Key developments on the 1,317th day of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
As of Friday, October 3, 2025, the situation unfolds as follows:
Conflict Updates
- Russian President Vladimir Putin issued a stern warning to Ukraine regarding its recent strikes near the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, which is under Russian control. He cautioned that Moscow might retaliate by targeting Ukrainian nuclear facilities if such attacks continue.
- Zaporizhzhia, the largest nuclear power station in Europe, has been without external electricity for over a week. Currently, it relies on war/” title=”Deadly Storm Strikes …'s Odesa Amid Ongoing …-… Conflict: At Least Nine Lives Lost”>emergency diesel generators, which are not intended for prolonged use, to maintain cooling systems.
- Both sides accuse each other of severing the external power supply to the plant and shelling the surrounding area. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha asserted that Russia intentionally cut the power as it prepared to integrate the plant into its own electrical grid.
- Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko announced that electricity has been fully restored in two border areas of the Sumy region affected by overnight Russian attacks. Restoration efforts are also underway in the neighboring Chernihiv region, where over 300,000 residents lost power following Russian strikes earlier this week.
- According to a U.S. official and multiple sources, the Trump administration’s plan to provide Ukraine with long-range Tomahawk missiles faces challenges, as current stockpiles are largely allocated to the U.S. Navy and other military needs.
- President Putin warned that supplying such missiles to Ukraine would provoke a significant escalation in tensions with the United States, though he claimed it would not alter the battlefield dynamics.
- In the latest prisoner exchange, Ukraine and Russia swapped 185 military personnel and 20 civilians.
Security in the Region
- At the Valdai Discussion Club in Sochi, Putin declared that Russia would conduct a nuclear test if another nuclear-armed nation proceeded with one, citing intelligence that an unnamed country might be preparing such tests. He reiterated his proposal to the U.S. to extend the current nuclear warhead limits beyond the expiration of a key arms control treaty next year, provided Washington reciprocates.
- Putin criticized Sweden and Finland’s decisions to join NATO, describing their moves as unwise given Russia’s previously neutral stance toward both countries.
- French President Emmanuel Macron stated that France’s recent seizure of a tanker suspected of servicing Russia’s covert fleet is part of a broader European effort to cut off financial resources fueling Moscow’s war in Ukraine.
- The Kremlin dismissed France’s actions as “hysteria” that could disrupt global energy supply chains, with Putin condemning the seizure as piracy.
- Putin warned that excluding Russian oil from the market would severely impact the global economy, potentially driving prices above $100 per barrel.
Political and Diplomatic Developments
- German Chancellor Friedrich Merz highlighted strong consensus among European leaders on utilizing frozen Russian assets to extend loans to Ukraine, with the expectation that these funds would be repaid through future war reparations from Russia. He anticipates a formal decision on this within three weeks.
- Russia dismissed the EU’s proposal as unrealistic and threatened severe retaliatory measures.
- Maxim Kruglov, deputy head of Russia’s opposition Yabloko party, which opposes the war, has been charged with disseminating false information about the Russian military. If convicted, he could face up to a decade in prison.
- Kruglov’s attorney explained that the charges stem from two Telegram posts: one citing UN figures on casualties in Mariupol, a city seized by Russia in May 2022, and another referencing events in Bucha, near Kyiv, in March 2022.
- In the Czech Republic, upcoming elections are expected to unseat the current center-right government. Polls suggest populist billionaire Andrej Babis may return to power, campaigning on promises to boost wages and economic growth while scaling back support for Ukraine.
