Russian losses make October the war’s bloodiest month, Kiviselg says

Russia has lost more than 10,000 troops a week for nine consecutive weeks, making October likely the deadliest month of the war for Russian soldiers, Estonian Defence Forces Intelligence Centre chief Col. Ants Kiviselg said, according to ERR.

Kiviselg told a Defence Ministry news conference that fighting had eased slightly this week. A limited ceasefire had taken effect in Oleshky, a city in Ukraine’s Kherson region, while long-range strikes continued on both countries’ territory. Drone strikes also hit merchant ships near Bulgaria and Romania.

He said Ukraine remained ready for a partial or full ceasefire and wanted strikes on energy infrastructure to stop, fighting in the Black Sea to end so grain exports could resume, and prisoners of war to be exchanged. Russia has rejected a temporary ceasefire except for humanitarian purposes and does not believe fighting should stop during talks, Kiviselg said.

Moscow has said it expects little from possible peace talks in Abu Dhabi, while calling for Western sanctions against Russia to be lifted. It has also said it wants lasting solutions that meet its territorial and security demands, including the annexation of Ukrainian territory, and talks on Europe’s security arrangements, according to Kiviselg.

There were about 190 clashes a day at the front over the past week, around 20 percent fewer than the week before. The main areas of fighting remained Pokrovsk, Kostiantynivka, Huliaipole and the South Slobozhanske direction. Ukraine also carried out counterattacks near Oleksandrivka, Huliaipole and Kupiansk, making some gains near Oleksandrivka.

Russia lost about 1,700 troops a day over the past week, Kiviselg said. He said the country’s losses had exceeded 10,000 troops a week for nine weeks in a row.

A humanitarian ceasefire in Oleshky, agreed on October 27, came about through the mediation of US First Lady Melania Trump, Kiviselg said. The city had about 24,000 residents before the war, but around 2,000 people remain in the area. They have been cut off from the outside world since April or May, when Russia stopped allowing food and medicine in. Ukraine had tried to deliver supplies by drone across the Dnieper River, but mines had partly surrounded the city and previously made travel in and out impossible. The ceasefire was expected to last until November 1, allowing supplies to enter and residents to be evacuated.