Russian forces have launched a new attack on one of the training grounds of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Despite the security measures taken, losses could not be completely avoided, the Operational Command"South" reported on the social network Facebook.

Most important events

• The war in Ukraine has been going on for 1 331 days
• They want to give out food stamps to poor Russians. How many millions of poor people would get them?
• CEPA: Putin is losing control of the situation, he may agree to a ceasefire. A survey has revealed how many Russians still support the war
• Ukrainian drones hit a Russian refinery in the Saratov region
• Russia hit a training unit of the Armed Forces of Ukraine with two ballistic missiles
• VIDEO: SBU special forces attack uncompromisingly and accurately. They published an extensive two-week balance sheet

15:30 Russian forces launched a new strike on one of the training ranges of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Despite the security measures taken, losses could not be completely avoided. This was reported by the Operational Command"South" on the social network Facebook.

The attack occurred this morning during a massive combined offensive on Ukraine."Russian occupiers struck with two ballistic missiles the territory of one of the training units of the Ground Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine," the unit said.

According to the UNIAN agency, this unit is located in the rear and relatively peaceful part of our country.

The operational command stated that due to enemy intervention, despite warnings, moving to shelters and other security measures taken, losses could not be completely avoided. The relevant rescue services are already responding to the incident.

The injured are being provided with all necessary medical assistance. The unit also expressed its sincere condolences to the families and loved ones of the victims. Soldiers from the affected unit will have the opportunity to contact their loved ones"in the near future."

Iskander missile attack on Ukrainian training camp (archive video)

Archive video.

14:35 The production of large-caliber ammunition has begun in Ukraine in cooperation with the Czech holding Czechoslovak Group (CSG). The server e15.cz reported this today. The CSG company provided a license and know-how to the Ukrainian partner, the Ukrainian arms factory Ukrainska bronetechnika, and will also supply some of the components. The two companies concluded the cooperation last fall. The Ukrainian server Militarnyj reported at the time that the production would include, among other things, 155-millimeter artillery shells.

"Everything is in the hands of our partner, to whom the CSG group transferred the license and provided know-how for production, because it already had the necessary technology and could start production relatively quickly. CSG does not decide on pricing policy or customer selection," CSG spokesman Andrej Čírtek told e15. He added that the group benefits from the project through licensing fees and supplies of critical components, such as powder charges and grenade igniters. According to him, Ukraine will produce 105 mm, 120 mm and 155 mm caliber ammunition on its territory according to the production documentation of the Czech CSG.

In a press release last October, CSG Group stated that in 2025, 100,000 pieces of ammunition were planned to be produced as part of the cooperation between CSG and the Ukrainian Armory Company. In 2026, annual production is planned to exceed 300,000 pieces.

13:33 Friday's talks between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and US President Donald Trump will focus on the potential delivery of Tomahawk missiles to Kiev. A Ukrainian official told AFP on Thursday, TASR reports.

"The main point of the negotiations is the Tomahawks. Of course, there is also the issue of the Patriots," the source said, referring to the US air defense batteries. Zelensky plans to arrive in Washington on Thursday before meeting with Trump, the source explained.

Relations between the two leaders have improved since they clashed in the Oval Office in front of television cameras in February. Trump has since stepped up his criticism of Moscow and expressed frustration with Russian President Vladimir Putin, AFP reports.

"Americans generally seem to understand that helping Ukraine scores them points and, like putting pressure on Russia, will help end the entire conflict," the source told AFP.

Senior Ukrainian officials who visited Washington this week also met with representatives of U.S. arms manufacturers, including Raytheon, which makes Tomahawk missiles. Zelensky will also meet with arms manufacturers to discuss supplies, the source said.

Tomahawk Missile Thunder

13:26 The Saratov oil refinery in Russia's Saratov region in the south of the country was hit by Ukrainian drones on Thursday night. As reported by the Ukrainska Pravda website, this was announced by the press service of the special forces and the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

The Saratov Oil Refinery on the Volga River near the border with Kazakhstan is one of Russia's oldest oil processing plants and is part of the Rosneft oil company. Its oil processing capacity was 7.2 million tons in 2020 and 4.8 million tons in 2023. The refinery is involved in fuel supplies to the Russian military.

Exactly a month ago, on September 16, the Saratov oil refinery was also the target of an attack by Ukrainian special forces.

