Ukraine, latest news. EU: ‘We will not resume buying gas from Russia’. Lavrov to visit the US from tomorrow; he will call for the lifting of sanctions

“The Ministry of Defence is drawing it up; Minister Crosetto, Minister Giorgetti and I will then sign it, after, of course, informing Parliament via COPASIR. In short, it’s almost ready.” So said the Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister, Antonio Tajani, in response to a question about the timing of the next aid package for Ukraine, on the sidelines of a conference in the Senate.

The date of the trilateral talks between Russia, the US and Ukraine will depend on Kyiv’s actions in the coming days and on the possibility that the Ukrainian armed forces might launch an attack during the mass demonstrations marking National Unity Day in Russia on 4 November: this was stated by Russian presidential adviser Yuri Ushakov. “National Unity Day is our public holiday and we had said that we would announce the resumption of the trilateral talks after the holiday,” said Ushakov in an interview with the Vesti broadcaster. “It is clear that the talks will not take place before then, but only afterwards,” said the Kremlin adviser. “We will see how our Ukrainian rivals behave over the coming days. This, too, is significant. If there are large-scale attacks during public events, this will likely affect our mood,” warned the presidential adviser.

“Our solidarity lies with the Ukrainian people following yet another massacre of innocent people caused by Russia’s cowardly strategy of deliberately targeting civilian sites. The attack on Dnipro station is merely the latest in a series of incidents demonstrating that the Russian army, unable to make headway on the battlefield, has no choice but to resort to the despicable methods typical of terrorism – and certainly not of those who would like to present themselves as a great military power.” So said Giovanbattista Fazzolari, Under-Secretary to the Prime Minister’s Office with responsibility for the implementation of the government’s programme.

“The deadly Russian attack on the railway station in Dnipro is yet another brutal attack on Ukrainian civilians. It clearly demonstrates that Moscow is not interested in peace.” The EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Kaja Kallas, wrote this on X. “At the EU-Canada summit and the G20 foreign ministers’ meeting in Atlanta, I will urge our partners to further strengthen our support for Ukraine and to promote accountability, including through the Special Tribunal and the Compensation Commission,” she explains. “Russia must be held to account for its actions,” she adds.

The Russian Foreign Minister, Sergey Lavrov, will call for the lifting of sanctions against Moscow during his visit to the United States, scheduled for tomorrow and Saturday, on the occasion of the G20 foreign ministers’ meeting. This was stated by the authorities in Moscow.

In his speeches, Lavrov will oppose the “destructive” policy of “certain powers”, which use “economic weapons” such as “sanctions, trade wars and the disruption of supply chains” against their adversaries, the Russian Foreign Ministry has stated.

A container ship operated by the Israeli shipping company ZIM, which had set sail from Haifa bound for Constanța in Romania, sank last night after being struck by three marine drones off the Bulgarian Black Sea coast. This has been reported by the Israeli media, citing a statement from the company, which specifies that all 18 crew members – 14 Filipinos and four Ukrainians – were rescued and taken to the Bulgarian port city of Varna. The 421 containers were completely lost at sea: some of the containers held hazardous materials, such as lithium-ion batteries and flammable liquids. The Bulgarian authorities have stated that they have found no traces of pollution after taking samples at various points within their territorial waters.

“In the face of boycotts and security threats, against a backdrop of global political instability, it is imperative to ensure that Zim remains an Israeli company,” said Oren Caspi, head of the Zim workers’ union, as quoted by The Times of Israel. “Many aspects of this unusual attack remain unknown and we are still in the process of gathering details.” Earlier this year, the German container shipping giant Hapag-Lloyd announced its intention to acquire the company for $4.2 billion. However, the deal has yet to receive government approval.

Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda stated today that Russia is not ready for a full-scale war against NATO in the next two years, but could test its unity with hybrid attacks, and “border incidents” cannot be ruled out. “Hybrid operations may not be limited to previously identified targets, such as critical energy infrastructure. (...) We are also seeing signs of possible provocations of various kinds at the borders,” the Lithuanian head of state told journalists after a meeting of the State Defence Council. “An operation of this kind was carried out in Latvia. Border interventions cannot be ruled out, and we are preparing accordingly,” Nauseda told Lithuanian public broadcaster LRT.

