Russo-Ukrainian war, day 612: Ukraine peace summit in Malta gathers delegations from 65 countries

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Why Ukraine is fighting like hell to survive. Mirroring Israel’s eternal struggle for survival, Ukraine is fighting like hell against Putin’s genocidal war machine bent on wiping the very nation off the map.

Satellite images reveal Russian military factories ramping up production. Large new buildings have appeared at Russian defense factories producing aircraft, combat helicopters and cruise missiles over the past year, according to the Skhemy/RFE/RL investigation.

Russia runs out of tanks as war intensifies. Ukraine inflicted unprecedented damage on Russia’s armored forces in October, destroying over 400 Russian tanks, according to the General Staff.

Sanctions lawyer: Dutch firms get slap on wrist for Crimea bridge work. Companies that helped build bridge that enabled Russia’s full-blown war get minor fines. Moreover, Ukraine is not the beneficiary.

Military

Air Force: Ukraine downs three Russian cruise missiles over Dnipropetrovsk Oblast. At night Russia launched four Iskander-K cruise missiles from Dzhankoi in Russian-occupied Crimea.

ISW: Russia may force Ukrainian prisoners of war to fight in Ukraine. Such Russian actions violate the Geneva Convention on Prisoners of War, which ban forcing prisoners into battle

As of 28 Oct 2023, the approximate losses of weapons and military equipment of the Russian Armed Forces from the beginning of the invasion to the present day:

• • • Personnel: 298420 (+740)
    • Tanks: 5167 (+22)
    • APV: 9749 (+23)
    • Artillery systems: 7180 (+18)
    • MLRS: 834
    • Anti-aircraft systems: 558 (+2)
    • Aircraft: 320
    • Helicopters: 324
    • UAV: 5399 (+9)
    • Cruise missiles : 1541 (+3)
    • Warships/boats: 20
    • Submarines: 1
    • Vehicles and fuel tanks: 9524 (+11)

Intelligence and technology

British intel: Russia’s losses near Avdiivka the worst for the year. Russian milbloggers are harshly critical of the military’s tactics on the operations

NYT: Ukraine, US cooperate to retrofit Soviet-era air defenses with Western missiles. The hybrid systems combine Buk launchers with US Sea Sparrow missiles in one version, and Soviet-era radars with AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles in another.

Ukraine rolls out first domestic demining machine. Kharkiv Oblast now has nine mine-clearing machines, but this is “the first of our Kharkiv production,” Oblast Governor Oleh Syniehubov said.

International

Switzerland pledges comprehensive support to Ukraine for missing persons identification. Swiss officials offered aid to boost Interior Ministry units’ abilities to find and identify bodies of the missing, including providing forensic equipment.

Finland preparing new aid package for Ukraine to protect critical infrastructure. “Protecting critical infrastructure facilities and ensuring public safety during the autumn-winter period are currently our top priorities. We can rely on Finland’s support in this area as well,” Ukraine’s Interior Minister Klymenko said.

Ukraine, Netherlands begin talks on bilateral security guarantees. “The Netherlands is a reliable partner of Ukraine in making our joint victory closer,” Head of Ukraine’s Presidential Office Andrii Yermak said.

US and Chinese presidents agree on meeting in November. The details on the exact date and venue are yet to be worked out, but two leaders are “working toward” a meeting at the APEC summit in November 2023.

Zelenskyy advisor updates allies in Malta on peace formula progress. “The first session of the meeting in Malta finished. The partners are preparing for the second one,” Head of Ukraine’s Presidential Office Andrii Yermak said.

Third Ukraine peace formula summit started in Malta . Over 65 countries attend the summit, with most of them being from the West and the Global South this time.

Humanitarian and social impact

Russian attacks injure at least five civilians on Oct 28; one killed, 12 injured in previous attacks. Daily Russian strikes across Ukraine are claiming lives, injuring civilians, and inflicting damage to residential areas and critical infrastructure. Over two days, Russian attacks killed at least one, injured 17 civilians, almost all in southern Ukraine’s Kherson Oblast.

Russia injures woman, damages over a dozen homes in Kherson city center shelling. Currently reported, an 80-year-old woman sustained head injuries

Ukrenergo: Russia damaged 70 major energy facilities in Ukraine. “No country in the world has faced this kind of attacks, these kinds of threats,” he said, adding that Ukrenergo had to devise solutions “on the fly,” Kudrytskyi, CEO of Ukrenergo, said.

Political and legal developments

Armenia participates in Ukraine peace formula summit for the first time. Authorities from over 65 Western and Global South countries attended the peace formula summit in Malta, including Armenian Secretary of the Security Council Armen Grigoryan.

New developments

Reuters: War in Ukraine boosts US arms industry. Supporting Ukraine’s defense, the US now seeks to replenish its own arsenal, increasing profits for the US defense industry.

Read our earlier daily review here.

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