Zelensky warned about Putin's main goal this winter

Russian President Vladimir Putin’s primary goal this winter is to trigger a humanitarian disaster in Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelensky said during a meeting with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer at Downing Street.

Zelensky emphasized that Moscow has shown no intention of halting its aggression, pointing to Russia’s continued strikes on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure as evidence of a deliberate campaign to cripple the country’s power grid and leave civilians without heat or electricity.

The Ukrainian leader underscored the importance of sustained international backing: “We are not alone in this situation — not since the start of the war, and especially not now.”

Ukraine faces a worsening energy crisis ahead of the winter season. Member of Parliament Serhiy Nahorniak, who serves on the Verkhovna Rada’s Energy Committee, said the government may need to delay the start of the heating season to conserve limited gas supplies. Production has fallen sharply due to Russian attacks, while funding shortages have hindered additional gas purchases.

Despite reserves totaling 13.2 billion cubic meters, Russian strikes on gas storage facilities have created critical shortfalls. As a result, Ukraine urgently needs to raise around €2 billion to finance emergency gas imports and prevent widespread energy shortages in the coming months.

Top Russian envoy is reportedly visiting the USA after Trump's sanctions

Kirill Dmitriev, Russia’s top economic negotiator and head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), has arrived in the United States for talks with senior American officials, CNN reported on October 24, citing undisclosed sources.

The visit comes just days after U.S. President Donald Trump imposed his administration’s first sanctions on Russia, targeting energy giants Rosneft and Lukoil. The measures are designed to pressure Moscow into accepting a ceasefire in Ukraine and follow the collapse of planned U.S.-Russia negotiations in Budapest.

Dmitriev, who was born in Kyiv, has played a central role in the Kremlin’s outreach to the Trump administration. He previously visited the U.S. in April and took part in high-level discussions in Alaska in August.

According to CNN, Dmitriev’s visit will focus on “the U.S.-Russia relationship,” and he is expected to meet with Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, in Miami on October 25, Axios reported. Moscow reportedly hopes the discussions will help revive efforts to arrange a new summit between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The talks come amid a series of abrupt shifts in U.S. policy toward Moscow. Trump initially signaled that Washington might provide Ukraine with Tomahawk missiles, but later reversed course, instead seeking another round of talks with Putin.

When the planned Budapest summit stalled over disagreements, Trump responded by announcing the sanctions against Russia.

Putin has since denounced the move as an “unfriendly act,” while insisting that Moscow will not bow to economic pressure. He also said Russia remains open to dialogue, and the White House later confirmed that a future Trump-Putin meeting “has not been ruled out.”

Russians hit Odesa Oblast with glide bombs for the first time

Russian forces targeted civilian infrastructure in Odesa Oblast with guided aerial bombs on October 24 — marking the first known use of this type of weapon in the region, according to Oleh Kiper, head of the Odesa Oblast Military Administration.

“During today's air attack, the Russians used guided aerial bombs against civilian infrastructure in our region for the first time,” Kiper reported on Telegram.

He warned that the new tactic poses a serious escalation in the threat to Odesa Oblast, noting that “such strikes pose an enormous danger to people and can cause significant destruction.”