Setbacks: Four Russians arrested in Norway - drones shot down

Created: 2022-10-18 07:25

By: Teresa Toth, Moritz Serif, Daniel Dillmann, Nadja Austel, Vincent Büssow, Jan-Frederik Wendt, Christian Stör

Ukraine has destroyed several drones deployed by Russia.

In Norway, a suspected spy mission may have failed.

The news ticker.

• Losses are piling up:

  Russia has to accept severe setbacks in the Ukraine war.

• Kiev launches the offensive:

  Ukraine is said to be on the verge of recapturing important cities.

• News from the Ukraine war:

  All news about the Ukraine conflict in our newsticker.

Update from Tuesday, October 18, 7:25 a.m .:

Four Russians who had taken unauthorized photos of various objects were arrested again in Norway.

Three men and a woman were arrested in northern Norway last Thursday, local police told

on Monday (October 17) .

They were traveling in a car with Russian license plates.

Extensive photo material was confiscated from the four, police officer Gaute Rydmark told

.

However, the four Russians denied having done anything illegal and instead pretended to be ordinary tourists.

According to the Norwegian police, they entered Norway via Finland at the end of September or early October.

Last week, two Russians were arrested in Norway in different incidents, who had used drones and sometimes taken photos of the Norwegian military's Bell helicopters.

In Norway, drones have repeatedly been sighted on energy infrastructure systems, including on offshore oil and gas platforms.

These incidents and the sabotage of the Nord Stream 1 and 2 gas pipelines in the Baltic Sea have prompted the country to increase security.

+++ 10.40 p.m .:

According to a report by

, the Air Force Command “Center” shot down eight Iranian Shahed-136 Kamikaze drones around 9 p.m. local time.

The news portal relies on information from the press service of the Ukrainian Air Force.

“Six of these missiles were shot down by fighter jets, anti-aircraft units and MANPADS mobile fire groups.

Another two Shahed-136 [drones] were shot down by ground force anti-aircraft gunners,” the press service said.

News about the Ukraine war against Russia: Ukraine shoots down another drone

+++ 7.10 p.m .:

In the evening, according to information from

, an explosion was heard in Odessa, Ukraine.

Air raid sirens were activated both in the city and in the Odessa region.

The spokesman for the region's military administration, Serhii Bratchuk, said on Telegram that a Shahed-136 drone was shot down over the city.

The Russian operational-tactical drone aimed at Odessa was destroyed by Ukrainian anti-aircraft forces over the sea.

A Shahed 136 drone was destroyed on approach to Odessa.

(Archive image) © Yasuyoshi CHIBA / AFP

+++ 16.15:

China and Russia are considered allies, also in the Ukraine war.

Surprisingly, Beijing is now highlighting Russia's military casualties.

news portal 

, controlled by the Chinese Communist Party, ran an editorial highlighting Moscow's losses.

Among other things, it speaks of “disheartening” losses by Russia in the Ukraine war.

also read

'Disheartening losses for Russia': Surprising tones from China

BND boss Kahl: Putin's actions are "declaration of war on the entire world"

News about the Ukraine war: Russia loses drones again

+++ 2.15 p.m .:

Russia attacked Ukraine again today with drones.

However, the defenders seem to have destroyed many drones as well.

According to their own statements, the Ukrainian military has shot down a total of 37 Russian drones since Sunday evening (October 17).

This means that around 85 percent of the drones used in the most recent attacks have been destroyed.

The Ukraine War in Pictures - Destruction, Resistance and Hope

View photo gallery

News about the Ukraine war: Russian conscripts complain about the situation

+++ 12.15 p.m .:

For Russia, the Ukraine war is going very badly, especially on the ground.

The losses suffered by the Russian army are enormous (see update from 10.15 a.m.).

With the partial mobilization, President Vladimir Putin is trying to turn the tide.

But there are morale issues.

A video that has now been released shows how miserable the conditions in the army really are.

"We have to fend for ourselves," accuses one forced recruit.

"It's terrible."

+++ 10.15 a.m .:

According to the latest estimates from Kiev, the number of Russian military personnel killed in Ukraine has now risen to almost 65,320.

According to the Ukrainian General Staff, around 320 Russian soldiers have died in the past 24 hours alone.

