Zamid Chalayev, commander of the Akhmat Kadyrov Special Police Regiment, has offered a $100,000 reward for information regarding individuals involved in acts of sabotage in Chechnya. He issued this appeal to the republic’s residents following reports of a security operation in the Gudermes District.

Oktay Saral, chief adviser to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, has lost his position after criticising Azerbaijani authorities over restrictions on the wearing of hijabs in schools. His departure has become one of the most prominent episodes in the deterioration of relations between Ankara and Baku, which has been accompanied by accusations from Azerbaijan of interference in its internal affairs and fierce anti-Turkish rhetoric in pro-government Azerbaijani media.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s ruling Civil Contract party has won local elections in most communities across Armenia. The opposition has accused the authorities of electoral fraud and putting pressure on rival candidates. However, reports published by election observers confirm individual violations but do not establish that the voting results were falsified.

The Chechen state television channel (ChGTRK) "Grozny" recently aired an investigative report on a brawl involving gunfire that took place in the capital of North Ossetia on the night of October 17–18. The incident involved Chechen "pop-MMA" fighter Ibragim Islamov, known by the nickname "Nikarkho." According to the channel, Islamov was the instigator and primary culprit behind the conflict—an event that not only caused a major stir in North Ossetia and Chechenia but also drew in a large number of people from other regions of the North Caucasus.

Local government elections are being held in 21 communities (municipalities) across Armenia. In five communities, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s ruling Civil Contract party is running unopposed. The highest voter turnout was recorded in Stepanavan, where 58.36% of eligible voters had cast their ballots by 5 pm.

A rally organised by members of Circassian diaspora communities took place in Berlin on 24 October. Participants called for Circassians and their descendants to be granted the right to return to their historic homeland in the North Caucasus. The demonstrators gathered at the Brandenburg Gate, marched through the city streets and then headed to the Russian embassy.

On 24 October, Chechen Parliament Speaker Akhmed Dudaev visited Vladikavkaz alongside the Chechen Minister for National Policy, External Relations, Press and Information. At a meeting with North Ossetian leader Sergei Menyailo, representatives of the republic’s leadership and students from Chechnya, Dudaev stressed the need to respect local traditions and customs. He also said that the Chechen authorities were carrying out preventive work with compatriots living in other regions. The visit took place amid public controversy over a shooting in Vladikavkaz in which Chechen MMA fighter Ibrahim Islamov, known as Nikarkho, was injured.

The first video of Chechen pop-MMA fighter Ibrahim Islamov, known by the nickname Nikarkho, has emerged online following a shooting in Vladikavkaz. In footage published on 24 October, he walks along a hospital corridor, holding on to a friend with his left hand. Earlier reports said the fighter had sustained serious gunshot wounds and undergone surgery.

Eric Ciotti, the mayor of the French city of Nice, has proposed granting honorary citizenship to 20 Armenian prisoners serving lengthy sentences in Azerbaijan. He made the announcement at a rally in their support. Ciotti also called for their immediate and unconditional release.

In Chechnya, during intensive raids by security forces—conducted as part of a search for suspects involved in an attack on a traffic police post in Gudermes in October 2025—one individual was killed and another was detained. This was announced by the head of the republic, Ramzan Kadyrov, during a meeting with representatives of the security services. Prior to this, Chechen authorities had not officially commented on reports regarding the attack.