Ukraine war, latest news. Massive Ukrainian drone attack on St Petersburg. Zelensky: we are ready to negotiate; the US must put pressure on Putin

Cyber warfare is on the rise, and Europe is an increasingly critical front, with attacks growing on a global scale whilst the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East are still ongoing. Operating in sensitive sectors such as arms, ammunition and security equipment may mean having to defend against attacks in this hybrid war.

For a group such as Beretta Holding, based in Luxembourg, with subsidiaries around the world, partnerships with numerous European governments and a position of global leadership in small arms, optical products and ammunition, cyberattacks are a prime example of how geopolitical tensions translate into pressure on organisations. ‘This is a very delicate time. What I can say is that we have received reports from more than one European country where we have facilities,’ admitted Pietro Gussalli Beretta, Chairman and Chief Executive of Beretta Holding, in an interview with *Il Sole 24 Ore*. “Yes, we have experienced problems relating to both cyber security and interference of a different nature – let’s say from foreign intelligence services. This has also happened in Italia, though in that case it was solely a matter of cyber security. We are cooperating with the authorities in these countries. For our part, we must do our utmost to protect ourselves; the rest is up to the relevant authorities.”

A flagship of the Italian Defence in the field of air cover, operating under the NATO umbrella, has resumed operations. In a statement, the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation announced that the Deployable Air Command and Control Centre (DACCC, Deployable Air Command and Control Centre), based in Italia, has resumed full operations at its Air Command and Control Training and Test Facility (ATTF). Operations had been suspended following a hardware and software upgrade.

NATO has clarified that this initiative “strengthens the Centre’s ability to train personnel and test systems in support of allied operations”. In September, the facility, equipped with the upgraded system, hosted two NATO events, bringing together personnel and technical specialists with the aim of developing their skills and assessing the capabilities deployed in the Alliance’s command and control processes.

“I don’t know what Zelenskyy said. I’m not sure Zelenskyy knows what he’s talking about, but it wasn’t intentional. We’ve got nothing to do with it. Nobody ordered Starlink’s speed to be slowed down. It happened, but as far as I understand, it’s been restored. It’s back to previous levels. However, this concerns Starlink. They were using it for their drones.” So said US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on the matter of satellite internet connectivity via Elon Musk’s network

“The American channel will continue. We are counting on the United States to put more pressure on Putin and not on us. Otherwise, it is simply unfair.” This was stated by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, in response to a question from *Corriere della Sera*. Although relations between the two allies are increasingly strained, the newspaper reports that a meeting could take place as early as next week: “The American side has given us a signal” and “if they want to meet us in America, let them invite us. We’ll be ready”. “We are ready for any format: three, two, four, five or more – it doesn’t matter. What matters is peace”, Zelensky added, stating that the suspension of sanctions is “wrong”; it amounts to a “reward for the aggressor” and is certainly not a way to stop Vladimir Putin, who is now “delighted” to receive such support. In conclusion, the Ukrainian president once again called on Europeans to build “their own infrastructure and their own channel for negotiations with Russia” because, he said, “we must explore every possible avenue to stop the war”.

An air strike on St Petersburg in one of the most extensive raids of the past four years. TASS reports this on its website. The attack by Ukrainian drones on the Leningrad region (St Petersburg), the agency reports, was one of the largest in the last four years, according to TASS’s calculations based on data released by the region’s governor, Alexander Drozdenko. According to the report, 135 drones were intercepted over the region surrounding the Russian city. The largest attack was repelled on 6 June 2026, when 144 drones were shot down.

Russian forces launched a massive attack this morning on Rivne and the surrounding area in western Ukraine, targeting civilian infrastructure. This was reported by Ukrinform, citing the head of the regional military administration, Oleksandr Koval. Emergency services are working to deal with the aftermath of the attack. The fires that broke out have been brought under control, Koval reported on Telegram. There are currently no reports of casualties.