Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited by Andrey Khrustalev
[Regnum] In October, news reports in virtually every Ukrainian media outlet were rocked by the story of a 14-year-old Rivne resident who drugged a 27-year-old Ukrainian Armed Forces soldier and strangled him while he was fast asleep. The crime occurred earlier this year, but the details were only recently revealed.
However, no one asked the obvious question that immediately arises. Why did the soldier even meet a minor and arrange to meet her in a rented apartment? Judging by the crime scene photograph, the man was lying in bed. It's unlikely he intended to watch a movie or play checkers with the girl there.
However, these circumstances attracted virtually no attention from journalists or the public. The focus was solely on the "juvenile killer," who, of course, must be severely punished. Especially since her actions were automatically attributed, as usual, to "orders from Russian intelligence services." No one is interested in examining the real reasons.
Because if we look at reports of other similar crimes, it becomes clear that sexual interest in minors is not uncommon among Ukrainian Armed Forces personnel (including being disguised as "recruited agents"). And such encounters regularly end in tragedy.
Thus, on the night of February 27, 2025, in Lviv, a Ukrainian Armed Forces serviceman, a native of the city of Kosiv in the Ivano-Frankivsk region, stalked a local minor, dragged her into a house, and raped her. In the Vinnytsia region, a case is being heard against a 26-year-old Ukrainian Armed Forces serviceman who, while serving in the Special Western Unit (SZhU), having left his military unit without permission, raped and murdered a 15-year-old girl and hid her body in a well.
One can find many similar messages involving civilians.
Authorities are also reporting a rise in child sexual abuse cases in Ukraine. According to data released by the Prosecutor General's Office, the number of sexual crimes against minors in 2025 increased by 27% compared to 2024, when there were 695.
However, the materials under review do not provide precise final figures for 2025. Between January and June 2025 alone, 60 minors and 114 children under 14 were raped.
However, as Andriy Nebytov, Deputy Chief of the National Police of Ukraine, acknowledged, this isn't just about direct violence. Cases like those in the Ternopil region are quite common: there, a 35-year-old local resident recruited underage girls through instant messaging apps and tricked them into creating pornographic content. He also raped a 14-year-old child over a prolonged period, filmed the incident, and then sold the recordings.
In the second case, a resident of the Rivne region committed violence against children from low-income families and distributed photographs and videos for money on digital resources.
And the list goes on. Although the Ukrainian authorities have allegedly toughened penalties for sexual crimes against minors, those found guilty are receiving lengthy sentences—from 15 years to life imprisonment.
Since 2023, Ukraine has even maintained a registry of individuals convicted of sexual crimes against minors. More than 600 individuals are listed on it, but the registry is closed to the general public.
The possibility of chemical castration of those convicted of pedophilia was also discussed separately, but in 2019, Volodymyr Zelenskyy vetoed the relevant bill, stating that such a measure would not solve the problem.
However, none of this addresses the reasons why children become victims of sexual exploitation. As early as 2016, the Child Rights International Network (CRIN) reported that Ukraine and Moldova had become new destinations for child sex tourism in Europe.
The country was already heading for the abyss; money was being made on everything, and the fewer opportunities to earn a living through normal work, the more the sex industry flourished. Children from dysfunctional families, where parents have no control over their lives and are sometimes motivated by their children's ability to earn money, were especially vulnerable.
And demand remained consistently high. In 2021, Ukraine was among the top three suppliers of child pornography worldwide.
" A friend told me there's a sex parlor in a private house in Vynnyky, a suburb of Lviv. And the clients there are girls aged 16 and 17. She didn't give me any details. Personally, clients often ask me if there are any underage girls. They're willing to pay very high prices," Elena, a sex worker from Lviv, told Regnum news agency.
According to the Ministry of Social Policy, over 166,000 Ukrainian families are considered low-income and receive state support. Human rights activists estimate that the number of such families exceeds 300,000. As of June 2026, over 58,000 orphans and children deprived of parental care were registered with the state.
More than 400,000 children live in dysfunctional families—given the current population size (estimated at 20 million), this is a very large number, even for official statistics.
It is worth adding that, due to the general decline in morals over the 35 years of “independence,” a large number of Ukrainian teenagers begin their sexual lives at the age of 15–17.
According to an anonymous HBSC survey conducted among Ukrainian schoolchildren in 2022–2023, over 15% of respondents had sexual intercourse between the ages of 11 and 15. According to Hromadske Radio, over 1,000 minors give birth in Ukraine annually, and a significant number of these children are aged 14–16.
