Zelensky says Ukraine’s decentralized digital infrastructure has kept mobile and internet services running despite Russian attacks on data centers.
He argues Ukrainian strikes hurt Russia more because its infrastructure is more centralized. His comments follow attacks on Ukrainian telecom facilities and strikes on Yandex data centers.

Ukrainian drones targeted Russia’s largest chemical facilities in Bashkortostan and the Tula region, including plants linked to the country’s military industry.
Moscow claimed its air defenses destroyed 1,214 Ukrainian drones overnight, as airport restrictions and reports of damage spread across Russia.

Russia is using North Korean workers to support its war economy, a new investigation by Global Rights Compliance finds.
The recruitment network reportedly sends workers to Russian factories on student visas, bypassing UN sanctions. Investigators documented coercive conditions, North Korean officials’ involvement and wages diverted to Pyongyang.

Poland will transfer two MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine as part of a €50 million military aid package, a defense official said.
Warsaw is also considering exchanging retired jets for Ukrainian drone technology, with President Karol Nawrocki backing the idea in principle.

Fake battlefield footage, self-inflicted wounds — and a 21-year prison sentence.
Russian Lt. Col. Konstantin Frolov and a group of soldiers allegedly staged combat scenes to claim medals and compensation, Russian media report.

Two Belarussian men have been arrested in Germany on suspicion of plotting sabotage on behalf of a foreign power, reportedly Russia.
A Ukrainian man has also been arrested in Poland over a suspected arson attack on a Romanian arms factory, as European authorities investigate alleged Russian-linked sabotage.

Russian drones struck an educational institution in Kharkiv early Thursday, sparking a fire elsewhere in the city.

Russian forces struck a veterinary clinic in Chernihiv with a Banderol missile, injuring three women and killing a dog. Several other animals were wounded.

Obama accuses Trump’s White House of “bending the knee to Putin” and “selling out Ukrainians” while pushing away key allies such as Canada.
“And while we’re alienating key allies like Canada, the White House is bending the knee to Vladimir Putin of Russia and selling out Ukrainians, who are fighting for their freedom and democracy,” he said.
The former US president made the remarks at a Democratic campaign rally, criticizing Trump’s approach to the war in Ukraine.
Obama was president of the United States in 2014, when Russia occupied Crimea.

Volodymyr Obertas, a press officer with Ukraine’s 34th Marine Brigade, was killed in Kherson on Oct. 27 after stepping on a mine while accompanying journalists filming the first day of the ceasefire.
Obertas was from Russian-occupied Oleshky. Before Russia’s full-scale invasion, he worked as a photographer and videographer at the city council’s press center. He joined Ukraine’s Defense Forces in 2022.
He also filmed widely shared drone footage that showed the scale of the tragedy in Oleshky.

Live: Ukraine Telegram Highlights

Russian refineries increased oil processing by 25% after Ukrainian drones stopped attacking refineries, Reuters reports, citing three industry sources.
In the second half of October, the plants processed about 5 million barrels of oil per day.
Before that, since mid-March, Ukrainian drones had been attacking Russian refineries weekly, causing fuel shortages in Russia. As a result, Russia banned exports of gasoline, aviation fuel, and diesel, and began importing petroleum products by sea.
After October 16, no new strikes on refineries were recorded, the agency writes. Russian refineries also increased diesel production by at least 50,000 tons per day — to 225,000 tons. About 80,000 tons per day could go for export.

In the morning, drones reached Russia's Bashkortostan. The Bashkir Soda Company in Sterlitamak may have been hit, OSINT analysts report.
It is one of Russia's largest chemical complexes and the country's only producer of terephthaloyl chloride — a component used, among other things, in the manufacture of armor materials. The facility was already struck at the end of August.

🇧🇬In the Black Sea off Bulgaria, three drones struck the container ship Contship Jet, sailing under the flag of Liberia.
All 18 crew members were evacuated — no one was injured.
▪️This incident involving drones striking vessels off Bulgaria is not the first. On October 6, drones attacked two commercial vessels off the coast of Bulgaria. Volodymyr Zelensky immediately stated that it was a Russian drone strike, and Ukrainian Defense Forces were not conducting any operations in that area at the time of the attack.
▪️A week later, UAVs again struck two vessels in the Black Sea — one of them sank, and five people were injured. There were seven Ukrainians on board the Chelsea 3.

Former Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko stated that the heads of NABU and SAPO allegedly requested that a group be sent to Austria to commit "violent actions" against him. At the same time, he did not explain why he has not returned to Ukraine from his business trip.
He paid particular attention to Ukrainska Pravda journalists who were looking for him in Vienna. Kravchenko stated that an investigation is ongoing in Austria regarding four people, including two representatives of UP.
He noted that Mykhailo Tkach was in Monaco on the eve of the incident involving HUR employees, and in Vienna during the period of their detention.

