Timeline of the Russian invasion of Ukraine (1 September 2023 – present)

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Timeline of the Russian invasion of Ukraine
Prelude (up to 23 February 2022) Initial invasion (24 February – 7 April) Southeastern front (8 April – 28 August) 2022 Ukrainian counteroffensives (29 August – 11 November) Second stalemate (12 November 2022 – 7 June 2023) 2023 Ukrainian counteroffensive (8 June 2023 – 31 August 2023) 2023 Ukrainian counteroffensive, cont. (1 September 2023 – present)

This timeline of the Russian invasion of Ukraine covers the period from 1 September 2023 to the present day during the 2023 Ukrainian counteroffensive.

September 2023

1 September

In Russia, three drones were intercepted by air defenses over Pskov and Belgorod Oblasts, while another reportedly hit a factory that manufactured electronic components for rockets in Lyubertsy, Moscow Oblast, forcing the closure of airports in the area. At least two buildings were reportedly damaged in another drone attack in Kurchatov, Kursk Oblast.

One person was killed by Russian shelling in Kherson.

The British weapons firm BAE Systems opened a branch in Ukraine as part of preparations to produce light artillery there.

Two container ships left Odesa through the temporary corridor introduced by Ukraine in the Black Sea.

The Ukrainian National Agency for Corruption Prevention (NACP) included PepsiCo and Mars, Incorporated to its list of international sponsors of the Russian war effort in Ukraine for continuing to operate in Russia.

Satellite images revealed that Russia had withdrawn air defences, artillery and tanks from the Kuril Islands as part of a possible redeployment to Ukraine.

The first Ukrainian crewmen completed their training on M1A1 Abrams tanks in the United States in anticipation of their delivery to Ukraine. However, their training was extended upon request by the Ukrainian government.

2 September

Russia claimed to have destroyed three naval drones attempting to attack the Crimean Bridge, while the governor of Belgorod Oblast claimed that Ukrainian shelling killed one person in Urazovo.

The Ukrainian military claimed to have breached the first line of Russian defenses in the Zaporizhzhia front and were now pushing towards the succeeding defense line.

Cemetery in Kramatorsk (Donetsk region) after a rocket strike

Four people, including a police officer, were killed by Russian attacks in Donetsk, Kherson and Sumy Oblasts.

The United States pledged depleted uranium armour-piercing rounds that can be fired from M1A1 Abrams tanks it was sending to Ukraine as part of a new military aid package valued at $240-$375 million.

A spokesperson for the Ukrainian Air Force said that the US would supply Ukraine with AMRAAM missiles, with Raytheon signing a contract to supply them to Ukraine valued at $192 million.

3 September

Fire in Odesa region after a drone attack

Russia launched an overnight drone attack on the port of Reni, injuring two people. The Ukrainian Air force claimed to have shot down 23 of 25 drones launched. Two people were killed in separate attacks in Donetsk and Kherson Oblast.

Ukraine claimed to have destroyed a Russian KS-701 patrol boat using a Bayraktar TB2 drone in the Black Sea, killing six and wounding two. In a separate attack in Luhansk Oblast, a Russian TOS-1A Solntsepyok heavy flamethrower system was reportedly destroyed by a drone, killing its crew.

Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced the dismissal of his Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov and his replacement by Rustem Umierov, the manager of the State Property Fund of Ukraine and a negotiator in talks with Russia throughout the war. Zelenskyy said he had based his decision on finding "new approaches" for the ministry, which had also been caught up in several corruption scandals in recent weeks. Umierov's appointment was confirmed by the Verkhovna Rada on 6 September.

In Russia, Roman Starovoit, governor of Kursk Oblast, claimed that a Ukrainian drone was shot down over Kurchatov, with falling debris setting fire to a "non-residential building".

President Zelenskyy said France had agreed to help train Ukrainian pilots on the use of F-16 fighter jets.

4 September

School lessons in Kharkiv, conducted in the metro due to the danger of shelling

Russia claimed to have shot down two drones over the Black Sea and in Kursk Oblast and destroyed four Ukrainian landing boats heading towards Crimea. It also launched an overnight drone attack on Ukraine's Danube ports, damaging several buildings but causing no injuries. Ukraine claimed to have shot down 23 of 32 drones launched, with Romania saying drone parts fell on its territory. NATO said it did not believe that the spillover constituted a deliberate attack by Russia. In response, the Romanian government introduced additional security measures on the border settlements of Plauru and Ceatalchioi. One person was killed by shelling in Zaporizhzhia Oblast.

The Ukrainian Defence Ministry said its forces had retaken three square kilometers of territory around Bakhmut in the past week.

President Zelenskyy made another visit to Ukrainian positions in the Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia fronts.

A court in Russian-occupied Donetsk Oblast sentenced two Ukrainian soldiers to more than 20 years imprisonment for alleged war crimes during the Siege of Mariupol.

Russian media reported that T-14 Armata tanks were withdrawn from service in Ukraine after being deployed in indirect fire roles to test them in "real combat conditions".

Belgium pledged eight RIM-7 Sea Sparrow missiles to Ukraine.

5 September

Russia claimed to have shot down four drones over Tver, Kaluga, Moscow, and Bryansk Oblasts.

A Ukrainian Challenger 2 was destroyed near Robotyne, the first time a tank of that model was destroyed by a belligerent in action.

Yury Afanasyevsky, head of the customs office of the Russian-installed Luhansk People’s Republic, was reportedly injured in a bomb attack at his home.

Cuba announced the discovery of a human trafficking network that recruited its nationals to fight in Ukraine under Russian military forces, denouncing it as an act of "mercenarism", and arrested 17 people.

Germany delivered a military aid package to Ukraine that included 188 Mercedes-Benz Zetros off-road trucks, four border protection vehicles, a Beaver bridge-laying tank, 20,000 pairs of safety glasses, and ammunition for Flakpanzer Gepard self-propelled anti-aircraft guns.

6 September

Missile strike on Kostiantynivka marketplace

A missile struck the central market of Kostiantynivka, Donetsk Oblast, killing at least 17 people including a child, and injuring 33 others.

A Russian drone attacked the port of Izmail, killing one person.

President Zelenskyy announced the transfer of Pavlo Kyrylenko from his position as governor of Donetsk Oblast to become head of the Antimonopoly Committee of Ukraine.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited Kyiv and announced another aid package to Ukraine valued at more than $1 billion, which included about $665 million worth of security assistance and $175 million in military hardware that included HIMARS artillery, Javelin antitank weapons, Abrams tanks, and depleted uranium ammunition. France also delivered 150 Delair drones to Ukraine.

Ukraine claimed that a HIMARS strike on the village of Myronivs'kyi in occupied Donetsk Oblast destroyed a stockpile of Vikhr missiles used by Russian Ka-52 attack helicopters.

7 September

Another wave of drone attacks was reported across Russia. In Rostov-on-Don, one person was injured and three buildings were damaged in a reported strike by two drones at the headquarters of the Southern Military District. Another drone was shot down over Moscow Oblast. A drone fell on a military facility in Volgograd Oblast, while another drone caused a fire at an industrial facility in Bryansk.

