The authorities of Ukraine are seriously considering the possibility of restoring the stockpile of nuclear weapons

Several months ago, a senior Ukrainian official told BILD and other members of a select circle of politicians and officials that Ukraine would not tolerate a second Russian military offensive against Kyiv. In such a scenario, Ukraine would move to restore its nuclear arsenal.

“We have the materials, we have the knowledge. If given the order, it would only take us a few weeks to produce the first bomb,” warned the official involved in arms supplies. He emphasized that the West should “focus less on Russia's red lines and much more on our red lines.”

Zelenskyy teld Trump that Ukraine will have either nuclear weapons or NATO membership

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has disclosed that he discussed Ukraine’s NATO membership and the country's renunciation of nuclear weapons with U.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump.

Zelenskiy gave a speech at a briefing in Brussels after attending a European Council meeting, where he presented Ukraine's Victory Plan.

The president criticized the Budapest Memorandum, calling it ineffective for failing to protect Ukraine after it gave up its nuclear arsenal.

“Among all these great powers, all the nuclear nations, which one has suffered? Was it all of them? No, only Ukraine. Who gave up nuclear weapons? Was it all of them? Only Ukraine. Who is at war today? Ukraine."

Zelenskyy said he presented two options to Trump during their conversation: “I told him, ‘We've found ourselves in this situation, so what’s the way out? Either Ukraine will have nuclear weapons as our defense, or we need to be part of an alliance. Apart from NATO, we don’t see any effective alliances today.’”

The president emphasized that NATO nations are not currently at war, which is why Ukraine favors membership over developing nuclear arms.

“I believe that Donald Trump understood me. He said, ‘Your reasoning is fair,’” Zelenskiy added.

Russian's strike at energy infrastructure in Mykolaiv Oblast caused power outages

Russian troops targeted energy infrastructure in Mykolaiv Oblast during an overnight attack on October 17, causing power outages for some residents.

According to Vitalii Kim, Head of Mykolaiv Oblast Military Administration, the attack disrupted electricity supply, though power engineers have already restored service to most consumers, with efforts still ongoing. Kim reported no casualties.

He also mentioned that air defense systems were active throughout the night and promised to share more details later.

On the evening of October 16, Russian forces launched several groups of attack drones across Ukraine, triggering air raid alerts in most oblasts.

Russian drone attack on Kyiv: apartment building damaged

All Russian drones launched against Kyiv during the night of October 16-17 were successfully intercepted, though an apartment building in the city’s Desnianskyi district sustained damage.

According to the Kyiv City Military Administration, initial reports indicated that windows on three floors of the building were shattered, and several interior rooms were damaged.

Serhii Popko, Head of the Administration, confirmed that no injuries had been reported. He added that the drones approached Kyiv in multiple waves from different directions, prompting four air-raid warnings, which remained active for a total of three and a half hours.

Russia wants to attract 10,000 North Korean soldiers for war against Ukraine

Russia intends to recruit over 10,000 North Korean soldiers to support its military efforts against Ukraine, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy revealed during a press conference in Brussels on October 17, following a meeting of the European Council.

Zelenskyy shared that intelligence reports indicate North Korean officers are already present in Russian-controlled areas of Ukraine, actively training with Russian forces. He emphasized that Russia is turning to external reinforcements due to its inability to mobilize citizens domestically, high battlefield losses, and growing public resistance to mobilization efforts.

The Ukrainian president warned that North Korea is preparing to deploy troops to fight alongside Russia, calling for an urgent response from Ukraine's allies. He stressed that this development marks a serious escalation, as it signals the formal involvement of a second state in the conflict.