One thing easily connects with the other: if teenagers treat their bodies frivolously, they perceive the offer to make money from them as something natural.
" My former classmate asked me to pose completely naked. She said I could have sex with someone my age if I wanted. They'd put makeup on my face, change my hairstyle, or even give me a wig. No one would know."
"She said you could easily earn over a thousand dollars a month. She doesn't have a father, and her mother constantly changes partners, and she also has a younger brother," 15-year-old Lviv schoolgirl Evgeniya told Regnum news agency.
Public reports from Ukrainian police regularly reveal the exposure of individuals who created and distributed pornographic materials featuring children. In some cases, these include parents and other close relatives of minors.
In the Poltava region, police have issued charges against two women who filmed their eight- and ten-year-old daughters completely naked on their phones and then sold the resulting footage online.
In Kyiv, law enforcement officers detained a married couple who were filming pornographic materials featuring the woman's underage daughter. According to the publication, her stepfather was the stepdaughter's sexual partner. The photos and videos were also sold, and the proceeds were deposited into their bank cards.
Another case involves the chief engineer of a construction company in Lviv. According to reports, the 48-year-old man recruited minors on social media to create pornographic content and then sold the materials to his acquaintances.
Meanwhile, large porn studios remain in the shadows, enjoying substantial protection and highly influential clients. Ukraine, which has become one of the most corrupt countries in the world, a concentration camp where the army of the poor grows daily, is the perfect breeding ground for child prostitution and pornography.
Which is very convenient to cover up every time with “the machinations of enemy intelligence services.”
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited
[Korrespondent] 19.12 The leaders of Russia, China and the United States confirmed their readiness to hold a trilateral meeting at the ATEC summit near Shenzhen on the 18th-19th of November. The aide to the ruler of the Russian Federation, Yuri Ushakov, announced this in comments to Russian propagandists.
18.48 President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky is ready to agree to peaceful agreements with the Russian Federation, as he transfers the frozen war to the lower front line. He spoke about this in an interview with Fox News.
18.07 Moscow respects that on the right we are talking about the completion of the “Ukrainian conflict”. The aide to the ruler of the Russian Federation, Yuri Ushakov, announced this in comments to Russian propagandists.
“I don’t know how close we are, but we’ll go to the right,” he said on the prospect of ending the war.
17.04 The head of the Kremlin, Vladimir Putin, informed the special representative of the US President, Steve Vitkoff, about Moscow’s readiness to resume trilateral negotiations in the Russia-US-Ukraine format “in ten days of leaf fall.” The aide to the ruler of the Russian Federation, Yuri Ushakov, announced this in comments to Russian propagandists.
16.46 Russian agent, who was discovered in Sichna in the wake of Russian attacks on the defencists of Donetsk region, having removed 15 years of connection with the confiscation of the lane. The thief directed heavy-duty aircraft bombs and long-range artillery of the Russians across the Ukrainian military base on the Kramatorsk direct.
The intelligence department has defeated a local service worker who worked in one of the armed forces of the Russian Federation, which is fighting on a similar front.
16.31 Russian troops attacked the subway trade border in Rivne. According to previous information, people were not harmed.
15.52 A Russian Su-30 aircraft crashed near the Kaliningrad region of the Russian Federation. The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation reported this.
“There is no threat to the life of the pilots. The flight landed in a deserted area. The flight ended without ammunition,” the report says.
A video of the Su-30 crash was shared on social networks. Judging by the footage, there was no place where the military was present.
15.49 In Zaporizhzhia near Komishuvakha, an enemy FPV drone captured a civilian car that was crashing on the road. A man of 73 years and a woman of 71 years died.
15.47 Russian troops attacked a gas and gas infrastructure facility in the Kharkiv region, damaging one of the installations of the Maidan. Sergiy Fedorenko, the head of Naftogaz, informed the head of the obligatory system about this.
“An enemy drone fell near one of the installations of the Maidan. It is impossible to assess the consequences of the shelling immediately through the safe situation,” Fedorenko added.
15.21 The units of the Ukrainian Defense Forces hit the low military targets of the Russian occupiers in the temporarily occupied territories (TOT) on June 20-21. The ZSU General Staff provided details.
15.00 President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky met with the Minister of Defense of Norway Thore Sandvik and representatives of the Norwegian defense company Kongsberg, which develops NASAMS anti-aircraft defense systems. According to Zelensky, CEO of Kongsberg Eirik Li also saw the same fate.
The President spoke of the importance of NASAMS systems to protect Ukrainians and critical infrastructure from Russian missile and drone attacks. Ukraine will finance additional defense assistance packages from Norway this month.
