News from Ukraine, Eastern Europe

Russia is planning to spend 17.1 trillion roubles ($202.58 billion) on its military in 2027, an increase of around 27% over the previously budgeted amount.

The president said that Russia is looking to "increase the involvement of foreigners" in its armed forces. North Korea is preparing to deploy another 10,000 troops against Ukraine, in addition to the more than 8,000 military personnel currently stationed in Russia.

On the last day of his official visit to France, Pope Leo XIV called for concessions to create peace between Russia and Ukraine. The pontiff did not give details on what a peaceful resolution for the war would entail.

Polish Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz said the drone struck Ukrainian territory around 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) from the Dorohusk crossing and did not enter Polish airspace.

When asked what concerned them most, 50% of Ukrainians cited corruption, while 40% cited Russia’s mass missile and drone attacks.

The shelters will initially be installed at stations in densely populated areas and near major roads and will be available to anyone nearby, Ukrnafta CEO Bohdan Kukura said.

The Ukrainian Chess Federation (UCF) issued a protest on Sept. 28 after Mykhailo Podolyak, an advisor to the Presidential Office, accepted the title of vice president at the International Chess Federation (FIDE) alongside a former Russian minister.

The Ukrainian judicial watchdog Dejure argued in June that "rather than improving the integrity declaration system, (the integrity declarations law) effectively dismantles integrity declarations as a meaningful tool for holding judges accountable."

Visual identification of targets by pilots would not longer be required, Poland's Deputy Defense Minister said.

The Kyiv Independent community helped raise more than $24,000 through an online store collection launched to mark World Press Freedom Day, enabling the purchase of 26 drone detectors to help protect independent journalists reporting from Ukraine’s front lines.