Day 615 of the Invasion of Ukraine: Entire family, including Two Children, was Brutally Murdered in Volnovakha

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Day 615 of the invasion of Ukraine. Summary of key events in the last 24 hours:

• ISW: Ukrainian army advances near Bakhmut and Zaporizhzhia region
  
• An entire family, including two children, was brutally murdered in the Ukrainian town of Volnovakha
• Blinken asked Congress for money for Gaza, Israel and Ukraine
• Ukraine confirmed a strike on a Russian air defense site in occupied Crimea
• Netherlands sends F-16s to Romania for Ukraine
• Zelensky: The unrest at the Dagestan airport shows that Russia is losing control over its territory
• Putin blamed the West for the crises in the Middle East and Ukraine, Kyiv - for the unrest in Dagestan
• A Russian oligarch is detained in France

ISW: Ukrainian army advances near Bakhmut and Zaporizhzhia region

Ukrainian troops are on the offensive in the Bakhmut region and in the western part of the Zaporizhzhia region. This is stated in a new report by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW). The data was confirmed by geolocation data, which showed that Ukrainian forces had advanced northeast of Kurdyumovka (10 km southwest of Bakhmut).

Additional geolocation data from 29 October indicated that Ukrainian forces had made little progress west of Robotyne in the western part of Zaporizhzhia region.

At the same time, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine confirmed that the Defense Forces continued offensive actions near Bakhmut and offensive actions in the Melitopol direction. The commander of the Ukrainian ground forces, Colonel-General Oleksandr Syrskyi, said that Russian troops "significantly strengthened their forces" near Bakhmut and switched from defensive to more active actions.

However, the ISW noted that it could not detect significant changes in the composition of Russian troops near Bakhmut. Russian "military correspondents" claim that positional fighting continues northwest of Bakhmut at Berkhovka, Vasyukovka and Orekhovo-Vasilievka.

Meanwhile, the VSU reported another red line for Russian losses at the front.

According to the data of the military in Kyiv, the number of Russian victims in Ukraine since the beginning of the full-scale war has already exceeded 300,000. In the last 24 hours, another 870 Russian invaders have been killed.

In Ukraine, 5,211 Russian tanks have already been scrapped - 21 in the last 24 hours alone, as well as 9,804 armored fighting vehicles (29 in the last 24 hours.

The Russian invaders also lost 7,227 artillery systems, as well as 844 rocket launchers for salvo fire plus 562 air defense systems.

An entire family, including two children, was brutally murdered in the Ukrainian town of Volnovakha

Photographs of bullet-riddled bodies lying huddled in a pool of blood in their own beds prove the brutal murder of an entire family in the Ukrainian town of Volnovakha. Nine people, including two small children, were found shot dead in their home, the BBC reports.

Ukraine and Russia have launched separate investigations into the murder.

???? In Volnovakha, a family was buried who were shot in their own home. https://t.co/d7qzr6k05i pic.twitter.com/683T1rrYOj

— Bakhmut IN.UA (@Bakhmutinua_eng) October 31, 2023

The town is occupied by Russia, and according to Ukrainian services, Russian soldiers killed the entire family because they refused to give them their house. At the same time, Russian investigators claim that they have detained two male suspects who they say are soldiers from the Far East.

Ukrainian ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets wrote on his Telegram profile that "the bloody hands of the Russians are involved" in the murders in Volnovakha.

"According to preliminary information, the occupiers killed the entire Kapkanets family, who were celebrating their birthday and refused to hand over their own house to occupiers from Chechnya," he also wrote.

The Ukrainian-controlled prosecutor's office in Donetsk, citing preliminary information, said assailants in army uniforms shot the family dead after they disobeyed orders to leave their home. The service adds that among the dead are two children aged 9 and 5.

Russia's official investigative committee described the arrested as Russian soldiers from the Far East of the country who had signed contracts with the Russian army. According to him, the crime occurred after a domestic conflict.

Astra, a Russian news channel on Telegram, quoted the victims' neighbors as blaming the Russian military for the killings.

"All the neighbors say that the killers were soldiers. We are all scared," a neighbor told Astra.

Baza, another Russian channel on Telegram, wrote that members of the household had a "conflict with unidentified men wearing military uniforms without insignia."

The warring parties' claims have not been independently verified.

Volnovakha was captured by Russian forces just weeks after the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Most of the town has been destroyed.

Blinken asked Congress for money for Gaza, Israel and Ukraine

In Washington, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken called on Congress to increase humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip and Israel:

"Without immediate and sustained humanitarian aid, the likelihood of the conflict escalating will increase, Palestinian suffering will increase, and Hamas and its sponsors will profit by presenting themselves as saviors from the very disaster they have brought upon the people."

