The Russian invaders are trying to occupy the Avdiyivka spoil tip, which has become a “gray zone”.

Ukrainian volunteer Serhii Sternenko, who received the video of the spoil tip from the military, shared about it.

However, Serhii Sternenko noted that the Russian troops are now on the outskirts of this spoil tip.

Recently, the invaders installed a Russian flag on the edge of the spoil tip. Later, the Ukrainian Shadow unit took down the flag with a drone.

“The spoil heap is now in a gray zone. The invaders are on the outskirts of it but cannot gain a foothold. As soon as they try, they die. They set up rags and ran away,” the volunteer said.

Also, according to military journalist Yuriy Butusov, the Russians installed the flags at the Avdiivka Coke Plant’s spoil heap last night.

Avdiivka spoil tip on an unofficial map as of October 23-24, 2023

He emphasized that the invaders did not occupy the spoil tip but “set up the flag and fled.”

Avdyiivka sector

At the same time, the invaders are trying to break through from the Krasnohorivka area through the railroad to Novokalynove.

The Russian command is sending armored columns into battle. One of these columns was stopped in this area by the 1st Tank Brigade.

Damaged Russian infantry fighting vehicle hit between the settlement of Krasnohorivka and Novokalynove. October 2023, Ukraine. Frame from the video by @alexpdlandrrr

Russian troops are continuing their attempts to encircle Avdiivka in the Donetsk region and are attacking from all directions in the east and south. According to the latest data from the Ukrainian General Staff, Russians conducted assault operations in the Avdiyivka sector with the support of aviation near Stepove, Avdiyivka, Severne, and Nevelske in the Donetsk region.

Anton Kotsukon, Spokesman of the 110th Mechanized Brigade, noted that now, the invaders use less armored vehicles but involve more infantry in the assaults.

Modernized armored personnel carriers of the 39th Separate Guards Motorized Rifle Brigade of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation near Avdiyivka, October 2023

“Avdiyivka and this entire area in general is heavily fortified. Starting in 2014, fortifications have been built here, and all of this is helping us to hold the line,” added Anton Kotsukon.

The Finnish Criminal Police reported that an anchor was discovered at the bottom of the Baltic Sea near the site of the Balticconnector gas pipeline damage.

During the preliminary investigation, the police discovered that the anchor could have belonged to a vessel sailing under the Hong Kong flag.

On Tuesday, the anchor was removed from the incident site. The anchor was lifted using a crane of the Hall vessel.

However, the police report they cannot yet state whether the damage to the gas pipeline was intentional.

At this stage of the investigation, the department cannot speculate whether the incident could have been a terrorist act.

An anchor found near the Balticconnector gas pipeline. October 2023. Photo credits: yle.fi

The Finnish broadcaster Yle also shared a photo taken on October 22, which shows the absence of an anchor on the port side of the container ship Newnew Polar Bear, sailing under the Hong Kong flag.

The same vessel stopped in the Gulf of Finland shortly before crossing the BalticConnector gas pipeline.

“The picture captures the Newnew Polar Bear container ship, stationed in Arkhangelsk, with an anchor missing on the port side,” the journalists reported.

On the night of October 8, the Balticconnector gas pipeline connecting Estonia and Finland was damaged under unknown circumstances, along with a telecommunications cable of an Estonian operator.

The Newnew Polar Bear ship. Photo credits: yle.fi

Then, the gas transmission operators of Finland and Estonia launched an investigation. During the gas pipeline shutdown, supplies are provided through the Inkoo LNG terminal.

The Estonian-Finnish Balticconnector joint gas pipeline was opened in December 2019. The length of the Balticconnector underwater section from the Estonian port city of Paldiski to Inkoo in Finland is 77 km. The onshore part covers 55 km in Estonia and 21 km in Finland.

Balticconnector on the map

The purpose of the Balticconnector was to ensure gas transportation between Finland, Estonia, and Latvia at no additional cost and to reduce the dependence of local markets on Russia’s Gazprom.