In addition, eight Russian tanks, 17 drones and numerous other military vehicles were destroyed.

News about the Ukraine war: The Russian losses at a glance

• Soldiers:

  65,320

• Aircraft:

  268

• Helicopters:

  242

• Tanks:

  2537

• Armored vehicles:

  5205

• Artillery Systems:

  1599

• Anti-Aircraft Systems:

  187

• Multiple Rocket Launchers:

  366

• Vehicles and tankers:

  3959

• Ships and boats:

  16

• Drones:

  1241

• As of Monday 17 October 2022

• The information on Russia's losses comes mainly from the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense and cannot be verified from here.

  Russia does not provide any information on its own losses in the Ukraine war.

News about the Ukraine war: Russian tanks destroyed - drones intercepted

Update from Monday, October 17, 8:59 a.m .:

Although the Ukrainian counter-offensive is currently faltering, the country’s armed forces are repeatedly reporting individual losses on the part of Russia.

On Sunday (October 16), 50 soldiers are said to have been killed and two tanks destroyed.

This was announced by the Operational Command South of Ukraine, as reported by the Ukrainian news portal

.

In addition, nine kamikaze drones are said to have been destroyed by Russia within an hour on the same day.

This is reported by the

portal , citing the Air Force of Ukraine.

Only a short time later, Mayor Klitschko also spoke of “drone attacks” in attacks on Kyiv.

There were explosions in the capital.

+++ 10:05 p.m .:

According to the Ministry of Defense, Ukraine inflicted losses on Russia during the war.

A total of 268 aircraft and 242 helicopters were destroyed, the ministry said.

Losses in the Ukraine war: Russia takes soldiers off the streets

+++ 8:49 p.m .:

Because of the increasing losses, Russia now literally has to get people off the streets and send them to war.

This was reported by the

.

+++ 18:28:

Since the outbreak of war with Ukraine, Russia has continued to record losses.

According to the Ukrainian Defense Ministry, a total of 2,529 Kremlin tanks have now been destroyed.

+++ 16:39:

Russia is losing more and more soldiers in the war against Ukraine, as Ukrainian Defense Minister Hanna Maliar announced.

Other experts assume that the increasing losses could affect the soldiers psychologically.

Losses in the Ukraine War: Russia loses weapons and equipment

+++ 3.46 p.m .:

Russian troops are trying to gather all available forces to form a front in southern Ukraine.

According to Nataliia Humeniuk, press director of the Defense Forces of Southern Ukraine, while the situation is "quite tense", the Russian army is having great difficulties in getting arms and equipment.

According to Humeniuk, the situation of Russian troops in terms of equipment and weapons is very critical, since most of the reserves have been withdrawn through the Crimean bridge.

The Russian military "are really suffering from the lack of equipment, ammunition and military equipment."

Ukraine War: Russia reports 16 explosions in Russian town

+++ 1:46 p.m .:

The Russian state news

reports that 16 explosions were heard in the Russian city of Belgorod, which is around 50 kilometers from the Ukrainian border.

According to Vyacheslav Gladkov, governor of Russia's Belgorod Oblast, two people were injured in the attack.

A day earlier, on Friday (October 15), a fire broke out in an oil depot in Belgorod after a shelling.

According to Gladkov, an ammunition dump was blown up by Ukrainian forces.

Kyiv has not yet commented on this.

Losses in the Ukraine War: Russia's wartime capabilities are dwindling

+++ 10.24 a.m .:

According to the latest intelligence report from the British Ministry of Defense, Russia’s skills on the battlefield are dwindling.

The Russian military has few precision-guided missiles left, "which may limit the country's ability to attack as many targets as it wishes in the future," the ministry said.

According to Ukraine's Defense Ministry on Friday (October 14), Russia had 1,844 precision guided missiles at the start of the invasion - of which only 609 remain.

The British experts estimate the dwindling stocks to be similarly high.

This leaves Russia with only 25-28% of the high-precision missiles it had before the war began.

Ukraine War: Russian reservists must purchase body armor themselves

+++ 7.04 a.m .:

According to British information, reservists mobilized by Russia are sent to war with inadequate equipment.

The British Defense Ministry wrote that contingents of Russian reservists had been deployed to Ukraine in the past two weeks.

