Russian gas: US pressure to resume sales to the EU via Ukraine. Moscow: ‘Impossible’

The upcoming US mid-term congressional elections are an internal matter for the United States, said Russian presidential spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, emphasising that, like the rest of the world, he will be following them closely. “We are, of course, following them very closely, as is the rest of the world,” said Peskov, as quoted by Interfax. “President (Donald) Trump will remain president until the end of his term and will continue to pursue his foreign policy,” the Kremlin spokesperson added, when asked whether these elections might influence the resolution of the conflict with Ukraine.

Russian President Vladimir Putin’s programme for the APEC summit is still being finalised, and there are no specific details regarding a possible trilateral meeting between the Presidents of Russia, the United States and China: this was stated by Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov.

The Kremlin stated on Monday that, given the situation on the ground, it would not be possible at present to resume gas supplies to Europe via Ukraine.

When asked about an article in the Wall Street Journal claiming that the United States was pushing for a resumption of Russian gas supplies to Europe via Ukrainian territory, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists that such plans were currently impossible to implement.

Russia has resumed attacks on the Ukrainian region of Kherson following the end of the ceasefire in the area, which had marked the longest truce in the war that has been raging between the two countries since 2022. “At around 8 am this morning, the Russian occupiers attacked a car with a drone in the Korabelny district of Kherson,” local authorities said in a statement, adding that a 62-year-old woman and a 73-year-old man were injured and taken to hospital.

Western aggression is on the rise as Russia nears the conclusion of its special military operation, said the Secretary of the Russian Security Council, former Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu. “The objectives of these actions are clear: to contain Russia and install whatever political regime is put in place. The closer we get to victory and the successful completion of the special military operation, the more aggressive and perverse these attempts become,” said Shoigu, as quoted by Interfax. “Today, against the backdrop of a tense international situation, the leaders of many European countries have chosen the path of military escalation, cynically ignoring the numerous demands of their own citizens, who have been forced to take to the streets en masse to protest against the government’s thoroughly partisan policies,” the Secretary of the Russian Security Council added.

The Ukrainian army has ensured compliance with the humanitarian ceasefire in Oleshky, a town under Russian occupation in the Ukrainian Kherson Oblast, but Russia is reported to have exploited the truce to strengthen its positions: this was announced by the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

Russia has introduced a temporary ban on the export of certain petrochemical products, with the aim of “ensuring a stable supply of raw materials to Russian industrial firms”: this is according to the independent Russian website Astra, which cites the Russian government’s official website.

The ban applies to the export of “benzene of coal and petroleum origin, toluene, ortho-xylene, para-xylene and phenol”, Astra explains; these products are used “in the manufacture of paints and enamels for the automotive, aeronautical, shipbuilding and railway sectors”, as well as “in the production of food packaging, floor coverings, cable insulation materials and in the medical industry”.

Russian forces struck a depot housing Neptune anti-ship missile launchers in the Odessa region overnight, according to a report from the Ministry of Defence in Moscow. “A shelter and a depot housing Neptune anti-ship missile launchers near the village of Tuzla were struck,” reads the ministry’s post on Telegram. Russian forces also attacked a ship carrying supplies for the Ukrainian army 58 kilometres south of Odessa, the ministry added.

“The ceasefire has ended. The mission was a success, delivering essential aid to the region and enabling the evacuation of nearly 800 people.” First Lady Melania Trump announced this on X, referring to the truce that came into effect in Oleshky, the town in southern Ukraine occupied by the Russian army, to allow for the evacuation of civilians. “On behalf of the United States, I congratulate Russia and Ukraine on their leadership and cooperation regarding the Oleshky ceasefire. I hope it will serve as a foundation for lasting peace between the two nations.” The ceasefire began on 27 October and ended yesterday.