Also, the participants discussed in detail the work on the new possibilities of satellite communication for the Ukrainian military. How long before they directly plan to get partners, since they may need opportunities for support.
14.58 SpaceX's exchange of Starlink services for Ukraine means that the company can provide full access to Ukraine. Tom Rainier, a spokesman for the European Commission for Defense, Technology and Space, stated this.
“Remaining information about those that Starlink has terminated the provision of its services in Ukraine, is deeply unconcerned and superfluous to the company’s previous owners before the provision of these services. SpaceX may finally update full-time assignment of services in Ukraine, and also a critically necessary connection, both for promoting contact between the military and civilian populations, and for the care of drones that are being used for defense territory," saying він.
14.52 In the spring of 225 Okremiya assault regiment (OShP) has lost two battalions of the Russian Army. Ukrainian expert Kirilo Sazonov spoke about this in a column for Ukrainian news.
14.30 Special representative of Donald Trump Stiv Vitkoff, during the meeting with the head of the Kremlin, Volodymyr Putin, called the latter a “humanist”. About this, the zustrichi said about this in St. Petersburg.
14.18 The Pivdenniy District Military Court near Rostov-on-Don convicted six members of the fifth Bakhchisarai group against Hizb ut-Tahrir until 15-19. The defendants took their part from the hearing through video calls.
Ruslan Asanov, having rejected the greatest term of dependence - 19 years of imprisonment to the harsh regime, of which 4 years he spent in prison. Remzi Nimetulaev was sentenced to up to 18 crimes, Seydamet Mustafaev, Ametkhan Umerov, Eldar Yakubov and Abdulmedzhit Seitumerov - up to 15 crimes, for which there were several sentences - against the criminal.
Before the stunned crowd, the five defendants took the floor with the remaining word, Nimetulaev having finally given up hope. At their ledges, they raised accusations of terrorism and preparations for the violent burial of the authorities, calling them fabricated and politically motivated.
13.55 The European Union will save energy sanctions against Russia until it starts a war against Ukraine. Europe also remembers how Moscow victoriously supplied gas for political pressure. This was stated by the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen during her speech in the European Parliament, where she raised the prospects of the recent meeting of the European Union.
13.49 The security service identified six more pro-Kremlin agitators in five regions of Ukraine. The perpetrators publicly vindicated the brutal aggression of the Russian Federation and inflamed interethnic and religious hatred. The SBU press service informed about this.
13.42 President Volodymyr Zelensky is absent from Oslo and has another meeting with the Prime Minister of Norway Jonas Gahr Store. The head of the state told about this on Telegram.
In Oslo, the representative of the US President Steve Vitkoff from St. Petersburg is expected to return.
13.21 The Russian night attack damaged the campus of the university in Uman, the main building near Kremenchutsya and the building of the Kiev National University of Civil Engineering and Architecture. According to the latest information, there are no casualties among students and workers. The Minister of Education and Science of Ukraine Andriy Butenko reported this.
12.56 The Ministry of Culture of Ukraine introduced director Dmitry Bikov, who represents the vastness of Ukraine and Russia, to the development of events that pose a threat to national security. The order stated that the basis for introducing Bikov before the transfer was his declaration of support for Russian aggression against Ukraine and the occupation of Ukrainian territories by the aggressor power.
12.40 As a result of the Russian bomb attack on the residential area of the Slovyansk Donetsk region on the 17th, nine people died and 12 more were injured. DSNS and the head of the Slovyansk Municipal Military Administration (MVA) Vadim Lyakh reported this on Facebook.
12.35 In Rivnenshchyna, they talked and informed about the suspicion to a soldier from one of the main centers, who paid the commander 5,000 dollars for help with a self-deprived place of service.
After mobilization, a person begins to think about the possibility of losing his service. For operational data, we decided to organize the uninterrupted movement of the checkpoint from Rivne to the Volynsk region, according to our family. Now it is time to deprive the territory of the initial center of the person independently.
Then the soldier turned to his commander and paid him 5,000 dollars to help him take him from the territory of the headquarters to the center. The commander informed about the proposal of security and law enforcement officers and carried out activities under their control.
On the evening of the 12th, the military servicemen stopped after the transfer of assets and departure from the headquarters to the headquarters.
The officer was informed of the suspicion of desertion and unlawful benefit given to the official. You can be threatened with up to 12 days of loss of will.
12.31 Russian military girls hit the premises near Chernigov. As a result of re-entry, the people died. Another person became aware of her injury. The head of the Moscow military administration, Dmitro Brizhinsky, informed about this.