‘I have just learnt with dismay that a Russian jet-powered drone has struck the station in Dnipro, causing a very heavy death toll. I extend my condolences and our solidarity to President Zelensky and the Ukrainian people. In this context, we must aim for much more than a limited ceasefire, such as the one just negotiated at local level in Oleshky. It is intolerable that Russia continues to reject every proposal to this effect, insisting on escalation and targeting civilians”: this was written in a message posted on X by the French President, Emmanuel Macron. “We must, all together, step up our efforts towards a just and lasting peace and bring Russia to the negotiating table,” added Macron.

Two 15-year-old girls have died in the Russian attack on Chernihiv, according to the city’s press office. Nine people are also reported to have been injured. “According to the latest information, two of the victims are minors. Young girls... No words can express the grief and deep sympathy felt for the relatives and friends of the victims. The entire community of Chernihiv shares the unspeakable grief of the families who have lost their loved ones. This is an irreparable, incomprehensible and unacceptable loss,” the press office stated, according to local media reports.

The European Commission is inviting Member States to take part in the second phase of the ‘Security Action for Europe’ (Safe) instrument. With a budget of €21.3 billion, this second call for proposals will be open to all Member States. Once applications have been received from Member States, the Commission will notify them of the provisional allocations within two weeks of the deadline for submitting applications. In line with their national defence needs and priorities, Member States are encouraged to use the funds from this second call for proposals to strengthen cooperation with Ukraine, by including in their investment plans the joint procurement of goods and services with Kyiv, the EU executive explains in a statement. Member States should also prioritise the urgent needs of the Ukrainian armed forces and those of the Member States, focusing on air and missile defence systems, drones and anti-drone systems, as well as ammunition and missiles. The new funding opportunities offered by this second call for proposals form part of the SAFE long-term loan package, worth a total of €150 billion, adopted in May 2025. In November 2025, Member States submitted their defence industry plans to the Commission; some requested amounts lower than those initially agreed.

The Russian Foreign Minister, Sergey Lavrov, will call for the lifting of sanctions against Moscow during his visit to the United States, scheduled for Friday and Saturday, on the occasion of the G20 foreign ministers’ meeting in Atlanta. This was stated by the Russian Foreign Ministry. During his speeches, Lavrov will oppose the ‘destructive’ policy of ‘certain powers’ that use ‘economic weapons’, such as ‘sanctions, trade wars and the disruption of supply chains’, against their adversaries, the Russian Foreign Ministry reported. ‘We will reiterate our conviction that the prosperity of peoples can only be guaranteed if the global economy remains open. This entails combating unfair competition and the neo-colonial practices widely employed by the West,’ reads a statement from the ministry.

‘A horrific Russian attack has struck Dnipro railway station. The Russians launched a drone strike against a platform where a commuter train and a passenger train were standing. Unfortunately, there are currently 13 confirmed fatalities. I extend my condolences to their families and loved ones. A further ten people have been injured. All the necessary emergency services are working at the scene.” The Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky wrote this on X. “How many terrorist attacks has Russia launched against our people since the sanctions against certain Russian oligarchs and the Russian energy sector were lifted, rather than leading to a de-escalation? This is precisely why Ukraine has always maintained that America and Europe must take fair and resolute action in response to Russia’s escalation: sanctions against Moscow and its war machine must not be eased whilst this conflict continues. The time has come for the EU, the United States and the G7 to adopt new and stricter sanctions. I would like to thank all those who are ready to contribute to this effort,’ he concluded.

“Ukrainian forces have mined the access routes to Oleshky in the Kherson region, bringing the town to the brink of a humanitarian catastrophe,” said Russian President Vladimir Putin during the Russia-Africa summit. “This situation has been developing for some time,” said the President, recalling how the opposing side had acted, “mining the access routes to this town and creating a veritable humanitarian catastrophe”. The Russian president also acknowledged the contribution of the US First Lady, Melania Trump, to the organisation of the humanitarian mission to the town of Oleshky in the Kherson region. “Incidentally, (the mission was organised) with the support of the First Lady of the United States,” Putin remarked, as quoted by TASS.

‘We have never provided funding’ to Ukraine, ‘we have provided equipment that has helped them defend themselves. Is Kyiv’s request that we give them missiles to defend themselves against these new Russian drones?’ If Italia were to decide to “break ranks with Europe and NATO and not provide its aid package? The war would not stop” and “we would be seen in a negative light” by our allies. This was stated by Defence Minister Guido Crosetto during the ‘Sud Chiama Nord’ event. And furthermore, “if I do not provide aid” to Ukraine, “does that mean I have changed my mind? That I have decided Russia is right? I refuse to live in a world like that. If we were to come under attack tomorrow, we would expect our allies to help us.”

