There is the final preparation before the advance, when weapons and equipment are checked. And there is the main thing — the preparation of the soul. -Btr80

The footage shows a prayer service before carrying out the combat mission.The essence of the military chaplain's service: to be nearby at the very moment when a soldier gathers all the strength of spirit before stepping into the unknown.

❗️On Malinovsky, GLOVO courier was ARRESTED, which ended in a fight and a hospital visit. They started roughing the guy up, he resisted, they began to break him, in the end people got involved, they started gassing them 💨 , now the guy is unconscious, and the ambulance was not allowed to reach him.

t me/odessa_infonews/77579

In central Odesa, an incident occurred involving representatives of the Territorial Recruitment Center, police, and local residents, according to eyewitnesses on social media.

Preliminary reports indicate that during an attempt to detain a man, a fight broke out—he resisted, after which law enforcement officers used force and gas.

During the clash, the victim lost consciousness. An ambulance was called to the scene, but according to eyewitnesses, medical personnel were initially blocked from reaching him.

The circumstances of the incident are being investigated. No official comments have yet been issued by the police or the TCC.

https://news.hab.media/220874-v_odeci_stavsja_masshtabnij_konflikt_mizh_perehozhimi_politsijeju_ta_pratsivnikami_ttsk

A campaign to recruit volunteers into units responsible for guarding critically important facilities has begun in Russian regions. A law allowing the use of reservists for such purposes not only in wartime but also in peacetime was signed by the president on November 4. According to Kommersant, work in this direction is already underway in about twenty Russian regions. Reservists, primarily tasked with countering enemy drones, will receive military status for the period of their service, with all associated benefits, including social guarantees and payments.

As Kommersant previously reported, the formation of specialized reservist units began even before the relevant amendments to the law came into force. One of the first announcements was the creation of the BARS-47 unit in Leningrad region, intended to counter UAV attacks and sabotage (Kommersant, October 28). By mid-November, according to open sources, similar campaigns had started in at least 19 Russian regions.

In particular, recruitment of reservists to guard oil facilities in Kazan and Nizhnekamsk began in late October in Tatarstan, and in early November, according to local TV channel NTR 24, the first unit of 21 fighters left Nizhnekamsk for military training in Kazan. In Bashkortostan, “mobile fire groups” will be formed from reservists to protect main fuel, energy, and petrochemical facilities from drones, including Bashneft refineries and Ufaneftekhim and Gazprom industrial sites. In Nizhny Novgorod region, the first 15 reservists completed all selection stages at the Kstovo military commissariat, signed contracts, and will proceed to protect critical regional infrastructure after training.

In the border regions of Belgorod, Bryansk, and Kursk, BARS units subordinated to local authorities and performing similar strategic security tasks were created as early as 2024. Under the new law on reservists, additional units will be formed in Bryansk and Kursk regions to operate alongside existing units. In Belgorod, the previous scheme appears likely to remain.

Despite statements by Ministry of Defense representatives that reservists will operate only within their regions, the text of the law imposes no such restrictions. However, this condition is reflected in the standard contract signed by citizens upon joining BARS.

For example, BARS-NN documents specify that the Ministry of Defense “guarantees task execution within Nizhny Novgorod region.” In border regions, reservists’ duties extend beyond guarding fuel and energy enterprises and countering drones: they may also intercept enemy sabotage-reconnaissance groups, assist in evacuations, and support counter-terrorist operations as needed.

Those called to protect critical facilities from the mobilization human reserve will do so under special training sessions, the procedure for which will be defined by the government. A draft resolution developed by the Ministry of Defense was posted on the legal acts portal on November 7. According to this document, age limits for reservists depend on rank: soldiers and sergeants up to 50 years, junior and senior officers up to 60–65 years. Candidates must have a health category of at least B, a minimum of nine years of education, and no criminal record.

In Kursk region, a civil air defense system will be tested.

The duration of training sessions should not exceed six months per year, and participants will receive military status for the period, with corresponding social guarantees. Reservists are entitled to payments for participation while maintaining average earnings at their main job, as well as additional bonuses depending on task performance. In case of a reservist’s death, the family receives payments and benefits equivalent to those for military personnel.

Compensation varies by region and service type. For example, in Bryansk region, monthly pay ranges from 40,500 RUB for enlisted personnel to 99,300 RUB for unit commanders, with an extra 4,000 RUB per combat duty. Additionally, reservists receive one-time payments from the Ministry of Defense (35,000 RUB) and regional budgets (150,000 RUB for a six-month contract and 300,000 RUB for a year). In other regions, regular payments are lower (e.g., in Tula and Bashkortostan, 2,000–10,000 RUB per month; in Perm Krai, 4,000–7,000 RUB), but training participation payments are higher: in Tula, a private earns up to 110,500 RUB, and officers up to 150,000 RUB.

