Now, in All Areas and at All Levels, We Are Preparing Maximum Results for the State for this Fall – Address by the President

2 October 2024 – 20:10

I wish you good health, fellow Ukrainians!

Briefly about this day.

First – the report by the Head of the Foreign Intelligence Service, Oleh Ivashchenko. The key things – about the strengthening of the Service, and about our work on extremely sensitive information obtained by our Ukrainian intelligence officers. Now, in all areas and at all levels, we are preparing maximum results for the state for this fall. All the necessary content for Ramstein – the military, the Office, diplomats – everything that our partners need from Ukraine to better understand the available opportunities – all this we will ensure. On the other hand, we are also working on the intentions our enemy has. We are preparing to counter them in the way that will be most useful for the defense of Ukraine, for the protection of our people’s lives.

Second – today I have spoken several times with the Commander-in-Chief. Primarily – about the Donetsk region, about the directions where the situation is particularly difficult now. I thank each of our combat brigades for their true resilience and true bravery. Every week, in spite of everything, our warriors ensure really tangible damage to the occupier, and this is the most important thing – to exhaust the enemy and secure Ukraine’s ability to convince our partners of the steps that can radically, strategically change the military situation. We really need this determination from our partners. Long-range capabilities. And I want to separately thank every leader, all friends of Ukraine, for understanding that there is not enough pressure on Russia now, and that is why – and only why – the Russian authorities do not take diplomacy seriously. More strength is needed.

And a few other things.

Last night, the Russian army launched another attack on Ukraine with “Shahed” drones. In particular, there is a hit in the Odesa region, in the Izmail district, not far from the Romanian border. “Shahed” drones targeted ordinary civilian infrastructure – a ferry terminal, cargo trucks, a warehouse with grain. The very thing that Russian terrorists always perceive as a target is the food security of the region and the world. Ukraine has long been saying to all its neighbors, to all its major partners, that we need to cooperate, we need to shoot down “Shahed” drones, shoot down missiles together, and especially in areas close to NATO countries. This is absolutely possible. Every time in the Middle East, during brutal Iranian strikes, we see the international coalition acting together. I thank every state that really helps us with air defense. In particular, I thank Romania for the Patriot. And we can achieve even greater effectiveness – we can put a complete end to Russian terror by shooting down “Shahed” drones, by shooting down missiles in cooperation.

Today, we also talked about the restoration in Ukraine, about the construction of shelters, with Samantha Power, Administrator of USAID – the U.S. Agency for International Development. Now, before the winter, it is very important to accelerate the implementation of all existing projects – for protection in the energy sector, for security in communities – for schools, for hospitals. At all levels, we must be effective – in Ukraine, and in relations with our partners, and among our partners – in understanding the prospects.

I thank everyone who fights and works for our state and people! I thank everyone who stands with Ukraine!

Glory to Ukraine!

Шана това єврейським громадам по всій Україні та в усьому світі, які відзначають Рош га-Шана.

Цьогорічне святкування, як і в попередні роки, відбувається у час війни та труднощів для євреїв в Україні й інших країнах, де агресія та терор становлять загрозу нормальному життю.…

— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) October 2, 2024

Shanah Tovah to Jewish communities across Ukraine and around the world as they mark #RoshHashanah.

This year’s celebration, like previous years, is marked by war and hardship for Jews in Ukraine and other countries where aggression and terror threaten normal life.

However, the New Year’s message is one of hope for a new awakening, for the triumph of good over evil, and for life to overcome all hardships and injustices. This is what today’s prayers are about: restoring fair peace, justice, and normal life to all those who have been denied them.

I wish for every Jewish community gathering around festive tables and tasting apples and honey, a sweet year ahead, as well as strength, hope, and faith in tomorrow in the face of today’s challenges.

Shana tova u-metuka!

It’s that time of year again, folks! Thousands of Orthodox Jewish pilgrims arrive to the Ukrainian city of Uman for Rosh Hashanah. Must be a real blast celebrating the Jewish New Year in a war-torn country that’s apparently overrun with nazis, right? pic.twitter.com/QCCWqmSqCp

— Kate from Kharkiv (@BohuslavskaKate) October 2, 2024

A kind reminder that Russia is one of the most antisemitic countries in the world which is also trying to spread it via its propaganda outlets. https://t.co/BK8n9gOEqS

— Paul Shapoval (@Frialum) October 1, 2024

Meanwhile in “Nazi Ukraine” — tens of thousands of the Jewish faithful once again arrive for traditional religious new year celebrations.

