News about Russia

Overnight on October 17, Ukraine launched one of the largest drone attacks on Russia this year, targeting an oil facility despite a request from US President Donald Trump to stop hitting Russian energy infrastructure. Russia's Defense Ministry said it shot down 1,015 Ukrainian drones overnight into October 18, and that the St. Petersburg oil port, an Ozon logistics center and a VKontakte data center were among the targets. Trump criticized Zelensky for not wanting to end the war, while Zelensky said US siding with Russia would be a 'historic mistake' and noted that US intelligence sharing had been paused for three days. Trump also lifted sanctions on Russian diesel imports, and Zelensky said Russia had attacked Ukrainian energy sites 76 times since the energy ceasefire was announced.

Asian shares were mixed on Monday as tech stock volatility persisted, with South Korea's Kospi up 1.8% to 5,768.01 but still more than 17% below its June peak above 9,000. Japan's Nikkei 225 lost 0.6%, while China's Shanghai Composite rose 0.4% after the economy grew 4.5% in the July-September quarter. Indonesia's index fell over 5% at one point after MSCI warned it could downgrade the country's emerging market status. Oil fell more than 2% after President Donald Trump waived sweeping sanctions on Russia, including energy, likely allowing more Russian energy exports. Brent crude dropped 2.5% to $107.16 a barrel.

Asian shares were mixed Monday as volatility in technology stocks persisted, while U.S. futures edged higher ahead of another busy earnings week. South Korea's Kospi rose 1.1% to 5,729.58 but remains more than 18% lower over the past month and far below the 9,000 level it crossed at its June peak, while Japan's Nikkei slipped 0.8% and Indonesia's index plunged 5% to its lowest since 2020 after MSCI flagged a possible downgrade from emerging-market status. Oil fell more than 1% after Trump waived sweeping Russia sanctions, with Brent down 1.8% to $107.86 a barrel. Wall Street had closed lower Friday, with the S&P 500 down 1.1% and the Nasdaq sinking 2.1%. Oil remains elevated compared with levels before the Iran war, with Middle East supply risks still adding upward pressure.

Asian shares were mixed on Monday as volatility in technology stocks persisted, while U.S. equity futures edged higher. Oil fell more than 1% after President Donald Trump waived sweeping sanctions on Russia, including on Russian energy, with Brent down 1.8% to $107.86 per barrel. South Korea's Kospi rose 1.1% to 5,729.58 but is down more than 18% over the past month, while Japan's Nikkei 225 lost 0.8% to 64,799.03. Indonesia's stock index fell another 5% to its lowest since 2020, after plunging over 11% on Friday following an MSCI warning about a possible downgrade. Tech shares have been sold off recently over concerns about the sustainability of the AI boom, and on Friday the S&P 500 fell 1.1% and the Nasdaq sank 2.1%.

US President Donald Trump defended his decision to waive some sanctions on Russia and said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is not sincere about ending the war. Trump suspended a new Russia sanctions law by executive order and temporarily waived sanctions on Russian diesel, allowing large volumes of Russian oil into global markets before the November 3 election. He accused Zelensky of targeting Russian diesel refineries, which hurts the global diesel market including the US, while polls suggest Trump's Republican Party risks heavy losses over soaring fuel prices. Zelensky said he felt betrayed by Trump after Ukraine launched a drone attack on an oil depot in St. Petersburg in the early hours of October 18, despite Trump's request to stop hitting Russian energy facilities. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Zelensky has no desire for a peace deal.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree ordering the compulsory seizure of assets belonging to five Western companies: Tarkett (France), Kappa Rus, Ontex RU, Eviosys Packaging Kuban and Menshen Packaging CIS. The assets have been placed under temporary management by Centre Capital, and all five companies continue operating in Russia, with combined annual revenue above 50 billion rubles (593.8 million USD). This follows a similar series of moves in September, when assets of Nestlé, Metro, Auchan and Leroy Merlin were placed under temporary management. Western governments call the seizures illegal expropriation; affected companies could seek compensation through international arbitration under bilateral investment treaties, but enforcing a ruling against the Kremlin is nearly impossible.

