Day 611 of the Invasion of Ukraine: With 5,000 Killed and 400 Vehicles Destroyed at Avdiivka, Russian Offensive Power Melts Away

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Day 611 of the invasion of Ukraine. Summary of key events in the last 24 hours:

• One of the Leaders of Novorossiya, Oleg Tsaryov, has been Shot
• Zelensky signed a law to strengthen the financial monitoring of politicians
• Russia reported that Ukraine carried out a drone attack near the nuclear power plant in the Kursk region
• Eight injured in a Russian attack on a fire station in Ukraine's Kharkiv region
• ISW: With 5,000 killed and 400 vehicles destroyed at Avdiivka, Russian offensive power melts away
• The war in Ukraine, migration and the economy are in focus on the second day of the summit in Brussels
• The US and Denmark announced new tranches of weapons and equipment for Ukraine
• Orban: The EU strategy for Ukraine has failed

One of the Leaders of Novorossiya, Oleg Tsaryov, has been Shot

The pro-Russian Ukrainian politician Oleg Tsaryov, who is a former member of the Rada, was attacked today in front of his home in the occupied Crimea. The traitor, listed by Peacemaker, is seriously injured and is currently in intensive care at a local hospital.

This was reported by Russian and Ukrainian military correspondents, as well as the deputy mayor of Melitopol Petro Andryushchenko.

Russian propagandists initially circulated the version that Ukrainian partisans had inflicted stab wounds on Tsaryov, who was sentenced in absentia to 12 years in prison for treason.

Meanwhile, on Telegram, the channels in Crimea, temporarily occupied by the Russian Federation, write that the former MP is dead and that his wounds are from firearms.

Oleg Tsaryov was a People's Deputy from the Party of Regions. After the Revolution in 2014, he tried to run for president of Ukraine, but withdrew his candidacy and openly advocated for "referendums" in Donetsk and Luhansk regions. He later announced himself as "Speaker of the Parliament of Novorossiya".

In March, the Kyiv Court of Appeal upheld the court's verdict against Oleg Tsaryov, who a year earlier was sentenced to 12 years in prison, having been found guilty of committing crimes under Part 2 of Art. 110 and part 3 of Art. 109 of the Criminal Code.

The case accusing Tsaryov of violating the territorial integrity and inviolability of Ukraine has been pending in court since 2017.

Zelensky signed a law to strengthen the financial monitoring of politicians

On October 26, the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky signed a law on financial monitoring of persons holding political positions. The introduction of a legal instrument to control the finances of political figures in the country is a vital step on Ukraine's path to EU membership.

The European Commission is expected to issue a positive assessment of Ukraine's membership bid on November 8, although additional conditions may be raised, Reuters reported on October 24, citing three official sources.

The measure extends from three years to life the period for monitoring government officials who, due to their influential position, are more susceptible to corruption. It aims to disincentivize politicians from using their positions for personal gain, as it extends increased scrutiny of their finances beyond their time in political office. In addition, its introduction will fulfill the requirements of the International Monetary Fund, MP Yaroslav Zheleznyak points out.

The bill was approved by the Verkhovna Rada on October 17, with 276 out of 450 deputies supporting its adoption. EU leaders are expected to make a formal decision on the start of actual accession negotiations in December, Politico reported in early October.

Ukraine submitted its application for EU membership at the end of February 2022 and was granted candidate status in June last year.

Russia reported that Ukraine carried out a drone attack near the nuclear power plant in the Kursk region

Russia said today it had foiled a Ukrainian drone attack near the Kursk nuclear power plant in the south of the country, Reuters reported. The agency cited two media outlets as saying an explosion damaged the facade of a nuclear waste storage facility.

Russia's Defense Ministry said Russian air defenses "thwarted an attempt by the Kyiv regime to carry out a terrorist attack" by intercepting a drone last night near the city of Kurchatov in Kursk Oblast.

The management of the Kursk NPP announced in a separate statement that the plant was attacked with not one, but three drones. According to him, there are no reports of casualties or damage, and the radiation levels are within the limits of the norms and the power plant is operating in normal mode.

Russian media "Baza" and "SHOT", which according to Reuters have reliable sources in the field of security, inform that two of the drones did not explode, and the third exploded near the mentioned nuclear waste storage facility.