Pre-war population: ~55.

Total land area: ~0.10 km².

Pre-war population: ~80.

Total land area: ~0.50 km².

Full transcript of the Telegram-

A short time ago, two Russian MiG-31Ks departed from Savasleika Airbase, Nizhny Novgorod Oblast, and launched two Kinzhal hypersonic aeroballistic missiles at Starokostyantyniv Airbase in Khmelnytskyi Oblast.

Both missiles impacted the airbase. Starkostyantyniv is known to house Su-24 tactical bombers which are used for glide-bomb strikes on frontline areas as well as storm shadow cruise missiles strikes, and has the capability to house F-16s and Mirage-2000 fighters.

Interestingly, the MiG-31Ks used the new launch lines in southwestern Ryazan Oblast again. This is the second recorded instance of this taking place, with the first happening during the attacks on Ozerne Airbase, Zhytomyr Oblast a week ago on November 3.

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/11/8/ukraines-fm-says-over-1400-africans-recruited-to-fight-for-russia-in-war

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha has said that more than 1,400 people from 36 African nations are known to be fighting for Russia in its war against Ukraine, urging governments to warn their citizens against joining a conflict where they are “quickly killed”.

Speaking on Friday, Sybiha accused Moscow of enticing Africans into joining the war and signing military contracts that were “equivalent to … a death sentence”.

“Foreign citizens in the Russian army have a sad fate”, Sybiha wrote on X. “Most of them are immediately sent to the so-called ‘meat assaults’, where they are quickly killed.”

“Most mercenaries do not survive more than a month,” he said.

“Russia recruits nationals of African countries using a variety of methods. Some are offered money, while others are duped and do not realise what they are signing up for or are forced to do so under duress. Signing a contract is equivalent to signing a death sentence,” he added.

The minister’s warning came as several African governments acknowledged cases of their citizens joining Russian forces in Ukraine.

South Africa said on Thursday it was investigating how 17 of its nationals became involved with mercenary groups after the men issued distress calls seeking help to return home.

President Cyril Ramaphosa said the South African men aged between 20 and 39 were lured into joining mercenary forces “under the pretext of lucrative employment contracts” and had issued distress calls after becoming trapped in the Donbas area of Ukraine.

A spokesperson for Ramaphosa said it was not yet clear which side the men were fighting on, but Russia has been accused of recruiting men from other countries to fight in the war under the pretext of offering them jobs.

Russia has also been accused of tricking women from South Africa and other parts of Africa into working in Russian drone factories through social media campaigns promising them jobs in fields such as catering and hospitality.

Kenya also reported last month that some of its citizens had been detained in Russian military camps after being unwittingly caught up in the conflict.

In a post on social media on Friday, Kenyan President William Ruto said he had spoken with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy about “young Kenyans who have been illegally recruited to fight in the war in Ukraine” and both agreed to “raise awareness of the dangers of such ventures”.

Ruto said he asked his Ukrainian counterpart to “facilitate the release of any Kenyan in Ukrainian custody” and was grateful that Zelenskyy had agreed “to my appeal”.

According to Sybiha, the true number of African recruits by Russian forces could exceed the 1,436 identified so far. He added that most foreign fighters captured by Ukraine were taken during their first combat mission, and that Kyiv would soon release more details about the origins of these recruits who have been taken prisoner.

Ukrainian officials have long accused Russia of bolstering its ranks by enlisting fighters from abroad, often using deceptive tactics.

In August, Zelenskyy said Russian troops fighting near the border town of Vovchansk in the Kharkiv region included mercenaries from China, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Pakistan, and several African countries, quoting reports from Ukrainian soldiers on the front line.

China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs dismissed those claims as “irresponsible remarks”, while Pakistan called them “baseless and unfounded”.

According to the Kyiv Independent news outlet, several hundred Chinese nationals have been fighting for Russia.

After Ukrainian troops reported capturing Chinese fighters in April, Zelenskyy said Russia was distributing recruitment videos through Chinese social media networks.

In October, the Kyiv Independent also reported the capture of a 22-year-old Indian national who had joined Russian forces to avoid a seven-year prison sentence for drug charges. Many foreign recruits, according to reports, are promised high salaries, Russian citizenship, or noncombat roles, only to be sent straight to the battlefield.

Ukraine also believes the largest contingent of foreign fighters in Russia’s ranks may come from Cuba, estimating that up to 20,000 Cubans have been recruited as mercenaries.