First Lady Zelenska had a busy day back in Ukraine. She visited the transplant unit of the children’s hospital “Okhmatdyt” and met with young patients and their parents.

Olena Zelenska Met Young Patients at the “Okhmatdyt” Transplantation Unit and Their Parents

17 October 2025 – 18:16

On the occasion of World Organ Donation and Transplantation Day, First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska visited the children’s hospital “Okhmatdyt” and met with young patients and their parents.

The family of Maksym Yaremenko shared that when he was just four months old, he developed severe liver damage. A compatible donor could not be found, so doctors performed the first incompatible transplant in Ukraine.

Polina Kostrytsia’s parents explained that at the start of the full-scale Russian invasion, their daughter was admitted to the hospital with liver cirrhosis. Alongside her mother, she had to descend into the basement six times a day, carrying an oxygen tank she depended on to breathe. Polina’s donor was her older brother.

The First Lady expressed her gratitude to the transplantation team for their work. The doctors have undergone training in Japan, the United States, and the Republic of Korea. They also collaborate with Polish colleagues from the Children’s Memorial Health Institute in Warsaw, which signed a Memorandum of Understanding with “Okhmatdyt” during the Summit of First Ladies and Gentlemen in September 2023.

“Our doctors are able not only to learn but also to share their unique experience, because Ukrainian transplants are now being performed under extreme conditions. Medical teams have learned to carry out procedures under Russian shelling and even during power outages. Today, visiting “Okhmatdyt,” its heroic patients and doctors, I think about how organ donation is called the highest form of humanity – because a person literally saves another by giving a part of themselves,” said Olena Zelenska.

The number of transplants in Ukraine grows each year. This year alone, more than 450 procedures have been performed. For comparison, during the same period last year, the number was slightly more than 370.

Here’s the video:

First Lady Zelenska also assisted with opening a a therapeutic garden at VDNG in Kyiv.

Therapeutic Garden Opened in Kyiv, Offering Everyone a Place to Heal Through Connection with Nature or Themselves – Olena Zelenska

17 October 2025 – 19:32

First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska took part in the opening of a therapeutic garden at VDNG in Kyiv. The space will provide rehabilitation and emotional support for defenders and anyone in need.

The garden features a therapeutic horticulture area, an adaptive sports ground, a zone for body-based practices, a green room called “Circle of Warmth,” and a space for group gatherings.

In addition, therapeutic programs are being developed through which rehabilitation specialists and psychologists will work with military personnel, veterans, their families, and affected civilians. At the same time, access to the site will be free for all visitors.

“All of us, especially those who have experienced the pain of war, currently lack places and situations that provide a sense of safety, calm, and harmony. Here, in the garden, we can at least get closer to that feeling. This is the therapeutic effect of nature and interacting with it, confirmed by many scientific studies. I hope that more such spaces will appear across Ukraine. We see this garden as a pilot project, which will gradually take root wherever it is needed,” said the First Lady.

The entire space is barrier-free: it is equipped with navigation aids for people with visual impairments, solid and non-slip surfaces, and rest areas with benches that have backs and armrests, alongside dedicated spaces for wheelchairs.

The project is being implemented by VDNG together with the Ministry of Veterans Affairs as part of the National Strategy for Creating a Barrier-Free Environment in Ukraine, initiated by First Lady Olena Zelenska.

And here’s the video:

Georgia:

Even though, starting today, blocking Rustaveli Avenue without a “sufficient” number of people (and no number is ever sufficient for them) carries a 15-day jail term — and years for repeat offenses — the avenue remains blocked.

Day 324 of uninterrupted, nationwide protests.

[image or embed]

— Rusudan Djakeli (@rusudandjakeli.bsky.social) October 17, 2025 at 12:46 PM

⭕️ Sixteen more people have been arrested on October 17 in connection with the events of October 4, bringing the total number of detainees to 62.

#RepressionInGeorgia #TerrorInGeorgia #GeorgiaProtests

[image or embed]

— Batumelebi&Netgazeti (@netgazeti.org) October 17, 2025 at 12:38 PM

At least five more people have been arrested in Georgia, likely tied to the Oct 4 protests. Among them is Simon Makharadze. His cousin (pictured) says police put a gun to a 4-year-old’s head — the child said “not me” — and threatened to kill the family’s kittens and dog.

[image or embed]

— Rusudan Djakeli (@rusudandjakeli.bsky.social) October 17, 2025 at 1:51 AM

1/ GD has arrested a few more people for “participating in the October 4 protest.” One of them is Mariam Mekantsishvili, a single mother who spoke with Elina Valtonen on Rustaveli Street a few days ago.

