Key developments on October 10:
* Ukraine confirms attack on Russian airbase housing Su-34 and Su-27 jets in the North Caucasus
* Zelensky meets NATO Secretary Rutte to present Starmer with a victory plan
* Kyiv confirms the death of Ukrainian journalist Viktoria Roschchyna who was held in Russian captivity
After Ukraine’s strike, the oil depot in Feodosia, occupied Crimea, is burning for the 4th consecutive day.
Kyiv: Russian missile attack on Odesa Oblast hits ship with humanitarian aid for Palestine
The General Staff of Ukraine confirmed on October 10 that Ukrainian forces had successfully carried out an attack against the Khanskaya airfield, a Russian military base in the Adygea Republic.
The confirmation comes just a few days after Adygea Republic officials reported an early morning drone attack on the region on October 10. The Russian Telegram channel Astra reported explosions near the airport the same morning.
“During the attack, there were 57 warplanes and helicopters at the airfield.” The Kyiv Independent reported that the Su-34, Su-35 and Mi-8 jets were among the aircraft. The General Staff reported that Su-27 jet fighters were also based on the airfield.
According to the SBU and General Staff, the operation was carried out by the SBU in collaboration with the Ukrainian military intelligence agency (HUR) and Special Operations Forces.
Source: Also, on October 10, drones operated SBU, HUR and the Special Operations Forces struck a Shahed storage facility near the Russian town of Yeysk. This resulted in explosions and an intense fire.
The extent of the damage to the aircraft in Adygea will be determined. According to the General Staff the strike damaged an ammo warehouse, resulting a fire that can be seen in social media footage.
The airfield is located in the village of Khanskaya. It is also close to Maykop, the capital of the region, and approximately 430 kilometers away from the frontline. The Khanskaya Airfield is home to Russia’s 272nd Training Aviation Regiment.
Defense Express cited satellite imagery to lower its estimate of the number aircraft stationed at the airfield. Satellite footage from October 6 shows 12 aircraft, of an unknown type, stationed at the airbase. This is about the size of a tactical aviation squadron.
It is not clear whether the SBU source’s estimate was an overestimate or whether Russia has moved additional aircraft to this airbase in the last few days.
According to the source the Russian airbase is used for refueling, and to support airstrikes on Ukrainian military positions and civilian centers.
Zelensky meets NATO Secretary Rutte to present Starmer with a victory plan
During the visit of U.K. Premier Keir Starmer to London, on 10 October, President Volodymyr Zelensky presented Ukraine’s Victory Plan to him.
Zelensky presented his five-point strategy to U.S. Vice President Joe Biden during his visit to the U.S. at the White House in late September. He also discussed the plan with presidential candidates Donald Trump, Kamala Harris and members of Congress.
The peace plan has military and diplomatic components, including Ukraine’s bid for NATO membership, but the full details have not been released. According to Kyiv the goal is to strengthen Ukraine’s negotiation position and to pressure Russia to agree to a just peaceful settlement.
Zelensky, who had arrived in the U.K. on 10 October earlier, explained the details of the plan with Starmer. He focused on points related military support for Kyiv. The Presidential Office reported that “the leaders agreed to work together with allies on the plan.”
“The victory plan is designed to create the conditions for a just and peaceful end to the conflict. It is a bridge leading to the second summit of peace. Ukraine can only negotiate from a position of strength,” Zelensky said after the meeting.
Zelensky, Starmer and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte also met to discuss Ukraine’s Euro-Atlantic Integration and Military Support.
Rutte made his first visit to Kyiv as NATO chief last week, a post he assumed in October.
According to the Presidential Office, “During the meeting the parties discussed the rapid implementation of NATO Washington Summit Decisions, in particular on strengthening Ukraine with a new air defense system, enhancing aviation capability, and allied investment in Ukrainian production shells, drones and long-range weaponsry.”
Zelensky will continue his tour with visits to France and Germany to increase support on the European continent before the uncertain U.S. presidential election.
Kyiv confirms the death of Ukrainian journalist Viktoria Roschchyna, held in Russian captivity
Petro Yatsenko said on national television that Viktoria Roshchyna was dead, a Ukrainian reporter held captive by Russia.
Yatsenko stated that the circumstances of her death were still being investigated.
Roshchyna vanished in August 2023, while reporting on territory occupied by Russia. In April of the next year, her father received a confirmation letter from Russia’s Defense Ministry that she was detained by Russian officials.
Andrii Yusov is a spokesperson of Ukraine’s military intelligence service. He told the Suspilne news outlet that Roshchyna should be included in a forthcoming prisoner exchange.
Roshchyna covered the full-scale Russian invasion for several Ukrainian news outlets including Hromadske and Ukrainska Pravda (RFE/RL).
Roshchyna, a Russian citizen, was detained by the Federal Security Service of Russia (FSB) for 10 days in March 2022 as she left Berdiansk to go towards Mariupol. As a condition for her release, Roshchyna was forced to record an audio recording saying that Russian forces saved her life.
After Ukraine’s strike, oil depot in Feodosia in occupied Crimea is burning for the 4th day.
The Crimean service of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), reported on October 10, that Russian emergency services had been unable to put out a fire at an oil depot after a strike in Russia-occupied Feodosia for the fourth consecutive day.
In the early morning hours of October 7, Ukrainian missile forces attacked the largest oil storage facility in occupied Crimea, resulting in an extensive fire.
The Marine Oil Terminal in Crimea is the largest facility in the peninsula for handling oil products.
Igor Tkachenko said that as of October 10, 1,137 people were evacuated from the region.
Authorities warned that the amount and quality of water required to extinguish a fire could also affect the water supply for residents.
In recent months, Ukrainian forces launched a series drone strikes to damage Russia’s oil sector, whose profits fuel Moscow‘s war efforts.
A fire that started after a Ukrainian strike at the Kavkaz Oil and Petroleum Storage Facility, just outside Proletarsk in Russia’s Rostov oblast, was put out in 11 days. 49 Russian firefighters were injured.
Kyiv claims that the Russian missile attack on Odesa Oblast targeted a ship carrying humanitarian aid for Palestine.
The Ukrainian Agriculture Ministry reported on October 10 that a Russian missile strike on Odesa Oblast, on Oct. 9, hit a civilian cargo vessel containing 45 containers containing packaged sunflower oil intended to be sent to Palestine as humanitarian aid.
The attack, which left eight dead and 11 injured, targeted a civilian vessel flying the Panamanian flag and damaged its cargo. This was the third Russian attack on a civilian vessel within four days.
The U.N. has issued an order to send aid to Palestine.
“Despite the war, Ukraine supplies products to 400 million people in the world,” said Vitalii Koval, Agriculture Minister.
Koval said that Ukraine needed more air defenses in order to protect itself against Russian attacks. He added that “today, the food safety of Ukraine is the food security for the world.”
Oleh Kiper, the Governor of Odesa Oblast, accused Russia of trying to disrupt Ukraine’s food maritime corridor. Kyiv set up this in August 2023 following Moscow’s withdrawal from the Black Sea grain agreement in July.
Ukraine has sent humanitarian aid before to Palestine during the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas.
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