Night time drone attacks, Russian frontline defences laid bare

Ukrainian drones shot down in Russia – authorities

Russia thwarted nighttime attacks by Ukrainian drones in Lyubertsy west of Moscow and the Bryansk region, Russian authorities said early Monday.

No victims or damage were immediately reported. 

The attack was foiled at around 4:30 a.m. local time, according to the Russian Defence Ministry. 

Moscow’s Domodedovo and Vnukovo international airports were briefly closed before resuming operations shortly after, Russian state news agency TASS reported

Against the backdrop of Kyiv’s counteroffensive, drone attacks against Russian territory and the occupied Crimean peninsula have multiplied in recent weeks, targeting the Russian capital in particular. 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned in July that “war is coming to Russian territory”.

Ukrainian soldier details Russian frontline defences

A Ukrainian soldier, likely operating in the eastern Zaporizhia region, has shared tactical information about Russia’s defensive positions.

Cited by the US-based Institute for the Study of War (ISW) the troop detailed that, in the Robotyne area, there is a system of interconnected Russian trenches, dugouts and underground tunnels, which allows Moscow to move personnel, weaponry and ammo from different tactical positions along the front.

The Ukrainian soldier said anti-tank ditches and minefields stretch across fields in front of and in between these interconnected layers of defensive positions. 

All “unexcavated” areas around these prepared defensive positions are heavily mined, while Russian forces have narrow unmined paths to reach their firing positions, they added.  

The soldier did not say whether Ukrainian forces had passed through the minefields but suggested they still had to demine areas at a gradual pace before advancing further. 

ISW previously claimed areas near the next series of Russian defensive positions may be less heavily mined to allow its forces to retreat, although the Ukrainian soldier’s reporting suggests this may not be the case. 

Ukrainian forces are now within striking distance of the next series of Russian defensive positions, which appear to be a relatively more contiguous array of anti-tank ditches and dragon’s teeth anti-tank obstacles.  

The highly interconnected systems of trenches and dugouts that the Ukrainian soldier described are the result of months of Russian preparation. 

Western help could enable Ukraine election – Zelenskyy

Ukraine’s president said on Sunday nationwide elections could take place amid the conflict if its allies in the West helped with costs, lawmakers approved and the population could safely vote.  

Zelenskyy was responding to remarks made by US Senator Lindsey Graham, who during a visit to Kyiv lavished praise on Ukraine but said it should show it is different from Russia by holding elections. 

Martial law, which is due to expire in November, prevents elections from being held in Ukraine. 

This date is after the normal time in October for parliamentary polls but before presidential elections which are usually held in March 2024.