President Donald Trump struck a deal with Vladimir Putin for a fresh supply of Russian diesel to lower US fuel costs, but prices barely moved and the move drew a furious backlash from both parties. The announcement on October 9 came alongside a waiver relieving Russia from a new round of sanctions under a bill Trump had recently signed into law. Russian envoy Kirill Dmitriev said on October 16 that the US and Russia will soon announce an agreement on data center infrastructure, adding to political pressure on Republicans as data centers that have spread into suburban and rural areas draw anger over energy and water use ahead of the 2026 midterms. Time reminded Trump in a September 28 interview that 71% of Americans oppose building data centers and 57% say AI will do more harm than good. Trump defended data centers, saying they would lower taxes, while adding that he did not want them right next to his house.

According to the Wall Street Journal, citing a former Russian intelligence officer, Vladimir Putin reportedly proposed a summit with Donald Trump and Xi Jinping to end the Ukraine war, without Zelenskyy and unconfirmed. The report comes as European allies and some Republicans voice alarm over the U.S. temporarily lifting sanctions on Russian diesel exports, which Zelenskyy said seems wrong. Trump's “energy ceasefire” announced on October 11 did not stop Moscow's strikes on Ukraine's infrastructure, and Ukraine paused its strikes for three days before resuming them. Kyiv also accused Washington of restricting Starshield, the military-grade version of Starlink, cutting connectivity for fast platforms such as interceptor drones; Trump denied the White House ordered this, while Elon Musk said Starshield is controlled by the U.S. government.

Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak warned that Europe will struggle to fully make up for lost gas supply if it keeps cutting Russian volumes, amid instability in the Strait of Hormuz and disrupted production at a Qatari LNG facility that halted after attacks in March. He said the EU's LNG import ban, effective January 1, 2027, makes little sense while supply is tight, and that European consumers would bear the consequences. Novak estimated European gas reserves are about 10% below the average of previous years, and Reuters forecasts storage will reach only about 75–78% of capacity by November, well below the five-year average. Still, Russia supplied about 12 million tonnes of LNG to Europe in the first nine months of 2026, higher than a year earlier, as European buyers rush to purchase and stockpile before the ban. The EU has adopted a roadmap to end Russian gas imports, banning long-term LNG contracts from January 1, 2027 and phasing out pipeline gas during 2027.

Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said Russia expects to deliver 39 billion cubic meters of gas to China via the Power of Siberia pipeline this year, more than the main contract, and the two sides agreed to raise supply to 44 billion cubic meters. He said the first Russian oil tanker bound for world markets, linked to a diesel-related deal with the US, had left the Arctic port of Dikson, and that Moscow faces no problems selling oil. Novak said the market is short 4-6 million barrels per day, keeping prices high and potentially pushing them higher if the Strait of Hormuz situation does not improve. He added that if Persian Gulf supply resumes, the market could rebalance within one to one-and-a-half years, while strategic oil reserves are nearly exhausted.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the United States has resumed sharing key intelligence after a pause, which helps Ukraine defend against Russian ballistic missile attacks. On October 14, he said the Trump administration had warned that sharing could be suspended unless Ukraine stopped attacking Russian oil refineries. In an interview with NBC's Meet the Press on October 18, Zelensky said everything was now working normally and he hoped talks with the US could take place this week. President Trump said Washington would keep sharing intelligence, even though Ukrainian officials said some Russian strikes came without warning. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov called Ukraine's long-range strikes, including the night-of-October-17 attack on St. Petersburg, desperate efforts that would not change the outcome.

Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Magyar expects U.S. President Donald Trump to keep extending Budapest's exemption from U.S. sanctions on Russian energy, after Trump eased curbs on Russian diesel exports to lower fuel prices before the Nov. 3 midterm elections. The deal drew criticism in the EU, with Italian PM Giorgia Meloni calling it a ‘very risky’ gamble, while Bulgarian PM Rumen Radev backed it. Moscow pledged 300,000 tons of diesel immediately and another 500,000 tons next month. Hungary, which relies on Russia for about 90% of its crude oil according to S&P Global data for 2025, is exempt until November, and Magyar argued that not extending the exemption for at least another year would be unreasonable. Ukraine opposed the deal, with President Zelensky calling it ‘weak’.

