Germany maintains its confidence in Ukraine following a major corruption scandal in the country's energy sector, according to German government spokesman Stefan Kornelius in comments to DW

"The federal government will now very closely monitor developments," Kornelius said on 12 November. "We are in the closest confidential contact with the President [of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy and continue to be at his side, especially in such situations. Now we will observe the development in this particular case. And, if necessary, we may have to take measures in this matter as well."

The spokesman was responding to questions about whether the scandal would lead Germany to tighten control over how Ukraine uses aid.

"At this moment we have confidence in the government of Ukraine that it will take care of resolving this issue itself, as well as in anti-corruption bodies - that they will solve this case and bring it to a logical conclusion," Kornelius emphasized.

He added that corruption is not on the agenda for German-Ukrainian intergovernmental consultations scheduled later this year, and its discussion is not planned.

Finland previously reported that the corruption scandal in Ukraine's government would not negatively impact the European Union's plans to provide financial assistance to Kyiv.

The National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) announced on 10 November an investigation into a large-scale corruption scheme at the National Nuclear Energy Generating Company "Energoatom," codenamed "Midas." Businessman Tymur Mindich, co-owner of Kvartal-95 and former partner of President Zelenskyy, was identified as the scheme's organizer. The prosecution stated that Mindich exerted influence on former Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko and former Defense Minister Rustem Umerov.

On the morning of 12 November, Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko announced that Halushchenko, now serving as Justice Minister, had been suspended following the NABU investigation.

Suspects in the case include a businessman described as the head of a criminal organization, a former advisor to Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko, the executive director for physical protection and security at Energoatom, and four individuals involved in the back office for money laundering. Former Deputy Prime Minister and ex-Minister of National Unity Oleksiy Chernyshov also received suspicion.

Two government members will be dismissed in the near future - Energy Minister Svitlana Hrynchuk and Justice Minister Herman Halushchenko.

Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha discussed the corruption scandal with international partners during a meeting in Canada with counterparts from France (Jean-Noël Barrot), Germany (Johann Wadephul), Italy (Antonio Tajani), and the EU (Kaja Kallas).

"I informed our partners about the situation on the battlefield, efforts to achieve peace and the fight against corruption. I confirmed that those involved in corruption schemes will be held accountable - this is the firm position of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and our government," Sybiha wrote on X following the talks.

Russian negotiators came to peace talks in Istanbul with detailed dossiers on every member of Ukraine's delegation and proposed creating WhatsApp groups to simulate progress rather than discuss substantive peace terms, according to Ukraine's Deputy Foreign Minister Sergiy Kyslytsya.

In an interview with The Times, Kyslytsya described three rounds of negotiations held on 16 May, 2 June, and 23 July in the Turkish city, where Russia's lead negotiator Vladimir Medinsky opened discussions with a lecture denying Ukraine's separate identity.

"He had the entire line-up of Ukrainian defence ministers, generals and diplomats, and still they deny your identity, your nationality," Kyslytsya said.

The Ukrainian delegation had anticipated this approach and agreed beforehand to avoid engaging with historical arguments, he explained.

"They know very well the background of every one of us and sometimes they do say provocative things and quite nasty," the diplomat told The Times. The tactic was designed to distract Ukrainian negotiators and create grounds to blame them for derailing talks.

Medinsky concluded his opening remarks by stating "we, the Russians are killing Russians," Kyslytsya recalled. The Ukrainian team let Russian negotiators speak as long as they wanted before attempting to move to their agenda.

Russian representatives repeatedly refused to discuss concrete proposals, instead offering to establish working groups and messaging channels that could create an illusion of diplomatic momentum, according to Kyslytsya.

"You have to put your arguments on the desk too, then the other side also puts their arguments on the desk. Then you try to figure out, where is the common ground? What is a grey zone? Where is the batch of the arguments that are totally unacceptable? We never reached that point," he said.

The only ceasefire proposal Russia's delegation would consider was a two-hour truce to collect bodies from battlefields. All other discussions of temporary cessations of hostilities were rejected.

Kyslytsya explained that Russian negotiators operated under rigid mandates from the Kremlin. "In a dictatorship, you can't have creative discussions with negotiation teams representing the dictator. They come with a very rigid mandate and they have to defend whatever positions they were given," he said. "So in the Russian system, you have to deal directly with the dictator."

The deputy foreign minister, who was appointed by President Zelenskyy to oversee Ukraine's peace process with Russia and Western allies, said talks aimed to deceive American officials into believing negotiations were progressing to avoid punitive measures.