More than 270,000 tonnes of grain were reportedly destroyed by a Russian drone attack in the Danube river ports. Ukraine claimed to have shot down 14 drones. Two people were killed by Russian shelling in Kherson and Zaporizhzhia Oblasts.

Ukrainian border guards reclaimed the frontier settlements of Stroivka and Topoli, both of which lay in a recently de-mined "gray zone" between Ukrainian and Russian positions in Kharkiv Oblast.

The British Royal Air Force began surveillance flights over the Black Sea to protect grain shipments from Russian attacks.

The Pentagon pledged another military aid package to Ukraine worth $600 million which included air defense equipment, additional ammunition for HIMARS systems, 105 mm artillery rounds, electronic warfare, mine-clearing equipment, demolition munitions, training, and maintenance support.

A court in Abakan, Russia, sentenced journalist Mikhail Afanasyev to more than 5 years in prison and a 2.5-year ban on him practicing his profession for reporting on antiwar sentiment in Khakassia.

UNESCO approved a request by Ukraine to place 20 landmarks to the international list of cultural heritage sites under enhanced protection to deter military attacks. The sites included the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra, the Historic Centre of Lviv, Taras Hill in Cherkasy Oblast, the Derzhprom building in Kharkiv, and the wooden churches of the Carpathian regions.

The US and the UK sanctioned 11 members of the Russian cybercrime group Trickbot for launching ransomware attacks on foreign entities and targeting critics of the invasion of Ukraine.

8 September

Destroyed police station in Kryvyi Rih

Russia launched a wave of missile attacks on cities across Ukraine, including in Zaporizhzhia and Sumy. In Kryvyi Rih, a police officer was killed and 74 others were injured in a missile strike on a police station, while 69 structures were damaged. Three people were killed by Russian shelling in Kherson Oblast.

The Ukrainian military claimed to have retaken more than half of the village of Klishchiivka, south of Bakhmut, while noting that Russia had assembled a strike force near the village of Novohryhorivka in Luhansk Oblast in preparation for an offensive towards Lyman.

Russia began holding local sham elections in occupied areas of Ukraine until 10 September. During polling, the exiled mayor of Melitopol claimed that the regional headquarters of the United Russia party was destroyed in an incendiary incident, producing casualties on Russian authorities.

The Ukrainian government announced the repatriation of nine children deported to Russia, one of whom was imprisoned for allegedly blowing up a bridge.

Lithuania delivered 1.5 million rounds of ammunition to Ukraine.

9 September

One person was killed by Russian shelling in Kherson Oblast. A Canadian volunteer for the non-government organisation (NGO) Road to Relief and the organization's Spanish director were killed after their vehicle came under Russian artillery fire near Chasiv Yar. Two other foreign volunteers were wounded.

A Russian soldier guarding polling stations during the Russian-organized local elections was reportedly killed in a car bombing in Nova Kakhovka by Ukrainian partisans, who also hacked into Russian television broadcasts in Crimea and called for a boycott of the elections.

The Russian-installed head of Crimea Sergey Aksyonov claimed three drones were shot down over the peninsula.

The G20 issued a joint declaration at the end of its annual meeting in New Delhi that produced a milder stance on the invasion of Ukraine compared with the previous summit held in Bali, avoiding mention of Russian involvement in the conflict.

Major General Kyrylo Budanov, chief of Ukrainian military intelligence, said that their counteroffensive would go on into winter.

10 September

Russia launched an overnight drone attack on Kyiv, injuring one person in the Podil neighborhood. Ukraine claimed to have shot down more than 24 drones launched. One person was killed in a separate attack in Zaporizhzhia Oblast.

Eight Ukrainian drones were reportedly shot down by Russian air defenses near Crimea, while Russia also claimed to have destroyed three Ukrainian military transport vessels north-east of Snake Island.

South Korean president Yoon Suk-yeol announced the establishment of a $2.3 billion aid package to Ukraine for humanitarian and postwar recovery concerns.

11 September

The Ukrainian defence ministry claimed its forces had retaken parts of the village of Opytne, three kilometers northwest of Donetsk, as well as 4.8 square kilometers of territory in the southern front over the past week.

Ukrainian military intelligence claimed that special forces had recovered several oil and gas drilling platforms off the Crimean coast that had been occupied and fortified by Russia since 2015. Among the facilities retaken were the Boyko Towers platforms and the 'Tavryda' and 'Syvash' mobile rigs following clashes during which a Russian Su-30 fighter jet, according to Ukrainian sources, tried to sink the assault boats with various weapons. Initially it was shot at with "service weapons" until it was reportedly struck by a Ukrainian MANPAD, damaging it and forcing it to retreat. Ukrainian forces also seized helicopter ammunition and a Neva radar system from the sites.

The Ukrainian military claimed to have struck a Russian drone base in Luhanske, occupied Donetsk Oblast.

In Russia, two drones were reportedly shot down over Belgorod Oblast, while two houses were reportedly damaged in a drone attack on Rylsk, Kursk Oblast.

Rheinmetall pledged 40 Marder infantry fighting vehicles to Ukraine as part of an order placed by the German government.

Russia began manufacturing upgraded T-80BVM tanks equipped with protection from drone attacks and top attack anti-tank missiles following observations in Ukraine.

Russian media reported that the National Guard, Rosgvardia, had begun recruiting former convicts who served in Ukraine as members of the Wagner Group.

12 September

Three people were killed by Russian shelling in Donetsk and Luhansk Oblasts.

Denmark pledged a 5.8 billion Danish kroner ($830 million) military aid package to Ukraine that would include tanks, infantry fighting vehicles, ammunition, and anti-aircraft guns.

The NGO Save Ukraine returned 13 children in Russian-occupied areas in Ukraine to relatives living in Kyiv-controlled territory.

13 September

The Russian-appointed governor of Sevastopol Mikhail Razvozhaev claimed that the Sevastopol Shipyard was struck by a Ukrainian "missile attack" at 2 am, causing a large fire. The Russian Ministry of Defence claimed that 10 cruise missiles were fired, with 7 shot down. The attack also involved three "maritime drones", which were all destroyed. The Ministry said, "As a result of being hit by enemy cruise missiles, two ships under repair were damaged". At least 24 people were reported injured. The ships damaged were identified as the landing ship Minsk and the Rostov-na-Donu, a Kilo-class submarine. The Ukrainian Air Force confirmed that Storm Shadow missiles were used. The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) later assessed that 62 Russian servicemen were killed in the attack.

Russia launched an overnight drone attack on Izmail, injuring six people.

Ukrainian soldiers from the 3rd Assault Brigade released footage of first person drones destroying a T-90A tank near Bakhmut. The footage was undated but believed to have been filmed in early August.

A court in Russian-occupied Donetsk Oblast sentenced two alleged members of the Azov Regiment to 29 years imprisonment for alleged war crimes during the Siege of Mariupol.

