A Russian official charged by the International Criminal Court (ICC) with the unlawful deportation of children openly described taking a Ukrainian teenager from Mariupol and "re-educating" him until he abandoned his Ukrainian identity.

The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) assessed that such actions may constitute genocide under the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide.

Maria Lvova-Belova, Russia's Commissioner for Children's Rights, gave the account in 6 October interview. She said she met 15-year-old Pylyp while "traveling through basements and collecting children who were under fire" in occupied Mariupol after Russia's full-scale invasion began in 2022.

Pylyp had lost his mother at age 10 and was living with a foster family. According to Lvova-Belova, when fighting started, that family gave him his documents and left him alone. He found Russian soldiers and asked for safety.

Lvova-Belova claims Pylyp agreed to live with her family. But she said he arrived traumatized from the shelling and began causing problems in her household. The issue, according to her account: Pylyp maintained what she called "a special attitude toward Russia"—negativity "which had long been cultivated in children in Mariupol schools."

In her telling, Pylyp told her he loved her but hated everything about Moscow and Russia. He didn't want to live in Russia. He loved Ukraine and read pro-Ukrainian websites. Lvova-Belova said she spent nights talking with him, telling him he needed to change his attitude now that he was in Russia.

Pylyp also sang Ukrainian songs, which Lvova-Belova claims he later admitted was an attempt to make her return him faster, to stop hoping his life could change.

Eventually, she claims, "changes in consciousness began" in the boy. Now he doesn't even want to return to Mariupol when he visits.

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This incident represents one example, that the ISW has documented, of how Russia works to eliminate Ukrainian identity and colonize both the land and minds of people in occupied territories.

Russia frames its relationship with Ukraine through claims of historic and cultural ties, with President Putin publicly denying Ukraine's status as a fully independent nation and describing Russians and Ukrainians as "one people."

Russia's goal extends beyond merely seizing land. The re-education of children like Pylyp, the militarization of Ukrainian youth on occupied territories, and the suppression of Ukrainian language and culture serve a long-term purpose: creating a population that identifies as Russian, accepts Russian narratives, and can be potentially mobilized as soldiers and supporters for further expansion.

The patterns reveal a coordinated approach spanning education and military indoctrination of children, population replacement, repression, and information control.

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Occupation authorities threaten families who refuse Russian education

Families living under occupation face a basic dilemma: children need to go to school. Many of these children studied their entire lives in Ukrainian, learned Ukrainian history and read Ukrainian literature. But Russian occupation authorities now demand they switch languages, abandon their curriculum, and attend Russian-controlled schools.

Those who refuse face escalating consequences. Pavel Filipchuk, occupation head of Kakhovka district in occupied Kherson Oblast, made this explicit in late September. His administration identified over 200 children not attending Russian-controlled schools. Some families were keeping their children enrolled in Ukrainian online schools instead.

Filipchuk dismissed Ukrainian education, calling it "a child with a poor education from unclear teachers—a tragedy."

He announced that authorities would start with fines and escalate to deprivation of parental rights and home raids for continued non-compliance.

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Ukrainian Commissioner for Children's Rights and Rehabilitation Daria Herasymchuk added that Russian occupation officials punish children and parents for studying Ukrainian language and literature in occupied areas, with methods including beatings, isolation of children, and forced administration of psychotropic drugs.

While Russian authorities claim students retain the "option" to study Ukrainian language, they have simultaneously taken steps to substantially limit access to Ukrainian language instruction and disincentivize participation in what limited courses remain available.

In June, the Russian Ministry of Education published a draft order detailing plans to effectively ban Ukrainian-language education in occupied Ukraine starting 1 September 2025. The escalating punitive measures against families who choose Ukrainian education reveal the false nature of any claimed "educational choice," ISW analysts conclude.

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Russia indoctrinates Ukrainian teenagers for war

Once children enter Russian-controlled schools, they face another form of control: militarization programs designed to train them as potential future soldiers and instill hatred of Ukraine and the West.

In October, Crimea occupation head Sergei Aksyonov announced the launch of the "Heroes of Russia-Pride of Crimea" project at a kindergarten and secondary school in occupied Simferopol.

The project installs permanent exhibitions in schools featuring photographs of Soviet World War II veterans and Russian soldiers from the current war in Ukraine. Each photo includes a QR code that students can scan to read extended biographies of what Aksyonov calls "heroes."

Aksyonov framed the project as teaching children "proper" role models, saying these are people "who left their bright mark in the struggle for our great Motherland, who proved not by word but by deed that they are true patriots of their country." 

"I believe that such people should serve as an example for the younger generation. After all, there is nothing more honorable, nothing more valuable, than serving one's Motherland," Aksyonov wrote.

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The project will spread to all schools in occupied Crimea as an important step in the "patriotic development" of children and to instill "personal responsibility" for Russia's destiny, according to the official.

Accompanying images showed young children in cadet-style uniforms standing next to uniformed Russian servicemen and posing with donation boxes marked with Z symbols and the Russian military slogan "We don't abandon our own."

Russian soldiers actively fighting in Donetsk Oblast are also training Ukrainian teenagers. During a three-day course in October, combat troops taught youth from occupied Donetsk how to handle military equipment, navigate battlefields, provide tactical medical care, operate in combat groups, and fly quadcopters.

These aren't retired veterans offering generic patriotic talks - they're active servicemembers passing combat experience directly to Ukrainian children.

"The purpose of such training activities is clearly to prepare Ukrainian youth for future service in the Russian military, including by disseminating to them critical lessons on the realities of contemporary warfighting," the ISW states.

Russia funds study to make Ukrainian identity illegal

While children are indoctrinated through schools and military training camps, adults who resist Russian control are prosecuted as "terrorists" and "extremists."