Blinken made the remarks before the Senate Finance Committee, where he defended President Biden's administration's request for 9 billion dollars in water, food, fuel and other essential goods for those affected by the war in the Middle East.

The amount in question is only one-twelfth of the total of 106 billion that Biden is asking from Congress. The lion's share of this amount - over 61 billion - is intended for Ukraine's resistance against Russian aggression:

"Since Russia started the war, funding provided by Congress has enabled the Ukrainian people to defend themselves. It helped make the Russian invasion a strategic failure for Russia, weakening it in every possible way and mobilizing support from around the world in defense of the UN's founding principles of sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence. Our partners make a significant contribution to supporting Kyiv. If we turn our backs on them, we will harm our own security and our role internationally," said Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin joined his call, warning senators that without American aid to Kyiv, Russia would emerge victorious in the war.

According to the latest information, Russian troops continue their attempts to surround the eastern Ukrainian city of Avdiivka. The Ukrainians, for their part, are trying to advance towards the occupied Zaporozhian city of Tokmak and extend their bridgehead on the left bank of the Dnieper near Krynki.

The majority in the US Senate is in favor of increasing US aid to Ukraine. In the House of Representatives, however, Biden's request is met with resistance from the newly elected chairman - Republican Mike Johnson, who insists that the amounts for Israel and Ukraine be determined by separate bills, notes the "Reuters" agency. In a statement today, Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged congressmen to overcome their differences:

"In today's situation, many countries are betting that we are too divided and too distracted to continue on our current course. This is at stake with President Biden's request for additional funding to strengthen our national security. Congressional approval will urgently provide the funds necessary for the United States to continue to be a leader."

Ukraine confirmed a strike on a Russian air defense site in occupied Crimea

Ukrainian forces struck a strategic air defense site on the western coast of Russian-occupied Crimea on the night of October 30, the Strategic Communications Center of the Ukrainian Army reported.

Earlier in the day, Russia's “Astra” Telegram channel reported that a Ukrainian missile strike had hit a Russian air defense base near the village of Olenovka, in western Crimea. According to Astra sources, the attack injured 17 Russian soldiers and damaged five military vehicles.

The Center for Strategic Communications did not provide details on casualties and damage in the strike, or the type of weaponry used.

It is also clear from the report of the Ukrainian army that the strike it carried out on October 25 near the occupied Luhansk hit a Russian S-400 air defense system.

Russia's Defense Ministry said its forces had shot down two long-range army tactical missile systems for the first time on October 25. Later, Russian pro-military channels on Telegram posted photos purportedly showing part of a ATACMS projectile, which allegedly hit a village near Luhansk.

However, Ukraine's air force said there was insufficient evidence to support Russian claims that the missiles were downed.

"If they took a photo of an ATACMS engine found after the impact, that doesn't mean they (Russian forces) took it down. It's possible to take down ballistic weapons... The Russians say they do, but we need evidence", the Air Force spokesman said on national television, as quoted by the New Voice media.

Ukrainian forces began using US-provided long-range tactical missile systems on October 17, successfully deploying them in a strike against Russian airfields in occupied territories. Since then, Kyiv has not officially reported any subsequent ATACMS strikes against Russian targets.

Zelensky: The unrest at the Dagestan airport shows that Russia is losing control over its territory

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that the anti-Jewish riots in the Russian republic of Dagestan show that Moscow is losing control over what is happening on its territory, Reuters and Ukrinform reported, quoted by BTA.

This is the second sign of loss of control since the Wagner rebellion in July, Zelensky added.

"We need to soberly assess the Russian system. They mobilized all their forces to try not to lose what they seized in Ukraine, but in doing so they infected their own territory with such a level of hatred and degradation that for the second time this year Russia is losing control over events.

We see that the rebels are heading towards Moscow and no one is stopping them. We see the power vertical in Dagestan evaporating, leading to real upheaval. All these are signals that for now Russia can maintain military operations and increase pressure on the front line in some places, but it is not able to withstand this strategic confrontation," Zelensky said.

The head of state noted that from a strategic point of view, everyone must be strong and united and do everything possible and impossible to resist, to take back what is theirs, and to prove that freedom is indeed stronger than hatred and aggression.

That is why the unity of Ukraine, all of Europe, the unity of America and the unity of the entire free world is necessary.

"Unity is the most effective, accurate and long-range weapon," Zelensky stressed.

