Russia continues mass attack, dozens of Ukrainian defenders return from captivity: highlights of the day

Russian attack continues

In the morning of October 11, explosions were heard in Odesa, Khmelnytskyi, Kyiv, Lviv, Mykolaiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Vinnytsia and Zaporizhzhya oblasts. The Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that Russia's strategic aviation from the Caspian Sea was operating in the morning. Tu-95 and Tu-160 missile carriers were launching Kh-101/Kh-555 missiles.

Energy infrastructure facilities were struck in Lviv Oblast: 30% of Lviv was temporarily without electricity. There were also interruptions of water supply in Sykhiv and Frankivskyi districts of Lviv.

Besides, the Ladyzhyn thermal power plant was attacked twice in Vinnytsia Oblast. According to preliminary information, six people were injured.

In Zaporizhzhya Oblast, attacks were recorded in the town of Orikhiv and the village of Stepnohirsk: 7 people died, the same number of people were injured. And in the morning of October 11, the head of Zaporizhzhya Regional Military Administration Oleksandr Starukh said that the occupiers launched 12 S-300 missiles at Zaporizhzhya. Public facilities were hit in the city. Two missiles hit a car dealership, killing one person. Other missiles hit an educational institution — a school and an outpatient clinic were damaged.

During the second wave of mass attacks, Russian troops launched 28 missiles: 16 Kh-101/Kh-555 cruise missiles and 12 Kalibr cruise missiles. Ukrainian military shot down 20 of them. The occupiers also launched more than 15 drones. Almost all of them were Iranian Shahids, most of which were shot down.

Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Valeriy Zaluzhnyi said that in two days the anti-aircraft missile battalion shot down 9 out of 11 Shahed-136 UAVs.

Ukraine asks for an air shield

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called on international partners to provide an air shield for Ukraine. This requires a sufficient number of modern and effective air defense systems.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks at the video conference of the G7 and Ukraine leaders. Photo: Office of the President

Zelenskyy thanked German Chancellor Olaf Scholz for accelerating the delivery of IRIS-T SLM air defense systems and U.S. President Joe Biden for the decision to provide modern missile defense and air defense systems.

He said that now the air defense system of Ukraine allows neutralizing a part of Russian missiles and drones. However, according to Ukrainian intelligence, Russia has ordered 2,400 Shahid kamikaze drones from Iran alone.

NATO monitoring Russia's actions

NATO is closely monitoring Russia's nuclear forces. The Alliance has not yet seen any changes in Russia's position, but remains vigilant, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said.

"President Putin's veiled nuclear threats are dangerous and irresponsible. Russia knows that nuclear war cannot be won and should never be waged," he said.

Prisoners return home

On October 11, Ukraine conducted another exchange of prisoners. Kyiv managed to release 32 of its servicemen and return the body of Israeli Dmytro Fialka. Three officers, 28 soldiers and one sailor were released from captivity. Now the liberated servicemen are undergoing medical examination, will recover and will see their relatives.

In addition, Ukraine managed to return 37 children deported by Russian occupiers. In late August, they were forcibly taken from Kharkiv Oblast to the Russian village of Kabardinka (near Gelendzhik), despite the fact that all of them have parents.

Ukraine managed to return 37 children deported by Russian occupiers

Photo: press service of the Ministry of Reintegration of the Temporarily Occupied Territories of Ukraine

Also on October 11, the bodies of servicemen killed in the war against Russia were transferred to Ukraine. The bodies of 62 soldiers were returned home.

Occuppiers kidnap Deputy Director General of ZNPP

Russian occupation forces abducted Deputy Director General for Staff of Zaporizhzhya NPP Valeriy Martyniuk and are holding him in an unknown place. The Ukrainian operator of Zaporizhzhya NPP assumes that Martyniuk is subjected to torture and intimidation methods typical for the occupiers.

Deputy Director General for Staff of Zaporizhzhya NPP Valeriy Martyniuk

Photo: Energoatom

Energoatom called on IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi and the international community to take all possible measures to immediately release Valeriy Martyniuk from captivity and return him to his official duties.

Mission on the border with Belarus

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy proposes to send a mission of international observers to the border of Ukraine and Belarus to monitor the security situation.

Zelenskyy noted that the territory of Belarus is already being used to strike Ukraine and now there is a greater threat. In particular, Russia is trying to directly involve Belarus in the war, staging a provocation, alleging that Ukraine is preparing a strike on this country.

The President emphasized that Ukraine had not planned and was not planning military actions against Belarus.

"We are interested only in the restoration of our territorial integrity. But in order to completely remove this provocation, to remove these narratives from Lukashenko, to remove even the assumption of any threat allegedly from us, we offer our solution," he said.