The Russians continue striking Ukrainian cities and villages — there are fatalities in Kremenchuk, Chernihiv, and the Zaporizhzhia region.
🔴Two people were killed in a strike on the center of Chernihiv. Another 11 were injured, including two children.
🔴In Kremenchuk, Poltava region, a Russian drone struck an apartment building — two people are reported dead and one injured.
🔴A resident of the village of Bilenke in Zaporizhzhia was also killed in a Russian strike. Three other men were injured. And in the center of Zaporizhzhia, an FPV drone attacked a minibus — one person was injured.
🔴In Dnipro, where an enemy drone struck the railway station, the number of injured has risen to 10. Thirteen people were killed.

Kyiv Independent Telegram Highlights

⚡️EU frees up over 20 billion euros to potentially help Ukraine’s defense.
«Along with their needs and national defense priorities, member states are also encouraged to use the funds from this second call to strengthen cooperation with Ukraine,» a European Commission press release reads.

⚡️Ukraine heads for first economic decline since 2022 as Russian strikes take their toll.
Ukraine’s National Bank said on Oct. 29 that the country’s economy will shrink by 0.4% this year, after revising its previous forecast of 1.8% growth.

⚡️Russia says war 'must continue' after Ukraine's 'massive' drone attack on Moscow
"Our air defense systems are working effectively. But this shows once again that the situation continues, and the (war) must continue so that we are protected from threats," Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Oct. 29.

⚡️Russia's legal siege over assets continues, costing Euroclear hundreds of millions of euros in 2026.
Euroclear is facing "multiple proceedings in Russian courts," including a case launched by the Russian Central Bank that seeks to challenge the immobilization of its assets.

⚡️'They killed us' – Pressure from Russian authorities forces closure of Novaya Gazeta.
"This is not just our personal story. This is the story of a country and a society that are being crushed in exactly the same way," the Novaya Gazeta staff wrote.

⚡️Russia set to return to international hockey after top sports court's ruling.
The sports court's ruling means that Russia will be able to participate in a sweep of forthcoming ice hockey tournaments in Canada, Czechia, the U.S., and Germany.

⚡️EU announces two new drone technology hubs, backed by Ukrainian know-how.
"In developing drones and counter-drone systems, Europe has one significant advantage: our partnership with Ukraine," said European Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis.

⚡️Ukrainian experts launch security index to help Europe tackle rising drone threat.
The index, unveiled by New Age Defense, a European-Ukrainian defense tech alliance, and the Ukrainian think tank BRDO, "assesses national preparedness across four key areas: prevention, detection, response, and recovery."

⚡️Ukraine to co-found defense bank aimed at financing weapons production.
Ukraine and eight partner countries plan to sign an agreement establishing a new international defense bank on Nov. 30, potentially opening another source of long-term financing for weapons production, the governments said in a joint statement published Oct. 29.

⚡️Ukraine destroys 2 Russian Su-34 bomber jets in Neptune missile strike on airfield, Navy says.
The aircraft were destroyed at the base of Russia's 11th Mixed Aviation Regiment near the settlement of Oktyabrsky, according to the Navy. The regiment belongs to the 4th Mixed Aviation Division of Russia's 4th Air and Air Defense Forces Army.

⚡️UN appoints Russian diplomat to oversee mine action, as Ukraine clears over 300,000 explosives in Kherson Oblast.

⚡️Route demining completed in Russian-occupied Oleshky as humanitarian convoy prepares to enter, Ukraine's ombudsman says.
The convoy is expected to arrive at the city's central hospital, where humanitarian assistance will be provided to residents, Lubinets said.

⚡️Oleshky evacuation begins but volunteer claims Russia already moved people outside of agreed terms.

⚡️Update: Ukrainian delegation, evacuated Oleshky residents head to Anapa in Russia’s Krasnodar Krai.
David Arakhamia, head of President Volodymyr Zelensky's parliamentary faction, said the Ukrainian delegation and residents evacuated from Oleshky were heading to Anapa in Russia's Krasnodar Krai. From there, they are expected to fly to Belarus before continuing by bus to Ukrainian-controlled territory, he added.

⚡️Explosion at Spanish ammunition factory supplying Ukraine injures 3.
The explosion occurred shortly before 9 a.m. in the plant's gunpowder-burning area, a restricted site where no one is normally supposed to be present, Granada's local police said, according to ABC.

President Volodymyr Zelensky signed decrees on Oct. 30 imposing sanctions on 10 companies and 19 Russian citizens involved in developing the Rassvet satellite system, as well as 39 vessels in Russia's shadow fleet, according to a statement on the Presidential Office's website. https://kyivindependent.com/ukraine-sanctions-companies-individuals-linked-to-russias-rassvet-satellite-system-shadow-fleet/

⚡️Ukraine strikes Russian ‘drone port’ in Bryansk Oblast, damaging storage facilities, military says.
The overnight attack targeted the
Russian drone base near Navlya in
Bryansk Oblast, around 70 kilometers from the Ukrainian border.

