Ukraine war latest: SBU destroys 2 Russian drone-hunting aircraft, releases video
Hi, this is Yuliia Taradiuk reporting from Kyiv on day 1,336 of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Today's top story:
Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) has "destroyed" two Russian light aircraft used for intercepting drones, the service said on Oct. 21.
According to SBU, planes were placed at airfields in a Russian-occupied territory and used to shoot down Ukrainian long-range drones.
Exiled Mariupol's mayoral adviser, Petro Andriushchenko, said on Oct. 21 that one of the airfields — the private Korsak airfield — is located near the rural settlement Pryazovske in the occupied part of Zaporizhzhia Oblast, 80 kilometers from the front line.
The video footage released by the SBU shows the moment the planes were struck in an operation by the SBU’s Special Operations Center "A."
"This work to 'clear the way' for our long-range drones ensures uninterrupted strikes on Russian rear areas," the SBU said.
"The SBU continues to strike the occupiers with all available means. They will pay justly for every crime they commit!"
The Kyiv Independent could not independently verify the claims.
Russia has not officially commented on the reported strikes.
Blasts hit Romanian, Hungarian oil refineries tied to Russia, media reports
Explosions occurred at oil refineries in Romania and Hungary on the evening of Oct. 20, both of which have links to Russia, local media reported on Oct. 21.
Russian oil remains a key source of revenue for Moscow's war effort in Ukraine. Despite the European Union's push to fully phase out Russian energy, several member states continue to receive supplies.
A midday explosion occurred at the Petrotel-Lukoil refinery in Ploiesti, southern Romania, on Oct. 20.
The facility, owned by a subsidiary of Lukoil, one of Russia's largest privately owned oil and gas companies, had reportedly been offline since Oct. 17 due to a planned technical inspection, according to Hungarian newspaper Vilaggazdasag.
An explosion also occurred at Hungary's largest oil refinery, located in the city of Szazhalombatta, which receives crude oil from Russia, according to Hungarian media outlet Telex.
The Danube Refinery, situated 27 kilometers (about 17 miles) from Budapest and owned by the Hungarian oil company MOL, caught fire on the evening of Oct. 20 following the explosion. Firefighters managed to contain the blaze by the morning of Oct. 21.
No injuries or fatalities have been reported.
The exact cause of the incident remains under investigation. The Szazhalombatta facility, considered the most advanced in Hungary's oil refining sector, may now face a temporary shutdown.
The refinery is supplied with crude oil from Russia through the Druzba pipeline.
Kateryna Hodunova
Russian drone attacks kill 4, injure 16 in Sumy and Chernihiv oblasts
Last updated 6:32 p.m. Kyiv time.
Russian drone attacks on the northern Ukrainian city of Sumy and on a city in Chernihiv Oblast killed at least four people and injured 16 on Oct. 21, local authorities said.
Russia attacked Novhorod-Siverskyi, Chernihiv Oblast, with Shahed-type drones, and about 20 sites were hit, Governor Viacheslav Chaus wrote on Telegram.
Four civilians were killed – two men and two women. Seven people were injured, including a 10-year-old girl.
"(The girl) is being transported to the regional children's hospital. One of the injured is in serious condition, while the others are in moderate condition," Chaus said. "There is a lot of destruction in the city."
Nine civilians were injured in a drone attack on Sumy, Governor Oleh Hryhorov said on Oct. 21.
"A drone strike targeted the crossroad. Cars and civilian infrastructure were damaged. All victims are receiving the necessary medical assistance," Hryhorov said. He added that emergency services are working at the site of the attack.
Sumy and Chernihiv oblasts, which border Russia to the north, have been a repeated target of Russian incursions and shelling since the start of the full-scale invasion in 2022.
Yuliia Taradiuk
Italy ready to buy U.S. weapons for Ukraine, Bloomberg reports
Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto has said Italy is prepared to cover the costs of U.S. weapons purchases for Ukraine through a special procurement program, Bloomberg reported on Oct. 20.
Speaking at a meeting of defense ministers from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization last week, Crosetto said that Italy is ready to pay for the weapons, as they are crucial to Ukraine’s efforts to repel Russia’s war, according to people familiar with the matter, who spoke to Bloomberg.
