Russo-Ukrainian war, day 973: Europe braces for war as North Korea joins Russian forces

Military experts warn European nations face a potential Russian confrontation within 3-8 years, as Pentagon confirms North Korean troops have entered Russia.

Oct 23, 2024 - 20:00

Russo-Ukrainian war, day 973: Europe braces for war as North Korea joins Russian forces

Exclusives

Is Europe preparing for war? Key discussions from Warsaw Security Forum. Military experts warn of a 3-8 year window before potential Russian confrontation, pushing European nations toward unprecedented defense measures while most Western societies resist military mobilization.

Does Russia face military collapse by 2026? Inside Ukraine’s strategic assessment. As tank reserves deplete and production stalls, intelligence analysis points to a critical deadline for Russia’s war effort. Yet Putin’s ability to sustain low-intensity conflict challenges this timeline

Military

Ukrainian military: Russian assaults slow on three fronts as strategic Toretsk stabilizes. The Russian offensive on Toretsk threatens new advance routes toward key Ukrainian strongholds: Pokrovsk, Kramatorsk, and Sloviansk in Donetsk Oblast.

DeepState: Russia occupies Novosadove in Donetsk, advances near Selydove and Kurakhove.

Ukraine downs 57 Russian drones in 12 oblasts overnight. Russian forces launched 81 drones from Primorsko-Akhtarsk and Kursk overnight into 23 October.

Frontline report: Ukrainian elite special forces seize new ground near Kharkiv, stabilize defense. Ukrainian elite regiments Kraken and Artan led a successful assault in Kharkiv direction, first using reconnaissance drones to assess Russian positions and then launching precise artillery strikes on already weakened Russian troops in the area.

As of 23 OCT 2024, the approximate losses of weapons and military equipment of the Russian Armed Forces from the beginning of the invasion to the present day:

Personnel: 683040 (+1460)
Tanks: 9088 (+9)
APV: 18229 (+30)
Artillery systems: 19674 (+51)
MLRS: 1234
Anti-aircraft systems: 981
Aircraft: 369
Helicopters: 329
UAV: 17489 (+85)
Cruise missiles : 2625
Warships/boats: 28
Submarines: 1
Vehicles and fuel tanks: 27217 (+106)

Intelligence and Technology

Frontline report: Ukrainian drones hunt 12,000 North Korean soldiers hidden in Moscow and Russian bases. Facial recognition technology and drone surveillance reveal extensive North Korean military presence in Russian training facilities, prompting immediate Ukrainian counter-operations.

La Tribune: France to deliver three Mirage 2000-5 fighters to Ukraine in early 2025. The aircraft will be equipped with advanced weaponry, including Scalp cruise missiles and AASM precision bombs for air-to-ground combat missions.

International

Territorial integrity, NATO membership “key issues” for Ukraine peace talks, says former US ambassador Yovanovitch. Former US Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch emphasized that territorial integrity, security guarantees, Russian reparations, and justice for war crimes are essential to Ukraine’s path forward.

Satellites show North Korea profits from supporting Russia’s war in Ukraine. North Korea’s nighttime glow has intensified since 2022, satellite data shows.

Pentagon confirms Ukraine’s claim: North Korean troops now in Russia. South Korea and Ukraine warned about North Korea’s deployment to Russia, but US officials hadn’t confirmed it publicly until now.

UN Secretary-General attends BRICS summit with Putin after skipping Ukraine peace summit in Switzerland. Russia welcomed 22 world leaders to Kazan for the BRICS summit, demonstrating its continued global engagement despite Western isolation attempts.

Political and Legal Developments

Biden approves $ 20 billion Ukraine loan backed by frozen Russian assets. This is part of a $50 billion Western loan package for Ukraine secured by revenue from frozen Russian money.

Financial Times: Türkiye blocks US military technology exports to Russia under pressure. Turkish customs authorities have blocked over 40 categories of military-related goods from being exported to Russia through system modifications, according to sources.

Ukraine cracks down on corruption schemes: Nine officials convicted over disability certification fraud. Ukraine’s law enforcement has convicted nine officials from the Medical-Social Expertise Commissions, prompting investigations into nearly 2,400 individuals suspected of fraudulently obtaining disability certifications to avoid military service.

New Developments

Ukrainians financed defense needs by $ 7 billion in 2024. Government war bonds have channeled billions into Ukraine’s military supplies and equipment in 2024.

Bloomberg: Europe still paying Russia billions for gas despite Ukraine war. European imports of Russian natural gas have begun to rise again, reaching 20% of total imports this year after dropping to 15% in 2023, signaling a potential reversal in efforts to reduce dependency.

ISW: Putin aims to use BRICS summit to bolster Russia’s war efforts in Ukraine.

Zelenskyy: Mutual halt to airstrikes on energy infrastructure could bring war’s active phase to end. Ukraine’s president linked the timing of possible peace negotiations with Russia to the upcoming US presidential election, while proposing a halt to energy infrastructure attacks.

Read our earlier daily review here.

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