Russia and Ukraine blame each other for explosions in occupied Melitopol. The Russian army shells several cities again. Meanwhile in Cherson there are growing indications of an impending Russian withdrawal. And the nuclear supervisory authority presents its findings regarding an alleged “dirty bomb”. The 253rd day of the war at a glance.
Occupied Melitopol under fire
There have been several heavy explosions in the Russian-held city of Melitopol in southern Ukraine. This is confirmed by representatives of both sides, although the accounts differ. Russian anti-aircraft defenses shot down incoming Ukrainian missiles, a representative of the occupation administration, Vladimir Rogov, wrote on Telegram. The expelled Ukrainian mayor of Melitopol, Ivan Fedorov, said a factory building with a Russian staff inside was shelled.
Fighting continues in the eastern regions of Luhansk and Donetsk. “The enemy is trying to hold the temporarily conquered areas,” the Ukrainian general staff said. “He is concentrating his efforts on containing defense forces’ actions in certain areas.”
Attacks in several parts of the country
According to the Ukrainian military, Russian troops have shelled the city of Kriviy Rih in the center of the country. Sumy and Kharkiv in the northeast were also attacked. According to local authorities, Russia has also attacked suburbs of Zaporizhia. Residents were asked to stay in shelters, the Kyiv Independent reported. The air defense destroyed Iranian drones.
The Zaporizhia nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine is disconnected from the power grid after a Russian shelling. The Ukrainian operator Energoatom announced that the remaining high-voltage lines were hit and damaged. The nuclear power plant is only supplied by diesel generators. The diesel supply is enough for 15 days.
Russia is apparently planning a withdrawal from Cherson
According to Western security circles, Russia is preparing to withdraw its troops from the southern Ukrainian city of Cherson. The Russians may have decided that “the city is not worth the fight,” a senior Western government official said in a background briefing to journalists. However, it is always possible that the military leadership will change its mind at short notice, even if everything currently points to a withdrawal, he said.
A representative of the region’s administration installed by Russia had previously spoken of a possible withdrawal from the west bank of the Dnipro River. “Most likely, our troops will retreat to the left (eastern) bank,” said Moscow-appointed deputy chief of the region’s occupation government, Kirill Stremousov.
Switzerland prohibits Germany from exporting ammunition
Germany is not allowed to pass on Swiss-made ammunition for the “Gepard” anti-aircraft tank to Ukraine. Due to Swiss neutrality, it is not possible to grant the German application for the further export of this ammunition to Ukraine, Economics Minister Guy Parmelin explained in a letter to Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht. Swiss law therefore prohibits exports to countries involved in an armed conflict.
IAEA: No evidence of “dirty bomb”
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has so far found no evidence of “undeclared nuclear activities” in Ukraine after allegations by Russia about alleged plans by Kiev for a “dirty bomb”. The technical and scientific evaluation of the results so far yielded “no indication of undeclared nuclear activities and materials” at three locations in Ukraine, explained IAEA boss Rafael Grossi. “We will report on the results of the environmental samples as soon as possible.”
Azovstal fighters are released
Ukraine and Russia have once again exchanged prisoners of war. This time, 107 officers and soldiers on each side were released, as announced by Kyiv and Moscow. The head of the Presidential Office in Kyiv, Andriy Yermak, told Telegram that 74 soldiers were among the Ukrainians who defended the Azov steelworks in the port city of Mariupol in the spring. Among those returning from the war were some seriously injured with infected wounds, mutilated limbs and burns.
British see Russian equipment shortages
The daily report by the British Ministry of Defense states that Russian troops at the front are in serious trouble. There is a lack of modern combat vehicles after enormous losses. Russian soldiers are said to be frustrated at having to use old infantry vehicles called “aluminum cans.”
By mid-October, Russian units were losing more than 40 vehicles a day in the face of Ukrainian counterattacks, which the British say is about the equipment of an entire battalion. In the past few weeks, Moscow has bought at least 100 additional tanks and infantry fighting vehicles from Belarusian stocks. However, it was difficult for the Russian units to procure enough suitable replacements for the damaged material, which caused problems for the offensive.
Mayor Klitschko worried about winter
In an interview with ntv, the mayor of Kyiv, Vitali Klitschko, warned of further attacks on the Ukrainian infrastructure with a view to the winter: “If it gets to minus 10 or minus 20 degrees outside, which happens every winter, then we have real problems.” According to Klitschko, the targeted attacks on the critical infrastructure would show the “true face of this war”. “This is genocide, this is not a special operation, this is not a war against the military. This is a war against the people.”
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