"The average level of their personal gear is almost certainly lower than the already poor supply of previously deployed troops."

Many reservists would probably have to buy their own body armor themselves, especially a modern type 6B45 body armor, which was actually supposed to be issued to combat troops in general as part of the Russian Ratnik equipment program.

Their price has more than tripled in Russian online retail since April.

Update from Sunday, October 16, 6:11 a.m .:

According to Russian information, at least eleven volunteers for the fight in Ukraine were killed and 15 others injured in an attack on a military site near the border with Ukraine.

"Two citizens of a CIS country" carried out "a terrorist attack" on the training ground in the Belgorod region on Saturday (October 15), the Defense Ministry said in Moscow.

The perpetrators opened fire on the unit with automatic weapons during target practice by "volunteers for military special operations" in Ukraine, it said.

The "terrorists" were shot.

The ministry did not provide any further information on the identity of the attackers.

The Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) is an association of former Soviet republics.

The information cannot be independently verified.

+++ 2 p.m .:

According to the

, the Russian military has lost almost 6,000 pieces of equipment since February 24.

According to this, the United States is said to have noticed Russia's shortage of diesel engines, helicopter and aircraft engine parts and tanks as early as May.

Citing a newly released US government report, the paper goes on to say that Russia's military stockpiles were gradually running out.

Update from Saturday, October 15, 8:50 a.m .:

According to the Ukrainian general staff, the mortality rate for seriously wounded Russian soldiers is over 50 percent.

This is due to the poor quality of medical care and the reluctance of the Russian command to evacuate the seriously injured to Russia.

The General Staff went on to write in its report that a large number of wounded soldiers were being taken to the occupied territories of Ukraine.

In some cases, civilians would be turned away due to a lack of beds.

Ukraine war: Russia fired many of its high-precision missiles

+++ 3.45 p.m .:

In Russia, the missile supply is apparently slowly running out.

According to Ukraine's Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov, since the invasion began on Feb. 24, Russia has deployed a total of 1,235 out of 1,844 Iskander, Kalibr and air-launched cruise missiles.

"By deploying hundreds of high-precision missiles against Ukraine's civilian sites, the aggressor state is reducing its ability to hit military targets," Reznikov tweeted.

In the October 10 attacks alone, Russia fired 84 cruise missiles and 24 drones over Ukraine.

Oleksiy Danilov, secretary of the National Security and Defense Council, had previously said that Russia only had 25 to 28 percent of its high-precision weapons.

News from the Ukraine war: 150 Russian soldiers die in an attack

First report from Friday, October 14th

Kiev – From the Ukraine there are more reports about heavy losses of the Russian army.

According to the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, a successful attack on the Russian-held Kherson region was carried out.

"Enemy casualties amounted to up to 150 dead," according to the

internet portal, among others .

According to the Ukrainian news portal, Russia's losses in the Ukraine war have risen sharply within 24 hours.

Ukraine is said to have managed to kill 420 soldiers and shoot down six helicopters during this period.

In addition, six tanks, eleven armored vehicles, 17 artillery systems, two multiple rocket launchers and more than 30 drones are said to have been eliminated.

News from Ukraine: Russia suffers heavy casualties on the battlefield

Ukraine's successes on the battlefield continue to sink Russian troops' morale.

Both the Ukrainian and the British secret services speak of numerous deserters within the Russian army.

Soldiers are said to repeatedly ignore attack orders from Moscow.

According to the British Ministry of Defense, mainly "understaffed airborne units" are used on the front around Cherson - i.e. mainly paratroopers.

This in turn would allow the conclusion that Russia assumes that the "fighting in the city of Kherson" would expand.

The Kremlin is probably planning to be able to quickly withdraw its troops from the region in the event of further setbacks.

At the beginning of the week, reports circulated that Moscow had already arranged for parts of the city to be evacuated.

Due to the heavy losses in the Ukraine war, Russia is said to be preparing for a long trench war in eastern Ukraine.

A video released by the Russian news agency

that Russia has started digging trenches in the Luhansk region.

The systems are equipped with so-called "dragon's teeth" - concrete anti-tank obstacles that were used primarily in World War II to slow down armored vehicles.

According to the news agency, mercenary units of the Wagner troops are also deployed on the front line.

(dil/cs with agencies)