Russian authorities use fabricated criminal charges to silence opposition and make any expression of Ukrainian identity dangerous.

Russia is working to expand those definitions even further. In October, Zaporizhzhia's occupation administration commissioned a $68,000 study on "Ukrainian nationalist ideology" to get Moscow to officially classify it as "extremism."

Residents already face charges of terrorism, extremism, and high treason for pro-Ukrainian sentiment, which carry lengthy prison sentences. The study, however, would grant law enforcement even broader authority to criminally prosecute people of occupied areas.

This legal framework targets not only ethnic Ukrainians but anyone who doesn't conform to Russian identity. Crimean Tatars, the peninsula's indigenous Muslim population, face particularly harsh persecution.

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Crimean Tatars largely opposed Russia's 2014 illegal annexation of Crimea and continue to advocate for the peninsula's return to Ukraine. Moscow views them as disloyal and uses their suppression to silence dissent and demonstrate control.

In October, the Russian Federal Security Service intensified this crackdown by targeting four Crimean Tatar women. The FSB conducted searches in four homes in occupied Crimea, detained Esma Nimetullayeva, Nasiba Saidova, Elviza Alieva, and Fevziye Osmanova, and transported them to Simferopol on charges of "organizing and participating in the activities of a terrorist organization."

Human rights activists maintained the women's innocence, stating the arrests are part of Russia's systematic campaign against the Crimean Tatar community. The FSB has historically used fabricated extremism charges to persecute the minority group and consolidate control.

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Occupiers steal Ukrainian homes to make room for Russians from other regions

Suppressing existing Ukrainian identity on occupied territories is only half of Russia's demographic strategy. The other half involves replacing the population itself.

Russia's full-scale invasion displaced approximately 2.9 million people from areas now under occupation and killed tens of thousands more, according to ISW. To legitimize its occupation, Russian authorities are implementing policies designed to repopulate these territories.

Russia's migration policy concept for 2026-2030, signed by President Putin in October, includes provisions to "create conditions for the return" of residents who fled occupied Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia oblasts. While the concept doesn't specify implementation methods, it likely signals financial or legal incentives aimed at convincing Ukrainian refugees to return to occupied areas.

Russia is also repopulating occupied territories by stealing Ukrainian property and giving it to Russian settlers.

The theft operates through a bureaucratic facade. In July 2022, Russian authorities invalidated all real estate documents issued by Ukrainian authorities between 2014 and 2022, stripping property rights from anyone who had purchased, inherited, or transferred property during eight years of Ukrainian control.

They compiled lists of apartments classified as "ownerless" - a category that includes property whose owners died, fled the war, or are Ukrainian citizens living abroad.

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Russia legally steals 20,000 homes in razed Mariupol — then charges homeless victims for rent

Property owners have 30 days to appear in person and prove ownership. But returning requires traveling through Moscow, where Russian security services interrogate arrivals, examine social media for pro-Ukrainian content, and demand Russian passports. Any pro-Ukrainian activity risks jail, while the journey is also costly for people who have already lost their homes and jobs in the war.

Russian authorities stopped accepting Ukrainian passports in October 2022 and rejected power of attorney arrangements in April 2025, demanding only personal presence. The system is designed to prevent rightful owners from reclaiming their homes.

Russia then offers this seized property to Russians willing to relocate. A new draft law proposes allocating the "ownerless" apartments to government officials, military personnel, doctors, and teachers from other Russian regions as incentives.

Meanwhile, many Mariupol residents who survived a devastating three-month siege in the city are left homeless or moved to old dormitories. They protest to occupation officials demanding the return of their homes, but their appeals go nowhere.

Moscow forces Russian-only TV on occupied territories

Russia's control over minds extends beyond school curricula to what residents can watch and read at home. While children are taught Russian narratives in classrooms, adults—especially older people who rely on television for news—face similarly restricted information.

Russian occupation officials provided updates in October on the installation of Russkiy Mir [Russian World] satellite dishes throughout occupied Ukraine.

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The Kherson Oblast occupation administration claimed it installed 20,000 Russkiy Mir satellite kits in total, while Zaporizhzhia Oblast occupation head Yevgeny Balitsky reported that 5,000 residents installed kits in the past month.

"This is 20,000 homes where the Russian language sounds, where people feel the support and presence of the country. For us, this is proof that Kherson Oblast is confidently moving toward full integration of the region into the unified digital space of the state," noted Roman Grigoriev, deputy minister of digital development and mass communications of the region.

These dishes transmit only Russian national and local channels, blocking access to Ukrainian or international media.

The Ukrainian Resistance Center warned that Russian occupation officials use the installation process to collect personal information on residents by registering addresses and personal details during installation.

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The enforcement of Russian narratives and the erasure of Ukrainian identity operates at every level—from high-ranking Kremlin officials like Maria Lvova-Belova, who openly described "re-educating" Ukrainian teenager from Mariupol, to local occupation administrations threatening parents who refuse Russian schools.

It encompasses all areas of life from children's education to property seizure and control over what information residents have access to. Opposition to Russian control risks persecution and jail, with any dissent carefully monitored. 

Russia keeps pushing to occupy more Ukrainian territory despite heavy losses and minimal gains. Ukrainian defenders have held the line for years. Wherever Russia establishes control, it imposes its rules, history, language, and traditions—suppressing the Ukrainian identity that existed before. The battle for Ukraine's sovereignty persists.

A Russian police lieutenant colonel accused of involvement in war crimes in Ukraine's Kyiv Oblast died in a car explosion in Kemerovo Oblast on 25 October, according to Ukraine's Defense Intelligence (HUR).