The chief executive of the Russian group Rosatom, Alexey Likhachev, said that during the construction of the Dabaa nuclear power station in Egypt, there had been acts of ‘deliberate sabotage by other countries’ which had hampered the work, alongside the coronavirus pandemic and international sanctions. Speaking on the sidelines of the Russia-Africa summit, Likhachev said that ‘we must be prepared to face the most unexpected difficulties. For example, during the construction of the Egyptian project, we faced a pandemic, sanctions and what I can only describe as outright sabotage – deliberate acts of disruption directed against this project by certain states’. He went on to emphasise that the group, in collaboration with the Egyptian government, had “managed to overcome all these obstacles”, without, however, specifying the nature of the acts of sabotage mentioned, nor naming the countries involved.

At least 13 people have died in a Russian attack on a train in Dnipro, according to Ukrainian authorities. “Tragedy in Dnipro. A drone struck a civilian train. Many dead. Several injured,” Dnipro’s mayor, Boris Filatov, reported on Telegram. According to the head of the Dnipropetrovsk regional military administration, Oleksandr Ganzha, “13 people were killed in the Russian attack on Dnipro. At least five were injured.”

The desire to strengthen relations between Russia and Egypt, particularly in the nuclear field, was reaffirmed during a meeting held yesterday evening in Moscow between the Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi and the Russian President Vladimir Putin, on the sidelines of the Russia-Africa Summit. “Sisi,” according to an Egyptian statement, “reaffirmed Egypt’s desire to deepen its strategic partnership with Russia and to further develop cooperation in all areas of mutual interest. They then reviewed the main projects currently under way, ranging from the Dabaa nuclear power station being built by the Russian company Rosatom – for which Sisi called for rapid completion and the construction of possible further plants – to the Russian industrial zone within the Suez Canal economic zone. They also discussed ways to strengthen bilateral cooperation in the sectors of trade, healthcare, tourism, education and scientific research. During the talks, the tensions in the Middle East were also discussed, with both sides expressing the hope that they would ease. The Russian President, according to the statement, ‘praised Egypt’s key role and affirmed Russia’s willingness to intensify political consultations and coordination with Cairo, given its role as a pillar of stability in the Middle East’. Speaking on the Horn of Africa, Sisi returned to the dispute with Ethiopia over water resources. Shortly afterwards, Putin held a meeting with the Ethiopian Prime Minister, Abiy Ahmed.

Poland will shortly transfer two Soviet-built MiG-29 fighter jets and associated ammunition to Ukraine, according to Dariusz Łukowski, director of the Department of Defence Strategy and Planning at the Polish Ministry of National Defence. This was reported by RBC Ukraine. The aircraft and ammunition will form part of a new Polish aid package worth around 50 million euros. The Polish Ministry of National Defence has officially confirmed that Warsaw is preparing a new military aid package for Ukraine. The ministry explained that the scale of the package will depend on national security requirements and the capabilities of the Polish armed forces, as determined by the Chief of the General Staff. The ministry also clarified that the aid will include equipment decommissioned by the Polish armed forces because it has reached the end of its service life. Although Poland will no longer use this equipment, it could still prove useful to Ukraine.

The German Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier has urged China to fulfil its responsibilities as a world power and to help bring an end to Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine. “China is a permanent member of the Security Council and maintains close ties with Russia. Let us therefore work together to ensure that Russia ceases its attacks and enters into serious negotiations,” he said in a speech at Peking University, as reported by DPA. The German Head of State urged China to work alongside Germany to strengthen the rules-based international order and to commit to peace and free global trade. Furthermore, Steinmeier called for a level playing field in trade between China and Germany, and thus Europe.

Organising a massive drone attack on Moscow during the Russia-Africa summit is “strange”, but the air defence systems are working effectively, said the Russian presidential spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov. “It is very strange, because this is a global event taking place in the Russian capital. And, of course, organising such a massive drone attack on Moscow at this time is strange,” Peskov told the Vesti television channel, as reported by Russian news agencies. “Our air defence systems are operating effectively. But this underlines once again that the special military operation must continue to protect us from such threats,” the Kremlin spokesperson noted. According to TASS’s calculations, based on data from the Russian Ministry of Defence, the Ukrainian drone attack on the night of 29 October was one of the most serious of the year.

The Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, held a telephone conversation with his US counterpart, Donald Trump, emphasising the need to find diplomatic solutions to the conflict between Russia and Ukraine and to the crises in the Strait of Hormuz and in Yemen. “President Erdogan emphasised that, within the framework of the ‘Joint Defence Alliance of Mecca’”, that is, the mutual defence pact signed between Turkey, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, “we are closely monitoring developments in the Strait of Hormuz and in Yemen, and are committed to resolving these issues through diplomacy”, according to a statement from the Turkish Head of State’s office regarding the telephone call, during which Erdogan stated that ‘Turkey is ready to contribute to efforts aimed at reviving the diplomatic process between Ukraine and Russia, with a view to ending the conflict through this channel’. According to the statement, “US President Trump extended his congratulations to President Erdogan and the Turkish people on the occasion of Republic Day, whilst also expressing his hope for a positive outcome at the forthcoming summit of the Organisation of Turkic States”, which is taking place today and tomorrow in Ankara.

The Russian presidential adviser Anton Kobyakov has accused the West of using Ukrainian mercenaries in Africa to achieve its colonial objectives on the continent. ‘It is important to note that in recent years there has been a sharp increase in the activities of Ukrainian militants in Africa, particularly during the special military operation. Ukraine is also being used by the West to further its colonial objectives on the continent. Today, Ukrainian instructors and mercenaries are present in virtually all terrorist groups active in African countries,” said Kobyakov, as quoted by TASS.

The Ukrainian Human Rights Ombudsman, Dmytro Lubinets, announced this morning that preparations are continuing for a humanitarian mission to Oleshky, in the Kherson region. “Mine-clearing operations are proceeding successfully. We are preparing humanitarian aid for the residents of Oleshky,” he wrote on Telegram. The routes required for the operation are currently being cleared of mines, and a consignment of essential supplies is due to arrive in the town on Friday. According to Lubinets, the ceasefire came into effect on 27 October at 3 am (Kyiv time) and has been in place for fifty-four hours with no reported violations. He referred to good coordination with the Russian human rights ombudswoman, Iana Lantratova, and thanked Melania Trump for her involvement in the mission. The aim is to provide assistance to civilians still in the city and to enable their evacuation in complete safety, he explained.

In the Armenian National Assembly, a brawl broke out between members of the government and the opposition. According to reports in the Armenian media, the conflict flared up after the pro-government MP Taron Chakhoyan of the Civic Pact delivered a scathing attack on the opposition. This led to a verbal altercation between him and Narek Karapetyan, leader of the Strong Armenia parliamentary group, which then escalated into a physical brawl captured on video footage circulating on Russian media and social media. The Speaker of Parliament, Ruben Rubinyan, initially refused to suspend the sitting, despite the mounting tension. However, after MPs began to use physical force and one of those involved in the brawl ended up on the floor, the sitting was finally suspended.

According to industry sources, LSEG data and Reuters calculations, maritime imports of motor fuels into Russia rose by around 18 per cent month-on-month in October, reaching 430,000 metric tonnes. Most of the fuel imports by sea to Russian ports this month consisted of petrol from India, Morocco and Turkey, operators reported. Moscow began importing fuel in August, having to cope with a shortage of petroleum products in several regions following Ukrainian drone attacks on key refineries. Previously, Russia had introduced a series of measures to support the domestic fuel market, including rail imports of petrol from Belarus and Kazakhstan and a ban on fuel exports. Russia will continue to import petrol at least until the end of the year, said Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak. Industry operators expect a decline in seaborne imports of petroleum products into Russia in the coming months, due to increased crude oil processing at domestic refineries and a seasonal drop in fuel demand.

Rosatom, the Russian state-owned nuclear energy company, is considering a possible collaboration with the United States regarding small nuclear power stations capable of supplying electricity to artificial intelligence data centres, according to a report on Thursday by the state news agency RIA. Rosatom’s chief executive, Alexei Likhachev, is reported to have stated that the two sides are exploring various areas of potential cooperation in the civil nuclear energy sector.

