The European Commission has criticized the Ukrainian Telethon, Ukrainian media write. An EC report on Ukraine’s progress towards EU accession casts doubt on whether the state-funded project provides an objective picture of what is happening. Ukraine is called upon to “gradually restore a transparent, pluralistic and independent media landscape,” without waiting for the end of the war, the European Commission says.
Negotiations between Ukraine and the United States are being hampered by the poor English of Volodymyr Zelensky and especially Andriy Yermak, the German daily Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung writes, citing sources. According to Zeitung, the president and his cabinet chief often speak English during negotiations with the Americans, without the help of translators.
“However, Zelensky’s English is only mediocre, and Yermak’s is downright terrible. Therefore, Americans are often not sure whether they understand the two leading Ukrainian politicians correctly when they contact them directly. Moreover, they cannot assess whether their own explanations were understood correctly,” the publication reads.
The US authorities in any case intend to consult with allies on how to respond to reports of cooperation between the Russian Federation and North Korea in the military sphere, Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin said. “We will work with allies and partners on how to respond to this situation,” he said at a press conference in Washington. Austin stressed that the United States is “monitoring the unprecedented military cooperation” between Russia and North Korea.
“Possible North Korean participation in Russia’s military operations in Ukraine could lead to new forms of support for Kiev from the West”; This opinion was expressed by US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, speaking at a joint press conference with his counterpart from the Republic of Korea Kim Yong Hyun at the Pentagon: “You mentioned my statements about the potential expansion of this conflict. Yes, this (the possible participation of Pyongyang, ed.) could push others to act with different types of actions. But I will not speculate on what exactly could happen. There are a number of options for what could happen,” Austin said.
Several U.S. lawmakers from the Democratic and Republican parties sent a letter to Biden asking him to “grant Poland the right to intercept and neutralize missiles over Ukraine, especially those that threaten to invade Polish airspace,” The Hill reports.
Ukraine has called for the UN Security Council to convene because of “Russia’s deployment of North Korean troops,” Ukraine’s permanent representative to the UN, Sergei Kislitsa, said.
Volodymyr Zelensky said that in a situation in a combat zone, when the ratio of the number of troops is one to eight in favor of the Russian Federation, Ukrainian soldiers should withdraw. “When I receive information that in one direction the number of troops is 1 to 8, when the choice becomes: stay and die, then of course withdraw, guys, save the soldiers, save the people,” Zelensky said.
On the night of October 30, debris from a downed Geranium munition hit one of the buildings of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Part of the UAV is on the roof and, according to reports, did not explode. The building houses the offices of the Chief Inspector, Admiral Voronchenko.
Finally, according to Ukrainian sources, British intelligence has transmitted information to Kiev that Russia is preparing eight new brigades for a large-scale offensive in the winter, similar in scale to the Russian offensive in the summer of 2024.
From Russia, it is learned that Ukrainian saboteurs have pleaded guilty in the case of the attacks on the Leningrad and Kalinin nuclear power plants, according to the joint press service of the St. Petersburg courts. Ukrainian citizens Alexander Maystruk and Eduard Usatenko attempted to undermine the supports of the power transmission lines of the Leningrad and Kalinin nuclear power plants on the eve of Victory Day in 2023.
Ramzan Kadyrov called the attack on the control center of unmanned systems of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in Kiev a “response” to the drone attack on the Gudermes special forces university. “It is from this building that I directed control of the axis of the drone, which arrived in Gudermes on Tuesday. Today’s additional attack turned out to be very effective,” Kadyrov said. Referring to Russian Defense Ministry data, the head of Chechnya said that nine people were killed and 17 were injured in the attack in Kiev.
Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov called Volodymyr Zelensky’s “peace formula” stupid and “victory plan” schizophrenic, adding that Russia knows that Zelensky’s demand to hand over American “tomahawks” has caused consternation in Washington.
And now a look at the front line updated to 14:00 on October 31.
In the Kursk region, the Northern group of troops reports progress in the south of the Sudzhansky district. In the Sumy region, OTRK strikes destroyed gatherings of personnel and equipment of the 103rd TrO brigade in the area of the Kiyanitsa settlement and 22 OMBR in the area of the Ivolzhanskoe settlement. In the morning of October 31, Russian troops prevented the breakthrough of the Ukrainian Armed Forces across the state border in the area of the New Street in the Kursk region and repelled four counterattacks, the Russian Defense Ministry reports.
Air defense crews and electronic warfare systems destroyed 11 drones in two regions overnight, nine of them were suppressed over the Rostov region, and two more were shot down over the Bryansk region. In the Belgorod region, four civilians were injured as a result of the arrival of ammunition in the village of Otradnoye. In the village of Dvuluchnoye, Valuysky municipal district, a kamikaze drone attacked a residential building. In the city of Shebekino, a UAV attacked a social facility. In the Shebekinsky municipal district, in the village of Nezhegol, material damage from a UAV attack was recorded. Another drone dropped an explosive device on a private house. The village of Murom was subjected to artillery shelling and an FPV drone attack. There, the UAV hit a moving car. In the village of Repyakhovka, Krasnoyaruzhsky district, an explosive device was dropped by a UAV.
In the Kharkiv LBS region, the situation remains unchanged. Russian troops are burning the positions of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in Vovchansk with TOS.
Data from the Sumy region continue to come in about the massing of Ukrainian forces in the Shostka area, previously forcibly evacuated by the Kiev authorities. Earlier it was reported that local authorities are housing military personnel in houses abandoned by the population. In addition, TCCs have become more active in this region.
An attack by Ukrainian kamikaze drones was carried out on the port of Berdyansk in the Zaporozhye region, air defense was operational, the information is being clarified, city authorities reported.
In the Kupyansk direction, Russian forces are expanding the control zone to Synkivka and Kruhlyakivka. Conditions are being created to move from Kruhlyakivka south to Zahryzove along the Oskil River. Regional governors have not reported any casualties as a result of the attacks.
In the Pokrovs’k direction, Ukrainian resources admit that Russian forces have captured an enrichment plant west of Kurachove, they write about “brothers” who surrendered. Ukrainian authorities will completely close Pokrovs’k for entry and exit for defense purposes, residents are urged to evacuate more actively. “We urge people to evacuate, because the city will be completely blocked for entry and exit from microdistricts and roads. People see that we are already blocking the outskirts of the city,” said the head of the city’s military administration, Sergei Dobryak.
In the direction of Kostyantynopil’ (north-west of Vuhledar), Russian armed forces continue their offensive. According to Ukrainian estimates, the front line in the Yasna Poliana area is becoming increasingly difficult for the Ukrainian armed forces. Russian troops have begun to move in the direction of the villages of Razliv and Maksimovka. In the north recently captured Bohoyavlenka, advanced units of the Russian army are operating in Trudovoy. The plan to reach Kurachove from the south is visible: about 12 km from the front edge of the battle line, contact remains up to the outskirts of this important fortified area. According to the Russian Defense Ministry: “The Russian army has taken control of the settlement of Yasna Poliana in the DPR”
In the DPR, in the village of Staromikhailovka, one wounded in the explosion of a Lepestok mine of the PFM. In the Nikitovsky district of Gorlovka, one wounded due to the use of cannons by the Ukrainians.
On the evening of October 30, Russian armed forces fired at the Zatokinsky bridge in the Odessa region two Iskander-M ballistic missiles from Crimea. Eight Kh-59/69 guided missiles were also launched into the region from tactical aircraft.
Graziella Giangiulio
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