Ukraine's Special Forces STRIKE Russia AGAIN. On Oct 16, Ukraine hit Russia's Saratov Oil Refinery, a supplier for #RF military. Part of Rosneft, it processed 4.8M tons of oil in 2023. This follows a precise Ukraine's strike on the same target a month ago. #MakeRussiaPay #STOPWAR

— Kyrylo Shevchenko (@KSevchenkoReal) October 16, 2025

13:11 The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, said he expects repairs to restore power to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine to begin soon.

The power plant, which has been occupied by Russian forces since March 2022, lost its connection to the power grid on September 23 for the tenth time during the war, marking the longest period of external power outage since the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

"I am continuing consultations with Russia and Ukraine so that this work can begin in the coming days," Grossi said in a statement. The largest power plant in Europe is currently powered by backup diesel generators. Repairs to power lines are needed on both sides of the front line, several kilometers from the facility.

The safety of the nuclear power plant remains assured, according to the IAEA, as the six reactors that were shut down after the occupation are effectively cooled and radiation levels remain normal. The plant is located near the town of Enerhodar on the Dnipro River, close to the front line, where the IAEA team on site continues to record military activity at various distances from the facility.

12:54 Chancellor Friedrich Merz called for a stronger European Union in his speech to German parliamentarians. "In this world that is becoming - and has already become - more harsh, it is true: only strength preserves peace. Weakness causes peace to collapse," the chancellor declared.

He stressed that Europe must act more decisively and unitedly and fully use its influence to shape global events. If the EU wants to become a global champion of peace, it must be stronger, he added.

Merz also called for sweeping economic reforms to boost the Union's competitiveness."Europe will only become more productive if it changes fundamentally," he said, warning of a loss of global relevance.

According to him, the EU should reduce the regulatory burden, speed up administrative processes, open markets and support innovation. According to Merz, climate goals should be achieved through technology and innovation, not through bans and regulations. In recent days, Merz has repeatedly called for the cancellation of the planned ban on the sale of cars with combustion engines in the EU after 2035.

German Marders Destroy Russians and Protect Ukrainians

11:57 Special forces of the Center for Special Operations"A" (CSO "A") of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) published a report on their results on the front for a period of two weeks. "SBU fighters are wiping out enemy infantry and equipment to zero. Target after target, position after position. We are weakening the combat potential of the occupiers," the SBU said.

A video recording documenting the interventions was also attached to the published information.

10:41 Russian forces attacked additional gas production facilities in eastern Ukraine early Thursday morning in an attempt to increase pressure on the country's energy grid ahead of winter. TASR writes about this according to AFP.

"As a result of the attack, gas production facilities in the Poltava region have been shut down," DTEK, the country's largest private energy supplier, announced on social media.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia had launched more than 300 attack drones - including some with cluster munitions - and 37 missiles overnight."This fall, the Russians have been attacking our energy infrastructure every day," he said.

Ukraine's energy grid operator announced emergency power outages in eight regions after Thursday's attacks. Media reports suggested that the recent Russian attacks had knocked out about 60 percent of Ukraine's gas production, and attacks on power plants had knocked out electricity for hundreds of thousands of people.

10:26 German Chancellor Friedrich Merz plans to present his plan at the upcoming EU summit for the European Union to provide Ukraine with an interest-free loan of up to 140 billion euros using frozen assets of the Russian central bank. According to him, Kiev would only have to repay it after Moscow pays it war reparations. In a government statement in the Bundestag today, the Chancellor also called on the EU member states to improve defense cooperation in the face of the Russian threat.

The European bloc's summit will be held in Brussels at the end of next week. Merz recalled in his speech that he is proposing that the EU provide Ukraine with an interest-free loan of up to 140 billion euros using frozen assets of the Russian central bank deposited in Europe. He added that Kiev would have to repay it only after it receives war reparations from Russia."We do not want this to prolong the war, but to end it," he added. According to the chancellor, Russian President Vladimir Putin must understand that war will cost him more than negotiating peace.

Europe and Germany must also quickly increase their own defense capabilities, and the individual member states must work together to do so, Merz stressed. “We want to be able to defend ourselves so that we don’t have to defend ourselves,” he said. “We want to defend ourselves in a European way, so we must also arm ourselves in a European way,” he added. He stressed that despite the demand for deeper European defense cooperation, NATO remains the main player in Euro-Atlantic security.

