Victory Chronicles-DAY 593

Russian occupants have handed over to Hamas militants trophy weapons made in the United States and the EU that were captured during the fighting in Ukraine. Intelligence warns that Russia is preparing to discredit Ukraine to influence its allies’ attitude and the provision of Western weapons. 

“The aggressor state Russia is using the attack of Hamas terrorists on the state of Israel for a large-scale provocation against Ukraine. The Defence Intelligence of Ukraine informs that the Russian GRU (Main Intelligence Directorate) has already handed over to Hamas terrorists trophy weapons captured during the fighting in Ukraine, made in the United States and the EU. The next step, according to the Russians’ plan, is to falsely accuse the Ukrainian military of selling Western weapons to terrorists on a regular basis,” the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine (DIU) reports.

The DIU believes that, according to the Russian occupiers, these fakes should form the basis of a series of “exposing publications” and “investigations” in the Western media.

It is also emphasized that the Russian special services intend to use the relevant comments of the traitor from the Ukrainian Border Guard Service, Senior Lieutenant Ruslan Syrovyi, who recently fled to Moscow, to convince them. The Russian provocation is aimed at discrediting the Ukrainian Armed Forces and completely stopping military assistance to Ukraine from Western partners.

Criminologists have identified 49 citizens killed in a Russian missile attack on the village of Hroza, Kharkiv Oblast, as of 9 October.

“The 4th day of restless work by forensic experts of the police of the Kharkiv Oblast. 49 victims have already been identified. Specialists have conducted 168 DNA tests; another 63 are in progress,” said Ihor Klymenko, Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine. Klymenko says that another 5 people are considered missing. “Colossal work is carried out by investigators, criminalists, detectives and many other police officers,” he added.

DPRK sharply increases transportation to Russia after Kim-Putin meeting. The Beyond Parallel project of the US Centre for Strategic and International Studies has observed a sharp upsurge in freight traffic between North Korea and Russia following the two leaders’ meeting in September.

A satellite image of a railway facility in the North Korean city of Tumangan, on the border with Russia, dated 5 October 2023, captured an unprecedented number of freight cars with a total of about 73.

The activity at Tumangan is much higher than what US analysts from Beyond Parallel have observed at the site over the past five years, even before the coronavirus pandemic. Furthermore, construction of what is likely to be a new storage facility is underway nearby.

Analysts believe that in exchange for weapons, Kim might receive much-needed energy, food aid, and advanced weapons technologies, including those related to intercontinental ballistic missiles, submarines with nuclear ballistic missiles, and military reconnaissance satellites.

There are concerns that the potential transfer of Russian technology will increase the threat posed by North Korea’s growing arsenal of nuclear weapons and missiles designed to strike the United States, South Korea, and Japan.

A company of ATGMs from the 66th Brigade in the Lyman sector destroyed 25 Russian tanks in 4 days. Among them was a T-90 tank. “This is a very cool result, fighters. Glory to Ukraine!” tweeted General Syrskyi.

Ukrainian forces continued counteroffensive operations near Bakhmut and marginally advanced in western Zaporizhzhia Oblast on October 8. Geolocated footage published on October 8 shows that Ukrainian forces made limited gains north of Novoprokopivka (14km south of Orikhiv), and a Russian milblogger claimed that Ukrainian forces also advanced near Kopani (10km southwest of Orikhiv). The Ukrainian General Staff reported that Ukrainian forces achieved partial success northeast of Andriivka (7km southwest of Bakhmut), and Russian sources claimed that Ukrainian forces continued attacks near Andriivka, and Kurdyumivka (11km southwest of Bakhmut).

Russian and Ukrainian sources reported that deteriorating weather conditions are impacting both Russian and Ukrainian operations across the theater. Ukrainian Tavriisk Group of Forces Spokesperson Colonel Oleksandr Shtupun stated that Russian drone and aviation activity has decreased in the past few days due to poor weather.

Russian milbloggers claimed that deteriorating weather conditions in the Bakhmut and Zaporizhia directions are impacting Ukrainian offensive operations as well as Russian aerial reconnaissance operations. Ukrainian Eastern Group of Forces Spokesperson Captain Ilya Yevlash reiterated that poor weather may impact drone and aviation operations but that the weather will not halt Ukraine’s counteroffensive.

Vitalii Baranov, Commander of the 206th Battalion of the Territorial Defense Forces, died in combat. The head of the Obolon District State Administration, Kyrylo Fesyk, posted on social media that Vitalii Baranov had been killed at the front. 

“Today’s terrible news will definitely not pass by any active resident of Obolon. Vitalii Baranov, the commander of the 206th battalion of the TRO, a true hero, a legendary warrior and commander, a repeated member of the public council at the Obolon District State Administration, was killed. The most sincere patriot I have ever known. He is an optimist, a lover of life, an intelligent and modest person,” Fesyk said about the defender.

On Vitalii Baranov’s Facebook page, there are words of gratitude for his life’s feat, loyalty, and courage. Everyone recognizes that Kyiv and Ukraine have lost a personality of historic proportions.

Vitalii Baranov was awarded the Orders of Bohdan Khmelnytsky of the II and III degrees. He was born in Korostyshiv, Zhytomyr Oblast. His father was a quarry manager at Vybukhprom. As a child, Vitalii used to go to work with his father when granite was being blown up, and it fascinated him. Later, he admitted that this influenced his choice of profession.

Vitalii Baranov chose the Kamianets-Podilskyi Higher Military Engineering Command School named after Marshal of the Engineering Troops V.K. Kharchenko. He considers the military profession, military environment, and training one of the best periods of his life when his personality was formed.

Vitalii Baranov was a Lieutenant Colonel in the Armed Forces of Ukraine since the times of independent Ukraine. In 2004, he retired and started a business. And in 2014, he began to defend Ukraine. The military was hesitant to take him back because there was no position corresponding to his rank and specialty. Yet, Baranov went to serve as a senior lieutenant in the 90th separate battalion, where he was an assistant battalion commander for operational support.

Then, he was assigned to protect the Donetsk Airport, where he was the Battalion’s chief of staff. Their commander had been captured, and Vitalii took over the unit. Vitalii Baranov learned about the start of the large-scale invasion on 24 February 2022 in the village of Katiuzhanka, 50 kilometers from the capital. He headed for Chornobyl because he realized that the Russians would try to march on Kyiv from there. After analyzing the situation, he returned home, packed a duffel bag, and went to the equipment center.

“An hour and a half later, my comrades-in-arms from the 90th Battalion also arrived. There were 10-12 of us. We received weapons, and a new life began for all of us and tens of thousands of Ukrainians that day,” Baranov recalled the beginning of the full-scale invasion. He and his unit performed missions in Chornobyl and the Kyiv Reservoir area. Then they fought in Mykolaiv, Kherson, Kharkiv Oblasts, and, for some time, were near Bakhmut. It was near Bakhmut that the unit suffered the most painful losses. 

• General Staff report: Ukrainian defenders repel Russian attacks on 6 fronts, 37 combat clashes occur
• UK intelligence reveals how Russia’s alliance with Iran strengthened in recent years
• Ukrainian defenders kill 350 Russian soldiers and destroy air defense system in 24 hours
• The advisor to the mayor of Mariupol: Russia moves new reserves to Mariupol for first time in six months
• Russia pursues UN Human Rights Panel seat after ejection over Ukraine war
• Ukraine makes frontline gains as Putin hints at nuclear testing