The officer, identified by HUR as Veniamin Mazzherin, born in 1980, served in the OMON "Obereg" special unit of Russia's Rosgvardia (National Guard) directorate for Kemerovo Oblast. HUR stated that Mazzherin was behind the wheel when the vehicle exploded.

According to the intelligence agency, "Obereg" is among multiple Rosgvardia units connected to alleged crimes committed in the Kyiv Oblast during the February-March 2022 phase of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

HUR stated that Ukraine's Office of the Prosecutor General has opened criminal proceedings against servicemen from the unit based on collected evidence and eyewitness testimony, specifically for alleged violations of the laws and customs of war.

The intelligence agency said it identified members of "Obereg" by name in April 2022 and developed plans for what it termed the "just punishment" of individuals on the list.

"The HUR of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine reminds — there will be just retribution for every war crime committed against the Ukrainian people," the agency stated.

HUR did not specify the circumstances of the explosion or provide additional details about the incident.

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Ukrainian counterintelligence (SBU) detained a British national in Kyiv who switched from training Ukrainian soldiers to spying for Russia's security service (FSB).

The man arrived in January 2024 with firearms and tactical training credentials. He worked as an instructor for mobilized personnel in Mykolaiv, southern Ukraine, then moved to a border guard unit. Standard work for foreign volunteers with military expertise, according to Ukraine's security service (SBU) and Prosecutor's Office.

But by late September, he had stopped instructing. Instead, he relocated to Odesa and started advertising his services in pro-Kremlin internet groups. Russian special services made contact.

An FSB officer subsequently began assigning tasks after recruiting him, according to the investigation. The suspect passed information about foreign instructors in Ukraine's defense forces with whom he had previously communicated. He also transmitted coordinates of Armed Forces training centers in southern Ukraine where he had trained mobilized personnel.

The Russians wanted more. They sent instructions for manufacturing explosives and coordinates for a weapons cache. He retrieved a pistol with two loaded magazines from the drop site. The agency describes this as preparation for terrorist attacks.

SBU counterintelligence detected the operative, documented his activities, and arrested him at his temporary residence in Kyiv. 

He faces charges under Part 3 of Article 114-2 of Ukraine's Criminal Code: unauthorized dissemination of information about Armed Forces deployment during martial law.

The penalty runs up to 12 years imprisonment with property confiscation. He remains in custody while investigators work to establish the full scope of his activities and determine additional charges.

American intelligence agencies have concluded that Russian President Vladimir Putin remains determined to continue the war against Ukraine and achieve victory on the battlefield, according to NBC News citing a senior US official and a senior congressional official.

The assessment, presented to members of Congress this month, indicates agencies see no sign Russia is prepared to compromise as President Donald Trump attempts to broker peace negotiations. Putin is now believed to be more entrenched than at any previous point since ordering the full-scale invasion in February 2022.

Despite facing significant troop casualties and economic difficulties after Ukrainian deep drone strikes and international sanctions, the intelligence assessment found that Putin is committed to securing Ukrainian territory to justify the war's human and financial costs.

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Trump blames "hatred" between leaders for stalled talks

Earlier, US President Donald Trump said that Russia's war on Ukraine remains deadlocked due to "a lot of hatred" between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin, and stated he would not meet with Putin again unless a concrete peace agreement was likely.

"Every time I speak with Vladimir, I have good conversations, and then they don't go anywhere," Trump said.

He added that he canceled a planned meeting with Putin in Budapest because Russia refused to revise its maximalist demands, stating "I'm not going to be wasting my time." 

Trump campaigned on a promise to secure peace within 24 hours of returning to office, but his efforts to persuade Russia to agree to a ceasefire have not succeeded.

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Trump sanctions Russian oil giants

Demonstrating increasing frustration, Trump imposed sanctions on two major Russian oil companies—Rosneft and Lukoil.

The sanctions, which freeze the companies' US-based assets and bar American firms from doing business with them, mark the first major punitive measures against Russia since Trump returned to office in January.

"I just felt it was time," Trump told reporters, describing the new sanctions as "tremendous" and adding that he had "waited a long time" to implement them but hopes "they won't be on for long."

Trump also publicly stated this month that he might provide long-range US-made Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine, though he subsequently withdrew from the idea following a phone conversation with Putin.

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Ukraine and allies urge more pressure on Moscow

Ukrainian officials, European governments, and supporters of Ukraine in Congress have repeatedly called on Trump to exert pressure on Russia through arms shipments and sanctions to push Moscow toward a ceasefire and peace negotiations.

In August, the White House characterized a summit in Alaska between Putin and Trump as a promising step toward possible peace negotiations. However, the war has continued, and Russia has maintained hard-line demands that would effectively disarm Ukraine, prohibit it from joining NATO, and block deployment of any Western-led peacekeeping forces.

Russia launched a terror strike with 126 drones across Ukraine overnight on 29 October, targeting energy infrastructure and leaving nearly 30,000 civilians without power as temperatures drop. Energy workers are conducting emergency restoration operations.

Ukrainian forces shot down or electronically suppressed 93 drones out of 126, while 32 struck targets across 10 locations, according to the Air Force.

Russian strikes leave nearly 30,000 people without electricity in Odesa Oblast

The most severe damage occurred in southern Odesa Oblast, where Russian forces struck a DTEK energy facility.

The State Emergency Service of Ukraine reported that fires that broke out required 21 rescuers and six emergency vehicles to extinguish.

Oleh Kiper, head of Odesa Oblast Military Administration, confirmed that both energy and transport infrastructure were damaged in the attack.

One energy worker was injured in the strike and received medical assistance.