Germany delivered a military aid package to Ukraine that included 20 Marder infantry fighting vehicles, a Satcom surveillance system, 20 RQ-35 HEIDRUN reconnaissance drones, two mobile antenna mast systems, 10 drone detection systems, two WISENT 1 mine clearing tanks, explosive ordnance disposal material, 3,000 155 mm artillery shells, 1.5 million small arms ammunition rounds, an 8x8 HX81 truck tractor train, four semi-trailers, nine transport vehicles, five 8x8 load-handling trucks, and three ambulances.

The European Parliament formally recognized Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko as an "accomplice" to Russian war crimes in Ukraine, particularly for staging Russian troops and hosting deported children.

14 September

Russia claimed to have shot down four drones over Bryansk Oblast. It also claimed to have destroyed 16 aerial and naval drones in Crimea, with explosions reported in the vicinity of a Russian military garrison near the village of Uiutne, outside Yevpatoriya. At the same time, Russian officials closed the Crimean Bridge to traffic. Ukrainian forces subsequently claimed to have destroyed S-300 and S-400 missile systems near Yevpatoriya using drones and R-360 Neptune missiles and damaged the Russian patrol ships Sergei Kotov and Vasily Bykov in a separate attack in the Black Sea; the Russian Ministry of Defence claimed that the Vasily Bykov engaged and destroyed three Ukrainian naval drones when escorting the merchant vessels Yaz and Ursa Major, the latter an alleged arms-runner, heading towards Istanbul. Another Russian vessel, the corvette Samun was reportedly hit by a Ukrainian naval drone as it entered Sevastopol Bay.

A six-year-old child was killed by Russian shelling in Novodmitryk, Kherson Oblast. Later in the day, authorities ordered the mandatory evacuation of families with children in 31 settlements across the oblast.

Vasily Popov, commander of the Russian 247th Guards Air Assault Regiment, was reportedly killed in action in Ukraine according to the ISW.

Ukrainian Prosecutor-General Andriy Kostin announced that the International Criminal Court opened a field office in Kyiv to improve its effectiveness in its investigation in Russian war crimes, calling the office the ICC's largest after its headquarters in The Hague.

In response to spillovers from Russian drone attacks on Ukrainian Danube ports, Romania imposed a ban on aircraft flying at an altitude of less than 4,000 metres (more than 13,000 feet) over a zone within 30 kilometers (19 miles) of the eastern section of the Ukrainian border, in the vicinity of the ports of Sulina and Galați.

The United States announced sanctions on more than 100 individuals and entities involved in the Russian war effort in Ukraine. Among those sanctioned included Russian oligarch Andrei Bokarev, the head of major rolling stock manufacturer Transmashholding, his business partner Iskandar Makhmudov, and their family members, as well as Russian Deputy Defense Minister Aleksei Krivoruchko and Mkrtich Okroyan, the chief designer and board member for two Russian aerospace companies. Among companies sanctioned were Finnish and Turkish entities exporting goods to Russia, and leading Russian banking, investment, manufacturing, construction, and electronics firms. Meanwhile, the EU lifted sanctions against Russian businessmen Grigory Berezkin, Farkhad Akhmedov, and Alexander Shulgin.

15 September

The Ukrainian military claimed it had retaken full control of the village of Andriivka, south of Bakhmut. It also accused Russia of accidentally dropping a bomb on occupied Nova Kakhovka and blaming Ukraine for the incident.

The Russian patrol boat Askold was reportedly attacked by Ukraine in the Black Sea.

The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) formally charged former MP Nestor Shufrych for treason and working with Russian intelligence.

UNESCO formally placed the Saint Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv, the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, and the Old Town of Lviv on its List of World Heritage in Danger, citing the continued threat posed by the Russian invasion.

The United States provided the Ukrainian military with 3D printers to manufacture spare parts for military equipment.

The European Commission lifted a ban on the import of Ukrainian grain to Poland, Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania and Slovakia that had been in place since May 2023 to protect domestic production. However, Poland, Hungary and Slovakia stated that they would continue to enforce the ban.

The United Kingdom formally designated the Wagner Group as a terrorist organisation.

16 September

Two people were killed after a car was attacked by Russian forces near the border village of Strilecha, Kharkiv Oblast. Five others were injured in a missile attack on the Kholodnohirskyi district in Kharkiv city.

In Russia, two drones were reportedly shot down over Tver and Kaluga Oblasts. One person was reportedly killed by shelling in the border village of Plekhovo, Kursk Oblast.

The Palauan-flagged cargo ships Resilient Africa and Aroyat arrived at the port of Chornomorsk, Odesa Oblast to load grain, the first vessels to do so under the maritime corridor introduced by Ukraine following the collapse of the Black Sea Grain Initiative.

17 September

Ukrainian military in retaken Klishchiivka

One person was killed by Russian shelling in Sumy Oblast. Four others were killed in separate attacks in Kherson Oblast.

The Ukrainian military claimed it had retaken Klishchiivka. Explosions were reported in Tokmak and in Sevastopol, with the latter occurring near Russian radio intelligence and air defence facilities.

Colonel Andrei Kondrashkin, commander of the Russian 31st Guards Air Assault Brigade, was reportedly killed in action in Andriivka, near Bakhmut.

Russia claimed to have shot down five drones over Crimea and Moscow Oblast, while another damaged an oil depot in Oryol.

Canada pledged $33 million CAD ($24.4 million) in military aid to Ukraine as part of a joint initiative with other Western countries to improve the country's air defence capabilities.

Ukraine formally filed lawsuits in the World Trade Organization against Poland, Slovakia and Hungary for their continued refusal to lift their ban on imports of Ukrainian grain, saying that their actions violated international obligations.

18 September

President Zelenskyy ordered the dismissal of deputy defence ministers Hanna Maliar, Vitalii Deyneha, Denys Sharapov, Volodymyr Havrylov, Andrii Shevchenko and Rostyslav Zamlynskyi, as well as the ministry's state secretary, Kostiantyn Vashchenko. Prior to her dismissal, Maliar announced that Ukrainian forces had retaken two square kilometres (.77 square miles) of territory around Bakhmut and 5.2 square kilometers of territory in the southern front in the past week. Army commander Oleksandr Syrskyi also claimed Ukrainian forces had breached the Russian defensive lines stretching from Bakhmut to Horlivka, and that the Russian military's 72nd Separate Motor Rifle Brigade, the 31st Guards Air Assault Brigade and the 83rd Air Assault Brigade were severely decimated and put out of action during the fighting.

Ukraine reportedly launched a HIMARS missile strike on a command post of the Russian 70th Motorized Rifle Division in Radensk, Kherson Oblast, killing eight officers and injuring seven others. Ukrainian military intelligence claimed that an An-148, an Ilyushin Il-20 and a Mil Mi-28 helicopter was damaged or destroyed in a sabotage attack at Chkalovsky Air Base near Moscow.

