First Lady Melania Trump has apparently reached an agreement with Putin in the case of kidnapped Ukrainian children. Meanwhile, according to media reports, Germany plans to order over 600 Skyranger anti-aircraft tanks to strengthen its drone defenses. More in the live ticker.

A Russian attack kills a seven-year-old boy in the Zaporizhzhia region. Kyiv reports massive airstrikes, explosions, and power outages.

5:36 p.m. – Melania Trump: Eight Ukrainian children reunited with families after talks with Putin

First Lady Melania Trump says eight Ukrainian children have been reunited with their families following ongoing talks with Putin. The US president's wife wrote a letter to Putin in August and had her husband personally deliver it during his meeting with the Russian president in Alaska.

Putin's invasion of Ukraine has led to Russia removing Ukrainian children from the country to be raised as Russians. The First Lady told reporters at the White House that Putin responded to her letter and that they subsequently established an"open channel of communication" regarding the well-being of these children."We have agreed to work together for the benefit of all the people involved in this war," she said.

The Associated Press documented the abduction of Ukrainian children in 2022. The International Criminal Court subsequently announced that it had issued an arrest warrant for Putin for war crimes and accused him of personal responsibility for the abduction of Ukrainian children.

16:40 – Ukraine: Two million consumers in Kyiv without water supply

Russia's nighttime drone and missile attack on infrastructure in Ukraine has temporarily disrupted the water supply to two million consumers in Kyiv, according to the authorities. 4,000 buildings in the capital are still without water, Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Oleksiy Kuleba wrote on Telegram. Work is currently underway to restore the supply.

2:13 p.m. – Poland offers Ukraine help after attack on energy facilities

Poland is offering its neighbor assistance following the Russian attack on its energy infrastructure. Generators, additional power supplies, and an LNG terminal are available to Ukraine, says Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski. During a visit to Lviv in western Ukraine, Sikorski said the Polish government is discussing how to support its eastern neighbor."Generators, additional power supplies, accelerated construction of power connections between Ukraine and Poland, and, of course, our LNG terminal in Świnoujście are at your disposal," he said at a press conference with his Ukrainian counterpart.

"This is a further escalation, because we know why it's being pursued. It's intended to intimidate people before winter." In August, the Polish refinery operator Orlen announced that it would continue supplying 100 million cubic meters of gas to Ukraine every month, after already supplying 430 million cubic meters this year. The liquid fuel is imported from the USA to the terminal in Świnoujście and transported to Ukraine via Poland.

07:45 – Bundeswehr plans massive strengthening of drone defense

According to a media report, the German Armed Forces (Bundeswehr) is planning a massive strengthening of its drone defense capabilities. As the"Handelsblatt" learned from sources within the Federal Ministry of Defense and industry sources, the German government intends to order more than 600 Skyranger 30 anti-aircraft tanks from the Düsseldorf-based defense company Rheinmetall this year. The order for the wheeled armored vehicles, which will be manufactured jointly with the French-German defense company KNDS, is valued at more than nine billion euros, as reported by the"Handelsblatt." The tanks are scheduled for delivery by 2030. Federal Defense Minister Boris Pistorius had announced the procurement of several hundred Skyranger anti-aircraft tanks in the coming months. So far, only 19 have been ordered.

07:40 – EU finance ministers discuss frozen Russian assets in Luxembourg

EU finance ministers will meet in Luxembourg on Friday to discuss, among other things, continued support for Ukraine. The discussion will also address the use of Russian assets frozen in Europe. Germany's Finance Minister and Vice Chancellor Lars Klingbeil (SPD) will participate in the meeting.

The EU finance ministers are also expected to give the green light to the German government's long-term budget plan for the coming years at the meeting. Other topics include monetary union and tobacco tax. The political situation and budgetary situation in France are also expected to be discussed on the sidelines of the meeting.

07:35 – Governor: Seven-year-old killed in Russian attack in southern Ukraine

According to Ukrainian sources, a seven-year-old boy was killed in a Russian attack on Friday night. The boy was injured in the attack in the Zaporizhzhia region in the southeast of the country and died in the hospital, the local governor said.

03:15 a.m. – Heavy rocket attacks on the capital

Russia is attacking Kyiv with drones and missiles. According to authorities, apartments are burning in a high-rise building in the central Pechersky district. Mayor Vitali Klitschko reports nine injuries, five of whom are in the hospital. Energy Minister Svitlana Grynchuk says the attacks are targeting energy facilities, and power outages have already occurred. The southeastern city of Zaporizhia is also under attack, where three people are injured.

