Ukraine Breaking News Today Live on 10-10-2024

The Ukrainian president said that such reports were based on Russian disinformation

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Thursday a ceasefire with Russia was not under discussion with European allies and urged more Western support ahead of a tough winter during his lightning tour of four capitals.

Zelensky was seeking a military and financial boost during a 48-hour trip to London, Paris, Rome and Berlin, amid fears of dwindling support if Donald Trump becomes US president next month.

Lithuania’s Defense Minister has announced the installation of new fortifications on a bridge over the Neman River a key strategic crossing point on the route to and from Russia’s exclave.

On Wednesday Oct. 9, Lithuania’s Defense Minister, Laurynas Kasčiūnas, posted on X / Twitter a report on the completion of new fortifications on a strategic bridge over the Neman River, near the border with Russia’s Kaliningrad exclave.

The territory is positioned between the Baltic Sea, Poland and Lithuania, both NATO members. It is heavily armed, housing the headquarters of Moscow’s Baltic Sea Fleet and is believed to hold Russian tactical nuclear weapons.

The event organizers conducted advocacy training to equip attendees with the tools they need to effectively advocate for Ukraine.

Far from the battlefields in Ukraine, members of the Ukrainian-American community are waging a crucial fight on another front: Capitol Hill.

From Sept. 22-25, the fifth Ukraine Action Summit, organized by the American Coalition for Ukraine (ACU), convened in Washington DC, bringing together over 500 delegates from 45 states, who engaged with members of Congress to advocate for increased support for Ukraine.

Kyiv admitting the weapon was hit, but said it was lightly damaged and still in operation

Russia said Thursday its missiles had struck two launchers of a US-made Patriot air defense system in Ukraine, with Kyiv admitting the weapon was hit, but saying it was lightly damaged and still in operation.

Kyiv is reliant on Western air defense systems, particularly Patriots, to protect itself from the barrage of Russian missiles and has been calling for more deliveries.

Despite superior numbers, including 60 main battle tanks and over 1,000 troops, the Russian forces were completely destroyed within just 20 minutes.

Zelensky is seeking a military and financial boost during a 48-hour trip to London, Paris, Rome and Berlin, amid fears of dwindling support if Donald Trump becomes US president next month.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday held talks with French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris, as part of a European tour aimed at securing more Western support before the presidential election in the United States.

Zelensky is seeking a military and financial boost during a 48-hour trip to London, Paris, Rome and Berlin, amid fears of dwindling support if Donald Trump becomes US president next month.

“Corrupt,” “Useful Idiot,” “Scam artist,” and “Autocrat” – those were some of the nicer terms some European MPs used to describe Hungarian Prime Minister Orbán, who was just in Brussels.

Hungarian leader Viktor Orbán in a Wednesday speech to the European Parliament argued that his strong stance on traditional family values and better relations with Russia are good for the continent.

“Useful idiot” was far from the nastiest response hurled back at him in Europe’s top lawmaking body where, during a day of contentious debate, members accused Orbán of being at least an enemy of individual freedoms and European democracy, and possibly, simply a Kremlin agent.

Six people were initially reported dead, but today two more people succumbed to their injuries in the hospital – victims of Russia’s missile attack Wednesday.

The death toll from a Russian ballistic missile strike on port infrastructure in Ukraine‘s southern Odesa has risen to eight, according to Oleh Kiper, head of the Odesa Regional Military Administration (OVA).

Initially, six people were confirmed dead following the Russian strike on Wednesday, Oct. 9. However, Kiper reported on Thursday that a 46-year-old port employee had died from severe injuries in the hospital.

The latest poll reveals the current mood and perceptions of Ukrainians after 950 days of Russia’s all-out war against them and more than ten years since it began its assault.

The absolute majority of Ukrainians, 81%, believe that Ukraine is capable of achieving success on the battlefield if the West adequately supports it.

This is evidenced by a survey conducted by Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS) from September 20 to October 3, 2024.

Guterres is going to Russia despite its war against Ukraine and gross violation of the UN Charter.

The leaders of 24 countries will attend this month's BRICS summit in the Russian city of Kazan, a top Kremlin aide said Thursday.

Yury Ushakov, Russian President Vladimir Putin's foreign policy aide, told journalists that 24 countries will be represented "at leader level"  and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres will participate. 

The Kyiv government plans to audit companies considered critical enterprises that currently grant employees the option to be temporarily exempted from mobilization.

Ukraine is set to audit the current conscription deferral mechanism based on many conscripts – estimated about 1.5 million – being temporarily exempted from mobilization under the system.

Set to conclude on Nov. 15, the audit would evaluate the validity of companies categorized as critical enterprises, granting them the option of exempting their employees from mobilization, Lt. Gen. Ivan Havryliuk, the Deputy Minister of Defense, told Suspilne.

