On 5 October, Vladimir Putin signed a decree that designated the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant as Russia’s federal property.

On 6 October, the European Union adopted the 8th package of sanctions against Russia, in response to the illegal annexation of the Ukrainian regions of Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson. The package introduced a price cap related to the maritime transport of Russian oil to third countries, restrictions on products that may support Russia’s military capabilities, as well as further trade and services restrictions. Moreover, 30 individuals and 7 entities were placed on the sanctions list.

On 7 October, during an informal meeting of the European Council in Prague, the EU leaders addressed several critical issues related to the war in Ukraine, and the energy and economic situation in Europe. The discussions included plans to provide additional military support to Ukraine, such as training missions for the Ukrainian Armed Forces to bolster their capacity to defend against Russian aggression. The EU leaders also considered further financial aid and a reconstruction plan for Ukraine’s damaged infrastructure to help ensure the country’s economic stability.

In response to the Kremlin’s illegal annexation of Ukrainian territories, the EU leaders decided to implement the 8th package of sanctions against Russia, including restrictions on maritime transport of crude oil, and additional trade sanctions. The discussions also covered the energy crisis in Europe and strategies to reduce dependence on Russian energy resources and stabilize the energy market.

A day before the European Council meeting, an inaugural meeting of the European Political Community took place, bringing together leaders from 44 countries. The meeting concerned peace and security, energy crisis, and Europe’s economic situation.

Ukrainian authorities in the Kharkiv region uncovered multiple torture sites used by Russian forces. In the city of Izium alone, at least ten sites where civilians and soldiers were subjected to various forms of torture, including electric shocks, severe beatings, and other acts of brutality, were discovered. Exhumations of mass graves uncovered bodies bearing visible signs of torture, such as tied-up hands, close-range gunshot wounds, and broken limbs.

In the Pisky Radkivsky district, the authorities discovered a house used by Russian soldiers as both a base and a site for interrogating and torturing civilian and military prisoners. One room contained torture devices, including gas masks, and a box filled with extracted teeth, which were later tested for DNA.

On 8 October, at about 6:07 a.m. Moscow time, there was an explosion on the Crimean Bridge, which left part of the structure destroyed and caused the collapse of a roadway span. Simultaneously, a freight train carrying fuel tanks caught fire on the railway bridge. According to Russian sources, three people were killed. Both road and rail traffic was suspended. The bridge was later partially reopened to light road vehicles and limited rail traffic.

The Interfax-Ukraine news agency reported that the explosion was a special operation carried out by Ukraine’s Security Service. The UK Ministry of Defence stated that the explosion had damaged both the road and rail sections of the bridge, causing the collapse of two out of four lanes over a span of approximately 250 meters. This significantly reduced the bridge’s capacity and disrupted railway operations, impacting the logistics of Russian forces in southern Ukraine.