Amaravati, October 16, 2025:

Russian forces reported expelling Ukrainian troops from Oleksiivka in Dnipropetrovsk and Novopavlivka in Donetsk, while drones targeted energy infrastructure, causing outages in central regions and a blaze in Chernihiv's Nizhyn apartment block.

Ukraine's defence minister projected $20 billion in NATO aid for 10 billion drones next year, as Germany pledged $500 million for U.S. weapons, including Patriots.

Russia accused NATO of EU drone incidents, prompting von der Leyen's "drone wall" proposal after Polish airspace breaches.

Zelenskyy installed Serhiy Lysak as Odesa mayor after stripping citizenship from predecessor Gennadiy Trukhanov over alleged Russian ties.

U.S. Defence Secretary Hegseth warned of costs to Russia if the war drags on. Kremlin dismissed Trump's economic collapse threat, while the EU eyes seized assets for Ukraine aid.

Oil rose 1% to $62.45 a barrel after Modi pledged to halt Russian buys; IMF's Georgieva visits for new loans, and Zelenskyy discussed U.S. gas with Greece.

Ukraine imposed emergency blackouts nationwide, bracing for winter.