Russia claims to have gained further ground in eastern Ukraine.
On October 19, Russia announced it had taken control of the village of Zoriane in eastern Ukraine, paving the way for its troops to access the industrial center of Kurakhove, TASS reported. The city of Kurakhove is located west of Donetsk, which is currently under Russian control.
Moscow focused its attacks on Kurakhove, home to approximately 20,000 people, before Russia launched its military operation in Ukraine. Kurakhove is located south of the city of Pokrovsk, a crucial logistical hub and a target Moscow wanted to control.
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Meanwhile, Russian troops have also intensified their attacks on the Zaporizhzhia province in southern Ukraine, according to AFP.
Meanwhile, the Ukrainian newspaper Ukraineska Pravda reported on October 19 that the Ukrainian Air Force stated Russian forces deployed more than 100 missiles and drones (UAVs) on the evening of October 18 and throughout October 19, including 98 UAVs and 6 Kh-59 air-to-ground missiles. The Ukrainian military reported that 4 Russian missiles and 42 UAVs were intercepted in various regions of Ukraine, including the capital Kyiv, while 46 UAVs disappeared from radar.
Explosions were seen in the sky over Kyiv as Russia launched a drone attack on October 19.
Russia has not commented on Ukraine's statement.
According to the UK Ministry of Defence 's daily intelligence report on October 19, Russian troops continued their offensive in the Kharkiv province, with Moscow's soldiers approximately 20 km south of the city of Kupiansk. The UK noted that these Russian attacks could potentially hinder Ukrainian military operations on the east bank of the Oskil River.
“Russia is likely to continue gaining ground in this area in the coming weeks. Russian forces have been working to regain control of Kupiansk since losing it in September 2022. The city is located on the Oskil River and is a hub on the railway line supporting Ukrainian operations in the region,” the UK Ministry of Defence stated.
Also on October 19, the Russian Ministry of Defense said Ukraine had lost more than 270 soldiers in the Kursk province. Moscow said its soldiers repelled Ukrainian counterattacks in the Leonidovo area of Kursk. Russia claims Ukraine has lost more than 24,000 soldiers and 167 tanks since launching its offensive in Kursk in August. Ukraine has not commented on Russia's claims.
In related developments concerning the situation in Ukraine, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot visited Kyiv on October 19th. Barrot called for action to advance Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's peace plan.
The EU and NATO have pledged support for Ukraine but do not endorse the 'win plan'.
Opening of the G7 defense ministers' meeting.
Defense ministers from the Group of 7 (G7) developed economies began talks on October 19 in Naples, Italy, amid escalating tensions in the Middle East and increasing pressure on Ukraine.
Regarding the situation in Ukraine, the ministers will discuss Kyiv's third winter engulfed in fighting, the losses on the eastern Ukrainian front, and the prospect of reduced US support, the largest provider of military aid to Ukraine to date, if former US President Donald Trump is re-elected. This will also be the first ministerial meeting on defense issues of the G7 group.
Russia and Ukraine exchange 190 prisoners.
Russia and Ukraine exchanged 95 prisoners each on October 18, under an agreement brokered by the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
The Russian Defense Ministry said Russian prisoners of war underwent medical checks in Belarus. A video posted on Ukrainian President Zelensky's Telegram account showed men wrapped in Ukrainian flags disembarking from a bus to meet relatives. Meanwhile, the Russian military also posted a video showing smiling soldiers boarding a bus, Reuters reported.
Ukrainian prisoners of war meet their relatives on October 18.
Zelensky said the released Ukrainian prisoners had served on various fronts, including some servicemen who defended the port city of Mariupol in 2022.
Ukrainian parliamentarian Dmytro Lubinets, who is on human rights, said this was the 58th prisoner exchange since the outbreak of hostilities, and 3,767 Ukrainian prisoners had been returned. Meanwhile, the UAE Foreign Ministry stated that this was the ninth time the country had mediated in the Ukrainian conflict. Prior to the October 18 exchange, the two sides had exchanged 103 prisoners each in September.
Now it's Ukraine's turn to upgrade Leopard tanks with anti-UAV armor.
Putin suggests a suitable location for peace talks.
RT reported on October 18th that in an interview, a Saudi Arabian journalist asked Russian President Vladimir Putin about the Middle Eastern nation's reconciliation efforts and whether Moscow would participate in a peace summit if Riyadh were to host such an event later this year.
Putin reiterated Russia's position that Saudi Arabia is a "friendly country." He welcomed Riyadh's leadership and its sincere efforts to bring about peace.
"If such an event were held in Saudi Arabia, it would obviously be a very convenient location for us," President Putin said. However, the Russian leader stressed that any final solution must be based on the draft from the peace talks held in Istanbul, Türkiye in 2022.
According to Putin, the Ukrainian delegation initially agreed to a draft treaty that would turn Ukraine into a neutral state and limit the size of its military, but then abruptly left the negotiating table. Ukraine has not commented on this information.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky declared that peace could only be achieved on Kyiv's terms, including the restoration of Ukrainian territory to its 1991 borders. Moscow has asserted that Zelensky's "peace formula" is unacceptable and that Kyiv must recognize the new "territorial reality."
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