Shafaq News- Kyiv/ Moscow
Ukraine counted 49,040 Russian casualties in October, setting a new monthly record and bringing Kyiv closer to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s target of at least “50,000 enemy casualties per month” by the end of 2026, Ukrainian Unmanned Systems Forces commander Robert Brovdi said on Saturday.
The previous monthly high stood at 46,230 casualties in September. Brovdi described Ukraine’s latest attacks on Russia as a “massive industrial slaughter,” arguing that Russian losses exceeded the number of reinforcements Moscow could deploy.
“Ukraine’s military has video documentation of each strike,” he added.
Aerial drones account for most of the casualties inflicted by Ukrainian forces. Ukrainian Defense Minister Yevhenii Khmara this week urged European allies to provide funding to double drone production next year to approximately 16 million units.
The objective, he said, was “to scale up joint production of Ukrainian drones in other countries.”
Zelenskyy previously indicated that Ukraine could triple its drone production if sufficient funding were available. “We see signs that mass production is preferred over technological sophistication,” he noted. “Mass production and simplicity will overcome technology.”
Earlier this week, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom pledged additional support to help Ukraine achieve its production target. The Netherlands allocated 500 million euros ($560M) in immediate additional military aid, alongside 1.2 billion euros ($1.34B) in further financing.
UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham boosted the United Kingdom’s commitments by 10 billion pounds ($13.4B) over three years, with 3 billion pounds ($4B) designated for weapons.
Ukraine also said its Starlink satellite communication services had returned to normal, with connections remaining stable at speeds exceeding 400 km/h, according to the Defense Ministry.
Kyiv had previously disclosed that it was losing control of its drones at speeds above approximately 150 km/h (100 mph), complicating efforts to counter Russian jet-powered drones capable of traveling faster than 500 km/h. Meanwhile, Starlink owner Elon Musk said he had “closed a loophole” that had allowed Russian Geran-4 and Geran-5 jet-powered drones to penetrate Ukrainian defenses.
Still, many Russian drones are getting through. One hit a train platform in the central city of Dnipro on Saturday, killing at least 14 people.
According to Ukraine’s State Emergency Service, Russian drones also targeted Zaporizhzhia, damaging apartment buildings, a university, and a shopping center while wounding five people.
In Kremenchuk region, a Russian drone reached a residential building, claiming the life of a 45-year-old woman and seriously injuring her 13-year-old son. Authorities also documented attacks across nine other Ukrainian regions.