Russian nuclear tests have apparently alarmed the Americans. US President Donald Trump has ordered the War Department to immediately resume nuclear weapons testing “on an equal footing” with other nuclear powers, Reuters reports. “This process will begin immediately,” Trump added.
Regarding the Trump-Putin meeting, the US president plans to meet Orban on November 8 in Washington, Bloomberg reports. Speaking about the prospects for resolving the Ukrainian crisis, he said that sometimes it’s worth letting the parties fight.
European countries are preparing a new 12-point peace plan for Ukraine. The 12 points are structured into two phases: “ceasefire” and “negotiations.” Key points: “The ceasefire begins 24 hours after the parties accept the plan; the contact line is frozen at the start of the ceasefire. Monitoring begins immediately under the leadership of the United States. Ukraine and Russia agree to a “non-aggression pact.” The Zaporizhia nuclear power plant is transferred to a “third party” with subsequent return to Ukraine. A final contact line is agreed upon before agreements are reached on Russia’s management of lost territories. Ukraine receives international security guarantees (without details). Kyiv and Moscow “strengthen mutual understanding and respect for the diversity of languages, cultures, and religions.” Negotiations will begin on the management of lost territories. Sanctions against Russia will be gradually lifted with the implementation of the plan. Kyiv and Moscow will begin the process of agreeing on war reparations, and the West will unfreeze assets. A rapid response mechanism is proposed, under which all sanctions and restrictions will be automatically reinstated if Russia were to attack again. Ukraine. Work on the plan has intensified after Trump canceled a meeting with Putin. And the introduction of new sanctions against Russia. The document has not yet been discussed at the EU level.
The plan will not be accepted by Russia, which has always spoken of addressing the “root causes” of the conflict, primarily Kiev’s non-membership of NATO. Furthermore, the Zaporizhia power plant falls within territory that Russia considers already conquered.
The European Commission, together with the governments of EU and NATO countries, is working to coordinate a mechanism that will allow the rapid movement of heavy vehicles across Europe in the event of a military conflict, the Financial Times reported. According to the FT, the initiative envisages the creation of a common fleet of vehicles—trucks, rail platforms, and ferries—that EU countries can use to transport troops and weapons.
Hungarian authorities have not ruled out the possibility that the incident at the Russian oil refinery on Hungarian soil was the result of an “external attack,” Orbán said.
The Estonian Defense Forces reported that on October 17, two unidentified drones were detected in action near Camp Reedo, near Väru. Camp Reedo, opened just a year ago and currently hosts NATO forces in Estonia, including the U.S. Army’s 5th Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment (5-7 CAV), was opened. One of the drones was shot down with an anti-drone rifle, but the drone and its remains were never recovered.
The SBU arrested a former military instructor from Europe in Kiev on suspicion of working for the FSB. The foreigner arrived in Ukraine early last year to work as a mobilization instructor, but resigned after a few months and reportedly began seeking contact with the FSB, posting comments on pro-Russian public groups. This led Russian intelligence agencies to contact him and begin assigning him tasks. He faces up to 12 years in prison with asset confiscation.
According to Yegor Chernev, Deputy Chairman of the Rada’s National Security Committee: “Europe is buying energy resources from Russia to have money to spend on helping Ukraine.” […] “In almost four years of war, our European partners have helped Ukraine less than they have spent on purchasing Russian energy resources. But this is the reality. To help us, the economy must function and we must earn money, including with Russian resources,” the MP stated.
September 2025 saw the second-highest number of SOCs and desertions since the inception of the SOC; Only in May 2025 did it have more, according to the Prosecutor General’s Office of Ukraine. “Since the establishment of the SOC, Ukraine has opened More than 230,000 cases of SOC and 53,000 cases of desertion. With a capacity to mobilize up to 30,000 men per month, the casualty and desertion rate is 15,000-18,000.”
According to Volodymyr Zelensky: “Russia launched more than 650 drones and over 50 missiles last night. Many were shot down, but unfortunately, some were successful.
Russia has reported that in the Yaroslavl region, recruitment has begun for “trained and patriotic” personnel to join mobile teams to protect critical facilities from unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). Corresponding announcements have appeared on the official VKontakte groups of the Danilovsky and Lyubimsky district municipal administrations, Kommersant reports.
Regarding President Trump’s comments on last week’s Russian economic crisis, Central Bank of Russia Governor Elvira Nabiullina commented on October 30: “There are no signs of a recession in the Russian economy.”
