Russo-Ukrainian war, day 1705: Starlink speed restored for Ukraine’s troops, Musk says SpaceX simply enforced its terms

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Full speed returned to Ukraine’s satellite links on Saturday morning. “We simply enforced our terms,” Musk claims after blaming Washington for 10 days. The SpaceX owner, who had earlier said the US government decides such limits, wrote that his company had closed a gap he says Ukrainian troops used for drone strikes. |
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This is the fancy new F-16 Ukraine could get. It’s not what its pilots need most.. Ukraine could buy newly built F-16 Block 70/72s from US firm Lockheed Martin. But that's not the greatest need. |
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Ukraine now fights two enemies. One is America. In two weeks, Washington sanctioned the court prosecuting Putin, waived its own sanctions on Russia, and called him a humanitarian. |
Military
Ukraine strikes Russian plant supplying batteries for ballistic missiles and glide bombs with Storm Shadow missiles, OSINT reports – another hit on Russia’s weapons supply chain. The plant is reportedly Russia’s only producer of batteries for glide bomb guidance modules and a key supplier of specialized power sources for missile systems used in attacks on Ukraine.
Russian titanium plant in Urals reportedly hit by Ukrainian drones, 1,500 km from Ukraine. AVISMA, a major titanium producer in Russia’s Perm Krai, was reportedly hit by drones early on 25 October. The plant’s titanium alloys are used in military aircraft, engines, missiles, and space technology.
Ukrainian drones reportedly strike major shopping mall in Russia’s Belgorod overnight. Ukrainian forces reportedly struck the MegaGRINN shopping complex in Belgorod overnight, when it was closed.
Russian plant supplying components for Iskander missiles reportedly struck by Ukrainian Storm Shadow missiles. OSINT projects reported that a strike hit the Proton plant in Orel, a facility whose electronic components are used in several Russian weapons systems.
Drone strike sinks cargo ship near Romania, killing Ukrainian sailor. Romanian President blames Russia. The Khoryv capsized about 13 nautical miles off Romania’s coast, with nine crew members rescued and three still missing. The incident adds to a wave of attacks threatening Black Sea shipping and Ukraine’s export routes.
Denmark rushes 50,000 cannon rounds to Ukraine to help F-16s hunt Russia’s advanced jet drones. Ukrainian pilots are already using the 20-mm ammunition to intercept jet-powered attack drones, as Russia deploys faster targets that challenge Ukraine’s air defenses.
Ukraine wants partners’ Patriot interceptors now. Europe can hand them over only with US approval, Ukraine’s president says. Ukraine is contracting about 1,000 Patriot missiles that will take years to arrive, so it wants partners’ stocks today.
Intelligence and technology
Musk warns military use of Starlink could spark space war. Kyiv’s ex-disinformation chief says he’s building alibi after Starshield scandal. The warning lands weeks after his company throttled the Starshield service Ukraine’s drones rely on.
A modem from a Russian drone led reporters to its Chinese maker—which invoiced 500 for Russia’s drone plant. Posing as a Russian military supplier, journalists got a $2.87 million invoice, three bank accounts, and no pushback on military use.
Russia may stage sabotage in Eastern Europe, but wants Kyiv blamed, Ukraine’s Intelligence warns. The agency says Moscow aims to weaken European support for Kyiv by making Russian attacks appear to be the work of Ukraine’s military.
The money starts as bags of cash in a Moscow market and ends up clean in China, leaked files show. The firm, co-owned by the bank behind Russia’s defense industry, hides where the money starts before it reaches foreign banks.
The Starlink hot potato: Musk points to Trump, Trump points to nobody, then credits Musk with the fix. The speed limit stays. Ukraine’s military Starlink terminals still lose connection above about 160 km/h, nine days after the limit took effect, and Kyiv has no official explanation of who imposed it.
International
40,000 tons of Russian diesel are bound for New York—due four days after Americans vote. The tanker loaded at a Baltic port Ukrainian drones struck in March. Trump wants cheaper diesel before the midterms.
Russia’s attacks on Black Sea shipping raise risk of global famine, German FM warns. As Russian strikes increasingly threaten civilian vessels and Ukrainian grain exports, Germany’s foreign minister warned that shipping disruptions could leave vulnerable countries without essential food and fertilizers.
Austria expels Russian Embassy and OSCE diplomats over suspected spying. Vienna remains a Russian spy hub. Austrian security authorities raised suspicions of espionage involving four Russian diplomats, prompting Vienna to declare them persona non grata.
