The situation as of 8:00 a.m. on October 3, 2022
OPERATIONAL SITUATION
The Armed Forces of Ukraine carry on successful counteroffensives near the administrative border of Kharkiv and Luhansk regions and in northern Donetsk region, where the town of Lyman has been liberated. They have also advanced southwards, in the Kryvyi Rih direction. In response to the AFU’s advances, Russian forces intensified missile strikes on industrial and civilian facilities in southern Ukraine.
The Russian Federation escalated the conflict by initiating the illegal annexation of the territories of four regions of Ukraine (Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, Luhansk, and Kherson). Russian President Vladimir Putin signed the relevant documents. The Ukrainian authorities declared that this step by the Kremlin makes any negotiations impossible, stressed that they would continue to liberate the temporarily occupied territories, and applied to join NATO. Overall, during September, the Ukrainian army managed to liberate about 10,000 square kilometers of Ukrainian territory.
Battle for Donbas
The AFU conducted a successful offensive in the northern part of the Donetsk region. As a result, they managed to liberate the town of Yampil on September 30, and the town of Lyman on October 1.
In addition, Ukrainian troops continue to destroy equipment and manpower of Russian troops in Svatove, Kreminna, Zolote, Lysychansk, and Sievierodonetsk. Thus, they are preparing the ground for the further counteroffensive actions in the northern part of the Luhansk region.
Intensive shelling of the Donetsk region by Russian forces continues, leading to the destruction of civilian infrastructure and civilian casualties. During September 29–October 2, at least 16 civilians were killed and 40 injured in the Donetsk region.
Kharkiv direction
Russian forces continue shelling Kharkiv and other populated areas of the Kharkiv region. During the last days 1 person was killed in Kharkiv region, 10 people were wounded as a result of the actions of the Russian military.
Zaporizhzhia direction
Russian troops launched a missile strike on the outskirts of the city of Zaporizhzhia in the morning of September 30. They hit a civilian convoy. As a result, at least 30 people were killed (including 2 children) and 118 others were wounded.
Rocket attacks on Zaporizhzhia resumed in the following days. On the night of October 3, the city’s infrastructure experienced destruction.
Southern direction
Russian troops continue to launch intense strikes against civilian infrastructure in Mykolaiv. On September 29, the Russian military shelled a residential area of the city with MLRS, using cluster munitions. An explosion near a public transport stop killed 3 people and injured 12 others. On the night of September 30, a rocket hit a high-rise building, wounding 9 people. The next night, a Russian missile struck a five-story building, killing 1 person.
On the night of September 29, Russian troops struck industrial infrastructure in the Kryvyi Rih district of Dnipropetrovsk region with cluster missiles. At least 19 people were wounded as a result (1 of them later died). On the night of October 2, kamikaze drones attacked civilian infrastructure in Kryvyi Rih.
As a result of a counterattack in the Kryvyi Rih direction, the Ukrainian Armed Forces advanced and liberated several population centers in the Kherson region.
Operational command “South” of the AFU reports destroying of the command post and UAV control point of the Russian army in the Kherson region. A representative of the region’s occupation administration was also eliminated in a surgical strike.
Shelling of Ukrainian territory
On the night of September 30, Russian troops shelled Dnipro with Iskander-K missiles. As a result of the shelling, a transportation enterprise was destroyed – 52 buses burned down during the fire after the strike, and 98 public transport units were damaged. Several multi-storey buildings, a gymnasium, a store and administrative buildings were significantly damaged by the shock wave. At least 3 people were killed and 5 were wounded.
On October 1, Russian troops struck industrial infrastructure in Odesa region. In addition, in the southern direction, Russian troops continued to use Iranian kamikaze drones intensively against Odesa and Mykolaiv in recent days. Some of them were effectively neutralized by air defense forces, but in the Mykolaiv region there are several hits on residential and infrastructure facilities.
Strikes continue against territories in Dnipropetrovsk region near the front line. The Nikopol district is still experiencing the most intense strikes by Russian troops.
Also, shelling of the border areas of Chernihiv and Sumy regions from the Russian territory continues. In the Sumy region on September 29, 1 person was killed and 2 people were wounded as a result of the shelling.