According to DTEK energy company, 26,900 consumers remain without electricity in Odesa Oblast following the attack, though energy workers have reconnected approximately 7,000 families by switching to backup power lines where technically possible. Critical infrastructure facilities are currently operating on generators while restoration work continues.

Russian drones hit civilian objects in Kharkiv Oblast, injure woman

In frontline Kharkiv Oblast, Russian drone strikes hit the cities of Izium and Chuhuiv, causing fires at civilian facilities, according to the State Emergency Service.

In Izium, drones struck an educational institution, an unfinished office building, and a destroyed shopping center, injuring one woman.

In Chuhuiv, a production building at a civilian enterprise caught fire over 1,000 square meters, though no casualties were reported there.

In northeastern Chernihiv Oblast, an Iranian-designed Shahed drone struck a critical infrastructure facility in the city center. Authorities are still clarifying information about potential casualties.

Drones attacked petrochemical and oil refining facilities across three Russian regions on the night of 29 October, according to Russian sources.

The Russian Ministry of Defense claimed its forces intercepted 100 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) during the overnight operation, attributing the strikes to Ukrainian forces.

Drones hit major petrochemical facility in Stavropol Krai

The most significant drone strike appeared to hit the Stavrolen petrochemical facility in Budyonnovsk, Stavropol Krai, around 700 km away from Ukraine's border.

Residents reported explosions, and footage showed a large fire visible in the area, according to Russian independent Telegram channel ASTRA.

The plant is part of the Lukoil group and ranks as one of Russia's primary producers of polyethylene and polypropylene.

The facility has an annual production capacity of approximately 340,000 tons of ethylene, 319,000 tons of polyethylene, and 113,000 tons of polypropylene. Its products are used in manufacturing pipes, cable insulation, and construction materials.

Meanwhile, Stavropol Governor Vladimir Vladimirov confirmed the attack on Budennovsk but stated that drones were neutralized by electronic warfare and air defense systems, causing "no significant damage."

Fire erupted at largest oil refinery in Mari El

Explosions were also reported in the Republic of Mari El, over 1500 km away from Ukraine, where a fire appeared to break out at an oil refinery in the city of Tabashino, according to a monitoring Telegram channel Exilenova+.

Mari El Governor Yuri Zaitsev confirmed that drones fell near an industrial enterprise, though he did not specifically mention the refinery.

The Mari Oil Refinery produces straight-run gasoline, diesel and marine fuels, fuel oil, and other petroleum products.

The plant has an oil processing capacity of 1.25 million tons per year and is one of the largest enterprises in the Republic of Mari El, accounting for more than 70% of the region's foreign economic turnover.

Russia's Mariysky Oil Refinery in Tabashno, Republic of Mari El, has reportedly been struck.

The facility sits about 1,000 km from Ukraine (https://t.co/K2KB8E8Hkh ) and is located along the Surgut–Polotsk main oil pipeline.

It houses two AVT units and can process over 1.6… pic.twitter.com/XdnHFTVD2X

— Euromaidan Press (@EuromaidanPress) October 29, 2025

Oil refinery struck in Ulyanovsk Oblast

In Ulyanovsk Oblast, local residents reported an attack on the NS-Oil refinery in Novospasskoye settlement, 780 km away from Ukraine.

Governor Alexei Russkikh stated that fires broke out in Novospassky District where debris from allegedly intercepted drones fell, though he did not specifically mention the refinery.

The NS-Oil facility processes approximately 30,000 tons of oil annually, according to open-source data.

Russia's Mariysky Oil Refinery in Tabashno, Republic of Mari El, has reportedly been struck.

The facility sits about 1,000 km from Ukraine (https://t.co/K2KB8E8Hkh ) and is located along the Surgut–Polotsk main oil pipeline.

It houses two AVT units and can process over 1.6… pic.twitter.com/XdnHFTVD2X

— Euromaidan Press (@EuromaidanPress) October 29, 2025

Strike drones hit two Russian oil facilities in occupied Crimea on 29 October morning, according to the monitoring Telegram channel Crimean Wind, which published videos from the scenes.

An explosion rocked the settlement of Hvardiiske around 6:26 a.m., igniting an oil depot belonging to LLC Kedr, Crimean Wind reports.

The company operates ATAN, the largest gas station network on the occupied peninsula with over 100 stations, along with multiple oil depots and a fleet of fuel tankers.

Reports of fire at an oil depot in occupied Simferopol began appearing around 7:00 a.m., with eyewitnesses filming multiple videos and photographs from the scene. Russian occupation authorities later stated that a Ukrainian drone strike ignited a petroleum products container within the city.

According to Crimean Wind subscribers, military fuel tankers equipped with camouflage nets and drone protection were actively moving in and out of the Simferopol facility just a day before the strike. The monitoring channel reports that this depot serves as an active supply point for Russian occupation forces.

The Hvardiiske facility had already been targeted on 17 October. That earlier strike caused fires that burned for several days, with satellite imagery documenting the destruction of at least five large fuel tanks by the fourth day of burning.

The new fire at the Hvardiiske depot is already visible from space, Crimean Wind reported.

[Update]

Ukraine's Security Service claimed responsibility for the overnight strikes on Russian facilities in occupied Crimea, a source in the SBU told Hromadske.

The operation targeted both air defense systems and fuel infrastructure. A Pantsir-S2 anti-aircraft missile-gun system valued at approximately $20 million was hit, along with two radar stations, according to the SBU source.

The SBU source confirmed strikes on the oil depot in Hvardiiske and stated that drones also hit the Komsomolska oil depot.

"The SBU continues systematic work to destroy air defense systems that cover Crimea, and oil depots that supply the enemy with fuel," the source stated.

On 17 October, a therapeutic garden opened at Kyiv's VDNKh, a major exhibition and recreation complex, to support emotional recovery for veterans, military personnel and anyone else who needs it, according to the Ministry of Health.

