RFE/RL’s Live Briefing gives you all of the latest developments on Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Western military aid to Kyiv, worldwide reaction, and the plight of civilians and refugees. For all of RFE/RL’s coverage of the war, click here.
Latest Developments At A Glance
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy will present Kyiv’s “victory plan” during an upcoming meeting of Western allies in Germany.
- Russia forces launched 87 drones and four missiles on Ukraine overnight, targeting the capital, Kyiv, and other cities, Ukrainian authorities said on October 6.
- Ukraine has documented evidence related to the execution of 93 Ukrainian prisoners of war, according to a law enforcement official tasked with investigating war crimes related to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
- Zelenskiy visited the northeastern Sumy region on October 4 and spoke with military commanders and soldiers who have fought along Ukraine’s border with Russia and in Russia’s Kursk region.
- Ukraine’s air force reported that Russia launched 19 drones at targets in Ukraine, with nine of them being shot down by Ukrainian air-defense systems over four regions — Kyiv, Cherkasy, Kirovohrad, and Kherson.
- A Ukrainian drone strike set a large oil depot on fire in Russia’s southwestern Voronezh region early on October 4.
- In Ukraine’s eastern region of Donetsk, two residents were killed and two others were wounded during Russia’s bombardment of Stara Mykolayivka and Kreminnaya Balka, authorities said on October 4.
- In the southern region of Kherson, one person was killed and four others were wounded as the Russian military shelled 14 settlements in 24 hours.
- Zelenskiy said in his first comments since the withdrawal of Ukrainian forces from the city of Vuhledar in the Donetsk region that it was an “absolutely correct” step necessary to save lives.
- More than 20,000 soldiers from Russia’s Povolzhye — territories comprising several regions around the Volga River — have died in Ukraine since the start of Moscow’s invasion of its neighbor, according to calculations from RFE/RL’s Idel.Realities.
The Fall Of Vuhledar: What Does It Mean For Ukraine’s Beleaguered Military?
Ukraine lost the Donbas coal-mining city of Vuhledar, amid a relentless, months-long offensive by Russian forces. It probably doesn’t herald the entire collapse of Ukrainian lines, but it’s definitely not a good sign. Read the report by Mike Eckel here.
What Do Ukrainians Expect From Zelenskiy’s ‘Victory Plan’?
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy is set to present his plan for victory in the war against Russia to U.S. President Joe Biden during his visit to the United States this week. On September 19, RFE/RL asked people in two Ukrainian cities what they think the path to peace might look like. Report by RFE/RL’s Ukrainian Service.
Will Ukraine Embrace Russian Refugees? Border Residents Are Not Excited
Skepticism prevailed in the Ukrainian border city of Sumy when locals were asked about government plans to accept refugees from Russia’s Kursk region. Officials have said that civilians displaced by Ukraine’s ongoing military incursion in Russia could be relocated and offered humanitarian aid. But one man speaking to RFE/RL on August 16 said: “Let their country protect them. We’ve got enough of our own suffering.” Video report by RFE/RL’s Ukrainian Service.
On The Battlefield, Russia Leans Into A Window Of Opportunity That Ukraine’s Trying To Shut
Things aren’t looking as bleak for Ukraine as they were in the spring. Despite stabilizing many of its lines, Ukraine still faces a concentrated Russian effort that appears to be aimed at making tangible gains before more Ukrainian soldiers and Western weapons show up at the front. Read the story by Mike Eckel here.
Ukraine Gets U.S. OK To Hit Targets Inside Russia. Now What?
Ukraine got the green light from Washington, and more than a dozen NATO allies, to start using Western weaponry on some targets inside Russia. Is it a game changer? Read the story by Mike Eckel here.
Why Is Ukraine Attacking Russia’s Oil Refineries?
Russia said it would protect oil refineries better after several were struck by Ukrainian drones. Ukraine continues to hit the facilities, despite U.S. warnings against such attacks, as it launches larger and larger drone swarms. The strikes have decreased refinery output but beyond a morale boost for Ukraine, the effects are moderate so far. Read the story by Todd Prince here.
Ukraine Has No Navy. But It’s Hammering Russia In The Black Sea.
The landing ship that purportedly sank off Crimea last week is one of nearly two dozen Russian warships that Ukraine has seriously damaged or sunk since the full-scale invasion two years ago. It’s an extraordinary set of naval losses inflicted by a country that currently doesn’t even have a navy. Read the report by Mike Eckel here.
Interactive: Occupied, Militarized Crimea
As Ukrainian leaders vow to reclaim all territories seized by Russia, Moscow has prepared extensive defensive measures, particularly in Crimea, a region unlawfully annexed in 2014. This area, now under Russian occupation, has been heavily militarized with an array of air bases and army bases, making it one of the most fortified zones in the war. View the interactive map by Crimea.Realities, Schemes, RFE/RL’s Ukrainian Service, and Central Newsroom here.