Germany’s Merkur, in an article dated October 12, called Russia’s Kh-BD cruise missile a “range monster,” with an estimated range of up to 6,500 km, and Russian outlet ABN24 picked up the report on October 15. The missile is believed to be developed for the Tu-95MS and Tu-160M strategic bombers, allowing strikes from far away without the aircraft needing to approach enemy airspace. According to Defense Express, leaked Russian procurement documents show an order of 32 missiles in two batches of 16, at about USD 4.5 million each, for a total of around USD 144 million. If the estimated range is achieved, bombers could launch from areas far from US air defenses, putting some targets on US territory within potential reach. Still, long range does not mean the ability to penetrate every defense system.

According to The New York Times, the US plan for Ukraine peace calls on Europe to buy more Russian gas, while Ukraine may consider reopening pipelines that once carried gas to the EU. The proposal is tied to broader issues, including Russia–NATO relations, security guarantees for Ukraine and territorial questions. Russian gas transit through Ukraine was halted in January 2025, leaving TurkStream as the only remaining pipeline route to the EU. Russia's share of EU gas imports fell from about 45% before 2022 to around 12% in 2025, yet the EU bought 36 billion m3 of Russian gas last year, including LNG estimated at €7.2 billion. The EU has begun phasing out some Russian pipeline contracts and plans to ban Russian LNG from January 2027 and pipeline gas from September, aiming for full elimination by the end of 2027.

On October 9, Trump reached a diesel deal with Russian President Putin, aimed at easing fuel prices for American consumers and possibly softening Russia's stance in peace talks. The deal followed weeks of Trump pressing Ukraine to stop attacking Russian refineries, which strained his relationship with President Zelensky. The US warned that continued strikes could lead to suspension of intelligence sharing and the NATO-managed PURL weapons mechanism, while Ukrainian drones in many cases could not operate above 160 km/h because of Starshield disruptions. US envoys also proposed releasing part of the 300 billion euros of Russian sovereign assets held at Euroclear, a plan European backers of Ukraine flatly rejected. Zelensky then travelled to Brussels seeking EU support, but Ukraine's request for a bigger budget met opposition from the EU.

Turkish Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar said Turkey will buy part of the diesel Russia exports under a deal between Moscow and U.S. President Donald Trump, but gave no volume, delivery timing or commercial terms. The deal has drawn opposition from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, some European officials and Republican lawmakers, who fear it will help Russia recover energy revenue while the Russia-Ukraine conflict continues. Turkey relies heavily on energy imports and aims to boost output at the Black Sea Sakarya field, where the first floating production unit, Osman Gazi, was brought to the Black Sea on 17 October and is expected to raise output from about 9.5 million m³ to 20 million m³ per day. A second, larger unit is planned for Q1 2028, adding about 25 million m³ per day and lifting Sakarya output to 45 million m³ per day, or about 16.4 billion m³ a year, enough to meet the needs of about 3/4 of households. Turkey consumed about 59 billion m³ of gas last year but produced only 3.1 billion m³ domestically, roughly 5% of demand.

Former national security adviser John Bolton told Times Radio that Trump does not understand what is at stake in Ukraine and is focused on domestic American politics rather than geopolitics. He said Republicans face a referendum on the administration amid inflation and high diesel and gasoline prices, and that Trump's Russia deal is mainly about announcement, giving Putin leverage to call in later. Bolton also argued Trump is easily manipulated, saying Putin sees him as an easy mark. The article notes that Bolton, who was investigated and indicted on 18 counts by the Trump administration's Justice Department, pleaded guilty to one count of inappropriately sharing classified information.