The garden includes zones for:

• therapeutic gardening
• adaptive sports activities
• somatic practices
• a children's playground
• informal gathering areas
• group meeting spaces

Plants were selected based on their impact on emotional state, interacting with visitors through all five senses to help reduce emotional tension, the ministry reported. Seasonal flowering ensures the garden remains functional year-round.

The space aims to support the physical, psychological and social health of military personnel, veterans and others who need it through contact with nature and movement.

First Lady Olena Zelenska, who initiated the project, said at the opening that places offering safety, calm and harmony are particularly lacking for those who have experienced the pain of war.

"This is the therapeutic effect of nature and interaction with it, already proven by many scientific studies," she said, expressing hope that similar spaces will multiply across Ukraine.

Officials view it as a step toward building modern post-rehabilitation infrastructure, with similar gardens potentially appearing at medical facilities and public spaces nationwide.

Minister of Health Viktor Liashko emphasized that psychological support for those who experienced war trauma is a shared societal task.

"We need to create conditions that help a person recover — physically, psychologically and emotionally," he said.

All infrastructure follows barrier-free access principles, with hard non-slip surfaces, raised flower beds, benches with armrests, Braille navigation, contrast signs and a tactile map.

The space's development involved psychologists, psychotherapists, art therapists, hospital workers, volunteers and landscape architects from Ukraine, Europe and Great Britain, who consulted with veterans, military personnel, rehabilitation patients, elderly people and medical institution representatives.

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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that the first Swedish Gripen fighter jets are expected to arrive in Ukraine next year as part of an agreement for up to 150 aircraft.

According to Zelenskyy, Ukraine and Sweden have reached an agreement on Gripen fighters that he described as unprecedented in scale.

"There has never been a combat-aviation deal of this scale for Ukraine before," he stated on X.

The president said Ukraine is counting on 150 such aircraft and characterized the Gripens as part of Ukraine's security guarantees.

The announcement follows a letter of intent signed on 22 October between Zelenskyy and Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson for the purchase of 100 to 150 new Gripen fighters, specifically the latest JAS 39 Gripen E variant.

Their meeting took place in Linköping, where Saab (the Gripen manufacturer) is headquartered.

However, Kristersson clarified the timeline and nature of the agreement. The letter of intent does not provide for immediate deliveries but establishes a framework for long-term cooperation. Kristersson explained that the agreement would enable Ukraine to build substantial air force capabilities with approximately 100-150 Gripen E fighters.

He characterized the deal as a long-term commitment, describing it as "a clear mutual statement and the beginning of a long journey of 10-15 years."

Swedish JAS 39 Gripen E specifications:

• Maximum speed approximately 2,130 km/h (Mach 2)
• Can carry AIM-120 AMRAAM and AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles (also used on F-16s)
• Capable of launching precision-guided bombs and tactical air-to-ground missiles
• Suitable for air defense, ground attacks, and long-range strike missions
• Classified as 4++ generation with improved stealth and additional protection
• Combat radius of 1,300 km (compared to 800 km in older JAS 39C/D models)

Four years into Russia's full-scale invasion, elementary school students in Izium, eastern Kharkiv Oblast, have never attended a real classroom.

That changed this week when the city opened its largest underground educational center—a facility that can accommodate 100 students at once, according to SavED charitable foundation.

The space sits beneath a local lyceum in four reinforced rooms. Inside: 45 new computers for a dedicated IT classroom, interactive learning zones, a mini-library, and a sports area. Students will rotate through in shifts after completing their regular online lessons.

The SavED built the center with support from German donors and Ukrainian partners including GEA Ukraine, SQUAD Ukraine, Seven Lions Media, and Roosh.

Olena Andrushok, director of the Izium lyceum, said families have already begun transferring students from other institutions.

"They come to us because we have in-person activities that students sorely lack," Andrushok said. 

The need is acute. Russian forces occupied Izium for over five months in 2022, destroying and looting educational institutions. The city still faces regular shelling because of its proximity to Russian border. Over 2,000 local schoolchildren study exclusively online.

The pattern extends across the frontline. According to savED's 2024 research, 49% of students from frontline regions have studied online for four consecutive years. In Kharkiv Oblast alone, over 147,000 children receive education remotely.

Hanna Novosad, savED co-founder, explained the organization's approach.

"Even a few hours of in-person classes per week in a safe space provide students with a sense of community and socialization," Novosad said. 

Security conditions make underground facilities the only viable option for any form of offline education.

The organization established its first Izium center, "Vulyk" (The Hive), in 2023 with European Commission support. The new facility represents a significant expansion of that initial space.

Kirill Dmitriev, Russia's economic envoy and representative in negotiations with the United States, has stated that Washington, Kyiv and Moscow are close to reaching a diplomatic resolution to end the war.

Speaking to CNN after arriving in Washington for talks with American officials, Dmitriev said a meeting between US President Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin will still take place, though at a later date than originally planned.

"I believe that Russia, the US, and Ukraine are actually quite close to a diplomatic solution," Dmitriev told CNN.

When the journalist noted that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had agreed to freeze the front line for a subsequent ceasefire and asked why Putin had not done the same, Dmitriev responded that Moscow seeks not merely a truce but a "final solution" to end the war.

Dmitriev, however, characterized Zelenskyy's position as a significant shift.

"This is a big step on President Zelenskyy's part — to acknowledge that it's about the front lines," he said, noting that Ukraine's previous position demanded Russia's complete withdrawal.

"I think we're quite close to a diplomatic solution that can be worked out," the Russian financier added.

The Kremlin envoy is scheduled to meet with Trump administration representatives to continue discussions on US-Russia relations. Axios reported earlier that talks with Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff are planned.

