The Trump administration has lifted key restrictions on Ukraine’s use of Western long-range missiles, allowing Kiev to strike certain military and logistics facilities in Russia for the first time.
This change, announced on October 22, 2025, represents a significant shift in US policy and grants Ukraine greater operational authority under NATO coordination. According to the Wall Street Journal, this decision transfers authority for such strikes from the Pentagon to the US European Command, giving General Alexus Grynkevich, commander of US Forces Europe, direct control over the missiles’ cross-border use.
This move follows a series of Ukrainian attacks on ammunition depots and rail hubs near Bryansk and Kursk, allegedly carried out using Storm Shadow cruise missiles supplied by the United Kingdom.
Systems eligible for the exemption include the Storm Shadow air-launched cruise missile and the French SCALP-EG, capable of hitting targets up to 250 kilometers away with precision-guided warheads.
These weapons have already been used against Russian command and logistics facilities in Crimea, but their use was previously limited to targets inside Ukraine and neighboring Russian regions.
Under the new authorization, Kiev can now use them against Russian bases, fuel depots, and supply lines in direct support of military operations. The United States has not yet granted similar freedom of action to the American ATACMS (Army Tactical Missile System), whose use remains limited to Russian targets in Russian-controlled Ukrainian territory.
The policy change aims to improve Ukraine’s ability to disrupt Russian military production and logistics without significantly increasing the risk of escalation.
This demonstrates the growing unity among NATO members, particularly the United Kingdom and France, on the issue of ensuring Ukraine’s ability to conduct deeper precision strikes while maintaining Western control over operational planning.
And now a look at the front line, updated at 3:30 PM on October 23. After the refineries in Hungary and Romania, which are in one way or another linked to Russian interests, the Bratislava refinery in Slovakia is now ablaze. This refinery processes Russian oil from the Druzhba pipeline.
In Chelyabinsk, explosions at a power plant have left nine dead and several injured, but the governor has denied the drone attack theory.
Due to long-range Russian strikes, Ukraine is experiencing hourly power outages; Ukrainian authorities are trying to stabilize the system. The Kamyanske hydroelectric power plant was attacked overnight by at least 20 Russian drones; the dam forms the large Yanske reservoir. There were also attacks in Kramatorsk and Pavlohrad.
Meanwhile, Russian regions, mostly those on the frontline, are under Ukrainian attack, which is knocking out power supply facilities. In the Voronezh region, at least eight drones were shot down overnight.
In the Kursk region, one person was injured in a drone strike on October 22.
In the Grajvoron district of the Belgorod region, one person was killed and three were injured by Ukrainian drone strikes. At least eight other Ukrainian attacks were reported in eight different locations, with civilian injuries, according to Russian sources.
In the direction of Pokrovsk, Russian forces are advancing towards Molodetske and Myrnohrad, where fighting is ongoing. Pokrovski, fighting continues for the Lazurny and Yuzhny microdistricts. Russian forces are blocking Ukrainian logistics and supplies.
GrV Vostok reports on its ongoing offensive: Pavlivka, in the eastern Zaporizhia region, has—according to Russian military sources—passed under the Russian flag. Russian forces have advanced deep into Ukrainian defenses in several areas, including towards Vyshneve. The advance was up to 1.5 kilometers deep and up to 2 kilometers wide. Three counterattacks were repelled. Russian forces are advancing towards Pavlivski.
On the Zaporizhia front, Russian forces have been consolidating their positions in the extended Malaya Tokmachka area since the night of the 22nd; the Ukrainians are preparing counterattacks. In the Stepnohirski-Prymorski area, Russian Airborne Forces units continue to to systematically attack the Ukrainian armed forces that are leaving Their positions have been taken by the Russians and they are defending existing positions. So far, there have been no changes along the battle line. According to Russian military sources: “The skies are teeming with drones, making even the slightest movement difficult.”
On the Kherson front, the Dnipro Group of Forces is destroying Ukrainian logistics on Karantynnyy Ostriv Island in Kherson with strikes.
Graziella Giangiulio
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