Victory Chronicles-DAY 973

The office of the Ukrainian Red Cross in the Donetsk region was destroyed as a result of Russian shelling in Kurakhove. The office was located in a cultural center in the Marinka district, and the organization’s technical and material assets were also destroyed. However, there were no injuries reported among the staff and volunteers. The Ukrainian Red Cross strongly condemned the violation of international humanitarian law, as well as the shelling of civilian objects and humanitarian organizations. The destruction of the Ukrainian Red Cross office is a significant setback for their operations and ability to assist those in need.

The United Kingdom has announced an additional £120 million (approximately $155 million) to support the maritime capabilities of the coalition protecting Ukrainian ports. 

This decision comes in response to increasing Russian attacks on Ukraine’s port infrastructure in the Black Sea. The funding will be used to supply more maritime drones and surveillance radars to safeguard the Ukrainian grain corridor. The UK is also seeking partners to co-finance these efforts. The UK and Norway are also looking for around $130 million to support the coalition. As part of the maritime coalition, Ukraine has received various equipment, including amphibious all-terrain vehicles, raiding boats, anti-ship missiles, and ammunition. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer highlighted that Russia’s attacks in the Black Sea pose a threat to global food security.

In Lyman, Kramatorsk district, a five-story building was hit by the enemy, resulting in the destruction of the building structures and subsequent fire. The fire, which covered an area of 600 square meters, was extinguished by emergency workers. One person was injured in the attack, and two more high-rise buildings were damaged. In addition to this, the occupants also shelled the residential sector of Yatskivka village in the Kramatorsk district, causing a private two-story residential building to catch fire. Emergency workers managed to extinguish the fire, which covered an area of 200 square meters.

Artillerymen from the 148th Separate Artillery Brigade of the Zhytomyr Air Assault Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine have demonstrated that they can successfully hit a moving tank using both an FPV drone and a 155mm shell. 

Ukrainian forces conducted a series of drone strikes on the night of October 21 to 22 targeting distilleries in Russia that reportedly manufacture products for the Russian military. Tula Oblast Governor Dmitry Milyaev claimed that a Ukrainian drone strike damaged distilleries in Yefremov and Luzhlovsky.

Russian opposition outlet Astra reported that the Ukrainian drone strike also damaged local Ministry of Internal Affairs (MVD) and Federal Security Service (FSB) buildings near the distillery in Yefremov. Russian opposition and insider sources posted footage showing a fire near the Yefremov distillery, synthetic rubber plant (just northwest of the distillery), and thermal power plant (just northeast of the distillery).

Tambov Oblast Governor Maksim Egorov claimed that a drone struck the Biokhim enterprise in Rasskozovo, starting a fire. Biokhim produces ethyl alcohol, and its website claims that it manufactures products that are of “strategic importance to the [Russian] state.” Voronezh Oblast Governor Aleksander Gusev claimed that Russian forces “suppressed” a drone that then fell on an unspecified industrial enterprise in Voronezh Oblast, damaging a workshop.

Head of the Ukrainian Center for Countering Disinformation Andriy Kovalenko stated that Russia uses alcohol factories to manufacture fuel for military needs and explosives.

32-year-old fighter Dmytro Chaharyn, with the call sign Tackleberry, died on 19 April 2024 near the village of Pervomaiske, Donetsk region. In a battle with the occupiers, he was mortally wounded as a result of a mortar attack.

Dmytro was from the village of Noskivtsi in the Vinnytsia region. When he was a child, he decided that he wanted to serve the people of Ukraine, so after school, he entered Kharkiv National University of Internal Affairs. He then worked for the Vinnytsia City Police. Before the outbreak of full-scale war, he resigned from the service as a senior police lieutenant.

In the first days of the invasion, he went to defend his country. At first, he was in the TRO, and on 2 March 2022, he became a fighter in the A0549 military unit of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. During his service, he repeatedly received certificates of commendation from the command and also received an award from the commander of the Kherson military unit. On 2 March 2024, he was transferred to the 59th Separate Motorized Infantry Brigade named after Yakiv Handziuk as a rifleman.

‘He was very fond of our country, always fighting for justice. He was cheerful, even when he had difficult days on duty, always laughing and saying that everything would be fine and we would win…’ said the deceased’s wife Iryna.

The defender was buried in his native village. Dmytro is survived by his mother, wife and son, who was waiting for his father to return home with the victory. The child was 6 years old at the time of his father’s death.

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

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