Kursk Oblast is one of Russia's southern regions regularly targeted by drone attacks in the 20-month-old war that began with Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February last year, the agency noted. The governor of the Kursk region had informed about a drone attack on September 1.

Ukraine routinely neither confirms nor denies information about its military operations on Russian territory, Reuters said, adding that what happened last night came a day after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelesnysky said a Russian drone strike in the western Khmelnytskyi region was likely aimed at the nuclear power plant there.

Eight injured in a Russian attack on a fire station in Ukraine's Kharkiv region

A Russian missile hit the building of the fire department in the northern Kharkiv region today, 8 people were injured, the interior minister of Ukraine announced.

The attack was against the city of Izyum, Minister Igor Klimenko announced on Telegram.

The building was severely damaged.

The Southern Military Command reported that five out of a total of six Shahed drones were destroyed last night in Mykolaiv and Kherson regions.

There was an impact on an infrastructure object, a fire broke out, but no one was injured.

ISW: With 5,000 killed and 400 vehicles destroyed at Avdiivka, Russian offensive power melts away

Russia suffered significant losses at Avdiivka, and this is likely to undermine its offensive capabilities in the long term, says a report by the US Institute for the Study of War (ISW).

As analysts note, on October 26, the spokesman of the Tavria Group of Forces of Ukraine, Colonel Alexander Stupun, announced that since October 10, Russian losses amounted to 5,000 killed and wounded and about 400 destroyed armored vehicles in the battles near Avdiivka and Marinka. Satellite images confirmed that the Russian military lost at least 109 pieces of military equipment, mostly armored fighting vehicles and tanks, in the Avdiivka region between October 10 and 20.

At the same time, the Russian command transferred additional forces to the Avdiivka front to compensate for the significant losses in manpower and to preserve the ability of Russian troops to sustain the offensive. However, it will likely be difficult for Russia to compensate for the loss of Russian equipment, particularly armored vehicles, analysts stress.

ISW recalls that Russia's previous heavy losses near Vuhledar in January-February likely prevented Russian commanders from launching sustained mechanized attacks in other parts of Ukraine later in the 2023 winter-spring offensive.

"Recent losses of Russian equipment around Avdiivka appear to be much greater than previous losses of equipment around Vuhledar. It remains unclear whether the prospect of further losses of heavy equipment will deter the Russian command from launching another series of large mechanized attacks near Avdiivka," the analysts write.

It is noted that Russia has gradually mobilized elements of its defense industrial base to address equipment shortages, but has not reached a scale sufficient to compensate for the cumulative losses of Russian equipment in Ukraine.

"The recent losses of Russian equipment around Avdiivka are likely to lead to further shortages of Russian equipment and hinder the progress made by the Russian military with the deterioration of mechanized maneuver capabilities," the report said.

According to the latest data from the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the occupation troops are trying to surround Avdiivka, actively using aviation. Ukrainian forces hold the line and inflict significant losses on them.

At the same time, satellite photos have recently appeared that confirm the colossal losses of the Russians in this area. ISW analysts reported that the Russian occupiers are transferring new forces to Avdiivka, despite heavy losses and difficulties in storming positions of the Defense Forces.

The war in Ukraine, migration and the economy are in focus on the second day of the summit in Brussels

Bulgarian Prime Minister Nikolai Denkov is in Brussels, where the summit of the 27 member countries continues. Today, the leaders will discuss the situation in Ukraine, migration and the economy.

For now, the main problem in the budget is the military aid of 50 billion euros for Ukraine. Moreover, it is not clear how the additional funds in it will be provided, one of the options being through an increase in national contributions.

The US and Denmark announced new tranches of weapons and equipment for Ukraine

On October 26, the United States announced a new tranche of weapons and equipment "to help Ukraine succeed on the battlefield and protect its people from Russia's brutal invasion," Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a press statement. This package provides 150 million dollars worth of arms and equipment authorized under pre-targeted withdrawals for Ukraine.

It includes weapons and equipment including air defense, artillery, anti-tank and other combat systems that will further enhance Ukraine's capacity to defend its territory against Russian offensives while continuing its counteroffensive against Russian forces.