⚡️Ukraine destroys Iskander-M missile launcher in Russia's Kursk Oblast, General Staff says.

⚡️Russian oil refinery reportedly attacked amid renewed Ukrainian strikes on energy infrastructure.
A fire reportedly broke out at the Novokuybyshevsk Oil Refinery in Russia's Samara Oblast overnight on Oct. 30, following a suspected Ukrainian drone attack, according to footage published by Ukrainian monitoring channel Exilenova+.

⚡️Seven Russian tankers shipping diesel to US identified and located.
Greenpeace Ukraine identified the tankers and is currently tracking their journey. Three of these vessels are currently sanctioned by multiple countries as part of Russia's "shadow fleet" illegally exporting oil. One vessel has been under U.S. sanctions since January 2025.

⚡️Update: Russian deputy PM confirms strikes on 3 refineries, gas-chemical complex.

Why did Russia agree to the Oleshky ceasefire?
Experts, as well as information from Oleshky itself, suggest Russia's motives go far beyond addressing the humanitarian catastrophe it created itself.
⠀Instead, the highly publicized ceasefire brokered by U.S. First Lady Melania Trump presents several opportunities for Moscow to manipulate facts on the ground, an international audience, and — crucially — the White House, all as it positions itself ahead of a new round of peace talks.

⚡️Russian general charged in absentia for missile strike on museum dedicated to 18th century Ukrainian philosopher.
"The (lieutenant) general knew for certain that he was attacking not a military target but a monument of Ukrainian culture. Despite this, he gave the combat order to destroy it," the Prosecutor General wrote.

⚡️Drone attack reportedly kills worker at Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant.
A drone attack on Oct. 29 reportedly killed an employee of the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP), the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said on X.

⚡️Russian night attacks kill 1 in Kyiv, leave 350,000 in Dnipro without power.

⚡️Russian attacks across Ukraine kill 27, injure 128 over past day as 'horrific attack' strikes Dnipro train station.
Beyond strikes on Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, Russia launched ballistic missiles, four guided aerial missiles, and 113 Shahed-type drones, including 83 jet-powered drones, against Ukraine overnight on Oct. 30, according to Ukraine's Air Force.

⚡️Russian strike on Sumy Oblast kills 1, injures 8 people.

Ragnar Bjartur Gudmundsson 🇺🇦
@ragnarbjartur.bsky.social
⚡ RUSSIA'S WAR AGAINST UKRAINE — OCT 29, 2026
■ Record month in terms of casualties (previous record in Dec 2024); yesterday's casualties and land-based equipment losses below average
■ Russia gained 16 km² net in the week to Oct 26, after losing 52 km² net the week before, according to DeepState
■ One 🇷🇺 aircraft hit, the first since Oct 15
■ 2nd quiet night in a row: fewest 🇷🇺 strike drones over two nights since early Sep, no missiles and a good drone interception rate; 12 locations hit or affected by debris
■ Over the last 30 days, Russian strikes outnumbered Ukrainian ones 27 to 1, the highest ratio since mid-April

UNITED24 Media Telegram Highlights

Residents of the temporarily occupied town of Oleshky have welcomed Ukrainian Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets and the accompanying delegation. Lubinets said the ceasefire remains in effect and confirmed that everyone wishing to leave will be evacuated.
Meanwhile, Davyd Arakhamia reported that humanitarian aid has already reached the town. Logistical support is also being provided to residents seeking to leave.

🛢 Russian oil has become so expensive that even China is looking for alternatives in Africa and Brazil, Bloomberg reports.
Chinese refineries are increasingly sourcing oil from Angola, Equatorial Guinea, and Brazil following a sharp rise in the price of Russia’s ESPO crude grade.
In late August, Russian oil traded at a premium of about $5 per barrel over Brent. By late September, that premium had reached $30 per barrel. Although it has since fallen to $20, oil from other regions remains highly competitive.
Lower maritime shipping costs have made even long-haul supplies from the other side of the world economically attractive.
Why this matters: China has long been one of the largest buyers of Russian oil, but its refineries are prepared to switch suppliers if Russian crude loses its price advantage.

Ukrainian attack drones targeted the Novokuibyshevsk oil refinery in Russia’s Samara region, sparking at least 11 fires across the facility. Monitoring channels reported widespread damage following the strike.
Located in the city of Novokuibyshevsk, the refinery is one of the largest in the Volga region and is part of the Rosneft group. It has an annual refining capacity of 8–9 million tonnes of oil.
The facility produces automotive, aviation, and marine fuels, as well as lubricant components, bitumen, coke, and petrochemical products.

