Victory Chronicles-DAY 974

Four members of the National Guard of Ukraine were captured by Russian servicemen near the town of Selydove in the Donetsk region. 

The captives were subsequently interrogated on camera and then killed. The Prosecutor General’s Office of Ukraine has initiated a pre-trial investigation into the incident, citing violation of laws and customs of war along with premeditated murder. 

Russian troops launched an assault on the fortifications where the Ukrainian fighters were stationed, capturing them during the attack. The Russian forces filmed the interrogation of the wounded Ukrainian fighters. The following day, Ukrainian forces regained their lost positions and discovered the bodies of the deceased fighters during a search operation. 

The Prosecutor General’s Office emphasized that the killing of prisoners of war is a serious violation of the Geneva Conventions and constitutes a major international crime.

More than 80% of Ukrainians would vote in favor of Ukraine’s accession to the EU and NATO if a referendum were held in the near future, according to a survey conducted by the Razumkov Centre. The survey, conducted in September, revealed that 81% of Ukrainians are willing to take part in a referendum on EU accession, with 88% of them voting in favor and 8% against. Similarly, if a referendum on NATO membership were held, 82% of respondents would participate, with 86% supporting accession and 10% against.

A bomb attack in the city of Kupyansk, Russia, has left 11 people injured and one woman dead. The bomb, believed to be a preliminary ODAB-1500, struck near a shop in the market. Among the damaged structures were a two-story building, 12 trade stalls, a kindergarten, residential buildings, and an administrative building. Local residents were directly affected by the attack, and police officers were on hand to assist rescuers in retrieving people from the rubble and providing aid to those injured. 

Russian occupiers are attempting to infiltrate the city of Selidove in the Donetsk region. However, Ukraine’s Defense Forces are effectively holding the line and driving out infantry groups that try to enter the city. Specifically, they are focusing on controlling and eliminating the infiltrating infantry, particularly those coming from the Mykhailivka area. The Defence Forces are also working to prevent the enemy from establishing observation and firing positions and entrenching themselves within the city. 

Russian forces have made significant tactical advances into and around Selydove in recent days, but the Russian military command’s apparent focus on securing Selydove has come at the expense of Russian forces’ ability to sustain a meaningful offensive drive directly on Pokrovsk — Russia’s self-defined operational objective on this sector of the front. Geolocated footage published on October 22 and 23 shows that Russian forces have advanced along Skhidna Street in northeastern Selydove and northward along Berehova and Zakhysnykiv streets in eastern Selydove towards the center of the town.

Geolocated footage published on October 23 also shows that elements of the Russian 114th Motorized Rifle Brigade (51st Combined Arms Army [CAA], formerly 1st Donetsk People’s Republic Army Corps [DNR AC]) seized Izmailivka (southeast of Selydove), and additional geolocated footage published on October 23 indicates that Russian forces also advanced on the northeastern outskirts of Novoselydivka (west of Izmailivka and south of Selydove) and in fields northwest of Tsukuryne (also south of Selydove but north of the Izmailivka-Novoselydivka area).

Russian sources widely claimed that Russian forces advanced into northern Selydove, reached the outskirts of Vyshneve (west of Selydove) via the C05091 road by pushing northwestward from Tsukuryne, and made territorial gains in Hirnyk (southeast of Selydove), although ISW has not yet observed confirmation of these claims.

Senior Sergeant Vitalii Radio was killed in action for Ukraine on 1 April 2024. During a combat mission near the village of Semenivka in the Donetsk region, he sustained fatal mine-blast injuries. On 22 October, the defender would have turned 44 years old.

Vitaliy was born in the village of Kamianka, in the Rivne region. But he lived all his life in the village of Kurhany. In the professional sphere, he first tried to be a furniture specialist. Later, he found his calling when he started working in construction. He always learned new techniques and watched many videos to improve his skills. The most successful project of his life was his own house, which he built himself.

In civilian life, Vitalii had a large circle of friends. He loved to fish, pick mushrooms, and watch football matches. He supported FC Dynamo Kyiv and the national team.

The man defended Ukraine from the first days of the full-scale invasion by the Russian occupiers. He served as the company’s chief sergeant in the 68th separate hunting brigade named after Oleksa Dovbush. He fought in the Donetsk and Kharkiv regions.

Vitaliy has a rather rare but extremely interesting surname: Radio, which became his call sign from the very beginning. However, many of his younger comrades-in-arms addressed him as ‘Mykolaovych’.

The fighter was awarded the Personal Bravery Badge, the Silver Cross, the First Class Warrior Ranger Cross, and the Firearms Award of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine for his devoted service.

In 2024, Vitaliy Radio was posthumously awarded the title of Hero of Ukraine and the Order of the Golden Star.

‘I am incredibly grateful that I had the opportunity to spend 20 years of my life with such an incredible dad who always made our family a priority. There was never a moment when I doubted his love, as he always repeated ‘Everything I do is for you’. He had grandiose plans for his life; he said he was still young and ready to conquer new heights, but after the war. He was eager to throw the occupier out of the country, which is why he could not be indifferent when the full-scale invasion began,’ said Vita, the daughter of the fallen fighter.

‘Everyone respected Radio and always carried out his instructions. He was the backbone of our entire company. We will miss him,’ his fellow fighters added.

Vitaliy was buried in the cemetery in the village of Kurhany. The defender is survived by his wife Natalia, son Bohdan, daughter Vita, brother Volodymyr and sister Ivanna.

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

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