Ukraine again shells Melitopol, the Russian administrative center of the Zaporizhia region. The goal is a factory building where a Russian military staff is suspected. Meanwhile, the British Ministry of Defense notes a serious shortage of Russian tanks.
The daily report by the British Ministry of Defense states that Russian troops at the front are in serious trouble. There is a lack of modern combat vehicles after enormous losses. Russian soldiers are said to be frustrated at having to use old infantry vehicles called "aluminum cans."
By mid-October, Russian units were losing more than 40 vehicles a day in the face of Ukrainian counterattacks, which the British say is about the equipment of an entire battalion. In the past week, Moscow has bought at least 100 additional tanks and infantry fighting vehicles from Belarusian stocks. However, it was difficult for the Russian units to procure enough suitable replacements for the damaged material, which caused problems for the offensive.
According to the independent website Oryx, Russia has already lost more than 1,400 tanks in Ukraine since the invasion began just over eight months ago. There are also around 2,500 armored vehicles. The website only lists losses that are actually documented by photos or videos. The Ukrainian military reports significantly higher material losses by the Russian military.
But the Russians also have problems in the hinterland. There were several heavy explosions in the Russian-occupied city of Melitopol in southern Ukraine on Thursday night. This was confirmed by representatives of both sides, although the accounts of the events differed. Russian anti-aircraft defenses shot down incoming Ukrainian missiles, a representative of the occupation administration, Vladimir Rogov, wrote on Telegram. The expelled Ukrainian mayor of Melitopol, Ivan Fedorov, said a factory building with a Russian staff inside was shelled. The information cannot be independently verified.
Russia uses Melitopol as the administrative center for the partially conquered Zaporizhia region, which it has declared annexed. Ukrainian troops have repeatedly shelled the city in the past. Russian soldiers, some of whom had brought their families to Melitopol, sent them back to safer areas.
There are also numerous partisan actions in and around Melitopol. They carry out attacks on collaborators or Russian agents or damage railway lines essential for the transport of war material for the Russian military.