#TerrorinGeorgia

[image or embed]

— Publika.ge (@publikage.bsky.social) October 17, 2025 at 2:49 AM

2/ The cousin of another detained person, Simon Makharadze, said that police “arrested him like he was a terrorist, pointing guns at a 4-year-old child.” “The child said, ‘Not me,’ crying,” Makharadze’s cousin added.

— Publika.ge (@publikage.bsky.social) October 17, 2025 at 2:49 AM

3/ So far, the number of people arrested has reached nine, and the information is being updated constantly. Raids were carried out between 6 and 7 a.m. The Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) has not yet announced a briefing or provided any official information.

— Publika.ge (@publikage.bsky.social) October 17, 2025 at 2:49 AM

Please just have a look the footage of what they are concocting a case from against the jailed young single mother activist Mariam Mekantsishvili.

This is her “organizing the overthrow of the constitutional order” on October 4.

1/2

[image or embed]

— Marika Mikiashvili 🇬🇪🇺🇦🇪🇺 (@marikamikiashvili.bsky.social) October 17, 2025 at 7:38 PM

The briefing is held by the illegitimate Minister of Internal Affairs.

Although earlier the regime rhetoric made it clear that what irked them was Mariam’s conversation with the Finnish FM Elina Valtonen on Rustaveli.

#TerrorinGeorgia #GeorgiaProtests

2/2.

— Marika Mikiashvili 🇬🇪🇺🇦🇪🇺 (@marikamikiashvili.bsky.social) October 17, 2025 at 7:38 PM

GD has arrested Georgian activist Mariam Mekantsishvili. The reason remains unclear. Mariam was one of the protesters who spoke with Elina Valtonen, Finland’s FM and OSCE Chair.

📸 First photo: Netgazeti

[image or embed]

— Rusudan Djakeli (@rusudandjakeli.bsky.social) October 17, 2025 at 1:35 AM

Mariam is a single mother of a 6-year-old. Her child witnessed the arrest.

— Rusudan Djakeli (@rusudandjakeli.bsky.social) October 17, 2025 at 1:53 AM

Daniela, the daughter of Georgian activist Mariam Mekantsishvili, is waiting for her mother outside the detention facility.

This morning, 15 officers stormed their home with guns and took Mariam away. She faces up to 3 years for ‘organizing group violence’.

📷 Levan Zazadze

[image or embed]

— Rusudan Djakeli (@rusudandjakeli.bsky.social) October 17, 2025 at 7:33 AM

Mariam Mekantsishvili’s 6-year-old Daniela, terrorized early in the morning by the special forces, plays cheerfully as she waits to see her mom. 1/2

📷 Nanuka Kajaia

[image or embed]

— Marika Mikiashvili 🇬🇪🇺🇦🇪🇺 (@marikamikiashvili.bsky.social) October 17, 2025 at 5:37 AM

“The strongest courage is in this smile and playing. This courage and fearlessness, which she has from Mariam.” – Journalist Nanuka Kajaia writes.

#TerrorinGeorgia #GeorgiaProtests 2/2.

— Marika Mikiashvili 🇬🇪🇺🇦🇪🇺 (@marikamikiashvili.bsky.social) October 17, 2025 at 5:37 AM

Family members, friends and teammates of the now-jailed activist and young single mother Mariam Mekantsishvili appeal to the international community and @elinavaltonen to support Mariam.

They believe that the regime didn’t forgive Mariam her communication with FM Valtonen.

[image or embed]

— Marika Mikiashvili 🇬🇪🇺🇦🇪🇺 (@marikamikiashvili.bsky.social) October 17, 2025 at 8:00 AM

A while ago, Mariam Mekantsishvili also met with MEP Kathleen Van Brempt. It’s clear that the regime didn’t’t like the combination of Mariam’s skills to mobilize resistance at home and communicate with partners abroad.

[image or embed]

— Marika Mikiashvili 🇬🇪🇺🇦🇪🇺 (@marikamikiashvili.bsky.social) October 17, 2025 at 8:01 AM

Believe it or not, Shalva Papuashvili the Georgian Dream Speaker of the Parliament just basically posted a confession on X (and even pinned the post) that Mariam Mekantsishvili, a young single mother activist, was jailed because she spoke with @elinavaltonen.bsky.social

[image or embed]

— Marika Mikiashvili 🇬🇪🇺🇦🇪🇺 (@marikamikiashvili.bsky.social) October 17, 2025 at 2:08 PM

1/ Chief Prosecutor of Georgia Stated that searches were conducted at the homes of former Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili, former head of the State Security Service Grigol Liluashvili, former Prosecutor General Otar Partskhaladze, and a total of eight other individuals.

[image or embed]

— Publika.ge (@publikage.bsky.social) October 17, 2025 at 10:13 AM

2/ Electronic devices, documents, and money were seized from the homes. According to Gvarakidze, a large-scale operation was carried out at 22 locations across the country starting at 10 a.m. today as part of the ongoing investigation by the State Security Service.