Billionaire Sir Richard Branson, founder of Virgin Group, used a LinkedIn post on Oct. 18 to criticize Trump's Russia policy, arguing that easing energy sanctions on Moscow and restricting technical support to Kyiv compromise Western security. He objected to a commercial diesel deal with Russia, which he said injects revenue into Moscow's budget during active fighting, and to limits on Ukrainian forces, including delayed missile warnings and throttling of Starshield. Branson urged European leaders to provide decisive military and financial support to Ukraine, including using frozen Russian assets and delivering Germany's Taurus missiles. The appeal comes as EU leaders asked the European Commission to draft proposals to cover Ukraine's projected €70 billion ($79 billion) shortfall for 2027, potentially using proceeds from roughly €210 billion in immobilized Russian sovereign assets.

Federal authorities raided the Washington-area home of Rep. Ilhan Omar as part of an ongoing investigation that the Justice Department said concerns alleged immigration fraud, and Democrats condemned the move as an abuse of power. Ukraine said it was done supporting an energy-target ceasefire that Trump announced and Russia ignored, struck a Russian oil refinery, and saw SpaceX limit Starlink services in the country. White House press secretary Katie Zacharia was let go after five days on the job, after drawing scrutiny for misrepresenting herself as a lawyer, and Ambassador to Greece Kimberly Guilfoyle was asked to resign over reports she sold access to officials. Consumer prices rose 0.6% in September from August and 3.7% from a year earlier, as paychecks failed to keep pace with prices for a third straight month. Other stories included a 16-year-old shooter who killed four people, including three children, at an elementary school in Bend, Oregon, and Pope Leo XIV's diagnosis of lung cancer after surgery.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has asked European partners for at least 70 billion euros more for 2027 to fund defense, equipment and resilience, on top of a 90 billion euro loan already agreed for 2026-2027, and estimated the 2027 war will cost 155 billion euros. The EU has planned about 45 billion euros for 2027, and the European Commission acknowledged a funding gap but has not decided how to raise the extra money. Options including new loans, market borrowing backed by the common budget, frozen Russian assets or third-country contributions all face legal, political or burden-sharing obstacles. Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš said Czechia will not guarantee the funds, while Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson called a nearly 60% rise in Sweden's net EU budget contribution “completely unacceptable” and said a small group of countries cannot keep carrying a growing burden.

The author argues that President Donald Trump blamed Joe Biden for high prices at an Oct. 14 Arizona rally, while Trump's policies over two years in office created a massive inflation bubble. The piece notes that Trump made his claim that tariffs don't cause inflation hours after new federal data showed inflation rising again, driven largely by gasoline. It also criticizes Trump's deal relaxing sanctions on Russian diesel, which drew bipartisan calls for reversal, doubts from economists about lower prices, and pushback from Ukraine and GOP allies, with Vladimir Putin possibly the only clear beneficiary. The author says Democrats have not offered a clear way forward, so they do not yet earn the author's vote.

On October 15 in Brussels, ahead of an EU summit, Latvian Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs urged Europeans to help Ukraine by giving up a small expense, comparing the cost of aid to drinking one less beer per year. He said Ukraine needs the money now, as this winter is decisive, and framed aid as a shared European interest rather than a personal financial inconvenience. He also called for tougher sanctions against Russia. Earlier in October, Latvia approved humanitarian aid including medical equipment and ambulances, and its Economy Ministry plans to use remaining funds to buy 12 more diesel generators for Ukraine. Meanwhile, EU leaders are discussing Ukraine’s financial needs for 2027 amid disagreements over the joint budget, high energy prices and resource allocation, and the article notes that such contributions alone will not resolve Ukraine’s financial gap.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said President Donald Trump will take up to 60 days to assess the economic impact of sanctions and tariffs on Russia, amid the Ukraine conflict and the war with Iran, which have disrupted global energy supply and pushed fuel prices higher. On October 16, Trump signed an order suspending key measures under the Graham Act, but on October 17 he said no final decision had been made, and the order did not specify how long the suspension would last. The measures include tariffs on Russian goods and sanctions on countries buying Russian oil and gas, and also tariffs on goods from countries that import Russian energy, including India. Trump also said Russia would initially supply more than 300,000 tons of diesel to the U.S., while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned the move could embolden Vladimir Putin and prolong the war.

