Ukraine: EU plan for a 90 billion loan: Canada to contribute 500 million. Operation in Oleshky concluded

The Russian Commissioner for Human Rights, Yana Lantratova, has announced that the humanitarian mission in Oleshky, in the Kherson Oblast, has been completed. “We are wrapping up our humanitarian mission in Oleshky,” said Lantratova, as reported by the Tass news agency.

Confirmation has also come from the Ukrainian side. “At this stage, those who wished to leave Oleshky have had the opportunity to do so and are now on their way to Ukraine. Humanitarian aid has been delivered. The convoys have split up and I am now returning to Ukraine. The ceasefire has been in force for 87 hours. No violations have been recorded. I would like to thank the Ukrainian Defence Forces for making this humanitarian mission possible.” Dmytro Lubinets, the Ukrainian Parliament’s Commissioner for Human Rights, wrote this on X. “Our work continues in accordance with the agreements reached with the Russian Commissioner for Human Rights, Yana Lantratova, with the support and coordination of the United States,” he added.

The convoys carrying people evacuated from Oleshky, in the Kherson region, will set off for Russia and Ukraine, announced the Russian Commissioner for Human Rights, Yana Lantratova. “Both sides have demonstrated a high level of organisation. Thanks to our military, who have ensured all this: a huge convoy (of vehicles), 25 coaches, 9 ambulances, and coaches for bedridden patients,” said Lantratova in a video statement released during a stopover by the convoy in Armjansk, Crimea. “The convoy carrying those heading for Ukraine will go there, and the convoy carrying those heading for the Russian Federation will go to Russia. We are escorting people to temporary reception centres,” said the Human Rights Commissioner, also thanking the First Lady of the United States, Melania Trump.

Russia has begun the process of agreeing with the United States on the dates for trilateral talks on resolving the conflict in Ukraine in Abu Dhabi, Yury Ushakov, a Kremlin adviser, said today.

“We have begun working to agree with the Americans on the dates for the trilateral talks between Russia, Ukraine and the United States in Abu Dhabi,” Mr Ushakov said.

The European Commission has taken a further step towards implementing the €90 billion loan to support Ukraine, which will provide the country with essential budgetary support and defence equipment during 2026 and 2027. The package adopted today includes a proposal for the Council to approve the remaining tranche of the loan, amounting to €45 billion, earmarked for 2027. This is according to a statement from the Commission. “With today’s proposal, we are providing Ukraine with the predictability it so badly needs and helping to maintain essential public services. Strengthening support for Ukraine is one of the top priorities on the agenda in Montreal. Together with our allies, we must also do everything possible to put pressure on Russia to end its barbaric war of aggression,” said President Ursula von der Leyen.

Residents evacuated from Oleshky, the town under Russian occupation in southern Ukraine, have set off for Russia, from where they will take a flight to Belarus and then a coach to return to Ukraine. This was announced by Ukrainian MP David Arakhamia on Telegram, as reported by Ukrainska Pravda. “The Ukrainian delegation, accompanied by the residents evacuated from Oleshky, has set off for Anapa (in southern Russia, ed.). From there, they will fly to Belarus, then return home by bus,” wrote the MP, without specifying the number of evacuees. The route had been agreed between the parties to prevent civilians from having to cross the front line.

The United States, as the host country of a G20 meeting in Atlanta, decided not to hold the traditional ‘family photo’ after several officials attending the event refused to be photographed alongside the Russian Foreign Minister, Sergey Lavrov.

Although this is a purely ceremonial moment with no particular substantive significance, the photograph represents a ritual typical of such meetings, designed to demonstrate unity amongst world leaders. The refusal by Germany and other nations was a clear sign of the divisions that have emerged between the United States and its allies, following President Donald Trump’s decision to seek a rapprochement with Russia in an attempt to end the war in Ukraine.

Ukrainian attacks on Russian refineries do not jeopardise the holding of trilateral talks on Ukraine, said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.