— Publika.ge (@publikage.bsky.social) October 17, 2025 at 10:13 AM

JUST IN: Former Georgian Dream Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili, former Prosecutor-General Otar Partskhaladze, and former Head of the State Security Service Grigol Liluashvili have been massively targeted by the regime. 1/

[image or embed]

— Marika Mikiashvili 🇬🇪🇺🇦🇪🇺 (@marikamikiashvili.bsky.social) October 17, 2025 at 10:35 AM

They have been personally searched, all their homes also searched, electronic gadgets, documentations, and large amounts of cash have been confiscated. 2/

— Marika Mikiashvili 🇬🇪🇺🇦🇪🇺 (@marikamikiashvili.bsky.social) October 17, 2025 at 10:35 AM

Partskhaladze-Romanov is the man through whom Ivanishvili was sanctioned by the US for Russia ties. She also figures in the case of the murder of Levan Jangveladze, the border of thief-in-law Merab Jangveladze. 3/

— Marika Mikiashvili 🇬🇪🇺🇦🇪🇺 (@marikamikiashvili.bsky.social) October 17, 2025 at 10:35 AM

Liluashvili has been widely accused of being the person who played as the double agent and “betrayed” the October 4 organizers.

Together with them, 8 other people have also been searched. All this happened at 22 locations nationwide. 4/4.

— Marika Mikiashvili 🇬🇪🇺🇦🇪🇺 (@marikamikiashvili.bsky.social) October 17, 2025 at 10:35 AM

Georgian Dream has launched a criminal case against Irakli Shaishmelashvili in connection with the Oct 4 protest.

Shaishmelashvili is the former head of operational planning at the MIA’s Special Tasks Department. He left for the U.S. in December 2024.

[image or embed]

— Rusudan Djakeli (@rusudandjakeli.bsky.social) October 17, 2025 at 9:43 AM

🛑 Irina Imerlishvili stepped down from her position with 11 months left in her term.

🛑 The GD plans to file a Constitutional Complaint seeking to ban around 10 opposition parties.
It is unclear whether Imerlishvili’s resignation is connected to this case.
#RepressionInGeorgia
#Georgia

[image or embed]

— Batumelebi&Netgazeti (@netgazeti.org) October 17, 2025 at 1:18 PM

France:

French authorities exposed and stopped a Russian-planned assassination attempt on Vladimir Osechkin, the founder of Gulagu.net, known for revealing torture in Russian prisons.

On October 13, France’s anti-terrorism prosecutors arrested four men, aged 26–38, including three from Dagestan, Russia.

[image or embed]

— 🦋Special Kherson Cat🐈🇺🇦 (@specialkhersoncat.bsky.social) October 17, 2025 at 3:45 AM

/2. They had tracked Osechkin in Biarritz, where he has lived since 2015, preparing to kill him. The suspects made several trips from Paris and Nantes, filmed his home, and traveled through Spain to hide their movements.

— 🦋Special Kherson Cat🐈🇺🇦 (@specialkhersoncat.bsky.social) October 17, 2025 at 3:45 AM

Back to Ukraine.

Zelenskyy held a meeting with representatives of the defense company Raytheon, which produces Patriot systems

[image or embed]

— 🦋Special Kherson Cat🐈🇺🇦 (@specialkhersoncat.bsky.social) October 17, 2025 at 4:07 AM

The 107th Rocket Artillery Brigade shares a selection of archival footage of strikes by HIMARS on enemy targets, some of the footage has not been published before.

[image or embed]

— 🦋Special Kherson Cat🐈🇺🇦 (@specialkhersoncat.bsky.social) October 17, 2025 at 4:04 AM

Obligatory:

Ukrainian aviation hit a Russian dugout after intercepting a message in which an occupier sent his wife a photo of their position, allowing Ukrainian forces to geolocate the target.

[image or embed]

— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated.bsky.social) October 17, 2025 at 9:59 AM

They WERE NOT clean on OPSEC!!!!

Kherson Oblast:

Holy guacamole!

Using drones, the “Lasar’s Group” unit operating within the “South” military group’s area in the Kherson region destroyed a Russian BM-30 Smerch multiple launch rocket system at a range of nearly 50 kilometers.

Source: Facebook page of the “South” Defense Forces

[image or embed]

— Tatarigami (@tatarigami.bsky.social) October 17, 2025 at 9:44 AM

“Open-source investigative outlet Tochnyi reported on Sept 28 that russian drone strikes have resulted in 2,877 Ukrainian civilian casualties in Kherson City alone since 2023,” wrote ISW. These russian human safaries are horrendous and so deadly.