From London, Zelensky heads to meet France's President Emmanuel Macron and Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, then Germany to see Chancellor Olaf Scholz -- all in the space of 48 hours.

President Volodymyr Zelensky met UK premier Keir Starmer and Nato chief Mark Rutte in London Thursday, as the Ukrainian leader embarked on a whistle-stop tour of European capitals aimed at securing military aid before next month's crunch US election.

Starmer told Rutte during the trilateral meeting at Downing Street that he and Zelensky had been discussing Ukraine's "plan for victory" in its fight against Russia's full-scale invasion more than two years ago.

The agreement helps bypass Hungary’s refusal to extend the renewal period for the regime holding Russian frozen assets from six to 36 months.

EU ambassadors agreed on Wednesday (9 October) to give Ukraine up to 35 billion euros as part of the bloc's share in a larger planned loan from the Group of Seven nations (G7) backed by frozen Russian central bank assets, a statement from the Council of the EU said.

The G7 and European Union announced in June they would provide a $50 billion loan to help Ukraine, serviced by profits generated by Russian assets immobilised in the West. These assets were frozen shortly after Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

The Nintendo Switch port of the original STALKER trilogy, created by a Ukrainian gaming studio, is set to be released by the end of October ahead of the much-awaited franchise sequel.

The original STALKER gaming trilogy is set to be released on Nintendo Switch on Oct. 31, the Ukrainian studio behind the franchise said.

The STALKER: Legends of the Zone compilation, consisting of the games Shadow of Chornobyl, Clear Sky, and Call of Prypiat, is set in a fictional alternative reality version of the Chornobyl exclusion zone in Ukraine.

France’s Armed Forces Minister announced the delivery of modernized Dassault Mirage 2000 fighters in the first quarter of next year.

French Armed Forces Minister Sébastien Lecornu announced on X / Twitter details of plans to transfer surplus Dassault Mirage 2000 fighter aircraft to Ukraine in early 2025. The jets are currently being upgraded with new unspecified electronic warfare (EW) defense and air-to-ground attack equipment in Cazaux, in southwest France.

In parallel to upgrading the aircraft France has been carrying out what they describe as an “accelerated pilot and ground crew training program” for 26 Ukrainian flyers and maintainers which began in March this year. It was reported in June that the French course was the first step to prepare the pilots for further, advanced F-16 conversion. It now seems likely that it was designed (or adapted) for the Mirages.

While strongly condemning Moscow's invasion of Ukraine, Unilever initially joined other multinationals that decided to maintain operations in Russia, triggering widespread criticism.

British consumer goods giant Unilever on Thursday completed the sale of Unilever Russia, finally joining other multinationals in exiting the country following its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Unilever said in a statement that it had offloaded the subsidiary to Arnest Group, a Russian manufacturer of perfume, cosmetics and household products, for an undisclosed amount.

Through seven phone calls since 2021, Trump feeds his ego as Putin plays Trump, the author writes.

According to Bob Woodward’s upcoming book “WAR”, Donald Trump had “as many as seven” secret calls with Vladimir Putin after leaving office. From the initial details provided to the public, Trump requested full privacy during these calls and asked for his staffers and assistants to leave. However, knowing what we know about normal communications protocols used by heads of state and the Russian government’s proclivity for recording and surveillance, we can assume that the Russians have copies of each of these calls that Trump made. It’s also possible that the U.S. intelligence community has a record of the calls. Trump wouldn’t be the target of the call, but given that Putin is a high-value target, Trump’s conversations could have been recorded.

Where do we begin… 

Putin promoted influential former bodyguard Alexei Dyumin to Russia’s modern-day politburo, along with a new generation of officials tasked with the functioning of wartime command centres.

President Vladimir Putin promoted influential former bodyguard Alexei Dyumin to Russia's modern-day politburo on Monday (30 September), along with a new generation of officials tasked with the functioning of wartime command centres and overseeing the defence industry.

In Putin's Russia, the Security Council is a key arena for the formulation of decisions on Russia's most important national security issues, and has been dominated till now by men of the president's generation, mostly born in the 1950s.

Khanskaya airfield in the southern Russian region of Adygea is home to the 272nd training aviation base of the Krasnodar Higher Military Aviation School.

Kyiv Post's sources in special services have confirmed that early in the morning on Thursday, Oct. 10, dozens of Ukrainian combat UAVs targeted the Russian Khanskaya military airfield near Maykop, Adygea in a joint operation by Ukraine’s Military Intelligence (HUR) and the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU).

Khanskaya Airfield houses the 272nd Polotsk Aviation Training Base, part of the Krasnodar Higher Military Aviation School. This facility has been used by Russian forces to refuel aircraft and launch missile and bomb attacks on Ukrainian Defense Forces and civilian settlements.

