The Kyiv Independent [unofficial]
Russia’s war against Ukraine
Ukrainian rescuers clear fallen trees near a destroyed car on a road in Kyiv on Oct. 27, 2026, following a Russian missile strike. (Genya Savilov / AFP via Getty Images)
Exclusive: Russia significantly expands glide-bomb production, research shows. “Russia is building the military-industrial capacity to continue waging wars even after the war in Ukraine ends. These are not the actions of a country preparing for lasting peace,” Oleksandr Danylyuk, chairman of the Center for Defense Reforms and former chief adviser to Ukraine’s defense minister, told the Kyiv Independent.
Russian ballistic missiles hit Kyiv university, medical centers, major bridge — 1 dead, 14 injured. Russia launched two waves of ballistic missiles at the capital overnight, targeting a major bridge, metro stations, and other civilian infrastructure.
Kyiv, Chisinau sign military-technical cooperation deal as Moldovan PM visits Kyiv. “The agreement opens the way for an exchange of experience,” Prime Minister Serhii Koretskyi said.
Ukrainian strike reportedly damages chemical plant in Russia’s Voronezh. Voronezh Oblast Governor Aleksandr Gusev claimed that Russia had downed 113 Ukrainian drones over Voronezh and several districts of the region overnight and this morning, with over 70 of them heading toward the regional capital.
Volunteer urges residents to leave Oleshky in evacuation, as town may face greater destruction. “The worst thing would be if the whole world came to believe that everyone had been evacuated from Oleshky, whilst (people) were still there. And (they) would simply be forgotten,” evacuation volunteer Kseniia Arkhipova said.
Local ceasefire in besieged Oleshky begins, Ukrainian, Russian officials say. A ceasefire to allow humanitarian aid to enter the Russian occupied city began as Russian forces launched ballistic missiles at other parts of Ukraine.
Ukraine strikes Russian plant producing missile, bomb batteries in Yelets, General Staff says. A fire broke out on the territory of the Energia plant following the attack, the General Staff said, without specifying the extent of the damage.
Ukraine reportedly strikes Russian ammunition depot in occupied Luhansk Oblast. Ukraine used strike drones in an attack that took several hours near the city of Khrustalnyi, according to Ukrainian monitoring channel Exilenova Plus.
Russian ministry recommends underground data centers following Ukrainian drone strikes. Existing data centers should be protected by reducing their visibility from the air, and through layered defense systems including reinforced structures, electronic warfare measures, and drone defense systems.
Read our exclusives
No, Elon Musk, Russian soldiers in Ukraine are not ‘kids’ who have ‘no choice but to fight and die’
The misconception that Russian soldiers are forced to fight against their will in Ukraine is one that has consistently reached the most powerful men in the United States.
Photo: Roman Pilipey / AFP via Getty Images
With Kyiv’s air defense crews as they race to keep up with Russia’s jet-powered drones
Defending Kyiv requires a layered system of air defenses, from sophisticated missile systems and fighter jets, to mobile machine-gun and interceptor-drone units.
Photo: Jakub Laichter / The Kyiv Independent
How Ukraine’s annual radio dictation brings a nation together, one word at a time
Organized by Ukrainian Radio, the annual Radio Dictation celebrates the Day of Ukrainian Writing and Language, bringing participants together to transcribe a text broadcast live across multiple platforms. Those who wish to have their work assessed can submit it for professional review.
Photo: Viacheslav Onyshchenko/Getty Images
Vucic swept aside in Serbian elections. Can Belgrade break free from Russia’s orbit?
Belgrade erupted in celebration on Sunday night as Serbia’s Gen Z-led protest movement transformed nearly two years of anti-corruption demonstrations into an electoral victory over the political establishment of former President Aleksandar Vucic, who had held power for 14 years.
Photo: Pierre Crom/Getty Images
Human costs of war
Death toll from Russian attack on park in Kharkiv Oblast on Oct. 19 rises to 6 after child dies in hospital. Artem Koval suffered severe injuries in the drone strike and was taken to hospital. Despite a week of efforts to save him, doctors were unable to overcome his life-threatening injuries, the Vodolaha Village Council said.
Russian attacks across Ukraine kill 2, injure 35 over past day, as repeated strikes hit Zaporizhzhia. Russian forces attacked Ukraine with a Kh-31P anti-radar missile, three Kh-59/69 guided air-to-ground (air-to-surface) missiles, and 140 attack drones overnight, the Air Force said.
Ukrainian forces evacuate 2 severely wounded soldiers from battlefield using drone, video shows. The two soldiers, 25-year-old Yevhen, call sign “Izium,” and 24-year-old Artem, call sign “Kolobok,” had suffered severe limb injuries and were stranded in a contested area about 5 kilometers (3 miles) from the Russian border.
Opinions and insights
Musk’s meddling in Ukraine’s Starlink is a warning to every country relying on private tech
“The very fact that modern warfare depends so heavily on technologies such as Starlink, vesting so much power in private hands, should prompt a rethink in capitals around the world, particularly those whose own security may be compromised,” writes Cory Alpert, a researcher at the University of Melbourne.
Photo: Kent Nishimura/AFP via Getty Images
International response
US holding up air defense missiles for Ukraine for nearly a month, Zelensky says. A senior Ukrainian official previously told the Kyiv Independent that the batch awaiting U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s approval was “significant.”
Kyiv’s Brussels blunder leaves EU scrambling over phantom Zelensky visit. President Zelensky’s planned Oct. 26 trip to Brussels descended into a diplomatic guessing game, with conflicting signals from his own team leaving EU and NATO officials scrambling to establish whether he was coming — and who was supposed to meet him.
NATO Brigade in Latvia launches ‘most extensive’ deployment exercises, Latvian army says. The Resolute Reforger 2026 exercises, scheduled from Oct. 26 to Nov. 2, will involve about 3,000 soldiers and 1,000 units of equipment, moving on roads and railways, according to the Latvian army.
Polish city halts ties with Lviv amid dispute over UPA commemorations. The move adds to tensions between the two countries after Lviv’s council adopted decrees on Oct. 20 symbolically declaring 2027 as the Year of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA) and its military leader Romam Shukhevych.
Russian sabotage network behind Romanian arson attack, officials say. The attack is “part of a larger campaign of sabotage operations attributed to the Russian Federation in Europe,” according to the Romanian Intelligence Service.
New report tracks how Russia helps China build better drones. The investigation found that Russian designs for rocket-launched drones likely helped shape weapons China unveiled in 2025 and that Russian wind tunnels kept testing aircraft models for China’s top arms maker after the invasion of Ukraine.
Inside Ukraine’s secret counteroffensive in Donbas
In other news
Most Ukrainians see anti-corruption progress despite scandals, poll finds. While 55% pointed to genuine efforts to tackle corruption, 41% said Ukraine was “hopelessly corrupt,” a poll by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS) found.
Ukraine adopts EU-linked law giving veterans priority in government hiring. The law fulfills Ukraine’s commitments under the Ukraine Facility, an EU financial assistance program launched in 2024, and unlocks 137 million euros ($153 million) in budget funding, Prime Minister Serhii Koretskyi said.
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