LIVE, war in Ukraine: French military command denounces a Russian "information attack" "aimed at reversing the roles of defender and aggressor"

The Russian president presented this nuclear-powered device as a weapon "unique in the world." On Wednesday, the Kremlin announced the test of an underwater drone capable of carrying a nuclear warhead.

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In full military fatigues, Vladimir Putin unveiled the Burevestnik, meaning "storm bird," his new cruise missile. In a video released by the Kremlin on Sunday, October 26, the Russian president praised this "unique weapon that no one else in the world possesses," following the successful test conducted on October 20. Powered by nuclear propulsion, this weapon, designed to carry a nuclear warhead, is theoretically capable of indefinite flight.

Ukrainian authorities announced Wednesday the arrest of Volodymyr Kudrytsky, the former head of the state-owned energy company Ukrenergo, sparking accusations of political maneuvering on the eve of a fourth winter of war. His dismissal last year was denounced by members of Ukrenergo's board of directors, who saw political motives behind it. He is accused of embezzling the equivalent of nearly €1.4 million in public funds in 2018, according to the prosecutor's office.

The Pechersky court in kyiv ordered his placement in pre-trial detention for three months.

The chairwoman of the parliamentary anti-corruption committee, Anastasia Radina, stated on social media that "at this stage, this case appears to be nothing more than pressure" exerted on the former director of Ukrenergo.

President Volodymyr Zelensky had to back down in August, in the face of protests in Ukraine and warnings from the European Union, after having passed a law in July placing anti-corruption bodies under government control.

The death toll from the explosion at the Plastmass factory in Kopeysk , in the Urals, on October 22 has risen from 12 to 23, Russian authorities announced Wednesday after the end of search operations.

The causes of the incident have not yet been determined, but an investigation has been launched into breaches of industrial safety regulations . Videos circulating on social media showed a fireball erupting from the factory, which produces explosives, notably for the Russian military.

Investigators, for their part, denied reports that the explosion, which leveled one of the buildings of this establishment located about 1,600 kilometers from the border with Ukraine, was caused by a Ukrainian drone attack.

Since the start of the war in 2022, Ukrainians have regularly attacked Russian industrial sites using drones or by committing acts of sabotage. They also regularly target railways, oil refineries, hydrocarbon pipelines, and other energy infrastructure.

Daniil Kasatkin, arrested in June at the request of the American justice system, is suspected of having been part of a network of hackers, which he denies, Agence France-Presse learned from his lawyer.

US authorities suspect him of being part of a network of hackers who, through ransomware, attacked more than 900 businesses, organizations, and government entities between 2020 and 2022. The basketball player, accused of negotiating ransom payments, faces up to 25 years in prison. "I have no connection" to this case, he asserted during a previous hearing on October 8. In July, he explained that he did not feel safe in prison due to the conflict between his country and Ukraine.

Frédéric Bélot stated that he and his client were considering appealing to the Court of Cassation.

In an interview with the Kyiv Post , Mykhailo Podoliak, an advisor to Volodymyr Zelensky, believes that the meeting between Donald Trump and Xi Jinping, scheduled for Thursday, could mark a decisive turning point in efforts to pressure Moscow and end the war in Ukraine. According to him, these negotiations are "key" and could directly or indirectly influence the course and outcome of the conflict.

Mykhailo Podoliak points out that Donald Trump has several levers at his disposal, notably Russia's economic and technological dependence on China. Moscow, he says, "makes money off China and is totally dependent on it." Without Beijing's support, Russia would no longer be an actor capable of waging war. He even describes it as a "vassal state" with military resources and capabilities, but subordinate to Chinese power.

The advisor noted that the United States recently strengthened its sanctions against the Russian oil sector, demonstrating its resolve in the face of Moscow's refusal to engage in serious negotiations. He believes that China, for its part, has the means to influence Russia and play a decisive role in ending the conflict.

For Mykhailo Podoliak, a lasting peace would serve global economic interests: war disrupts trade, international law, and relations between states. Donald Trump and Xi Jinping could outline the first steps toward a peace agreement. However, he warns that a single summit will not suffice: prolonged negotiations will be necessary to redefine the global geopolitical and economic balance between the United States and China.

Russian propaganda has struck again, prompting the French military command to react on Wednesday with a statement deciphering the mechanisms of a new information attack.

Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) published a statement on Tuesday entitled "Napoleon, Charles XII, Macron – The Trajectory of Fall," Charles XII being the Swedish king (1682-1718) famous for leading his country in the Great Northern War against Peter the Great's Russia, which defeated him at Poltava (1709). The SVR asserts that France is preparing to send soldiers to Ukraine, primarily from the French Foreign Legion. These forces are already present in Poland for intensive training, according to Moscow. At the same time, "hundreds of additional hospital beds are being rapidly created to accommodate the wounded."

This false claim was relayed by Russian media outlets ( TASS , Russia Today, Sputnik Africa) and the Chinese channel CGTN Europe. To lend it an air of credibility, it was commented on by Dmitry Peskov , Vladimir Putin's spokesperson, who stated: "Our military personnel are constantly listening to foreign conversations and languages ​​on their radios along the line of contact." It was then picked up on social media by pro-Russian and conspiracy-minded circles in both French and English.

In its statement, the French military command reiterates that France provides support to Ukraine in two areas: the sale and transfer of military equipment, and training activities in Poland and France. The recent military movements are linked to the NATO exercise "Brigade Expansion," planned since the Madrid summit in 2022.

Paris points out that this campaign comes after the French Chief of Staff, General Fabien Mandon , declared on October 22 that the French army must be "ready for a shock in three, four years" against Russia, and that it indirectly targets the coalition supporting Ukraine reaffirmed on October 24, 2025 in London.

Russian justice on Wednesday sent Diana Loginova, a young musician who was arrested in mid-October in St. Petersburg for performing pacifist songs amid a crackdown on all criticism of the conflict in Ukraine, back to prison for another thirteen days.

Diana Loginova, 18, known by her stage name Naoko, was arrested on October 15 along with two members of her band , StopTime, for singing songs by Russian musicians opposed to Kremlin policies in the street. She was subsequently sentenced to 13 days in jail for "disturbing public order," and then, on Tuesday, fined for "discrediting" the Russian army. While she was theoretically due to be released, she was arrested again, and a court sentenced her on Wednesday to an additional 13 days in jail, according to her lawyer, Maria Zyrianova. Alexander Orlov, the guitarist in her band, was also sentenced on Wednesday to an additional 13 days in jail.

Shortly before this new conviction, Diana Loginova posted a video on Telegram from the courthouse where she thanked her supporters and announced, alongside her guitarist, that they were going to "get married" .

According to the local media outlet Boumaga, Alexandre Orlov proposed to her on October 17th, in a prison van, as they were about to begin their first sentence.

Diana Loginova notably performed songs by Russian musicians who left Russia to protest the invasion of Ukraine launched in 2022.

Russian justice frequently sentences political opponents to several short prison terms in a row, explains the NGO OVD-Info, which defends political prisoners .

It also happens that the Russian justice system ultimately launches more serious criminal cases against people who find themselves in this situation and sentences them to long prison terms.

At an investment conference in Riyadh, the Saudi capital, Kirill Dmitriev, special envoy of Russian President Vladimir Putin, said on Wednesday that he expected the war in Ukraine to end within a year. “We are convinced that we are on the path to peace, and as peacemakers, we must make it a reality,” said Dmitriev, who is also the managing director of the Russian Direct Investment Fund. When asked about the possibility of a settlement within the next twelve months, he replied, “I believe so.”

During his visit to the United States, Kirill Dmitriev stated that Moscow and Washington were close to a diplomatic solution to end the Russo-Ukrainian war. He is part of Putin's negotiating team, alongside Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Kremlin diplomatic advisor Yuri Ushakov. He explained that he is focusing on developing economic cooperation between the two countries, which he considers essential for global stability.

During his stay in the United States, Kirill Dmitriev was sharply criticized by US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who called him a "Russian propagandist." This statement followed interviews in which Mr. Dmitriev claimed that US sanctions against Russian oil companies would lead to higher gasoline prices in the United States.

Responding to these remarks, Mr. Dmitriev said on Wednesday that these attacks had paradoxically strengthened his position in Russia, where some nationalists accuse him of seeking to bring Moscow closer to the Trump administration and of advocating for peace with Ukraine.

A recent assessment by US intelligence services explains that Vladimir Putin is more determined than ever to continue the war in Ukraine and to prevail on the battlefield, according to a senior US official and a senior congressional official quoted by the American network NBC .

The analysis, shared with members of Congress, emphasizes that US agencies see no signs that Russia is willing to compromise on the Ukrainian issue, even as President Donald Trump seeks to facilitate peace talks. This assessment aligns with how US and Western intelligence services have viewed the Russian regime's position since February 2022, with US agencies now believing that Vladimir Putin is determined to seize Ukrainian territory and expand Russia's influence.

