Exclusives

Near Pokrovsk, Ukraine discovers chaos favors the bigger army. Every attack exposes flanks to counterattack, and Russia has more troops for the chaos.

Putin gave him 13 years. Europe gave him its highest honor.. He taught English with cigarette packets in Putin’s prison. Europe just honored his courage

Ukraine hits An-26 “missile taxis” in Crimea, disrupting Russia’s logistics. Ukrainian drones are targeting the cargo planes that make Russia’s own air raids on Ukrainian cities possible.

Russia’s war destroyed Ukrainian family orchards—this new Tamagotchi-style app lets you restore them for $1. Reroot app turns your donations to real fruit trees in a de-occupied villages near the front line, helping to support Ukraine’s war-torn nature and families who depend on orchards and gardens to literally feed themselves.

EU sanctions hit, but India’s Russia-linked refiner bounces back in 60 days. Two months after EU sanctions, Russia-linked Indian refiner rebounds with government help.

Military

Frontline report: Putin fires top general as Ukraine turns Russian offensive into a trap in Sumy Oblast. The Kremlin blames Colonel General Aleksandr Lapin after Ukraine isolates Russian forces and wipes out relief attempts.

Russians encircled north of Donetsk’s Pokrovsk, Syrskyi confirms. Commander-in-Chief announces encirclement of enemy forces that infiltrated Ukrainian defenses over summer months.

Intelligence and technology

Ukraine sends drone warfare experts to Denmark as mystery UAVs trigger Nordic security alert. Ukrainian drone warfare specialists have joined Danish forces for a week-long “Wings of Defense” exercises as Copenhagen deals with unidentified aerial vehicles in its airspace.

Tomahawks for Kyiv would send message to Kremlin — but allies must also build launchers, says expert. The missile itself can reach deep into Russia’s rear.

Deputy defense minister confirms Swedish Gripen jets coming to Ukraine for the first time. Ukraine will operate American F-16s, French Mirages, and Swedish Gripens simultaneously, Deputy Defense Minister Ivan Havryliuk confirmed.

Zelenskyy proposes drone-killer network to stop attacks over Europe. Combining Ukraine’s frontline experience with modern air defenses, mobile units, and drone interceptors could end Moscow’s freedom to strike from the air.

International

Ukrainian FM: Orban’s media blockade targets facts, not propaganda—”the farther from the truth the better”. Hungary has blocked Ukrainian news portals in what officials call “mirror measures” following Kyiv’s September ban on Hungarian sites Origo and Demokrata

Orbán and Fico defy Trump, EU on Russian energy as bloc prepares tariff response. Brussels is preparing new tariffs targeting Russian crude through Budapest and Bratislava

84 years after Babyn Yar executions, Ukraine warns Europe: ignoring terror makes it stronger. Nazi Babyn Yar massacte carved horror into Kyiv. Today, Russian strikes test the same lesson.

Czech analysts expose about 300 TikTok accounts pushing pro-Russian agenda before parliamentary vote. Anonymous accounts on TikTok are generating 5 to 9 million views weekly by boosting parties that want the Czech Republic to leave NATO and the EU.

Norway’s skies under lockdown as Oslo Airport closes twice in three days due to drone attacks. Norwegian Airlines and Widerøe planes were forced to reroute after drones appeared near runways, highlighting a growing pattern of aerial sabotage in Northern Europe.

Russia doesn’t seek peace. It seeks escalation — 18 attacks on NATO in September show it. Unable to crush Ukraine by force, Moscow now strikes at the perception of safety in Europe, using drones, bombers, and propaganda to erode unity.

Humanitarian and social impact

Europe’s largest nuclear plant runs on backup diesel under Russian occupation — and every hour brings continent closer to disaster. Shelling and obstruction keep Ukrainian specialists out, pushing the station closer to a worst-case scenario.

Russian shelling kills two people in Kherson, damages 18th-century cathedral during service. Russian attacks on Kherson on Monday morning killed two people—a police officer at a checkpoint and an unidentified local resident—and damaged the city’s 18th-century Assumption Cathedral for the 3rd time.

Read our earlier daily review here.