New Russia spending plans signal that Putin is preparing for years of war
Russia’s latest budget plans leave little room for doubt: Vladimir Putin is preparing for years more of war against Ukraine. According to Bloomberg, Moscow intends to spend a record 17.1 trillion rubles — roughly $205 billion — on the military in 2027. That figure represents more than a 40 percent increase from this year’s planned defense outlays and nearly a 380 percent jump compared with the year before the full-scale invasion. Officials expect only a slight decline in the following years, signaling that the Kremlin has abandoned earlier hopes of scaling back military spending.
For Ukrainians, these numbers are not abstract fiscal data. They confirm what we have felt on the ground every day: Putin has no intention of ending the war anytime soon. The decision to pour vast resources into the war machine, even as the Russian economy strains under sanctions and inflation, shows that the conflict has become central to the regime’s survival. Rather than seeking a genuine path to peace, the Kremlin is choosing prolonged attrition, hoping to outlast both Ukrainian resilience and Western support.
This shift should concern Americans as much as it does Europeans. By locking in high military spending for years ahead, Putin is sending a clear message that he is prepared to keep the war going regardless of the human and economic cost. For Ukraine, it means another winter of missile and drone attacks on our cities and energy systems. For the United States and its allies, it underscores the urgent need for sustained military and financial assistance — because the alternative is a Russia that believes time is on its side.
Russian glide bombs hit Kharkiv, kill women, injure children
At least two people were killed and 36 injured after Russian glide bombs struck two districts of Kharkiv on the afternoon of Oct. 2, Ukrainian officials said.
Three glide bombs hit the Slobidskyi and Nemyshlyansky districts, according to Kharkiv Regional Governor Oleh Syniehubov. Two women, ages 66 and 80, were killed, while 36 people were injured, including three children, according to the State Emergency Service.
One of the bombs “completely destroyed” a residential building, Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov said.
Russia frequently uses guided aerial bombs, known in Ukraine as KABs, against Ukrainian cities and frontline positions. The weapons are fitted with wings and guidance systems that allow Russian aircraft to launch them from a distance, often beyond the range of Ukrainian air defenses. Depending on the model, their warheads can weigh from hundreds of kilograms to several tons.
Russians hit Southern Bridge in Kyiv again
Russian forces struck Kyiv’s Pivdennyi (South) Bridge again, Mayor Vitali Klitschko said, as the city considers resuming metro service across the bridge during yellow air-raid alerts indicating a drone threat.
“Another strike on the Pivdennyi Bridge,” Klitschko said, adding that the bridge remains closed to road and metro traffic following several previous attacks. Emergency crews were dispatched to the site.
The Kyiv Metro could resume operating across the bridge during drone alerts once experts confirm that the structure is safe. Klitschko said scientific institutes contacted by the Ministry for Communities, Territories and Infrastructure Development will assess the bridge, but no timeline has been given.
Kyiv’s Defence Council also discussed traffic restrictions on other bridges across the Dnipro River, with proposals to be submitted to the central government. “Kyiv will stand!” Klitschko said, calling for the city to face its challenges through joint efforts and “not wearing pink-tinted glasses.”
Poland prepares a law for full defense readiness before martial law
Poland is drafting legislation that would allow the country to shift into full defense readiness without first declaring martial law, the newspaper Rzeczpospolita reported. The proposed law is designed to close a legal “gray zone” between peacetime and wartime, enabling faster and more flexible responses to emerging threats.
Under the new rules, authorities would be able to rapidly redeploy Polish and allied troops, prepare critical infrastructure, place government bodies on a special operational footing, and activate the national defense system without lengthy bureaucratic delays. The Polish defense response plan would also be directly linked to the NATO Response System.
Officials at the Ministry of Defense say the changes are necessary to prepare for hybrid, cyber, and other modern forms of aggression. The draft is still undergoing internal coordination and has not yet been submitted to the Sejm (Parliament of Poland).