Photo : United24 Media
Photo : United24 Media
Russia targets Sumy, Kharkiv, Poltava, Dnipropetrovsk regions
WAR ON THE GROUND
On 14 October, report in Ukrinform show that power outages hit eight regions in Ukraine after Russian strikes damaged the energy infrastructure. Ukrenergo, the state energy provider, announced emergency shutdowns were put into place in Sumy, Kharkiv, Poltava, Dnipropetrovsk, and also partially in Kirovograd, Kyiv, and Cherkasy. This was necessary due to the pressure on the energy system caused by earlier Russian attacks. Even though DTEK, the private network operator, called off planned outages in Kyiv, the city still experienced blackouts because of network overloads and the ongoing effects of previous strikes, which also impacted water pressure.
On the same day, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy suspended the citizenship of Odesa's mayor, Gennadiy Trukhanov, after Ukraine's SBU security service claimed he has a Russian passport. The SBU argues that Trukhanov, who has been in office since 2014 and was formerly an MP, holds Russian citizenship and a valid Russian international passport. Trukhanov has strongly denied these claims, saying in a Telegram video that he has never held a Russian passport and is a proud Ukrainian citizen. He plans to stay on as mayor and fight the decision legally. If his citizenship is revoked, he would be removed from his position.
On 14 October, Ukrinform reported that Russian forces attacked a UN aid convoy in the partially occupied southern Kherson region of Ukraine, as confirmed by both Kyiv and the UN, though no casualties were reported. The UN mentioned that its convoy, which had four clearly marked vehicles, was targeted by Russian drones and artillery while it was delivering aid to the frontline town of Bilozerka. In the meantime, local authorities reported that three individuals were killed by Russian artillery in Kherson city, and another civilian lost their life in Nikopol when a small drone struck their car.
THE MOSCOW VIEW
Claims by Russia
On 14 October, Russia announced to pass a law that would let them deploy up to two million volunteer military reservists to fight in Ukraine, even during peacetime. Right now, they can only be called up during martial law or actual war, but the new amendments would change that. Even though Russia calls its invasion a "special military operation" instead of a war, this new law would give the government more freedom to mobilize reservists. Reports from Russia’s RBC news outlet and state media say the amendments would also limit reservists to being deployed for a maximum of two months at a time.
On the same day, a Russian official mentioned that a local ceasefire will be necessary to start restoring external power to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, which is under Russian control. They plan to kick off those efforts by the end of this week. The plant has been occupied illegally and has been relying on emergency diesel generators for the last three weeks to keep cooling pumps running and prevent the radioactive fuel from overheating. Ukraine has accused Russia of intentionally cutting the power line to bring the plant into Russia’s power grid. However, a Russian diplomat recently denied any plans to restart the plant.
THE WEST VIEW
Responses from Europe and the US
On 14 October, US President Donald Trump criticised President Vladimir Putin while speaking to reporters at the White House. He expressed his disappointment over the Russian leader's refusal to put an end to the war in Ukraine. He said: "I’m really disappointed because Vladimir and I used to have a pretty good relationship, and maybe we still do." He needs to sort this war out. Plus, there are long lines for gasoline in Russia right now... His economy is on the brink of collapse."
On 14 October, Poland’s foreign minister, Radosław Sikorski, issued a warning in London that Russia could potentially launch attacks "deep into Europe" and stressed the importance of bolstering defenses, like setting up a "drone wall" on the eastern border of the continent. Presenting a Shahed-136 drone that had been taken down in Ukraine, Sikorski said it would be "irresponsible" not to take such defensive steps. He also called on the U.S. to give Ukraine long-range Tomahawk missiles for strikes on Russian territory. Sikorski further emphasized that Europe needs to commit to supporting Ukraine for at least another three years, noting that Ukrainians are preparing for a long conflict, and Europe must show its resolve to stick by them during this time.
On 14 October, Deutsche Welle reported on military assistance from European countries to Ukraine saw a notable decline this summer, despite an initiative in which European nations bought US weapons, as per the Kiel Institute for the World Economy. In July and August, Europe contributed or promised EUR 3.3 billion in military aid, averaging EUR 1.65 billion a month. This represented a 57 per cent drop from the first half of the year, when European nations committed to an average of EUR 3.85 billion a month. Overall, military aid from all countries decreased by 43 per cent in the same timeframe, although Canada did announce a significant aid package at the end of August.
On 14 October, Boeing announced that it has landed contracts totaling around USD 2.7 billion to provide more than 3,000 seeker units for the Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) interceptor missiles. These missiles are being made by Lockheed Martin as part of a USD 9.8 billion contract. The Patriot system is one of the advanced air defense technologies that Western allies are supplying to Ukraine to help defend against Russian missile strikes.