U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has yet to approve the transfer of a significant batch of Patriot interceptor missiles for Ukraine, Ukrainian officials and military officers told the Kyiv Independent, raising suspicions in Kyiv that Washington is deliberately withholding the weapons to pressure Ukraine. President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Oct. 19 that there are delays in providing "certain types of vital supplies," pointing a fingure at the U.S. Department of Defense. "There are political

Temporary Protection Status was granted to Ukraine’s citizens on March 3, 2022, just over a week after Russia begun its full-scale war against Ukraine.

Several explosions rocked the capital just before 11 p.m., with further attacks around 3 a.m. and 7 a.m., Kyiv Independent journalists on the ground reported. Ukraine's State Emergency Service (DSNS) said damage was reported in at least three districts.

The operation involved Ukraine's 92nd Separate Assault Brigade, 30th Separate Mechanized Brigade, and 10th Army Corps, along with Ukrainian drone manufacturer Gurzuf Defense.

As regular Russian strikes on energy facilities leave parts of Kyiv without running water, fears are mounting that further power outages could spark a serious humanitarian and public health crisis in a city whose water and sewage system depends entirely on electricity. Kyiv’s water system is one of the city’s biggest power consumers, requiring huge amounts of electricity to draw water from the Dnipro river and pump around 700 million liters of clean water daily to households and businesses. It

President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russian forces targeted energy facilities in 11 oblasts across Ukraine.

In the Oct. 19 attack on Kyiv, at least one person was killed, and eight others were injured as Russian missiles struck Kyiv in multiple waves overnight.

Tetiana Montian, a Ukrainian-born blogger, has supported Russia's aggression against Ukraine but at the same time accused the Russian authorities of incompetence and corruption.

The overnight assault also damaged a data center in Kyiv and infrastructure in Volyn Region, where around 66,000 electricity metering points were left without power, regional officials said.

"A trilateral meeting between the leaders of Ukraine, the U.S., and Russia could help end the war sooner," Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said. "A trilateral meeting between the leaders of Russia, China, and the U.S. would do only the opposite: encourage Putin to continue this war."

The number includes 2,100 casualties that Russian forces suffered over the past day.

Zelensky has appealed to Washington repeatedly, making the case for additional Patriot missiles as Russia intensifies strikes against Ukrainian cities and critical infrastructure.

"The trend this year continues," Zelensky said, "Since the start of fall, our warriors have liberated more territory than the Russians have managed to capture. The same was true at other points this year."

Trump appointee Scott Bessent insisted that no sanctions against Russia had been lifted — they had merely been waived.

"His country is in shambles, a large portion of his land is lost, his oceans and seas are gone, and his male population is low, wounded, and/or dead."

"We are very thankful for this... Now it works," President Volodymyr Zelensky said.

A flying object, likely a drone, entered Lithuanian airspace and exploded on Oct. 18, sending residents to shelters and damaging a civilian vehicle, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda said.

How are Ukraine’s drones disrupting Russian supply lines — and can Ukraine hold on to its advantage? Flying far behind enemy lines, “middle-strike” drones hunt the fuel, ammunition, and reinforcements Russia needs to sustain its assaults. Starlink has helped make this campaign possible, but dependence on Elon Musk’s satellite network leaves Ukraine vulnerable to restrictions on its use. The Kyiv Independent’s Francis Farrell embeds with Ukraine’s 422nd Unmanned Systems Regiment on the southern

According to the president, the U.S. and Ukraine are in "constant communication" and are preparing their "next steps in diplomacy."

This weekly update from the Kyiv Independent aims to shed light on the situation facing Ukrainians living under Russian occupation and the ever-tightening control of information imposed by the Kremlin. Key news as of Oct. 17: * Eleven Ukrainians, including 96-year-old woman, return from Russian-occupied territories, ombudsman says * Russia sends terrorism case against 6 teenagers in occupied Luhansk Oblast to court * Ukrainian troops struck Russian drone sites, ammunition depots in occupied

Key developments on Oct. 17-18 * Massive Ukrainian drone attack hits oil facility, bridge, and data center in St. Petersburg * US resumes intel sharing on Russian missile launches with Ukraine, Zelensky says * Ukraine hits Russian drone manufacturing plant in Rostov Oblast * 'Planned operation' — Zelensky confirms Ukraine's Starlink access not fully restored * Russia launches 'one of its largest attacks' on Ukraine's energy grid Ukrainian forces struck an oil terminal, a data center, and

St. Petersburg Governor Alexander Beglov confirmed the attack, reporting fires at the St. Petersburg Oil Terminal, the Ruchyi oil depot, and industrial warehouses in the Kolpinsky District.

The attackers attempted to set fire to satellite antennas and a control unit, Prime Minister Mindaugas Sinkevicius said.

Russian strikes hit 20 locations, while falling debris was reported at four other sites.

"Tens of thousands of families are without power," President Volodymyr Zelensky said.

"If it just passes through the country, then obviously there is no obstacle to it," Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Magyar said.

The number includes 2,090 casualties that Russian forces suffered over the past day.

"I think the President wants to take the 60-day period of time to sort of analyze what imposing both sanctions and tariffs will mean to the global economy and even to the U.S. economy," said Rubio.

The Lutsk facility in northwestern Ukraine, which manufactures wiring systems for BMW, Audi, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, and Skoda vehicles, was attacked by Russian drones on Oct. 16.

The two drones were jet-powered, belonging to the Geran-family of attack drones frequently used by Russia to attack targets in Ukraine, according to Romania's Defense Ministry. The Ministry did not specify which nation the drones belonged to.

Ukraine's State Border Guard Service spokesperson Andrii Demchenko has separately reported that equipment based in Belarus helps relay or amplify signals for Russian Shahed and Geran drones heading toward western Ukraine and Poland's border region.

Among the drones it produces are the Sarych, which uses video and thermal imaging equipment for surveillance, and the Klin, a loitering munition designed to strike targets, according to Ukraine's military intelligence agency.