Before the Trump administration imposed sanctions on Russian oil companies Rosneft and Lukoil on 22 October, Kyiv worked to demonstrate Russian deception to Washington. Kyslytsya said he had confronted Trump's negotiator Steve Witkoff about accepting Kremlin rhetoric at face value.

"I told him at one of the meetings, you know, Mr Witkoff, your problem is that you are too American. Americans, overall are very direct, they hear what you say and they say what you want heard. While the eastern European and Byzantine attitude is very ornate and very difficult, full of hints and references," Kyslytsya recounted. "Witkoff was really buying at face value what the Russians were telling him."

Kyslytsya was in the room when Trump met with Zelenskyy a week before the sanctions announcement and had lobbied Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on economic cooperation, including proposals to use Ukraine's underground gas storage network for American liquefied natural gas destined for Europe.

The Istanbul talks have since been abandoned. Kyslytsya said Ukraine's focus has shifted to pressuring international partners to force Putin into direct negotiations with Zelenskyy.

Over 20,000 customers in Belgorod and the surrounding oblast lost electricity on the evening of 8 November, following reports of missile danger, according to Russian governor Vyacheslav Gladkov.

The Belgorod Oblast declared a missile alert at approximately 6:10 pm, which was lifted at 6:23 pm. Gladkov claimed air defense systems were activated over the region and that "targets were shot down," with no reported casualties.

In Belgorod itself, several garages caught fire, Gladkov said. Power outages affected multiple streets in the city. The village of Dubove in Belgorod district was also partially left without electricity.

"Emergency services are working on site to restore power supply," the governor said.

The Telegram channel ASTRA reports that the "Luch" thermal power plant in Belgorod likely came under attack.

Earlier on 8 November, Russian authorities reported a strike on energy infrastructure in Volgograd Oblast, which left four districts without power.

Meanwhile, Kyiv has been experiencing its own power outages, with the Ukrainian capital facing electricity supply disruptions.

Ukrainian gallery Voloshyn Gallery made its debut at Art Basel Paris on 22 October, partnering with Parisian La Galerie Poggi to showcase contemporary Ukrainian artist Nikita Kadan's works at the Grand Palais exhibition center, according to a report by Texty.org.ua.

The exhibition features eight canvases and two installations, with prices starting at €3,500 for charcoal drawings. The centerpiece, a 300 by 385 centimeter canvas titled "Shchekavytsia," is priced at €120,000.

Jerome Poggi, founder and director of La Galerie Poggi, explained that Kadan presents war differently from what most Europeans encounter through press imagery or evening news.

"Nikita shows war not through explosions and destruction, but through details and feelings," the report states.

His work tells stories of personal suffering, of buildings where people once lived, and of animals trapped by circumstances.

The "Shchekavytsia" painting depicts an orgy on the famous Kyiv hill, continuing an internet meme about Kyiv residents gathering on the hill for an orgy if Russia launches a nuclear missile at the capital—a farewell to earth and fulfillment of secret desires as a final earthly pleasure.

The post-apocalyptic work serves as a contemporary interpretation of French artist Eugène Delacroix's historical painting "The Death of Sardanapalus." According to legend, the Assyrian king, unable to suppress a rebellion, ordered the killing of his horse, dogs, and women before enjoying his final moments with an orgy.

Speaking with a visitor interested in Kadan's works, Poggi emphasized: "Delacroix's painting was revolutionary for its era, and Kadan's painting can be considered the same."

Gallery founders Maksym and Yulia Voloshyn's stand attracts dozens of Ukrainian and international artists, journalists, creators, and businesspeople. Works by Kadan consistently draw interest from visitors.

A potential client took note of two smaller-format works by Kadan, one of thousands of visitors who have stopped and will continue stopping at the Ukrainian gallerists' corner.

According to the report, Europeans have grown weary of information about the war in Ukraine in its traditional press format, and art can become a voice that directly or indirectly reminds the world about Ukrainian experiences, suffering animals, and hidden desires, thoughts, or fears.

In recent years, Ukrainian gallerists have increased their influence abroad. Forbes Ukraine data shows that during the full-scale war, foreign museums and institutions have purchased dozens of works by contemporary Ukrainian artists. This year, the Voloshyns also participated for the first time in the prestigious Frieze contemporary art fair in New York, presenting Kadan's works.