Trump stated after recent talks with Ukrainian and Russian leaders that he supports freezing the war at current front lines.

He denied media reports suggesting he had urged Zelensky to surrender all of Donetsk Oblast. "We believe that what they should do is just stop at those lines where they are now, at the front lines," Trump said.

Reuters reports that the Kremlin has not altered its demands, continuing to insist on control over the entire Donbas region, including complete capture of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts, according to Reuters. President Zelenskyy has rejected any territorial concessions to Moscow.

Ukrainian forces struck the dam of the Belgorod reservoir on 25 October, according to Russian sources, prompting evacuation warnings for approximately 1,000 residents in nearby settlements.

Belgorod Oblast Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov confirmed the attack in a Telegram post, stating that the strike damaged the dam crest, several buildings with technical equipment, and lifting mechanisms of one discharge lock. However, he stated the dam structure itself remains intact.

The Russian Telegram channel MNS reported earlier that several HIMARS rockets allegedly hit the facility, causing damage to infrastructure. Two people reportedly sustained multiple shrapnel wounds in the attack: a civilian and a Russian National Guard member.

Gladkov warned that if the dam were destroyed, flooding could affect areas on both sides of the border: the river floodplain near Kharkiv Oblast in Ukraine and streets in several Russian settlements.

According to the governor, local authorities have begun offering evacuation to Belgorod for residents facing possible flooding.

Ukraine's Defense Forces have not commented on the reports.

French Army Chief of Staff Pierre Schill stated on 23 October that his service stands ready to deploy forces to Ukraine in 2026 within the framework of security guarantees, according to BFMTV.

"We will stand ready to deploy forces within the framework of security guarantees, if necessary for the benefit of Ukraine," Schill told members of the National Assembly's Defense Committee during a hearing.

The statement came one day after France's highest-ranking military officer said the French army must be prepared for a potential clash with Russia within three to four years, BFMTV reports.

Schill emphasized that the Army can simultaneously manage three levels of alert, including a potential Ukraine deployment.

The first level involves a national emergency response with 7,000 soldiers ready to deploy on timeframes ranging from 12 hours to five days for national sovereign missions.

The second encompasses NATO's Allied Reaction Force for 2026, which Schill described as structural.

The third addresses the possibility of operations in Ukraine.

France has intensified its focus on what it characterizes as Russian threats across multiple domains in recent months.

"Whether at the national, European or international level, on the front lines or online, the Kremlin's influence is closely scrutinized," BFMTV reports.

Former Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces Thierry Burkhard warned in July that "Russia is a party to all threats," stating that the Kremlin has made France one of its priority targets.

Burkhard's successor, Fabien Mandon, similarly addressed Russian activities when appearing before the Defense Committee on 22 October, using the assessment to justify France's rearmament program as the government pursues budget reductions.

A British court has sentenced six men to prison terms ranging from 7 to 23 years for torching a London warehouse packed with humanitarian aid bound for Ukraine. They were working on orders from Russia's Wagner Group private military company, according to The Guardian and Sky News.

Dylan Earl, 21, from Elmesthorpe, Leicestershire, received the longest sentence of 17 years in prison plus six years on extended licence for his role as organizer.

Jake Reeves, 24, from Croydon, south London, was sentenced to 12 years plus one year on extended licence.

Four other men received shorter terms.

Nii Kojo Mensah, 23, from Thornton Heath, was sentenced to nine years plus one year on extended licence, while Jakeem Rose, 23, from Croydon, received eight years and 10 months plus one year on extended licence.

Ugnius Asmena, 21, who was homeless, was given seven years plus one year on extended licence. Ashton Evans, 20, from Newport, Gwent, was jailed for nine years plus one year on extended licence for failing to disclose information about terrorist acts relating to a separate plot.

Warehouse stored Ukraine-bound aid

The arson occurred in March 2024 at industrial units in Leyton, east London. The fire required eight fire crews with 60 firefighters to bring it under control and caused approximately £1 million ($1,3 million) in damage.

The targeted warehouse belonged to a company supplying humanitarian aid and Starlink satellite equipment to Ukraine. Sky News reported that Earl and Reeves selected the location specifically because of its connection to Ukrainian aid operations.

Earl builds network from his bedroom

Earl orchestrated the attack from his bedroom while communicating with Wagner Group operatives through the messaging app Telegram. He used the account usernames "Privet Bot" and "Lucky Strike" for these communications.

The recruitment followed a chain structure. Earl recruited Reeves, who then brought in his friend Mensah. Mensah subsequently recruited Rose, while Asmena was separately brought into the operation.

Wagner operatives plan attacks across Europe

The London arson was not an isolated incident. Ten days after the Leyton attack, the same Ukrainian company's warehouse in Madrid was targeted by arsonists. This second attack prompted detectives from the Metropolitan Police's counter-terrorism command to take over the investigation.

Police analysis of Earl's mobile phone revealed he had discussed additional attacks in the Czech Republic. The phone also contained videos showing the warehouse fire being started.

Investigators discovered Earl had planned further operations in London's Mayfair district, targeting a restaurant and wine shop owned by Russian dissident Evgeny Chichvarkin.

Messages recovered from Earl's phone showed reconnaissance for these attacks had already been conducted. The communications also discussed using explosives to damage buildings and potentially kidnapping Chichvarkin to "exile him back to Russia to face prison."

Evidence and motivation

A search of Earl's home uncovered a Russian flag, more than £20,000 in cash, and cocaine with a street value of approximately £34,000. The court heard that Earl was a member of multiple pro-Russian propaganda channels and was motivated by "simple and ugly greed."