Residential building in Avdiivka (Donetsk Oblast) after the attack

Seven people were killed by Russian shelling in Donetsk and Kherson Oblasts.

Denis Pushilin, the head of the Russian-installed Donetsk People's Republic claimed that the offices of the regional administration in Donetsk city were damaged by a Ukrainian airstrike.

Russia claimed to have shot down three aerial projectiles over Belgorod Oblast.

Germany pledged a €400 million ($430 million) military aid package to Ukraine that would include explosives, mortar ammunition, rockets, armored vehicles, demining equipment, clothing and power generators for the winter, while South Korea pledged two K600 anti-mine vehicles.

19 September

Warehouse in Lviv region after the attack

Russia launched an early morning drone attack on Lviv, killing one person, injuring another and setting fire to a warehouse. Two people, including a police sergeant, were killed in a separate attack on a trolleybus in Kherson. Six people were killed in an airstrike in Kupiansk.

Russia claimed two drones were shot down over Belgorod and Oryol Oblasts.

The Ukrainian government said that the cargo ship Resilient Africa left Chornomorsk after loading grain and was now heading to Istanbul. It also announced that it would ban the import of Polish fruits and vegetables into the country in retaliation for Warsaw's continued ban on Ukrainian grain.

Belarusian state media reported the arrival in the country of 48 children taken from Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine as part of what it called a "holiday" organized by a charity supported by President Lukashenko.

Denmark pledged 15 T-72EA tanks and 30 Leopard 1 tanks to Ukraine.

20 September

An oil refinery in Kremenchuk was set on fire following a Russian drone attack, while a Ukrainian Air Force MiG-29 was struck by a Lancet drone at Dolgintsevo air base near Kryvyi Rih. Four people were killed by shelling in Toretsk and in the adjacent settlement of Pivnichne in Donetsk Oblast. A car carrying two Swedish journalists was attacked by a drone in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, injuring their Ukrainian officer and two police escorts.

The Russian-installed governor of Sevastopol, Mikhail Razvozhayev, claimed Russian forces stopped two attacks on the city which involved Ukrainian naval drones and missiles, respectively. Ukraine claimed to have struck a command post of the Black Sea Fleet near Belbek air base.

In Russia, a fuel storage tank caught fire near Sochi airport following a suspected drone attack.

Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki announced that the country would no longer supply Ukraine with weapons in response to disputes over the flow of agricultural products between the two countries. The Polish government later clarified that it would continue to honor preexisting agreements to deliver weapons to Ukraine.

21 September

Damaged hotel in Cherkasy

Russia launched a series of missile attacks across Ukraine. In Kyiv, falling debris set a residential building on fire and hospitalised two, including a child. In Cherkasy, falling debris damaged a hotel and injured several people. Other explosions were reported in Kharkiv, Khmelnytskyi, Rivne, Vinnytsia, Lviv and Ivano-Frankivsk. More than 20 people were reportedly injured in the attacks, which was also the first strikes on Ukrainian energy infrastructure in six months. The Ukrainian Air Force claimed to have shot down 36 of 43 missiles launched. Seven people were killed and 11 others were injured in separate attacks in Kherson Oblast.

The Ukrainian military claimed to have damaged Russian military equipment in an air attack on Saky air base in Crimea. Ukrainian Stryker and Marder infantry fighting vehicles were reportedly seen on the Surovikin Line near Verbove for the first time, indicating that the main Russian line of defence had been breached.

Russia claimed to have shot down 19 Ukrainian drones over Crimea and in Kursk, Belgorod and Oryol Oblasts.

Sweden delivered ten Stridsvagn 122 tanks to Ukraine, while Germany delivered 17 SatCom terminals, an antenna hub station, four 8x8 HX81 truck tractor trains, four semi-trailers, 12 Zetros trucks, and spare parts for WISENT 1 mine clearing tanks as part of a military aid package to Ukraine. The United States pledged another military aid package to Ukraine worth $325 million that would include air defense and cluster munitions.

Ukraine reached an agreement with Slovakia for a grain licensing system that would see the dropping of Kyiv's lawsuit against the country over its ban on grain imports and the end of Slovakian bans on Ukrainian agricultural products.

22 September

Headquarters of Russian Black Sea Fleet in Sevastopol after the strike

The headquarters of the Russian Black Sea Fleet in Sevastopol was reportedly struck and destroyed by a Ukrainian missile. One serviceman was reported missing by Russian authorities, while Ukrainian military officials claimed 34 officers, including fleet commander Admiral Viktor Sokolov, were killed and 105 servicemen injured, including two generals and "the top management of the fleet". However, Russia released a video appearing to show Sokolov alive on 26 September. Ukrainian sources said that Storm Shadow missiles were used, Russian sources claimed that seven missiles, including one Neptune missile, were used, with air defences shooting down five missiles. Russian officials also reported a "large-scale cyberattack" in occupied Crimea.

One person was killed and 55 others were injured in a Russian missile attack on Kremenchuk. Another person was killed by shelling in Kherson.

Ukraine and the United States announced a program to manufacture "air defence systems" in Ukraine.

During President Zelenskyy's visit to Ottawa, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau pledged 650 million Canadian dollars ($480 million) in military aid for Ukraine that included 50 armored vehicles and training on F-16 fighter jets. The Canadian government also imposed sanctions on 63 Russian individuals and entities for their role in the invasion and the deportation of Ukrainian children. Among those sanctioned were Russian Labour Minister Anton Kotyakov, advisor to the Commissioner for Children's' Rights Alexey Petrov, the Moscow State Institute of International Relations and its director Anatoly Torkunov, the Higher School of Economics, the publications Vzglyad and Komsomolskaya Pravda, and several youth organizations.

23 September

The Russian-appointed governor of Sevastopol, Mikhail Razvozhayev, claimed that another missile attack on the city occurred, with debris landing near the pier. Explosions were also reported in Vilne, in northern Crimea.

Three people were killed in separate Russian attacks in Kherson, Donetsk and Sumy Oblasts.

24 September

Two people were killed in Russian airstrikes on Kherson Oblast.

In Russia, the governor of Kursk Oblast claimed that a government building was damaged by a Ukrainian drone in Kursk city. Ukrainian military intelligence claimed that a drone strike on the Khalino air field in the same region killed or wounded the commander and other officers of the Russian 14th Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment. Another drone was reportedly intercepted over Bryansk Oblast.

25 September

Russia launched an overnight air attack on Odesa, damaging port infrastructure and a disused hotel and killing two people in a strike on a grain warehouse. Several buildings in the historic centre, including the Vorontsov Palace and eight buildings on Prymorskyi Boulevard, where also damaged, while missile debris was later found in Chițcani, across the border in the breakaway Moldovan region of Transnistria. Though similar cases had happened before in government-controlled regions of Moldova, this was the first time it happened in Transnistria. Three people were killed in a separate airstrike in Beryslav, Kherson Oblast, while three others were killed by an artillery strike in Kherson city.