Russian forces attacked a humanitarian mission vehicle with a drone in Donetsk Oblast on the morning of 8 November, according to Yevhen Tkachov, head of the Proliska humanitarian mission in the region.

The incident occurred at the entrance to Kostyantynivka. The vehicle, marked with humanitarian mission insignia, was carrying volunteers Yevhen Tkachov and Oleh Tkachenko, along with journalists from Austria (Christian Verschütz) and Spain. The group was planning to film a report about evacuations.

"We were going as volunteers to evacuate people: we had four or five addresses with chaplain Oleh Tkachenko in his armored vehicle. At the entrance to Kostyantynivka, in the Novosilivka area, we had just turned, drove around the corner and saw a drone on fiber optics hovering 10 or 15 meters away. When we saw it, we stopped the car, and it started moving. We jumped out of the car and at that moment it attacked the emblem," Tkachov said, Suspilne reported.

According to Tkachov, the Russians deliberately targeted the vehicle with a drone—hitting directly on the humanitarian mission emblem and damaging the engine. He believes the Russians used an FPV drone on fiber optics with a cumulative RPG warhead: the vehicle was burned through completely, but no one was injured.

The damaged vehicle has been removed from Kostyantynivka, and officials are now determining whether it can be repaired. Tkachov said that last week, Russians twice attempted to attack Proliska's vehicle, but were unsuccessful.

The Austrian journalist worked for ORF, which published video footage of the damaged vehicle.

On 18 July, Russian forces dropped an aerial bomb on Kostyantynivka and attacked a volunteer vehicle with a drone. One woman died. On 23 October in Kramatorsk, a journalist and cameraman from the Freedom channel were killed when Russia struck their vehicle with a drone.

Fishing communities along France's Brittany coast have found an unexpected use for their discarded equipment: protecting Ukrainian soldiers and civilians from Russian drone attacks, The Guardian reports.

The Breton charity Kernic Solidarités has sent two shipments of fishing nets totaling 280 kilometers to Ukraine, where they are used to create anti-drone tunnels and shields near the front lines.

The horsehair netting, once used to trawl monkfish from the sea bed, now catches a different target. Ukrainians stretch the nets between poles to create tunnels where drone propellers become entangled—a system compared to spiders catching flies in a web.

"Over the last two years the war has mutated. Before we didn't even think about drones, but now it's a drone war," said Christian Abaziou, 70, who handles logistics for Kernic Solidarités.

Russia deploys small, cheap drones fitted with explosives, directing them by remote control for distances up to 25 kilometers. By July this year, Ukraine was dealing with more than 500 drones daily.

The deep-sea nets prove particularly effective because of their durability. "The Ukrainians have told us they don't need any old nets. They have been sent quite a few that are of no use," Abaziou explained. "The nets we are sending are made of horse hair and used for deep-sea fishing to catch monkfish which are quite powerful and hit the nets with a strength similar to that of a drone."

The nets have a lifespan of 12 to 24 months for fishing, after which they become worn and beyond repair. An estimated 800 tonnes of nets are scrapped annually in Brittany—a disposal problem now turned into a lifesaving resource.

"At first they were used by doctors protecting medical camps near the frontline but now they are being used on roads, bridges, the entrances to hospitals… it's astonishing that something so simple works so well," Abaziou said.

Gérard Le Duff, president of Kernic Solidarités and grandson of a Breton fisher, said Ukraine's ambassador came to Brittany to thank them.

"We don't have a lack of fishing nets in this region. It's a problem to know what to do with them as a couple of the companies that recycle them have closed. If they need them to create anti-drone walls and save lives in Ukraine, they can have them," he said.

The charity was established after Le Duff and Abaziou were approached by local Ukrainians requesting help with clothing, food and medical supplies. Twenty volunteers have since driven two lorry consignments of aid 2,300 kilometers to Ukraine's border with Poland.

"When we learned that Ukraine needed nets, the fishing community reacted rapidly," Le Duff said.

Jean-Jacques Tanguy, former president of the Finistère fisheries committee, said local fishers are eager to contribute. "They are proud to know their used material is going to help save lives," he told AFP.

Hundreds of tonnes of old nets have also been donated by fishers in Sweden and Denmark.

The nets are stretched between poles to create tunnels or used to cover trenches and vehicles. Ukrainian drones are also equipped with pieces of netting to drop on enemy drones.