Estonia will build 150 bunkers in Ida-Virumaa County, which borders Russia, as part of the Baltic Defence Line, ERR reports.
According to Estonian Defense Minister Martin Herem, 100 bunkers will be located on state-owned land, while the remaining 50 will be built on municipal or private property. He noted that the authorities do not currently plan large-scale land acquisitions along the Narva River for the project. Instead, landowners will be offered compensation for any inconvenience, as well as options to lease or sell their land.
In early October, sources told the Financial Times that Estonia intends to permanently station elite troops closer to the Russian border and is preparing for “active defence” in the event of an armed conflict.
Estonia is concerned about the possibility of a limited-scale invasion intended to test NATO’s readiness to defend an ally, such as the seizure of Narva, a city with a predominantly Russian-speaking population.
In response, Estonia plans to relocate the army’s main combat unit, the 1st Brigade, from Tapa to Jõhvi, about 50 kilometers from the Russian border. A new military base is also under construction in Narva. It is designed to accommodate 200 personnel in peacetime, with capacity for an additional 800 in the event of a crisis.

In the North-Slobozhanskyi direction, drone operators from the State Border Guard Service’s PRIME unit destroyed about 15 Russian vehicles, three quad bikes, a firing position, an ammunition storage site, and numerous enemy shelters.

[more info]
Russia is bringing in North Korean workers on a large scale to staff its factories, with their earnings helping fund North Korea’s military program, the Financial Times reports.
An investigation by the human rights organization Global Rights Compliance found that North Koreans are being hired through intermediaries, circumventing UN sanctions by disguising their employment as “student internships.”
One Russian website offers labor crews of 50–100 people who are ready to work 12 hours a day, 28 days a month. Employers are assured that these workers “are never late, never skip shifts, and never run away.”
Meanwhile, the workers’ identification documents are controlled by the North Korean embassy, and they face the threat of repercussions back home if they breach their contracts.
According to an international sanctions-monitoring group, between 15,000 and 30,000 North Korean workers were in Russia as of late 2025. Experts estimate that the workers receive only 10–25% of their earnings, while the remainder is seized by North Korean state entities.

🐻 We all can use some good news. A camera trap in Zakarpattia has captured a female brown bear with three cubs.
The brown bear is the largest predatory mammal in Ukraine and is listed in the Red Book of Ukraine.
Such observations help scientists and forestry experts monitor bear populations without disturbing the animals in their natural habitat.
Thanks to conservation measures, a hunting ban, and the preservation of natural habitats, the bear population is gradually stabilizing. An estimated 300–350 bears currently live in the Ukrainian Carpathians. https://t.me/United24media/47521

A Russian strike on a humanitarian mission bus in the Zaporizhzhia region killed one woman and wounded three people.

Danish actor Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, best known as Jaime Lannister in the “Game of Thrones,” has been spotted in Ukraine. He arrived in the Ukrainian capital as a Goodwill Ambassador for the UN Development Programme. During an air-raid alert on the night of October 28, he spent the night in the Kyiv metro alongside residents seeking shelter. https://t.me/United24media/47519

Kyiv Post Telegram Highlights

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov arrived in Atlanta on Friday, Oct. 30 for the G20 foreign ministers’ meeting despite objections from US lawmakers and European allies.
Moscow plans to challenge Western sanctions as Washington prepares new peace talks involving Ukraine and Russia.

The Ukrainian delegation and evacuated residents of Oleshky have left for Anapa, Russia, lawmaker Davyd Arakhamia said.
From there, they are expected to fly to Belarus and then travel home by bus, he added.

The Pentagon has privately urged Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia to moderate public warnings about Russia, Reuters reported.
The messages come as Washington pushes for Ukraine peace talks and reviews US troop levels in Europe.

The UN refugee agency warns that nine million people in Ukraine, Syria, Lebanon and Afghanistan need urgent winter assistance.
In Ukraine, Russian strikes on energy infrastructure threaten heating and electricity supplies as temperatures drop.

Kyiv is building backup crossings over the Dnipro as Russia continues targeting bridges across Ukraine.
The first alternative routes in the capital are expected to open in early 2027, Infrastructure Minister Mykola Kalashnyk said.
The city is also partially reopening the damaged South Bridge.

Germany’s elite KSK special forces are shifting their focus toward preparing for a potential conflict with Russia after three decades centered on counterterrorism, hostage rescues and high-risk reconnaissance.

Putin said Russia is ready for a war with Europe but does not want one, warning that any escalation would have no winners.

Russia says it has arrested nearly 60 people since July 2025 over alleged recruitment by Ukrainian intelligence through Telegram’s “Davyinchik” dating chatbot.
The FSB and Interior Ministry claim the platform has been used to recruit Russian youths for sabotage.

Ukraine’s State Bureau of Investigation says a serviceman shared Ukrainian troop positions in the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions with Russia’s FSB, helping direct strikes that wounded Ukrainian soldiers.
He has been detained on suspicion of treason during wartime and leaving his unit without authorization.

Russia’s FSB has detained 76-year-old Gennady Stepakhno, a former Communist Party leader and deputy speaker in the Murmansk region, on treason allegations.
The FSB claims he passed government and infrastructure documents to Ukrainian military intelligence. A party colleague disputes the accusation, while local reports suggest the case may relate to a publicly announced pharmaceutical project.

