Volodymyr Zelensky has denounced a new massive Russian attack with 650 drones and 50 missiles in numerous regions of Ukraine that has left at least two dead and dozens injured, including several children. The bombings have affected the Ukrainian energy infrastructure and have forced the restriction of electricity supply, also in the industry.
On the other hand, Russian forces are about to achieve one of their strategic objectives, the city of Pokrovsk, in Donetsk. Moscow's troops have almost completely surrounded it while small highly mobile groups have entered the city, as explained by Russian military bloggers. Zelensky himself confirmed on Wednesday that the most difficult situation on the Ukrainian front remains there, while Kiev's forces defend their positions around Kupiansk.
Russia Takes Two Towns in Zaporizhia and Kharkiv and Tightens the Encirclement of Kupiansk
Russian forces took two towns today in the Ukrainian regions of Zaporizhia and Kharkiv, and tightened the encirclement of Kupiansk, where around 5,000 Ukrainian troops are reportedly blocked, according to the Russian Ministry of Defense.
"Units of the Vostok (East) military group continued to advance into enemy defenses and liberated the town of Krasnogorske in the Zaporizhia region," reported the Russian military command in its daily war report, as reported by Efe.
Additionally, Defense pointed out that "units of the Zapad (West) military group liberated the town of Sadove in the Kharkiv region." The capture of this town, south of Kupiansk, is a further step to pressure enemy forces on the banks of the Oskol River and attempt to cut off the supplies of the city's defenders.
Kremlin on Trump's Nuclear Comments: Russia Has Not Tested Nuclear Weapons
The Kremlin stated on Thursday that Russian tests of a nuclear-powered missile and a nuclear torpedo do not constitute tests of nuclear weapons, after President Donald Trump suggested that the United States would resume nuclear weapons testing, Reuters reports.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said that President Vladimir Putin had warned that if any country tested a nuclear weapon, Russia would do the same.
Russia Claims to Have Taken Two More Villages in Eastern Ukraine
The Russian Ministry of Defense reported on Thursday that its forces had taken control of the villages of Krasnohirske in the Zaporizhia region and Sadove in the Kharkiv region, as reported by Russian state agencies and Reuters.
Poland Closes Two Airports After Russian Attacks on Ukraine
The Polish Air Navigation Services Agency (PANSA) confirmed on Thursday the temporary closure of the Radom and Lublin airports (east) "to ensure the freedom of action of the Polish and allied military aviation" following the large-scale attacks launched by the Russian Federation against targets in Ukraine in recent hours, Efe reports.
In a statement, PANSA indicated that the closures aim to ensure the "safety and protection of Polish airspace, especially in regions adjacent to the threatened areas of Ukraine."
The Russian attack this morning in Ukraine, using missiles and attack drones, targeted energy facilities in Zaporizhia and Lviv, the latter city being close to the Polish border.
The Operational Command of the Polish Armed Forces (RSZ) announced the "activation of all available resources," a procedure that has been repeated numerous times since the war in Ukraine began, and reported the deployment of fighters and an early warning aircraft, while land-based air defense and reconnaissance systems have been placed on "maximum alert."
Marcin Hada, PANSA spokesperson, stated that, until further notice, "neither civilian takeoffs nor landings will be authorized" at the Radom and Lublin airports.
Zelensky Denounces Massive Russian Attack with 650 Drones and 50 Missiles
"Emergency and rescue operations continue after last night's Russian attack. It was a combined and complex attack: the enemy used over 650 drones and more than 50 missiles of various types, including ballistic and aeroballistic. Many were shot down, but unfortunately, some hit their targets," denounced Volodymyr Zelensky in X.
"In Zaporizhia, several residential buildings were damaged, and a dormitory was destroyed. There are dozens of injuries, including five children. Unfortunately, two people died. My condolences to their families and loved ones. Rescue operations continue. In Ladyzhyn, a seven-year-old child was seriously injured," continues the statement from the Ukrainian president, who denounces numerous attacks against energy facilities and the civilian population in various regions of the country.
Russia Attacks Several Ukrainian Thermal Power Plants
Russia attacked several thermal power plants owned by the Ukrainian private company DTEK in various regions of Ukraine, as reported by the company itself in a statement. "Serious damage to the equipment of the thermal power plants," reads the brief note from DTEK, which explains that this Thursday's attack is the third against the company's thermal power plants this October.
In total, since the start of the war, DTEK's thermal power plants have been attacked 210 times, according to the statement.
According to EFE, the company, whose spokesperson said they could not provide the number of plants attacked in this latest Russian bombing, currently operates five thermal power plants in Ukraine. Three others are in territories occupied by Russia, and one has been completely destroyed by Russian bombings during the war.
Orbán to Meet Trump on November 7 in Washington
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán is scheduled to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump on November 7 in Washington, as announced on Thursday by the chief of staff of the Hungarian leader.
Gergely Gulyás stated that the meeting will allow both leaders to discuss a schedule that could lead to a peace agreement in Ukraine, Reuters reports.
Orbán had previously indicated that he planned to discuss with Trump the U.S. sanctions on Russian oil companies during their meeting.
Ukraine Claims to Have Repelled 55 Russian Attacks in the Last 24 Hours in Pokrovsk
Ukrainian troops repelled a total of 55 Russian attacks in the last 24 hours on the Pokrovsk front, a city in the Donetsk region that had around 60,000 inhabitants before the war and where battles between soldiers from both sides are taking place.
According to the latest information published by the Ukrainian war monitoring platform DeepState, the Russians continue to employ their tactic of bypassing Ukrainian defenses by infiltrating the city with groups of five to ten men with the aim of accumulating compact enough groups to engage the Ukrainians from within.
Testimonies from Ukrainian soldiers collected by DeepState indicate that the infiltrated Russians try to avoid combat and hide, waiting for more small groups to arrive to join forces.
Ukraine Restricts Electricity Supply After Massive Russian Attack
Ukraine has restricted electricity supply in all regions after Russia launched a massive attack with missiles and drones against the energy infrastructure, as reported on Thursday by the country's Energy Minister and Reuters.
"During the night, Ukraine's energy system suffered another massive attack combined with missiles and drones. The attack caused new damage to the energy infrastructure," said Svitlana Hrynchuk in a statement published on the Telegram messaging app.
Russia Shoots Down 170 Ukrainian Drones, Nine Near Moscow
The Russian Ministry of Defense reported that its anti-aircraft defenses shot down 170 Ukrainian fixed-wing drones over its territory last night, nine of them near Moscow, as reported by Efe.
According to the military report, the highest number of shoot-downs occurred in the Bryansk region, bordering Ukraine, where the anti-aircraft defense systems intercepted and destroyed 48 unmanned aircraft. The Russian military command indicated that nine drones, six of which were flying towards Moscow, were shot down near the Russian capital.