10:05 Russia would have lost the war against Ukraine long ago if it weren't for the support Moscow receives from its allies, especially North Korea. As reported by the gazeta.ua website, this was stated by the head of Ukrainian military intelligence, Kyrylo Budanov.

The Ukrainian official stressed that some states are not acting in good faith and are violating international sanctions by allowing Russia to receive weapons, ammunition and critical components while not preventing their citizens from joining the ranks of the Russian army.

"Some countries are acting dishonestly, in violation of sanctions, providing Russia with military assistance and access to raw material bases. Moreover, they allow their citizens to join Russian troops," Budanov said.

9:45 The average monthly wage in Russia is around 103,000 rubles, which is roughly 1,125 euros (compared to Slovakia, it is up to 400 euros less). However, many Russians have to survive on an income six times smaller. We are talking about people below the poverty line, when one household member receives only a little more than 17,000 rubles (190 euros) per month. In the country that is pumping huge amounts of money into the war against Ukraine, a proposal has emerged to help the poorest buy basic food. It was submitted by a group of deputies.

9:41 Russian leader Vladimir Putin is losing control over events related to the Russian-Ukrainian war. His old script is unreliable and in danger of being rewritten by events beyond his control, according to an analysis by the Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA). The analysis, which was written on condition of anonymity to avoid political persecution, warns of the Kremlin's efforts to impose a"truce" and explains Putin's idea of an "ideal war."

5:00 US President Donald Trump, commenting on the upcoming meeting with Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky, said that Ukraine is planning to go on the offensive, the American Clash Report reported, according to the Ukrainian agency Unian.

"We're going to talk to him (Zelensky) about war. And we're going to talk about the fact that, as I understand it, they want to go on the offensive. I'll make a decision on that. But you know, they would like to go on the offensive. And we're going to have to make a decision," Trump said.

He also called on Russian President Vladimir Putin to stop killing Ukrainians and Russians. He said Russia had lost 1.5 million people in the war, mostly soldiers."They should have won this war in the first week, and now it's been going on for four years," Trump added. Trump and Zelensky are scheduled to meet on Friday.

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Wednesday that the United States and its allies would take necessary steps to"impose the costs on Russia of its continued aggression" if the war in Ukraine does not end, Reuters reported.

"If we have to take this step, the US Department of War is prepared to contribute its part in a way that only the United States can," Hegseth said at a meeting of the Contact Group on the Defense of Ukraine with Kiev's allies at NATO headquarters.

The Pentagon has prepared plans to sell or transfer Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine if US President Donald Trump issues such an order, the American newspaper New York Times reported on Wednesday, according to the Polish agency PAP.

The Pentagon has already prepared plans for a potential sale or transfer of Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine if Trump makes such a decision, the newspaper said. However, transferring these weapons would pose enormous challenges. Ukraine lacks the sea or land-based launchers needed to launch the missiles. Ukraine would need the US Army's Typhoon launcher to launch the Tomahawk missiles. According to military officials, such a move would bring the United States closer to a direct confrontation with Russia, the newspaper reported. Moscow considers the delivery of Tomahawks to Ukraine a serious escalation of the situation and has promised an appropriate response.

According to the New York Times, it is not known how many Tomahawk missiles the US could transfer to Ukraine, where the Ukrainians could safely store them, or what the impact of using a limited number of these missiles would be.

On Tuesday, the Financial Times reported that the United States may give Ukraine 20 to 50 Tomahawk missiles, which the newspaper said would not significantly affect the dynamics of the war, PAP reported.

5:00 US President Donald Trump said that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi assured him that his country would no longer buy Russian oil. He said this at a press conference at the White House, adding that now it is time for China to do the same.

"I was not happy about India buying (Russian) oil and he assured me today that they will not buy oil from Russia. It's a big step," said Trump, who said Delhi would stop buying it soon.

Trump imposed a 50 percent tariff on goods from India, a long-time American ally, due to its purchases of Russian oil.

The US president has repeatedly called on European allies to also impose high tariffs on goods from India and China as part of pressure on Russia to end the war in Ukraine. If it does, he is said to be prepared to impose sanctions on Moscow, which he has not yet done.

Reuters reported in August that India saved $17 billion by increasing imports of cheaper Russian oil after Russia's military invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022. But high US tariffs on imports to the US will quickly wipe out these gains, the agency predicted.