Thursday, October 10

Russia’s war against Ukraine

President Volodymyr Zelensky (L) attends the Ukraine-South East Europe Summit in Dubrovnik, Croatia on October 09, 2024. Zelenskyy held separate meetings with the Prime Minister of Albania, Edi Rama, the Prime Minister of North Macedonia, Hristijan Mickoski, the Prime Minister of Greece, Kyriakos Mitsotakis and the President of Slovenia, Natasa Pirc Musar. (Ukrainian Presidency / Handout/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Russian weapons depot storing North Korean shells, missiles set ablaze after drone attack, Ukraine’s military reports. Ukraine’s General Staff said the depot was the 67th Arsenal of Russia’s Main Missile and Artillery Directorate (GRAU), located near the city of Karachev.

Battlefield situation calls for decisive action to end war in 2025, Zelensky says. “In October, November and December we have a real chance to move things toward peace and lasting stability. The situation on the battlefield creates an opportunity to make this choice — the choice for decisive action to end the war no later than in 2025,” President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Russia reportedly redeploys Kinzhal missiles carrier to Belarus for first time in over a year. The MiG-31K landing is the first in a year and a half. In April 2023, three Russian MiG-31Ks left the country and have not been spotted there since then, the Belaruski Hajun monitoring group reported.

Ukraine hits Russian base storing Shahed drones in Krasnodar Krai, military claims. “The destruction of the Shahed drones storage base will significantly reduce the ability of the Russian occupiers to terrorize civilians in Ukrainian cities and villages,” Ukraine’s General Staff said.

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Zelensky arrives in Croatia for regional summit. The talks will focus on achieving peace, Ukraine’s path to NATO and the EU, as well as the reconstruction of Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Oct. 9.

Zelensky to meet with UK, Germany, Italy, France leaders within next day. “I will meet separately in each country with the leaders of Britain, France, and Germany. I will try to be swift, and then I will present the victory plan to all our partners at Ramstein,” President Volodymyr Zelensky said.

2,300 Ukrainian soldiers being trained in France as part of new brigade. “France is the first country to train a full-fledged Ukrainian brigade on its territory. This initiative is unparalleled in terms of the number of trained soldiers and the duration of the training,” the French Embassy in Kyiv said.

Read our exclusives

Ukraine war latest: Russian weapons depot storing North Korean shells, missiles set ablaze after drone attack

“According to available information, missiles and artillery weapons, including those that came from North Korea, as well as guided aerial bombs, were stored on the territory of the warehouse,” Ukraine’s General Staff reported on Oct. 9.

Photo: Telegram/Astra

‘Time is currency,’ constrained US congressional trips to Ukraine stymie diplomatic efforts

A series of logistical constraints on U.S. Congressional members’ travel to Ukraine is increasingly raising worries about the effectiveness of American diplomacy to Kyiv, members of Congress and Congressional advisors told the Kyiv Independent.

Photo: Eduard Kryzhanivskyi/Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images

‘We believe that in 5 years, Ukraine’s defense sector will attract half a billion dollars;’ Q&A with foreign defense investors

Ukraine has the capacity to produce around $20 billion worth of weapons and equipment, according to government estimates, but the state budget can only fund around $6 billion.

Photo: Ukrinform/NurPhoto via Getty Images

Forced to flee war-torn Kherson, bar finds new life as popular Kyiv spot

The war has reshaped the landscape of Ukraine’s economy, forcing businesses to adapt or relocate. Small and medium-sized enterprises, which make up 99% of the country’s economy, have been hit particularly hard. These businesses provide 82% of Ukraine’s jobs.

Photo: Personal archive of Lunca Bar Team

Human cost of war

Russia’s missile attack on Odesa Oblast kills 6, injures 11. At least six people were killed and 11 injured in a Russian missile strike on Ukraine’s southern Odesa Oblast on Oct. 9, regional governor Oleh Kiper reported on Telegram.

Opinions and insights

Opinion: The West cannot use its values to make sense of Russia

“The fundamental error is that we apply our own standards to analyze Moscow’s actions. Because of this, the war continues, as the Russian government and society operate under different expectations,” writes Julian McBride in his latest op-ed.

Photo: Contributor/Getty Images

Opinion: Ukraine’s road to victory may lie in a ‘Korean solution’

“The problem is that Russian troops still control approximately one-fifth of Ukraine’s territory, and Putin has revised his war goals to demand that Ukraine recognize his annexation of four eastern provinces,” writes Joseph S. Nye, Jr.,

former U.S. assistant defense secretary.

Photo: Anatolii Stepanov / AFP via Getty Images

International response

EU approves 35-billion-euro loan for Ukraine using frozen Russian assets. European Union countries have approved an unprecedented plan to issue a 35-billion-euro ($37.2 billion) loan to support Ukraine’s war-torn economy, using Russia’s immobilized Central Bank assets as collateral.

Lithuania blocks and fortifies bridge to Russia’s Kaliningrad exclave. Lithuania’s Defense Minsiter Laurynas said other bridges leading to Kaliningrad would also be fortified, and some may even be mined.

Hungary’s Orban rebuked by EU chief over Russia stance, complains of ‘political propaganda.’ “I would have been pleased to debate the presidential program but I see you’re not interested,” Viktor Orban said.

Orban says Trump won’t wait until inauguration to ‘manage a peace’ in Ukraine. “We will open several bottles of champagne if Trump is back,” Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban said on Oct. 8.

NATO entering ‘3.0’ version, Finland’s president says. Finland joined NATO early 2023 after ditching its longstanding neutral stance following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Two more IRIS-T anti-aircraft systems arrive in Ukraine. Initially a hesitant partner, Berlin has become Ukraine’s second-largest military donor after the U.S.

In other news

Ukrainska Pravda raises alarm over ‘systematic pressure’ from President’s Office. Ukraine’s independent media has taken great strides since the EuroMaidan Revolution in 2014, but concerns have been raised since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion.

Ukraine sells state-owned titanium producer in privatization auction to fund state coffers. Ukraine sold state-owned UMCC-Titanium for Hr 3.94 billion hryvnia ($96 million) to Cemin Ukraine, the country’s State Property Fund said on Oct. 9th in a statement.

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Today’s Ukraine Daily was brought to you by Chris York, Boldizsár Győri, Lili Bivings, Kateryna Denisova, Olena Goncharova, and Abbey Fenbert.

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