Territorial Defense Forces
The Territorial Defense Forces (TDF) are a separate branch of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, established in 2022 as a reserve component organized along territorial lines. They comprise brigades and battalions formed in each Ukrainian oblast, with a primary mission of defending territory, guarding critical infrastructure, and supporting other military units. Since the start of the full-scale Russian invasion, TDF units have been actively engaged in combat operations across multiple regions of Ukraine.
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Russia pounds Kyiv with 21 ballistic missiles and 210 drones overnight, hours after talks agreed
Russia launched a massive combined missile and drone strike on Ukraine overnight into 22 October, with the main target being Kyiv. Three waves of ballistic missiles struck the capital, killing one person, injuring 22 and damaging residential buildings, a monastery, a hypermarket, a metro bridge and other civilian sites. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the attack came immediately after the latest round of negotiations and showed no real change in Russia's attitude, while Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha contrasted the destruction with US envoy Steve Witkoff's recent description of Vladimir Putin as a "humanist".