On 19 October 2026, the State Council of Tatarstan approved the appointment of Colonel General Alexander Lapin as deputy prime minister of the republic. Tatarstan head Rustam Minnikhanov signed the appointment decree the same day. Lapin had previously been appointed acting deputy prime minister on 29 September 2026.

On October 17, a photo exhibition opened in Rome as part of a "World Without Mines" campaign, organized by the Azerbaijani public association "Gilavar Photo Club." The exhibition focuses on the threat posed by landmines following the conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia—a threat for which the organizers hold Yerevan responsible.

In Baku, representatives from Azerbaijan, NATO member states, and partner nations have been assessing the Azerbaijani army’s capabilities against the alliance’s standards. The program included operational planning and exercises designed to improve interoperability between military units.

A preliminary hearing was held at the Tbilisi City Court regarding a new corruption case against former Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili. The court is currently reviewing the admissibility of evidence and must decide whether the case should proceed to a trial on the merits. The accused did not appear at the hearing.