Russian Geran drone crashes in Moldova near homes and energy facility: Chisinau expels Russian diplomat. President Maia Sandu condemned the latest incursion as Russia’s war on Ukraine increasingly threatens neighboring Moldova.
Finland gives Ukraine 10 diesel locomotives that keep trains running when Russian strikes cut the power. The engines come free from Finland’s state railway, part of a visit that also brought winter energy money and new defense, housing, and satellite deals for Kyiv.
45 seconds of voting in the Lviv Oblast Council sparked a new dispute with Poland: Warsaw says Kyiv promised the UPA year decision will not take effect. Poland is Ukraine’s main hub for Western aid, and every new fight over the two nations’ WWII past erodes the trust that role rests on.
Humanitarian and social impact
Pope’s envoy becomes first foreign representative to gain access to Ukrainian POWs held by Russia since 2022. Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, Pope Leo XIV’s special envoy, was allowed to physically visit Ukrainian prisoners of war held by Russia during his recent visit, Ukrainian ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets said.
Ceasefire planned for occupied Oleshky as residents face starvation and blocked escape routes, White House announces. A truce announced by Melania Trump is due to take effect October 29, opening the way for humanitarian supplies and evacuations if Russia and Ukraine implement the agreement.
Ukraine frees 270 from Russian captivity in “historic” prisoner swap, including 5 Olenivka survivors and American teacher Stephen Hubbard. The latest exchange returned 261 military personnel and nine civilians. Some had been held since 2018, while many others were captured during the defense of Mariupol in 2022.
Russia has kept the Red Cross away from Ukrainian POWs since 2024. Now about 1,500 captives it never confirmed as prisoners face prosecution. A captive soldier’s wife says that whenever families find a relative, Russia moves them to another prison and contact is lost again.
Political and legal developments
US midterms could restore Ukraine’s American aid and curb Trump’s Russia deals, if Democrats win Congress. Trump waives sanctions on Moscow that Congress wrote into law. Democrats could fight back after 3 November.
Putin claims Russia is ready for new talks with Ukraine, calls occupied land historical Russia. He also cited unnamed genetic studies to claim Russians and Ukrainians are one people, a day after hosting a US envoy.
Russia keeps hitting Ukraine’s arms plants. Now private developers can dig them space underground—and sell or rent it to them. The state budget has paid to keep war-damaged arms plants running. The new model brings private money into the digging.
Read our previous daily review here.


















Women in the Netherlands and Germany are now trying to defend themselves with "Smurf spray" after an asylum seeker raped and murdered 17-year-old Lisa.
"Since Lisa’s death, many of (self-defense) products have been sold out, including the Smurf spray."
Pepper spray is illegal in both Germany and the Netherlands, which means women are desperate for self-defense options.
Smurf spray paints a potential rapist’s face blue for days, making a suspect easy to identify. But can it really stop a determined rapist?
"After the death of 17-year-old Lisa, practically every woman in Holland wants to carry it."
17-year-old Lisa was not the only victim. The asylum seeker had previously raped and sexually assaulted other women.
(Video source: RTL)
Muslim students beat him because he was German and gay.
"They hated me because I am German, because I was already a homosexual boy back then, and because I did not submit to Sharia, to Islamic laws on German soil," said David Brough (@_david_brg).
"During my school days, I was mistreated, beaten, ostracized, and insulted every day by Muslim classmates."
It is a hell many German students have faced as schools become more "diverse."
"The situation in our schools – what I call our Sharia schools, I was in a Sharia school in Wuppertal – has gotten even worse," said Brough.
He then describes how, when he sought help, a guidance counselor claimed he must accept "diversity."
"When I went to the guidance counselor with an SPD party membership card back then and told him about the homophobic assaults, the abuse, and running the gauntlet in PE class, he only said to me: ‘David, we are a school of diversity. You just have to endure it. You have to tolerate other cultural conditions. And in Islam, being gay is haram, a sin.’"
This same attitude dominates within the German left. Even if the costs are unbearable, everything must be done in the name of diversity.
"This country, Germany, and the politicians of this country, have not only sold out our cultural identity, our dignity, and our pride. The worst part is that they sold out our children, and we – the former schoolchildren, now young adults – are being robbed of our own culture."
Follow: @RMXnews
