Just a quick housekeeping note: I have three more very long days after today’s, so I’m just going to run through the basics again tonight.
Russia hammered civilian targets in Kyiv, Kharkiv, Sumy, Kryvyi Rih, etc again last night. We’ll get to all of it after the jump.
The cost:
Anastasia Masliy was 19 years old. Russia killed her last night in Kyiv, along with her mother. The women suffocated in their own bathroom, hiding from the fire started by a Russian drone 🕯
— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) October 26, 2025 at 11:46 AM
3 ppl killed and 29 injured, including 6 kids, in the russian overnight attack against Kyiv. The russian terror is explicitly mocking all the American “peace efforts”. Meanwhile, the EU leaders can’t agree on using russian assets for Ukraine not offering any other alternative.
— Olena Halushka (@halushka.bsky.social) October 26, 2025 at 10:30 AM
Here is President Zelenskyy’s address from earlier today. Video below, English transcript after the jump.
In Just This One Week, the Russians Have Used Against Ukraine Almost 1,200 Attack Drones and 50 Missiles of Various Types – Address by the President
26 October 2025 – 19:09
Dear Ukrainians!
Rescue operations at the site of the Russian “shahed” strike on a residential building in Kyiv have been completed today. Rescuers have been working since the night, and the firefighting efforts took quite a long time as well. As of now, all emergency work across all affected sites has been finished. Just today, in Kyiv alone, three people have been killed in the Russian attack and another 31 injured – among them children, seven children. We thank everyone who is helping people – every rescuer, all municipal services workers, everyone who is truly making every effort to help.
In just this one week, the Russians have used against Ukraine almost 1,200 attack drones and 50 missiles of various types – most of them, in fact, ballistic. Protection against such a threat can only be a collective effort – no nation in the world should have to stand alone against it. And during this week, we have moved even closer to the decisions we need. I had a conversation with the Chancellor of Germany, and we are communicating with other European partners regarding the Patriots. I want to express my particular gratitude to the United Kingdom and France: there is a decision from France to provide Ukraine with additional Mirage fighter jets and air defense missiles, while the UK will continue to assist us with air defense by supplying missiles and producing interceptor drones – thank you for that. There are also new decisions by Finland and Spain to contribute to the PURL initiative – a mechanism for procuring American weapons, including those very missiles for the Patriots. We are working on this with full focus, and our defense arrangements with European partners are working clearly. We are preparing new projects – there will be more joint weapons production. And for the world to address Russia from a position of strength, we in Ukraine must stand on strong ground ourselves. It’s crucial to always compare what the Russians were commanded to do and by when, with what they actually managed to achieve.
Ukraine’s resistance is truly heroic. I thank everyone fighting on the front lines, holding the combat posts, those training and improving our protection. I thank everyone working for our defense and the benefit of our state. These days, we’ve had good news from our Ukrainian paratroopers – our 82nd Bukovynska Brigade, operating in the Pokrovsk direction, in the Myrnohrad community. And every such success in the Pokrovsk direction now is incredibly hard to achieve, yet critically important. It is there, near Pokrovsk, that the Russians have concentrated their main strike force – a significant number of enemy troops. Of course, this creates a difficult situation in Pokrovsk and all nearby areas – fierce battles in the city and on its outskirts. There are enemy reconnaissance and sabotage groups in the city. Logistics remain difficult. But we must continue destroying the occupiers; we must continue inflicting the greatest possible losses on the Russians. Russia’s plans for its offensive campaign have once again been shattered over the past ten months – thanks to the bravery of our very own warriors. And all the deadlines that Putin set: the Russian army failed to meet them, and this is not the first time. A lot has been achieved as part of the Dobropillia operation. In these areas, there has also been a significant replenishment of Ukraine’s exchange fund. I thank every soldier, sergeant, and officer fighting there in the Donetsk region, as well as in Kupyansk and Zaporizhzhia – all of this strengthens our positions in diplomacy, and greatly supports, overall, our relations with the world. Thanks to your strength, Ukrainian warriors, the world continues to have strength – and an incentive to keep pressuring Russia for this war, to keep pressuring until Russia is forced to stop this war.