Italy has developed at least 10 military aid packages for Ukraine. According to sources, Rome’s contributions included providing air defense systems like SAMP/T batteries.
Read the full story at Bloomberg.
Belgium's F-16 won't arrive in Ukraine for at least a year
Belgium still plans to provide Ukraine with F-16 fighter jets but they won't arrive for at least one year, Belgium Defense Minister Theo Francken told Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) on Oct. 21.
Speaking at the European Policy Center (EPC) forum, Francken said it will give F-16s to Ukraine after it receives and commissions newer U.S.-made F-35 jets. The first three F-35s were delivered on schedule.
"Now (F-35s) have to become operational, which I think will take a year or a year and a half," Franken said. "Once we have operational capability, we will be able to transfer our F-16s to Ukraine."
He said that the F-35 rollout process is "a very important phase" for the Belgian Air Force and is directly linked to the transfer of F-16s to Ukraine.
Francken also added that Belgium is part of NATO's nuclear deterrent, so its transition to the F-35 is of strategic importance.
Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prevot said on Aug. 26 that the first F-16s could be delivered to Ukraine in the coming months. As of Oct. 21, Kyiv hasn’t received any F-16s from Belgium.
Ukraine received its first U.S.-made fighter jets last year from Denmark and the Netherlands.
Read the full story at Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL).
As Tomahawk pressure vanishes, Russia escalating strikes on Ukraine's energy sector, Zelensky says
Last updated 3:17 p.m. Kyiv time.
Russia is intensifying attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure as international pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin begins to ease, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Oct. 21.
Russia has stepped up attacks on Ukraine's energy sector in recent months, just as a cold snap drives up demand and puts additional strain on the country's power infrastructure.
"In Chernihiv and Sumy oblasts, restoration work is underway across all affected areas following Russian strikes on our energy infrastructure. In Zaporizhzhia Oblast, (Russian forces) even used FPV drones to target transformers," Zelensky wrote on Telegram.
Zelensky added that every region has the necessary resources to restore energy infrastructure, and that special services are doing everything they can — as should diplomats and political leaders.
"Just a few weeks ago, Putin was under real pressure and facing the threat of Tomahawk missiles, and he immediately showed a willingness to return to diplomacy. But as soon as that pressure eased even slightly, the Russians began backing away from diplomacy and trying to delay dialogue," Zelensky said.
Less than a week ago, hopes that the U.S. would provide Ukraine with Tomahawk cruise missiles and place real pressure on Russia were high, but were derailed by a phone call from Putin to the White House.
Kateryna Hodunova
UK ready to deploy forces to Ukraine if Trump brokers a peace deal
The U.K. is ready to deploy troops to Ukraine if U.S. President Donald Trump secures a peace deal with Russia, Sky News reported on Oct. 21, citing British Defense Secretary John Healey.
Healy gave a lecture at London's Mansion House, where he said the U.K. is prepared to spend over £100 million on a potential deployment of British troops to Ukraine.
"So, as President Trump leads the push for peace here in Europe, we are ready to lead the work to secure it in the long-term," Healey said.
"For our Armed Forces, I am already reviewing readiness levels and accelerating millions of pounds of funding to prepare for any possible deployment into Ukraine," he added.
The defense secretary's plan involves preparing military personnel to join a multinational force that would assist in securing Ukraine's borders, after a potential ceasefire.
Healey also said that Russian President Vladimir Putin considers Britain his "number one enemy" due to the country's support for Ukraine. Additionally, he warned of a "new era of threat" and mentioned that the likelihood of a broader conflict in Europe has not been this high since the end of the Second World War.
The Ukrainian parliament on Sept. 17 ratified a 100-year partnership agreement with the U.K., marking a deepening relationship between the two countries.
Read the full story at Sky News.
Russia's Novokuibyshevsk oil refinery ceases operations following drone attack
Russia's Novokuibyshevsk oil refinery ceased operations following a Ukrainian drone attack, Reuters reported on Oct. 20.
The Novokuibyshevsk refinery, located in Russia's Volga region, is part of Rosneft's Samara group of refineries, which also includes the Kuibyshevsk and Syzran plants.
The refinery halted primary crude processing on Oct. 19, following the second drone attack in a month, industry sources told Reuters.