The White House declined to comment on the recent intelligence assessment and referred to Mr. Trump's public statements regarding efforts to reach a peace agreement.

Like all nuclear powers which are constantly modernizing and improving their weaponry to maintain the technical credibility of their deterrent, France has put into service the new version of the intercontinental missiles deployed in the submarines ensuring nuclear deterrence, the Ministry of the Armed Forces and the company ArianeGroup announced on Tuesday.

“The third version of the M51 (M51.3) strategic submarine-launched ballistic missile has entered operational service, marking a major step in the modernization of the oceanic component of France’s nuclear deterrent,” according to the Ministry of Defense. This missile is equipped with new nuclear warheads (TNO-2). This entry into service brings to a close a nearly twelve-year modernization process. It “offers improved performance in terms of range, accuracy, and penetration capability,” according to the armed forces.

This new missile will be deployed in the four French ballistic missile submarines (SSBNs), at least one of which is still hidden at the bottom of the oceans to guarantee France's ability to unleash nuclear fire, even if the country has been attacked.

France has already launched the process of the next modernization, the M51.4, notified at the end of August to ArianeGroup by the Directorate General of Armaments.

At a time when Russian authorities are accused of rehabilitating Joseph Stalin and instrumentalizing history to justify the offensive in Ukraine, Western diplomats based in Moscow paid tribute on Wednesday to the victims of Soviet-era repressions.

Since the outbreak of war in Ukraine in February 2022, Russia has de facto banned all forms of dissent, notably by banning groups that denounced the glorification of the Soviet dictator and worked to preserve the memory of people persecuted during the Great Terror of the 1930s.

British, French, and German diplomats, along with representatives of the European Union, laid flowers at the foot of the Solovki Stone, a memorial erected in 1990 in the Russian capital in front of the KGB (now FSB) headquarters to honor the victims of Soviet repression. A few other people present, members of the public, did the same. Some wreaths were adorned with yellow and blue ribbons, the colors of the Ukrainian flag, which are taboo in Russia. Others featured blue and white, colors generally associated with Russian opposition movements.

Before the war in Ukraine, the now-banned Memorial association held an annual "return of names" ceremony at this site, during which Russians read the names of people exiled, imprisoned, or executed under Stalin. Authorities ordered Memorial's dissolution in 2021 , accusing it of promoting a "false image of the USSR [portrayed] as a terrorist state." Memorial was a co-recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize in 2022.

Last year, Russian authorities closed the Gulag History Museum in Moscow, which chronicled the history of Soviet repressions. At the same time, busts of Stalin were erected in numerous Russian cities, including in a major Moscow metro station.

The Kremlin presents him as a hero for the victory over Nazi Germany during World War II, ignoring the mass repressions that led to the deportation of millions of people to labor camps and between 15 and 20 million deaths, according to Memorial.

Veniamin Mazzherin, a lieutenant colonel in the Russian OMON [special forces units of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs] involved in war crimes in the Kiev region, was killed in a car explosion on October 25, 2025, in the territory of the Kemerovo Oblast, Russia, Ukrainian military intelligence (HUR) reported on Wednesday.

Lieutenant Colonel Mazzherin, born in 1980, served in the OMON Obereg special unit of the Russian National Guard (Rosgvardia). The unit is accused of war crimes and genocide committed in the Kyiv region in February-March 2022, during Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

In April 2022, the HUR had identified the members of the Obereg unit and planned measures to punish them. Lieutenant Colonel Mazzherin was fourth on this list of 61 names.

Ukrainian special forces announced they attacked several Russian oil and gas facilities on the night of October 28-29. They attacked the Mari Oil refinery ( 🚩 ) in the village of Tabashino, in the Mari Republic. This facility has a processing capacity of 1.6 million tons of crude oil per year. Ukrainian special forces also targeted the NS-Oil refinery in the town of Novospasskoye ( 🚩 ) in the Ulyanovsk Oblast, which produces major petroleum products such as diesel, gasoline, and fuel oil. Its capacity is 600,000 tons of crude oil per year.

They finally attacked a gas processing plant in the city of Budyonnovsk ( 🚩 ), in the Stavropol Krai, with a nominal capacity of 2.2 billion cubic meters of gas per year. It supplies the Budyonnovsk thermal power plant and companies belonging to Russia's largest oil producer, Lukoil, in the oblast, and serves as a source of raw materials for the petrochemical sector.