I would like to commend, for the results achieved on the front lines this week, – in addition to the already mentioned 82nd Airborne Assault Brigade – also the units of the 1st Assault Regiment, the 25th Airborne Brigade, the 33rd Mechanized Brigade, the 4th Battalion of the 71st Jaeger Brigade, the 92nd Assault and 93rd Mechanized Brigades, as well as the warriors of the 132nd Reconnaissance Battalion – thank you all! And that’s the Donetsk region. Also, for fighting in the Kharkiv region, especially near Kupyansk, I want to highlight the units of our 127th Heavy Mechanized Brigade – well done, warriors! On the Oleksandrivka axis – the 414th Unmanned Systems Brigade, thank you; also the 5th Assault Brigade, the 225th and 425th Separate Assault Regiments, and the 141st Mechanized Brigade – thank you, warriors!
I thank everyone who understands that it is precisely on the front, precisely in defense production, and precisely in the resilience of our people that the ability to preserve and protect normal life is truly being won – not only for Ukraine, but for all of Europe. I thank everyone who stands with us, I thank everyone who stands with Ukraine!
Glory to Ukraine!
Georgia:
Rustaveli Avenue is blocked, of course, for the 333rd consecutive day.
Around 100 protesters have been arrested in recent days for standing right here or covering their faces. 🇬🇪
— Rusudan Djakeli (@rusudandjakeli.bsky.social) October 26, 2025 at 12:38 PM
Many 🇺🇸 flags could be found at today’s rally in Georgia that marked a year since the elections were stolen from the free people of 🇬🇪.
The banner reads “impose sanctions on the Georgian Dream.”
The public has very high hopes about the adoption of the MEGOBARI Act.
#TerrorinGeorgia #GeorgiaProtests
— Marika Mikiashvili 🇬🇪🇺🇦🇪🇺 (@marikamikiashvili.bsky.social) October 26, 2025 at 3:28 PM
In the past couple of weeks, the regime went absolutely wild with repressions, going after every single one who’d dare to go out and protest, jailing almost over prisons capacity, and announcing an imminent ban of democratic parties, democratic politicians as individuals.
2/
— Marika Mikiashvili 🇬🇪🇺🇦🇪🇺 (@marikamikiashvili.bsky.social) October 26, 2025 at 3:01 PM
Yet, today, the public took to the streets in high numbers again despite imprisonments, and they were addressed by the legitimate President of Georgia Salome Zourabichvili as well as politicians who are to be banned by the regime.
3/
— Marika Mikiashvili 🇬🇪🇺🇦🇪🇺 (@marikamikiashvili.bsky.social) October 26, 2025 at 3:01 PM
Yet another major day of persistence and resilience that will eventually bring us to victory!
Video by Lado Nafetvaridze
Pictures by @rusudandjakeli.bsky.social
#GeorgiaProtests, Day 333 continuous.
4/4.
— Marika Mikiashvili 🇬🇪🇺🇦🇪🇺 (@marikamikiashvili.bsky.social) October 26, 2025 at 3:01 PM
#GeorgiaProtests
Day 333It’s been 1 year since the parliamentary elections, after which the GD government has not been recognized as legitimate by the West.
Also, Irakli Kobakhidze often says the protest doesn’t exist in Georgia.
— Publika.ge (@publikage.bsky.social) October 26, 2025 at 1:37 PM
“Until the end, until victory!” – Protest march is underway in Tbilisi. One year after the 2024 elections, protesters continue to demand:
The resignation of gov’t and elections free from Ivanishvili’s control;
The release of all political prisoners.
#GeorgiaProtests
Day 333— Publika.ge (@publikage.bsky.social) October 26, 2025 at 12:25 PM
⭕️One year after the parliamentary elections, citizens are holding a protest march in #Tbilisi.
📌 “Until the end – until victory!”
#GeorgiaProtests demand the govt’s resignation, free elections independent from Ivanishvili’s control, and the release of all political prisoners.— Batumelebi&Netgazeti (@netgazeti.org) October 26, 2025 at 12:29 PM
Georgian Dream PM Kobakhidze keeps insisting the protest is “dead” in Georgia.
Meanwhile, the crowd on day 333 of uninterrupted, nationwide protests:
— Rusudan Djakeli (@rusudandjakeli.bsky.social) October 26, 2025 at 12:34 PM
Despite 100+ arrests in recent days for peaceful protest, a strong crowd gathers again on day 333 of uninterrupted, nationwide protests in Georgia — marking one year since Georgian Dream rigged the parliamentary elections. 🇬🇪
— Rusudan Djakeli (@rusudandjakeli.bsky.social) October 26, 2025 at 12:27 PM
Three regime prisoners in Georgia begin a hunger strike as they face treatment tantamount to torture. #TerrorinGeorgia #GeorgiaProtests
— Marika Mikiashvili 🇬🇪🇺🇦🇪🇺 (@marikamikiashvili.bsky.social) October 26, 2025 at 11:21 AM
“We stand with Georgia!” – An address to the people of 🇬🇪 for the one-year mark of the rigged October 26 elections and subsequent persistent daily protests by Chairs of EU and/or Foreign Affairs committees of the Parliaments of 🇸🇪🇫🇮🇪🇪🇱🇻🇱🇹🇵🇱🇱🇺🇸🇰🇦🇹, & 🇸🇪 FM Maria Stenergard!
