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On 24 February 2022, Ukraine was suddenly and deliberately attacked by land, naval and air forces of Russia, igniting the largest European war since the Great Patriotic War. Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a "special military operation" (SVO - spetsialnaya voennaya operatsiya) in Ukraine in response to the appeal of the leaders of the "Donbass republics" for help. That attack is a blatant violation of the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine. Putin stressed that Moscow's goal is the demilitarization and denazification of the country. The military buildup in preceeding months makes it obvious that the unprovoked and dastardly Russian attack was deliberately planned long in advance. During the intervening time, the Russian government had deliberately sought to deceive the world by false statements and expressions of hope for continued peace.

"To initiate a war of aggression... is not only an international crime; it is the supreme international crime differing only from other war crimes in that it contains within itself the accumulated evil of the whole." [Judgment of the International Military Tribunal]

The UK Ministry of Defence reported that Russia has deployed several thousand newly mobilised reservists to the front line in Ukraine since mid-October. In many cases they are poorly equipped. In September, Russian officers were concerned that some recently mobilised reservists were arriving in Ukraine without weapons. Open source images suggest that those rifles which have been issued to mobilised reservists are typically AKMs, a weapon first introduced in 1959. Many are likely in barely usable condition following poor storage. AKM fires 7.62mm ammunition while Russia's regular combat units are mostly armed with 5.45mm AK-74M or AK-12 rifles.

The integration of reservists with contract soldiers and combat veterans in Ukraine will mean Russian logisticians will have to push two types of small arms ammunition to front line positions, rather than one. This will likely further complicate Russia's already strained logistics systems.

Russia enemy is trying to hold the temporarily captured territories, concentrates efforts on restraining the actions of the Defense Forces in certain directions, while at the same time not stopping offensive operations in the Bakhmut and Avdiivka directions.

Russian forces continue shelling units of the Defense Forces along the contact line, carries out fortification equipment of the lines in separate directions and conducts aerial reconnaissance. Strikes critical infrastructure and civilian homes, violating international humanitarian law, laws and customs of war. In total, Russian forces carried out up to 10 airstrikes and launched more than 20 attacks from rocket salvo systems. In addition, the infrastructure in the districts of Kyiv, Poltava, Zaporizhzhia, Kharkiv, Cherkasy, Chernivtsi and other regions suffered Russian rocket attacks. Russian forces attacked military and civilian infrastructure facilities with 55 air-guided missiles, 45 of which were shot down by Ukrainian defenders.

The situation in the Volyn and Polissya directions has not changed significantly. The Republic of Belarus supports the armed aggression of the russian federation against Ukraine. The Russian Federation continues to transfer individual units to the territory of the Republic of Belarus. The threat of missile strikes and the use of attack UAVs from the territory of this country remains.

The enemy shelled in other directions: in the Siversky direction - from mortars and barrel artillery, in the area of ​​Mezenivka, Sumy oblast; in the Slobozhanskyi direction - from tanks, mortars, barrel and rocket artillery, in the areas of Dvorichna, Zelene and Kamianka settlements; in the Kupyansk and Lyman directions - from mortars, barrel and rocket artillery, in the areas of Berestove, Hrekivka, Zarichne, Nevske and Stelmakhivka settlements; in the Bakhmut direction - from tanks and artillery of various calibers, in the areas of the settlements of Bilohorivka, Klishchiivka, Mayorsk, Opytne, Spirne, Yakovlivka, and Zelenopillya; in the Avdiyivka direction - from tanks, mortars, barrel and rocket artillery, in the areas of Vodyane, Novobakhmutivka and Pervomaiske settlements; in the Novopavlivskyi and Zaporizhzhia directions - from tanks and artillery of various types, in the areas of the settlements of Vremivka, Vuhledar and Pavlivka.

In the South Buh direction, more than 30 settlements along the contact line suffered fire damage. Among them are Novodanylivka, Chervone and Zaliznychne.

Against the background of significant losses on the territory of Ukraine, the Russian military and political leadership is looking for ways to replenish the occupying forces at the expense of private military companies. Despite significant image and political losses in the international arena, a decision was made to withdraw the contingent of private military campaigns from the Republic of Mali. In addition, Russian military mercenaries are trying to create an aviation component that can be used in Ukraine. However, the efficiency and training of pilots who use different modifications of the Mi-8 does not allow them to perform their assigned tasks. In addition, the motivation of the flight crew is negatively affected by significantly reduced, compared to Syria, payments.

During the day, the aviation of the Ukrainian Defense Forces struck Russian forces 14 times. 12 of them - in areas of concentration of weapons and military equipment; on the platoon support point, as well as the position of the Russian forces' air defense complex. Ukrainian air defense units shot down 2 helicopters (Ka-52 and Mi-8) and 2 Russian UAVs.

Ukrainian units of missile troops and artillery hit the command post, two areas of concentration of manpower, weapons and military equipment and other important military facilities.

The Russian Defense Ministry reports that an attack by two company tactical groups of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (APU) in the Kupyansk direction was repulsed, as a result of which the enemy's losses amounted to more than 110 people, a tank, three armored cars, and four cars.

In the Nikolaev-Krivoy Rog direction, four attacks were repulsed in the past, during which Ukraine lost more than 70 soldiers, five armored cars, seven cars and one of the German Panzerhaubitze-2000 self-propelled guns.

During the day, eight enemy command posts, four ammunition depots, 57 artillery units, 136 areas of accumulation of manpower and equipment were hit.

Air defense forces shot down 13 drones, four rockets and seven HARM anti-radar missiles.

Also, the military department today published an official statement, which noted that before November 1, the General Staff of the RF Armed Forces should receive final reports on the completion of partial mobilization. Earlier, the head of the military department, Sergei Shoigu, already reported that all the goals of the relevant measures had been achieved.

The situation in the Donbass

Russian units launched an offensive in the Maryinka area west of Donetsk, the Rybar Telegram channel reports. There is information about the capture of boarding school No. 3, two streets in the direction of Druzhby Avenue. To the south there is an assault on Novomikhailovka from the side of the previously occupied heights.

At the Svatovsky sector, the Armed Forces of Ukraine unsuccessfully attacked Russian positions in the direction of Krasnopopovka. A new strike force is being formed in the Borovaya area, while the 1st special-purpose battalion of the 27th brigade of the presidential guard of Ukraine, which was operating here, was withdrawn to the Dnieper after losing about 70% of its personnel.

In the Lisichansk direction, sabotage and reconnaissance groups of the Armed Forces of Ukraine are fixed, which should reveal weaknesses in the Russian defense at the Serebryanka-Belogorovka line.