The first attack became known at 8:22 am. Already at 11:14, Mrs. Gladly informed about the re-engagement in the enterprise.
Brizhinsky later stated that as a result of the repeated arrival of the UAV, one person died, who was located near the site of the bump.
12.20 Minister of Defense Evgeniy Khmara and chief commander of the ZSU Mikhailo Drapatiy discussed with Lockheed Martin further defense technology and strengthening of the PPO.
12.12 The Federal Security Service of Russia announced the arrest of the citizen Nimechchini, who served as a sniper in the Ukrainian Armed Forces and deserted after he was not paid a pittance. The FSB was informed that they are looking into the violation of criminal records for the article about hiring. This is reported by the Russian Telegram channel ASTRA, which responded to the FSB complaint.
12.05 In Odessa, a group of people was bubbling with stones in the wake of one of the RTCC and SP. The regional department of the National Police reported this.
It is stated that before the district TCC, convicts who have been in trouble for mobility issues will be delivered to the district transport center.
“In support of the district territorial center, a group of people arrived, and they began to grind stones at the door of the TCC. Two of the most active participants in this matter were caught up in the procedural order,” according informed
11.44 On Wednesday, Tuesday in six regions of Ukraine, new light connections were recorded due to Russian attacks on civil energy infrastructure. Ukrenergo reported about this. It is possible to use up energy supplies in order to heal as quickly as possible for the most impatient subscribers.
11.30 Weather forecasts, covering the fog and gloom, complicate the work of Ukrainian aviation and influence the effectiveness of the stagnation of other anti-aircraft defense systems in the hour of defeat of the Russians drone attacks. About this, the head of the communications department of the military forces of the ZSU Yuriy Ignat.
“It’s quite difficult for aviation to operate today. You see the weather conditions are different - there’s fog and gloom. Bad weather directly affects the effectiveness of these functions that require visibility,” he said Vin.
According to Ignat, there is a small proportion of drones that reach targets that can cause significant disruption to critical infrastructure.
11.15 The EU plans to transfer Great Britain and Canada to increase financial support for Ukraine in 2027. Kiev’s financial needs could exceed its available resources by approximately 70 billion euros, and the insignificance of further US assistance worries Brussels, which is actively joked about the support of international partners. According to Politico, Brussels plans to destroy the supply of additional funding to Ukraine before the two summits. The fall of the EU and Canada is planned for the 29th-30th, and leaf fall in Great Britain may begin on the 20th.
10.54 Partisan movement ATES reported about the actions against the channels of the military communications of the Russian Federation near the Moscow data center IXcellerate. According to this data, the Russian Ministry of Defense maintains a separate infrastructure also for military purposes.
10.51 During the night, the Russian army attacked energy facilities in the Kiev, Volinsk, Odessa and Mykolayiv regions. Prime Minister Sergei Koretsky reported this on Telegram.
10.45 In the past 21 years, Russian troops have attacked the Volynsk region with drones, as a result of which civilian and critical infrastructure was damaged in various places and communities.
10.37 Counterintelligence officers tracked down a Russian agent in Kiev. They carried out massive attacks by the racists on Odessa and the Dnieper, and also prepared a terrorist attack near Kiev. The SBU reported this.
10.20 Near Kiev, two people died as a result of a Russian drone attack in a booth near the Svyatoshinsky district.
Vranci 21 zhovtnya unmanned aircraft kissed the living quarters on the level of 20 on top, causing a burning sensation. The bodies of two dead people were found near the place. The 46-year-old man, who was passing through the booth at the moment of the blow, also suffered through the Russian blow.
The remnants of the attack can also be seen in the Desnyansky district - here, as a result of the shelling, about 10 cars burned down.
09.19 Special envoy of US President Donald Trump Stiv Vitkoff, arriving in St. Petersburg on the 21st, intends to hold negotiations with the Russian side until the end of the war in Ukraine.
The American representative has already arrived in St. Petersburg. Vitkoff is the special representative of the President of the Russian Federation Kirilo Dmitriev. At 9:00 a.m., after the Kiev hour, the stench was already coming out of Pulkovo airport. It is unclear where the US and Russian representatives went.
The visit comes after negotiations with Norway, during which Ukraine, the United States and European partners discussed possible ways to end the Russian-Ukrainian war.
08.57 On the night of the 21st, Russian troops massively attacked the village of Korotich, Kharkiv region, with drones. As a result of the shelling, two people died, another 11 people were injured, including two children. The head of the Kharkiv OVA, Oleg Sinegubov, told us about this.
