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 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.
Law enforcement officers in Zakarpattia have uncovered over 270 organizers of illegal border crossing schemes, with 174 indictments sent to court. The total amount of illicit gains exceeds 1.6 million US dollars.
On October 17, Donald Trump urged Volodymyr Zelenskyy to agree to Moscow's terms to end the war, citing Putin's threats to "destroy" Ukraine. Trump insisted on handing over control of Donbas and reiterated the Kremlin's arguments.
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.
On October 19, Russian troops attacked the Kherson region with artillery and drones. As a result of the shelling, a 71-year-old man was killed, and four more people were injured.
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.
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.
October 19, 2025, marked the 1334th day of the full-scale armed aggression. Over the past day, 223 combat engagements were recorded, the occupiers launched 1 missile and 84 air strikes, used 6343 kamikaze drones, and carried out 5114 shelling attacks.
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.
The Kremlin is launching a program to colonize the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine, replacing the local population with Russians from the deep regions of the Russian Federation. This is a legalization of population replacement and Russification, displacing locals and settling "new Russians."
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.
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.
Since the beginning of 2025, 47,046 proceedings for violations of military registration rules have been registered in Ukraine, of which 14,454 have already been completed. Kyiv and Sumy Oblast became leaders in the number of cases, with the majority of those fined being men aged 25 to 45.
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.
The occupiers shelled UN OCHA trucks in the Bilozerka community of Kherson region. One vehicle burned down, another was seriously damaged, but there were no casualties.
In the first nine months of 2025, foreigners registered 1,648 sole proprietorships in Ukraine. The most active were citizens of Azerbaijan, Russia, and Uzbekistan, with Russians most often ceasing operations.
The 'United Russia' party continues to transport Ukrainian children from the temporarily occupied territories of the Kherson region to Novorossiysk. The CNS urges parents in the temporarily occupied territories not to allow the occupiers to take their children, as each such trip 'can become a one-way journey.'
The occupation government of Kherson region has introduced subsidies to support potato and vegetable production, but the money will only go to those who work according to Kremlin schemes. Farmers are forced to sell their harvest for a pittance to shell companies that export products to Russia.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced the restoration of electricity supply for 725,000 families after Russian shelling. Water supply has been almost restored in Kyiv, and work is ongoing in Kirovohrad region.
The head of the Ivanivka village military administration of the Henichesk district, Kherson region, has been notified of suspicion of extorting and receiving over UAH 930,000. Officials systematically demanded and received undue benefits from subordinate employees, threatening to deprive them of bonuses.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy commented on Russia's night attack with over 450 drones and 30 missiles, which caused power outages in 9 regions and Kyiv. As a result of the attack, a child was killed and over 20 people were injured.
An exhibition titled "One Book Reading Room" has been opened at Kyiv's Central Railway Station, dedicated to the publication "People in Their Place. " The collection describes 60 stories of Ukrainian men and women who maintain their humanity despite the challenges of war.
A Ukrainian family with an 8-year-old girl and a 14-year-old boy, who had a chronic illness, has been evacuated from occupied Kherson Oblast. The teenager could not receive the necessary medical care in the occupied territory, and the girl spent almost half of her life in fear of the occupiers.
Following the eighteenth wave of the "Own Business" program in 2025, 344 entrepreneurs will receive almost UAH 99 million in financial support, creating 549 new jobs. In total, since 2022, over 29,000 microgrants have been provided, creating almost 53,000 jobs.
The Government of the Republic of Korea and UNDP handed over nine vehicles worth $555,000 to Ukraine. They will help communities in Sumy, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson regions provide essential services to local residents.
Former adviser to the Office of the President of Ukraine, Oleksiy Arestovych, has been declared internationally wanted for the second time in Russia on charges of terrorism and spreading fakes about the Russian army. He was also added to the list of terrorists and extremists, and two criminal cases have been opened against him in Ukraine.
On the morning of October 6, Russian occupiers shelled Stepanivka, Kherson region. Three girls aged 2, 12, and 16 sustained mine-blast injuries and acute stress reactions; their condition is stable.
The "ATESH" movement announced a successful act of sabotage near Verkhniy Tokmak, blowing up a relay cabinet. This blocked the movement of military trains carrying equipment, ammunition, and personnel of the occupiers.