Two crude distillation units — CDU-11 with a capacity of 18,900 metric tons per day and CDU-9 — were taken offline in the strikes, the sources said.
Read the full story at Reuters.
Blaze reignites at oil depot in Russian-occupied Crimea, media reports, Ukrainian drones spotted in area
Last updated 12:27 p.m. Kyiv time.
A fire at the ATAN oil depot in the village of Hvardiiske, located in Russian-occupied Crimea, reignited with increased intensity, the Crimean Wind Telegram channel reported on Oct. 21.
The facility had been previously targeted by Ukraine's Special Operations Forces on Oct. 17, sparking a blaze that sent smoke billowing for dozens of kilometers.
Light smoke was still rising from the site by noon on Oct. 20, with three fire trucks actively dousing a burning tank. By the following morning, the fire had grown more intense, with a thick column of smoke visible above the facility, Crimean Wind said, citing local residents.
Residents also reported hearing air defense systems and spotting drones flying over the village on the night of Oct. 21.
It remains unclear whether the renewed fire is connected to the reported drone activity, according to Crimean Wind.
Kateryna Hodunova
Ukrainian drones launch 'massive air attack' on Russia's Bryansk, Rostov oblasts
Last updated 10:48 a.m. Kyiv time.
Ukrainian drones launched a "massive air attack" on Russia's Bryansk and Rostov oblasts overnight on Oct. 21, local authorities claimed, injuring two people and causing limited damage.
Three cars were damaged, alongside the exterior of two apartment buildings in the Russian city of Klintsy as a result of a Ukrainian drone attack, Bryansk Oblast Governor Alexander Bogomaz said in a post to Telegram.
"A teenager born in 2010 sustained bruises. The ambulance team provided the boy with all necessary medical assistance on site," he added.
Meanwhile, in Rostov Oblast, a residential building, a medical clinic, shops, and several homes have been damaged as a result of a drone attack, local authorities claimed.
One person was injured in the city of Rostov-on-Don as a result of falling debris.
"According to the military, a massive air attack was repelled last night," Rostov Oblast Governor Yuriy Slyusar said in a social media post.
"Due to the damage to the transformer substation in the village of Nedvigovka in the Myasnikovsky district, about three thousand residents remain without electricity," he added later.
Volodymyr Ivanyshyn
At least 3 killed, 9 injured in Russian attacks on Ukraine over past day
At least three people have been killed and 9 others injured in Russian attacks against Ukraine over the past day, local authorities reported on Oct. 17.
Ukrainian air defenses intercepted 58 out of the 98 Shahed-type attack drones and other drones launched by Russia overnight, according to the Air Force. Thirty-seven strikes were recorded at 10 locations.
In Kherson Oblast, one person was killed and six people were injured, according to Governor Oleksandr Prokudin. A car, two multi-story buildings, 12 houses were damaged.
A 70-year-old woman was killed and two were injured during air strikes in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, Governor Ivan Fedorov said.
In Donetsk Oblast, Russian attacks killed one civilian in Kostiantynivka, according to Governor Vadym Filashkin.
In Kharkiv Oblast, one person, a 65-year-old man, was injured in a Russian attack, Governor Oleh Syniehubov reported. Russia attacked the city of Kharkiv and Kharkiv Oblast with 2 drones and 9 guided bombs. In Kharkiv, 14 houses were damaged.
In Chernihiv Oblast, a heat supply facility and an energy facility were damaged, Governor Viacheslav Chaus reported. "As a result, the power supply in Chernihiv and the northern parts of the region has been cut off," he said.
The attacks come amid Russia's intensifying aerial campaign targeting Ukraine's energy infrastructure ahead of the winter months.
General Staff: Russia has lost 1,132,200 troops in Ukraine since Feb. 24, 2022
Russia has lost around 1,132,200 troops in Ukraine since the beginning of its full-scale invasion on Feb. 24, 2022, the General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces reported on Oct. 21.
The number includes 1,130 casualties that Russian forces suffered over the past day.
According to the report, Russia has also lost 11,278 tanks, 23,436 armored fighting vehicles, 65,026 vehicles and fuel tanks, 33,902 artillery systems, 1,524 multiple launch rocket systems, 1,229 air defense systems, 428 airplanes, 346 helicopters, 72,600 drones, 28 ships and boats, and one submarine.