“No,” replied Peskov when asked whether such attacks might call into question the launch of a new round of talks aimed at resolving the conflict in Ukraine.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will visit Turkey tomorrow following an invitation from the Turkish Head of State, Recep Tayyip Erdogan. “During the meetings to be held in Istanbul, regional and international developments will be discussed – with particular focus on the war between Russia and Ukraine and the security situation in the Black Sea – as well as initiatives to be undertaken to further strengthen bilateral cooperation between Turkey and Ukraine”, according to a statement from Erdogan’s office regarding the visit.

European involvement may be necessary at a certain stage of the negotiations on Ukraine, but no one has yet discussed this in specific terms, said Russian presidential spokesperson Dmitry Peskov. “The talks will take place in a trilateral format. At some point, yes, European involvement will be necessary, but no one has yet discussed this in specific terms,” Peskov said in a comment to the broadcaster Vesti. In a recent meeting with US Presidential Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, Russian President Vladimir Putin confirmed Moscow’s willingness to resume trilateral talks on Ukraine, which could take place in Abu Dhabi around 10 November.

The Ukrainian Defence Forces have struck an Iskander-M missile system launcher in the Kursk region of Russia, according to the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

Russian army ammunition depots in the towns of Maloyanysol (Donetsk region), Novoiehorivka (Kharkiv region) and Hanusivka (Luhansk region) were also targeted.

The Sports Arbitration Tribunal (TAS) has upheld an appeal by the Russian Ice Hockey Federation (RIHF) against the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF), ordering the latter to allow Russian teams to take part in events during the 2026–27 season, including the following competitions: World Junior Championships, Canada, 26 December 2026–5 January 2027; Women’s Under-18 World Championships, Czech Republic, 8–16 January 2027; Men’s Under-18 World Championships, United States, 22 April–2 May 2027; Men’s World Championship, Germany, 14–30 May 2027; Women’s World Championship, Canada, November 2027. The appeal followed the IIHF’s decision last January not to reinstate the Russian teams “on security grounds”, a decision reaffirmed in June. The CAS arbitration panel ruled “unanimously” that the arguments put forward by the IIHF – relating to security, public order and other concerns – were not supported by sufficient evidence, according to a statement.

The CAS, however, dismissed two appeals lodged by the Russian Curling Federation and by Russian athletes against two decisions by World Curling: the lifting of the ban on Russian junior athletes (whilst maintaining the ban on other Russian teams) and the confirmation of Russia’s exclusion from World Curling’s senior competitions until the end of 2026.

“The Russian government is systematically, with great determination and great brutality, preventing the free flow of information in Russia.” This was stated by a spokesperson for the German Foreign Ministry, commenting on reports of the closure of Novaya Gazeta.

“Ultimately, the aim is to conceal the consequences of the war in Ukraine, even within Russia itself,” he added. “It is two sides of the same coin: on the one hand, state propaganda and disinformation abroad; on the other, a lack of information within the country,” said the spokesperson, emphasising that “this is a pattern we have seen since the start of the war, and in fact long before that”. The ministry representative then outlined Berlin’s support for independent Russian-language journalism. “There are a number of foreign media outlets providing information about Russia in Russian. Some are based in the European Union, others in countries neighbouring Russia. There is cooperation in various areas,” he explained. The spokesperson chose not to go into the details of this cooperation, noting that “naturally, the Russian government does not want this independent information”. “We, including within the framework of European cooperation, together with France and as the European Union, are doing everything we can to support independent news aimed at citizens of the Russian Federation, under the circumstances you are aware of,” he stated. “It is not easy, but we are taking action,” he concluded.

“I am fully aware that our support for Ukraine may come at a political cost, and that there may even be a section of our electorate that disagrees, but I do not intend to change my position.” This is stated by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni in Bruno Vespa’s book *History of the Second Republic. From Berlusconi to Meloni, from Prodi to Schlein’, to be published on Monday 2 November by Mondadori-Rai Libri. “Because I do not support Ukraine simply for the sake of the Ukrainians,” argues the Prime Minister in an extract from the book, a preview of which has been published. “ ‘I do so for Italia’s sake. An international context in which only the law of the militarily strongest prevails is not in our nation’s interests. This is not a political opinion; it is a fact.’

