KYIV, Ukraine (diplomat.so) — Ukrainian forces reported shooting down a Russian fighter plane near the city of Kostiantynivka in the Donetsk province on Saturday. Serhiy Horbunov, head of the Kostiantynivka Military Administration, confirmed the downing, which was reported by Ukraine's public broadcaster, Suspilne. Images shared from the scene showed the charred remains of the aircraft, which had crashed into a house, igniting a fire.
In the same region, Russia’s Defense Ministry announced it had gained control of the village of Zhelanne Druhe. The reported capture occurred just three days after Ukrainian forces confirmed their withdrawal from the town of Vuhledar, situated 33 kilometers (21 miles) from Zhelanne Druhe. The retreat followed a grueling two-year defense effort in the front-line area.
Although the loss of Vuhledar is not expected to significantly alter the course of the war, it signals a weakening of Ukraine’s position. Analysts suggest that part of Kyiv’s struggle stems from the U.S. reluctance to allow Ukrainian forces to strike deep inside Russian territory, limiting their ability to degrade Moscow’s military capabilities.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, meanwhile, announced plans to present his "victory plan” at the upcoming Ramstein group meeting on October 12. Writing on X, Zelenskyy said the plan would outline "clear, concrete steps" to end the war. He added that the Ramstein meeting would mark the first gathering of defense leaders at the highest level. Zelenskyy had previously shared the plan with U.S. President Joe Biden, although specific details remain undisclosed.
Elsewhere, Russia launched a series of attacks on southern Ukraine. Two people were killed in the Zaporizhzhia region, and nine were wounded after a Ukrainian drone hit a passenger bus in the city of Horlivka, located in the Russian-occupied Donetsk region. Russia also claimed to have intercepted multiple Ukrainian drones overnight across its border regions.
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