Sergei Surovikin

Day 491 of the invasion of Ukraine. Summary of key events in the last 24 hours:

The fate of a devastated salt-mining town in eastern Ukraine hung in the balance Wednesday in one of the bloodiest battles of Russia's invasion, while Ukraine's unflagging resistance and other challenges prompted Moscow to shake up its military leadership again.

Russian forces used jets, mortars and rockets to bombard Soledar in an unrelenting assault.

The test was reportedly carried out on October 21 near Moscow, but the Russians did not specify whether the new version of the aircraft also used the long-awaited new "Izdeliye 30" engines, which should significantly improve the performance of the Sukhoi 57.

At a meeting of the Security Council of Russia, Putin said that territorial defense headquarters should be established in the self-proclaimed Lugansk and Donetsk People's Republics, as well as in the Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions, reports RIA Novosti.
Martial law in these four areas will be in effect from tomorrow.

Here are the highlights of events related to the war in Ukraine over the past 24 hours:

The occupation authorities frantically evacuate thousands from the city of Kherson

The commander of Russian forces in Ukraine admits that the situation in the southern city of Kherson is "difficult" and its residents must be evacuated, the BBC reported.

Russian Armed Forces army general and Commander of the Aerospace Forces, Sergei Surovikin, was first asked about the concern of Russian citizens regarding the situation on the battlefield today. "In general, the situation in the special military operation zone could be described as tense. The enemy does not give up trying to attack the positions of Russian troops", he pointed out.

An explosion Saturday caused the partial collapse of a bridge linking the Crimean Peninsula with Russia, damaging an important supply artery for the Kremlin's faltering war effort in southern Ukraine and hitting a towering symbol of Russian power in the region.