On Friday, Russian forces launched a new assault near Avdiyivka, a sign that the Russian military leadership remains committed to offensive operations in the area, despite heavy losses of soldiers and assets. notes the Institute for the Study of War. Ukrainian forces continued larger-than-usual ground operations on the east bank of the Dnieper and were confirmed to be occupying positions on the other side of the river.

Ukrainian war. Day 605. LIVETEXT:

09:03 Viktor Afzalov has been appointed commander of the Russian Air Force, the Russian state news agency RIA reports with reference to sources.

Afzalov had already served as the head of the Air Force after General Serhii Surovykin was removed from his post in August. Afzalov was Surovikin’s deputy.

A quick summary of the latest information:

• The shocking letter of Metropolitan Volodymyr of Moldova to his superior Patriarch Kirill: “Russian peace” is foreign to our national values. The Republic of Moldova will soon unite with Romania.
• The Ukrainian military claims that the Russians suffered huge losses yesterday: 1,380 troops, 55 tanks, 120 other battle tanks, 29 artillery pieces, 4 rocket launchers and 33 pieces of other equipment.
• Zelensky went to Mykolaiv, in the Kherson region: “These days, Russian losses are really impressive, Ukraine needs such losses.”
• On Friday, the Russian court extended the preventive arrest of Russian-American journalist Alsa Kurmasheva, a correspondent of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, until October 23.
• Biden’s budget request includes $61.4 billion for Ukraine and $14.3 billion for Israel. Some Republican lawmakers are skeptical of the need to fund the war between Ukraine and Russia and have threatened to shut down the government entirely to stop spending.
• On Friday, Russia said it had repelled Ukrainian attacks on the left bank of the Dnieper, which it has occupied and where military bloggers say incursions are taking place as Kyiv tries to deploy its forces there.
• Russians in exile are “targets” for the Russian special services, the dissident writer warns. Russians living in exile in Europe should be wary as voices critical of the Kremlin and the war in Ukraine are now ‘targets’, says Serhii Lebedev
• Moscow uses spies and social media to influence elections in other countries and undermine public confidence in the integrity of democratic elections around the world.
• China is facing difficulties in the implementation of the “Belt and Road”, and the demonstrated friendship with Russia turns out to be only accidental, – comments the American edition of Foreign Policy.
• The Russian government on Friday published a list of domestically produced cars that government officials must buy, all of them Russian or Chinese brands.
• The Russian prosecutor’s office announced that it had initiated the first criminal case against Vasyl Stryakov, accused of preparing an attempt on Volodymyr Solovyov.
• Zelensky announces a “big international meeting” for peace in Ukraine this month.
• On Friday, the Russian ruble rose again in the last trading session of the week on the Moscow Stock Exchange, the exchange rate against the dollar reached the best level in a month.

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• Friday’s events regarding Russian aggression were broadcast LIVE on HotNews.ro