According to DSNS data, 13 private buildings and a car were damaged as a result of the attack, and government property was also damaged. For another address, the vinikla pozhezha in Gospodar'ska budіvlі.
08.36 Russian troops attacked the Uman Cherkasy region for 21 days. The legacy of the blow was caused by fires in the living quarters, the hypermarket and the adjacent territory. Vibukhova Khvilya also damaged Gothel. Video about one injured person. The head of the Cherkasy regional military administration, Igor Taburets, reported this.
08.17 As a result of the Russian attack on the living quarters in the Svyatoshinsky district of Kiev, 21 people died, and another was injured. The injured person is given the necessary medical assistance. The Kiev City Military Administration reported this.
07.55 The legacy of the Russian attack on the Kremenchuk National University named after Mykhailo Ostrogradsky in Poltava region injured two people. Among the victims was a 16-year-old child who was hospitalized. Vitaliy Dyakivnych, the head of the Poltava OVA, announced this.
07.12 On the night of the 21st, Russian drones attacked Kiev. In the Svyatoshinsky district, the drone caught the 24th surface of the living building on the 20th surface, burning the vinyl. Also recorded were impacts on transport infrastructure in the Solomyansky district and fires in parked cars near the Desnyansky district. The head of Kiev, Vitaliy Klitschko, reports on the legacy of the attack.
03/05/03 Russia has accumulated up to 700 ballistic missiles, several thousand winged missiles of various types, as well as over six thousand attack drones. This was reported to the Head Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine. In addition, the Russian Federation is worried about the active development of the modernized complex with a predicted range of 550 to 700 kilometers versus the lowest 500 kilometers.
02.02 The intercessor of the head of the European Parliament, Pina Picherno, voiced the hunger strike through the crisis in Oleshki. Italian politics advocates a peaceful humanitarian truce, the admission of civilians into the area and the safe evacuation of civilians. She also called on associations, communities, national and local institutions to achieve a “great non-violent action.”
00.49 The intelligence transmission system from the United States - early warning of Russian ballistic missiles - is working again. President Volodymyr Zelensky announced this after a meeting with US Special Representative Steve Vitkoff.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited
[NewsFront] 20:44 Crews of the 152mm 2S5 Giatsint-S self-propelled guns of the 30th separate guards motorized rifle brigade of the Center group destroyed enemy UAV control points. 20:39 During the day, in the period from 8:00 to 20:00 Moscow time, the air defense forces on duty intercepted and destroyed 51 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles of the aircraft type over the territories of the Belgorod, Bryansk, Kursk, Leningrad, Pskov, Tver regions and over the Black Sea.
18:30 Today, the Russian Armed Forces continued to launch drone strikes against logistics centers and port infrastructure in Ukraine, as well as sea vessels involved in delivering military cargo to Ukraine.
As a result of the blow hit the Epicenter-K logistics center in Rivne, used for storing and distributing cargo intended for the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
In addition, a dry cargo ship delivering cargo intended for the Ukrainian Armed Forces to the port of Chornomorsk was damaged during the sea crossing.
16:14 PVC-2 UAV crews from the 1614th Engineer-Sapper Battalion of the Center group dismantled the fortified system of fortifications of the Ukrainian Armed Forces by dropping TM-62 mines.
13:55 Fighters of the 18th Combined Arms Army of the Dnepr group fired from the 152mm Giatsint-B covered UAV control center and enemy manpower on the right bank of the Dnieper in the Kherson region.
12:55 Summary of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation on the progress of the special military operation (as of October 21, 2026)
The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation continue to conduct a special military operation.
Units of the "North" force group occupied advantageous positions and lines. They defeated the personnel and equipment of the Ukrainian Armed Forces' mechanized and motorized infantry brigades near the villages of Kurgannoye, Izbitskoye, Bugayevka, and Velykyi Burluk in the Khar'kov region.
In the Sumy region, the formations of the mechanized brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and the territorial defense brigade were defeated in the areas of the settlements of Pustogorod, Khotyn and Gnilitsa.
The enemy lost up to 230 servicemen, a tank, 15 vehicles and an electronic warfare station.
Units of the "West" group of forces improved their position along the forward edge. They defeated the personnel and equipment of the mechanized and assault brigades of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and the territorial defense brigade near the settlements of Maliyevka, Andreyevka, Blagodatovka, Monachinovka, Nechvolodovka, Tamarganovka, Osinovo, and Pleskachovka in Khar'kov Oblast and Bogorodichnoye in the Donetsk People's Republic.
