Victory Chronicles-DAY 1339

Ukrainian partisans report that Russian forces are deploying soldiers disguised as civilians near the front-line city of Pokrovsk in eastern Ukraine. According to the ATESH resistance movement, women serving in Russia’s 506th Motor Rifle Regiment are being used for infiltration missions. They are first sent into combat, and, if their attacks fail, are ordered to change into civilian clothing and blend in with the local population to gather intelligence. 

ATESH sources inside the regiment described the tactic as a sign of both “catastrophic losses” and growing desperation within Russian ranks. Commanders have reportedly turned to recruiting women to offset severe manpower shortages following heavy battlefield losses. 

The partisans say the practice demonstrates the Russian army’s disregard for the laws of war and its own personnel, using deception and civilian disguise to conceal military operations on the front lines. 

Germany pledges 60 million euros to support Ukraine’s energy sector. Germany is contributing 60 million euros ($65 million) to Ukraine’s Energy Support Fund to expedite  deliveries of generators, power equipment and mobile thermal power plants, Ukrainian officials said on Oct. 24.

First Deputy Prime Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko announced the aid after a meeting in Kyiv with German Energy Minister Katherina Reiche. The two discussed Ukraine’s preparations for winter and agreed to form a joint energy working group and expand industrial cooperation.

Svyrydenko also proposed a bilateral agreement to protect investors, similar to deals Ukraine has with Denmark, the Netherlands, France and Switzerland. In December, Berlin will host a Ukrainian-German business forum that is aimed at fostering new partnerships between companies from both countries.

Russian strike hits wind turbine in Kramatorsk again. Russian forces struck a wind turbine in the eastern Ukrainian city of Kramatorsk on Oct. 24, local officials said, marking the second attack on the same site this week.

Mayor Oleksandr Honcharenko said the shelling occurred around 10:15 a.m. and caused damage to the renewable energy facility. No injuries were reported, though authorities are assessing the full extent of the damage. Russian troops first targeted the same turbine on Oct. 22 during evening attacks on the city, which lies in Ukraine’s Donetsk region, near the front lines. As winter approaches, Russia has been increasingly targeting Ukraine’s energy infrastructure to cripple its power and heat generation capacity. 

Ukrainian troops repel Russian assault near Chasiv Yar. Ukrainian forces have repelled another Russian assault near the eastern city of Chasiv Yar, the army said, releasing footage of the failed attack. The 24th Mechanized Brigade said Russian troops tried to break through Ukrainian defenses in the Donetsk regional town on Oct. 20 using armored vehicles, motorcycles and quad bikes.

The brigade reported that Ukrainian defenders destroyed two Russian armored vehicles — an MT-LB and a BMP-1 fitted with anti-drone cages — along with two quad bikes and three motorcycles. Two more armored vehicles were struck before retreating. According to the military, about 20 Russian soldiers were eliminated and 11 wounded during the thwarted assault. 

Key Takeaways

•  The People’s Republic of China (PRC) and Indian oil companies are reportedly significantly reducing direct purchases of Russian oil in the short term, and the European Union (EU) passed its 19th sanctions package against Russia, primarily targeting the Russian energy sector.
• Senior Kremlin officials publicly characterized the United States and U.S. President Donald Trump as Russia’s adversary and “unfriendly” to Russia in response to the Oct. 22 US sanctions against Russia’s energy sector.
• The Kremlin is attempting to falsely portray Russian forces as having established a bridgehead in west (right) bank Kherson Oblast – a new Russian cognitive warfare effort against Ukraine and its partners.
• Available evidence continues to indicate that Russian forces have not established a bridgehead or begun an offensive in west bank Kherson Oblast.
• Russian forces continue to increase the frequency of mechanized assaults in eastern and southern Ukraine, likely to take advantage of rainy and foggy weather conditions that complicate Ukrainian drone operations.
• Ukraine’s partners continue to support Ukraine through the Prioritized Ukrainian Requirements List (PURL) initiative to purchase U.S. military equipment for Ukraine.
• Russian forces continue to target and kill civilians, first responders, and journalists.
• Ukraine and Russia conducted another exchange of the bodies of soldiers killed in action (KIA) on Oct. 23.
• Russian forces advanced in the Kostyantynivka-Druzhkivka tactical area and near Kupyansk, Siversk, and Velykomykhailivka.

• CNN: Kremlin envoy Dmitriev visits US for talks after Trump’s sanctions
• Zelenskyy wants to use frozen Russian assets to manufacture long‑range weapons up to 3,000 km
• Media revealed how Trump made decisions on sanctions against Rosneft and Lukoil
• DeepState: Russians advance in Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia oblasts but pushed back near Kucheriv Yar
• North Korea to build museum honoring its soldiers who fought in war against Ukraine
• Two Russian aircraft briefly violated Lithuanian airspace