Another air attack was reported in Sevastopol, with a missile reportedly shot down over Belbek airbase. A Russian ammunition dump in Sorokyne, Luhansk Oblast, was destroyed in a suspected Ukrainian attack.

President Zelenskyy announced the arrival of the first batch out of a total of 31 M1 Abrams tanks promised by the United States to Ukraine, without specifying its number, although Politico reported the number to be ten. More tanks were expected to be sent "during the fall."

The Russian Interior Ministry put the Chairman of the International Criminal Court Piotr Hofmański, his deputy Luz del Carmen Ibáñez Carranza, and Judge Bertram Schmitt, on its list of wanted persons in response to the ICC's arrest warrant against President Vladimir Putin and children's rights commissioner Maria Lvova-Belova.

The United States announced sanctions against 16 Russian and Chinese companies for supplying drone technology components to Russia.

26 September

Russia launched an overnight drone attack on Izmail, injuring two people and damaging port infrastructure. One person was killed in a separate attack in Zaporizhzhia Oblast.

Russia filed an application to rejoin the United Nations Human Rights Council after it was expelled in April 2022 for invading Ukraine.

The SBU arrested a priest of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate) in Kherson Oblast for hiding, possessing and attempting to sell two weapons caches left behind by retreating Russian forces in 2022.

27 September

Two people were killed by Russian shelling in Kherson and Donetsk Oblasts.

The Ukrainian military reported that around 500 Wagner Group fighters returned to fight in Donetsk Oblast as part of the group's redeployment in Ukraine for the first time since its failed rebellion against the Russian military establishment in June.

The SBU arrested two residents of Kyiv on suspicion of passing information to Russian intelligence to use in airstrikes against the capital.

Ukraine announced that it would boycott UEFA football matches involving Russian teams after the body decided to lift the ban on Russian youth teams that had been imposed following the invasion. Poland, Latvia, Lithuania, England, Northern Ireland, Denmark, and Sweden also announced that it would join Ukraine in its boycott.

Dutch defence minister Kajsa Ollongren said that F-16s would arrive in Ukraine in 2024, with training of pilots and ground crew taking approximately 6–8 months. The Bulgarian parliament approved the delivery of unserviceable S-300 missiles to Ukraine.

Ukraine relocated the production of an unspecified missile system to another country due to ongoing Russian attacks on its plant.

28 September

Three people were killed by Russian shelling in Kherson, while three others were killed in separate attacks in Donetsk Oblast.

Russia claimed to have repelled an attack by a Ukrainian sabotage group in border areas of Belgorod Oblast.

A massive Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) attack struck the Russian airline booking system Leonardo, preventing users from accessing booking services and online and airport check-ins and causing flight delays. Ukrainian Digital Transformation Minister Mykhailo Fedorov later confirmed that Ukrainian hackers were responsible for the cyberattack.

The German Federal Cartel Office approved a joint venture between Rheinmetall and the Ukrainian Defense Industry to open a maintenance facility for military vehicles in Kyiv.

The EU extended the temporary protection status it granted to Ukrainian refugees to 2025.

29 September

A Russian S-300 missile reportedly shot down a Russian Su-35 fighter jet over Tokmak, killing the pilot.

Russian officials claimed that Ukrainian drones dropped explosives on an electrical substation in the village of Belaya in Kursk Oblast, cutting power to five settlements. A dozen other drones were reportedly shot down over Belgorod, Kursk and Kaluga Oblasts. A radar station near Giryi, Kursk Oblast was reportedly destroyed by a drone.

Ukrainian war photographer Volodymyr Myroniuk was announced to have been killed while filming in Kurdiumivka on the Donetsk front.

President Putin appointed former Wagner Group commander and retired colonel Andrei Troshev (nom de guerre Sedoi) to oversee volunteer fighter units in Ukraine.

The Russian Defence Ministry announced that it would subject residents of occupied areas of southern and eastern Ukraine to conscription for the first time since their unrecognized annexation by Russia in 2022. The ministry also said that it was expecting to enlist 130,000 personnel across the country in the fall.

Ukrainian National Police recovered an undisclosed number of TOR missiles from a house in Brovary Raion, Kyiv Oblast. The missiles were believed to have been abandoned by Russian forces following their withdrawal from the area in the spring of 2022 and were believed to be worth "about 30 million hryvnias (about $811,000)" each.

The UK imposed sanctions on the Russian Central Election Commission, its secretary Natalya Budarina, and regional commissioner for Kherson Marina Zakharova for staging local elections in occupied areas of Ukraine.

Russia avoided a full ban from the 2024 Paralympics in Paris after the International Paralympic Committee voted 74–65 with 13 abstentions against suspending its membership "for breaches of its constitutional membership obligations." However, Russian athletes were only allowed to compete under a neutral flag. The body also voted against a full ban on participation by Belarus.

Bulgaria imposed a ban on the importation of Ukrainian sunflower products into the country that would last until the end of November 2023.

30 September

Ukrainian officials claimed to have shot down thirty out of forty Russian drones. Twenty were aimed at central Ukraine and some "broke through" Ukrainian defences to strike Kalynivka, Vinnytsia Oblast, starting a "powerful fire". Romania also claimed that radar detected an "unauthorised" entry into its airspace towards Galați.

The Ukrainian Navy announced that it had conducted a successful operation to extract two airborne assault operators who were trapped and forced into hiding in Russian-occupied territory for more than one and a half years after being injured. The operation was conducted by the navy's Angels special forces unit, while an airborne assault detachment provided covering fire during the extraction. Ukrainian military intelligence claimed that a Russian soldier it had recruited in July had defected to Ukraine after convincing 11 other Russian soldiers to defect as well.

In Russia, a Ukrainian drone strike on the settlement of Pogar, Bryansk Oblast, reportedly caused a power outage in the area.

President Zelenskyy held a forum for 250 Western arms manufacturers from 30 countries in Kyiv as part of efforts to increase domestic weapons production and manufacture more Western weapons. The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry claimed that 20 agreements between Ukraine and Western companies were signed.

An Estonian volunteer for the International Legion in Ukraine was killed in a drone strike on Lyman, Donetsk Oblast.

October 2023

1 October

One person was killed by shelling in Vovchansk, Kharkiv Oblast.

The Russian-appointed head of Crimea, Sergei Aksyonov, claimed that two warehouses were damaged by debris from intercepted Ukrainian missiles in Dzhankoi.

The ISW, citing Russian milbloggers, reported that Lieutenant General Andrei Sychevoi was relieved from his post as field commander in Bakhmut for conducting "unprepared and unsupported" counterattacks near Andriivka and Klishchiivka.

Several warships of the Russian Black Sea Fleet, including its flagship Admiral Makarov, the frigate Admiral Essen, three submarines, five large landing ships and several small missile cruisers were reportedly evacuated to Novorossiysk, Krasnodar Krai following a series of Ukrainian attacks on naval installations in Crimea.