The Australian government announced an additional military aid package for Ukraine.

The West Australian reported on this.

Australia is transferring a 3D metal printer to Ukraine to produce metal spare parts for military equipment.

The list also includes mine clearance equipment, portable X-ray machines, and counter-drone systems.

All the donated equipment and machinery were developed by Australian companies DroneShield, Micro-X, Minelab, and SPEE3D. Their total value is $20 million.

At the same time, Anthony Albanese, Australian Prime Minister, shared that a Royal Australian Air Force E-7A Wedgetail aircraft has been deployed to Germany in support of efforts to help protect a gateway of international humanitarian and military assistance to Ukraine.

Royal Australian Air Force E-7A Wedgetail aircraft. Photo credits: Australian Department of Defence

Innovations in Ukrainian military logistics

The metal printer sent as part of the new military aid package will join a fleet of similar systems already operating in Ukraine. In early October, the Australian company Spee3D already delivered seven WarpSPEE3D 3D Metal Printers.

Each printer reportedly costs about one million dollars. They are highly mobile due to the placement of the entire mechanism in a standard ISO container.

The container-size version of the WarpSpee3D. Photo credits: SPEE3D

Spee3D printers use a method of metal 3D printing called cold spray additive manufacturing, which is particularly applicable to frontline environments, as it doesn’t use lasers or gasses, like other metal 3D printing technology.

Instead of melting metal, this method uses kinetic energy to bond metal particles together in a solid state to create a final part.

The WarpSpee3D is also extremely fast and energy efficient. It can build large parts up to one meter in diameter or 40 kg in weight in several metals.

A wrench printed in less than an hour. Photo credits: SPEE3D

Cold spray AM can also repair and coat metal parts, essentially spraying and bonding metal onto an existing part, which is also used to add additional shapes or features.

The United States has approved a possible Foreign Military Sale of M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems and tactical ballistic missiles to the Government of Latvia.

The Defense Security Cooperation Agency reported on this.

The US government has approved a potential deal between Latvia and Lockheed Martin for the purchase of six M142 HIMARS rocket systems, as well as related equipment and training.

The sale of rockets for MRL was also agreed upon, namely, 12 six-round containers with M30A2 rockets and another 12 containers with M31A2 rockets.

In addition to rockets, Latvia also received permission to purchase ten M57 Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) Pods.

Loading a container with M30A1 rockets into the M142 HIMARS launcher of the 3rd Battalion, 12th Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, June 2020. Photo credits: DVIDS

The estimated value of the potential deal is $220 million.

The Ministry of Defense of Latvia expects that HIMARS will be available to the country’s armed forces by 2025. However, it is noted that due to the high demand for these weapons systems in Ukraine, their delivery to Latvia might be slowed down.

Rocket spear of Latvia

Latvian Defense Minister Artis Pabriks first announced his intention to purchase HIMARS rocket systems in September last year.

He shared that he would want to get ten of these systems but clarified that only six units are planned to be purchased in the next three years.

Jānis Garisons, State Secretary of the Latvian Ministry of Defense, has previously stated that the purchase of M142 HIMARS is a joint decision and a project of all the Baltic states.

With the acquisition of M57 ATACMS ballistic missiles, Latvia gains new capabilities to deliver deep strikes into the enemy’s rear at a distance of up to 300 kilometers. Accordingly, the Russian Kaliningrad and Pskov regions, St. Petersburg, and the entire northern part of Belarus, including Minsk, are within the target area.

The ballistic missile with a 227 kg penetrating high explosive warhead is capable of hitting protected targets at a maximum distance with an error of up to 10 meters.

SSU counterintelligence neutralized an agent group of the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation in Kyiv that was preparing a series of attacks on Ukrainian military facilities using drones.

The SSU press service reported on this.

SSU officers detained members of the Russian FSS militant group during the active phase of preparing sabotage. The priority targets of Russian agents included units of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, as well as their reserve command posts.

The saboteurs planned to use up to 10 FPV drones equipped with improvised explosive devices to commit sabotage.