The date for the trilateral talks between Russia, the United States and Ukraine has not yet been set, said Russian presidential adviser Yuri Ushakov in response to a question on the matter from the Interfax news agency. “Not yet,” said Ushakov.

The humanitarian evacuation in Oleshky has begun. This was announced by the Russian and Ukrainian human rights commissioners, as reported by the two countries’ news agencies. According to the Ukrainian Prime Minister, Sergii Koretskyi, 527 residents of the town – which is currently under Russian occupation – are expected to return to Ukrainian territory.

The Ukrainian national electricity grid operator, Ukrenergo, reported power cuts this morning in Kyiv and in the Kyiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Kharkiv and Zaporizhzhia regions “due to the shelling of energy infrastructure over the past few days”. Russia continued its attacks on Ukrainian energy facilities yesterday and overnight, the operator added on Telegram.

“Where safety conditions allow, repair and restoration work has already begun,” said Ukrenergo, assuring that its teams are doing “everything possible to restore electricity as quickly as possible for all affected customers”.

A Russian delegation, led by Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, has arrived in Atlanta, in the United States, for the G20 foreign ministers’ meeting. This was reported by the TASS news agency, which stated that the Russian delegation’s flight from Moscow to Atlanta avoided the airspace of countries deemed ‘hostile’, taking a total of 20 hours and 10 minutes. The meeting between the top diplomats, scheduled for today and tomorrow in the US city, is a key event in the run-up to the G20 leaders’ summit, which will take place in Miami on 14 and 15 December.

The authorities have prepared 25 buses with a total capacity of 750 seats to evacuate residents who have chosen to leave the Russian-occupied Ukrainian town of Oleshky, the Kyiv Ombudsman for Human Rights said on Friday.

In a statement, Dmytro Lubinets said that residents who remained would be able to leave safely and stressed the importance of upholding the six-day ceasefire brokered by the United States.

The Ukrainian armed forces have launched a drone attack on civilian infrastructure in the Russian region of Samara, according to the governor, Vyacheslav Fedorishchev, who was also quoted by Interfax. Telegram channels – both those linked to the Russian military and independent, openly opposition-aligned ones – cited by the Moscow Times and Ukrainian media, claim that the target was the Novokuibyshevsk oil refinery – which would contradict a WSJ article, see post at 7:17 – which produces fuel for military aircraft. This detail has not yet been confirmed by official sources. The Novokuibyshevsk refinery, with a production capacity of approximately 8.8 million tonnes of oil per year, has been part of the oil company Rosneft since 2007. The plant produces over 20–30 types of petroleum products, including Euro 5 petrol and diesel, bitumen and petroleum coke. As a result of the attack, flights at Samara Airport are experiencing widespread delays. (ANSA).

“At the same time as the eviction notice, they also deactivated the donation system that allowed us to receive contributions from our readers. In other words, they have deprived us of all our funds,” reads the statement, which further states: “This is a coordinated action. The banks’ excuse – that they are acting in accordance with internal company regulations – will not convince anyone. These are external rules, established by the state’s repressive apparatus, by FSB officers who have infiltrated every organisation. They regard the country as their own property.”

In early September, the Moscow-based publication was added to the register of “foreign agents”.

Russian President Vladimir Putin is ready to hold a telephone conversation with both French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. This was stated by Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov.

“He will also answer the phone. He is open to dialogue with everyone,” said Peskov in a comment given to *Life* by journalist Alexander Yunashev, in response to a question about how the Kremlin would react if Macron or Merz were to ring.

In recent weeks, Pentagon officials have warned several NATO countries, primarily the Baltic states, that their statements regarding the alleged threat from Russia are detrimental to security in Europe. This was reported by TASS, citing Reuters, which stated that the United States had emphasised the need to tone down rhetoric during bilateral meetings with representatives from Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. It is not known whether such remarks were conveyed to the governments of other European countries, whilst the Pentagon has declined to comment, citing the confidential nature of the bilateral meetings.