Lithuania announced on Wednesday the closure of its border with Belarus until November 30th, in retaliation for the intrusion of balloons carrying contraband cigarettes from that country. According to the Lithuanian Airports Company (LTOU), 142 flights and more than 20,000 passengers were affected by temporary closures of Vilnius and Kaunas airports recently caused by dozens of balloons flying over Lithuanian territory.

“We cannot remain silent in the face of a hybrid attack against Lithuania,” Lithuanian Prime Minister Inga Ruginiene told reporters on Wednesday, adding that the border closure could be extended. Lithuanian officials assured that passenger and freight rail traffic between Belarus and the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad via Lithuania would not be affected by the changes.

Exceptions to the new measure are planned, notably for citizens of EU and NATO countries, holders of Lithuanian residence permits, and people in transit to or from the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad on the Baltic coast. Border guards will also make individual decisions in "humanitarian cases," Interior Minister Vladislav Kondratovic assured earlier on Wednesday. Lithuania has been issuing so-called humanitarian visas since 2020 for people fleeing repression in Belarus.

Lithuania has so far maintained two open border crossings with its neighbour, at Salcininkai and Medininkai, after closing the other four posts in 2023 and 2024, following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

In a message on X, Belgian Defense Minister Theo Francken announced that Belgium has opened an investigation following two drone sightings over a military base in the southeast of the country. "This was not the work of amateurs, but of skilled drone pilots," Francken wrote in his message.

Guards at the Marche-en-Famenne barracks spotted several drones flying over the military base on Sunday and Tuesday, triggering an investigation by the police and the General Intelligence and Security Service (ADIV). This is the second such sighting in the country in less than a month.

NATO countries have been on high alert for several weeks following the observation of drones and other aerial incursions, notably over another Belgian military base, the airports of Copenhagen and Munich, and in the Baltic region. In mid-October, the European Commission proposed four flagship defense projects, including an anti-drone system and a plan to strengthen its eastern flank, as part of an initiative to prepare the continent for defense by 2030.

“Yesterday, we conducted another test of another promising system – the Poseidon underwater drone,” Vladimir Putin said Wednesday , a few days after announcing the successful final test of Russia’s Burevestnik nuclear-powered cruise missile. “There is no way to intercept it,” the Russian president asserted. According to Moscow, this weapon is nuclear-powered and can also carry nuclear warheads.

The missile, whose NATO code name is Kanyon, is one of six new Russian nuclear weapons announced by Vladimir Putin on March ^1, 2018. It is intended to eventually equip the Belgorod , a nuclear submarine commissioned in July 2022, which has the necessary facilities to launch the Poseidon. A source within the Russian military-industrial complex, quoted by the official TASS news agency, asserts that the Poseidon, designed for nuclear deterrence, is capable of operating at depths of over 1 kilometer, at speeds of 60 to 70 knots, while remaining undetected.

In Novaya Gazeta , military expert Pavel Luzin explained in March 2023 that the Poseidon "is a submersible that eliminates the need to maintain very expensive submariners with very short careers (...) ." "These men are trained for ten years, they serve for three or four years, and they retire at 30. With a large pension, and all with the rank of colonel. Replacing parasites with robots, that is the mission of the Poseidon. This mission became particularly urgent after the fire at the Locharik submarine station," he added.

The Ukrainian Security Service (SBU) announced on Wednesday the arrest of a former military instructor who had worked in Ukraine and was originally from an unspecified European country. "According to the evidence, this foreign national provided the enemy [Russia] with official information about the Ukrainian Defense Forces and was preparing to commit terrorist acts," the SBU stated in a press release .

"The enemy opened fire on a children's hospital in Kherson. Nine people were injured, including four children and three medical staff members ," said Dmytro Lubinets , Ukraine's human rights ombudsman, on Wednesday. An earlier report in the morning indicated four people were injured, including a 9-year-old child.

According to Mr. Lubinets, the hospital buildings suffered "significant damage" . "This is yet another war crime by the Russian Federation, which is deliberately attacking civilian property, in flagrant violation of international humanitarian law," he continued.

In Chebekino ( 🚩 ), a man was killed by Ukrainian FPV drone strikes on an industrial company, announced the governor of the Belgorod oblast, Viacheslav Gladkov , on Wednesday, who specified that three other men were injured by shrapnel.

In the village of Novaya Tavolzhanka, two people were injured when a drone exploded, the governor added. In the village of Zamoste , a drone attacked a commercial building, injuring a civilian, the statement said .