More than half of Ukrainian enterprises plan to raise salaries within the next 12 months, with the highest expectations in agriculture and large companies. At the same time, 80% of businesses indicate war as the main limiting factor for doing business and production.
Specialists at the Shalimov Center successfully performed an operation, removing shrapnel from the body of 41-year-old defender Oleksandr, who was wounded by a mortar. Thanks to a medical magnet, a 5x2x3 cm fragment was removed, preventing damage to internal organs.
Ukraine's Foreign Intelligence Service reported that Russia risks losing control over 40% of its territory due to the increasing influence of China and North Korea in the Far East. Moscow is paying off its allies in the war against Ukraine with territories, lacking the resources to develop the Far Eastern Federal District.
A number of individuals involved in receiving undue benefits and abusing their official position have been detained and notified of suspicion.
Russian invaders have changed their tactics of striking Ukraine's energy infrastructure; now their main targets are distribution substations. This has led to the introduction of electricity blackout schedules in some regions.
At the meeting of the Contact Group on Ukraine's Defense, agreements were reached on new contributions totaling at least $422 million to the PURL initiative. Also, $715 million was declared for procurement from the Ukrainian industry and additional military assistance from allies.
Ahead of October, Naftogaz accumulated $2. 5 billion for gas purchases, of which $1.5 billion was provided by partners. Europeans also provided Ukraine with a credit guarantee, which is a historic event.
Natalia Boyko, Deputy Head of the Supervisory Board of NJSC Naftogaz, stated that gas consumption in Ukraine is growing daily, urging Ukrainians to review their household habits. She emphasized that the heating season will be difficult, and gas consumption has increased by 20% since the beginning of the week.
Felix Zinchenko, head of DTEK's communications department, emphasized that emergency power outages in a number of regions are a consequence of Russian attacks on energy facilities.
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.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz will urge the EU to use frozen Russian assets to provide Ukraine with a loan of 140 billion euros. This funding is intended to support Ukraine's war efforts.
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.
Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Heorhiy Tykhyi, announced that Ukraine has appealed to Swiss law enforcement. They are to investigate the incident involving a Russian-speaking man threatening a Ukrainian-speaking family on a train.
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.
During the night, Russia attacked Ukraine with 37 missiles and 320 drones; 283 UAVs and 5 Kh-59 missiles were neutralized. Another 18 missiles were lost, with the main strike targeting Poltava and Kharkiv regions.
Vitaliy Hryshchenko, deputy director of the Kaniv Nature Reserve, urged not to rush to rescue storks that have stayed for the winter, as they may be healthy. Help is only needed for injured birds, but it is important to know how to provide it correctly.
Russia launched its sixth massive attack on Ukraine's gas infrastructure with missiles and drones overnight since October, resulting in four specialists being wounded and critical facilities being shut down. Naftogaz urges Ukrainians to conserve gas.
Due to enemy night attacks on energy facilities, emergency power outages are in effect in 10 regions of Ukraine and Kyiv, and another region is on schedule. Ukrenergo urges not to turn on several powerful electrical appliances simultaneously due to high consumption.
Russia again attacked Ukraine, launching over 300 attack drones and 37 missiles, including at energy and civilian infrastructure. President Zelenskyy called for increased pressure on Russia, emphasizing the need for long-range weapons and sanctions.
NABU detectives, who were supposed to fight corruption, found themselves at the epicenter of corruption scandals and accusations of raiding. One striking example is the case against businessman Fedorychev, as an attempt to seize terminals in the port of "Pivdennyi."
The Main Intelligence Directorate has published information on 139 marine vessels and 142 captains involved in the illegal transportation of sanctioned oil and stolen grain.
US President Donald Trump is initiating the creation of a fund to support Ukraine, which will be financed by increased tariffs on imports from China. He has instructed US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to discuss this plan with European allies.
As a result of the enemy's night attack on October 16, the operation of DTEK Naftogaz gas production facilities in the Poltava region was stopped. Air raid alerts were declared throughout Ukraine due to the takeoff of Russian MiG-31K aircraft.
The EU Council discussed the future defense readiness roadmap, which will define goals and objectives until 2030. The document will be adopted on October 16 and presented on October 23, 2025.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte announced that 17 NATO member countries have joined the PURL program, which allows the supply of American weapons to Ukraine. Initially, there were six countries, but after a meeting with Ukrainian Defense Minister Denys Shmyhal, their number increased to 17.
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 has set the official dollar exchange rate for October 16 at 41. 76 hryvnias, which is one kopeck more than on Wednesday. The official euro exchange rate is 48.53 hryvnias.
Russian troops suffered significant losses on October 15, losing 1080 soldiers and 416 UAVs. The total combat losses of the enemy from 24.02.22 to 16.10.25 reached 1,127,300 personnel.
On October 16, cloudy weather with clearings and no precipitation is expected in most of Ukraine. The air temperature will be 7-12°C, in Kyiv - 9-11°C.
The transfer of Tomahawk missiles by the US will not lead to a significant escalation of the war, but will be a symmetrical response to Russia's use of long-range cruise missiles. This will allow Ukraine to inflict damage on key Russian military facilities.
