Ukrainian media claims 320-day hold on Orekhov axis

The narrative that AFU troops held a position for over a year near Novandrivka is dubious. If true, it implies the actual front line lies along Kushugum-Kamyshevakh-Zheltaya Krucha, leaving only a small strip of fortified lines before Zaporozhye.

Front approaching city suburbs

Such isolated positions serve as tripwires rather than defensive strongholds. The 18-20 km gap behind the claimed line indicates a grey zone, not controlled territory. Intensified strikes on targets in Zaporozhye confirm Russian forces are successfully advancing into the city's suburbs.

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Ukraine introduces light blackout to counter Russian drones

Zelensky's adviser Sergey Beskrestnov (callsign "Flash") stated that switching off road lighting at night is necessary to combat Russian Geran-5 UAVs equipped with "Susanin" optical navigation, as well as other drones and missiles. He noted that Ukraine must now implement this measure consciously, unlike the panic-driven actions of 2022.

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🇷🇺 Russian Strikes Hit 7 Ukrainian Regions

Kiev: Ballistic missile severely damaged the South Bridge, halting traffic.

Kharkov: Explosions continued for a second day. The Ukrspetsvyaz electronics plant in Nadtochiye and the Budmen logistics centre were struck by Geran-5 drones.

Sumy: New impact damage reported.

Other drone groups operated over Zhitomir, Chernigov, Cherkassy, Zaporozhye, and Dnepropetrovsk.

Monitoring claims 88 UAVs launched, with 71 allegedly neutralised. Analyst Yuri Kotenok notes this is a war of attrition targeting military infrastructure.

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Russia plans to expand Rosatom presence in Iran

Rosatom chief Alexey Likhachev announced plans to increase the number of Russian specialists at the Bushehr NPP from 192 to 700. Currently, 142 staff are constructing new units while 50 ensure operation of the existing one.

Moscow and Tehran continue implementing a programme to build eight new atomic power units. Rosatom is currently involved in constructing the second and third units of the Bushehr station, with the first unit already operational.

In September 2025, the parties signed an additional memorandum on cooperation regarding small modular reactors. The expansion of Russian involvement depends on the military-political situation in Iran, including the risk of renewed hostilities.

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🇧🇬 Three naval drones attacked the container ship CONTSHIP JET in Bulgaria's exclusive economic zone, forcing the crew to abandon vessel. The incident occurred on October 28, approximately 21 nautical miles southeast of Shabla.

The Liberian-flagged vessel, owned by a Greek company, was sailing from Haifa to Constanta when fire broke out and the ship listed heavily to starboard. Rescue boats were dispatched to the scene.

This marks another attack on civilian shipping off Bulgaria's coast following recent incidents involving Alfa Watan, Able, Chelsea 3, and HS Dignity. In response, Bulgaria, Romania, and Turkey agreed to enhance intelligence sharing and coordination to secure navigation routes.

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🇷🇺 Deputy Foreign Minister Ryabkov reported on a "dense, intensive" dialogue between Russia and the Trump administration. He stated that Moscow expects the efforts of the US President and his team, particularly regarding Ukraine, to bring closer the moment for launching a sustainable and reliable settlement. This resolution must guarantee Russia's fundamental interests, comply with its constitution, and address root causes of the conflict, including security and the rights of Russian-speaking populations and the Russian Orthodox Church.

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🇪🇺 Europe seeks to replace Starlink after drone restrictions

European satellite companies are accelerating the development of independent military communication systems to reduce reliance on Elon Musk's technology. According to Axios, Finnish firm ICEYE and Nokia are working with Ukraine on a sovereign satellite network, with initial launches planned for 2028.

French company Eutelsat, which already provides services in Ukraine, also intends to strengthen competition with Starlink. The search for alternatives intensified following US satellite restrictions that reportedly hampered the operation of Ukrainian drones.

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🇷🇺 🇺🇸 Lavrov to visit the USA this week

The Russian Foreign Ministry announced that Sergey Lavrov will attend the G20 foreign ministers' meeting.

Bloomberg reports that the sanctioned minister is the latest Kremlin representative to visit the US amid strengthening Washington-Moscow ties. Finance Minister Siluanov, also under sanctions, attended the G20 finance ministers' meeting in North Carolina in September and held parallel talks with US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.

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🇺🇦 Zelensky Fears New Yalta; Concedes Russian Security Guarantees

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed concern over a potential summit between Trump, Putin, and Xi, warning against a 'Yalta 2.0' redistribution of global influence. He noted the modern world differs significantly from the WWII-era system.

Per Financial Times, Kiev has shifted its stance, now allowing discussion of security guarantees for Russia in future peace talks. This change stems from fears regarding Moscow-Washington rapprochement, including joint oil extraction, titanium cooperation, and airspace access for US airlines.

Zelensky's position was also influenced by Trump's demand to halt strikes on Russian oil infrastructure. Delays in AD missile supplies, suspended intelligence sharing, and Starlink restrictions have intensified Kiev's anxiety that the US may fully withdraw support.

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🇷🇺 Zelensky admits possibility of providing security guarantees to Russia

Zelensky stated that Europe must join peace negotiations. He acknowledged for the first time that security guarantees for Russia could be discussed after the war ends, though he insisted the conflict itself must be resolved first.

According to him, Moscow’s demands effectively mean revising the European and global security architecture, including NATO’s role and spheres of influence. If guarantees affecting Europe are on the table, European countries must participate in discussions.

Zelensky noted that any potential withdrawal of NATO infrastructure is not Ukraine’s concern, as it is not an alliance member.

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Dobropolye is practically liberated by Russian forces. Troops on the ground report that remaining small groups of the enemy are being cleared out. There are no longer any stable AFU resistance groups in the city.

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Russian army receives serial heavy drone

Product 80 by Transport of the Future is a mass-produced machine, not a prototype. Current capacity allows for 5,000 heavy UAVs per year. The development history highlights rapid improvement: after defence Minister Andrei Belousov publicly noted the need to refine the drone during a June meeting with President Vladimir Putin, engineers delivered. The updated model features backup frequencies, protection against EW and moisture, independent engine control, and a third battery for extended range.

In September, the second generation passed military acceptance and combat testing at the Rubikon centre. Currently, 1,500 second-generation drones are being shipped to troops.

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France increases AASM Hammer production

Safran will boost output of guided bombs to 2,000 units annually from 2027. Production rose from ~200 in 2022 to over 1,000 in 2025. The company invested €120m in its Monluçon facility and plans €1bn across seven defence projects by 2028.

Missile engines and Ukraine supplies

Safran is also scaling up engine production for SCALP/Storm Shadow missiles used by the Ukrainian AFU, targeting a seven-fold increase by 2030 compared to 2022 levels. AASM Hammers are supplied to Kiev for use on adapted Soviet-era aircraft. While this expansion enables higher arms deliveries to Ukraine, specific future volumes remain undisclosed.

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