Between wanting to help Ukraine and taking the necessary steps to ensure that help achieves its aim – victory – there seems to be an abyss. The West is now wavering above that abyss.

Editor’s note: Dr. Mohammad Zahoor is a former owner of Kyiv Post (2009-2018)

The ongoing war in Ukraine has exposed a sharp contrast between the promises made by Western nations and the harsh realities faced by the Ukrainian people on the ground. While the West has pledged support, reports indicate that this response has often been inconsistent, hampered by logistical delays, ineffective supply chains, and geopolitical hesitations, all of which have real-world consequences for Ukraine’s sovereignty and security.

The world in focus, as seen by a Canadian leading global affairs analyst, writer and speaker, in his review of international media.

Hurricane Milton has made landfall near Siesta Key, Florida, as a dangerous Category 3 storm. It is the fifth hurricane to make landfall in the US this year. Milton is bringing “an axis of extreme rainfall” to the Tampa Bay area, increasing the risk of deadly flash flooding, according to the National Weather Service. The storm could become one of the most destructive on record for Florida’s Gulf Coast. Hurricane Milton’s wind field more than doubled in size since yesterday — meaning its disastrous impacts are being felt over a much larger area. Tropical-storm force winds are expected to cover the entire width of the Florida peninsula and stretch from Miami to Savannah by Thursday. Hurricane force winds roaring through the Tampa Bay area are gusting with such force it’s pushing water through one building’s wall. - CNN

Vice President Kamala Harris has raised more than $1 billion in less than three months as a presidential candidate, according to three people with knowledge of her fund-raising haul. While other presidential candidates, together with their parties, have passed that threshold before, the sheer speed with which Ms. Harris and her affiliated party committees raised the sum is notable. And it’s more than former President Donald J. Trump has announced raising in all of 2024. - NYT

Latest from the Institute for the Study of War.

Key Takeaways from ISW:

• The Russian military command has likely ordered Russian forces to conduct a relatively high tempo of mechanized assaults in Ukraine to pursue significant tactical advances before muddy ground conditions in fall 2024 constrain mechanized maneuver. Poor weather conditions in fall 2024 and early winter 2024-2025 will likely complicate and constrain both mechanized and infantry maneuver, but Russian forces may seek to maintain their consistent offensive pressure in eastern Ukraine despite these difficulties.
• US European Command (EUCOM) Commander and NATO Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR) General Christopher Cavoli reportedly stated that the United States is withholding several US weapon systems and other military communications networks from Ukraine that could support Ukraine's war effort.
• South Korean Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun stated on October 8 that a limited number of North Korean military personnel are likely operating near occupied Donetsk City.
• Russian illegal arms dealer and Ulyanovsk Oblast parliamentarian Viktor Bout reportedly helped broker a deal for Russia to sell arms worth $10 million to Yemen's Houthi rebels in August 2024 amid increasing reports of potential Russian arms transfers to the Houthis and deepening Russo-Iranian cooperation.
• Russia banned partially-encrypted communications platform Discord on October 8, likely degrading some frontline Russian forces' ad-hoc communications in the near term.
• Russian forces continue to use chemical weapons in Ukraine in a continued apparent violation of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), to which Russia is a party.
• Russian forces recently advanced near Kreminna, Siversk, Toretsk, Pokrovsk, and Robotyne.
• Ukrainian Kharkiv Group of Forces Spokesperson Vitaliy Sarantsev stated on October 8 that Russian forces may have exhausted their preexisting stocks of aerial bombs for glide bomb strikes.

The attack struck a civilian container ship flying the flag of Panama, according to the region's governor, Oleh Kiper.

A Russian ballistic missile strike on port infrastructure in Ukraine's southern Odesa region killed six people and wounded 11 others on Wednesday, authorities said.

The attack struck a civilian container ship flying the flag of Panama, according to the region's governor, Oleh Kiper.

A Ukrainian lawmaker said surplus drone exports could bring Ukraine up to $20B in revenue, which the country could theoretically reinvest into domestic arms manufacturing.

Ukraine is reportedly considering lifting current drone export restrictions to bring in extra revenue to support the country’s domestic arms manufacturing.

The Financial Times (FT), citing officials and industry participants, said the limited resources at present have prompted Kyiv to consider exporting drones, an industry that has thrived in Ukraine since Russia’s 2022 invasion.

Atesh claims that Russian troops are now forced to distribute fuel to various points on the occupied Crimean Peninsula while carefully disguising their storage locations.

Following the destruction of the oil depot in Feodosia in occupied Crimea, the Russian Armed Forces are grappling with significant challenges related to fuel storage and distribution for military equipment, including tanks, armored personnel carriers, and aircraft, according to a report from the Atesh partisans.