Ukraine claims record 49,040 Russian casualties in October

Ukraine's military says Russian casualties hit a record 49,040 in October, topping September's high of 46,230 and nearing President Zelenskyy's goal of 50,000 a month by end-2026. Most are attributed to aerial drones, and Defence Minister Yevhenii Khmara has asked European allies to fund doubling drone output to about 16 million next year. The figures cannot be independently verified.