In Russia, Ukrainian drones reportedly struck Adler airbase in Sochi and an aircraft factory operated by the state-run Tactical Missile Armament corporation in Smolensk. Three people were reportedly wounded by Ukrainian shelling at a market in Shebekino, Belgorod Oblast.

2 October

A police officer was killed by Russian shelling of a transport company in Kherson.

Foreign ministers of all 27 member states of the EU gathered in Kyiv for the first such meeting of its kind outside the bloc's territory.

Germany delivered an aid package to Ukraine that included over 32,000 rounds of 40-mm ammunition, dozens of all-terrain and border protection vehicles, radio equipment for Leopard tanks, almost 100 Satcom terminals, over 1,000 infusion kits, a Beaver bridge-laying tank, and two Wisent 1 mine-clearing tanks.

3 October

One person was killed by a Russian airstrike in the Antonivka suburb of Kherson.

President Zelenskyy visited Ukrainian military positions on the Kupiansk-Lyman front in Kharkiv Oblast.

In Russia, a drone was reportedly intercepted over Bryansk Oblast, while Russia accused Ukraine of hitting several homes in Klimovo with cluster munitions.

The Russian Investigative Committee charged four Ukrainian military officials with terrorism, namely military intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov, Air Force Commander Mykola Oleshchuk, Navy Commander Oleksiy Neizhpapa, and commander of the 383rd separate regiment of remotely controlled aircraft, Serhii Burdeniuk, for their role in attacks on Russian and Crimean soil blamed on Ukraine.

Ukraine's National Agency on Corruption Prevention (NACP) placed the China Petrochemical Corporation (Sinopec), the China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC), and the China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) on its list of international sponsors of the war in Ukraine for continuing to invest in Russian energy projects and buying Russian oil and gas.

The Pentagon announced that it was ready to send a small number of cluster munition-armed ATACMS with a range of "300 kilometers (190 miles)" to Ukraine pending approval by President Joe Biden.

4 October

Ukrainian military intelligence announced that special forces had landed in Crimea and engaged in combat with Russian forces, resulting in losses on both sides before retreating as part of a scheduled operation.

Russia claimed to have shot down 31 drones during an overnight Ukrainian drone attack on its western border regions. An S-400 Triumph air defense system near Belgorod was reportedly hit by SBU drones.

The SBU arrested three people, including a Russian citizen, on suspicion of spying on the Ukrainian military and aiding airstrikes on behalf of Russian military intelligence in Kharkiv and Zhytomyr Oblasts.

Lithuania opened a corridor for Ukrainian grain to reach Baltic ports, with Ukrainian Agriculture Minister Mykola Solskyi adding that Ukrainian agricultural exports heading for Klaipeda would be checked directly at the port instead of at the Polish border to speed up movement.

A court in Moscow sentenced journalist Marina Ovsyannikova in absentia to eight-and-a-half years in a penal colony and imposed a ban on her engaging in electronic activities for four years for allegedly discrediting the Russian military in relation to her on-air criticism of the war on the main evening news program Vremya in 2022.

Ukraine announced plans to build the world's first underground school in Kharkiv due to its proximity from the Russian border.

US officials announced that "thousands" of Iranian-made weapons and 1.1 million 7.62 mm rounds seized by the US Central Command were to be transferred to Ukraine.

5 October

Removal of bodies in Hroza

59 people, including a six-year-old child, were killed and six others were injured after a store and a café hosting a wake were struck by a suspected Russian Iskander missile in the village of Hroza, Kharkiv Oblast, 30 kilometers west of Kupiansk. Three people were killed in separate attacks in Kherson and Sumy Oblast.

In Russia, one person was reportedly injured by a Ukrainian cluster munitions attack in Rylsk, Kursk Oblast, while power outages were reported in the region following drone strikes on infrastructure facilities in three districts.

CBS, citing US officials, reported that North Korea had begun delivering artillery to Russia for its war effort in Ukraine.

The NGO Save Ukraine said it had rescued 19 Ukrainian children from Russian-occupied territories.

During the third European Political Community summit in Granada, Spain, which president Volodymyr Zelenskyy attended, Spain pledged six Hawk air defense systems to Ukraine, while German Chancellor Olaf Scholz pledged another Patriot air defense system. The United Kingdom also pledged a humanitarian aid package that included a loan guarantee of 500 million pounds ($600 million) disbursed through the World Bank to ensure winter support payments to three million households, $41 million to the United Nations and charities supplying Ukrainians with shelter and warm winter clothing, and $12 million to sustain electricity supplies.

6 October

Destruction in the center of Kharkiv

Two people, including a ten-year-old child, were killed and 23 others were injured in a Russian missile strike on an apartment in Kharkiv. A separate drone attack on port infrastructure in Odesa Oblast damaged nine trucks and a granary. The Ukrainian Air Force claimed to have shot down 25 of 33 drones launched.

Sweden pledged a 2.2-billion-kronor ($199.8 million) military aid package to Ukraine that would include artillery ammunition, spare parts, infantry equipment, and communications equipment.

The US Commerce Department added 42 Chinese companies and seven other firms from other countries to its export control list for providing logistical support to the Russian military and defence industry.

The Supreme Court of Russian-occupied Crimea sentenced Ukrainian activist Serhiy Tsygipa, who was abducted from Kherson Oblast in 2022, to 13 years in prison for alleged "espionage" on behalf of Ukrainian authorities.

7 October

One person was killed in a Russian cluster munitions attack in Bilenke, Zaporizhzhia Oblast.

In Crimea, missile attacks were reported in Dzhankoi, Yevpatoriya and Krasnoperekopsk.

In Russia, one person was reportedly killed by Ukrainian shelling in Urazovo, Belgorod Oblast, while the Russian Defence Ministry claimed to have destroyed three Tochka-U missiles over the region and thwarted a drone attack on Moscow.

8 October

Two people were killed by Russian attacks in Kharkiv and Kherson Oblasts.

Finnish president Sauli Niinistö and prime minister Petteri Orpo stated that the gas pipeline Balticconnector and an adjacent communications cable, connecting Finland and Estonia, failed due to possible sabotage, prompting an investigation. Undersea telecommunications cables between Sweden and Estonia were damaged by "external force or tampering", according to Carl-Oskar Bohlin, Sweden's minister for civil defence. Bohlin said the damage was related to the damage to the gas pipeline and cables between Finland and Estonia. In response, NATO increased patrols in the Baltic Sea.

9 October

President Zelenskyy dismissed Major General Ihor Tantsyura from his position as commander of Ukraine's Territorial Defense Forces and replaced him with Major General Anatoliy Barhylevych.

Hungary resumed imports of Ukrainian sugar following an amendment to its ban on Ukrainian agricultural products.

Two days after the Hamas invasion of Israel, Ukraine intelligence accused Russia of supplying Hamas with western-made Ukrainian weapons seized from battlefields in an attempt to discredit Ukraine and distract Western media attention.

10 October

Train station in Ocheretyne (Donetsk Oblast) after Russian strike on 10 October

A 13-year-old child was killed by Russian shelling in Uhroidy, Sumy Oblast.

