Monday, October 28

Russia’s war against Ukraine

Tankers from the 33rd separate mechanized brigade of the Ukrainian Ground Forces load projectiles onto a Leopard 2A4 tank during a field training at an undisclosed location in Ukraine on Oct. 27. (Genya Savilov / AFP via Getty Images)

Russia transporting North Korean troops to front lines in civilian trucks, military intelligence says. Russian police officers on Oct. 27 stopped a Kamaz truck with civilian license plates on the Kursk-Voronezh highway, HUR said. The vehicle was reportedly loaded with North Korean military personnel.

Russia mulls ‘various responses’ if West aids Ukraine with long-range strikes, Putin says. The Russian Defense Ministry is considering “various options” as a response if Ukraine launches long-range strikes against Russia with Western support, Russian President Vladimir Putin told state media in an interview published on Oct. 27.

Russia had ‘partial success’ at Levadne but Ukraine holds dominant heights, military says. Ukrainian forces continue to hold all the dominant heights near Levadne in Zaporizhzhia Oblast and are attempting to restore their positions, Southern Defense Forces spokesperson Vladyslav Voloshyn said on air on Oct. 27.

Kyiv appeals to UN, Red Cross after reports of Russian soldiers murdering civilians in Selydove. “The alleged shooting of two women by the occupiers in Selydove is a war crime,” Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets said. “I immediately sent letters to international organizations: UN and ICRC. I am waiting for a response.”

Russia claims downing 51 Ukrainian drones, fire reported at oil facility. A drone struck in the Michurinsky district of the region at around 0:40 a.m. local time, causing a fire that was quickly extinguished, Governor Maxim Egorov said on his Telegram channel.

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Zelensky open to integrating China’s, Brazil’s proposals into peace formula, Yermak says. Ukraine will finalize its formula by November and will be open to including other initiatives by then, Presidential Office chief Andriy Yermak told Corriere della Sera.

Zelensky claims PM Modi can help end war in ‘Times of India’ interview. “Modi is the PM of a really huge country from the perspective of population, economy, influence and impact. Such a country cannot just say we are interested in the end of the war – we are all interested in that. PM Modi can influence the end of the Ukraine war,” President Volodymyr Zelensky said.

Drone damages industrial facilities in Russia’s Voronezh Oblast, governor says. Debris from downed drones struck two industrial facilities in Russia’s Voronezh Oblast on the evening of Oct. 27, regional governor Alexander Gusev said via his official Telegram channel.

Ukraine to hold elections ‘immediately after war,’ Zelensky’s chief of staff says.

“(President Volodymyr) Zelensky is very clear; he wants all soldiers and refugees abroad to be able to vote,” Andriy Yermak told Corriere della Sera. “But for now, resources must go to the war.”

Read our exclusives

Ukraine war latest: Russia transporting North Korean troops to front lines in civilian trucks

Russia is transporting North Korean soldiers to the front lines via trucks with civilian license plates, Ukraine’s military intelligence agency reported on Oct. 27. The announcement follows reports from U.S. and Ukrainian officials that a contingent of North Korean troops is headed to Russia’s Kursk Oblast to assist Moscow in countering Ukraine’s offensive in the region.

Photo: Ed Ram/The Washington Post via Getty Images

Human cost of war

Russia’s attack on Kharkiv Oblast injures 21, Ukrainian officials report. At least 21 people were injured overnight on Oct. 28, including five children, as Russia launched multiple air attacks on Ukraine’s northeastern Kharkiv Oblast, State Emergency Service reported.

Russian soldiers suspected of murdering 2, injuring 1 civilian in embattled Selydove. Russian soldiers in the Donetsk Oblast town of Selydove have likely opened fire against civilians on several occasions, killing at least two women and injuring one person, the regional prosecutor’s office said on Oct. 27.

Russia’s attacks kill 5 civilians in Kherson Oblast. At least five civilians were killed and four injured in Russian attacks on Oct. 27 in Ukraine’s southern Kherson Oblast, which remains divided by the front line and frequently endures Russian artillery, drone, and missile strikes.

International response

JD Vance says Taiwan more vital to US than Ukraine due to key role in chip production. “Our interest is in peace. But part of that is motivated by my view that Ukraine is not nearly as important to us as other regions of the world, right? Just putting my cards on the table,” Republican Senator and vice presidential candidate J.D. Vance said.

Germany, France skeptical about bypassing Hungary’s veto on EU aid for Ukraine, Bloomberg reports. Germany and France have doubts about the EU diplomatic service’s proposal to circumvent Hungary’s veto of 6 billion euros ($6.6 billion) in defense assistance for Kyiv, Bloomberg reported on Oct. 25, citing undisclosed sources.

To protect Taiwan, help Ukraine defeat Russia, former UK defense secretary says. “Now is therefore the time not only to provide long-range permission for our Storm Shadow missiles but to do so without awaiting a decision from Washington,” former U.K. Defense Secretary Grant Shapps argues.

JD Vance declines to call Putin enemy, calls for negotiations with Russia. “I think that he’s clearly an adversary. He is a competitor,” Republican VP candidate J.D. Vance said when asked if he considers Russian President Vladimir Putin an enemy.

Canada ships armored combat support vehicles to Ukraine. Canada has provided Ukraine with a new shipment of Light Armored Vehicles (LAVs) 6.0 ACSV specially configured as ambulances, the Canadian Armed Forces’ Operation UNIFIER announced on Oct. 26.

In other news

Georgian president does not recognize election results, calls for protests. “These elections cannot be recognized. This is the same as recognizing Georgia’s subordination to Russia. … No one can take away Georgia’s European future.”

Georgian elections accompanied by vote buying, intimidation, European monitors say. “During our observation, we noted the cases of vote buying and double voting before and during elections, especially in rural areas,” said Ioan Bulai, the head of the delegation of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE).

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