The propaganda machine of “anti-Nazi” Russia — spreads barely veiled antisemitic tropes. https://t.co/a3E8x60F6K

— Illia Ponomarenko 🇺🇦 (@IAPonomarenko) October 2, 2024

Remember, for Putin and Russians, anyone who opposes Russia is a NAZI. Just as the real victims of World War II were Soviet Russians, not Jews.

The butcher’s bill that Russia has run up from 1 JUN through 31 AUG 2024:

“At least 589 Ukrainian civilians were killed and another 2,685 injured in Russia’s war against Ukraine between June 1 and Aug. 31, according to a report by the Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) published on Oct. 1.

The number of victims in the summer… pic.twitter.com/dmynk9vB3m

— Rob Lee (@RALee85) October 2, 2024

“At least 589 Ukrainian civilians were killed and another 2,685 injured in Russia’s war against Ukraine between June 1 and Aug. 31, according to a report by the Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) published on Oct. 1.

The number of victims in the summer increased by 45% compared to the OHCHR’s spring monitoring, the report reads.”
https://kyivindependent.com/589-civilians-killed-in-ukraine-in-summer-2024-by-russias-war-un-reports/

From The Kyiv Independent:

At least 589 Ukrainian civilians were killed and another 2,685 injured in Russia’s war against Ukraine between June 1 and Aug. 31, according to a report by the Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) published on Oct. 1.

The number of victims in the summer increased by 45% compared to the OHCHR’s spring monitoring, the report reads.

Over the summer, 324 men, 238 women, 14 girls, and 13 boys were killed, while 1,353 men, 1,155 women, 104 boys, and 73 girls were injured. The month of July 2024 was the deadliest for civilians in Ukraine since October 2022, according to the OHCHR.

The OHCHR said the main cause of the high number of civilian casualties in July was a large-scale coordinated attack of dozens of missiles launched by Russia at targets across Ukraine on July 8, which killed 44 people and injured 196, as Ukraine’s State Emergency Service reported.

The Russian army’s efforts to establish control over the territory of the eastern Donetsk Oblast also resulted in many civilian casualties, the OHCHR added.

At least 10,582 civilians have been killed and nearly 20,000 have been injured since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the United Nations Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (HRMMU) said on Feb. 22.

The figure of 10,582, which includes 587 children, consists of civilian deaths verified according to UN methodology.

The number of dead and injured in fighting immediately after the outbreak of the full-scale war has yet to be fully accounted for, and some of the places that saw the heaviest combat in early 2022 are still under Russian occupation, making it impossible for outside observers to investigate.

Here’s the link to the full report if you care to read it.

Here’s an interesting assessment of the socio-strategic issues effecting US and European support for Ukraine:

There are some fundamental reasons why Ukraine is being used as a shield against Russia and not treated as an ally by the US and Europe. These reasons are deeply ingrained in culture and psyche, and aren’t a product of everyday politics.

A 🧵 

The first reason is Europe outsourcing its security to the US during the Cold War era and up to the present. The US is culturally, mentally and physically far away. This distance makes it pay attention only to the big players on the board – it sees Russia, it misses Ukraine. 

Solving this fundamental issue is not as easy as changing the spelling of Kiev to Kyiv. Changing symbols is important and it can be done quickly. What can’t be changed in a heartbeat is decades of educating American strategists on Russia, the rest are Russia’s satellites. 

Europe simply gave away European security to the US, while it invested in social security. Among many problems that arise from such a trade is the fact that the security structure in Europe isn’t sensitive enough to what happens on its periphery. 

The second problem is the European collective psyche, which still hasn’t processed the fact that Europe doesn’t end at Berlin and Vienna. Europe hasn’t only dropped its responsibility to effectively defend itself, it hasn’t completely defined itself. 

Once again, giving nice statements on how we’re all European, all equal, how it’s a real treasure to have all these nations together is one thing, changing European societies to not demonstrate their animosity to the “other Europe” in every electoral cycle is another. 

Basically, when Russia sees Ukraine it sees something that belongs to it, in a very toxic, domestic violence kind of way. When the US looks at Ukraine, it sees a barrier to Russian expansion into Europe, the part its tasked with defending. It’s therefore useful, but risky. 

When Europe itself looks at Ukraine, it sees the farthest part of the “other Europe”, which creates nothing but trouble for the “real Europe”, the one which has already transcended war, racial, ethnic and religious differences, and lives in a utopia (although it doesn’t really). 

