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The Kremlin is executing a psychological influence campaign of intimidations to discourage the United States from supplying Tomahawk cruise missiles to Ukraine, as reported by defense experts. An influential legislator stated: “We are familiar with these missiles very well, their flight patterns, defensive countermeasures, we encountered them in Middle East operations, so there is nothing new. Those delivering them and those who use them will have problems … We will find ways to damage those who oppose our interests.”

Ukrainian Defensive Operations Situation

Ukrainian forces were causing significant casualties in a military operation in the Donetsk front, the central battlefield, Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported on midweek. Zelenskyy's assessment, derived from a briefing from his top commander, contradicted the Russian president's remarks to high-ranking military personnel a day earlier in which he said Moscow's forces held the operational control in all frontline sectors.

Based on evaluation covering October's first week, conflict monitors said Russia was suffering significant losses, especially due to drone strikes by Ukraine, in return for limited tactical advances. Kyiv's troops, Ukraine's leader reported, were “maintaining our defense along multiple fronts”, referring specifically to the Kupiansk area, a heavily damaged urban area in the northeastern front under heavy Russian assaults for several months.

Local Developments

Administrative officials in the Kherson area of southern Kherson said offensive operations on midweek killed three people in and around the regional capital of the same name. Local authorities of northern Sumy, on the northern border with neighboring Russia, said three individuals were killed in UAV assaults in multiple locations. Ukrainian aerial defense said it intercepted or jammed the majority of Russian strike and decoy drones through the evening.

An offensive strike seriously damaged one of Ukraine's thermal power plants, government sources stated on Wednesday. Facility personnel were injured in the attack, based on information from power utility representatives. Sources gave no further information, about the plant's location, but government officials said attacks targeted energy infrastructure in Ukraine's northern Chernihiv, the Kherson area and eastern Ukraine.

Public Consequences

In the northern Ukrainian city of Shostka, significantly damaged by the offensive operations against the power supply, authorities have put up tents where residents may warm up, access hot drinks, maintain communication capability and receive psychological support, based on information from administrative leader.

Diplomatic Reactions

Ukraine's ambassador to the military alliance on midweek called on European allies to increase acquisitions of US weapons for Ukrainian forces. “The situation isn't that we favor United States armaments over French or German or some other European weapons – the reality is that we require the America for equipment that European nations can't provide,” said Ukraine's NATO envoy.

Germany's national police will soon be allowed to shoot down UAVs, government official announced on midweek, following multiple UAV observations suspected as Moscow's attempts to spy and intimidate. Unveiling a draft law, the official said law enforcement would receive permission “to employ state-of-the-art technical action against drone threats, for example with electronic countermeasures, signal disruption, navigation system disruption, but also with physical means”.

Regional Defense Issues

EU chief said on midweek that Europe must ramp up its security measures to deter Russia's “hybrid warfare” in response to airspace breaches, digital assaults and marine communications interference. “This is not isolated incidents. It is a coherent and escalating campaign,” the representative said in a address before the European lawmakers. “Several occurrences are isolated incidents, but three, five, ten – this is a deliberate and targeted ambiguous warfare operation against Europe, and Europe must respond.”

Refugee Status

The Swiss authorities has extended its temporary shelter granted to people fleeing Ukraine to at least 4 March 2027. Protection status S, which permits refugees to travel abroad as well as work in Switzerland, is typically restricted to a single year but can be renewed. “The decision shows the persistent precarious security situation and persistent Russian attacks across large parts of Ukraine,” said a official communication. “Notwithstanding international peace efforts, a enduring resolution that would allow for safe return is not expected in the foreseeable future.”