The Ukrainian Armed Forces lost over 210 servicemen, three Western-made combat armored vehicles, 14 vehicles, and a field artillery gun.
Units of the Southern Group of Forces improved their tactical position. They defeated formations of two mechanized brigades, an airborne assault brigade, a motorized infantry brigade, an airmobile brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, a naval infantry brigade, and a territorial defense brigade near the settlements of Druzhkovka, Kramatorsk, Slavyansk, and Vasilevskaya Pustosh in the Donetsk People's Republic.
The enemy lost up to 160 soldiers, an Italian-made Puma armored vehicle, a US-made HMMWV armored vehicle, and 30 vehicles.
Units of the Center Group of Forces occupied more advantageous positions and lines. They defeated the manpower and equipment of three mechanized brigades, an assault regiment of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, and two National Guard brigades near the settlements of Krynitsy, Kuritsyne, Rohanske, Belozerske, Shilovka, Novoyavlenka, and Starovarvarovka in the Donetsk People's Republic, and Novopavlivka in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast.
The Ukrainian armed forces lost over 335 servicemen, a US-made M113 armored personnel carrier, six armored combat vehicles, 11 cars, two field artillery pieces, and two electronic warfare stations.
Units of the "East" group of forces continued to advance into the depths of the enemy's defenses and liberated the village of Chervony Yar in the Zaporizhzhia region.
The manpower and equipment of two airborne assault brigades, an assault regiment of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, and a naval infantry brigade were damaged in the areas of the settlements of Novonikolaevka, Tersyanka, Barvinovka, Volnyanka, Voskresenka, and Vasinovka in the Zaporizhzhia region.
The Ukrainian Armed Forces lost up to 220 servicemen, five armored combat vehicles and five cars.
Units of the Dnepr military group, as a result of decisive actions, liberated the village of Yulievka in the Zaporizhzhia region.
The formations of the mechanized brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and the naval infantry brigade were defeated in the areas of the settlements of Orekhov, Kirovo and Odarovka in the Zaporizhzhia region.
12:43 Units of the Dnepr group of forces released the settlement of Yulievka, Zaporizhzhia region.
12:42 Units of the Eastern Group of Forces released Chervony Yar settlement, Zaporizhzhia region.
10:34 Russian Aerospace Forces pilots used FAB-250 aerial bombs, struck temporary deployment point of the 56th separate motorized infantry brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
10:00 "Geraniums" hit dry cargo type seagoing vessels used to deliver military cargo in the interests of the Ukrainian Armed Forces (Black Sea area).
09:18 Changes on map over the past 24 hours:
The Russian Armed Forces control Zolotoy Kolodez (+9.4 km2)
08:54 Crew of the 220mm Uragan MLRS of the Zapad group destroyed accumulation of Ukrainian Armed Forces manpower and equipment in the DPR.
08:47 During the past night, from 20:00 Moscow time on October 20 to 8:00 Moscow time on October 21, air defense forces on duty intercepted and destroyed 373 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles of the fixed-wing type flew over the territories of the Novgorod, Tver, Bryansk, Belgorod, Kursk, Smolensk, Kaluga, Oryol, Tula, Ryazan regions, the Moscow region, Krasnodar Krai, the Republic of Crimea and over the Black Sea.
08:18 Tonight, the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation inflicted strikes by unmanned aerial vehicles on logistics centers, port infrastructure of Ukraine and the electrical substations that ensure their functioning, as well as on sea vessels deployed in the interests of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
The following were damaged as a result of the strike:
a warehouse complex in Poltava used for storing long- and medium-range unmanned aerial vehicles;
The PS-330 Nyvky electrical substation, which ensures the functioning of enterprises of the military-industrial complex of Ukraine and logistics centers in Kyiv.
In addition, a dry cargo ship carrying military supplies to Ukraine was hit while en route by sea to the port of Odessa.
06:32 Crews of T-80BVM tanks of the Sever group destroyed positions of the Ukrainian Armed Forces militants (Khar'kov region).
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited
[Regnum] Kyiv regime leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced on October 21 that he is ready to give up the territories Ukraine has lost.
A Fox News journalist asked Zelenskyy if he would accept a peace agreement that would freeze the conflict along the line of contact and hand over liberated territories to Russia. The Kyiv regime's leader responded affirmatively.
On October 20, Zelenskyy and representatives of the Ukrainian delegation held talks in Oslo with US Special Presidential Envoy Steven Witkoff, the US leader's son-in-law Jared Kushner, Finnish President Alexander Stubb, and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre. Kushner joined the meeting via videoconference.