Iryna Rybakova, spokesperson for Ukraine's 93rd Mechanised Brigade, told Radio Free Europe that anti-drone net tunnels are being installed across the Donetsk Oblast, about 75% of which is now reported to be under Russian control. She noted that enemy drone pilots are increasingly finding ways to breach the netting. "Nets are not a panacea. They are just one element of protection against drones," she said.

The charity no longer has funds to send more supplies this year, and discussions are underway for Ukraine to send lorries to collect the nets. "We will help get the nets and load them but we don't have the budget to continue running convoys ourselves," Abaziou said.

The retired market garden trader said the Ukrainians he met were moved by the support. "The fact that those in the fishing industry the other side of Europe are sending nets to help them defend themselves has brought a few tears to their eyes," he said.

Ukrainian Special Operations Forces destroyed an S-400 Triumph air defense launcher and an ammunition depot belonging to Russia's 18th Army in occupied Crimea, the Special Operations Forces Command reported.

The strikes on 6 October targeted two locations near Simferopol and Yevpatoria. The operation involved the Special Operations Forces Resistance Movement working with Deep Strike units, though details were withheld until now for security reasons.

Resistance Movement operatives gathered intelligence on an ammunition depot of Russia's 18th Army in the village of Udachne near Simferopol. Special reconnaissance units confirmed the arsenal's location before SOF drones struck the depot on the night of 6 October.

That same day, SOF units destroyed a mobile S-400 Triumph launcher positioned in the village of Uyutne near Yevpatoria. The S-400, which is worth over $1.26 billion (£960m), is used by the Russian military to detect and destroy air targets at long distances.

"The S-400 is designed to detect and engage air targets at long range," the Command stated, adding that Russian forces also use the system to strike Ukrainian territory.

The timing of the disclosure follows standard operational security protocols, with the Special Operations Forces Command waiting over a month before releasing information about the strikes.

US President Donald Trump left the door open to a potential meeting with Vladimir Putin in Budapest, telling reporters "there's always a chance" when asked about the possibility.

Trump made the comment on 7 November as he welcomed Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán to the White House.

The US president greeted Orbán on the White House portico but declined to answer other questions from journalists, instead pointing to the Hungarian leader and calling him a "magnificent leader."

The meeting comes as Orbán is expected to push for Hungary to be exempted from US sanctions targeting Russian oil companies Rosneft and Lukoil. The Hungarian prime minister has reportedly prepared what sources describe as a "large-scale energy proposal" for the United States.

Orbán is also planning to try to convince Trump to meet with the Kremlin chief, according to Evropeyska Pravda.

The 7 November meeting at the White House represents Orbán's latest effort to position himself as a bridge between Washington and Moscow since Trump's return to the presidency.

Ukraine's men's hockey team secured a 4-1 victory over Romania on 7 November, in Lithuania, marking the squad's first win in the European Nations Cup, according to reports.

The team coached by Khrystych rallied from their opening tournament loss to dominate the Romanian side. Zakharov, Peresunko, and Borodai found the back of the net for Ukraine, with Peresunko scoring twice.

The win comes after Ukraine fell 1-2 to Lithuania in their tournament opener. The team now has three points from two matches in the competition.

The European Nations Cup is being held for the first time this season. The tournament takes place during traditional international breaks in November, December, and February, with 18 national teams competing in groups across the continent.

The participating countries include Germany, Slovakia, Latvia, Norway, Denmark, Austria, Hungary, Poland, France, Slovenia, Great Britain, Italy, the Netherlands, Lithuania, Estonia, Spain, Romania, and Ukraine.

Ukrainian photographer Sasha Maslov has photographed newly elected New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, 34, according to an Instagram post on Maslov's page.

Mamdani became one of the youngest mayors in US history and the first Muslim to hold the position. He represents the left wing of the Democratic Party.

"We have a new mayor, friends!," Maslov captioned the photographs.

Mamdani was born in Uganda to Columbia University professor Mahmood Mamdani and Indian filmmaker Mira Nair. He moved to New York with his family at age 7.

His first job involved consulting on foreclosure prevention. In 2020, Mamdani ran for the New York State Assembly, the lower chamber of the state legislature, where he became the first man of South Asian descent to serve.

The new mayor previously released rap tracks under the stage name Mr. Cardamom.

Maslov, 41, is originally from Kharkiv. He developed an interest in photography as a child, learning from his father Gennadiy Maslov, a representative of the Kharkiv School of Photography from the "Derzhprom" group. He later attended classes at the city's Palace of Children and Youth Creativity, where Oleg Shishkov taught.

