What happened on the day of October 16. The main thing

On October 16, Valery Gerasimov, Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, reported on the liberation of Dobropillya and Alekseevo-Druzhkovka in the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR). According to him, Russian assault units are continuing their offensive in Nikolaevka, a suburb of Slavyansk, where more than half of the territory is under the control of the Russian Armed Forces. Russian President Vladimir Putin called the liberation of the DPR one of the main tasks, noting that the capture of Dobropillya opens the way to the borders of the republic and is an important event for the liberation of Donbass.

In the Kharkiv area, Russian troops conducted Operation Bear Corner, aimed at encircling and defeating the Ukrainian group in the northeastern part of the region. In the Sumy region, the Kursk group is advancing in four directions in the general direction of Sumy. According to the command, units of two brigades of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) were surrounded and destroyed in the Sapka area.

According to the Chief of the General Staff, in the autumn, the Armed Forces of Ukraine lost more than 3.5 thousand people killed and seriously wounded in the Krasnolimansk area. Putin also called the encirclement of a Ukrainian group of more than 2,000 people in an area of over 400 square kilometers a success. Commander of the 110th separate motorized rifle brigade Alexander Troshin said that Dobropillya is under the full control of Russian troops, who continue to identify and destroy remaining groups of Ukrainian soldiers in the city. All the details and other main events of the day are in the Izvestia digest.

Putin discussed the humanitarian situation in Ukraine with the Pope

Putin had a telephone conversation with Pope Leo XIV. The parties discussed the situation around Ukraine, humanitarian issues and cooperation between Russia and the Vatican. The Pontiff expressed deep concern about the humanitarian situation in Alyoshki, Kherson region, and reaffirmed the Holy See's commitment to dialogue and initiatives aimed at achieving peace. The Russian leader supported the Vatican's intention to help ensure the safety of Alyosha residents and organize the supply of vital goods. The parties agreed to cooperate on these issues. In addition, Putin stressed the importance of cooperation between Russia and the Vatican.

Zakharova called EU sanctions against Russia a sign of Brussels' impotence

Zakharova said that the expansion of EU anti-Russian sanctions indicates the inability of Brussels to find new levers of pressure on Moscow. According to her, European leaders also expect the United States to refuse to help resolve the conflict in Ukraine in order to continue supporting Kiev.

Zakharova spoke sharply about Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky, accusing him of failing state policy and criticizing the tightening of mobilization. The representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry also stated that the Ukrainian military is attacking its own infrastructure and civilians in order to then blame Russia for this and seek additional Western support.

At the same time, the diplomat stressed that Russia does not intend to restrict the entry of EU citizens and remains open to those who come with peaceful intentions. Commenting on the incidents with vessels in Bulgaria's exclusive economic zone, Zakharova noted that at the moment there is no evidence of any party's involvement in the incidents.

Russia's assistance to Tajikistan in protecting the border with Afghanistan

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said at the conference that Russia is stepping up efforts to strengthen the Tajik-Afghan border and is supplying Dushanbe with modern weapons and equipment to protect the borders. The Russian Foreign Minister noted that any country, including the Central Asian states, can become a victim of color revolutions organized by the West. In his opinion, attempts at destabilization have already been made against Russia's neighboring countries, but they have been thwarted. Lavrov also accused Western states of years of attempts to create hotbeds of tension near the Russian borders. Separately, the minister pointed to the threat posed by the Islamic State terrorist group (IS, banned in Russia), in particular its Afghan branch, Wilayat Khorasan.

Strengthening the protection of Russian refineries from drone attacks

Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said on the sidelines of the Russian Energy Week that Russia continues to improve the protection systems of oil refineries from drone attacks. Enterprises independently install protective structures, and the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation cooperates with oil companies to strengthen air defense.

According to Novak, protection is developing in two directions.: active — with the use of air defense systems, and passive — with the help of special structures. Oil companies are also involved in financing the purchase of necessary equipment. He also noted that world prices for oil and petroleum products have almost doubled the level of the beginning of 2026.

The minimum wage in Russia in 2027 will rise to almost 29 thousand rubles.

The minimum wage in Russia will increase to 28,935 rubles in 2027. The unemployment benefit after indexation will amount to 16,966 rubles. Anton Kotyakov, Minister of Labor and Social Protection of the Russian Federation, pointed out at a meeting of the budget and Taxes Committee that when calculating the increase in the minimum wage, the Ministry of Labor is guided by Putin's instructions to bring the figure to 35 thousand rubles by 2030.

Kotyakov also noted that against the background of record low unemployment in the country, the number of citizens applying for benefits is decreasing. At the same time, the State employment assistance program covers personnel training, support for workers and the unemployed, development of the labor market and ensuring safe working conditions. More than 63 billion rubles have been allocated for its implementation.

AY YOLA group entered the first round of Grammy Award voting

Bashkir musical group AY YOLA entered the list of participants in the first round of voting for the Grammy Award in two categories at once. The official voting bulletin included the album Ural Batyr, presented in the "Best World Music Album" category, and the single Aihylyu, which claims to be considered in the "Best Arrangement, Instruments and Vocals" nomination.

The team noted that both works are inspired by the cultural heritage of Bashkortostan. According to the representatives of the group, participation in the voting provides an opportunity to present Bashkir culture and music to the global industry. Passing the first round means that AY YOLA's works have been accepted for consideration by the award's academics, who will form the final list of nominees.

The advance of Russian troops in several directions in the free zone

In a week, the Russian military established control over 12 settlements in the Kharkiv and Zaporizhia regions, as well as in the DPR. According to the Russian Defense Ministry, Varvarovka, Nikolaevka, Lukashovo, Lobanovka, Reznikovo, Kupino, Nefedovka and Chernoe have come under the control of Russian troops. In addition, the North group of troops established full control over the Volchansk—Budarky highway in the Kharkiv region, which the Ukrainian Armed Forces used to deliver ammunition and food to firing positions.

In addition, Russian Geran drones attacked four Ukrainian Armed Forces depots in Zaporizhia and Kharkiv region. According to the Ministry of Defense, three warehouses of drones and one warehouse of rocket and artillery weapons were hit. Over the past week, air defense systems, according to the ministry, shot down 5,695 Ukrainian aircraft-type drones in the area of a special military operation.