Russian missile attack in Dnipro targeted a key hospital, killed 4, injured 20, including children

A Russian missile attack on Mechnikov Hospital in Dnipro on Oct. 25 killed four people, including a child, and injured 20, according to regional governor Serhii Lysak. The hospital is a critical facility for treating severely injured soldiers from the front lines.

Among the injured, four were children, including an 8-year-old girl and a teenage boy. Eight people remain hospitalized following the attack. In addition to the hospital, a two-story residential building was partially destroyed, and rescuers recovered three victims from the rubble. A fourth person was pulled out alive and treated for injuries.

The missile strikes damaged 13 apartment buildings, two houses, and another medical facility, with reports indicating that several areas across Dnipro were targeted.

Dnipro, Ukraine’s fourth-largest city and a vital logistics and humanitarian hub, has been repeatedly hit since the full-scale invasion. President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned the attack, urging for sustained international pressure on Moscow to end the war. “Lasting peace and security are achieved only through strength and resolve,” he emphasized on Oct. 26.

Russian drone hit an apartment building in Kyiv, a teenage girl died

A Russian kamikaze drone struck a 25-story residential building in Kyiv’s Solomianskyi district on Oct. 25, killing a 15-year-old girl and injuring five others, Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko reported. One of the injured remains hospitalized.

The drone attack caused extensive damage to apartments on the 17th, 18th, and 19th floors, prompting the evacuation of about 100 residents. Fire crews responded as a blaze broke out on the building's upper levels following the strike, according to Ukraine's Emergency Service.

An air alert sounded in Kyiv and multiple regions at around 9 p.m. due to a mass drone attack, which has become a nearly daily occurrence in Ukraine over the past month. Explosions were heard in the capital approximately 30 minutes after the alert.

The USA reports North Korean troops moving to Russia’s Kursk region

The Biden administration has indicated that a contingent of North Korean troops is likely en route to Russia's Kursk region to support Moscow's countermeasures against Ukraine's ongoing offensive, a U.S. official told The Wall Street Journal.

While U.S. officials have not verified South Korean reports of imminent North Korean combat involvement, they estimate the contingent could number several thousand soldiers, potentially set for combat assignments soon. This follows a statement from National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby on Oct. 25, who noted that some North Korean forces stationed at Russian training sites might be deployed to Kursk, though their specific role remains undetermined.

This assessment is the first public acknowledgment by the U.S. of a possible North Korean presence in Kursk. Ukraine’s military intelligence recently reported that initial North Korean units, trained in Russia, had already moved to the area.

U.S. officials initially estimated around 3,000 North Korean troops were training in Russia, though Kirby suggested the numbers could be increasing. According to South Korean intelligence, the troop count could reach 10,000 by December.

Zaporizhzhia and oblast could face total blackout this winter

Residents in Zaporizhzhia and surrounding areas have been advised to prepare for potential power outages this winter, according to Ivan Fedorov, head of the Zaporizhzhia Oblast Military Administration. During a recent broadcast, Fedorov warned that residents should prepare for "the worst," suggesting there could be a complete loss of electricity in the region. The power outages would likely impact water pumping stations, and Fedorov advised residents to set up multiple backup generators to ensure some level of resilience.

Efforts to secure heating for the winter are underway, with cogeneration systems being installed at major boiler plants in areas with central heating, such as Vilniansk. The first cogeneration units are set to be operational by December, but delays have arisen due to high demand and limited global production capacity. With assistance from international partners, the first batch of these units is expected to arrive by mid-November.

In the meantime, schools and hospitals in Zaporizhzhia have been equipped with generators to maintain essential services. These precautions are part of a broader effort to prepare for what may be a challenging winter season in the oblast.