This American and European way of looking at Ukraine, or the Balkans for that matter, produced half-strategies since the 2005 Orange Revolution in Ukraine. Either Ukraine is a part of Europe or it’s an object to be used against Russia, until Russia comes to its senses. 

The fundamental issue thus being, whether one treats Ukraine as a subject or an object. Even after 2022, Ukraine did not achieve the subject status in the eyes of the US and Europe, although its position in the collective psyche has advanced from where it began. 

Ukraine is fighting on two fronts, one is a physical struggle against possessive Russia, the other is a mental struggle to convince the West that it exists outside of the Russian satellite, ex-Soviet paradigm, that it can be an ally, not only an instrument of influence on Russia. 

That’s why, by the way, Ukrainians get mad when they are being lumped together with Russians in various events, award ceremonies, exhibits and such. They don’t want to be an add-on, whether for good or evil Russians. They want to be recognized as a separate, independent entity. 

Kharkiv:

More footage from Kharkiv after the russian air attack https://t.co/1tv6hCsQ08 pic.twitter.com/dJd2xN8uW3

— Kate from Kharkiv (@BohuslavskaKate) October 2, 2024

I’m so angry and feel utterly helpless. This endless cycle of pleading, asking, postponing, and debating is killing us and destroying our lives! I don’t know what else to say. I have no words left in me.

— Kate from Kharkiv (@BohuslavskaKate) October 2, 2024

More pictures of the aftermath of tonight’s russian glide bomb attack on Kharkiv pic.twitter.com/i7d1nlQqT6

— Kate from Kharkiv (@BohuslavskaKate) October 2, 2024

Vuhledar:

Vuhledar, a city that no longer exists. Russia has been trying to capture it since March 2022, reducing it to rubble over 2.5 years. This is the real Russia—and this is what delays in decision-making lead to pic.twitter.com/RR5gBFZsXM

— Maria Avdeeva (@maria_avdv) October 2, 2024

Here’s the Ukrainian statement about the withdrawal from Vuhledar, which says Russian forces flanked them and they were threatened with encirclement.

“The higher command has given permission to carry out a maneuver to withdraw units from Vuhledar in order to preserve personnel… pic.twitter.com/dXHTRfXQGg

— Christopher Miller (@ChristopherJM) October 2, 2024

Here’s the Ukrainian statement about the withdrawal from Vuhledar, which says Russian forces flanked them and they were threatened with encirclement.

“The higher command has given permission to carry out a maneuver to withdraw units from Vuhledar in order to preserve personnel and combat equipment, to take a position for further actions.”

“Soldiers from several units along the front have described improved Russian tactics this summer that combine their advantages into powerful attacks that Ukrainians have struggled to counteract, even as they achieve local victories…

Enemy troops are storming the battlefields… pic.twitter.com/MQWw5RJeEJ

— Rob Lee (@RALee85) October 2, 2024

“Soldiers from several units along the front have described improved Russian tactics this summer that combine their advantages into powerful attacks that Ukrainians have struggled to counteract, even as they achieve local victories…

Enemy troops are storming the battlefields in small teams that minimize detection and make return fire difficult, backed by superior quantities of artillery and drones. Russia has also improved its battlefield communication, helping coordinate attacks. While losses are staggering, Ukrainian soldiers have said, the Russians have the numbers to keep up the pressure and Western aid isn’t making up the equipment deficit…

‘They don’t spare people, and their men are forced to move through those paths. And in the last place where we were working, there’s a crossroads completely littered with bodies, and they keep coming, because they have orders,’ he said. ‘There’s already a mass of them. Everything is black with corpses.'”
@AlexHortonTX @serhiikorolchuk

https://washingtonpost.com/world/2024/10/02/ukraine-russia-advance-pokrovsk-vuhledar/

From The Washington Post:

The Ukrainian soldiers felt like they had done everything right. After raking the two squads of attacking Russian troops with their automatic grenade launchers, they sent in the attack drones to pick off the survivors.

But what happened next turned the battle into a math problem. More enemy soldiers arrived, some in armored vehicles. Russian support fire with drones and artillery poured down on the outgunned Ukrainians, said Andrii Bilozir, the senior sergeant for the unit’s first battalion.The soldiers of the 33rd Mechanized Brigade had to withdraw.

“I had the task of saving the boys,” Bilozir said.

Soldiers from several units along the front have described improved Russian tactics this summer that combine their advantages into powerful attacks that Ukrainians have struggled to counteract, even as they achieve local victories. That is apparent in places like Vuhledar, the small Donetsk citadel that fell to Russian forces Tuesday, forcing a Ukrainian withdraw in a hardscrabble town they fiercely defended for two years.