Earl told Wagner Group operatives he was prepared to carry out a series of "missions," beginning with the Leyton fire.

Judge rules attack served Russian state interests

Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb at London's Central Criminal Court concluded that the arson attack had a "terrorist connection" regardless of whether the perpetrators were aware of this designation. The Wagner Group is proscribed by the UK government as a terrorist organization.

In her sentencing remarks, the judge stated:

"This case is about the efforts of the Russian Federation to gain pernicious global influence using social media to enlist saboteurs vast distances from Moscow," according to Sky News.

The judge described the attack as part of a "planned campaign of terrorism and sabotage" carried out in the interests of the Russian state.

Defense lawyers blame Russian manipulation

Defense lawyers for the convicted men emphasized their clients' vulnerability to foreign manipulation. Paul Hynes KC, representing Earl, described his client as "easy meat for the very sophisticated operatives of the Wagner Group acting as proxies for the Russian Federation."

He characterized Earl as someone who sought "praise, importance and significance" and viewed the world through the "prism of online gaming."

Henry Blaxland KC, representing Reeves, pointed to "the extent to which the Russian state and agents of the Russian state have managed to penetrate the UK through taking advantage of adolescents buried in their computers." He argued that Reeves' judgment was impaired by excessive ketamine use.

Russia launched strikes across Ukraine overnight on 25 October, including a double-tap attack in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast that killed a rescue worker responding to the initial strike - a tactic that violates Geneva Conventions protections for emergency responders.

The assault also damaged a kindergarten in Kyiv and killed at four people in total, with ballistic missiles and drones hitting residential areas.

The Russians launched nine Iskander-M ballistic missiles, along with 62 drones, approximately 40 of which were Iranian-deisgned Shaheds, according to the Air Force Command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

Air defense systems shot down or suppressed four ballistic missiles and 50 drones across the north, south, and east of the country by 09:00 a.m. However, five ballistic missiles and 12 strike drones hit 11 locations, with debris falling at four additional sites.

Kyiv hit by ballistic missiles, two civilians killed

The capital sustained a ballistic missile attack that killed two people and wounded 10 residents, according to Kyiv City Military Administration head Tymur Tkachenko.

The strikes hit Desnyanskyi, Dniprovskyi, and Darnytskyi districts, with a kindergarten in Dniprovskyi district among the damaged structures.

Missile debris fell on open ground in some areas, damaging window glass in buildings, while a non-residential building caught fire at another location, according to the State Emergency Service.

A crater formed between apartment buildings in Darnytskyi district. Three of the wounded were hospitalized to city medical facilities.

One rescuer killed in double-tap strike

Two people died in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, including Master Sergeant Oleksandr Yehorychev, a driver of the 37th State Fire and Rescue Unit, according to the State Emergency Service.

Yehorychev was killed during a repeated Russian missile strike on Petropavlivska community in Synelnykivskyi district on the evening of 24 October. He was extinguishing a fire caused by a Russian drone strike when he came under the repeated missile fire and received severe injuries.

Another rescuer was wounded in the same strike. A woman also died, and seven people sustained injuries.

The attacks damaged two fire and rescue vehicles, residential buildings, and shops.

Kamikaze drones also struck Pokrovsk community in the region, destroying a residential building and sparking a fire.

A federal grand jury indicted Decarlos Brown Jr. for the fatal stabbing of 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska on a Charlotte train. The charge carries the possibility of the death penalty, according to NBC News.

Brown was charged on 22 October in US District Court for the Western District of North Carolina with committing a murder on a mass transit system. The grand jury found Brown "intentionally killed" Zarutska in the 22 August attack.

Lauren O. Newton, an attorney representing Zarutska's family, said they are "pleased with the indictment and we look forward to swift justice for Iryna." Brown's attorneys declined to comment.

Brown faces both federal and local charges. In September, prosecutors charged him with committing an act causing death on a mass transportation system. Charlotte police added a first-degree murder charge.

Governor signs Iryna's Law after killing

The case drew national attention and prompted legislative action. North Carolina Governor Josh Stein signed Iryna's Law on 3 October, which alerts judges to examine people who may pose violence risks before setting bail. "We can and must do more to keep people safe," Stein said in a video message.

Attorney General Pam Bondi called Zarutska's death "a direct result of failed soft-on-crime policies that put criminals before innocent people."

Video captured fatal attack on train

Video evidence and federal court documents show Zarutska boarded the LYNX blue line train at 9:46 p.m. She sat in an empty seat in front of Brown. He pulled a knife from his pocket, unfolded it, and struck her three times from behind. Then he walked away.

Zarutska died at the scene. Her family learned what happened after her phone's location showed she remained at the station. When they arrived, police had already discovered her body in the rear car near what the federal complaint described as "a large amount of blood." Investigators found a pocketknife and a blood-soaked red shirt. Brown was arrested on the outbound platform at the same station.

Zarutska fled war in Ukraine, sought new life in US

Zarutska had recently fled Ukraine's war with Russia. She lived with her partner in Charlotte and took community college courses to improve her English. After getting her work permit, she worked at a senior citizens center and pizza store. She also cared for neighborhood animals, according to James Barnacle, deputy assistant director of the FBI's Criminal Division.

Her family said in a statement: "Iryna came here to find peace and safety, and instead her life was stolen from her in the most horrific way."

Brown had criminal record, mental health issues

Court records show Brown's criminal history spans more than a decade. Convictions include felony breaking and entering and robbery with a dangerous weapon. He served five years in prison for the robbery charge.

Brown was diagnosed with schizophrenia in January, according to KATV. Media reported he had called 911 with bizarre claims, telling police he believed someone had given him "artificial material" placed inside his body that controlled his eating, walking, and speech.