Russia intensified its offensive to encircle Avdiivka.

In Russia, a couple was reportedly killed by Ukrainian shelling in Popovka, Belgorod Oblast. A conscript was killed while five other soldiers were injured in a separate attack in Gudovka, Bryansk Oblast.

Russia's bid to rejoin the UN Human Rights Council was rejected, with 83, or 43%, of 193 UN members states voting in favor of Russian membership.

Rheinmetall pledged 150,000 artillery shells to Ukraine.

UEFA reversed its decision to allow Russian youth teams to play in the Under-17 European Championship.

11 October

The shelled school in Nikopol

Four people were killed and two more injured by Russian shelling of a high school in Nikopol. Another person was killed in a separate attack in Avdiivka.

In Russia, two drones were reportedly shot down over Bryansk Oblast.

A suspected saboteur working for Russian military intelligence in Kharkiv was arrested after he was reportedly caught planting explosives at a gas station.

The UK Defense Ministry announced a £100 million ($122 million) military aid package to Ukraine that included anti-minefield equipment and the MSI-DS Terrahawk Paladin air-defense system. The Pentagon also pledged a $200 million military aid package to Ukraine that included AIM-9 munitions, artillery and rocket ammunition, precision aerial munitions, anti-tank weapons, and anti-drone equipment.

12 October

Five people, including a child, were killed by Russian shelling in Donetsk and Kherson Oblasts.

The ISW assessed that Russian forces had taken 4.5 square kilometers of territory around Avdiivka since the start of its offensive on 10 October.

The Russian project 22160 patrol ship Pavel Derzhavin and a Buyan-class corvette were reportedly damaged in a Ukrainian naval drone attack in the Black Sea. Ukrainian forces intercepted and repelled a Russian sabotage group in Sumy Oblast.

In Russia, two people were reportedly killed in a house fire caused by falling drone debris in Belgorod Oblast.

The Czech Republic and Denmark jointly pledged a military aid package to Ukraine that would include 50 infantry fighting vehicles and tanks, 2,500 pistols, 7,000 rifles, 500 light machine guns, 500 sniper rifles, electronic warfare and surveillance equipment, and artillery shells.

President Putin made his first international visit following the ICC's issuance of an arrest warrant against him, arriving in Kyrgyzstan, which is not a member of the court, to attend the Commonwealth of Independent States summit.

The International Olympic Committee suspended the Russian Olympic Committee until further notice after the latter recognized Olympic councils from occupied Ukrainian regions unilaterally annexed by Russia in 2022.

13 October

One person was killed and 23 others were injured in a Russian missile attack in Pokrovsk, Donetsk Oblast, while another was killed in a drone strike in Kherson Oblast.

A train carrying ammunition and fuel for the Russian military as well as looted items was reportedly blown up by Ukrainian partisans in Melitopol.

The White House said that North Korea had delivered more than 1,000 containers of military equipment and munitions for the Russian war effort in Ukraine.

A Ukrainian woman in Kirovohrad Oblast was convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment for treason for providing the Russian military with photographs of strategic sites, such as oil refineries and defense plants, in Ukraine.

French police opened an investigation into the suspected poisoning of Russian journalist and former Kremlin propagandist Marina Ovsyannikova, who had previously protested the Russian invasion of Ukraine, after she suddenly collapsed outside her apartment. In early October, she was sentenced in absentia to eight and a half years in prison by a Moscow court for "disseminating false information" about the Russian army.

14 October

Three people, including an 11-year-old child, were killed in Russian attacks on Donetsk and Kherson Oblasts.

A massive fire broke out at a gas pipeline in Kuteinykove, occupied Donetsk Oblast.

In Russia, two drones were reportedly shot down over the coast of Sochi.

According to Boeing, GLSDB will be delivered to Ukraine by winter.

15 October

Two people were killed in a Russian airstrike in Druzhelyubivka, Kharkiv Oblast. Another two people were killed in Russian attacks on Avdiivka, Donetsk Oblast, while two others were killed in shelling of Beryslav, Kherson Oblast. Two airstrikes on infrastructure facilities in Kherson resulted in electricity and water outages in the city.

Russia claimed to have shot down 27 drones over Kursk and Belgorod Oblasts. An attack on an energy facility in Krasnaya Yaruga, Belgorod Oblast, caused blackouts in the area.

Four Ukrainian children deported to Russia were returned to their families as part of an agreement brokered by Qatar.

16 October

The ISW assessed that Russian forces had advanced three kilometers south of Avdiivka.

Ukrainian Colonel General Oleksandr Syrskyi said that the 25th Separate Airborne Brigade had shot down an Mi-8 without supplying the location.

In Russia, three drones were reportedly shot down over Belgorod Oblast.

The US military confirmed the arrival in Ukraine of all 31 Abrams tanks it had promised to the latter.

17 October

Ukraine claimed it had killed and wounded dozens of Russian soldiers and destroyed nine helicopters, an air defense system, and an ammunition dump in airstrikes in Berdiansk and Luhansk. Analysts later reported 21 helicopters had been destroyed. President Zelenskyy confirmed that 160-kilometer (99-mile) range ATACMS rockets were used in the attacks, the first time they were used in the conflict since their arrival from the US a few days earlier. Forbes reported that three ATACMS were fired during the attack.

The Ukrainian military said it had advanced by a kilometer west of Verbove.

18 October

Residential building in Zaporizhzhia after the attack

Five people were killed and five others were injured in a Russian missile attack on a residential building in Zaporizhzhia, while another was killed in a separate attack in Dnipro. Two people were killed in a missile attack in Stepove, Mykolaiv Oblast, while one person was killed in an airstrike in Kherson Oblast.

Two Ukrainian missiles were reportedly shot down over Crimea, with an explosion being reported in the Sakharnaya Golovka area of Sevastopol.

Russia said it had shot down 28 drones over Kursk and Belgorod Oblasts as well as over the Black Sea. A military camp near the Khalino airbase in Kursk was reportedly struck by drones from the SBU.

19 October

Ukrainian forces reportedly landed on the left bank of the Dnipro river in Kherson Oblast, advancing north of Pishchanivka and into Poima, around four kilometers from the shore, and prompting Russian airstrikes on Pishchanivka. One person was killed in a Russian attack in Bila Hora, Donetsk Oblast.

Russia claimed to have intercepted three Royal Air Force aircraft over the Black Sea.

Israeli officials told Axios that tens of thousands of 155 mm artillery shells that were to be delivered by the US Defense Department for Ukraine were to be diverted instead to Israel to fight Hamas militants. According to US officials, the shells were already stockpiled in Israel and the US would transfer them to Ukraine if Israel gave permission.

Ukraine announced a campaign to hire over 2,000 judges to tackle multiple issues such as corruption allegations, war crimes investigations and delays in background checks.

US President Joe Biden delivered a national address linking the war in Ukraine with the war in Israel, saying "We cannot and will not let terrorists like Hamas and tyrants like Putin win." He also asked Congress for $100 billion for Israel, Ukraine, Taiwan and US–Mexico border security.