Tymur Tkachenko, head of Kyiv's military administration, said the attack caused power outages and water supply disruptions in neighborhoods on the east bank of the Dnieper."Energy experts are taking all necessary measures to minimize the negative consequences," Energy Minister Svitlana Grynchuk said, announcing restoration work as soon as the security situation allows.

02:15 – Five explosions near Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant

According to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the process of restoring external power to the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant has begun. This was done after intensive consultations with the authorities in Ukraine and Russia, said IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi. The nuclear power plant in the southeast of the country has been cut off from the power grid for more than two weeks and relies on diesel generators. According to Grossi, IAEA observers on site reported five consecutive explosions near the facility. It will take some time until the grid connection is fully restored.

01:50 – Success in the “Bring Kids Back UA” program

Ukraine says it has brought 23 children and teenagers from Russian-occupied areas of the country to Kyiv-controlled territories. The rescue operation was part of President Volodymyr Zelensky's"Bring Kids Back UA" program, said Chief of Staff Andriy Yermak. Among those rescued are two sisters who had refused to attend Russian schools. Russian-appointed authorities had threatened to remove the girls from their mother's care. Ukraine accuses Russia of illegally deporting or forcibly relocating more than 19,500 children.

11:00 PM – Russian military admits fighter jet crash

According to official reports from Moscow, a MiG-31 fighter jet crashed during a training flight in southwest Russia. The crew was able to eject from the aircraft using the ejection seat and are alive, the Defense Ministry in Moscow reported to Russian news agencies."The aircraft crashed in an uninhabited area. The flight was unarmed," the agency emphasized, adding that there was no major damage on the ground.

The crash reportedly occurred at 7:20 p.m. local time in the Lipetsk region, not far from the border with Ukraine. The landing approach was reportedly unsuccessful.

10:45 p.m. – Trump: “We are increasing the pressure”

In light of the lack of progress in negotiations on a potential peace in Ukraine, US President Donald Trump has announced an increase in Western involvement."We're increasing the pressure," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Thursday during a visit with Finnish President Alexander Stubb."We're increasing it together. We're all increasing it. NATO has been great."

During his election campaign, Trump declared that he would end the war in Ukraine within"24 hours." Recently, however, he repeatedly expressed disappointment with the Russian leader's behavior.

10:30 p.m. – Russia accuses Ukraine of blowing up ammonia pipeline

Russia has accused Ukraine of damaging a decommissioned ammonia pipeline in the eastern Ukrainian region of Donetsk. Ukrainian forces blew up part of an ammonia pipeline during their retreat, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Thursday. The incident occurred about 2.5 kilometers east of the village of Rusin Yar. Ammonia residues leaked from the damaged section, according to the Defense Ministry.

The Russian Ministry released a video showing large amounts of white smoke rising from a pipeline amidst fields. The ministry accused Kyiv of attempting to slow the advance of Russian forces in eastern Ukraine with the explosion. The Ukrainian military administration of the Donetsk region confirmed on the online service Telegram that the pipeline had been"damaged," without specifying the reason.

7:45 PM – Nobel Peace Prize: Merz sees chances for Trump

Friedrich Merz sees opportunities for US President Donald Trump in the Nobel Peace Prize award process – if he can end the war in Ukraine. He invites Trump to achieve what he might achieve in the Middle East conflict,"together with us, successfully in Ukraine as well," the Chancellor said in an ARD interview."If he can achieve that, then he will have truly made a great contribution," Merz added. However, a decision is not currently pending. The Nobel Prize Committee has long since made its decision for this year.

14:56 – Selenskyj: In case of a ceasefire, we will nominate Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize

Ukrainian President Zelenskyy could imagine nominating US President Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize."If Trump gives the world – especially the Ukrainian people – a chance for such a ceasefire, then he should be nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize," Zelenskyy told the press."We will nominate him on behalf of Ukraine." Ukraine is hoping for the delivery of US Tomahawk missiles to force Russia to the negotiating table.

2:16 p.m. – Putin confirms downing of Azerbaijani passenger plane

Kremlin chief Putin confirmed that Russian air defenses were responsible for the December downing of an Azerbaijani airliner, killing 38 people. This is the first time he has admitted responsibility for the crash. Putin made the statement during a meeting with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev in the Tajik capital of Dushanbe, where both are participating in a summit of the former Soviet states.

The Azerbaijan Airlines passenger plane crashed on December 25, 2024, while flying from Baku to Grozny, the regional capital of the Russian Chechen Republic. Azerbaijani authorities said the plane was accidentally hit by Russian air defenses and subsequently attempted to land in western Kazakhstan. It crashed, killing 38 of the 67 people on board.