In 2008, he moved to New York, where he continues to live.

Maslov has worked between New York and Kyiv for an extended period. His photographs have illustrated articles in The Washington Post, Financial Times, Zeit, The New York Times, and numerous other international publications. The photographer has held exhibitions in various countries worldwide.

Since the start of the full-scale war, Maslov has been documenting people who remain in Ukraine, work there, fight, and provide assistance. His recent work includes a Financial Times shoot about Kharkiv businesses resisting Russian shelling, coverage of a prisoner exchange, and photographs of military intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov for French newspaper Liberation.

Maslov's portfolio includes three book projects: Veterans: Faces of World War II (2017), featuring portraits of World War II veterans from different countries; Ukrainian Railroad Ladies (2020), about women working on the railway; and Saints (2024), a documentary project about the Russo-Ukrainian war.

The Verona Philharmonic Theatre has withdrawn Russian bass Ildar Abdrazakov from its upcoming production of Mozart's "Don Giovanni," scheduled for 18-25 January, reports Reuters.

The Arena di Verona Foundation announced the cancellation without providing reasons. Abdrazakov's representative declined an interview request, saying the singer was "too busy."

Italian Culture Minister Alessandro Giuli endorsed the decision. "Russian art and culture" are welcome "when they serve as a vehicle for dialogue and peace between peoples," Giuli said, but not "when they become a propaganda tool serving a despotic power that cannot and must not have citizenship rights in the free world."

European Parliament Vice President Pina Picierno called the cancellation a victory against "the propaganda of Putin and the Kremlin."

The Anti-Corruption Foundation and advocacy group Liberi Oltre le Illusioni had pressed for Abdrazakov's exclusion, citing his inclusion on Putin's list of trusted representatives during the 2024 presidential elections and his membership in the Presidential Council for Culture and Arts.

In 2024, Putin appointed Abdrazakov head of the Sevastopol Opera and Ballet Theatre in Crimea, which Russia annexed from Ukraine in 2014. The same year, he received a state award from the Russian president.

Before Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the 49-year-old performed at London's Covent Garden, New York's Metropolitan Opera, and Milan's La Scala. By 2023, these venues had stopped working with him. Abdrazakov claimed he withdrew himself in protest against what he called a boycott of Russian performers, including soprano Anna Netrebko. Naples' Teatro di San Carlo also ended its collaboration with him in 2024.

In December 2022, Abdrazakov performed at La Scala in "Boris Godunov" amid protests against Russia's invasion. In July, Russian conductor Valery Gergiev had a concert cancelled in Italy under similar circumstances, drawing complaints from Moscow.

The Arena di Verona Foundation's website describes Abdrazakov as "one of opera's most sought-after basses and one of his generation's most celebrated and recognised artists."

Defense Minister Denys Shmyhal announced on 7 November that Ukraine plans to localize production of Swedish Saab JAS 39 Gripen fighter jets starting in 2033, according to a government briefing.

The announcement follows an agreement between President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson. On 6 November, the defense ministries of both countries worked out the details of the deal, which includes negotiations for the supply of 150 Gripen E/F class aircraft.

"Yesterday, a memorandum was also signed between one of the Ukrainian companies and Saab regarding the future localization of Gripens in Ukraine," Shmyhal said. "We expect that from 2033, the Gripen will be significantly localized in Ukraine, its production – from large-unit assembly to localization of individual parts."

Shmyhal added that discussions are ongoing about transferring Gripen C/D class aircraft to Ukraine as soon as possible, with negotiations focusing on 2026 as a potential delivery date.

Ukraine and Sweden have agreed to establish two working groups. The first, a technical group, will handle preparations for receiving the fighters and their deployment in Ukraine. The second, a financial group, will work on contract details.

On 22 October, Ukraine and Sweden signed a letter of intent regarding the purchase of at least 100 Gripen aircraft for the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The first fighters could arrive in Ukraine as early as 2026, with payment proposed through frozen Russian assets.

Saab AB executive Micael Johansson told the Financial Times on October 27 that the company is considering establishing a facility in Ukraine to assemble Gripen fighters.

On 6 November, Sweden's Ministry of Defense reported that new Gripens for Ukraine could be partially financed through military assistance.

EU tightens visa rules for Russians, citing espionage and weaponized migration

EU tightens visa rules for Russians, citing espionage and weaponized migration

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced today that Ukraine will begin mass production of a new drone model to replace Chinese-made DJI Mavic UAVs, Interfax-Ukraine reports.