Croatia announced that it would send its entire fleet of Mi-8 helicopters to Ukraine.

US journalist for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty Alsu Kurmasheva was detained in Russia, charged with failure to register as a foreign agent. Kurmasheva was in Russia for a "family emergency".

20 October

One person was killed in a Russian airstrike in Kherson Oblast. Another person was killed and another hospitalized in a separate attack on residences in Kryvyi Rih.

The ISW assessed that Ukrainian forces had reached the northeastern part of the village of Krynky, two kilometers southeast of the Dnipro River in Russian-occupied Kherson Oblast.

The exiled mayor of Melitopol claimed that Ukrainian partisans detonated a car bomb in the Aviamistechko district that targeted Russian looters.

Russian authorities started a military camp in occupied territories to train teenagers aged 14 to 17 years in "particular military occupational specialties" that Russian forces lack. Occupation authorities intend to involve every 1 in 10 children in the Young Army Cadets National Movement.

The Russian Aerospace Forces reinforced Belbek Airport in Crimea with at least four MiG-31 and some ten Su-27 and Su-30 fighter jets.

Ukraine claimed that the Russian Orthodox Church had set up a private military company using donations for funding and utilizing a cathedral for training.

In Moscow, OMON riot police detained worshippers at a mosque for forced enlistment. Authorities seized the worshippers' passports and had them sign military enlistment contracts without the presence of lawyers.

21 October

Postal distribution centre at Novyi Korotych after the strike

Six postal workers were killed and 16 others were injured in a Russian missile attack on the privately owned Nova Poshta sorting office at Novyi Korotych, Kharkiv Oblast.

The United Nations found further evidence of war crimes committed by Russian forces during an investigation in Kherson and Zaporizhzhia Oblasts. It cited evidence for "indiscriminate attacks," as well as "war crimes of wilful killing, torture, rape and other sexual violence, and the deportation of children to the Russian Federation."

22 October

Two people were killed in Russian attacks in Donetsk Oblast. A power plant operated by Ukraine's largest private energy company DTEK sustained significant damage in a separate attack.

In Crimea, explosions were reported in Sevastopol Bay.

Ukraine claimed to have shot down five Russian Su-25s over the last ten days over Donetsk Oblast.

23 October

The SBU arrested three residents of Kherson on suspicion of aiding Russian airstrikes on the city.

Ukrainian authorities ordered the mandatory evacuation of children and their parents or guardians from eight settlements in Donetsk Oblast and 23 settlements in Kherson Oblast due to heavy fighting.

Two people were killed by Russian shelling in Kherson Oblast. In Kherson city, transportation and food factories were hit.

Ukrainian military intelligence claimed that four FSB agents were “liquidated” by partisans in a car bombing in Berdiansk.

Ukraine's air defense systems destroyed six Russian drones and a cruise missile. Vladimir Saldo, the Russian-installed governor of Kherson Oblast, said Russia shot down three Ukrainian missiles heading for Crimea.

The Washington Post reported that the SBU carried out dozens of assassinations in Russia since the invasion began, including the bomb attack on journalist Darya Dugina, which they had previously denied.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan submitted a bill to parliament for the ratification of Sweden's NATO membership.

Russian OMON police raided a Moscow mosque during Friday prayers, according to reports, and took those arrested to a military enlistment office. It was also alleged that they seized the worshippers’ passports, and without legal advice, forced them to sign military contracts.

24 October

Two people were killed by Russian shelling in Podoly, Kharkiv Oblast, another four in the region were injured. Four people, including a 12-year-old, were injured by Russian attacks in Kherson Oblast.

Russia claimed to have destroyed three Ukrainian naval drones following explosions in Sevastopol.

The Russian Federal Security Service accused the SBU of attempting to poison some 77 pilots of a Russian military aviation school during a reunion by sending a poisoned cake and whiskey.

Germany announced a new military aid package for Ukraine valued at $1.4 billion that would include three Gepard anti-aircraft cannon systems, 40 RQ-35 and Vector reconnaissance drones, a Biber assault bridge system, three HX81 tank recovery vehicles, three tank recovery trailers, 13 border patrol vehicles, and 3,872 155mm smoke shells.

25 October

16 people were injured in an overnight Russian drone attack on Slavuta, Khmelnytskyi Oblast. 20 people were injured in a Russian strike employing Iranian Shahed drones in Netishyn, likely targeting the Khmelnytskyi Nuclear Power Plant. One person was killed in a Russian airstrike in Beryslav.

The Australian government announced a $20 million (AUD) aid package for the Ukrainian military that would include 3D printers, de-mining equipment, x-ray machines and anti-drone systems.

The Russian Federation Council unanimously approved a bill to revoke the ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty.

26 October

A 16-year old and another person were killed by Russian shelling in Sumy and Kherson Oblasts respectively.

Russia claimed that three drones tried to attack the Kursk Nuclear Power Plant.

Romania installed an anti-drone system at the Danube Delta region bordering Ukraine following incidents of Russian drone debris landing on its territory during airstrikes.

Denmark pledged a military aid package to Ukraine worth 3.7 billion kroner ($520 million) that would include T-72EA tanks, BMP-2 infantry fighting vehicles, artillery shells, drones, small arms, and engineering and recovery vehicles. The US also pledged a military aid package worth around $150 million that would include munitions for NASAMS and HIMARS munitions, small arms, AIM-9M and Stinger missiles, Javelin anti-armor systems, night vision devices, and cold weather gear.

The new Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico officially announced that his country would provide no further military aid to Ukraine and oppose further sanctions against Russia.

27 October

Pro-Russian and former Ukrainian parliamentarian Oleg Tsaryov was shot and wounded near his home in Crimea. Russian officials said he was in hospital under intensive care.

US intelligence officials claimed that Russian forces were executing soldiers who had refused to follow orders in the fighting near Avdiivka; Ukrainian forces claimed that some Russian units had suffered "mutinies".

Germany delivered a military aid package to Ukraine that included an IRIS-T SLM air defense system, IRIS-T SLS missiles, 5,000 155mm artillery shells, four armored personnel carriers, eight VECTOR reconnaissance drones, a TRML-4D aerial radar, four ground radars, five unmanned surface ships, six border guard vehicles, ammunition for MARS II multiple-launch rocket systems, four tractors with semi-trailers, and 10,000 safety glasses.

According to the Institute for the Study of War some 70 Ukrainian prisoners of war had been recruited by Russian forces to fight against Ukraine. Russian state media reported that the "Bohdan Khmelnytsky" battalion formed from Ukrainian POWs had joined a Russian military unit and would be deployed to the front after taking an oath.

See also

• 2023 in Ukraine
• 2023 Ukrainian counteroffensive
• Outline of the Russo-Ukrainian War
• Bibliography of Ukrainian history
• War crimes in the Russian invasion of Ukraine
• List of wars involving Russia