Wednesday, October 18

Russia’s war against Ukraine

A house damaged by a Russian attack against Kherson, Ukraine, on Oct. 17, 2023. (Oleksandr Prokudin/Telegram)

Ukraine uses ATACMS for first time in strikes on Russian forces in Luhansk, Berdiansk. Ukraine struck Russian forces in Luhansk and Berdiansk with U.S.-supplied long-range Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS), marking their first usage on the battlefield.

Zelensky: ATACMS have proven themselves on battlefield. President Volodymyr Zelensky thanked the U.S. during his nightly address on Oct. 17 for providing the Army Tactical Missiles Systems (ATACMS), which saw their first use in battle earlier in the day, saying they were very accurate and have “proven themselves.”

Reintegration Ministry: Over 67,000 people evacuated from liberated Kherson, Kharkiv oblasts. Since the autumn of 2022, over 67,000 people have been evacuated from liberated parts of Kherson and Kharkiv oblasts to safer regions, the Reintegration Ministry reported on Oct. 17.

Destruction of Kakhovka dam causes almost $14 billion in damage. Russia’s destruction of the Kakhovka dam has caused almost $14 billion in damages to Ukraine, according to a report published by the United Nations on Oct. 17.

Reintegration Ministry: Almost $5 million allocated for Ukrainian POWs, families.

The Integration Ministry announced on Oct. 17 that a fund of Hr 180,000,000 ($4.9 million) has been allocated to support Ukrainian prisoners of war (POWs) and their families.

Ukrainian farmers sow 45 million hectares of winter crops but volumes expected to drop by 20%. The volume of winter crops is expected to drop by 20% compared to last year as farmers lack financial resources, MP Dmytro Solomchuk told Ukrinform.

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Reintegration Ministry: 3 children return home from occupied Kherson Oblast.

Three more Ukrainian children returned to their parents on the Kyiv-controlled territory on Oct. 17 in a rescue mission by the Ukrainian Child Rights Network and the Reintegration Ministry.

Ukraine’s special forces say they destroyed 9 Russian helicopters in occupied territories. Ukrainian overnight strikes on Russian military airfields in occupied Luhansk and Berdiansk destroyed nine helicopters, an anti-aircraft missile launcher, and an ammunition warehouse, the Special Operations Forces reported on Oct. 17.

Parliament approves measure strengthening financial monitoring of politicians.

The Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine’s parliament, has supported a measure increasing the duration of financial monitoring of Politically Exposed Persons (PEP) from three years to life, lawmaker Yaroslav Zhelezniak said on Oct. 17.

Qatari diplomats to facilitate the repatriation of 4 deported Ukrainian children.

Three Ukrainian children who were illegally deported to Russia are in the process of being released to Qatari diplomats in Russia, who will then facilitate their return to Ukraine, in addition to another who has already been returned, an unnamed Qatari official told Reuters on Oct. 16.

Zelenska calls Israeli first lady, confirms 13 Ukrainians killed in Hamas attack on Israel. First Lady Olena Zelensky held a phone call with Israeli First Lady Michal Herzog on Oct. 17, during which she expressed her condolences to the victims of Hamas’ attack on Israel on Oct. 7.

Governor: Russian attack on Kherson injures 2. Russian forces struck central Kherson on the afternoon of Oct. 17, wounding two women aged 57 and 66, the regional governor Oleksandr Prokudin reported.

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Ukraine war latest: Ukraine uses ATACMS for first time to strike airfields in Russian-occupied territory

Ukrainian forces launched strikes on military airfields in Russian-occupied territory overnight on Oct. 17, using U.S.-supplied long-range Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) for the first time.

Photo: South Korean Defense Ministry via Getty Images

How Russia’s liberal tech companies became the foundation of Putin’s war effort

Fridays at Russian tech giant Yandex — are marked by a large-scale all-hands meeting where employees can bring questions and problems to the company’s upper management.

Photo: Mikhail Svetlov/Getty Images

Human cost of war

2 killed, 3 injured in Russian attack on Zaporizhzhia. Two people were killed and three injured after Russia attacked Zaporizhzhia with missiles overnight on Oct. 18, the Interior Ministry reported via its official Telegram channel.

International response

PM Shmyhal: US allocates $522 million to aid Ukraine’s energy system. The U.S. has allocated $522 million to purchase energy equipment for Ukraine and protect the country’s electricity infrastructure, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said on Oct. 16.

European Parliament votes to support $53 billion financing package for Ukraine’s recovery. The European Parliament voted to endorse a proposal for financing Ukraine’s “recovery, reconstruction, and modernization from 2024” worth 50 billion euros ($52.8 billion), the parliament’s press office announced on Oct. 17.

Lithuania repairing Leopard tanks damaged in Ukraine. “Tanks will be returned to the battlefield once their technical capability is restored,” the Lithuanian Defense Ministry wrote on X (formerly Twitter). It didn’t specify how many vehicles are being repaired in the country.

White House, Ukrainian military confirm provision of ATACMS to Ukraine. The U.S. has provided Ukraine with Army Tactical Missiles Systems (ATACMS), the White House confirmed on Oct. 17, after the Ukrainian military said it had used them for the first time on the battlefield.

VOA: US military says all 31 Abrams tanks arrived in Ukraine. The U.S. has delivered all the previously pledged 31 Abrams tanks to Ukraine, U.S. Army Europe and Africa Command’s spokesperson Martin O’Donnell told the Voice of America.

In other news

Polish opposition wins elections, according to final count. The Polish Electoral Commission released the results of the Oct. 15 election. The ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party won 35.4% of the vote, while the three opposition parties together received 53.6%.

Orban meets Xi in Beijing, attends Belt and Road Forum. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban met with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing on Oct. 17. Orban is the only leader from the European Union to attend the summit.

Putin, Orban hold talks in Beijing. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban met with Russian dictator Vladimir Putin in Beijing on Oct. 17. Orban told Putin that his government is interested in continuing economic cooperation with Russia “as long as this is possible.”

Pashinyan says Armenia ready to sign peace treaty with Azerbaijan.

“We must move steadily towards peace,” Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said on Oct. 17. “To do this, political will is necessary, and I have that political will.”

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