Special gratitude to Erik Ottoson!
— Marika Mikiashvili 🇬🇪🇺🇦🇪🇺 (@marikamikiashvili.bsky.social) October 26, 2025 at 5:55 AM
Australia:
In Australia, activists and members of the Ukrainian diaspora unfurled a massive Ukrainian flag.
I can’t quite explain why support from the other side of the world feels so deeply moving, but it does. It made my day warmer and brighter. Thank you, truly.
— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) October 26, 2025 at 9:36 AM
Lithuania:
Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda proposed restricting transit to Kaliningrad and closing the Belarus border after smuggling balloons disrupted airports, calling it a hybrid attack requiring response measures.
— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated.bsky.social) October 26, 2025 at 10:40 AM
FloriDUH! Woman:
Russian envoy Dmitriev brought Putin quote candies to Congresswoman Looney, who likely received Russian Kennedy assassination files from him.
— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated.bsky.social) October 26, 2025 at 12:28 PM
Congresswoman Luna is not the sharpest knife in the plastic chopstick drawer, but she should probably not eat any of that chocolate.
Carlo Graziani:
Bad news: Large refinery not working.
Good news: Leaves more idle workers available for meat waves.
— Darth Putin (@darthputinkgb.bsky.social) October 26, 2025 at 2:11 PM
Back to Ukraine.
🔥Batch of @wildhornets.bsky.social FPV drones handed over to the Azov Brigade
— 🦋Special Kherson Cat🐈🇺🇦 (@specialkhersoncat.bsky.social) October 26, 2025 at 12:41 PM
At least 9 of 90 Russian Shahed kamikaze drones intercepted tonight were shot down by STING anti-Shahed drones developed by @wildhornets.bsky.social
— 🦋Special Kherson Cat🐈🇺🇦 (@specialkhersoncat.bsky.social) October 26, 2025 at 3:39 AM
Ukrainian air defenses shot down or suppressed 90 out of 101 Russian drones overnight, including Shahed and Gerbera types, the Air Force reported. Five drones struck four locations with debris falling at five sites.
— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated.bsky.social) October 26, 2025 at 4:12 AM
Kyiv:
Kyiv right now.
The woman screams “save us”
— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) October 25, 2025 at 9:11 PM
Kyiv spent a second sleepless night under russian attack. A drone struck an apartment building, killing three people and injuring 29, including six children.
— Iryna Voichuk (@irynavoichuk.bsky.social) October 26, 2025 at 2:59 AM
On the night of October 25, Russia destroyed the warehouses of the pharmaceutical company Optima-Pharm, which spanned 29,000 square meters and was completely burned down, and the production facilities of IDEALIST coffee&co during an attack on Kyiv.
— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) October 26, 2025 at 9:19 AM
Despite the clearly civilian nature of the targets, Russia cynically claimed in its report that it had “destroyed a military facility.”
— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) October 26, 2025 at 9:19 AM
A 19-year-old woman and her 46-year-old mother were killed in a russian strike on Kyiv, according to Ihor Klymenko.🕯
1 more body remains unidentified.29 people were injured, including 7 children.
— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) October 26, 2025 at 7:10 AM
Sumy:
Russian drone struck a bus carrying civilians in Sumy Oblast, injuring five people, including a child.
— Iryna Voichuk (@irynavoichuk.bsky.social) October 26, 2025 at 1:35 PM
Russian FPV drone struck civilian shuttle bus on Sumy-Bilopillia highway injuring 10 people including two children aged 8 and 15. Two are in critical condition including one child, medics fighting for their lives.
— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated.bsky.social) October 26, 2025 at 2:28 PM
Kryvyi Rih:
❗️Russia has just struck Kryvyi Rih with an aerial bomb!
— Iryna Voichuk (@irynavoichuk.bsky.social) October 26, 2025 at 6:40 AM
Donetsk Oblast:
Russia continues to kill civilians across Ukraine — three people in Donetsk Oblast and one in Kharkiv. Eight more were injured in the latest attacks.
