Exclusives
 | Analysis of two months of deep strikes explains what Ukraine really targets at Russian oil refineries. The study reveals a deliberate focus on refinery processing units, whose loss cripples output far more than visible explosions do. |
 | Russia’s punitive psychiatry now spreads to kids in occupied Ukraine—their crime is being Ukrainian. Forty-eight Ukrainian children now sit in psychiatric facilities across occupied Donetsk, undergoing forced "treatment" with powerful antipsychotic drugs. |
 | Ukraine’s Navy doesn’t exist—except it kind of does, and it’s brilliant. At 2 am, they rip their mooring rope racing to engage 17 Shaheds. |
 | Russia’s Pokrovsk offensive burns through tanks faster than its two factories can build them. Russia is rolling more and more tanks toward Pokrovsk. Can Ukrainian troops destroy them fast enough to save the city? |
 | ISW warns: Kremlin prepares to mobilize reservists without formal call‑up as its paid recruitment system collapses. A single draft amendment erases the last legal barrier to sending reservists into combat on a rolling basis. |
Military
Ukrainian counterattacks expose Russian command chaos across Pokrovsk front Three Russian brigades forced to halt operations as coordination failures between army corps turn tactical setbacks into operational disruptions.
Frontline report: "Razor wire massacre" – Dozens of Russian soldiers die in failed assault on Ukrainian defenses Wave after wave of desperate Russian attacks were crushed by Ukrainian defenses near Dobropillia, leaving fields covered with dead soldiers tangled in razor wire. In an act of desperation, Russian commanders detonated an ammonia pipeline, creating a toxic cloud that endangered both sides in a bid to break through fortified Ukrainian lines.
Russian seaborne fuel exports drop 17% after Ukrainian drone strikes on refineries Ukrainian drone strikes on major Russian refineries triggered a sharp decline in Moscow's fuel production capacity throughout 2025, forcing unplanned shutdowns at facilities processing millions of tons of oil annually.
Russian casualties top 1.1 million since full-scale invasion began – UK intelligence Russian casualties have reportedly increased to over 1000 daily so far in October, reversing the falling trend since spring.
Ukraine's frontline "kill zone" now stretches 10 kilometers deep, top commander says Ukrainian Commander-in-Chief Syrskyi says the war now revolves around drone range and how quickly the wounded can be rescued.
Frontline report: Ukraine replicates "roads of death" success east of Pokrovsk, crushing Russian advance Under Magyar's command, Ukrainian drone units don't simply destroy vehicles—they maintain what he calls a "minimum monthly kill rate" that must exceed Russia's mobilization capacity, transforming warfare into brutal mathematics.
Over 700 km from Ukraine, drones strike Russian substation feeding Gazprom and railway NASA FIRMS data showed a fire in the Lesogorsk area hours after explosions were reported on Telegram. Ukrainian UAVs reportedly disabled two transformers.
Global energy watchdog: Russian refineries won't recover before mid‑2026 after Ukraine's strikes Of course, the assessment does not account for the impact of future attacks in the ongoing deep-strike campaign.
US to provide Ukraine with only 20-50 Tomahawk missiles – Financial Times The US may deliver as few as 20 Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine—a quantity that defense experts say would produce negligible effects on battlefield conditions or military dynamics.
Intelligence and Technology
WP: China sent Ukraine just 72 miles of fiber-optic drone cable—but gave Russia 328,000 miles to power its FPVs Despite cutting direct drone exports, China's tech factories are keeping Russian drone makers in business—shipping the components that power their most advanced systems.
EU can't stop Russian drones yet, defense chief says — 2030 goal already outdated At a security conference in Brussels, Andrius Kubilius revealed the bloc has met only 50% of NATO's defense capacity targets.
"Already under fire today": Germany's intelligence leaders sound alarm on Russian threats He said that the current state of affairs between Moscow and the EU could shift rapidly, adding "To achieve this goal, Russia will not shy away from direct military confrontation with NATO if necessary."
International
Politico: Kyiv lives under Russian drones and doubts — Ukrainians now wonder if Europe still remembers Sirens, shelters, and missile debris are daily life in the capital, but what hurts most is the feeling of being forgotten.
Georgia's PM courts authoritarian allies as Western ties collapse after sham elections Kobakhidze meets with Chinese and Belarusian ambassadors hours apart, accepting congratulations on the contested vote Western democracies refused to recognize.
Estonia forces crypto investor to donate €1,638 to Ukraine after €54 donation to Russian arm Estonia's state prosecutor employed an unconventional enforcement mechanism to punish a cryptocurrency investor who financially supported Russian military operations.
"There are certain issues that can't be discussed on the phone" — Why Trump and Zelenskyy will meet in person The in-person meeting comes after Trump told reporters over the weekend that he views the weapons as potential leverage with Moscow rather than automatic military aid.
Humanitarian and Social Impact
UN food aid convoy targeted in Kherson; vehicles destroyed, supplies lost Russian forces attacked a humanitarian convoy operated by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in the Bilozerka community of Kherson Oblast.
Decolonisation in action: Kharkiv erases Russian cultural footprints Kharkiv authorities have removed memorial stands featuring handprints of foreign actors from Shevchenko Park, with city officials confirming that plaques bearing Russian names will not be reinstalled.
75% of Ukrainians confident in victory despite rating military capacity as poor The Institute of Sociology's sociological monitoring found that a majority of respondents either fully or somewhat believe in victory, while 41.6% rate Ukraine's warfighting abilities as poor.
BREAKING: Odesa's untouchable mayor finally falls—and Zelenskyy is taking over the city President confirms Russian passport, removes mayor who survived $25 million in corruption charges.
Read our previous daily review here.