The day of the war at a glance
Russia attacks on a broad front – use of torture in the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant
10/15/2022 8:52 p.m
Russian attacks on Ukraine along the front line. A power supply system is damaged in the capital region. The US is responding to Russia’s actions by increasing military aid to Kyiv. Meanwhile, reports about the brutal actions of the Russian occupiers are leaking from the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant. The 234th day of the war at a glance.
Russia shells positions along the entire front
Ukraine reports Russian shelling in several parts of the country. In the evening’s general staff situation report, four rocket attacks are mentioned. 17 times there was fire from aircraft, ten times rocket launchers were used. More than 20 settlements were hit, including Kostyantynivka in Donetsk Oblast in eastern Ukraine and Ivanivka in Kherson Oblast.
According to the Ukrainian authorities, infrastructure objects were already hit during the night in the city of Zaporizhia in the south, close to the front. According to the local authorities, five enemy drones of Iranian design were intercepted over the neighboring Dnipropetrovsk region. There, however, more than 50 shells from multiple rocket launchers and heavy artillery hit the Nikopol district. Two people were injured.
A Russian rocket hit on the outskirts of the Ukrainian capital Kyiv severely damaged an energy supply plant. According to the operator Ukrenerho, specialists are working to restore a reliable power supply to Kyiv and central Ukraine.
Reports of new attack in Kherson
According to Russian information, Ukraine has launched a new attack to liberate the occupied Kherson region in the south of the country. However, the information on this differs. The deputy chief of the occupation administration, Kirill Stremousov, says there was only artillery fire. The Russian Defense Ministry in Moscow reports that the attack was repelled. In contrast, Russian military bloggers report ongoing bitter fighting. The Ukrainian army uses many tanks and armored vehicles.
The US massively increases military aid
The United States has pledged $725 million in military aid to Ukraine. This includes, among other things, more ammunition for the HIMARS rocket launchers, according to the US Department of Defense. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in Washington that US aid would be increased “in the wake of Russia’s brutal rocket attacks on civilians in Ukraine” and in the face of “growing evidence of crimes by the Russian army”.
Oil depot in Belgorod, Russia, is on fire
Meanwhile, in the Russian border region of Belgorod, an oil depot is on fire. This is said to have taken place after the bombardment. “We’re being shelled again. One of the shells hit the oil depot in the Belgorod region,” said local governor Vyacheslav Gladkov. The emergency services are on site, there is “no risk” that the fire will spread, it is said. A photo released by the governor showed flames and plumes of black smoke billowing over a building.
Use of torture in the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant
In the Ukrainian Zaporizhia nuclear power plant, local employees are subjected to harsh interrogations. Russian soldiers also use torture if they suspect Ukrainians of sabotage or information from the Ukrainian military. During a visit to the nuclear plant, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Mariano Grossi, demanded “that employees must be allowed to carry out their vital tasks without undue interference or pressure”.
Russian troops reach Belarus
Russia is sending the first soldiers to the neighboring country for a joint force with Belarus. The Belarusian Ministry of Defense in Minsk confirms the arrival of several trains carrying Russian soldiers. No information was given on the current numbers of troop deployments or on the future strength of the joint force. However, military experts in the White House see no signs that Belarusian troops are preparing to invade Ukraine. Accordingly, entering the war would endanger President Lukashenko’s regime domestically. In addition, the quality of the Belarusian armed forces is too low.
Reservists are poorly equipped
According to British reports, reservists mobilized by Russia are being sent to the war against Ukraine with inadequate equipment. “The average level of their personal gear is almost certainly lower than the already poor supply of previously deployed troops,” it says. Many reservists would likely need to purchase their own body armor themselves. The price for a modern type 6B45 protective vest has more than tripled in online retail since April.
Melnyk is back in Ukraine
After almost eight years as Ukrainian ambassador in Berlin, Andriy Melnyk is back in Ukraine. In the evening he crossed the border into Ukraine, he said. His successor Oleksii Makeiev is expected in Berlin on Monday.
Melnyk had previously called for the establishment of a “European tank alliance” to support his country. “A dozen countries have over 2,000 Leopard 2 tanks,” Melnyk told Welt am Sonntag. “If each of these countries cedes about 10 percent of that to Ukraine, we can form an entire army of 200 or more tanks to liberate Russian-held Ukrainian territories more quickly.”
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