Macron said Russia is choosing “escalation” over de-escalation after a Russian drone strike on Dnipro’s railway station killed 14 people.
The attack came amid continued strikes across Ukraine and a fragile local ceasefire in Russian-occupied Oleshky.

Bodies Left Unburied, Stray Dogs Feeding on Corpses: Displaced Resident Reveals Life in Russian-Occupied Oleshky
In the interview, an anonymous resident of Oleshky, who has left the city, describes what Oleshky was like before the full-scale war. how life changed under occupation, and what is happening there now, according to her relatives.

What does it mean to reclaim Ukrainian music from the 1990s and challenge Soviet-era stereotypes?
In an exclusive Kyiv Post interview, singer Khrystyna Soloviy reflects on cultural heritage, performing for Ukrainian troops, women’s independence and how Russian attacks damaged her studio.

Live: Ukraine Telegram Highlights

⚡️In October, Russian army losses reached a record 49,040 military personnel, the General Staff reported.
This is the highest monthly figure since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
The average daily losses of the Russian army in October amount to approximately 1,750 people.
▪️The previous record was recorded in December 2024 — at that time, the Russian army lost 48,670 military personnel.

🇺🇸American companies are refusing to buy Russian diesel despite calls from the administration of US President Donald Trump, The Washington Sun reports, citing sources.
Businesses do not want to take risks. According to sources, commercial owners of Russian cargo have been trying to find buyers for several weeks, but American companies have not yet shown interest.
Several sources confirmed that at the time the fuel was loaded onto the tankers, there were no guaranteed buyers.
The tankers are likely heading to American ports, but several analysts expect the vessels may change their final destination to Brazil. Since the US imposed sanctions on Russia in 2022, Brazil has been purchasing significant volumes of Russian diesel.

🇱🇹Lithuania will introduce universal conscription for young men starting in 2032, local media LRT reports.
By then, the country plans to prepare infrastructure for a larger number of conscripts and train instructors. Women will continue to be able to serve voluntarily.
Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda stated that under the new system, approximately 7,500 young people will be conscripted each year. Currently, over 5,000 men are conscripted into the army each year.
The Council also agreed to expand service options. In particular, conscripts will be able to train as drone operators, assist border guards, or work as firefighters.
▪️Partial conscription in Lithuania was restored in 2015 after Russia's annexation of Crimea.

🇺🇬Uganda has stated that 27 of its citizens, recruited into the Russian army to fight in the war against Ukraine, have been killed or are missing.
Uganda's embassy in Russia named 11 Ugandans killed, with the fate of another 16 unknown. They are also not on the list of prisoners of war.

Overnight, Russia attacked Ukraine with Iskander-M / KN-23 ballistic missiles, four Kh-59/69 guided aerial missiles, and 113 strike drones. Air defense neutralized 96 UAVs and three aerial missiles. Key points on the aftermath:
🔴Dnipro. After the Russian attack, the city has no electricity, and electric transport is not operating. Overnight, the Russians struck the railway station again.
🔴Kyiv. The body of a deceased person was found in the Dniprovskyi district. A one-story building was hit, and warehouses in the Darnytskyi district were also on fire.
🔴Kharkiv region. The Russians struck the Slobidskyi district with a missile. A production building and trucks were damaged. In Izium, the number of injured has risen to 15, and one person was killed.
🔴Poltava region. An industrial enterprise was attacked in the Kremenchuk district.

More on the closure of Novaya Gazeta, the paper for which murdered journalist Anna Politkovskaya worked.

Hard to believe it's now 20 years since she was killed. According to the article, she was one of six journalists associated with the paper who have been killed.

Prominent Russian newspaper shuts down under pressure from authorities
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cmewepdr109do

Kyiv Independent Telegram Highlights

⚡️US approves $2.1 billion Patriot missile sale to Ukraine as NATO commander dismisses delivery concerns.
The U.S. State Department approved a $2.1 billion sale of 500 Patriot interceptor missiles to Ukraine on Oct. 30, the same day as NATO's top military commander said deliveries of American-made weapons purchased by European allies were continuing without delays.

⚡️EU lays out 45 billion euro spending plan for Ukraine in 2027.
Roughly 31.7 billion euros ($35 billion) have been allocated to support Ukraine’s defense industrial capacity, according to the European Commission’s proposal.

⚡️Polish president returns to Warsaw as constitutional crisis escalates.
Story updated: Polish President Karol Nawrocki returned to Warsaw on Oct. 30 as a dispute over Poland's Constitutional Tribunal escalated.

