On October 20, the Russian government commission approved the initiative of the Ministry of Construction, which allows recognizing "ownerless property" as state property in the occupied regions of Ukraine. This applies to apartments, houses, and premises whose owners allegedly cannot be identified, and now such objects will be transferred to occupation administrations or new residents.
In the occupied territories of Donetsk region, there is an acute shortage of gasoline, causing multi-hour queues at gas stations. The deficit is linked to Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil refineries.
Ukrainian airborne assault troops liberated Kucheriv Yar in Donetsk region, taking over 50 enemy servicemen prisoner. After the battle, the paratroopers raised the state flag of Ukraine in the village.
The Prosecutor General's Office has sent indictments against 12 senators of the Federation Council of the Russian Federation to court. They are accused of complicity in waging an aggressive war and encroaching on the territorial integrity of Ukraine.
Russia launched 28 missiles and 405 drones at Ukraine overnight; 16 missiles and 333 drones were neutralized. 12 direct hits were recorded missiles and 55 attack drones at 26 locations.
The heating season has already started in many regions of Ukraine, with Rivne region being the first to "turn on the heating". Some frontline regions are still preparing for heat supply.
Former heads of the Main Department of the State Tax Service in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast will be prosecuted. They are accused of causing damage to the state of over UAH 56 million through VAT schemes organized in 2020–2023.
In eastern Ukraine, particularly in Kharkiv, Donetsk, and Luhansk regions, frosts down to 0-3 °C are expected on the night of October 23. The State Emergency Service has declared the second level of danger, urging citizens to be careful.
During a meeting with Zelenskyy in Washington, US President Donald Trump stated that his priority is to end the war. He also made it clear that he is not interested in any specific territorial outcome.
On October 21, cloudy weather with rain is forecast in Ukraine in the east. Night frosts down to -5°C are expected in the west, and daytime temperatures will reach +9…+15°C.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that during his meeting with Donald Trump, conditions for territorial exchange were not discussed, but it is clear that a poor territorial solution could lead to other issues being resolved without Kyiv. He also noted that Russians are afraid of the decision to supply Ukraine with long-range weapons.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that the Russians' position on Donbas has not changed: they demand that Ukraine cede the Donetsk and Luhansk regions. Zelenskyy emphasized that the so-called "referendum" was illegal, and Russia's demands are far from reality.
Russia launched new strikes on energy facilities in Chernihiv and Donetsk regions, leading to power outages for a significant number of consumers in Chernihiv region. Ukraine maintains a high level of electricity consumption, with restrictions in place for industrial consumers in all regions.
Russian forces have concentrated for a large-scale combined strike on Ukraine, which could occur within 48-72 hours. The main target will likely be energy and gas infrastructure.
Donald Trump believes that Vladimir Putin will not stop the war without obtaining Ukrainian territories, claiming that he has already gained some land. Putin sees the war as his “historic mission” and may agree to return Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions in exchange for full control over Donetsk region.
Ukrainian forces are repelling massive assaults in Donetsk and Kharkiv regions, having repelled 76 combat engagements in the past day as of 4:00 PM on October 19, 2025. Russian forces are actively using aviation and artillery, attempting to break through Ukrainian defenses.
Russian dictator Vladimir Putin does not want to end the war in Ukraine, as he is confident of his victory and views the conflict as a "historic mission. " He believes he has the upper hand on the battlefield and is willing to ignore the destruction of the Russian economy.
US President Donald Trump's envoy, Steve Witkoff, pressured the Ukrainian delegation to cede the Donetsk region to the Russians, arguing that the population was Russian-speaking. This happened during a meeting on Friday, according to The Washington Post.
Russian occupiers have made territorial gains near Novoivanivka, Torske, and in Pokrovsk. This became known after the combat map was updated by the DeepState monitoring project on October 18.
The Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin, during a conversation with Donald Trump, made it clear that he could agree to return the occupied territories of Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions to Ukraine. As a condition for ending the war, he demands full control over the Donetsk region.
Based on SBU materials, three Russian agents were sentenced to long prison terms. They adjusted enemy fire in the north and east of the country, transmitting data about the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
On October 17, an active cyclone from the northwest will bring rains to most regions of Ukraine, with the exception of the southeastern regions. On Saturday, October 18, a drop in temperature is expected in the west and rains in Kyiv.
Russian troops attacked energy facilities in Dnipropetrovsk, Kirovohrad, Sumy, and Donetsk regions. As a result, power limitation schedules for industrial consumers are applied in all regions of Ukraine from 07:00 to 22:00.
The number of civilian casualties in Ukraine increased by 31% in the first nine months of 2025 compared to the same period last year. In September 2025, 214 civilians were killed and 916 were injured, with 69% of the casualties occurring in frontline areas.
Donetsk Oblast State Emergency Service specialists pulled a dog from under a pile of bricks after an airstrike on the private sector of Dobropillia. The animal was handed over to its owners, who recognized it as their beloved pet.
The Defense Forces of Ukraine liberated 182. 8 sq km of the territory of Pokrovsk district of Donetsk region and cleared 230.1 sq km from sabotage and reconnaissance groups. During the operation, from August 21, 2025, 13,945 Russian occupiers and 1,289 units of enemy equipment were neutralized.
Emergency shutdown schedules have been applied in all regions of Ukraine, except for Donetsk and parts of Chernihiv regions. These are the consequences of Russian attacks on energy infrastructure.
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine confirmed a repeated strike on the oil terminal in Feodosia, damaging 16 fuel tanks. A radar station in Krasna Polyana, a drone control point in Oleshky, and an ammunition depot in the Makiivka area were also hit.
DTEK announced the cancellation of emergency power outages in the Kyiv region. Earlier, Ukrenergo introduced them in Brovary, Obukhiv, and Boryspil districts.
Ukrenergo has introduced emergency power outages in Brovary, Obukhiv, and Boryspil districts of Kyiv region. In Sumy, Dnipro, Kirovohrad, and Donetsk regions, emergency shutdown schedules are in effect.