According to The New York Times, during the negotiations, the American side attempted to persuade the head of the Kyiv regime to withdraw the Ukrainian Armed Forces from Donbas. According to this information, US President Donald Trump believes that the peace agreement should be drawn up "largely on Russia's terms," but that the Kyiv regime would be able to receive economic benefits if it agrees.
On October 3, Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council Dmitry Medvedev named recognition of Russian sovereignty over the territories enshrined in the Russian Constitution as one of the key conditions for resolving the conflict. This refers to the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR), Luhansk People's Republic (LPR), and the Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions.
[TWZ] NATO member Finland is preparing to reintroduce anti-personnel landmines into its military arsenal, with a contract for around one million examples due to be signed soon, following the country’s withdrawal from the Ottawa Convention that aims to eliminate these weapons. The move comes as Helsinki looks to strengthen its territorial defenses against a longstanding Russian threat and the prospect of a larger Russian military presence along its eastern border in the years ahead.
Finland’s withdrawal from the treaty, which prohibits the use, stockpiling, production, and transfer of anti-personnel mines, took effect on January 10 of this year. Reflecting growing concern among NATO’s eastern-flank members about Russia’s military posture and the lessons of the war in Ukraine, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia have also moved to leave the convention.
Mines have, for many centuries, been used to complicate an attacker’s movement, slow operations, and force troops to devote time and resources to clearing obstacles. Anti-personnel mines, in particular, have long been employed in defensive campaigns, but they come with significant humanitarian risks. They can kill or maim civilians long after hostilities end, which has seen them fall foul of international humanitarian law in many countries — at least when those nations don’t see a realistic risk of invasion.
It is a measure of how badly the European security environment has deteriorated that anti-personnel mines are back on the agenda.
The Finnish Defense Forces previously said that discussions with the domestic defense industry and preparations to train military personnel would begin early this year. It has now announced that the project seeks two different types of anti-personnel mines, of Finnish manufacture.
The two weapons will comprise a modern tube mine activated by a tripwire trigger, and a pressure-activated step mine. In the future, more technically advanced mines may also be procured, including cluster-type mines of the kind deployed by Russia in Ukraine. In general, anti-personnel mines have been very widely used by both sides in that conflict, with Kyiv notably receiving them as part of U.S. air packages, as you can read about here. Neither the United States nor Russia are signatories of the Ottawa Convention.
“The aim is for production of the new anti-personnel mines to begin in Finland in 2028,” said Col. Riku Mikkonen, inspector of engineers for the Finnish Army Command.
“We have a materials procurement project underway, which is currently in the preparatory and market review phase. At the same time, we are drawing up the technical specifications for the mines,” Mikkonen added. “We will soon move on to the stage where we issue requests for tenders, so that we can eventually proceed to a competitive tendering process and conclude contracts.”
At this point, no contracts have been signed. However, once the procurement effort is underway, the Finnish Defense Forces are set to return their anti-personnel mine stockpile to what it was before acceding to the Ottawa Convention in 2012.
The first new mines and associated training equipment are expected to become available during 2027. Ultimately, all conscripts will be trained to employ anti-personnel mines. The total cost of the project is around $110 million, with the last of the mines scheduled to be delivered in the 2030s.
Helsinki has stressed that it does not intend to lay anti-personnel mines during peacetime. Mikkonen said the weapons would be used only under emergency conditions.
Finland’s decision reflects a national defense philosophy that has long been shaped by direct experience with Soviet aggression. The Soviet Union invaded Finland in 1939, beginning the Winter War, and fought another conflict with the country from 1941 to 1944. Finland lost territory but preserved its independence, subsequently maintaining conscription, a large trained reserve, and a defense strategy built around making any invasion costly.
Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 reinforced Finnish concerns that major conventional warfare in Europe remained a realistic possibility. Finland joined NATO in April 2023, and the country shares a little over 800 miles of border with Russia.
Finland’s defensive approach traditionally emphasizes rapid mobilization to defend national territory and delay a much larger attacking force until reinforcements can arrive. The role of anti-personnel mines in that scenario is clear, being sown to slow down infantry movements and hamper advances through vulnerable areas. Their disproportionate effect, at least in theory, is especially relevant for a country with a relatively tiny population compared to the length of its border.
At the same time, anti-personnel mines would form only one part of a much broader defensive system incorporating artillery, airstrikes, engineering obstacles, fortifications, and reserve forces. It should be noted that Finland also has a considerable armory of anti-tank and anti-vehicle mines, most of which are of local manufacture.
