Russian occupiers fired at a Ukrainian thermal power plant in one of the front-line cities and probably hit Krivoy Rog.
At the same time, fighting continues in Israel, and the Israeli missile defense system shot down missiles fired by the Houthis in Yemen.
Read about these and other events in Ukraine and the world that occurred on October 31, 2023 in the digest on ICTV Facts.
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Russia's attack on thermal power plants
Explosions in Krivoy Rog
The UN confirmed the Russian strike on the village of Groza
Zelensky held a meeting of the Headquarters
Ukraine will receive €335 million in aid from the EC
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Fires in Crimea
An explosion occurred at the Ural plant in the Russian Federation at the Ural plant in the Russian Federation
Blinken and Austin lobby Congress for aid to Ukraine
Exchange of blows between Israel and Yemen
Russia's attack on thermal power plants
On the evening of October 30, Russia attacked one of DTEK’s thermal power plants in the front-line region. The attack resulted in serious damage to the equipment of the thermal power plant, so residents of one of the settlements near the station found themselves without electricity and water.
After the shelling ceased, energy brigades began work to eliminate the consequences of the shelling in order to restore power supply in the populated area.
Information about the attack on the thermal power plant became known only on the morning of October 31.
Explosions in Krivoy Rog
On Tuesday, October 31, explosions occurred in Krivoy Rog, Dnepropetrovsk region. This was first reported by local channels.
Before this, in neighboring Zaporozhye, local authorities warned of a missile threat to the Zaporozhye region.
Representatives of the authorities of neither the Dnepropetrovsk region nor Krivoy Rog have yet commented on the information about the explosions.
The UN confirmed the Russian strike on the village of Groza
There are reasonable grounds to believe that 59 residents of the village of Groza, Kupyansky district, Kharkov region, were killed by Russia on October 5 when they struck a local cafe where a funeral dinner was being held with an Iskander missile, according to the report of the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine, released on October 31.
UN observers who visited the site of the tragedy twice concluded that the Russian Federation either “failed to take all practicable measures to ensure that the planned target of attack was a military target,” or deliberately directed the attack against a civilian target, which in any case is a violation of international humanitarian law.
Zelensky held a meeting of the Headquarters
On October 31, President Vladimir Zelensky held a “long and important” Headquarters of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief.
– On International Black Sea Day – about security in this region. Unhindered operation of the grain corridor. Combating enemy actions that jeopardize peaceful shipping. Reducing the capabilities of the enemy fleet,” the head of state specified.
According to him, the security of the Odessa region was discussed – the protection of people, energy facilities, port infrastructure, in particular the strengthening of the regional air defense system, as well as security in the border and front-line regions.
And, of course, the president spoke with the military command about the situation at the front in the area of Kupyansk, Avdeevka and Kherson.
Ukraine will receive €335 million in aid from the EC
Prime Minister of Ukraine Denis Shmygal announced the receipt of €335 million in assistance from the European Commission, which will be used to restore infrastructure.
According to him, at today's government meeting, a corresponding agreement on financing the EU Support for Recovery and Reform program was approved.
— Funds will be allocated after its signing. We will use them to restore infrastructure, in particular energy, to help business, to anti-corruption measures, to protect the environment and digitalization,” the head of government said.
Fires in Crimea
In temporarily occupied Crimea, a fire occurred near the airfield.
This follows from FIRMS satellite images (NASA), which track locations with a sharp increase in temperature across planet Earth.
In the footage, which was taken on October 31 at 12:43 and 13:23, you can see three main sources of fire. All of them are in the area of the Veseloye airfield, which is north of Simferopol.
In addition, smoke was noticed on one of the Russian anti-submarine ships in the Sevastopol Bay in the temporarily occupied Crimea.
According to the Crimean Wind Telegram channel, the smoke does not look like the engines are starting, so it is probably either a fire or testing a smoke installation.
An explosion occurred at the Ural plant in Russia
Russian media report a strong explosion at the Ural explosives plant in Solikamsk, Perm region of the Russian Federation.
According to the local department of the Ministry of Emergency Situations, allegedly no one was injured, since there was no one in the building, and the enterprise was operating as usual.
At the same time, eyewitnesses are posting photos and videos of a huge column of smoke over the territory of the plant; they also claim that glass in some houses was broken by the shock wave.
The local emergency resource Solikamsk, citing employees of the Unified Duty Dispatch Service, reported that this was a “technological outbreak”, and no complaints from residents regarding broken windows have yet been recorded.
And the regional authorities claim that there is no threat to the population after the explosion in the workshop of the Ural plant.
Blinken and Austin lobby Congress for aid to Ukraine
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin testified before the US Senate Appropriations Committee on President Joe Biden's $106 billion request to fund aid for Ukraine, Israel and US border security.
Blinken said U.S. support for Ukraine made Russia's invasion of Ukraine a “strategic defeat” and stressed the importance of both security assistance to Israel and humanitarian assistance to Palestinians in Gaza.
Austin, in turn, said that Russia will succeed during the war against Ukraine if the United States does not continue to support Kyiv.
– I can guarantee that without our support Putin will succeed… If we cut the ground out from under them (Ukraine – Ed .) now, Putin will only become stronger and succeed in what he wants – in seizing the sovereign territory of his neighbor, – Austin emphasized.
Exchange of blows between Israel and Yemen
The Israel Defense Forces on Tuesday, October 31, said it has intercepted a long-range surface-to-surface ballistic missile and two cruise missiles that were fired by Houthi rebels in Yemen.
The IDF statement said the missiles were fired from the southern Red Sea.
It is noted that for the first time since the beginning of the war, the Arrow missile defense system was used to intercept a ballistic missile.
Two cruise missiles were intercepted by Israeli fighters over the Red Sea.
Houthi Al-Masirah TV reported that the Houthis claimed responsibility for the attacks. A Houthi spokesman told AFP the attacks were a response to the war in Gaza.
Subsequently, the Yemeni Houthis said they would continue to attack Israel.
