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The Kyiv Independent [unofficial]
Russia’s war against Ukraine
A boy walks past a cafe with windows reinforced with sandbags to provide protection against shrapnel during attacks in Kyiv on Oct. 18, 2026. (Sergei Supinsky/AFP via Getty Images)
‘I want this war end’ — Trump defends pro-Russian policies in scathing diatribe against Zelensky. “His country is in shambles, a large portion of his land is lost, his oceans and seas are gone, and his male population is low, wounded, and/or dead.”
Russian ballistic missiles slam Kyiv right as air raid alarms sound. Earlier, residents had little warning before the missiles struck. The explosions were simultaneous with the blaring of air raid sirens, according to Kyiv Independent journalists on the ground.
US delaying Patriot missiles already paid for under NATO initiative, Zelensky says. Zelensky has appealed to Washington repeatedly, making the case for additional Patriot missiles as Russia intensifies strikes against Ukrainian cities and critical infrastructure.
Zelensky reveals how many Russian attacks have followed Trump’s energy ceasefire. “Tens of thousands of families are without power,” President Volodymyr Zelensky said.
US resumes intel sharing on Russian missile launches with Ukraine, Zelensky says. “We are very thankful for this… Now it works,” President Volodymyr Zelensky said.
Massive Ukrainian drone attack hit oil facility, bridge, and data center in St. Petersburg. St. Petersburg Governor Alexander Beglov confirmed the attack, reporting fires at the St. Petersburg Oil Terminal, the Ruchyi oil depot, and industrial warehouses in the Kolpinsky District.
US Treasury Secretary downplays Russia sanctions waiver, warns Zelensky to ‘be careful.’ Trump appointee Scott Bessent insisted that no sanctions against Russia had been lifted — they had merely been waived.
‘A great deal depends on America’s position’ — Zelensky holds call with Trump’s peace envoys as US pivots to Moscow’s side. According to the president, the U.S. and Ukraine are in “constant communication” and are preparing their “next steps in diplomacy.”
Zelensky: Ukraine has retaken more territory than Russia captured this fall. “The trend this year continues,” Zelensky said, “Since the start of fall, our warriors have liberated more territory than the Russians have managed to capture. The same was true at other points this year.”
Read our exclusives
News from occupied Ukraine: 11 Ukrainians, including 96-year-old woman, evacuated from Russian occupation.
This weekly update from the Kyiv Independent aims to shed light on the situation facing Ukrainians living under Russian occupation and the ever-tightening control of information imposed by the Kremlin.
Photo: Dmytro Lubinets/Telegram
Human costs of war
Russian drones hit western Ukraine as nationwide attacks kill 10, injure 73.
Russian strikes hit 20 locations, while falling debris was reported at four other sites.
How Starlink gave Ukraine a ‘middle strike’ advantage that is now at risk
International response
Lithuania foils arson attack on Starlink equipment, suspects Russian involvement. The attackers attempted to set fire to satellite antennas and a control unit, Prime Minister Mindaugas Sinkevicius said.
Hungary ready to allow Ukrainian grain transit to Western Europe, prime minister says. “If it just passes through the country, then obviously there is no obstacle to it,” Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Magyar said.
NATO jets scramble as drone explodes in Lithuanian airspace. A flying object, likely a drone, entered Lithuanian airspace and exploded on Oct. 18, sending residents to shelters and damaging a civilian vehicle, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda said.
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