— Iryna Voichuk (@irynavoichuk.bsky.social) October 26, 2025 at 6:02 AM
Ukrainian border guard pilots from the Feniks unit and adjacent forces repelled a Russian assault in Donetsk region, destroying 14 heavy armored vehicles, one tank, and eliminating approximately 50 occupiers, the State Border Guard Service reported.
— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated.bsky.social) October 26, 2025 at 11:02 AM
Podoly, Kharkiv Oblast:
Today, after the Russian attack, a house caught fire in Podoly village, i Kharkiv region.
🕯A 57-year-old woman was killed.
— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) October 26, 2025 at 7:57 AM
Kharkiv Oblast:
A Russian glide bomb strikes near a civilian in Ukraine’s Kharkiv region.
Bloody bastards.
— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) October 26, 2025 at 11:17 AM
Kherson Oblast:
Our friends from the 34th Marine Brigade, whom we once supported with equipment and vehicle, share a video showing how they’re clearing the skies over Kherson of Russian drones.
— 🦋Special Kherson Cat🐈🇺🇦 (@specialkhersoncat.bsky.social) October 26, 2025 at 10:20 AM
Russian occupied Crimea:
The ATESH resistance movement disabled railway relay equipment near Armyansk in occupied Crimea, halting train traffic used by Russian forces to supply ammunition and equipment to the front, the group reported.
— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated.bsky.social) October 26, 2025 at 3:05 AM
Ukrainian HUR special unit Prymarry struck three Russian radar systems and one landing craft in Crimea while evading air defense missiles, the unit reported. The targets included radars from S-400, P-18 Terek, and Nebo-U systems, plus a BK-16 landing craft.
— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated.bsky.social) October 26, 2025 at 9:09 AM
Russian occupied Luhansk Oblast:
Ukrainian drones are currently flying over occupied Luhansk, local residents report.
— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated.bsky.social) October 26, 2025 at 11:13 AM
Moscow Oblast:
An oil depot in the Moscow region is on fire. Earlier, the region had declared an alert due to UAVs 👀🔥
— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) October 26, 2025 at 11:56 AM
Moscow:
Reportedly, a russian mobile air defense group near Kremlin in Moscow.
It’s afraid 👀
— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) October 26, 2025 at 4:52 PM
Ryazan and Tula Oblasts, Russia:
It was loud overnight in Russia’s Ryazan and Tula regions, with multiple explosions heard near Protasovo airport and air defense locations, local residents reported.
— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated.bsky.social) October 26, 2025 at 3:19 AM
Belgorod Oblast, Russia:
Satellite imagery shows breach in dam in Belgorod.
— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated.bsky.social) October 26, 2025 at 2:04 PM
Close-up footage of strike damage on the Belgorod dam.
— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated.bsky.social) October 26, 2025 at 12:51 PM
From Ukrainska Pravda:
The 16th Army Corps of the Armed Forces of Ukraine has reported that the dam near Russia’s Belgorod has begun leaking water following a strike, leaving Russian units that crossed the Siverskyi Donets River near the town of Vovchansk in Kharkiv Oblast effectively cut off from their main forces.
Source: 16th Army Corps of the Armed Forces of Ukraine; Vyacheslav Gladkov, Governor of Russia’s Belgorod Oblast
Details: Gladkov said on 25 October that “there is damage to the dam of the Belgorod Reservoir as a result of a strike by the Armed Forces of Ukraine”.
“We understand that the enemy may attempt to strike again and destroy the dam. If that happens, there will be a risk of flooding in the river’s floodplain on the side of Kharkiv Oblast and several streets in our settlements, home to around 1,000 residents,” he wrote. According to Gladkov, the Russian authorities have proposed that residents of certain streets in the settlements of Bezlyudovka, Novaya Tavolzhanka and Shebekino be relocated to temporary accommodation centres in Belgorod.
On the night of 25-26 October, Gladkov added that water has only partially flooded just over 10 private garden plots, and no homes have been affected.
On 26 October, the 16th Army Corps of the Armed Forces of Ukraine issued a statement on the situation in the Vovchansk area of Kharkiv Oblast. It noted that the Russians have achieved some local successes, but at the cost of heavy losses.
Quote from the 16th Army Corps: “As of today, the situation is no longer in the Russians’ favour. After the strike on the Belgorod dam, it has started leaking. Russian media reports say that the reservoir’s water level has dropped by one metre in just one day. As they say, trouble has begun – or more precisely, water has started flowing into the Siverskyi Donets. Some Russian dugouts are reported to have been flooded.
