Key developments from the 1,335th day of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine are summarized below.
Current Situation as of Tuesday, October 21, 2025:
Hostilities
- Russian military units carried out multiple offensives in Ukraine’s Kherson area, resulting in one fatality and three injuries, according to a statement from the Kherson Regional State Administration on Telegram.
- An assault by Russian forces on the Chernihiv border region disrupted electricity supply to northern Ukrainian areas, including the principal town near the decommissioned Chernobyl nuclear facility, officials reported via Reuters.
- The 7th Air Assault Corps of Ukraine disclosed on Facebook that a Russian strike group recently killed several Ukrainian defenders in the city of Pokrovsk, though specific casualty figures and timing were not provided.
- Russian troops targeted a coal processing facility in the Dnipropetrovsk region, as noted by Ukrainian energy firm DTEK in a Telegram update.
- In Russia’s Belgorod border area, a Ukrainian drone attack on the village of Yasnye Zori resulted in two deaths, Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov confirmed on Telegram.
Political and Diplomatic Developments
- At a White House event on Monday, U.S. President Donald Trump commented on Ukraine’s chances in the conflict, stating, “They could still win it,” but added skepticism by saying, “I don’t think they will.”
- U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio held talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, focusing on “progressing toward a lasting resolution to the Russia-Ukraine conflict aligned with Trump’s vision,” according to a U.S. State Department briefing.
- Russian legislators proposed a bill imposing life sentences for involving minors in sabotage activities and lowering the age of criminal responsibility for such offenses to 14, citing increased threats from Ukraine and NATO.
Budapest Negotiations
- French President Emmanuel Macron, speaking in Slovenia, emphasized that Ukraine and European nations must participate in the forthcoming discussions between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Hungary.
- Macron stated, “If the talks concern Ukraine’s future, Ukrainians must be present. If European security is at stake, Europeans should be included.”
- He also revealed that Ukraine’s allies, dubbed the “coalition of the willing,” plan to convene in London on Friday, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expected to attend.
- President Zelenskyy expressed hope for an invitation to Budapest, whether through direct trilateral talks or a “shuttle diplomacy” format, during a press briefing on Monday.
Military Aid and Armaments
- Zelenskyy confirmed ongoing collaboration with the United States to obtain “the required number of Patriot missile systems.” He mentioned discussions with defense contractors during a recent Washington, D.C. visit and stressed the necessity of political backing in the U.S. capital.