At the time, Putin apologized to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev for the"tragic incident," but without taking responsibility. Aliyev criticized Moscow for its attempt to"cover up" the incident.

Because the plane crashed at Aktau Airport, numerous videos of the accident were shared on social media. They showed a thick black column of smoke rising above the crash site. They also showed the plane impacting the terrain at low altitude with its left wing and nose down.

11:50 a.m. – EU sanctions commissioner: Further US course on sanctions unclear

According to EU sanctions chief David O'Sullivan, European allies are uncertain whether US President Trump will support further sanctions against Russia."There are signs that he is losing patience with President (Vladimir) Putin," O'Sullivan said in a Reuters interview."Whether he will conclude that America should impose further sanctions against Russia is an open question."

The US needs to catch up with the other G7 countries on sanctions, having previously focused on a peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine. It is regrettable, he said, that the US did not join the EU, Great Britain, and Canada when they lowered the G7 price cap for Russian crude oil from $60 to $47.60 per barrel in early September.

09:53 – Selenskyj: Gasoline shortages in Russia due to attacks on energy facilities

Ukraine claims it has caused significant gasoline shortages in Russia by launching long-range attacks on Russian energy facilities. According to published statements at a briefing, there may have been up to 20 percent less fuel available in Russia at times. He added that the Ukrainian armed forces used domestically produced Neptune and Flamingo missiles in attacks last week. Zelensky also reported that the Russian armed forces carried out 1,550 attacks on energy targets in the Ukrainian regions of Chernihiv, Sumy, and Poltava last month, but achieved only 160 hits.

09:15 – Agency: Russia wants to restart Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant

According to a state media report, Russia is preparing to restart the occupied Ukrainian Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. The situation at the plant gives no cause for concern from a nuclear safety perspective, reports the Russian state news agency RIA Novosti. The Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant is the largest in Europe. All six of its Soviet-designed reactors are currently shut down. It is occupied by Russian troops. Russia and Ukraine repeatedly accuse each other of shelling the plant site and its surroundings.

08:10 – Authorities: Three dead in Russian attacks in Ukraine

Three people were killed in Russian attacks on the Sumy region in northeastern Ukraine, according to authorities. Russia fired dozens of drones and guided bombs at several communities, the military administration in Sumy announced Wednesday evening. Three men were killed and two others injured.

In the Russian region of Volgograd, Ukrainian drone strikes caused fires at “fuel and energy facilities,” Governor Andrei Bocharov said on Thursday.

07:07 – Former Kremlin chief Medvedev visits North Korea

Amid speculation about the deployment of more North Korean soldiers to the war in Ukraine, former Kremlin chief Dmitry Medvedev is traveling to Pyongyang. He announced that he had come to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the Workers' Party of Korea."The friends are together. The enemies are getting nervous," he wrote on the new Russian platform Max. Medvedev, who remains influential as deputy head of the National Security Council in Moscow, has established himself in recent years as a warmonger against the West. He repeatedly attracts attention with rhetorical attacks against Ukraine and the West.

Russia and long-isolated North Korea have intensified their cooperation since the start of the war against Ukraine ordered by Kremlin leader Putin. After Pyongyang initially supplied Russia with missiles and artillery ammunition for bombardment against Ukraine, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un later also sent troops.

According to Ukrainian intelligence estimates, approximately 14,000 North Koreans participated in the recapture of territory in the western Russian region of Kursk. About 2,000 of them are said to have been killed. Recent statements by Kim fueled speculation about a further operation, in which, according to media reports, up to 30,000 North Koreans could be involved. However, according to international interpretation, this would no longer be covered even by the mutual assistance pact between Russia and North Korea.

Wednesday, October 8:

19:10 – “We will not give Ukraine even one crown for weapons from our budget,” says Babis

The likely future head of government of the Czech Republic, Andrej Babis, has reaffirmed his stance on the war in Ukraine."We will not give Ukraine even one crown from our budget for weapons," the right-wing populist and billionaire announced in Prague."We have no money for the Czech Republic," he explained. The EU and NATO member state continues to have its own currency, the crown.

Babis pointed out that Kyiv was already receiving billions in financial aid through the EU's so-called Ukraine Facility. He clarified that Czech arms companies could continue exporting to Ukraine."We have no problem with that," said the 71-year-old. At the same time, he called for NATO to adopt the Czech grenade initiative. Experts consider this difficult. Since the launch of the initiative, Ukraine has already been provided with approximately 3.5 million rounds of large-caliber ammunition. It is one of the flagship projects of the center-right coalition that lost the parliamentary elections.