Victorious news on 601st day of war: Ukraine’s strike on Russia’s airfields in Berdyansk and Luhansk, €50 billion in aid to Ukraine

Ukrainian military receive another 840 drones from the Army of Drones project

The Ministry of Digital Transformation's press service reports. 

It is specified that the Ukrainian military received:

• 500 DJI Mavic 3E reconnaissance drones that can transmit information about enemy positions;
• 300 Phoenix 03 Heavy UCAV FPV strike drones, which allow the military to hit Russian observation posts, dugouts and armored vehicles at any time of the day; 
• 40 Vampire strike drones that can operate with a payload of up to 15 kg and in complete darkness.

"Each batch of drones means saved lives of soldiers and a step towards the destruction of the invader. We believe that we will soon see the deadly results of these drones in the strike companies' reports. By providing the Defense Forces with drones, we are bringing victory closer," the Ministry of Digital Transformation emphasized.

Ukraine returns children from the temporarily occupied territories of the Kherson region to their families

Six children who remained in the temporarily occupied Kherson region have returned to their parents on the government-controlled territory of Ukraine.

This was reported by Ukraine’s Ministry of Reintegration.

Children from the left bank of the Kherson region have reunited with their families. The two families were separated during Russia's full-scale war in 2023.

According to the mother, she turned to the Ukrainian Child Rights Network for help. When Russian troops entered Kherson, the parents sent 10-year-old Oleksandr, 8-year-old Daryna, and 6-year-old Yakov to their grandmother's house in the village.

"Soon Kherson city was liberated, and the grandmother and her grandchildren remained in the temporarily occupied territory. Retreating from Kherson, the Russians blew up the Antonivskyi Bridge, and it became impossible to take the children away," the article says.

Another family was also reunited after 19 months of separation. The father of 9-year-old Nadiya and 14-year-old Mykhailo said that the children suffered as a result of the occupation of the village where their grandparents lived. On the eve of the full-scale invasion, the children went to visit them. After the occupation, the way to the government-controlled territory was cut off.

Sex and the City star Sarah Jessica Parker is producing a movie about a Ukrainian soldier

Variety reported the information.

American actress and producer, star of the Sex and the Cit yTV series, Sarah Jessica Parker, has become the executive producer of the documentary Front Row about the troupe of talented Ukrainian ballet dancers of the United Ukrainian Ballet in exile.

The film focuses on the journey of a group of Ukrainian refugee dancers who, in exile in the Netherlands, create a new ballet company, United Ukrainian Ballet. While on tour with the Giselle Ballet in Washington, D.C., one of the leading dancers, Alexei Ratmanskiy, befriends a Ukrainian soldier, Oleksandr Budko, call sign Teren, who lost both his legs in the war with the Russian invaders in Ukraine and came to the United States for prosthetics. The soldier was invited to join the ballet company, and after 4 months of rehearsals, he danced on stage in the United States on his prostheses.

The US has allocated $522 million to restore Ukraine's energy system

This was announced by Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal, the government's press service reports.

"We are facing a difficult winter. Thanks to the support of our partners, we have come through the most difficult heating season in our history together. This winter, we have not only financial support, but also support for energy recovery. The United States has already committed USD 522 million to purchase relevant energy equipment and to support and protect our energy system," the Head of Government said.

Ukrainian Armed Forces strike at Russian airfields in Berdyansk and Luhansk

This was reported by the official telegram channel of the Ukrainian Special Operations Forces.

The Special Operations Forces called this operation DRAGONFLY. They received information about the enemy's use of airfields in the temporarily occupied Berdyansk and Luhansk, as well as the presence of a significant number of aircraft, special equipment and ammunition.

"This information was verified and confirmed. The coordinates and necessary data were transferred to the Defense Forces units for striking. As a result of the attack on the night of October 16-17, the invaders suffered significant losses," the Special Forces wrote.

Photo: Herashchenko

According to the latest data, 9 helicopters of various modifications, special equipment, an air defense launcher and an ammunition depot were destroyed in Berdyansk and Luhansk. The runways of the airfields were also damaged.

The European Parliament supports €50 billion in aid to Ukraine for 4 years

DW reported the information.

The European Commission has proposed to create a €50 billion Facility to help Ukraine. This initiative was approved in the first reading by the European Parliament on Tuesday, October 17, by 512 votes to 45, with 63 abstentions.

Ukraine uses ATACMS missiles on the battlefield for the first time

The Wall Street Journal, CNN, and Politico reported the information.

The WSJ notes that Ukraine has long been asking for ATACMS, a surface-to-surface missile that can strike far behind Russian lines and can be launched using HIMARS that the United States has provided to the country.

"The delivery and use on the battlefield, confirmed by two people familiar with the move, marks a major ramp up of the administration’s defense of Ukraine, for the first time providing Kyiv’s forces with the ability to strike Russian targets far behind the front lines," Politico writes.

At the same time, according to CNN sources, in recent weeks, the United States decided to send ATACMS "quietly" because it wanted to take Russia by surprise.

“The Russians are aware of the range of the missiles and the US was concerned they would move equipment and weapons out of reach before the missiles could be used," the text says.

The article specifies that the range of the provided ATACMS models is about 100 miles (160 km).

This refers to the destruction of Russian airfields in the temporarily occupied Berdyansk and Luhansk.

Ukrainian Defense Forces hit 5 Russian control points

During the day, the aviation of the Ukrainian Defense Forces carried out 15 strikes on concentrations of Russian personnel, weapons and military equipment, as well as 3 strikes on anti-aircraft missile systems.

In addition, missile units hit 5 Russian control points, a concentration of personnel, weapons and military equipment. A Russian ammunition depot and an artillery unit were also destroyed.