Russo-Ukrainian war, day 1288: Ukraine transforms from energy victim to European power supplier

Exclusives

When a building is full of Russians, send in an FPV drone first!. One Ukrainian regiment is attaching explosive drones to its infantry squads—to help clear Russians from buildings.

How Ukraine went from power blackouts to selling electricity to Europe in record numbers. Canadian engineers explore billion-dollar projects as Ukraine transforms from energy victim to electricity supplier.

Russian marines rushed to save the Pokrovsk offensive—HIMARS had other ideas. Russian reinforcements rolling toward Pokrovsk made a fatal mistake. They traveled in armored vehicles—and within range of Ukraine's HIMARS.

Military

Ukrainian deep drone strike inside Russia hits railway station, delays 26 trains for hours. The attack on Kuteynikovo station in Rostov Oblast damaged electrical infrastructure and left an unexploded ordnance on the building roof, forcing the evacuation of all passengers and staff.

Intelligence and technology

New Ukrainian KABs can glide 60 km, but expert says: "We need 100 every day". Narozhny believes mass adoption would finally let Kyiv strike back at scale. Ukraine establishes missile plant in Denmark near F-35 base for 3,000-km strikes. European NATO allies accelerate weapons manufacturing partnerships with Ukraine as diminishing US support forces unprecedented defense industrial cooperation across the continent.

International

Chinese companies export, Russia kills, while trade between countries hits record €246 billion. Unlike North Korea, Beijing keeps its hands clean, letting companies feed the war machine through dual-use goods. Shanghai summit shows old world order is dead, says Ukrainian volunteer. Berlinska claims that the axis of dictators demonstrates their power openly, indifferent to sanctions or global protests. Putin discusses 150-year lifespan with Xi as as his Ukraine war costs one million Russian casualties. Due to biotechnology, human organs can be transplanted continuously, Putin says. Putin thanks Kim for North Korean troops fighting against "neo-Nazism" in Ukraine. This is the first time Putin has publicly thanked a foreign leader for soldiers' deaths in Ukraine, German chancellor says Putin has no reason to seek peace with Ukraine now. Merz calls for economic warfare as peace talks stall. Friedrich Merz said that Russia's president sees advantage in continued fighting, pointing to territorial gains and international divisions as factors driving Moscow's refusal to engage in meaningful dialogue. "No one was plotting anything," Russia responds to Trump. He wrote that Russia, China and North Korea conspire against US at Beijing parade. Russian presidential assistant Yuri Ushakov acknowledged irony in Trump's Truth Social post as Putin, Kim Jong Un and Xi Jinping gathered in Beijing for the 80th anniversary of Japan's surrender.

Humanitarian and social impact

No sleep in Ukraine for civilians as air raid alert lasts for 13 hours and 500+ weapons fly from Russia. Russian drones and missiles reached cities in western Ukraine close to the Poland's border that many residents considered relatively safe from continuous Russian terror of civilians.

Political and legal developments

Creaking wheels: Russian railway cargo plunges for third quarter as war costs mount. Transport data exposes industrial collapse across Russia's most strategic sectors. Read our earlier daily review here.