The Kyiv Independent [unofficial]
Russia’s war against Ukraine
A woman is pictured lookin at a house been damaged by a Russian attack for the third time in Dnipro on Oct. 22, 2026. (Mykola Miakshykov/Ukrinform/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Kyiv denies reports that Trump, Musk have restored Starlink speeds in Ukraine. “Overall, nothing has changed anywhere,” a Ukrainian official told the Kyiv Independent on Oct. 22. Starlink’s speed cap of 161 kilometers per hour remains in effect, the official said.
Amid Starlink crisis, Finnish tech giants announce plan to help Ukraine build its own sovereign satellite system. “Ukraine needs secure, sovereign, and high-performance satellite communications systems that it controls,” ICEYE CEO Rafal Modrzewski said in a press release announcing the deal with Kyiv.
Ukrainian troops infiltrate Russian rear through gas pipelines near Kupiansk, Khartiia says. The corps said more than 30 Russian soldiers were captured during the operation and Russian forces suffered more than 100 casualties.
Ukrainian partisans claim sabotage of military communications near major Moscow data center. “We are disabling the enemy’s channels, disrupting command and control, and helping UAVs reach their targets,” Atesh said.
Ukraine strikes Russian electronic warfare station, General Staff says. The electronic warfare station was hit near the village of Gulevka in Russia’s Bryansk Oblast. According to the General Staff, targeting Russian electronic warfare systems improves Ukraine’s ability to effectively deploy drones.
Ukraine to gain access to NATO procurement system for weapons, ammunition, Financial Times says. The arrangement might allow Ukraine to use NATO’s existing procurement system and supplier network rather than negotiating each purchase independently.
Ukrainian military intelligence reveals new Russian cruise missile ‘Filin.’ Some parts of the missile are apparently 3-D printed, HUR said, while the electronic component stands out for the increased share of Chinese components.
Rosneft admits losses from Ukraine’s refinery strikes becoming unsustainable, Bloomberg reports. Officials at Rosneft have privately voiced concerns that even a few more months of Ukraine’s continued attacks could lead to lasting damage for the company.
Helsinki announces over $336 million for Ukraine to boost energy system, satellite development as Finnish PM visits Kyiv. “The main purpose of the visit is to show Finland’s strong support for Ukraine as the war of aggression continues and the country prepares for the winter,” the Finnish government said.
Read our exclusives
Ukraine war latest: Ukrainian troops infiltrate Russian rear near Kupiansk through 15 kilometers of gas pipelines
Ukrainian troops infiltrated the rear of Russian forces near Kupiansk in Kharkiv Oblast after moving about 15 kilometers (9 miles) through underground gas pipelines, Ukraine’s National Guard’s 2nd Khartiia Corps said on Oct. 22.
Photo: Khartiia Brigade/Telegram
Just hours after being bombed, we asked people in Kyiv about Witkoff’s praise of Putin
On Oct. 21, U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff gushingly praised Russian President Vladimir Putin for being a “humanitarian.” Just a few hours later, Kyiv once again came under a fresh barrage of devastating Russian missiles, killing at least one person and injuring over 20.
Photo: Diego Fedele / Getty Images
Inside Ukraine’s secret counteroffensive in heavily fortified Donbas
KHARKIV OBLAST — Ukrainian soldier Oleksandr had already narrowly survived crossing a mine-strewn field and a river in the crosshairs of Russian artillery when the swarm of first-person-view (FPV) drones began hunting him.
Photo: Lisa Bukreyeva / The Kyiv Independent
Inside the institution where Ukraine races to counter Russia’s evolving drones
In a government office, researchers of drones and electronic warfare gather around a small metal device recovered from a Russian Geran drone. Its purpose — to measure the Earth’s magnetic field for navigation.
Photo: Kostiantyn Liberov / Libkos / Getty Images
Human costs of war
Russian attacks kill at least 9, injure 57 across Ukraine as Kyiv hit by mass missile, drone attack. Russian forces launched a mass combined attack overnight with Iskander-M, S-400, Zircon, and Onyx missiles, as well as 210 drones of various types, including 110 jet-powered drones, the Air Force reported.
Ukraine repatriates 252 bodies that Russia claims belong to Ukrainian soldiers. During previous repatriations, Russia at times returned the bodies of its own soldiers to Kyiv, with Ukrainian officials alleging the practice may have been aimed at avoiding compensation payments to Russian families or reflected a “negligent attitude toward their own people.”
Russia intensifies pressure on occupied Ukrainians without Russian passports, military intelligence says. Ukrainians without Russian passports are classified by Russian occupation authorities as “foreign citizens” and subjected to Russian migration law, HUR said.
Opinions and insights
What Russians are told — and not told — about Ukrainian strikes
On the night of Sept. 12, Ukrainian drones attacked Taganrog. Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) reported hits on an FPV drone production facility, two drone storage sites, a Pantsir air defense system, and a radar.
Photo: AFP via Getty Images
In war between Russia and Ukraine, United States is first to surrender, but Americans still stand with Ukraine
Got an opinion on anything you’ve read in the Kyiv Independent? Send it to letters@kyivindependent.com — your letter may appear in our Letters section.
Photo: Scott Olson/Getty Images
Stephen Hubbard’s son: ‘It’s tragic when family members are torn apart’ by Russian captivity
For years, Father Joseph Coleman had little ability to influence what happened to his father, Stephen Hubbard, an American retiree imprisoned in Russia after being captured in Izium, a city in Ukraine’s Kharkiv Oblast occupied by Russian forces in 2022.
Photo: @SEPeaceMissions / X
On Borrowed Time: Ukraine’s Economy in the War’s Fifth Winter – KI Insights monthly briefing
Stay ahead of the curve with expert insights tailored for organizations operating in Ukraine. Sign up now at insights.kyivindependent.com and get the first month for free.
Photo: The Kyiv Independent
International response
Germany arrests Ukrainian national suspected of spying for Russia. The suspect allegedly collected relevant information in connection with Russia’s war against Ukraine, including on the production of armored vehicles, ammunition, and explosives, as well as on military personnel and facilities on NATO’s eastern flank.
EU responds to Trump diesel deal with new Russia energy sanctions. A key focus of the latest proposed sanctions listings is Russia’s oil processing, refining, and exporting capacity, with 31 listings spanning the breadth of Russia, from St. Petersburg to Sakhalin.
Russian disinformation campaign targets pro-Ukraine candidates ahead of midterms, lawmakers say. Russia is running a covert online disinformation campaign targeting U.S. politicians who support Ukraine, two Democratic lawmakers said on Oct. 21.
In other news
Ukraine’s court eases restrictions on ex-minister charged in major corruption case. Ukraine’s High Anti-Corruption Court extended the other obligations of Herman Halushchenko, a former justice minister implicated in a major graft case, for two months.
Russia sentences 77-year-old Crimean activist to 18 years over alleged plot against Moscow’s proxy. “Volodymyr Ananiev is the oldest Crimean political prisoner. He suffers from vision problems and issues with his spine, muscles, kidneys, and legs, and walks with a cane,” the Crimean Tatar Resource Center said.
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