Coronavirus
By the morning of 17 October, Ukraine has registered the daily increase of 5,231 cases and 1,264 recoveries, according to the monitoring centre of the National Security and Defence Council. Most cases were registered in Kharkiv Region (589) and Kyiv (453). There are currently almost 168,000 active cases.
With the mortality rate of around 2%, Ukraine ranks seventh in Europe, Chief Sanitarian Officer Viktor Lyashko has told Radio Liberty.
According to Lyashko, another tough lockdown may be introduced "only as a reserve moment when nothing else can be done".
Ukrzaliznytsya will stop selling railway tickets in Ternopil, Ivano-Frankivsk, Dubno, Zdolbuniv, Ternopil, Khmelnytskyy, Slavuta-1, Volochysk, Dunayivtsi, and the Imeni Shevchenko station as of 19 October because these locations ended up in the red coronavirus zone. Passengers will be able to alight but not to board at these stations.
Local elections
Drunk individuals damaged the car of a candidate for the Lviv city council from the People's Movement of Ukraine, Bohdan Kalichak, in the village of Rudno and put up a fight in which his father was injured, the regional police have said.
Journalist Roman Varshanidze was attacked when he was filming a story about the local elections in Velykodolynske, Ovidiopol District of Odesa Region. He was taken to hospital with bruises and concussion. In a Facebook post, he suggested that the attackers may have been from the Opposition Platform-For Life party.
Servant of the People MP Oleksandr Kachura has said that his personal data may have been used without his knowledge in the state register where he is mentioned as head of one of the offices of Viktor Medvedechuk's Ukrainian Choice party.
Poll
Exclusive: LB.ua has learnt the details of the poll to be held on 25 October alongside the local elections. A volunteer wearing a marked bib will be standing outside a polling station and asking people leaving it whether they are willing to fill in a five-point questionnaire. Filled forms will be put in a dedicated box. The poll will finish at 8 p.m. local time simultaneously with election day.
Donbas
Russia-backed militants fired with small arms and a handheld anti-tank grenade launcher near Avdiyivka on 18 October, the government-led Joint Forces Operation HQ has said. The Joint Forces did not return fire.
On 17 October, militants violated the ceasefire on five occasions, having opened fire from grenade launchers of various systems near Vodyane, Avdiyivka and Shumy. Two enemy drones were spotted near Pyshchevyk and Shyrokyne on the Sea of Azov.