On October 18, a short-term truce was established to restore electricity supply to the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, as reported by the IAEA. Despite this, Russian attacks continued, leaving around 17,000 subscribers in Chernihiv Oblast without power overnight and targeting a gas station in Sumy Oblast during the day.
Ukrainian forces destroyed a Russian ammunition depot on the Kinburn Spit. In occupied Feodosia, 11 fuel tanks at an oil refinery were destroyed in strikes on October 7 and 13.
The IAEA confirmed that work is underway to restore power to the Zaporizhzhia plant after a four-week outage, noting constructive cooperation from both sides.
The US political establishment continues to discuss the supply of long-range missiles to Ukraine. President Zelensky stated after meeting Trump that no decision has been made on Tomahawk missiles. Trump emphasizes the need to stop the war, echoed by the White House.
According to Ukrainian intelligence, over 25,000 Russian soldiers have deserted their units since November 2024. Ukraine has recorded 290,000 cases of desertion, with 1.5 million men currently wanted since the full-scale invasion began.
Analysts at The Economist predict that at current conflict rates, it would take Russia over 100 years to fully occupy Ukraine. EU leaders stress the need to strengthen support for Kyiv after Zelensky's negotiations in the US.
A Trump-Putin summit is being discussed in Budapest. EU leaders back Ukraine but recognize ongoing financial difficulties. The IMF recommends a gradual hryvnia devaluation to support the national budget, though inflation concerns remain.
The US is considering new sanctions against buyers of Russian energy, but Trump opposes such actions. Ukraine's domestic agenda focuses on election preparation and economic challenges amid the war.