"Next, Mavic. A very important issue.... We were looking for alternatives – alternatives have been found. There will be mass production of this alternative. Relevant financed contracts are now being prepared," Zelenskyy said during a briefing on 7 November.

DJI Mavic series drones, originally developed for civilian and commercial use, have become among the most widespread and critically important unmanned aircraft on the Ukrainian front. The drones are valued for their compact size, relative affordability, and high-quality imaging capabilities, particularly the Mavic 3 and Mavic 3 Thermal models.

In the Ukrainian army, these drones primarily perform tactical reconnaissance functions at distances up to 15 km, adjust artillery fire, and after modification are used to drop small munitions on enemy positions, serving as the "eyes" of infantry and artillery units.

Zelenskyy also emphasized that evacuation drones must be included in the e-Points bonus system. "The main task is to preserve people's lives, this is a priority," the president said.

During the briefing, Zelenskyy discussed a report from Commander of Unmanned Systems Forces Robert Brovdi, who presented a program aimed at strengthening air defense over Kherson. According to the president, the program is ready and has received support. He instructed officials to develop similar programs for border cities and the most vulnerable communities.

Recently, Zelenskyy said that Ukraine plans to reach production of 500-800 interceptor drones per day in November.

Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Andriy Hnatov said that Russian forces are attempting to create conditions for encirclement of the entire Pokrovsk-Myrnohrad agglomeration, Interfax-Ukraine reports.

Speaking during a television marathon broadcast, Hnatov described Pokrovsk as "a relatively small town" but emphasized the strategic significance of ongoing Russian operations in the area.

"They are trying to create conditions to capture this relatively small town. A certain advantage in forces and means of the enemy has been created there. They have partially infiltrated the urban development, especially on the southern outskirts of this settlement," Hnatov said.

According to the General Staff chief, Russian forces are using this approach to establish a foothold for continuing their advance.

The Pokrovsk direction has remained one of the hottest sections of the front for months, according to monitoring portal DeepState. Russian forces have been actively pressing Ukrainian defense positions while attempting to accomplish one of their largest objectives in Donetsk Oblast — the capture of Pokrovsk.

Main Intelligence Directorate special units recently landed in the city where fighting continues and managed to break through a ground corridor there, according to earlier reports.

The Security Service of Ukraine's "Alpha" Center for Special Operations fighters have been conducting combat operations on the Pokrovsk direction for an extended period. The SBU reported that after the operational and combat situation deteriorated in this section of the front, the number of "Alpha" fighters there significantly increased.

Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces Oleksandr Syrskyi noted that Ukrainian soldiers in the Pokrovsk-Myrnohrad agglomeration are holding back pressure from a many-thousand-strong Russian grouping that continues attempts to infiltrate residential areas and cut supply routes.

However, Syrskyi stressed there is no encirclement or blockade of the cities. According to him, a comprehensive operation to destroy Russian forces and push them out of Pokrovsk is currently underway.

Nevertheless, some military personnel interviewed by Hromadske question the possibility of clearing the city due to the enemy's advantage.

Ukraine's state energy company Naftogaz has signed a memorandum with Greek firm Atlantic-see LNG Trade on regular deliveries of American liquefied natural gas through Greek terminals, Naftogaz Group head Serhiy Koretskyi announced.

"We are talking about future regular supplies of American gas to Ukraine through Greek gas terminals and the Vertical Corridor," Koretskyi explained.

The long-term partnership covers the period until 2050. The memorandum was signed at the P-TEC forum in the presence of Ukrainian Energy Minister Svitlana Grynchuk, Greek Environment and Energy Minister Stavros Papastavrou, US Energy Secretary Chris Wright, US Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, US Ambassador to Greece Kimberly Guilfoyle, and US Chargé d'Affaires in Ukraine Julie C. Davis.

According to Koretskyi, the agreement will ensure stable LNG supplies for Ukraine and integrate the country's infrastructure into logistics routes for LNG to Europe. The memorandum also creates a sustainable system for supplying and storing American gas.

The strategic partnership aims to diversify routes for American LNG deliveries to Ukraine and Europe through phased implementation of new projects.

In October, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy planned to request gas and air defense systems from US President Donald Trump during their meeting on 17 October.

The European Investment Bank announced on 7 November the disbursement of €100 million ($115 million) to Ukraine, splitting the funding between business support and municipal heating infrastructure repairs, according to the bank's statement.

