What did 17 October 2022 reveal about the war?

What did the war look like on 17 October 2022? It showed two tracks running side by side: attacks on Ukrainian cities and infrastructure, and a longer-term effort by Ukraine's partners to strengthen its army.

On 17 October 2022, Russian forces attacked the Shevchenkivskyi District of Kyiv and an energy facility in the city of Sumy with HESA Shahed 136 suicide drones. Eight people were killed. The strike on an energy facility was part of the day's pattern, as reported at the time.

The same day, the European Union established EUMAM Ukraine, a special military mission. It was set up to train the Ukrainian Armed Forces in EU member states. The decision gave the training effort a formal EU structure.

The days before

The preceding days had also been violent on both sides of the front. On 15 October 2022, at least 11 people were killed and 15 injured when two shooters opened fire on a group of volunteers at a Russian military training ground in Belgorod Oblast, near the border with Ukraine.

On 16 October 2022, authorities of the Donetsk People's Republic said a Ukrainian rocket attack had hit the office of the pro-Russian mayor of Donetsk. No casualties were reported.

An opinion in hindsight

Taken together, these reports pointed to a war that was not confined to the front line. Drones reached a capital and a regional energy site, and incidents were reported in Russian territory near the border and in occupied Donetsk. Against that backdrop, the EU's decision to train Ukrainian soldiers on its own territory marked a practical commitment, announced on the same day as the deadly drone strikes.