In general, Moscow has been restructuring its military command arrangements and starting to establish the foundations for a larger conventional presence across northern Europe.
In 2024, Russia reestablished the Leningrad Military District, an apparent response to Finland’s and Sweden’s subsequent entry into NATO.
The Leningrad Military District is responsible for a strategically important region that covers the approaches to St. Petersburg, areas bordering Finland, and territory extending toward the Arctic. Its reestablishment gives Russia a dedicated command structure for managing forces facing NATO across this northern sector.
While significant, the creation of a military district does not necessarily generate additional combat power.
Russia’s war in Ukraine continues to drain resources in terms of personnel, equipment, logistics, and more.
Nevertheless, Moscow’s longer-term plans point toward a substantial expansion of its ground forces and military infrastructure in areas facing Finland and the wider NATO alliance.
A central element of Russia’s reorganization is the formation of the 44th Army Corps in the Republic of Karelia, near Finland’s eastern border. The corps was established in 2024 as part of the wider effort to strengthen Russia’s military presence in the northwest.
Russia’s wider military development also encompasses the Kola Peninsula and approaches to the Arctic, where facilities support the Northern Fleet and its strategic nuclear submarine force.
Satellite imagery last year showed construction at the Lupche-Savino garrison near Kandalaksha, including facilities intended to accommodate an artillery brigade and at least part of an engineering brigade. The location is approximately 70 miles east of Finland’s border.
Earlier this year, a separate report by the Finnish Yle media outlet found that the Russian military was expanding a base in the town of Novaya Vilga to hold as many as 6,000 Russian troops. It is located about 100 miles from the Finnish border.
For Finland, the situation could change dramatically if the war in Ukraine winds down, and the Russian military assembles in greater strength closer to its borders.
Finland’s Military Intelligence Review 2026 assesses that Russia’s military reforms have not yet significantly increased its capabilities in its immediate vicinity. But it still anticipates a substantial increase in Russian military capabilities as circumstances permit and identifies Finland as a major direction for future force development after the war.
A ceasefire or settlement in Ukraine would not automatically enable Russia to launch a major offensive against Finland. A ceasefire could ease the immediate military pressure on Russia while still creating a serious economic and political challenge for the Kremlin. Russia’s wartime spending has sustained defense-sector production and employment, but winding that spending down risks exposing structural weaknesses.
With a ceasefire or settlement, Moscow would still need to rebuild units, replace equipment, replenish personnel, and establish the logistical capacity to sustain large-scale operations. However, there are indications that this is already happening, at least to a degree.
Recent imagery analysis indicates, for example, a significant buildup of newly delivered Russian armor, including new T-90M tanks, at the 22nd Central Tank Reserve Base, located around 450 miles from the Finnish border.
Finland’s planned acquisition of anti-personnel mines fits into a broader effort to prepare for a potential future conflict. Prominent in the minds of Finnish — and other Nordic — defense planners is the fact that Russia is rebuilding the command structures and infrastructure needed to support a larger military presence near NATO’s northern frontier, even as the war in Ukraine limits its immediate ability to do so.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited
[Regnum] Polish troops have received another batch of K2GF Black Panther tanks. The Polish Armament Agency reported this on October 21.
"New K2GF Black Panther tanks are arriving to the military," reads a post on H.'s social media account.
The equipment was delivered to the 16th Mechanized Division, stationed near the town of Braniewo, 4 km from the border with the Kaliningrad region. Along with the combat vehicles, the latest shipment also included ammunition for tanks and artillery, tool kits, spare parts, and reconnaissance drones.
The deliveries are reportedly being carried out under a second executive agreement signed with the South Korean company Hyundai Rotem. The contract also includes the production of 61 K2PL tanks at a Polish plant.
Earlier this year, State Duma deputy and parliamentary committee member Andrei Kolesnik reported on NATO troop movements near the Kaliningrad region. For example, tanks were deployed by rolling stock in the Polish city of Gdansk, located 50 km from the Russian region's border, and tank columns also moved along the ring road around Warsaw.
On September 13, Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski announced that NATO should intensify military exercises near the Kaliningrad region. He also noted that Warsaw is closely monitoring developments in the Kaliningrad region and that there are no troops there.
#4
Could contempt for co-victims, the Poles,
Be traumatic confusion of roles?
Stockholm syndrome? Abusing
Them helps in excusing
A cold Mother Russia's own goals?
Kidding, of course.... mostly.
Posted by: Bob Black1482 ||
10/22/2026 22:31 Comments ||
Top||
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