The financing package directs €70 million ($80.5 million) to Ukrgasbank under the €400 million ($460 million) Ukraine Economic Resilience Facility Lending Envelope. These funds will expand access to long-term loans for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises and mid-caps across the country. The loan also supports investments that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve energy efficiency, with Ukrgasbank on-lending the money to businesses on more favorable terms.

The remaining €30 million ($34.5 million) goes to municipal district heating systems, disbursed as €15 million ($17.25 million) to Ukrgasbank and €15 million ($17.25 million) to Ukreximbank. These amounts represent the first tranches of larger EIB district heating loans totaling €50 million ($57.5 million) and €100 million ($115 million) respectively. The funds will help communities and public utilities repair and upgrade heating systems, improve energy efficiency in public buildings, and deploy renewable energy solutions.

"The disbursement of these funds ensures that support is now reaching Ukrainian businesses and municipalities at a critical time," said EIB Vice-President Teresa Czerwińska, who oversees the bank's operations in Ukraine. "It helps keep local economic activity going and enables communities to maintain heating and essential public services during the winter."

The financing aims to reduce dependence on vulnerable centralized infrastructure and enable reconstruction of facilities damaged by Russian attacks. Municipalities will gain more independent and efficient heating systems for schools, hospitals and residential communities.

European Union Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos noted the timing of the support: "This is now the fourth winter in which Russia tries to keep Ukrainians in the cold. We are seeing the worst attacks on energy infrastructure in this war."

"Support from the European Investment Bank is extremely important for the sustainable reconstruction of Ukraine," said Acting Chairperson of the Management Board of Ukrgasbank Rodion Morozov. "Owing to these funds, we will be able to finance businesses and communities that are restoring critical infrastructure and implementing district heating and energy-efficient solutions throughout the country."

The funding operates under the EU for Ukraine Fund and the Ukraine Investment Framework, which is part of the broader €50 billion (57.5 billion) Ukraine Facility. The European Commission provides a €1.95 billion ($2.24 billion) guarantee under the Ukraine Investment Framework for these operations.

The EIB's EU for Ukraine Fund, established in 2023, has received contributions from 16 EU member states totaling €410 million ($471.5 million). Since Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022, the EIB has provided €4 billion ($4.6 billion) in financing for Ukraine.

Chairman of the Management Board of Ukreximbank Viktor Ponomarenko emphasized the impact of the funding: "The first tranche of funding under the EIB's Ukraine district heating project, made possible through the steadfast support of the European Union and European Investment Bank, provides Ukrainian communities with the means to withstand the challenges of winter under continuous attacks of Russia."

The support complements recently signed EIB financing with Naftogaz Ukraine to help replenish the country's gas reserves ahead of winter, the bank reports.

The first underground school in Sumy has begun operations, with hundreds of students returning to in-person learning in a facility designed to protect them from shelling, the Head of the Office of the President Andriy Yermak announced on Telegram.

"It is modern and safe, with comfortable classrooms and spacious areas. Here, children can learn, communicate, and feel safe. Now, hundreds of students will return to in-person learning, where you can hear children's laughter and feel a sense of unity and true school spirit," Yermak said.

The facility is part of a broader national program to restore education in wartime conditions. According to Yermak, over 170 similar facilities are currently being implemented across Ukraine, primarily in frontline and border areas.

Five underground schools have been built in three communities in the Sumy region to date. Another eight schools are planned for five communities in the area: seven will open by the end of 2025, with one more scheduled for 2026.

"In two years, the state has invested more than 13 billion hryvnias ( $361 mn) in the creation of safe schools," the Head of the Office of the President said.

Yermak noted that Sumy region has repeatedly been targeted by attacks, with schools destroyed and children injured.

"Constant shelling, threats, sirens — all of this has become everyday life for frontline communities," he said. "Where the enemy tries to destroy the future, we are building it again."

The announcement follows a statement by former Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal in May, who said four underground schools were planned for Sumy city and 11 for the broader Sumy Oblast.

German conductor and pianist Justus Frantz traveled to Moscow this week to receive the Order of Friendship from Russian President Vladimir Putin, prompting calls in Berlin for his German state honors to be revoked.

During the 4 November ceremony in the Kremlin, Putin said that Frantz "has for many years conducted fruitful activities in bringing together and mutually enriching the cultures of Russia and Germany," according to DW.

The 81-year-old conductor responded in Russian, telling Putin: "All my life I wanted to play Russian music and work for your culture."