Enemy troops are storming the battlefields in small teams that minimize detection and make return fire difficult, backed by superior quantities of artillery and drones. Russia has also improved its battlefield communication, helping coordinate attacks. While losses are staggering, Ukrainian soldiers have said, the Russians have the numbers to keep up the pressure andWestern aid isn’t making up the equipment deficit.

That confluence of factors, combined with Ukraine’s perennial challenge to replenish its combat units and its focus on a large operation inside Russia, has allowed Moscow’s forces to claim territory in the Donetsk region with speed and aggression not seen since the full invasion in 2022.Ukrainian forces have been retreating along dozens of miles of a front line being pushed to its breaking point.

The territorial losses have been glaring this summer. In Vuhledar, Ukrainians imposed heavy losses against previously failed Russian assaults. The 72nd Mechanized Brigade, which had fought there for about two years with no relief, wasexhausted but determined, an officer in the unit said, speaking on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to reporters.

But artillery volleys in the area sometimes reach 10 shells to 1 in favor of Russia, he said, and glide bombs launched unopposed from jets can destroy whole sections of a trench line and anyone manning them. Moscow’s forces have pushed the 72nd further and further back, the officer said, risking an encirclement of Ukrainian forces.

Asked whether the question is when Vuhledar will fall, rather than if, the officer did not hesitate.

“Yes,” he said.

Days later, his grim prediction became reality. Ukrainian forces withdrew from the town to prevent encirclement and losing troops and equipment, the regional command said Wednesday.

Russian forces gained territory in August and September at a pace not seen since 2022, said Pasi Paroinen, an analyst with Black Bird Group, an open source intelligence analysis collective based in Helsinki. The pressure was mostly felt in the southern Donetsk region. Russian forces in that period increased occupied territory across Ukraine by 318 square miles, Paroinen said — about 268 of which were claimed along the front between Bakhmut and Vuhledar.

The steepest losses of territory occurred from mid-August to mid-September, Paroinen said, coinciding with the Ukrainian incursion into Russia’s Kursk region.

The surprise offensive into Kursk in August that involved 30,000 of Ukraine’s soldiers was partially a bid to peel enemy troops away from their positions on the eastern front. That gambit has not yet paid off, and while invigorating Ukrainian morale, likely contributed to the losses in Donetsk, some analysts have said, because it involves experienced units receiving prioritized resupply and fresh troops that otherwise would have gone to the east.

Kursk has likely stretched Ukrainian personnel thin and exacerbated the manpower issue, already among the main challenges for Kyiv, said Rob Lee, a senior fellow with the Foreign Policy Research Institute. Heavy losses of experienced Ukrainian soldiers, coupled with new troops sped to the front with limited training, have further added pressure on units holding the line.

“A lot of these problems are fundamental problems, and they haven’t been fixed,” Lee said. He said, however, that the situation could improve if Ukraine continues its pace of mobilization, and they may have more operational surprises planned.

But the effects of Russia’s advance are already being felt in the region.

Pokrovsk, a key highway and rail hub central to Ukraine’s efforts to move troops and equipment throughout the southern Donetsk region, has been a focus of attack and civilian evacuations for weeks. The destruction of railways and bridges means it is effectively lost, soldiers have said, forcing longer and more perilous routes through the area.

But the most consequential aspect of the fight along this portion of the Donetsk front may be more about the loss of troops than territory, Lee said. Both Moscow and Kyiv have suffered heavy losses, and the victor could be the side that can hold out the longest.

“At what point does this become unsustainable or lead to political problems for one side?” Lee said. “I think that’s the strategic question here.”

In the field, soldiers are just trying to hold on while adapting to the revised Russian tactics.

The fight last year was largely defined by artillery duels and so-called “meat assaults” of large groups of poorly trained Russian mobilized soldiers. But now Ukrainians report enemy assault troops as often being well trained and well equipped, moving in smaller groups than before. In certain parts of the front line, Russian troops were storming defenses in groups of 10 to 20 soldiers months ago, and are now using teams as small as four, soldiers and analysts said.

The practice helps Russian troops evade surveillance, and their dispersal makes it more difficult to target them with drones and artillery. These assaults, according to numerous reports, are fueled by coercion, with threats of violence or jail if they surrender or retreat.

The small assault team tactic is familiar to Ukrainians, who leveraged the practice last fall in taking back villages held by Russians. But the key difference now, soldiers said, is Russia has combined the concept with its advantages in munitions and a tolerance for losses. New communications equipment has also helped Russian commanders better organize assaults, soldiers have said, and increased the proficiency of drone attacks.

