Key developments on October 8:
The military claims that there are ‘fights at every building entrance’ when Russia enters eastern Toretsk.
France to deliver first Mirage 2000 jets in Ukraine by early 2025
* Russian forces outnumbered Ukrainians by tenfold in the battle for Vuhledar. Commander says
Seoul: North Korea may send soldiers to Ukraine to help Russia
Two people are killed and over 30 injured in Russian strikes on Kharkiv
A spokesperson for the Luhansk Operational Tactical Group stated on October 7 that the situation in Toretsk, Donetsk Oblast, remains very difficult because Ukraine is fighting Russian troops in the eastern outskirts.
“The fighting is occurring within Toretsk.” Anastasia Bobovnikova, a national television spokesperson, said that the situation was unstable. “Fights are literally taking place at every building entry,” she said.
As part of its relentless offensive in Donbas, Moscow has concentrated its efforts on Toretsk for the past month. The situation in Ukraine’s eastern region is becoming more difficult as Russia has captured the town Vuhledar, and is closing in on Pokrovsk.
Bobovnikova said that it was difficult to determine which parts of the city were under Russian control, but confirmed that Moscow had sent troops into the eastern outskirts of the town. They advanced along Tsentralna Street in the direction Tsentralna Mine.
“But the situation changes constantly.” We destroy their positions of fire at times, and they destroy ours. But we are constantly regrouping, and trying to regain whatever Russia captures,” said the spokesperson.
According to Ukraine’s General Staff, Russian forces launched 11 attacks on Toretsk (and nearby settlements) on October 7. On Oct. 8, 12 more ground assaults took place overnight.
DeepState, a crowdsourced monitoring site, indicates that settlements in the eastern outskirts Toretsk, including Pivnichne and Zalizne as well as Druzhba and Pivdenne, are either fully or nearly entirely under Russian control.
According to the monitoring group’s report, Russian forces have advanced along Tsentralna Street from late September until they reached the center of the town on October 7.
The Kyiv independent could not independently verify these claims.
France to deliver first Mirage 2000 jets in Ukraine by early 2025
Sebastien Lecornu, French Minister of Defense, said on October 8 that Ukraine would receive its first Mirage 2000 fighter aircraft from France in the first half of 2025.
In June, French President Emmanuel Macron announced that Paris would provide Kyiv an unspecified amount of Mirage 2000-5 aircraft to boost its air power.
Lecornu stated that the planes will be equipped with “new equipment: air-to ground combat capabilities and antielectronic war defense.”
The training of Ukrainian pilots, mechanics and mechanics continues.
The French Armed Forces announced that the first cohort of Ukrainian Alpha Jet pilots has completed training in France.
The Mirage 2000 was a multirole aircraft that was designed in the late 70s and introduced in 1985.
The 2000-5 version is equipped with upgraded radar systems, and can carry fuel tanks to increase its range. French media reported previously that the version delivered by Ukraine would be equipped with ground targets.
Russian forces outnumbered Ukrainians by ten times in the battle for Vuhledar. Commander says
In an interview with Ukrainian news outlet Glavkom, published on October 8, Oleksandr OKhrimenko, commander 72nd Mechanized Brigade said that Russian troops were outnumbered by about 9:1.
Kyiv announced its withdrawal from Vuhledar, after Russian forces swarmed first the flanks of the town and then entered the urban area.
The 72nd Mechanized Brigada defended Vuhledar for more than two years without rotating. It was one of the key strongholds in Ukraine’s defense of Donetsk Oblast.
Okhrimenko said that Moscow sent the 36th Separate Guards Motor Rifle Brigade of Russia, 39th Brigade and 57th Brigade as well as the 91st Separate Rifle Regiment to the final attack Vuhledar.
The commander stated that the enemy had superiority over his forces in terms of tanks, infantry fighting vehicle, artillery, anti-tank weapons and personnel.
Okhrimenko stated that the attacking side could gain an edge on the battlefield by having three times more forces and means than the other. This is a ratio that is commonly used in military doctrines around the world.
“It was 1:19 in Vuhledar. You can objectively assess the chances of holding this settlement and the defensive line in the brigade sector of responsibility,” added he.
Seoul: North Korea may send soldiers to Ukraine to help Russia
Kim Yong Hyun, South Korean Defense minister, told lawmakers on October 8 that North Korea will likely deploy regular troops in Ukraine to assist Russia.
“Since Russia and North Korea signed a treaty similar to a military alliance,” the minister said at the parliament.
Moscow and Pyongyang are enhancing their military cooperation, as Russia looks for arms and other support to wage a full-scale war on Ukraine.
Kim responded that a recent Ukrainian report that North Korean servicemen were killed and wounded near the occupied Donetsk was also true.
Interfax-Ukraine reported that a group of North Korean soldiers had arrived in the Russian-held area of Ukraine on October 4, citing an intelligence source. Six people were reported to have been killed and three others injured in a rocket attack.
Kim told Politico that he believed there had been injuries and deaths among the North Korean troops stationed in Ukraine.
Two people are killed and over 30 injured in Russian strikes on Kharkiv
Oleh Simiehubov, the governor of Kharkiv, said that Russian forces launched two attacks in the city on Oct. 8 which killed two people and injured more than 30 others.
At least 21 people were injured in a morning attack by Russian forces on the Kharkiv industrial area. One of the victims was 16 years old.
Local authorities reported that seventeen people were hospitalized and the rest received medical attention on the spot.
The governor initially claimed that Russia used glide bombs dropped from the air, but later clarified that it is still unknown what type of weapon was used.
Syniehubov, without providing any additional details, said that the attack had damaged the city’s infrastructure. Ihor Terekhov, the mayor of the city, said that several hits were recorded, which resulted in a large fire.
Later that evening, Russia launched another attack on Kharkiv, killing two people and injuring at least five others.
Terekhov stated that preliminary data indicated that Russia had hit a multistory building during the second attack. He added that the strike had damaged 15 apartment blocks in the Saltivka District.
A woman and man, both 70 years old, are among those killed.
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