In Pokrovsk, Donetsk Oblast, urban battles are ongoing with enemy sabotage and reconnaissance groups that have infiltrated the city. Ukrainian defenders eliminated about 40 Russians on October 25-26.
The Cabinet of Ministers approved a draft law that will allow foreigners who fought for Ukraine to legally stay in the country for up to 6 months after their contract expires. It also provides for the inclusion of the period of military service in the period of residence and the receipt of an immigration quota for those who fought for at least 4 months or were in captivity.
The Ministry of Defense spoke about the Ukrainian national weapons brand ZBROYA, which will officially represent Ukraine at the international level.
The Ministry of Defense of Ukraine has launched a new digital function in the "Army+" application, which allows military personnel to submit an electronic report for changing their place of service between the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the National Guard of Ukraine. This innovation is the result of joint work of the Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed Law No. 4648-IX on increasing state budget expenditures for national security and defense by UAH 324.7 billion. The funds will be directed to the Armed Forces of Ukraine, weapons procurement, the National Guard, the State Special Communications Service, and other law enforcement agencies.
On October 18, a National Guard serviceman hit a 12-year-old boy on a pedestrian crossing in Kryvyi Rih, who died on the spot. The SBI detained the driver who ignored the red light.
Military ombudsman Olha Reshetylova coordinated the return of a veteran of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and a National Guardsman from captivity in Luhansk region. The National Guardsman was considered missing for over three years while being held in slavery.
Ukrainian military in Luhansk region conducted a complex special operation, freeing a veteran of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and a National Guardsman. Both had been held captive and enslaved in the temporarily occupied territory for over three years.
Ukrainian prisoners were sentenced to imprisonment for terms ranging from 15 to 21 years on charges of "terrorism" and "violent seizure of power. "
Military ombudswoman Olha Reshetylova reported numerous complaints about military personnel staying in positions for more than three months. She also noted that there is a shortage of personnel for full-fledged rotations, and her priority is to launch the office of the military ombudsman.
The so-called "court" of the terrorist "DPR" accused Azov fighter Yevhen Vintovkin of allegedly murdering a person for "pro-Russian views. "
Russia attacked civilian infrastructure in Odesa region with drones, causing a large-scale fire covering an area of over 5000 m² in warehouses. According to preliminary data, one person was injured.
Russian media are spreading disinformation about the redeployment of the NGU's "2nd Galician Brigade" to Sumy region to create "blocking detachments. " The Center for Countering Disinformation refutes this information, emphasizing that it is part of a campaign to discredit the Ukrainian Defense Forces.
The changes will come into force on January 16, 2026, and provide for simplified procedures for obtaining residence permits, extending the period of stay, and canceling certain certificates.
Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Syrskyi reported on the stabilization of the situation in Yampil, Donetsk region. Units of the Special Operations Forces, Ground Forces, and National Guard are conducting search operations to eliminate the remnants of enemy sabotage groups.
The Ministry of Defense is preparing to launch a new feature in the Army+ application, which will allow military personnel to submit electronic reports for changing their place of service between the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the National Guard. This procedure is provided for by the Government's decision of October 1 and will become effective soon after the publication of the changes.
The Security Service of Ukraine released an exclusive video of the prisoner exchange that took place on October 2. 185 servicemen and 20 civilians returned home, most of whom had been in captivity since 2022.
As part of the exchange between Russia and Ukraine, 185 military personnel and 20 civilians returned home. The youngest released is 26 years old, the oldest is 59 years old.
On October 2, Ukraine returned 185 defenders from Russian captivity, including defenders of Mariupol, Azovstal, and the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant. Among them are 183 privates and sergeants, two officers, and 20 civilians.
The Ukrainian government has decided to simplify the transfer of servicemen between the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the National Guard, compensate for the costs of returning wounded soldiers from abroad, and exempt from taxation the re-importation of components for weapons manufacturers.
Ukrainian special services prevented a series of terrorist attacks in Lviv, where the enemy tried to lure Ukrainian Armed Forces servicemen to the explosion site using fake female accounts. The SBU neutralized improvised explosive devices and secured Ukrainian defenders.
In Lviv, a 22-year-old man opened fire with a traumatic weapon on Svobody Avenue. He and three other participants in the fight were brought to administrative responsibility for hooliganism.
The National Guard captured a citizen of Belarus who fought for Russia, choosing war instead of prison. He fought for three days and voluntarily surrendered, expressing readiness to switch to Ukraine's side.
Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko visited Donetsk region, where she listened to reports on the operational situation and supply. She awarded servicemen of the National Guard, State Border Guard Service, National Police, and rescuers.
Minister of Internal Affairs Ihor Klymenko awarded Denys "Redis" Prokopenko with the Order of Bohdan Khmelnytsky, 2nd class. Azov corps units liberated 8 settlements in Donetsk region, eliminating almost 4,000 occupiers.
In Uman, during the celebration of the Jewish New Year, police seized substances resembling drugs and opened a pre-trial investigation. A ban on the sale and consumption of alcohol is in effect in the pilgrimage area, where a joint detachment of law enforcement officers, including Israeli police, is working.
The SBU notified Oleksiy Magomadov, a judge of the Southern District Military Court of the Russian Federation, of suspicion. He sentenced a captured soldier of the National Guard of Ukraine to 17 years in prison.
A 16-year-old boy, who disappeared a few days ago, was found unconscious on the territory of an abandoned building in Morshyn. The teenager has been hospitalized, his condition is assessed as serious.
As of the morning of September 20, over 23,000 pilgrims, including 3,500 children, have arrived in Uman to celebrate the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah. The interdepartmental headquarters operates around the clock, and the inspected shelters can accommodate only 13,500 people.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy heard reports from the military and the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Oleksandr Syrskyi, on the situation at the front. He reported successful counter-offensive actions in the Donetsk direction, particularly in the Pokrovsk and Dobropillia areas, where the Russians suffered significant losses.
