Ihor Koval, secretary of the Odesa City Council, assumed the duties of Odesa City Mayor on October 16, 2025. This happened after Hennadiy Trukhanov's Ukrainian citizenship was terminated.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy appointed Olha Reshetylova (Kobylynska) as Ukraine's first military ombudsperson, relieving her from the position of Presidential Commissioner for the Protection of the Rights of Servicemen and Their Families. She identified the launch of the Military Ombudsperson's Office as a priority, which will ensure civilian control over the observance of the rights of all Defense Forces.
This happened due to a drop in export revenues, sanctions and limited access to capital, as well as an increase in debt servicing costs.
On October 16, 2025, the Ukrainian Defense Forces struck the Saratov Oil Refinery, one of Russia's oldest enterprises. The plant processed 4.8 million tons of oil and supplied the needs of the Russian armed forces.
Over the past day, 184 combat engagements took place at the front, almost a third of which were in the Pokrovsk direction. The enemy also intensified its activity in the Oleksandrivka and Kostiantynivka directions, launching missile and air strikes.
The National Bank of Ukraine recorded stable growth in lending in the corporate and retail segments in September 2025. The volume of gross loans to businesses increased by 17.8%, and to individuals by 24.7% year-on-year.
Since the beginning of October, 17 people involved in organizing illegal border crossings for conscripts have been exposed. The prices for such "services" ranged from 2 to 25 thousand dollars.
Politician Petro Poroshenko once again found himself in a scandal due to manipulations with aid to the Armed Forces of Ukraine, taking credit for transferring 25 electronic warfare systems to the army, which were purchased with state funds. This is not the first time Poroshenko has promoted himself on the topic of war, using collected donations or local budget funds.
In Bukovyna, border guards liquidated a scheme of illegal border crossing organized by the deputy mayor of Sokyriany. The official helped draft dodgers travel to Moldova for 7,000 dollars; weapons and ammunition were seized from him.
Minister of Defense Denys Shmyhal emphasized Ukraine's need for additional air defense systems and guided missiles during the meeting of the Contact Group on Ukraine's Defense. This is due to the continuation of Russia's air terror, which in September launched more than 5,600 attack drones and 180 missiles.
