In an op-ed article published in Foreign Affairs on November 1, U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin stated that Russian President Vladimir Putin had not achieved any of his strategic goals after nearly 1,000 full-scale days of war against Ukraine.
“Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky didn’t flee. Kyiv didn’t fall. “And Ukraine didn’t collapse,” said the Pentagon chief.
Putin’s initial goals in his full scale invasion of Ukraine, launched in early 2022, were to “liberate Donetsk oblasts and Luhansk oblasts”, “demilitarize” and “denazify” this country, which in the Kremlin envisioned the removal its Jewish president and the occupation of the capital city Kyiv.
Putin’s ambitions were quickly lowered after he failed to achieve his goals. With the exception of Russian forces occupying the entire Luhansk Oblast area, Putin said that Russia’s “main objective” was to capture the entire eastern Donbas region of Ukraine, which includes the adjacent Donetsk Oblast.
According to Austin, Russia paid a “staggering price” for Putin’s imperial folly. More than $200 billion was wasted. Ukraine’s General Staff has reported that Russia has lost nearly 700,000 soldiers killed and injured since February 2022.
Austin’s article appeared days before the U.S. Presidential election. Donald Trump, Republican presidential candidate, questioned the future of U.S. military aid to Ukraine while insisting that he could broker a quick peace agreement.
Oleksandr Syrskyi, commander-in-chief, said that Ukraine is currently facing “one of Russia’s most powerful offensives” ever since the start of the war.
Moscow’s forces are continuing to advance on its offensives along the eastern front. This is primarily in the Toretsk and Kurakhove axes of Donetsk Oblast where outnumbered and outgunned Ukrainian troops are forced to retreat little by little.
Austin called Putin’s invasion of Ukraine a warning and described it as a sneak peek at “a world built by dictators and thugs.”
“We are at a pivotal point in history,” said the U.S. Secretary of Defense. “If Ukraine falls into Putin’s boot then all of Europe will be under Putin’s shadow.”
“… “We face a pivot in history,” said U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin. “If Ukraine falls into Putin’s boot then all of Europe will be under Putin’s shadow.”
Kadyrov stated that after the first drone attack against Russia’s North Caucasus Republic, which targeted the Russian Special Forces University (Vladimir Putin) in the Chechen City of Gudermes, on October 29, he had ordered all his commanders fighting Ukraine to “not take prisoners and destroy” Ukrainian soldier as a retribution.
Radek Sikorski, the Polish Foreign Minister, said that Kyiv can buy weapons on credit from Polish factories. He added that the loan could be repaid after the country’s rebuilding.
Herman Smetanin, Minister of Strategic Industries, said: “This cooperation will strengthen Ukraine’s defense industry and protect critical infrastructure from enemy drones.”
The Air Force reported that Ukrainian forces shot down 39 of the 71 Shahed drones and unidentified drones that Russia launched overnight. The Air Force added that 21 drones were “lost” and five more flew towards Russia.
Kyiv City military administration said that all drones that were threatening the city had been neutralized, without specifying how many drones were shot down.
“Active hostilities which continue in certain regions require constant renewal of resources of Ukrainian units,” Commander in Chief Oleksandr Sryskyi said.
According to Ukraine’s intelligence services, North Korean soldiers were equipped with 60-mm mortars and AK-12 rifles. They also received machine guns, sniper weapons, Feniks guided anti-tank missiles, as well as hand-held antitank grenade launches.
This includes 1,270 casualties that Russian forces have suffered in the last day.
Two S-400 missiles struck a police station in the early hours of Nov. 1, killing Andrii Matvienko. According to the Interior Ministry, 36 police officers, 9 civilians and 1 rescuer were injured.
Robert Shonov, an ex-employee of the U.S. Consulate in Vladivostok was arrested in 2023 on charges of passing information to the U.S. about Russia’s war against Ukraine. He was sentenced on Nov. 1 to four years, 10 months and 10 days in prison.
Two U.S.-based pollsters, hired by Georgian opposition groups, have questioned the official results of the October 26 parliamentary elections, which declared Georgian Dream the winner.
“This is a key step towards the full launch 5G in Ukraine which we plan to finish by 2030,” Digital Transformation Minister Mykhailo Federorov said on November 1.
Zelensky stated that if Ukraine were granted permission to use long-range Western weapons on Russian soil, it could target “every camp” where North Korean troops gather in Russia.
SPP, the state-run gas importer in Slovakia, said: “We regularly discuss this topic with our partners. However, the information about a contract to be signed with SPP’s participation is not true.”
“And we assure you that we will stand firmly alongside our Russian comrades until the day of victory,” said North Korean Foreign Minister Choe son Hui during her talks with Sergey Lavrov, her Russian counterpart.
Sergey Lavrov, Russian Foreign Minister, said that this “cannot help but surprise” given the Turkish leadership’s statements about their willingness to mediate Ukraine and Russia.
The recent military assistance was provided under the Presidential Drawdown Authority, which removes weapons from U.S. stockpiles.
The Kyiv Independent has joined a unit called the Witches of Bucha. They are named after a suburb of Kyiv Oblast, where they are located. All of these women are volunteers and combine their combat duties and civilian lives.
Bloomberg reported that Russia has captured 1,146 sq km (442 sq miles) of Ukraine since Aug. 6. This is about a quarter larger than the first seven months this year.
Estonian intelligence stated that North Korean soldiers are trained to fight in mountainous terrain and are therefore unfamiliar with the climate and geography of Ukraine.
The Main Inspectorate of Defense Ministry audits ministry activities, including monitoring quality of military training, staffing and oversight of military aviation safety. It also conducts technical investigations.
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