He was arrested for abusing the 911 system. A judge released him on a written promise to appear in court.

A Russian drone struck a civilian vehicle in Kramatorsk on 23 October, killing two journalists from Freedom, a Ukrainian state television channel that broadcasts in Russian for foreign audiences.

Journalist Olena Hubanova and cameraman Yevhen Karmazin died in the attack. Their colleague, journalist Oleksandr Kolychev, survived with mine-blast trauma, shrapnel wounds, and an open fracture.

Both journalists reported from their home region under Russian assault

Hubanova and Karmazin had been covering the war from the frontlines since its early days, Freedom reports.

Hubanova, 43, who used the professional name Alona Hramova, was originally from Yenakiieve in Donetsk Oblast, a city that had been occupied since 2014. Trained as a financier, she shifted to journalism after Russian aggression began.

"For me, the war began in 2014," she said in an interview, describing how she had moved to Kramatorsk, the city which spent over two months under occupation that year. The experience transformed her from a volunteer into a war correspondent. 

Karmazin, 33, was from Kramatorsk and had worked as a cameraman for the same channels since 2021. He leaves behind a son, wife, and parents. 

According to the Prosecutor's Office, both journalists "worked in the hottest spots of Donetsk Oblast" and "showed the world the truth about the war, civilian evacuation, and enemy crimes."

President Zelenskyy these are deliberate attacks on "independent voices"

President Zelenskyy also reacted to the incident and framed the attack as part of a deliberate pattern.

"Russia continues to attack journalists who cover its war against Ukraine, killing them and causing them injuries," he stated. "These are not accidents or mistakes, but Russia's deliberate strategy aimed at silencing all independent voices that tell the world about Russia's war crimes in Ukraine."

Russia killed French photojournalist earlier this month

The strike on Hubanova and Karmazin follows the 3 October death of French photojournalist Anthony Lallican, who was killed by a Russian FPV drone near Druzhkivka in Donetsk Oblast.

Lallican, a Parisian journalist who had covered conflict zones worldwide, arrived in Ukraine in March 2022 and had been documenting the war's impact on Donetsk Oblast residents. He and Ukrainian photojournalist Heorhiy Ivanchenko were both wearing body armor marked "PRESS" when the drone struck—Ivanchenko survived with injuries.

French President Emmanuel Macron expressed condolences to Lallican's family and colleagues "who, risking their lives, inform us and bear witness to the reality of war." 

Lallican was the third French journalist killed in Ukraine since the full-scale invasion.

A Lithuanian anesthesiologist and former health minister spent two and a half weeks in Ukraine's war zones this month, working as a volunteer medic and studying how to prepare Lithuania's health system for potential military threats.

Dr. Aurimas Pečkauskas worked in the eastern Donetsk Oblast near active combat and assisted with medical evacuations, Lithuanian news agency LRT reports.

He describes what Ukrainian medics do daily as "heroic routine"—work that Lithuania must learn from while there's still time.

His third trip to Ukraine came with a clear secondary purpose: learn what Lithuania's health system needs to survive a crisis.

"While Ukraine fights, we have time to prepare," Pečkauskas said. "It's our duty to learn from their experience, so that if necessary, we know what to do."

Each of Pečkauskas's three visits brought him closer to the fighting. His first visit occurred during his tenure as health minister, involving official tours of civilian facilities in Poltava, Lviv, and Kyiv, located relatively far away from the front line.

The second mission took him to Dnipro's Mechnikov Hospital in eastern Ukraine and involved work with TacMed Ukraine, an organization that evacuates wounded personnel from the front.

During his latest deployment, Pečkauskas worked alongside mobile surgical teams operating in close proximity to fighting. He described working in an operating room when three guided bombs struck nearby.

"The walls shake, generators automatically turn on, and the locals calmly state: 'Looks like a five-hundred KAB [aerial bomb] attack,'" he recounted, adding that hours later, four people arrived at reception after a drone strike in the city.

Working near the front brought unexpected clarity. "The closer to the front, the more peace there is," Pečkauskas said.

"The security instinct is never turned off, of course, but when you're there for a clear purpose—to help, to learn, to understand—there's no room left for everyday worries."

The mission involved exchange, not just assistance. Pečkauskas transported medical equipment from the Lithuanian Association of Anesthesiologists-Resuscitators and surgical instruments from Blue / Yellow non-governmental organization supporting Ukraine.

Lithuanian volunteers observed how Ukrainian teams organize patient flows, run evacuation systems, and manage frontline surgical operations.

Pečkauskas noted changes in the conflict's medical dimensions. Increased drone usage has complicated evacuations from certain areas, sometimes making them impossible. Patients who reach medical facilities often arrive in serious condition with contaminated wounds, blood loss, and hypothermia.

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Medical organizations and facilities are gradually relocating westward to safer areas. He cited one mobile surgical brigade that moved locations weeks before their previous site was bombed.

What drives someone to such missions? Pečkauskas cites both professional curiosity as an anesthesiologist-resuscitator and a sense of responsibility.

"Now is not the time to hide from a potential problem. There definitely won't be time to learn when that problem arrives."

Blue / Yellow Medical missions have created a cohort of several dozen Lithuanian medical professionals, nurses, hospital administrators, and health policy makers with direct exposure to war medicine. Pečkauskas argued these individuals could advise on crisis preparation for Lithuania's health system and would likely be consulted if extreme conditions required action.

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Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania plan mass evacuations in case of Russian attack – Reuters

Pečkauskas advocated for Finland's approach to national preparedness as a model.

"The Finns have been doing this for many years – without panic, without big slogans, just consistently preparing in all areas. We need the same," he stated.

He called for public discussion of these issues in rational rather than alarmist terms.