The Kyiv Independent

More than 35,000 people across over 100 countries power the Kyiv Independent. They are more than supporters — they are a global community united by a belief that independent journalism from Ukraine should remain accessible to everyone.

⚡️Ukrainian postal service forms private air defense force, shoots down Russian drones. Ukrainian postal company Nova Poshta has started its own air defense force and shot down Russian attack drones targeting their facilities, Vyacheslav Klymov, co-owner of the Nova group of companies, shared.

⚡️ Update: Denmark slams Norway-Finland call with Putin. «I actually don’t know what the two countries think can be achieved with this. I think we should stand together and speak with one voice,» Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said.

⚡️️ 302,000 Russian soldiers killed or wounded by Ukrainian drones since January, Defense Ministry says. The highest number of casualties Ukrainian drones inflicted on the Russian military was recorded in March, with almost 34,000 soldiers killed or irrecoverably wounded.

⚡️️ Norway, Finland call Putin ahead of potential Abu Dhabi peace talks. "The outcome of this war will have a direct impact on our and the broader European security. Ending the war requires direct discussions," said Finnish President Alexander Stubb.

⚡️️Russian attacks across Ukraine kill four, injure 55 over past day, as Kyiv comes under ballistic missile assault. Russian attacks hit Kyiv's Southern Bridge, disrupting metro services, as well as a university campus, an administrative building, and medical centers.

⚡️️ Russian ballistic missiles hit Kyiv university, major bridge, medical centers, — 1 dead, 15 injured. Russia launched two waves of ballistic missiles at the capital overnight, targeting a major bridge, metro stations, and other civilian infrastructure.

⚡️️️️️️️Russia's assault on Ukraine's energy grid is a war crime, UN says. Russia’s attacks on energy infrastructure, which weaponize winter to inflict suffering, amount to war crimes, a UN inquiry has found.

⚡️️️️️️️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 shaped 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.

⚡️️️️️️️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.

⚡️️️️️️️Update: Russia launches 2nd wave of ballistic missiles at Kyiv. Explosions rocked the city again at around 3:30 a.m., according to reporters on the ground. Earlier in the night, Russian missiles hit a university and city medical centers, killing at least one person and injuring 10 others.

⚡️Ukraine reportedly strikes Russian ammunition depot in occupied Luhansk Oblast. Ukrainian forces attacked an ammunition depot in occupied Luhansk Oblast, setting off explosions at the site overnight on Oct. 27, monitoring channels reported.

⚡️Paramedics caught under fire as Russian ballistic missiles slam Kyiv. A team of paramedics came under fire as Russian ballistic missiles again targeted Kyiv late on Oct. 26, Mayor Vitali Klitschko said.

⚡️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.

⚡️Ukraine strikes Russian plant producing missile and bomb batteries in Yelets, General Staff says. A fire broke out on the territory of the Energia plant following an overnight attack on the battery plant in the city of Yelets in western Russia overnight on Oct. 26, Ukraine's General Staff said.

⚡️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,» evacuation volunteer Kseniia Arkhipova said.

⚡️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.

⚡️ 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.

⚡️️ Exclusive: Russia significantly expands glide-bomb production, research shows.

⚡️️ 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."

⚡️ Update: Zelensky says Serbia faces ‘new chapter’ after Vucic concedes election defeat. “We are ready to continue expanding our cooperation,” President Volodymyr Zelensky said.

⚡️️️️ Ukraine proposes new pathway to attract foreign workers to address labor shortages. The draft resolution, published by the Economy Ministry, would establish an annual list of in-demand professions and standardize the assessment of foreign applicants’ qualifications.

⚡️️ Russian attacks across Ukraine kill 2, wound 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.

⚡️️ Moldovan PM arrives in Kyiv to meet Zelensky, Ukrainian officials. "The prime ministers will discuss strengthening bilateral relations, developing economic and trade cooperation, regional security, and the two countries' European path," the Moldovan government said.

⚡️️ 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.