It was established that the militant group was formed in 2018 by a staff member of the 9th Directorate of the Department of Operational Information of the FSS 5th Service. It consisted of three people who, after recruitment, were transferred to a “waiting” mode before the full-scale invasion of Russia.

Each of the members of the Russian intelligence and militant group had his own specialization in conducting intelligence and subversive activities in favor of the aggressor country.

For example, one of them manufactured improvised explosive devices, while the other was responsible for converting “civilian” unmanned aerial vehicles into unmanned combat aerial vehicles.

Another member of the enemy group was directly operating the drones. To acquire the relevant skills, the woman took a UAV operator training course in the Kyiv region in March of this year.

During the searches of the detainees’ residences, explosives with detonators, hand grenades, firearms, and ammunition were discovered.

Weapons from a group of Russian FSS agents seized by SSU officers in the Kyiv region, October 25, 2023. Photo credits: SSU

The active phase

In the spring of this year, the offenders started tracking the locations of the Defense Forces units in the capital region. To establish the locations of Ukrainian facilities, the criminals tried to use their acquaintances in the Ukrainian military.

The members of the Russian intelligence and militant group also flew their own drones for reconnaissance of the area, where they received information about the presence of Ukrainian army units.

For maximum secrecy, the suspects constantly changed their addresses. It was established that they set a fire in one of the apartments to hide the traces of IEDs.

Over the past week, the Special Operations Forces destroyed the invaders’ rocket launchers and radars in the Zaporizhzhia direction.

The press service of the Ukrainian SOF reported on this.

In cooperation with the units of the Defense Forces, the operators of one of the SOF detachments managed to destroy three rocket launchers and the invaders’ counter-battery radar within a week.

Operators spotted, identified, and adjusted fire on BM-21 Grad and BM-27 Uragan multiple launch rocket systems, destroying the TOS-1A Solntsepyok heavy flamethrower system and the Zoopark radar.

Judging by the accuracy of hits and the nature of the damage, strikes on the detected targets were carried out using the HIMARS rocket systems.

Separately, the use of powerful M30A1 rockets against the Russian counter-battery radar should be noted, the warhead of which is equipped with 180 thousand pre-formed tungsten balls. The missile is characterized by an over-the-target detonation to increase the area of destruction.

The strike of the M30A1 GMLRS rocket against the Russian Zoopark radar, October 2023. Photo credits: Ukrainian Special Operations Forces

Similarly, in the south, on October 16, a Ukrainian SOF unit detected operators of Russian ZALA 421-16E2 drones.

After identification of the target, the operators adjusted the fire of the Ukrainian artillery. The HIMARS rocket system was involved in destroying the invaders.

It is worth noting that ZALA reconnaissance UAS are usually used to aim Lancet loitering munitions.

The operator of the ZALA 421-16E2 drone, October 2023. Image: frame from the Ukrainian SOF video

Also earlier, on October 10, in the Zaporizhzhia region, the Ukrainian military eliminated the Russian operators of Supercam S350 drones with the help of HIMARS.

The active use of this rocket system to defeat such targets is due to its high accuracy and guaranteed damage to targets. In addition, the range of defeat and the minimum flight time of the missile allows it to strike quickly.

The possibility of transferring confiscated armored vehicles to Ukraine is being discussed in the European Parliament.

The idea was proposed by Dutch MEP Bart Groothuis.

At the end of 2022, the EU military mission IRINI, designed to prevent violations of the UN arms embargo on Libya, intercepted the cargo ship MV Meerdijk off the coast of South Africa.

The ship was transporting 41 BATT UMG armored off-road vehicles from a factory in the United Arab Emirates to Benghazi, a coastal Libyan city controlled by the forces of General Khalifa Haftar, who is not recognized by the international community.

The cargo was seized and transferred to a warehouse near Marseille, France.

Confiscated BATT UMG armored vehicles. Photo credits: rtlnieuws.nl

In total, at least 146 military vehicles were stored there, which were headed to Libya in violation of UN sanctions.

