Russia targets Ukraine with record drone strikes in October – Ukraine’s General Staff

Russia launched a record-breaking number of drones against Ukraine in October 2024. The General Staff said on Friday that 2,023 Russian drones targeted civilian and military sites across the country. These included both Shahed attack drones and unidentified drone types.

Ukrainian air defense took down or neutralized 1,185 of these drones, while another 738 went missing from radars. Twenty nine drones ended up out of Ukraine’s airspace.

This year,  Russian troops have deployed 6,987 attack drones against Ukraine, with most of those targeting civilian infrastructure and critical facilities.

“Thanks to the skills and dedication of the Defense Forces, thousands of Ukrainian lives have been saved from Russian air terror, and hundreds of homes and essential facilities have been safeguarded,” the General Staff said. Anti-aircraft units, aviation, electronic warfare units, and mobile fire teams continue their relentless work to shield Ukraine’s skies around the clock.

Amendments to Ukraine’s enforcement proceedings legislation, initiated by the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine, have entered into force. Among other measures, the reform provides for the automated lifting of attachments on bank accounts immediately after debts in enforcement proceedings have been fully settled. The main practical benefit for citizens is the complete elimination of the need to contact an enforcement officer in person and wait for paper decisions once the debt has been paid.

The 157th Separate Mechanized Brigade has received another batch of supplies as part of Rinat Akhmetov’s Steel Front military initiative. This time, the military received seven quad bikes and four mobile shower and bath units.

In my previous column, I wrote about social innovations in Ukraine. Those innovations are part of civic resilience and the democratization of security, which Europe is paying close attention to right now. The EU is trying to work out how to spread responsibility for its own security across society as a whole, rather than leaving it to institutions alone. It is looking for concrete ways to bring ordinary people into the work of defense and resistance.

Petro Poroshenko’s lawyers have appealed to the High Anti-Corruption Court demanding that NABU be obligated to register proceedings regarding the fact of exerting influence on the court and to recognize Petro Poroshenko as a victim in the case of the Deputy Head of the Office of the President, Iryna Mudra, due to her pressure on Supreme Court judges who were considering a lawsuit to overturn sanctions.

Internationally recognized brands and financial institutions should direct capital to Ukraine now, not waiting for the hostilities to end. This was emphasized by Rinat Akhmetov, president of FC Shakhtar, during a working visit to UEFA headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland, where he met with UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin.