Thursday, October 9, 2025
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Russia’s war against Ukraine
A general view of damaged areas after a Russian airstrike on Druzhkivka, Donetsk Oblast, on Oct. 8, 2025. (Jose Colon/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Russian-installed authorities check students’ phones in occupied Crimea. Occupation authorities in Crimea are checking students’ phones in schools for content and settings that may indicate a pro-Ukrainian position, the Center for Countering Disinformation reported on Oct. 7.
Kyiv says not interfering in case of Ukrainian detained in Poland over Nord Stream sabotage. “The Ukrainian side is acting in accordance with Polish law,” Ukraine’s Ambassador to Poland Vasyl Bodnar said.
Russia says Trump-Putin ‘strong’ Ukraine peace momentum ‘exhausted’ as talks stall. “The strong momentum created in Anchorage toward reaching agreements has been largely exhausted due to the efforts of opponents… primarily among Europeans,” Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said.
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Ukraine, EBRD discuss funding additional gas imports amid rising Russian strikes on energy sector. “We discussed with the EBRD the possibility of securing additional financing for gas purchases to ensure the stable passage of the 2025–2026 heating season,” Ukraine’s Finance Minister Serhii Marchenko said.
Ukraine’s authorities confront electronics retailers over smuggled iPhones in contraband crackdown. Ukraine’s economic crimes bureau’s new leadership brought together businesses on Oct. 8 with a clear message: the era of illicit electronics sales is over.
Ex-military chief Zaluzhnyi again denies running political campaign, supporting elections during war. “I do not support holding elections during wartime. Anyone who receives an offer — allegedly on my behalf — to join any initiative through any organization should report it to law enforcement,” Valerii Zaluzhnyi said.
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Why Tomahawks for Ukraine would be a ‘real headache for Russia’
“If supplied without major targeting caveats, Tomahawks could significantly increase pressure on Russia’s air defense system,” Justin Bronk, senior research fellow at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), told the Kyiv Independent.
Photo: Kallysta M. Castillo / U.S. Navy / Getty Images
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Russia is ramping up Shahed-type drone strikes on Ukraine’s front lines
Russia is increasingly using Shahed-type drones to target Ukrainian front-line positions, likely looking to conserve KAB guided aerial bombs where possible to prepare for a long war ahead, soldiers and experts have told the Kyiv Independent.
Photo: Kirill Kudryavtsev / AFP via Getty Images
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In Estonia’s border town, Russian-speaking majority enjoys NATO’s shield, remains mute on Russia’s threat
Following Europe’s inability to handle Russia’s now recurring drone incursions, the mostly-Russian-speaking city of Narva is once again a sticking point in NATO’s eastern flank’s defense.
Photo: Jaap Arriens / NurPhoto via Getty Images
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Ukraine war latest: Kyiv denies involvement in case of Ukrainian detained in Poland over Nord Stream sabotage
Kyiv is not interfering in the case of a Ukrainian citizen detained by Warsaw at Germany’s request in connection with the Nord Stream pipeline sabotage, Ukraine’s Ambassador to Poland said.
Photo: Danish Defense Handout / Getty Images
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Human cost of Russia’s war
‘Massive’ Russian attack in Sumy Oblast kills 3, injures 2. A series of “massive enemy strikes” targeted rural communities in the northeastern border region, causing casualties and destroying civilian infrastructure, Governor Oleh Hryhorov said.
Russian strikes kill 5, injure 37, hit thermal power plant in Ukraine over past day. According to Ukraine’s Air Force, Russian forces launched 183 Shahed-type attack and decoy drones overnight.
General Staff: Russia has lost 1,118,370 troops in Ukraine since Feb. 24, 2022. The number includes 1,010 casualties that Russian forces suffered over the past day.
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International response
Bavaria moves to let police shoot down drones amid rising European sightings. The Bavarian cabinet approved the law, which grants local police the authority to destroy drones if deemed necessary to ensure public safety.
Indian refiners asked to pay for Russian oil with Chinese yuan, Reuters reports. Indian Oil Corp, the country’s leading state-owned refiner, has recently purchased two to three cargoes of Russian oil using Chinese yuan, sources told Reuters.
Moldova’s pro-Russian party rejects election results, threatens protests. The Party of Socialists of the Republic of Moldova parliamentary leader, Vlad Batrincea, claimed the elections were marred by “violations and the use of administrative resources,” which, he said, “called into question the fairness of the vote.”
Lithuania scaling down exiled Belarusian opposition leader’s protection, her office pauses work. Lithuanian authorities emphasized that Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya remains an official guest of the state and that Vilnius’s stance toward the Belarusian regime led by Alexander Lukashenko remains unchanged.
EU ambassadors approve plan to phase out Russian gas, oil by 2028, Reuters reports. The plan to phase out Russian oil and gas by January 2028 has received broad backing from most member states, though Hungary and Slovakia continue to oppose it, a source told Reuters.
Tajikistan lets Putin enter despite ICC arrest warrant. The Tajik government has not publicly explained why it did not comply with the ICC warrant and arrest Vladimir Putin on its territory.
Czechia’s populist party tones down criticism of Ukraine ammunition initiative after election win. ANO leader Andrej Babis said the initiative was a “good idea in principle,” but requires “greater transparency and a reassessment,” the Czech media reported. Babis also repeated ANO’s earlier suggestion that NATO could oversee the initiative instead.
Belgium-based arms maker reports mounting cases of suspicious drone sightings. European arms company Thales has raised concerns over the number of unidentified drones spotted recently over its Belgian facility, which produces 70 mm rockets, Politico reported on Oct. 8.
Estonian defense minister on NATO’s response to Russian threats
In other news
Belarus fuel exports to Russia surge as Moscow faces domestic shortages. Belarus’ rail exports of gasoline to Russia surged fourfold in September as Russia has dealt with fuel shortages, Reuters reported on Oct. 7.
Russian court nationalizes regional telecom operator over alleged ‘extremist activities,’ Ukraine support. The Oktyabrsky District Court of Tambov ruled in favor of Russia’s prosecutors’ office and nationalized the assets of regional mobile operator Lanta, the court announced on Oct. 7.
Russian stock market plummets to 3-year low after Kremlin statement on ‘collapsing.’ US-Moscow relations The 4.05% drop brings the MOEX Russia Index, the primary benchmark of the Russian stock market, to its lowest levels since September 2022.
Pro-Trump US lawmaker to meet with Putin’s envoy this month. Republican Representative Anna Paulina Luna said on Oct. 8 that she will meet with Kirill Dmitriev later this month. Luna opposes all U.S. aid to Ukraine and co-sponsored the “Ukraine Fatigue Resolution” in 2023.
Israel, Hamas sign off on first phase of peace plan, Trump says. “I am very proud to announce that Israel and Hamas have both signed off on the first phase of our peace plan,” U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Truth Social on Oct. 8.
Fire breaks out at Russian gas plant after reported drone strike. A fire allegedly broke out at the Lukoil Korobkovsky gas processing plant in Kotovo, Russia, following a reported drone attack overnight on Oct. 9.
Russia expands gasoline sale restrictions amid fuel shortages, refinery strikes. The move comes as Ukraine’s continued drone strikes on Russian oil refineries strain domestic fuel supplies.
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Russia expands gasoline sale restrictions amid fuel shortages, refinery strikes
The move comes as Ukraine's continued drone strikes on Russian oil refineries strain domestic fuel supplies.Tim Zadorozhnyy (The Kyiv Independent)