But the main thing is that the enemy’s logistics have become significantly more complicated. The leaves have fallen too. So the units that managed to cross the Siverskyi Donets have effectively been cut off from their main forces. So we’re expecting the [POW] exchange pool to be replenished.”
For reference: The Belgorod Reservoir is located on the Siverskyi Donets River in Belgorod Oblast, Russia, within the Belgorod and Shebekino districts. The dam structure is situated near the village of Bezlyudovka in the Shebekino district.
Images shared by Russian media show a slight drop in the Belgorod Reservoir water level after the dam began leaking post-shelling.
— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated.bsky.social) October 26, 2025 at 5:28 AM
More footage from the damaged Belgorod dam.
— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated.bsky.social) October 26, 2025 at 8:58 AM
That’s enough for tonight.
Your daily Patron!
There are no new Patron skeets or videos tonight. Here is some adjacent material.
🇺🇦 The broken wall bears the word “Love” in black letters on the gray scars of concrete.
— Vitalis Viva (@vitalisviva.bsky.social) October 25, 2025 at 6:38 AM
Open thread!
AlaskaReader
Thanks Adam
Carlo Graziani
Thank you Adam.
Here is the bottom line of CREA’s report for September:
Ukrainian sanctions on Russian oil/gas are growing in effectiveness.
Carlo Graziani
I am still amazed at the weakness of the response of the Georgian government to the Rustaveli Avenue protest. A few arrests per night, instead of tear gas, water cannon, and automatic weapons fire, all of which would be very predictable responses by a government in full control of its military and internal security.
It must mean something about the weakness of GD’s hold on power.
Gin & Tonic
The Australia connection in Kate from Kharkiv’s post reminded me. A couple of the guys I was working with back around two weeks ago were above-the-knee amputees. If you’re unaware, an above-the-knee prosthesis is a more complicated thing than a below-the-knee one, because you have to emulate the function of the knee, and that’s not easy (the prosthetics have embedded electronics and need to be recharged regularly.) Anyway, they look different. and these two guys had small stuffed koala bears, maybe 6-8″ tall, attached to their prosthetic “calves.” I knew of no evident connection between them and Australia, so at some point I asked what’s up with the koalas. They said they found the appearance of the prosthetic was off-putting and sometimes frightening to children, so the koala was to distract and possibly amuse kids who might otherwise be scared. I was struck by the thoughtfulness of this gesture.
It led to an awkward moment later on, when we were walking around a European city and some loud, older woman came up and started interrogating them, in English, whether they were Australian – but neither of the guys spoke any English, and I think it took her some time to realize that.
Gin & Tonic
@Carlo Graziani: I suspect the lessons of Kyiv in February of 2014 are not lost on GD.
Adam L Silverman
@AlaskaReader: @Carlo Graziani: You’re welcome.
Gin & Tonic
If you’re not following events pretty closely the Lithuanian “smuggling balloons” post may go over your head. But Belarus is manufacturing massive quantities of cigarettes and smuggling them into the EU by various means, aiming at disruption of the tax base. Balloons are one of those means. This is not a joke.
Westyny
Thank you, Adam.
Carlo Graziani
@Gin & Tonic: Great minds think alike, but ours do too. :-|
Carlo Graziani
@Gin & Tonic: Wait, they are actually attempting to disrupt a 7 trillion Euro tax base by smuggling cigarettes to random locations using balloons, and only succeeding in disrupting air traffic instead?
The Belarusan Department of Underwear Gnomes is apparently on the job.
Jay
Thank you, Adam.
Thank you, Gin and Tonic.
pieceofpeace
Big thanks again, Adam.
And to you as well G&T.
danielx
Thanks.
Although it breaks my heart every time.
YY_Sima Qian
OT: The Nimitz carrier task force just lost 2 aircraft in the South China Sea w/in 30 min of each other, an MH-60R search & rescue helicopter, & an F/A-18F fighter. Not sure the sequence of events, but perhaps the F/A-18F went down 1st, & then the rescue chopper that was sent to rescue the pilots went down, too? If so, incredible bad luck.
However, I would take that as another sign of the US military being severely overstressed, under maintained, & under-resourced relative to the goals set by the political leadership (alternatively, the goals being wildly overambitious relative to the realistic resources available).
Sister Inspired Revolver of Freedom
@Gin & Tonic: Balloons closed the airport in Vilnius, again, so has now, officially been labelled hybrid warfare. Took them long enough.
Sister Inspired Revolver of Freedom
I hate it when Zelensky looks that tired.
Speaking of…
Thank you Adam. Get some rest.
bjacques
Thanks as always, Adam.
And that’s a chonky boi in that last skeet.