Much more at the link.

Vovchansk:

Video of a claimed Russian ODAB-1500 UMPK glide bomb strike in Vovchansk.https://t.co/ISP6U2X8n7https://t.co/hEaBC9GRsW https://t.co/d77FQ1ciVS pic.twitter.com/CkvRtZL6w0

— Rob Lee (@RALee85) September 30, 2024

Russian ODAB-1500 UMPK strike on Vovchansk. 3/https://t.co/CaFLhVG8RN pic.twitter.com/WQ1xpC1G43

— Rob Lee (@RALee85) October 2, 2024

Chasiv Yar:

Chasiv Yar

Filmed for @Hromadske by 24th brigade pic.twitter.com/mizqDhAGJM

— Diana Butsko (@dianabutsko) September 25, 2024

Kherson Oblast:

Russians use drones to attack civilians in Kherson, in what has become known as ‘human safari’. A terrifying story by @KyivIndependent
“Under attack are people walking, driving, bicycling, going to work or standing by grocery stores.”https://t.co/cfvMI6knLV

— Olga Tokariuk (@olgatokariuk) October 2, 2024

The Kyiv Independent has the details:

Editor’s note: Some of the Kherson locals interviewed for this story refused to be identified by last name due to fear for their safety.

KHERSON – On a warm September evening, Olha Chernyshova’s day took a grim turn when she was returning home from work in downtown Kherson. Stepping out of her car, she heard a loud buzz and immediately knew it was not a bumblebee.

She rushed towards her home’s entrance door. A deafening blast shook the yard. A drone had dropped an explosive on her car. Time froze.

Back in the yard, Chernyshova saw shattered glass, plastic, and a small metallic cylinder. Her heart racing, she called the police. A team of sappers soon retrieved an undetonated part of a fragmentation grenade. That same day, other drones targeted nearby cars, injuring three of Chernyshova’s neighbors.

A week after the terrifying incident, she spoke to the Kyiv Independent near her home, hiding from another drone under a large chestnut tree.

“Where will we hide once the leaves are gone?” she asked. “It will be an open season on people. I need to work on more drone safety measures.”

Owner of a family grocery store in Kherson, the capital of Ukraine’s southern region on the Dnipro River, Chernyshova lives in a city that has endured relentless Russian artillery and air strikes since its liberation from occupation in the fall of 2022. Local residents last year endured a massive flood triggered by Russia’s blowing up of the Kakhovka dam just north of the city.

Now, like other residents, she finds herself dodging Russian kamikaze drone strikes, typically so-called FPV (first-person view) commercial drones loaded with grenades or other explosives. Their use along the front lines of Russia’s full-scale invasion to kill infantry and tanks alike has been widespread, changing the future of warfare.

But in the ravaged city of Kherson, where Ukraine-controlled territory and Russian forces are separated by the Dnipro River instead of no man’s land between trenches in the eastern Donbas region, civilians are being targeted routinely. Terrified locals refer to the new strategy as “a human safari.”

“Drones are now flying in groups and attacking everything that moves,” said Serhii, a volunteer-turned-taxi driver.  “Our charity hub had to close because trucks can no longer deliver humanitarian aid. This has not only cut off critical supplies but also crippled local businesses that rely on transportation. It’s scary to think what will happen in winter when food and fuel shortages could escalate into a full-blown crisis.”

As drone attacks intensified, Chernyshova — a business owner and mother dedicated to safety — was authorized by the Kherson administration to initiate the development of drone security guidelines for the city. Online public information resource Dovidka.info wrote and designed posters based on her recommendations for Kherson and other front-line zones.

“Drones are a real pain for Kherson. Everyone is a target,” said Oleksandr Prokudin, the head of the Kherson Oblast Military Administration. “Under attack are people walking, driving, bicycling, going to work or standing by grocery stores.”

Drone strikes averaged 100 per day in July and August 2024, he said. But as autumn set in, the numbers have spiked dramatically. Ukraine’s TSN news program reported that a record high of 330 drone strikes and 224 explosive drops hit the region on Sept. 9 alone.

To attack women buying watermelons at city corners and children playing in parks, Russian forces use modified commercial drones.

“First, you see a reconnaissance drone like a Mavic,” said Svitlana, a doctor living by the river.

“You can hardly hear it, and it just looks around, sending video to the Russian pilot across the river,” she said, referring to the eastern bank of the Dnipro River to the south where Russian forces still control swatches of Kherson Oblast.