Putin open to phone call with Zelensky, Ukraine suspects a Kremlin trap
The Kremlin is seeking to avoid a face-to-face meeting between President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin by proposing they speak by phone instead, the Kyiv Independent has learned.
⠀The apparent move comes as Kyiv insists the two leaders should meet in person to address the most pressing issues in negotiations, including Russia's territorial demands and security guarantees. Such a meeting would be their first since 2019.
⠀Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Oct. 30 that Putin was "open to dialogue with everyone." Asked whether the Russian leader would speak with Zelensky by phone, Peskov added that "no one has called yet."

⚡️ Lavrov denies Kyiv Independent reporting on Russian push for Putin-Zelensky phone call.
"Don't trust them," Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said when asked about the reports.

⚡️Ukraine calls for emergency UN Security Council meeting over deadly Russian attacks on Dnipro, Chernihiv, Kremenchuk.
"Following Russia’s latest barbaric atrocities against Ukrainian civilians in Dnipro, Chernihiv, Kremenchuk, where Russian missiles deliberately slaughtered 20 Ukrainians, wounded dozens more, we are convening an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council. Kick Russia out," Melnyk wrote on X.

⚡️Zelensky to visit Istanbul on Oct. 31 to discuss Black Sea security situation, Turkey says.
President Volodymyr Zelensky and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will reportedly discuss the security situation in the Black Sea and other developments related to Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine.

⚡️Slovakia reopens criminal case over fighter jet, air defense systems donation to Ukraine.
Slovakia's Prosecutor General Maros Zilinka said on Oct. 30 that he had reopened a criminal case against former Prime Minister Eduard Heger and former Defense Minister Jaroslav Nad over their decision to donate Slovakia's fleet of MiG-29 fighter jets and Soviet-era KUB air defense systems to Ukraine in spring 2023.

⚡️G20 family photo allegedly canceled over Russian presence.
"There will definitely not be a family photo in which our European partners are together with Mr. Lavrov," German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said, according to the German n-tv channel.

⚡️Canada pledges 500 million euros toward Ukraine support loan amid 2027 budget shortfall.

⚡️Russian attack hits Kyiv energy facility, leaving parts of four districts without power.
A Russian attack struck an energy facility in Kyiv on the evening of Oct. 30, leaving parts of four districts without electricity, Ukrainian energy company DTEK reported.

⚡️Power outages hit Russia's Kaliningrad Oblast, explosions reported in Ufa amid drone alerts.
Earlier on Oct. 31, Bashkortostan authorities declared a drone threat across the republic and imposed temporary flight restrictions at Ufa Airport, according to Russian media.

Across Central Europe, reports are mounting of Ukrainian refugees — the vast majority women and children — facing harassment and attacks. What’s really behind the headlines about Ukrainians, who were welcomed with open arms in 2022, now facing hatred and hostility? And what role do local politicians play in fueling the violence?
The Kyiv Independent’s new documentary investigates anti-Ukrainian aggression in Germany, the Czech Republic and Poland, the countries that have taken in the largest numbers of Ukrainian refugees since Feb. 24, 2022.
Journalist Danylo Mokryk and his team uncover the stories of Ukrainian women who have faced harassment and analyze tens of thousands of posts on X, revealing how hate speech on social media and in political rhetoric escalates into real-world violence.

UNITED24 Media Telegram Highlights

Three construction vehicles were destroyed by fire overnight at a construction site belonging to arms manufacturer Rheinmetall near Kassel-Calden Airport in Germany.
Police suspect the fire may have been deliberate. Given the possibility of a political motive, the investigation has been handed over to the state security unit of the North Hesse criminal police.
The site is intended to house a drone testing center for Rheinmetall.

❗️Russian forces have once again attacked the railway station in Dnipro. The strike injured one person and sparked a fire, according to the regional military administration.

“I Have No Intention of Holding Back”: Estonian PM Refuses to Soften Rhetoric Toward Russia
Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal has said he does not intend to soften his remarks about Russia, despite reports that the Pentagon has asked the Baltic states to do so.

❗️Russia has launched a series of strikes targeting Ukraine’s energy and railway infrastructure, President Zelenskyy says.
▪️ Kyiv — “Shahed” drones attacked a combined heat and power (CHP) plant in the evening.
▪️ Dnipropetrovsk region — Four electrical substations and a gas distribution facility were hit overnight.
▪️ Shostka — A Russian drone struck a CHP plant early this morning.
▪️ Dnipro and Kharkiv — Strikes on railway infrastructure have been reported.
Following the Russian attacks, the power supply situation in these regions has become difficult.