Trump has blocked numerous Russia sanctions two days before they were due to take effect, deepening his row with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. The sanctions were passed by Congress and signed into law by Trump in September, but his executive order on Friday night said suspending some was in the US 'national interest', drawing backlash from US lawmakers. Ties with Kyiv have frayed after the US struck a controversial deal to import Russian diesel, and Ukraine accused the administration of withdrawing key military support. The law gave Trump power to levy tariffs of up to 100% on the top five buyers of Russian oil and gas, mainly China and India, and targeted Putin, Russian banks and the 'shadow fleet', but many of these provisions are now waived. Democrats including Virginia Congressman Don Beyer accused Trump of capitulating to Moscow and betraying Ukraine.

According to The New York Times, US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner urged Ukraine and European allies to consider resuming Russian gas transit through Ukrainian pipelines as an economic element of a peace settlement. The idea faces firm opposition in Europe, especially Germany, where officials argue that reliance on Russian hydrocarbons undermines energy security. Washington argues that restored flows would give the Kremlin a commercial incentive to halt military operations and bring transit revenue for Ukraine's reconstruction, and some officials suggest the US could seek a share of the proceeds. The White House confirmed its proposals include economic incentives for both sides and denied actively discussing a revival of Nord Stream 2, though one source called restarting intact segments the “simplest step”. In Germany, the AfD, polling near 30 percent, has campaigned for cheap Russian gas imports, while European officials warn restored flows would undermine sanctions and generate billions for Moscow's defense industry.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha says Russia has systematically stepped up targeted strikes on Ukraine's power grid, citing 76 attacks on energy infrastructure since US President Donald Trump announced an “energy ceasefire” a week ago. In the past seven days alone, Russia reportedly launched nearly 2,700 strike drones, 1,700 guided aerial bombs and 66 missiles, most of them high-speed ballistic missiles aimed at municipal utilities. Sybiha argues that easing sanctions or offering economic concessions would only give Moscow more revenue to fund its military operations ahead of winter, and he urges partners to increase pressure. His remarks came amid disputes over Trump's October 16 executive order waiving mandatory Russia sanctions and the October 9 arrangement allowing Russian refined diesel exports under a US Treasury general license.

Zelensky said Russia has carried out 76 targeted strikes on Ukraine's power grid and oil-and-gas infrastructure since Trump announced an “energy ceasefire” one week ago. Overnight strikes hit substations in Odesa, Khmelnytskyi, Vinnytsia and Zhytomyr, leaving tens of thousands of households without power, while two people were killed and 12 injured, including two children. Over the past week, Russia launched nearly 2,700 strike drones, 1,700 guided aerial bombs and 66 missiles, mostly ballistic, with energy as the main target. Zelensky argued that Moscow sees sanctions relief and US waivers as proof its war strategy is paying off, and called for more pressure on Russia so that peace has a chance.

Two Romanian F-16 fighters on air-defense duty shot down two unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) on October 17, minutes apart, over waters within Romanian territory. Radar had detected the group about 120 km east of Zmiiniy Island, flying southwest. The Romanian Ministry of Defence did not disclose the identity or type of the drones, but the article says their trajectory, passing about 65 km from Crimea’s coast and 140 km from the Ukrainian-controlled coast, indicates they originated from Russia. Romania is proposing a joint NATO Black Sea military command to counter UAVs, with member states rotating leadership, and says it is ready to lead the command from 2028.

The Russian tank industry has entered a new phase, with customers increasingly demanding production technology rather than finished vehicles, according to Uralvagonzavod (UVZ) CEO Alexander Potapov. UVZ is willing to support this trend despite concerns that customers could eventually become competitors, especially India's localization demands under 'Make in India' and similar interest from Arab buyers. Because traditional markets have shrunk considerably, UVZ is turning to Africa and Southeast Asia, while continuing negotiations and improving after-sales service. UVZ tanks have been exported to dozens of countries, with India being the most prominent customer, operating about 1,000 T-72M1 and T-90S tanks.