— Olena Halushka (@halushka.bsky.social) October 17, 2025 at 3:56 PM

Kharkiv:

Explosion in Kharkiv ‼️

— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) October 17, 2025 at 6:19 PM

Russian occupied Crimea:

Everything is beautiful on this video from occupied Crimea: a huge gas station line and a huge oil depot fire on the horizon.

[image or embed]

— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) October 17, 2025 at 3:04 PM

An oil depot belonging to the Atan gas station chain was struck in Crimea, leaving their stations looking like this:

[image or embed]

— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) October 17, 2025 at 3:01 PM

The second reservoir started burning at an oil depot in occupied Hvardiyske, Crimea 🔥

[image or embed]

— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) October 17, 2025 at 8:25 AM

Russian oil depot in Gvardiyske was targeted by FP-2 long range guided drones.

[image or embed]

— 🦋Special Kherson Cat🐈🇺🇦 (@specialkhersoncat.bsky.social) October 17, 2025 at 10:54 AM

Strikes also reportedly hit a Russian garrison near Hvardiiske airfield, with a second smoke plume at the garrison’s location indicating additional damage.

[image or embed]

— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated.bsky.social) October 17, 2025 at 3:26 AM

Minus Russian SU-30SM over Crimea.

[image or embed]

— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) October 17, 2025 at 6:08 AM

Russian sources confirm the loss of a Su-30SM. They say that the jet crashed while hunting drones.

After firing a missile, a fire broke out onboard; the crew ejected safely. A state commission is “investigating.”
Possible causes: malfunction, missile explosion, debris hit, collision, friendly fire.

[image or embed]

— 🦋Special Kherson Cat🐈🇺🇦 (@specialkhersoncat.bsky.social) October 17, 2025 at 5:16 AM

Russia occupied Bakhmut:

Bakhmut – more than two years after its “liberation” by fascist Russia. A once thriving Ukrainian town reduced to a dead husk, like the dozens of other towns and cities in Ukraine that have been visited by the “Russian World.”

[image or embed]

— Euan MacDonald (@euanmacdonald.bsky.social) October 16, 2025 at 8:41 PM

The Black Sea:

Destruction of a Russian naval kamikaze drone in the Black Sea

[image or embed]

— 🦋Special Kherson Cat🐈🇺🇦 (@specialkhersoncat.bsky.social) October 17, 2025 at 11:05 AM

Kostiantynivka:

A resident of frontline Kostiantynivka helped soldiers repair a ground drone with a damaged track, the 4th Separate Heavy Mechanized Brigade reported.

[image or embed]

— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated.bsky.social) October 17, 2025 at 9:50 AM

The Dobropillia axis:

Mortar troops from the Black Swan battalion shot down a Russian reconnaissance drone on the Dobropillia axis after it tracked their vehicle during movement.

[image or embed]

— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated.bsky.social) October 17, 2025 at 7:25 AM

The Republic of Bashkortostan, Russia:

Explosion at Military Facility in Bashkortostan, Russia.

A powerful blast struck the Avangard industrial zone in Sterlitamak, Bashkortostan—home to a plant that manufactures weapons, ammunition, and chemical products, and handles the disposal of explosive materials.

[image or embed]

— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) October 17, 2025 at 11:50 AM

The explosion sent shockwaves through the city, with residents reporting a strong smell of gunpowder in the air.The facility plays a key role in Russia’s military-industrial operations. Reports indicate there are injuries, though details remain limited.

— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) October 17, 2025 at 11:50 AM

Moment of the explosion of the Russian Avangard military plant in Sterlitamak.

[image or embed]

— 🦋Special Kherson Cat🐈🇺🇦 (@specialkhersoncat.bsky.social) October 17, 2025 at 4:07 PM

A powerful explosion occurred today at the Russian Avangard plant in Sterlitamak. According to early reports, it erupted in the nitro-unit of the facility, and windows were shattered in neighboring buildings.

The Avangard plant manufactures parts for multiple rocket launcher systems.

[image or embed]

— 🦋Special Kherson Cat🐈🇺🇦 (@specialkhersoncat.bsky.social) October 17, 2025 at 11:32 AM

Ukrainian Special Operations Forces hit an oil depot in Gvardeyskoye and the Gvardiysky mining and chemical plant in Karyerne, Saksky district of Crimea with strike drones on the night of October 17.

[image or embed]

— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated.bsky.social) October 17, 2025 at 10:54 AM

That’s enough for tonight.

Your daily Patron!

There are no new Patron skeets or videos today. Here is some adjacent material.

This Ukrainian family had 5 Corgis but only 3 survived after Russians bombed their house in Yampil. They escaped, walking 35km to Sloviansk, where our Hachiko team provided food for the pups. We will keep helping and also bring them dog houses.

[image or embed]

— Nate Mook (@natemook.bsky.social) October 16, 2025 at 9:03 PM

Open thread!