On Sunday aviation authorities temporarily closed the Makhachkala airport after crowds poured onto the runways in search of passengers arriving from Israel. Video footage obtained by Reuters showed rioters waving Palestinian flags, breaking glass doors and running around the airport.

At the same time, official Moscow blamed "external forces" for what happened. Vladimir Putin suspects the involvement of Ukraine and Western secret services in the events at the Dagestan airport. According to him, the incitement also happened with the help of social networks.

"The events in Makhachkala were also inspired by social media, not least by Ukraine, by the hands of the Western special services. In this regard, I ask myself the question - is it possible to help Palestine by attacking the Caucasian Jews and their families", asked Putin.

Netherlands sends F-16s to Romania for Ukraine

The Netherlands intends to deliver the promised US F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine within two weeks to train Kyiv's military pilots. Prime Minister Mark Rutte announced this in “X”, quoted by the German news agency DPA.

The planes will be sent to a base in Romania, where the pilots will be trained on them. "This means that the training of Ukrainian pilots will be able to start soon," said the Prime Minister.

He assured Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that the support from the Dutch side will continue in the future. "The terrible situation in Israel and Gaza will not distract us from this," Rutte said.

Ukraine expects to receive more than 50 F-16s from the Netherlands, Denmark, Belgium and Norway after the United States, the producer country, gave the green light for it. When the planes will go on combat duty is not yet known.

Romania has opened a training center for Ukrainian pilots at its air base. At the beginning of October, during a visit to Romania, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky discussed the details of pilot training. According to him, Kyiv will need 100 more fighter jets in addition to the ones already agreed upon.

Putin blamed the West for the crises in the Middle East and Ukraine, Kyiv - for the unrest in Dagestan

Russian President Vladimir Putin has blamed Western countries for various crises, saying the US is bent on creating chaos in the Middle East.

He spoke on Monday night before the start of a meeting of the Security Council and the government, called by him after hundreds of men shouting "Allah is great" stormed the international airport of the Dagestan capital Makhachkala on Sunday night, seeking to kill passengers arriving from Israel.

Mass riots in Makhachkala were provoked with the help of social networks, including from the territory of Ukraine, with the participation of Western intelligence services, Putin said in an introduction broadcast on state television.

The president made it clear that he did not approve of the behavior of Russian citizens who stormed the airport, searching for passengers from a plane that had just made a stopover from Tel Aviv to Moscow. Some of them were carrying Palestinian flags, according to video footage of the attack.

"We can help Palestine only in the fight against those who are behind this tragedy. We are Russia and we are fighting them as part of a special military operation (Russia calls the war in Ukraine that way). As for ourselves, as well as for those who strive for real freedom," the Russian president was quoted as saying by Reuters.

He blamed "the ruling elites of the United States" and their "satellites" for the killing of Palestinians in Gaza and for the events in Ukraine, Iraq and Syria.

"They need constant chaos in the Middle East. That's why (the US) is doing everything possible to discredit those countries that insist on an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, to stop the bloodshed, and are ready to make a real contribution to resolving the crisis, and not to parasitize on it," said the president.

According to Putin, "instead of punishing criminals and terrorists, unfortunately, they began to take revenge on the principle of collective responsibility."

In addition, the Russian president believes that the US wants to divide and weaken his country and sow turmoil in it.

"They are sending financial resources, including to Ukraine and the Middle East. They are stirring up hatred in Ukraine and the Middle East. Without achieving results on the battlefield, they want to divide us - as far as Russia is concerned, weaken us and create confusion", Putin said, quoted by the Interfax news agency.

Meanwhile, the United States condemned the anti-Semitic attack in Makhachkala and demanded that Russia do the same.

"We call on the Russian authorities to publicly condemn these violent protests, hold everyone involved accountable, and ensure the safety of Israelis and Jews in Russia," State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said.

The Russian Interior Ministry said 83 people had been arrested in connection with the unrest in Dagestan and 150 of the most active participants had been identified.

Ukraine has denied any role in the unrest.

A Russian oligarch is detained in France

Russian oligarch Alexey Kuzmichev has been detained for questioning in France in connection with alleged tax evasion and money laundering and violation of international sanctions, the French financial prosecutor's office announced today, as cited by Reuters.

Searches were carried out at Kuzmichev's home in Paris and in the department of Var as part of the investigation, "Le Monde" reported.

Kuzmichev is still in custody today, but not charged.

Last week, customs authorities in France seized his 27-metre yacht as part of EU sanctions over his ties to President Vladimir Putin. This led to a legal battle between the authorities and Kuzmichev, who is one of the main shareholders in Russia's Alfa Bank.

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