Two suspects involved in the arson of Starlink satellite network facilities in Lithuania, Bulgaria, and Poland have been detained and taken into custody in Germany, reports DW.
Lithuanian law enforcement officials announced this during a press conference in Vilnius on Thursday, October 29.
According to Saulius Briginas, Deputy Chief of the Lithuanian Criminal Police Bureau, both detainees—who reside in Germany—are around 20 years old. One holds both German and Turkish citizenship, while the other is a citizen of both Germany and Serbia.
"These individuals arrived in Lithuania shortly before committing the crime and left the country immediately afterward," reported the outlet Delfi, citing Briginas. He emphasized that the suspects have no ties to Lithuania and traveled there specifically to carry out the crime. Investigators believe the pair was involved in an attempted arson targeting Starlink equipment at a facility in Vilnius in mid-October. Flammable liquids and incendiary devices (bottles containing a combustible mixture) were used in the attack, though a major fire was averted.
Briginas also stated that investigators see a direct link between the individuals arrested in Germany and the arson attacks on Starlink antennas in Lithuania, as well as in Poland and Bulgaria. On the same day, the Higher Regional Court in Düsseldorf ordered the detention—pending potential extradition—of two 19-year-old German citizens residing in Duisburg and the neighboring town of Moers, who had been arrested last Friday in Duisburg. According to the court and the Düsseldorf Public Prosecutor General’s Office, European arrest warrants issued by Bulgaria are in effect against them.
Case files indicate that on October 9, the two individuals set fire to eight Starlink antennas south of Sofia. If convicted, they face a prison sentence ranging from three to 12 years.

A Full Set of Medals: Ukrainian Team Wins Four Medals at the U19 World Boxing Championships

🐧 Some more good news. “Racing home”: Ukrainian polar researchers show a flock of penguins dashing across Antarctic glaciers
A flock of penguins lives near Ukraine’s Akademik Vernadsky Antarctic station. Polar researchers captured a large group of the birds moving along so-called “penguin highways”—deep, well-trodden paths worn into the snow and ice.
“Look at them racing home—and I haven’t even sped up the footage!” the polar researcher quipped in the video caption. https://t.me/United24media/47546

Kyiv Post Telegram Highlights

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz announced on Saturday, Oct. 31, that Germany will host a meeting of the “Coalition of the Willing” in Berlin in mid-November to coordinate international military and financial assistance for Ukraine.

Russian forces again struck Dnipro’s railway station on the evening of Oct. 30, causing a fire and wounding a woman.
Ukrzaliznytsia confirmed multiple targeted strikes and said passengers and railway employees had taken shelter, with no casualties initially reported among those groups.
The attack followed earlier strikes on the station, including one that killed 15 people on Oct. 29.

Trump criticized demands for new sanctions against Russia, arguing that economic penalties would have prevented the release of 74-year-old American citizen Stephen Hubbard from a Russian prison.
Hubbard, a Michigan native detained in Ukraine in April 2022 and convicted on mercenary charges, was released on Oct. 21 during talks in St. Petersburg between Putin and
Witkoff.

Ukraine’s Defense Forces struck an Iskander-M ballistic missile launcher near Fatezh in Russia’s Kursk region on Friday.
They also hit six ammunition, logistics, and repair facilities in Russian-occupied Ukrainian territories, the General Staff said.

Residents evacuated from Oleshky have arrived in Belarus and are expected to reach Ukraine within hours, lawmaker Davyd Arakhamia said.
“The fourth and final plane has landed in Gomel, Belarus. In just a few hours, all Ukrainian citizens evacuated from Oleshky, together with the Ukrainian delegation, will be on Ukrainian territory,” he said. https://t.me/Kyivpost_official/41530

Ukrainian strike drones targeted the northern industrial hub of Ufa in Russia’s Republic of Bashkortostan overnight into Saturday, igniting a major fire at the “Bashneft-Novoil” oil refinery and reportedly engaging the neighboring Bashneft-UNPZ plant.

Ukraine is working to extend the range of its strikes, President Volodymyr Zelensky said, adding that Russian targets from the Yamal Peninsula to western Siberia are now within reach of Ukrainian forces.

Fighters from Ukraine’s 3rd Separate Assault Brigade destroyed a Russian Mi-8 helicopter during a raid targeting enemy logistics, the 3rd Army Corps said.
A Hornet kamikaze drone crew spotted the helicopter in flight and forced it to change course. Once the Mi-8 landed, Ukrainian forces struck the area near its fuel tanks. A second Hornet drone then confirmed the target had been destroyed.
The Mi-8, used by Russian forces to transport personnel and cargo, evacuate troops and provide fire support, burned out completely.

Live: Ukraine Telegram Highlights

Overnight, the Russians attacked Ukraine with 134 UAVs; air defense neutralized 105.
In Kharkiv, five people were injured in the attack. The Russians struck the private sector in the Osnovianskyi district with a drone.
The roof of a residential building and outbuildings caught fire over a total area of 300 m²; the fire was extinguished. In total, approximately 10 private houses, outbuildings, and a car were damaged.

At the White House Halloween event, two children approached the Trumps dressed in outfits resembling a Russian kokoshnik and a Soviet military uniform.
On October 29, the US president and first lady hosted the traditional celebration on the South Lawn and handed out candy to children.
Among the guests was a girl in a dress styled after a Russian sarafan and a headband resembling a kokoshnik, and a boy in clothing reminiscent of a military uniform and a cap with a cockade styled after the USSR coat of arms.