Groothuis believes that the EU should transfer these armored vehicles to Ukraine. He is supported by several influential MEPs, including Guy Verhofstadt.

“The confiscated vehicles are a great success for the IRINI mission, and it is only fair and necessary that we hand over this equipment to Ukraine as soon as possible. The war in Ukraine is turning into a war of attrition, and the transfer of almost 150 vehicles will send a very clear signal to Russia that Europe wants to go all the way,” said the MEP.

An IRINI spokesperson confirmed to RTL Nieuws that the transfer of the seized vehicles to Ukraine is legally possible, and the final decision on this is to be made by the European Council.

In particular, it regards a batch of 41 BATT UMG armored vehicles manufactured in the UAE, which the MV Meerdijk tried to deliver to Libya in October 2022.

It is worth noting that BATT UMG armored vehicles are already in service with the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

BATT UMG armored vehicle of the Ukrainian military. January 2023. Ukraine. Photo credits: t.me/firstdivisionofficial

Last June, it was reported that the U.S. company The Armored Group had received an order for approximately $23.2 million. The order included 100 BATT UMG vehicles to be delivered to an unnamed Eastern European country.

German defense company Krauss-Maffei Wegmann has joined the Alliance of Defense Industries.

Oleksandr Kamyshin, Minister of Strategic Industries of Ukraine, announced this on October 25.

“KMW CEO Ralf Ketzel handed us the relevant signed documents at the German-Ukrainian Business Forum in Berlin,” he wrote.

Kamyshin added that Krauss-Maffei Wegmann is the important partner of Ukraine, a manufacturer of Leopard 2 tanks, Panzerhaubitze 2000, and Gepard howitzers.

The German-Ukrainian Business Forum was held in Berlin on October 24, 2023.

The signing of the agreement. Photo credits: Oleksandr Kamyshin

The forum also announced the establishment of Rheinmetall-Ukrainian Defense Industry LLC, a joint venture between the German defense concern Rheinmetall and the Ukrainian Defense Industry JSC.

The company will maintain and repair the equipment supplied by its partners to Ukraine.

The company will also localize the production of leading models of Rheinmetall AG equipment, according to Ukraine’s Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal.

The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, announced the creation of the Alliance of Defense Industries on September 29 at the first International Defense Industries Forum in Kyiv.

President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, speaking at the International Defense Industries Forum. Kyiv, September 29, 2023. Photo credits: radiosvoboda.org

On October 16, Ukraine’s Foreign Minister announced that the number of members of the Alliance of Defense Industries had increased to 59 companies from 23 countries.

Ukraine is developing a special economic regime for the defense industry.

The idea is to give every company that works for defense in Ukraine or with Ukraine, or that wants to come to Ukraine, every opportunity to realize its potential.

Ukrainian pilots have started practical flight training on F-16s in the United States.

The US Air & Space Forces Magazine stated this with reference to the comment of the U.S. Air Force spokesperson.

“The training curriculum will align with the foundational knowledge and skills of each pilot and is expected to last several months,” a U.S. Air Force spokesperson shared.

According to him, practical training started this week, involving a “small number” of Ukrainian pilots.

The 162nd Wing trains pilots at Morris Air National Guard Base, located at Tucson International Airport.

It is the only U.S. Air Force unit tasked with training foreign pilots on F-16s.

The wing has trained over two dozen countries in operating the F-16.

A typical F-16 training course takes around six months.

However, U.S. officials have indicated Ukrainian pilots are unlikely to follow a standard model as the course will be suited to Ukraine’s need to protect its skies from Russian aircraft, drones, and missiles.

European nations are also training Ukrainian pilots in how to operate the F-16s.

F-16 fighter jets on the runway. Illustration photo

Earlier, it was reported that Ukrainian pilots had completed a language training course.

A small number of pilots who arrived in the United States last month to participate in English language courses at the Lackland Air Force Base in Texas have passed their first English test.

As previously reported, Ukrainian pilots might complete the F-16 training program ahead of schedule.