HUMANITARIAN SITUATION
According to the Office of the Prosecutor General, as of the morning of October 2, the number of children affected by the armed aggression of the Russian Federation in Ukraine increased to 1,196 (412 children killed, 784 wounded). According to the government platform Children of War, as of October 3, 7,894 children had been deported and 237 were missing. The head of the Luhansk Regional Military Administration, Serhii Haidai, indicated that 76 more Ukrainian orphans from the Luhansk region had been taken to social rehabilitation centers for minors in the Russian Federation.
On October 1, a convoy with 7 civilian vehicles was found shot at in the de-occupied Kharkiv region in the Kupiansk district. The Russian military’s shelling of the convoy killed 24 civilians, including 1 pregnant woman and 13 children.
The situation with mined areas remains critical in retaken Ukrainian population centers. On October 2, an ambulance car exploded on a mine while performing professional duties in Kharkiv region, killing the driver and causing the paramedic to suffer contusions and burns. Also, in a field near the village of Vasylenkove, the bodies of 5 dead civilians were found, who had exploded on a mine while trying to evacuate themselves from Kupiansk to Kharkiv in May. Additionally, a car was found in Chernihiv region with 4 civilians who had been blown up on a mine. On October 2, in Okhtyrka district of Sumy region the car of Ukrtelecom JSC communication workers exploded on a Russian mine, which resulted in the death of the driver of the car.
Commissioner for Missing Persons Oleh Kotenko reported that for 100 days of his work it was possible to return the bodies of 2.5 thousand fallen soldiers. Currently, the Commissioner’s office has proof of 2,200 Ukrainian servicemen in captivity. There are 4,390 people on the wanted list as missing. The body of British volunteer Paul Urie, who died after being captured by the Russian military in Ukraine, was returned to the UK. There is evidence that Paul was tortured and beaten, which was also confirmed by Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba.
On September 29, another prisoner exchange took place. Four Ukrainian servicemen were released, including one military woman, as well as two civilian women.
The human rights organization Human Right Watch stated that the Russian Federation had committed numerous war crimes in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine. The Russian authorities suppress any dissent, widely using intimidation tactics that involve torture and abductions. The organization also condemned the pseudo-referenda held under the pressure of the Russian military, which have no legal force and cannot be used as justification for the annexation of Ukrainian territories or violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty.
Law enforcers found another prison on the territory of one of the enterprises in the town of Vovchansk (Kharkiv region). According to witnesses, the Russian military were holding between 20 and 40 people in one cell of about 12 square meters. Tools for torture were also found in the premises.
The state-owned nuclear company Enerhoatom reported that Russian troops captured Ihor Murashov, general director of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. Ukrainian workers at the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant are being forced to sign a contract with Rosatom to keep their jobs. The 50 member countries of the IAEA General Conference signed a joint statement calling on Russia to withdraw its troops from the territory of Zaporizhzhia NPP and to stop nuclear blackmail.
In the temporarily occupied territories, measures of forced mobilization continue, during which the occupation troops make door-to-door rounds, compiling lists of men of conscription age. Moreover, leaving Russian-controlled territories has been made as difficult as possible: document checks are stepped up at checkpoints, vehicles and belongings are inspected for long periods of time, and gadgets, money and other valuable items are confiscated.
Resistance
In temporarily occupied Melitopol, the car of an official of the occupation administration, who heads the so-called “education department” of the town, was blown up.
ECONOMIC SITUATION
Infrastructure Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov stated that through the “grain initiative” almost 4 million tons of agricultural products were exported by sea routes in September. According to the minister, if exports by rail and trucks are taken into account, Ukraine has almost reached prewar grain export figures – about 6 million tons.
International institutions continue to provide financial support to meet the necessary needs. On September 30, the World Bank announced an additional $530 million to help the Ukrainian government deliver basic public services. The International Monetary Fund has expanded the Rapid Financing Instrument (RFI) program, as a result of which Ukraine may soon receive up to $1.3 billion in additional assistance.
According to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi, the Verkhovna Rada will soon consider a bill to nationalize all Russian assets.
POLITICAL AND DIPLOMATIC EVENTS
On September 30, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the attempted annexation of four regions of Ukraine: the Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson regions. In response, Ukraine officially requested the International Court of Justice of the United Nations to consider a case against Russia on this matter. A meeting of the UN Security Council was also convened, but a draft resolution to condemn the Kremlin’s actions was blocked by Russia’s use of its veto power.
