Kyiv targets major Russian explosives plant – DW – 10/22/2025

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban says preparations for a planned meeting in Budapest between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin are continuing, despite the summit being put on hold.

“[Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter] Szijjarto is in Washington. Preparations for the peace summit are continuing. The date is still uncertain. When the time comes, we will hold it,” Orban wrote on Facebook.

The meeting was paused after Moscow rejected an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine, complicating negotiations.

Trump announced last week that he and Putin would meet soon in Hungary to discuss ending the war in Ukraine. On Tuesday, he said he did not want to have a “wasted meeting” but added that “we’ll be notifying you over the next two days” about further developments.

Orban, a longtime ally of Trump, has also maintained close ties with Moscow, a stance that has often put him at odds with the European Union over democratic and foreign policy issues.

Russian missile and drone attacks on Ukraine have killed six people, including two children, and caused power outages nationwide, Ukrainian officials say.

Debris from downed weapons ignited fires across half of Kyiv‘s districts, according to the city’s military administration. Two people were killed in the capital, and four others, including two children, died in nearby areas, Ukraine’s emergency service said.

“Ukraine long ago agreed to the US proposal for a ceasefire, while Moscow is doing everything to keep the killing going,” presidential chief of staff Andriy Yermak said on Telegram. “This means collective actions against Putin are currently insufficient, and we must all do more together to make him stop killing our people.”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is visiting Sweden for talks with Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson and a joint announcement on defence exports, the Swedish government said.

The meeting will take place in the city of Linkoping, home to defence contractor Saab, which produces the Gripen fighter jet, the GlobalEye surveillance aircraft, missile systems, and other military equipment.

“Following their meeting, Kristersson and Zelensky will hold a joint press conference to make an announcement in the area of defense export,” the government said in a statement. The press conference is scheduled for 3:00 pm (1300 GMT).

The two leaders are expected to announce a defense export deal after their talks.

“A strong and capable Ukraine is a key priority for Sweden, and we will continue to make sure Ukraine can fight back against Russia’s aggression,” Kristersson wrote on the social media platform X. “Looking forward to discussing how to further our cooperation — we have a lot to learn from each other.”

Sweden suspended plans last year to supply Gripen fighter jets to Ukraine after partner nations urged prioritizing the deployment of US-made F-16s, which Kyiv began operating in August. Ukrainian pilots have since trained in Sweden to help prepare for any future transfer of Gripen aircraft.

Russian forces launched another overnight attack on Ukraine’s Poltava region, damaging oil and gas facilities in the Myrhorod district, regional authorities said early Wednesday.

“This night, the enemy once again attacked the Poltava region. As a result of direct hits and falling debris, oil and gas industry facilities in the Myrhorod district were damaged. Fortunately, there were no casualties,” regional governor Volodymyr Kohut said in a statement.

He urged residents to “stay in shelters until the air raid warning is lifted.”

The postponement of a planned meeting between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin has eased concerns among Ukraine’s EU allies.

European capitals had been unsettled by the prospect of the EU’s most Russia-friendly member hosting talks on the continent’s security in Budapest.

Attention now shifts to key summits in Brussels and London later this week, where European leaders will seek to secure new financial support for Kyiv and persuade Trump to increase pressure on Moscow.

“Russia’s stalling tactics have shown time and time again that Ukraine is the only party serious about peace. We can all see that Putin continues to choose violence and destruction,” leaders of Ukraine, the UK, Germany, France, Italy, Poland, Finland, Denmark, Spain, and Sweden — along with top EU officials — said in a joint statement Tuesday.

“We must ramp up the pressure on Russia’s economy and its defence industry, until Putin is ready to make peace. We are developing measures to use the full value of Russia’s immobilised sovereign assets so that Ukraine has the resources it needs,” the statement added.

Ukraine’s military said late Tuesday it had carried out a combined missile and air strike on a chemical plant in Russia’s Bryansk region that it described as vital to Moscow’s war effort.

“A massive combined missile-and-air strike was carried out, including with air-launched Storm Shadow missiles that penetrated Russia’s air defense system,” the General Staff of Ukraine’s Armed Forces said in a statement on Telegram. “The results of the strike are being assessed.”

The targeted facility was described as a “key plant” producing gunpowder, explosives, and rocket fuel. The claim could not be independently verified.

Russia’s Defense Ministry said its air defence units had destroyed 57 Ukrainian drones over the Bryansk region on Tuesday afternoon and reported no damage. Regional Governor Alexander Bogomaz said on Telegram that drones and missiles had targeted the area but that no injuries or destruction were recorded.

The Bryansk plant is one of Russia’s major producers of explosives used in artillery shells and warheads, according to official information.

Welcome to DW’s coverage of the latest developments in the Russian war on Ukraine.

You join us after Ukraine’s military says it has hit a key chemical plant in Russia’s Bryansk region in a major missile and air strike.

The facility reportedly produces gunpowder, explosives, and rocket fuel vital to Moscow’s war effort.

Kyiv said air-launched Storm Shadow missiles were used to breach Russian air defenses, with the results still being assessed.

Stay tuned for the latest news and analysis from the ongoing war.