A sapper and another person were killed during mine-clearing operations carried out to ensure the safe passage of a humanitarian mission in the town of Oleshki, in the Kherson region. This was reported by the Russian Human Rights Commissioner, Yana Lantratova. “A sapper died during mine-clearing operations, and another person also died,” said Lantratova, as quoted by TASS. In the town in the Kherson region, Lantratova met her Ukrainian counterpart, Dmytro Lubinets. Both sides confirmed that the ceasefire in place since 27 October has not been breached. This morning, a convoy of 25 buses and lorries loaded with humanitarian aid set off for the town of Oleshky in the Kherson region. The civilian population, which currently numbers around 1,000 people, will receive essential supplies, including food, hygiene products, medicines and fuel.

“Emergency power cuts” have been implemented in the Ukrainian city of Dnipro and neighbouring areas as a result of damage to infrastructure caused by Russian air raids in recent hours: this has been reported by Ukrainska Pravda, amongst others, citing the energy company Dtek and local authorities. Due to these problems with the electricity grid – which technicians are trying to resolve – the city is effectively at a standstill. “Unfortunately, Dnipro is facing another blackout… If possible, please stay at home, because, with the exception of buses, no electric public transport is operating: no trams, no trolleybuses, and no metro,” was the appeal made to residents this morning by Mayor Borys Filatov. Yesterday, an attack by a Russian jet-powered drone caused a massacre at Dnipro’s main station, striking a crowded platform where a train was about to depart, leaving at least 14 dead and ten injured.

Novaya Gazeta, a newspaper classified as a foreign agent by Moscow, has announced that it will cease operations in Russia from 9 November. “We have been destroyed. On 9 November, we will switch off the lights in our building, where we have been based for 30 years, shut down our servers and leave. The newspaper no longer exists. The Russian authorities and the Russian secret services have forced the editorial team to cease operations,” reads a statement on the newspaper’s website. The publication had already been subject to restrictions since 2022. Part of the editorial team had already left the country, continuing to work on the Novaya Gazeta – Europe project.

The Ukrainian Armed Forces have launched one of the largest attacks on Moscow since the start of the year. This was stated on social media by the mayor of the Russian capital, Sergei Sobyanin, who reported that 862 drones were directed towards the Moscow region during the night. Air defence forces neutralised some of them at a distance from the city, whilst another 170 were shot down as they approached the capital. The previous drone attack on Moscow had taken place the night before, when 613 drones were launched towards the city.

Commenting on yesterday’s attack by the Ukrainian armed forces, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov described Kyiv’s attempt to strike the city with drones during the Russia-Africa summit as “strange”.

One person has been killed in a fresh Russian attack on Kyiv, according to Ukrainian media reports. According to Ukrainska Pravda, the ballistic missile attack caused a fire in several warehouses, rocket fragments to fall into the courtyard of a residential complex, and damage to a house.

A worker at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station has died following a drone attack attributed to Ukrainian forces. This was announced by the plant’s press office.

“A welder at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station was killed in a drone attack carried out by Ukrainian troops,” the plant’s management said.

Overnight, the Russian armed forces carried out a massive attack on port infrastructure in the Ukrainian region of Odessa and on naval vessels used by the forces in Kyiv. The Russian Ministry of Defence made the announcement, also reporting air strikes against military industries and energy infrastructure in other regions of Ukraine.

“Overnight, the Russian Federation’s armed forces carried out a massive attack using ground-launched precision-guided weapons and drones,” the ministry said.

“The humanitarian convoy is setting off for Oleshky” in Ukraine. “It is being co-ordinated by First Lady Melania Trump and led by the Russian Commissioner for Human Rights, Yana Lantratova, and the Ukrainian Commissioner, Dmytro Lubinets”. This was posted on X by Kirill Dmitriev, an envoy of Russian President Vladimir Putin. “The humanitarian approach and the trilateral coordination between Russia, the US and Ukraine are working,” he added.

Ukraine has suspended its attacks on Russian oil refineries following weeks of pressure from US President Donald Trump. This has been reported by the Wall Street Journal. The pause, which is expected to last at least until the end of the mid-term elections, if not until the end of November, began last week.