"Russia started this war and can end it at any time by withdrawing its forces from Ukraine and halting its brutal attacks that continue to claim the lives of innocent people. Until that happens, the United States and the coalition we have built of more than 50 nations will continue to support Ukraine, and we will continue to work with Congress to help Ukraine secure its future — a future in which its people rebuild and live safely in a sustainable and thriving democracy," Blinken said.

Meanwhile, US House Speaker-elect Mike Johnson said on Thursday that funding to support Ukraine and Israel should be split. This suggests withdrawing support for President Joe Biden's 106 billion dollars aid package.

Denmark also announced a military aid package for Ukraine. It is worth 3.7 billion Danish kroner (520 million US dollars), including T-72EA tanks, BMP-2 infantry fighting vehicles, artillery shells, drones and small arms, the Danish Defense Ministry said on October 26. The tranche also includes engineering and evacuation machines, which are co-financed by Germany.

The package includes support for NATO's Comprehensive Assistance Package, which coordinates non-lethal military equipment for Kyiv, as well as the EU's joint plan to supply artillery shells.

A Hamas delegation went on a visit to Moscow

A Hamas delegation is visiting Moscow. The information was officially confirmed by the spokeswoman of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova.

The Foreign Ministry also stated that the "member of the politburo" of "Hamas" Abu Marzouk is also part of the delegation.

"Contacts were made with him along the Russian line for the immediate release of foreign hostages held on the territory of the Gaza Strip, and also discussed issues related to ensuring the evacuation of Russian and other foreign citizens from the territory of the Palestinian enclave" - reads the wording in the statement of the Russian Foreign Ministry.

Separately, Zakharova reported that Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Ali Bagheri Kani is also visiting Moscow and had a conversation with Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin. The Iranian diplomat is the Islamic Republic's chief nuclear negotiator.

Israel condemned Russia's "outrageous decision" to invite a Hamas delegation to Moscow.

Hamas is a terrorist organization worse than the Islamic State. The hands of senior Hamas figures are stained with the blood of more than 1,400 Israelis who have been slaughtered, killed, shot and burned, and are also responsible for the kidnapping of more than 220 Israelis, including babies, children, women and the elderly , the Israeli Foreign Ministry said.

Orban: The EU strategy for Ukraine has failed

The European Union's strategy for the war in Ukraine has "failed" and the bloc must create a plan B because Ukrainians will not win on the front, Prime Minister Viktor Orban told Hungarian state radio, Reuters reported.

Orban is in Brussels for an EU summit and has said there is a "big battle", particularly over support for Ukraine. The prime minister stressed that he sees no reason for Hungary to send its taxpayers' money to support Ukraine.

In December, the EU is due to decide on a review of its 2021-27 budget of 1.1 trillion euros, already strained by emergency spending during the COVID pandemic and after Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022.

The bloc's executive body proposed that member states allocate more to the common treasury to provide 50 billion euros for Ukraine and put another 15 billion euros into migration. Another proposal envisages allocating 20 billion euros for military aid to Ukraine.

Orbán noted that in reality the changes to the EU budget drawn up by the European Commission included a much larger increase in spending than previously thought. "We discussed it until late at night [on Thursday]. We asked the bureaucrats to give us the numbers and it turned out that it is not about 60 billion euros, but about 100 billion," said the Hungarian prime minister, TASS reported. According to him, the European Commission has proposed that these funds be spent mainly on two pillars - a new migration strategy and aid to Ukraine.

"We found that this proposal was not developed properly and was not suitable to be a basis for serious negotiations, which is why we rejected it," Orban said. "It was a big fight, especially on the Ukrainian issue."

Orban said the biggest problem was that Brussels' strategy to send money and military aid to Ukraine to help its fight against Russia had failed.

"Today, everyone knows, but dare not say it out loud, that this strategy has failed. It is obvious that this is not working...the Ukrainians will not win on the front line," he said, adding that a plan was needed B and an estimate of the cost.

"Once we know how much that costs, we can share that burden between us."

Orban, who has clashed with Brussels over the past 13 years over policies that his critics say have undermined democratic values in Hungary, said a change of leadership in Brussels was needed in next year's European elections.

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