World leaders and international organizations actively reacted to the Russian president’s decision to attempted annexation of Ukrainian territories, expressing their indignation. U.S. President Joe Biden declared that he would continue to support Ukraine’s efforts to resume control over its territory. The European Council and the head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, condemned the illegal annexation of four Ukrainian regions and assured that they would never recognize these territories as part of Russia. UN Secretary General António Guterres stated that Russia despises UN goals and principles, and any decision to attempt to annex regions of Ukraine has no legal value and deserves condemnation. The Council of Europe and OSCE condemned the forced change of Ukraine’s international borders, which is a gross violation of international law and cannot be recognized in the world. British Prime Minister Liz Truss said she would not hesitate to take further action, including new sanctions, to cripple “Putin’s war machine”. Polish President Andrzej Duda declared that Poland would never recognize Russia’s attempt to annex Ukrainian territory, and would continue to support Ukrainian defenders. The Czech Republic, Belgium, the Netherlands, Estonia, Georgia, Slovenia, Moldova, Japan, Sweden, Denmark, Türkiye, Israel and others also condemned Russia’s attempt to annex Ukrainian territory.
On the same day, President Volodymyr Zelenskyi signed Ukraine’s application for fast-track accession to NATO. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg stressed that Ukraine had the right to choose its path, and the decision on membership would be made by all thirty members of the Alliance. According to him, the main effort of NATO allies now is to immediately support Ukraine in defense against Russian invasion. The presidents of nine Central and Eastern European countries, particularly the Baltic States, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Romania, Northern Macedonia and Montenegro, supported Ukraine’s intention to join NATO and issued a joint statement. Canadian Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly expressed support for Ukraine’s swift accession to NATO. U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said that the United States supported NATO’s “open door” policy.
Another response to Russia’s attempts to annex Ukrainian territories is increased sanctions pressure. The National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine decided to impose sanctions against 3,600 individuals and legal entities of the Russian Federation, including individuals and organizations that support aggression against Ukraine. Besides, the U.S. also imposed new sanctions against 910 people from Russia, Belarus, as well as representatives of the occupation administration in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine. The UK put the head of the Russian Central Bank on its sanctions list, restricted exports of nearly 700 goods and banned Russia from accessing the services of its engineering, architectural, auditing, legal and advertising companies. Following the UK and the U.S., Canada and Australia imposed new financial and personal sanctions against Russian individuals and companies.
Meanwhile, foreign leaders continue to visit Ukraine, expressing solidarity and support for efforts to restore the territorial integrity of the state. British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace and German Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht made unannounced visits to Ukraine this week and met with their Ukrainian counterpart Oleksii Reznikov. During the meeting, the ministers discussed the current security situation as well as increased military aid to Ukraine. Lambrecht promised the speedy delivery of the first unit of the Iris-T SLM ground-based air defense system. In addition, Yaël Braun-Pivet, the head of the lower house of the French parliament, visited Kyiv for the first time. At the meeting with the president of Ukraine they discussed the strengthening of sanctions pressure on Russia and the enhancement of bilateral cooperation.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi held a telephone conversation with French President Emmanuel Macron, informing about the situation on the front. The presidents discussed the importance of reinforcing defense support for Ukraine, as well as the topic of nuclear blackmail by Russia and the demilitarization of the Zaporizhzhia NPP. Emmanuel Macron confirmed France’s determination to help Ukraine restore full territorial integrity and promised to work with European partners on new sanctions. The Ukrainian president also held talks with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Polish President Andrzej Duda on further support for Ukraine and the restoration of Ukrainian cities.
Against the backdrop of a possible escalation of the war due to Russian mobilization and attempts to annex Ukrainian territories, defense support for Ukraine from partner nations is increasing. The Lithuanian Defense Ministry signed a contract with a Polish company to purchase Warmate kamikaze drones for Ukraine. It is planned to obtain two complete kits, including a launcher and 37 drones. Germany, Denmark and Norway announced that they would buy for Ukraine 16 Slovak-made Zuzana-2 howitzers worth a total of €92 million. France is preparing to supply Ukraine with a new series of CAESAR guns taken from an order allocated to Denmark. This delivery may include from 6 to 12 howitzers.
The information in the digest is collected from official sources — reports of state authorities of Ukraine, Ukrainian and international news agencies. The accuracy of the data is carefully checked by the project team and corrected in case of fake news.