Valery Gerasimov
Valery Gerasimov is a Russian military officer who has served as Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces and First Deputy Minister of Defence since 2012. He previously commanded Russia's Central Military District and held senior command positions within the armed forces.
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UN commission: Russia’s attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure are war crimes
A UN investigative commission concluded that Russia’s deliberate, systematic attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure constitute war crimes and crimes against humanity. It also found evidence that Russian authorities engaged in human trafficking to recruit men from 29 countries for the armed forces.
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Budanov denies Russian capture of Dobropillia, accuses Russian commander of misleading Putin
On 20 October, Kyrylo Budanov, head of Ukraine's Office of the President, publicly rejected Russian claims that Russian forces had captured the city of Dobropillia in Donetsk Oblast, saying the city remains under Ukrainian control. He accused the commander of Russia's "Centre" grouping, Colonel-General Andrii Ivanaiev, of deliberately misleading President Vladimir Putin about the alleged capture, and linked his statement to ongoing "difficult negotiations" aimed at a durable peace.
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Russian attacks damage 28 substations, leave ten regions without power
Russian strikes overnight and into the morning of October 19 hit energy infrastructure across Ukraine, with President Volodymyr Zelensky reporting that 28 substations and other important facilities were damaged. New power outages were recorded in ten oblasts as restoration work continued, and parts of Vinnytsia Oblast and the city of Vinnytsia lost electricity and water supply.
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Russian strikes on Odesa Oblast energy grid cut power to about 24,000 consumers
Russian forces struck energy infrastructure in Odesa Oblast overnight on October 18, leaving roughly 24,000 consumers without electricity across three districts and damaging two critical infrastructure facilities. Odesa Oblast head Oleh Kiper reported the attack, and energy operator DTEK described the damage as large-scale, with emergency restoration work ongoing.
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Zelenskyy says Ukraine holds more territory than Russia has taken since autumn, pushes back on Gerasimov's Zaporizhzhia claims
In his evening address on October 18, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukrainian forces have liberated more territory since the start of autumn than Russia has captured, and that the same trend has held in other periods of 2025. He pushed back on claims by Russian Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov, asserting that Russian forces are being engaged about 20 km from Zaporizhzhia, not 5 km as Russia claims, and that several named settlements remain under Ukrainian control.
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Russia launches massive combined missile and drone attack on Ukrainian energy infrastructure in 10 oblasts
In the night of October 17, Russia struck energy infrastructure across 10 Ukrainian oblasts with ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and 332 strike drones, one of the largest composite attacks recorded. Air defense intercepted 293 aerial targets, but direct hits were recorded at 22 locations. President Zelensky said more than 15 power generation and transmission facilities were hit and characterized the attack as a deliberate attempt to cause a nationwide blackout.
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Russia launches massive new campaign of strikes on Ukrainian energy facilities
On 16 October, Russian Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov publicly reported to Vladimir Putin that Russia had begun a dedicated campaign of massive strikes on Ukrainian energy infrastructure. Overnight into 17 October, Russian forces hit energy facilities in 10 oblasts, with President Volodymyr Zelensky saying more than 15 power generation and transmission sites were damaged in one of the largest such strikes on record.
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Russia seeks extradition of ICC President Tomoko Akane from the Netherlands
Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has formally requested that the Netherlands extradite International Criminal Court (ICC) President Tomoko Akane, and sent similar requests to other countries for eight additional ICC figures, including former Prosecutor Karim Khan. The move is the latest escalation in Russia's confrontation with the ICC following its March 2023 arrest warrant for Vladimir Putin over the deportation of Ukrainian children, and comes alongside US sanctions on the court.
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EU extends Ukraine sanctions for three years but drops Usmanov and Fridman, prompting Ukrainian criticism
On 22 September, the EU Council extended Ukraine-related sanctions for 36 months until 22 September 2029, the first time the regime has been renewed for three years instead of the usual six-month cycle. In the same decision, the EU removed Russian oligarchs Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman from the list. Ukraine called the delisting "shameful" and unjustified, and the Baltic states announced national sanctions in response. A day later, on 23 September, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev pardoned French citizen Martin Ryan, who had been sentenced to ten years in prison on espionage charges that France rejects.