Not specifically a Ukraine thing, but this will be important for the future.

North Korean government-sponsored hackers Lazarus Group aka TraderTraitor have stolen $6.3bn from the world's largest cryptocurrency exchange Binance.

North Korea has a programme to cultivate hackers from university and recruit them into hacking units overseen by the North Korea intelligence agency.

North Korean groups have made previous high-value hacks, and on this occasion we know the money was immediately laundered and dispersed in a professional-looking way.

So we need to get our heads around a paradigm shift here.

This is not just crime. This is a move by North Korea to exploit a new technology for a very old purpose, viz enriching its own country by directly plundering other countries.

In previous centuries, in order to plunder and pillage other countries you had to turn up in person with swords or bows or machine guns, depending on your era. You could plunder and depart in your longboat with moveable assets; or you could plunder and settle, seizing real estate and agricultural and mineral wealth too (colonisation).

Now there's a new route for plunder. A new financial technology with new vulnerabilities has been created, and individuals and some institutions have placed large amounts of their own (thus at some level their country's) wealth in it.

A country which decides to plunder this financial system can just grab the wealth directly. No need for expensive, messy, kinetic military invasions, or the tedious slow establishment of hegemony. Just blow the digital bank safe and walk quietly away... with $6.3 billion for your national coffers.

I should add that the strategy of plunder really does work. It's what the empires of yore were built on and brought immense wealth into the plundering power. We should absolutely put this in the same box as other threats by the imperialist expansionists of our own era.

Why North Korea's 'elite' hackers are the prime suspect in major Binance hack
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ck9dz3v7z7v3o

It's how the UK got rich isn't it, plundering.

Binance invested a LOT in security. NK must have been working on this a long time.

Russia will have arranged to work with NK to get into European/US institutions in the case of war, almost certainly.

Jesus what a world we live in!

That's very good news about the evacuees from Oleshky having reached Belarus, with onward transport arranged to Ukraine.

After Russia's kidnapping of Ukrainian children and Russia's attempts early in the war to "evacuate" Ukrainians into Russia, I feared the Oleshky folk would suffer the same.

US is not even hiding it anymore, poor kids to be used for propaganda.

Yes exactly, re the British Empire.

I had to think about how to phrase my post above not to trigger too much denial of reality!

There's so much emotional loading on all aspects of the British Empire that it can be hard to discuss any of it objectively, including the economics. We Brits sometimes do ourselves an immense disservice by allowing our feelings of pride /guilt /embarrassment /whatever to cloud our understanding of history.

We can get so wrapped up in our own exceptionalism that we completely fail to see the bigger picture – when seeing the bigger picture and learning from it are what we need to survive in the 21st century.

Sorry, this is one of my hobby-horses!

Ed Milliband G20 comments

"Let me say this directly to the Russian foreign minister. We know you are the aggressor. We know you started this war four and a half years ago with the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Putin thought then he would win this war easily. But you are not winning this war."

NB my post about being the problems of discussing the British Empire wasn't aimed at folk on this thread!

I think most of us here are pretty good at taking a realistic view!

It's more a general problem, that I find I can't have good discussions about important stuff because folk get completely unnecessarily defensive.

I feel I keep having to add, "No I'm not criticising you personally or asking you to do penance for things that happened before you were born! We just need to talk about XYZ structural phenomenon which is happening in the world today!"

Agreed, @PerkingFaintly It's very frustrating. Living abroad, it's much easier to get a more dispassionate discussion.

Those penguins dashing across the ice are supercute!

https://understandingwar.org/research/russia-ukraine/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-october-28-2026/

Key Takeaways

1. Russia and Ukraine continued observing a limited ceasefire in occupied Kherson Oblast on October 28, but it remains unclear whether Ukrainian civilians will have a legitimate and duress-free choice to return to Ukrainian government-controlled Ukraine.
2. The Kremlin continues efforts to persuade the Trump administration to make economic concessions and pursue business cooperation with Russia even as Russia continues to refuse to make any concessions of its own to end its war in Ukraine.
3. Kremlin officials continue attempts to exclude Europe from peace negotiations to end the war in Ukraine while reiterating Russia’s 2021 demand for NATO to roll back its presence in Europe.
4. Three unidentified — possibly Russian — unmanned surface vehicles (USVs) struck a cargo ship off the coast of Bulgaria on October 28.
5. Russia continues to actively support Iranian-backed operations against US allies in the Middle East.
6. Ukrainian forces recently advanced southeast of Oleksandrivka and northeast of Hulyaipole. Russian forces recently advanced north of Kostyantynivka.
7. Russian forces launched one Iskander-M/S-400 ballistic missile and 88 drones against Ukraine overnight.
8. Ukrainian forces continued their long-range strike campaign against Russian industrial infrastructure on October 27 and 28.

This seems a bit less hazardous than Woodes Rogers raiding the Spanish treasure fleet.

I'm sort of hoping that the parents were trolling Trump.