Russian air defence forces intercepted and destroyed 212 Ukrainian drones overnight. This was announced by the Russian Ministry of Defence. The unmanned aerial vehicles were shot down over the regions of Bryansk, Belgorod, Kursk, Kaluga, Tula, Voronezh, Pskov, Orel, Lipetsk, Saratov, Samara, Ryazan, Tambov and Rostov, the Moscow region, the Krasnodar Territory, Crimea, as well as over the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov.

Moscow, August 2022. A woman who looks rather lost enters the Novaya Gazeta offices. She almost seems to be pleading as she asks to see the editor, Dmitry Muratov. I try to work out why she’s here and what she wants. ‘I’m not sure, I think it’s something personal,’ they reply. ‘In Russia, even the editor of a newspaper is often seen as an authority figure who can do something to help you.’

Ukrainian drones struck an oil facility in the Samara region, in the town of Prosvet, some 835 kilometres north-east of the border, in an attack that took place last night. This has been reported by the Ukrainian monitoring channels Supernova+ and Exilenova+. Footage taken by local eyewitnesses shows smoke rising above the town at first light. The Kyiv Independent is unable to independently verify the targets or the extent of the damage caused by the attacks. The Prosvet facility, a crucial hub in the Russian oil pipeline network, comprises pumping stations, storage depots and blending plants. According to the Ukrainian General Staff, the facility blends oil from Western Siberia and other oil-producing regions of Russia to produce fuel for export to the Russian armed forces.

The Ukrainian authorities have implemented emergency power cuts in some regions of the country due to a “complex situation in the energy sector” caused by Russian bombardments, according to Ukrenergo, Ukraine’s national energy agency.

The Russian Ministry of Defence stated on Monday via Telegram that the Russian armed forces had struck a military facility in the Ukrainian region of Odessa and a merchant ship being used for military purposes, 58 kilometres (36 miles) south of the Black Sea port city of Odessa.

Separately, an official in Odessa reported on Telegram that a Russian attack had injured four people.

Cyber-attacks targeted the air raid warning apps in Ukraine and Russia overnight. The Ukrainian Air Force was the first to raise the alarm, stating on Telegram: “The ‘Air Alert’ app has probably been compromised by the enemy. There is no threat of radiation.”

“Stay calm and keep an eye out for updates on our channel.” The attack was subsequently confirmed by the Air Alert team: “Today, unauthorised individuals interfered with the app’s operation. We have disabled push notifications and temporarily suspended the app – as stated in the message also published on Telegram – The app does not store personal data, so there is no risk to users. We urge you not to click, under any circumstances, on links contained in suspicious notifications. Our team is working to restore the app.” Moscow has also reported a cyberattack that allegedly targeted the mobile app of the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations. This was reported by RIA Novosti. “The Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations’ mobile app has been the target of a massive cyberattack,” the statement reads. It is also reported that, following the incident, Russian citizens have begun receiving emails containing false information.

The United States is calling for a rapid resumption of Russian natural gas sales to Europe via pipelines crossing Ukraine as part of negotiations to secure an energy truce for the winter. This is reported by the Wall Street Journal, citing sources who claim that Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushenr raised the idea during their trip to Russia and Ukraine in September. The sale of natural gas would be carried out through an American intermediary to circumvent sanctions.

US negotiators believe that Russia’s return to the European natural gas market would offer President Vladimir Putin an incentive to accept a deal, reports the Wall Street Journal. The use of Soviet-era gas pipelines would also allow Kyiv to generate new revenue. The proceeds from Russia’s sales would be channelled into an escrow account in a third jurisdiction to prevent the Kremlin from using the funds to finance the war. The idea was presented to European leaders as a solution to reduce prices and was reportedly received with a cool response. The proposal marks a change of course for the Trump administration, which, during the president’s first term, had harshly criticised the construction of Nord Stream 2, arguing that it would make Germany “a hostage to Russia”.

Further reading

Zelensky: ‘Raids on four regions, hundreds of thousands without electricity’. Pope calls for new peace initiatives following the Oleshky ceasefire

01 November 2026