Victory Chronicles-DAY 960

The European Union (EU) has condemned Russia’s recent attacks on civilian ships carrying Ukrainian grain and called on concerned countries to put pressure on Moscow to stop these actions. In recent days, Russia has increased the number of attacks, including firing ballistic missiles at two ships from Panama and Palau, as well as attacking a ship from St. Kitts and Nevis and a ship carrying grain for Egypt. 

These actions, along with Russia’s continued destruction of Ukrainian grain storage facilities and port infrastructure, as well as the theft of Ukrainian grain, are blatant violations of international law. The EU argues that these attacks negatively impact global food security and endanger millions of people in Ukraine, Europe, Asia, and Africa. The EU is urging all countries to condemn Russia’s attacks on freedom of navigation and global food security and to put pressure on Russia to stop these attacks and its illegal aggression against Ukraine immediately.

Human rights activists have discovered that Belarus, with the assistance of self-proclaimed President Alexander Lukashenko, has taken at least 2,219 Ukrainian children from territories temporarily occupied by Russia. While Belarusian and Russian officials claimed these children were being taken for recreation, most were forcibly moved during the school year. This suggests a deliberate attempt by the Belarusian government to indoctrinate, “re-educate,” and militarize these Ukrainian children, using the school system as a means to do so. The findings come from a study conducted by the ZMINA Human Rights Center, the Regional Center for Human Rights, the Vyasna Human Rights Organization, and BelPol. The illegal removal of these children began in mid-September 2021 and continued until June 2024. The researchers acknowledge that the actual number of affected children may be higher than reported, as illegal movements are still ongoing.

According to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, a fire at an oil depot in Feodosia, which broke out after a strike by Ukrainian missile forces, has been burning for four days, and Russian emergency services have been unable to extinguish it. The depot is the largest oil transshipment facility in occupied Crimea, with the only other terminal located in Sevastopol. As of October 10, 1,137 people had been evacuated from the area.

During the night, a post office in the center of Kherson was attacked by Russian troops, resulting in damaged windows, roofs, walls, fences, and service vehicles. Despite the extensive damage, there were no reported casualties. The post office is an important facility for the local community, providing essential services to the residents. 

The Russian military command has likely ordered Russian forces to conduct a relatively high tempo of mechanized assaults in Ukraine to pursue significant tactical advances before muddy ground conditions in fall 2024 constrain mechanized maneuver. 

Poor weather conditions in fall 2024 and early winter 2024-2025 will likely complicate and constrain both mechanized and infantry maneuver, but Russian forces may seek to maintain their consistent offensive pressure in eastern Ukraine despite these difficulties. Ukrainian National Guard Spokesperson Ruslan Muzychuk stated on October 8 that Russian forces are increasing their use of armored vehicles on the battlefield — specifically in the Kharkiv and Pokrovsk directions — in order to take advantage of dry road and terrain conditions before rainy seasonal weather causes muddy grounds conditions.

Russian forces have been conducting a high tempo of mechanized assaults in western Donetsk Oblast since late July 2024 and have conducted at least four observed battalion-sized mechanized assaults in eastern Ukraine since July 25, 2024. Russian forces have also resumed relatively large mechanized assaults along the Kupyansk-Svatove-Kreminna line since late September 2024. 

The Russian military command likely aims for intensified mechanized offensive activity to allow Russian forces to advance across open fields and consolidate in nearby frontline settlements that Russian forces can then use as a foothold for staging and launching offensive operations that seek to achieve operational objectives — such as the seizure of Kurakhove in western Donetsk Oblast or the seizure of Pokrovsk. A Russian milblogger claimed on October 9 that muddy seasonal conditions have already started in Kursk Oblast and are constraining maneuver for wheeled vehicles. 

ISW has not yet observed wide reporting that muddy terrain is constraining mechanized maneuver on any sector of the front in Kursk Oblast or in Ukraine, however.

Warrant Officer Serhii Turzhanskyi died on January 13, 2024, near the village of Vesele, Donetsk region. While performing a combat mission, the fighter received an explosive injury incompatible with life. In December, the warrior turned 39 years old.

Serhiy was born in the village of Bila Krynytsia, Zhytomyr region. Since childhood, he was engaged in various types of wrestling, including judo. He received many awards. He studied at Yuzhnoukrainsk school No. 3. He became a painter, installer, and electric welder at the Yuzhnoukrainsk Lyceum. He worked in the Special Unit “Scorpion” at the South Ukrainian Nuclear Power Plant.  He was an exemplary employee, an example of courage, strength, heroism and patriotism. His portrait always hung on the honor board. Recently, he lived in Kyiv. 

When the full-scale invasion began, he volunteered to join the Hetman Bohdan Khmelnytsky Separate Presidential Brigade as a squad leader. 

Serhiy received several awards for his service, including the Golden Cross, War Veteran, Exemplary Service, II Class, and Specialist, 1st Class of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

“Serhii was a very good host, always with his family in his free time. He was a non-conflict person, always dealing with all the troubles with a smile. He was always the center of attention in the company because he knew how to live life to the fullest. He loved life very much and said that he promised to return with victory. He never even showed any signs of being hard or scared. He was very worried about his family. Even though he was under constant shelling, he said that it was not important to him, the main thing was us, his family. He is still alive for us and we are waiting for him at home. Without him, the colors of life have been lost, everything has become gray. He rarely saw his son, mostly only through video calls. He must have felt that he was going to die soon, because he told me that he trusted his father-in-law to raise his son. For us, he is the best. I will love him through space and time,” says Natalia’s wife.

The fighter was buried at the Salkiv cemetery in the village of Protsiv, Kyiv region. Serhii is survived by his wife, 2-year-old son and 11-year-old daughter. 

*Serhii’s story on the Heroes Memorial – a platform for stories about the fallen defenders of Ukraine.

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