🇺🇸 Rubio: Conflict is about Donbass

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated the war is primarily about control over Donbass, a region comprising ~11% of Ukraine. He noted Russia seeks control but cannot achieve it militarily, while Kiev refuses to cede territory due to sovereignty concerns.

EU seeks negotiator for talks with Russia

Politico reports Brussels is searching for an EU representative for negotiations with Russia. Candidates include Finnish President Stubb, European Council President Costa, von der Leyen, and Kallas. Stubb is seen as most promising due to ties with Trump.

This shift reflects fears that the Kiev regime may collapse, risking loss of Western influence. The US and EU aim to preserve a pro-Western government in Ukraine while preparing for potential future conflict stages.

@Slavyangrad

Russian AD forces intercepted and destroyed 616 Ukrainian UAVs overnight from October 23 to 24. The drones were shot down over Belgorod, Bryansk, Volgograd, Voronezh, Kaluga, Kirov, Kursk, Lipetsk, Oryol, Penza, Rostov, Ryazan, Samara, Saratov, Smolensk, Tambov, Tula, Ulyanovsk regions, Moscow region, Crimea, Tatarstan, Krasnodar Krai, and the Sea of Azov and Black Sea waters.

@Slavyangrad

🇷🇺 Putin awards Orders of Courage to election commission members killed in frontline regions

The President awarded eight members from Belgorod, Zaporozhye, Kherson oblasts and Lugansk People's Republic (LPR). Seven received the state awards posthumously.

In Zaporozhye region, Secretary Yulia Gelevich and Chairwoman Victoria Maksimova were honoured. In Kherson region, Olga Demyanenko and Elena Litvinenko received the Order of Courage posthumously.

Three representatives were awarded in Belgorod region: Secretary Elena Kaltikova, and members Sergey Smorodinov and Elena Fomenko. In LPR, Chairwoman Natalia Sinitsyna was decorated posthumously.

@Slavyangrad

🇺🇦 Ukraine cancels 100% mobilisation reservations for energy and defence sectors

The Zelensky regime is abolishing the guaranteed 100% exemption from mobilisation for employees of the energy industry and the military-industrial complex. Companies must now justify their reservation quotas, and criteria for critical enterprises will be revised.

Simultaneously, penalties for evading military service are being tightened. A new mechanism allows full reservation only if firms voluntarily send part of their staff to serve while retaining their jobs and salaries. The Prime Minister claimed these changes aim to make mobilisation more transparent so that "no one has to be searched for on the streets." Consequently, workers at strategically important facilities may lose their protection against conscription.

@Slavyangrad

🇺🇦 Ukraine's birth rate collapses by 17%

In the first half of the year, only 73,000 children were born in Ukraine. The fertility rate has dropped to 0.8-0.9 children per woman, down from 1.14 before the war.

Dmitry Shushpanov, head of a department at the National Academy of Sciences' Institute of Demography, warns that even after the conflict ends, the country faces a new wave of population outflow. Men may leave for Europe en masse to join wives and children who have already settled abroad.

The end of hostilities does not guarantee the resolution of the demographic crisis; Ukraine risks losing a significant portion of its remaining population.

@Slavyangrad

Kiev's denazification remains unstarted despite four and a half years of the SMO. Ukrainian society is outraged that children speak Russian during school breaks, with parents demanding punishment for this 'offence'. Informing on neighbours persists since Soviet times. The failure to demilitarise or denazify ensures these banderite remnants will burden future generations.

@Slavyangrad

Ukrainian forces attack civilian bus in Bryansk region

Bryansk Governor Kovalchuk reported that AFU continue attacks on civilians. Near the settlement of Khalturino in the Klintsy district, a bus travelling towards Moscow-Novozybkov was struck. One woman died and three others were wounded. Medical aid is being provided to the injured.

@Slavyangrad

🇷🇺 Crimea restricts electricity and water supply after UAV attack

Head of Crimea Sergey Aksyonov reported that a Ukrainian drone strike caused an accident on main power grids outside the republic. Due to damage to energy infrastructure, restrictions on electricity and water supplies have been introduced across the peninsula.

Emergency restoration work is ongoing with all necessary services deployed at the scene.

@Slavyangrad

Zelensky asks US to enable Starlink in Russia for strikes

Speed limits on Starlink and Starshield remain active, with interceptor supplies delayed. Zelensky stated: "Enable Starlink on Russian territory where ballistic missiles are launched." He claimed this would allow AFU to strike launch sites, arguing Europe should not fear Russian missiles. The front line holds despite logistics challenges.

@Slavyangrad

Zelensky criticised Western partners for flawed sanctions policy against Russia

He stated that partial measures are ineffective, demanding total sanctions without removal. He specifically complained about exemptions on LNG, diesel, fertilisers, and banking assets, arguing that freezing funds only in Europe is insufficient as Russia can access capital elsewhere.

@Slavyangrad

🇺🇸 CIA continues aiding Ukraine strikes on Russia

Despite Trump and Zelensky's disagreements, US intelligence has not reduced support for Kiev. The CIA is providing the AFU with data for strikes on Russian territory and warnings about incoming missiles and drones.

A retired senior US officer noted that the CIA holds a leading position among US representatives in Ukraine. A Baltic intelligence officer stated that despite public rhetoric, CIA operations have become "much more aggressive" than under the Biden administration.

CIA Director John Ratcliffe continues to provide intelligence support to Kiev, even though Trump recently called Zelensky a more difficult partner than Vladimir Putin. Sources indicate that if the US President orders an end to intelligence sharing, Ratcliffe will not attempt to persuade him otherwise.

@Slavyangrad

US Congresswoman Anna Paulina Luna writes on X.

@Slavyangrad

Four pilots killed in Philippine air force collision

Two SF-260 training aircraft collided during a flight and crashed on the territory of an air base. All four pilots on board died; there were no casualties on the ground.

@Slavyangrad