“Then comes an FPV (first-person view) drone, dropping a grenade on you. Or, a Coca-Cola can with explosives. Sometimes, the drone crashes and blows up. A 90-year-old woman was badly injured next door, in her yard,” she added.

Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) teams respond to drone attacks in Kherson every day.

“Often, as I drive to the location, drones chase my car: they do ‘double taps,’ striking first responders and sappers,” a leading expert in the field told the Kyiv Independent on condition of anonymity citing lack of authority to speak with the media.

“I fire at them with an AK rifle, but it’s difficult because the drones are small and fly at an altitude of 120 meters. Any lower than 30 meters means the drone is in attack mode, so I hide and wait. Once it’s gone, I can neutralize an FPV drone or explosives if it hasn’t detonated. If it did, I look through debris and, often, human body parts to figure out the kind of drone and explosives used.”

The sapper shared a Telegram channel where Russian drone operators post videos of these attacks.

“They know that the international laws prohibit deliberate attacks on civilians, civilian infrastructure, and humanitarian missions but they believe the anonymity protects them from prosecution,” he said. “They also need to show the results of their work. Russian volunteers fundraise for Mavic and FPV drones because these commercial models lack military certification and aren’t supplied by the military.”

Volodymyr, a former construction business owner, got two concussions as drones dropped explosives on his car four times. He lives in a large house within walking distance of the Dnipro River. He lost his company during the nine months of Russian occupation and survived two years of shelling, bombing, missile attacks, and the Kakhovka dam flood. After two recent artillery attacks, his family left Kherson.

Much more at the link including pictures and diagrams.

#Kherson 19.48

While I am editing the interview with this young mother, chased, targeted and injured by a Russian drone, the city is under heavy artillery fire. #SaveKherson pic.twitter.com/GkaH0vcYou

— Zarina Zabrisky 🇺🇸🇺🇦 (@ZarinaZabrisky) October 2, 2024

Okhmatdyt:

You’ve forgotten about Okhmatdyt, and perhaps never even heard of a dozen or so other atrocities against civilians committed by Russia in Ukraine since then, because the fast Internet news cycle has eroded your ability to focus.

The Kremlin knows that, and counts on it. https://t.co/RlKUOoDuIR

— Euan MacDonald (@Euan_MacDonald) October 2, 2024

Here’s the full text of the quoted tweet:

Have you stopped talking about Okhmatdyt?

This a reminder that almost 3 months ago, Russia unleashed at least 40 long-range missiles in five cities across Ukraine, targeting civilian residential regions, including Ukraine’s largest pediatric facility, Okhmatdyt Children’s Hospital. More than 600 patients along with hundreds of medical staff were present during the missile strike, while three patients were undergoing operations during the time of the attack.

36 people were killed.

As of today, this has still not been officially declared as a war crime.

Tambov Oblast, Russia:

Russian military in Tambov region of Russia mistook a plane dusting fields for a Ukrainian drone and fired at it with machine guns.

The pilot was dusting fields, flew over a gunpowder factory. After that, machine guns began to fire at the plane. The pilot was wounded in the leg… pic.twitter.com/EOmYu7LhAs

— Special Kherson Cat 🐈🇺🇦 (@bayraktar_1love) October 2, 2024

Russian military in Tambov region of Russia mistook a plane dusting fields for a Ukrainian drone and fired at it with machine guns.

The pilot was dusting fields, flew over a gunpowder factory. After that, machine guns began to fire at the plane. The pilot was wounded in the leg and was forced to land in a field.

That’s enough for tonight.

Your daily Patron!

I look sad in this photo because my great friend, and a friend of all Ukraine, the Ambassador of Japan to Ukraine, Mr. Matsuda Kuninori, is completing his diplomatic mission here. This means that we won’t see each other again anytime soon. 😞
I would like all of you to get to… pic.twitter.com/dG22PrP3O4

— Patron (@PatronDsns) October 2, 2024

I look sad in this photo because my great friend, and a friend of all Ukraine, the Ambassador of Japan to Ukraine, Mr. Matsuda Kuninori, is completing his diplomatic mission here. This means that we won’t see each other again anytime soon. 😞
I would like all of you to get to know him because he is an extraordinary person with a huge heart. At our first meeting, I barked about how many things we needed, and a few weeks later, as if by magic, various equipment started arriving. Thank you, people of Japan, for sending us such an Ambassador.
I will never forget you ❤️

Open thread!