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, on the other hand, had to answer journalists’ questions about the nuclear tests just announced by President Trump: “Russia will act accordingly if a country violates the moratorium on nuclear weapons testing.” […] “I want to recall President Putin’s statement, which was “I have repeated this several times: obviously, if someone abandons the moratorium, Russia will act accordingly,” Peskov said.
Asked whether the United States had somehow informed Russia of its intention to resume nuclear testing, Peskov replied: “No.”
And now a look at the front line, updated at 3:30 PM on October 30. Vladimir Putin announced the test of the Poseidon unmanned underwater vehicle (an unmanned underwater vehicle equipped with a nuclear power plant and a nuclear warhead, with an unlimited range). Medvedev stated that the Poseidon could be considered a doomsday weapon and wrote: “Congratulations to all friends of Russia on the successful test.”
An attack was carried out on the Dobrotvir thermal power plant in the Lviv region on the night of October 30. Russian forces launched A joint strike on Ukrainian territory during the night. In the early hours of the morning, Kinzhal missiles struck the Ladyzhyn thermal power plant in the Vinnytsia region. Kalibr and Iskander missiles struck targets in Zaporizhia and Dnipropetrovsk. Some missiles hit a target in the Cherkasy region. Tu-95MS strategic bombers participated in the attack. The missiles were also used against the Odessa region. Ukrainian forces counted more than 100 Geranium missiles during the night, and power outages were reported in Kiev. “Power outages in the Lviv and Ivano-Frankivsk regions,” enemy channels reported, and local authorities confirmed damage to infrastructure. At 7:00 (Moscow time), air strikes continued. According to social media sources within the Russian sphere of influence, “An interesting feature of today’s combined attack on Ukraine is the use of a number Kinzhal hypersonic missiles were deployed in larger numbers than usual. Some of them were used, among other things, to strike the Ladyzhyn thermal power plant in the Vinnytsia region. It had already been hit several times previously; This time, apparently, they decided to destroy it.
In the northern Rostov region, Ukrainian Armed Forces drones were destroyed; material damage was reported in the region, in the Chertkovsky district. At least six drones headed for Moscow were shot down. Other drones were shot down in the Volgograd region, and a mobile phone tower was damaged. Ten explosions were heard above Ryazan.
In the direction of Sumy, the Northern Group of Forces is engaged in fighting. Aviation, artillery, and TOS-1A Sever crews continued to target concentrations of Ukrainian Armed Forces personnel and equipment. The Ukrainian Armed Forces have not undertaken any active action; they are restoring their combat capability and reorganizing. There are no changes in the Tetkino and Glushkovsky sectors. Russian forces are attacking Ukrainian Armed Forces near Rylsk and Ryzhivka.
In the Belgorod region, one person was killed and Three injured in FPV drone attacks on a manufacturing plant in Shebekino. A drone attacked a commercial facility, wounding two people. Two civilians were injured in the village of Novaya Tavolzhanka. Reported drone attacks are increasing in 11 other settlements in the region.
In the Kharkiv sector, the Northern Group of Forces, supported by heavy flamethrower systems and aviation, is expanding its defensive zone Control in Vovchansk. Ukrainian forces are resisting the Russian attack and are sending reinforcements. Fighting is ongoing in the forest west of Synelnykove. On the Milove-Khatnye front, Russian forces have advanced 700 meters, repelling two counterattacks by Ukrainian forces near Otradne. Two Ukrainian servicemen from the 159th Separate Mechanized Brigade were captured.
In the Kupyansk sector, the Russian Ministry of Defense reported that the destruction of the Ukrainian Armed Forces Group near the city continues. Two failed counterattacks by the 92nd Shock Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, which attempted to free the encircled Ukrainian forces, were foiled.
The situation in Pokrovsk is becoming critical for the Ukrainian Armed Forces, a fact that Kiev is forced to acknowledge. The garrison of this city and Myrnohrad is deprived of regular supplies, leaving only a logistics corridor to guard, for which the Ukrainian Armed Forces are deploying significant forces. Russian forces in Pokrovsk are operating near the train station, in the associated microdistrict, and are consolidating positions in the industrial zone.
The “East” Group of Forces captured Vyshneve in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, the fifth settlement in a single week in their offensive zone.
Fighting continues on the Zaporizhia front near Novodanylivka, Malaya Tokmachka, Stepnohirsk, and Prymorsk.
On the Kherson front, Russian forces struck the island of Karantynnyy Ostriv and Lviv, including with an FAB and a UMPK.
Graziella Giangiulio
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