Monday, October 14

Russia’s war against Ukraine

Amputee veterans of the Russian-Ukrainian war take part a symbolic start in the Kyiv Marathon of Invincibility in Kyiv, on Oct. 13, 2024. (Anatolii Stepanov/AFP via Getty Images)

Defense minister confirms more weapons pledges, arms production after foreign visit. The U.K. pledged to provide additional long-range weapons, artillery systems, and robotic systems, while French President Emmanuel Macron discussed the possibility of opening a training center for drone operators in France, according to the announcement.

Ukraine is holding front line in Kursk Oblast despite Russian attacks, Zelensky says. “There were attempts by Russia to push back our positions. But we are holding the defined lines,” he said.

Kyiv considering ceding territory to end war with Russia, Der Spiegel reports. The government is now holding “serious discussions” about relinquishing its aim of full territorial restoration, an unnamed official told Der Spiegel.

Russian troops reportedly shoot 9 Ukrainian POWs in Kursk Oblast. The shootings are said to have occurred on Oct. 10, Deepstate reported, citing sources in Ukraine’s First Tank Brigade.

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Prosecutors open investigation into alleged killing of 9 POWs by Russians in Kursk Oblast. “The killing of prisoners of war is a gross violation of the Geneva Conventions and an international crime. A criminal case has been opened over the violation of the laws and customs of war combined with premeditated murder,” Kostin posted on X.

Estonia considering buying defense equipment from Ukraine, official says. “We need to understand here that this can only be done in such a way that if we buy, then Ukraine gets more money. And they will be able to produce more for their army,” Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur said.

Zelensky: Russia has used around 900 aerial bombs against Ukraine this week. Russia also launched more than 40 missiles and 400 combat drones of various types, Zelensky said in a video address posted on Telegram.

Russia’s illegal use of Starlink terminals hastened fall of Vuhledar, WP reports. “They just overpowered us,” an officer in the 72nd Mechanized Brigade, one of the units defending Vuhledar, told The Washington Post. The officer said Russia’s access to Starlink was a key factor in the loss of the city.

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Ukraine war latest: Ukraine is holding front line in Kursk Oblast despite Russian attacks, Zelensky says

Ukrainian troops are holding the front line in Russia’s Kursk Oblast despite Russian attempts to break through, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Oct. 12.

Photo: Oleg Palchyk/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images

Human cost of war

General Staff: Russia has lost 668,930 troops since Feb 24, 2022. Russia has lost 668,930 troops since the beginning of its full-scale invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022, the General Staff of Ukraine’s Armed Forces reported on Oct. 13.

Trump and Putin’s secret phone calls | Ukraine This Week

International response

Media: Biden to visit Germany on Oct 18, Ramstein summit remains postponed. Biden was supposed to convene a leader-level meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group in Germany on Oct. 12, where President Volodymyr Zelensky was expected to present his victory plan. However, he put off his visit in order to oversee the emergency response to Hurricane Milton.

Russian MiG-31 fighter jets likely left Belarus, monitoring group says. The two MiG-31K jets landed in Belarus on Oct. 9 and 10, a year and a half after their last appearance in Belarus.

Zelensky warns of ‘increasing alliance’ between Russia, North Korea. “We see an increasing alliance between Russia and regimes like North Korea. This is no longer just about transferring weapons. It is actually about transferring people from North Korea to the occupying military forces.”

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