NSDC
The National Security and Defence Council (NSDC) on 15 October approved Ukraine's defence plan, its secretary Oleksiy Danilov has said at a briefing.
"For the first time in the history of modern Ukraine, a defence plan has been approved. This is a large document, on which we have been working for two years. It provides clear answers to the challenges that face our state," Danilov said.
According to him, the strategy of biosecurity and biological protection, as well as the strategy of information security were also approved.
More sanctions
The National Security and Defence Council has decided to impose sanctions on the Russian retail chain Mere, NSDC Secretary Oleksiy Danilov said at a briefing.
Additionally, sanctions are imposed against 237 individuals involved in the Russian State Duma elections in occupied Crimea and Sevastopol, as well as in involving residents from the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk people's republics in the Russian elections.
Russian census
Ukraine has condemned the holding of the all-Russian census on the territory of temporarily occupied Crimea as "an unfriendly act against our state, and we reserve the right to apply retortions", the Foreign Ministry said.
Such actions are directed against Ukraine's state sovereignty and territorial integrity and are a continuation of attempts to legitimize the attempt to annex Crimea and to extend Russian legislation to its territory, it added.
Coronavirus
The National Security and Defence Council of Ukraine predicts that the peak of the autumn wave of COVID-19 will be between 20 October and 5 November, its secretary Oleksiy Danilov said at a briefing on Friday.
Four more regions – Zaporizhzhya, Odesa, Donetsk and Dnipropetrovsk – will join the red quarantine zone as of 18 October. Cinemas, cafes, gyms and other public spaces will only be able to continue operation if 100% of their staff and visitors are fully vaccinated. The same applies to school teachers.
Kherson Region entered the red zone today.
On the morning of 15 October, Ukraine reported 13,624 new Covid-19 cases and 202 Covid-related deaths.
UK visit
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will pay an official visit to Great Britain in late October, Ukraine's ambassador to Ukraine, Vadym Prystatyko, has said on the air of Dom TV. The goal of the visit is to hold a strategic discussion on the implementation of annual agreements.
Naval emergency
A Navy ship that was in distress in the Black Sea during its assignment has returned to its permanent deployment base in Odesa, the Ukrainian Navy's command has said.
"Despite the stormy conditions, thanks to the skillful and prompt actions of the crew, the consequences of the emergency situation were localized and further flooding of the ship's compartments was prevented," the statement reads.
The degaussing vessel Balta of the Ukrainian Armed Forces was damaged as a result of a collision with an unknown object incident near the Serpent Island.