The Russian Commissioner for Human Rights, Yana Lantratova, has announced her departure from Moscow for a humanitarian mission to the town of Oleshky, in the Kherson region, where a ceasefire has been in force since 4.00 am, Moscow time (2.00 Italian time) on 27 October, a ceasefire has been in force. “We will be travelling with journalists, mainly from the US, appointed by the American side, and journalists from various countries around the world,” she told the Zvezda television channel, as reported by TASS. Previously, Russia and Ukraine, with the help of Melania Trump, had agreed on a ceasefire in the town in the Kherson region to ensure the delivery of humanitarian aid and prepare for the evacuation of civilians via a safe corridor.

NAIROBI – In October 2019, at the first Sochi summit, Vladimir Putin had reiterated the slogan underlying the entire event: Africa is a ‘priority’ on the Kremlin’s agenda and in the new global balance of power. Seven years and two summits on, Moscow is seeking to reaffirm and expand this vision. Putin welcomed a total of 22 African heads of state and 48 delegations from the continent to Moscow for the third Africa–Russia Summit, following the inaugural summit in Sochi and the second in St Petersburg in 2023.

The summit, originally scheduled to take place in Libya, focuses on the key aspects of bilateral relations and the issues that carry the most weight in the balance of power: the framework for security agreements with Russian contractors, the push to strengthen still fragile economic ties, and diplomatic manoeuvring regarding the continent as a political bloc within the UN, starting with the stance on the war in Ukraine and the urgent need to counterbalance ‘Western pressures’ in the interpretation of the conflict. The very same powers that were accused in 2023 of having interfered with the summit and reduced the number of guest leaders compared to the record turnout of 43 heads of state and government present in Sochi. Africa is a key player ‘in a changing world’, Putin declared, framing it within the ‘multipolar world’ and calling for it to play a different role amongst global institutions such as the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank.

“The White House is bowing to the will of Vladimir Putin and is betraying the Ukrainians who are fighting for their freedom and democracy, abandoning them to their fate.” This was stated by former President Barack Obama during a rally in Atlanta, Georgia. “There you have it! They chose to wage a war that was completely unnecessary,” he added, referring to the conflict with Iran, “and they decided to impose tariffs. That is why prices are rising and that is why the cost of petrol is so high. You’d think that, at the very least, in the face of all this, the current president would have pushed through some measures to bring prices down,” concluded Obama, referring to Donald Trump.

Estonia plans to build around 150 bunkers on the border with Russia, as part of efforts to strengthen its defence readiness. This was stated to journalists by the Estonian Defence Minister Martin Herem. According to reports by the Estonian broadcaster ERR, Herem stated that the bunkers will be built in the Ida-Virumaa region, on the border with Russia, with around 100 on state-owned land and around 50 on private or municipal land. He did not provide details on the intended use of the bunkers. These latest measures come against the backdrop of ongoing Russian threats to NATO’s eastern flank. In response to escalating Russian aggression in the region, the Baltic states have placed a strong emphasis on strategic readiness in recent years, encouraging civilian preparedness and increasing defence spending. NATO officials have sounded the alarm over Russian drone incursions, airspace violations, acts of sabotage and other hybrid threats, whilst countries in the region have strengthened their air defences.

Last night, air defence forces intercepted and shot down 1,214 Ukrainian fixed-wing drones in the territories of the Bryansk, Belgorod, Kursk, Kaluga, Tula, Smolensk, Lipetsk, Voronezh, Tver, Oryol, Ryazan, Vladimir, Samara, Saratov, Penza, Rostov, Moscow, Bashkortostan and Udmurtia. The Russian Ministry of Defence reported this on its Telegram channel. The Mayor of Moscow, Sergei Sobyanin, stated that over 600 drones were launched towards the capital region on the second day of the Russia-Africa summit currently taking place in the city. ‘From 20:30 on 28 October to 07:00 on 29 October, 613 drones were directed towards the Moscow region. Most were neutralised at a great distance by the Ministry of Defence’s air defence systems,” Sobyanin explained on his Telegram channel, adding that a further 231 were destroyed in the vicinity of Moscow.

“The St Petersburg branch of the Russian Investigative Committee is investigating two cases involving two underage girls who, after using a dating bot, were tricked into carrying out illegal activities” This was reported by TASS, citing spokesperson Svetlana Petrenko, who referred to a bot on Telegram. Last September, according to Moscow, one of the girls set fire to a petrol station whilst the other doused several police vehicles with flammable liquid and set them alight. Both girls are reportedly now under house arrest.