Russia
Putin seizes five European firms in ongoing hostile asset crackdown
The decree covers a flooring manufacturer, a paper packaging firm, a hygiene products maker, and two metal- and plastic-packaging companies, all of which continued operating in Russia after the all-out invasion of Ukraine in early 2022.
Ukraine
Ukraine’s Operation Vivaldi foils Russia’s plan to encircle the Donbas
Ukraine’s counter-offensive on the Lyman axis collapsed the northern arm of a Russian pincer movement aimed at surrounding Ukrainian-held Donetsk, liberating up to 176 square kilometres and forcing Russian units onto the defensive, the Washington-based think tank said.
Ukraine
South Korea recalls ambassador to Ukraine in North Korean prisoner row
Seoul said Kyiv's public disclosure of the repatriation of two North Korean prisoners endangered their families in North Korea, where relatives of those who fall into enemy hands face punishment. Ukraine has rejected South Korea's accusations.
Business
UniCredit gets Putin’s approval to sell part of its Russian business
The Italian bank plans to keep its international payments business while selling its other Russian operations. The approval contrasts with Moscow’s recent moves to place several Western companies’ local assets under temporary management.
Russia
Russia expels Hungarian diplomats as Budapest breaks with Orbán era
Moscow ordered Hungarian embassy and consulate staff out just weeks after Budapest expelled 10 Russian diplomats on national security grounds in September, the first such move by Hungary since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Ukraine
Ukraine's city of Oleshky faces starvation as Russia blocks all aid
Russia is shooting down food deliveries, confiscating supplies that reach the ground and blocking evacuation of some 2,000 residents still trapped in the occupied Kherson town, where the Council of Europe warns civilians face "a high risk of death" with no food, medicine, water or electricity.
Russia
Russia lost nearly half its schools — war propaganda fills the rest
Closures driven by per-pupil funding that made smaller rural schools unviable far outpaced demographic decline. Since 2022, all remaining schools hold mandatory weekly classes on Russian "traditional values" and the Kremlin's version of events surrounding Russia's war in Ukraine.
Russia
Russians go to polls with no party against Putin or war in Ukraine
The three-day vote will fill 450 Duma seats and 11 regional governorships, with only parties backing Putin and Russia's ongoing war in Ukraine on the ballot. Despite official denials of a new draft, fears of mobilisation are overshadowing the vote.
Europe News
Zelenskyy says war is likely to drag on into winter after US talks
Following talks in Kyiv with US envoys, Zelenskyy said, "We very much hope that we will be able to reach agreements with our American partners, and we are counting on the support of our European partners if the war continues in winter -- and this is how it appears at the moment."
Russia
Utility bill hike pushes Russia's inflation further off target
The October increase follows a January rise and is the first double tariff hike in four years. The central bank warned it would push annual inflation further above its 4% target in an economy already squeezed by the costs of its war, sanctions and a 21% key interest rate.
Stay informed on the latest developments, key events, and analysis of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which began on February 24, 2022. Get updates on the geopolitical impact, military strategies, and ongoing humanitarian crisis.