Roland Theis, a member of the German parliament from the Christian Democratic Union, called on German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier to cancel Frantz's Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany. "Anyone who aligns themselves with a dictator whose, until now, hybrid military aggressions are directed against our country, can no longer be a bearer of the Federal Order of Merit," Theis told Politico.

Frantz is considered one of the leading figures in German classical music. In 1986, he created the Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival, turning it into one of the largest forums for classical music.

The musician has faced criticism for supporting the annexation of Crimea. In 2023, he was removed from the festival due to close ties with Russia, Deutsche Welle reports. Frantz gave concerts in Crimea and served on the jury of the Tchaikovsky Competition after Russia launched its full-scale war against Ukraine.

In February 2023, Frantz signed the controversial "Manifesto for Peace," an online petition by left-wing politician Sahra Wagenknecht calling for negotiations with Russia, according to Politico.

According to his website, Frantz has performed with the Berlin, New York and Vienna philharmonic orchestras, as well as the London Symphony Orchestra.

Since Russia's full scale invasion in 2022, cultural institutions across Europe and North America have canceled performances of Russian works and suspended collaborations with Russian artists who support the Kremlin. The Metropolitan Opera terminated contracts with Russian performers who refused to denounce the war, while major European festivals excluded Russian state-affiliated ensembles and musicians who maintained ties to Putin's government.

However, some Western cultural figures continue to maintain ties with Russia despite the war. Frantz is among a small group of musicians and artists who have defended Russian culture and appeared at events in Russia or Russian-occupied territories.

The Ukrainian government has approved a resolution enabling the distribution of the second tranche of financing from the European Investment Bank totaling €100 million ($106 million), the Ministry of Communities and Territorial Development reports.

"This decision allows us to launch the transfer of subsidies from the state to communities," the ministry stated.

The funds will be available for recovery projects under the Ukraine Recovery Programme III (Tranche B) and will be directed under guarantees of the Ukraine Facility financial instrument for the first time, according to the ministry.

The money will finance restoration of social and critical infrastructure damaged by Russian armed aggression. Communities will be able to repair schools, kindergartens, hospitals, and housing and communal facilities.

"This is a direct investment in the recovery and resilience of Ukrainian communities. Our priority is the most effective transformation of these resources into key social facilities: reconstruction of schools and hospitals, development of barrier-free spaces and modernization of heating systems," commented Deputy Prime Minister for Recovery — Minister of Communities and Territorial Development Oleksiy Kuleba.

"From now on, all the necessary tools are in place locally to immediately begin implementing these projects. Our strategic goal remains unchanged: through infrastructure development, we seek to preserve, multiply and unlock human capital and potential in every Ukrainian community," he explained.

The new edition of the procedure and conditions clearly regulates the application of the Ukraine Facility instrument, ensuring transparency and efficiency in the use of international partners' funds locally, the ministry added.

The total funding volume under the Ukraine Recovery Programme III amounts to €250 million ($265 million). The first tranche of €100 million ($106 million) was ratified in August 2024, the ministry reported.

Previously, Ukraine received €46.1 million ($49 million) in credit funds from the European Investment Bank for four projects supporting urban development. The Cabinet of Ministers also approved the redistribution of subsidies from the state budget to finance an additional 15 projects in nine regions of Ukraine.

The Ministry of Communities and Territorial Development has been working on a second support package for frontline communities based on requests from the territories themselves. Currently, 242 communities in ten oblasts are classified as frontline, and the first package of the support program is operational.

The ministry also reported that the expanded Unified State Project Portfolio now includes an additional 11 projects in transport, two projects and two programs in municipal infrastructure and services, and one housing program.

A legislative proposal that would allow Ukraine to join the European Defence Fund will be put to a vote in the European Parliament before the end of 2025, according to the head of the Parliament's Security and Defence Committee.

"Our committee is working expeditiously, and I am pleased that we plan to vote on the EU Defence Omnibus Package before the end of this year, to be ready for the next stage of the EU's defence agenda," said Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann of Germany during a committee session in Brussels on 6 November, according to European Pravda.

EU Commissioner for Defence and Space Andrius Kubilius, who attended the committee meeting, noted that on the evening of 5 October, a defence mini-Omnibus was preliminarily agreed upon, which "will enable Ukraine to become an associate member of the European Defence Fund."

The draft EU legislation, proposed by the European Commission in April 2025, was informally agreed upon on Wednesday evening by European Parliament members and Denmark's EU Council presidency. The proposal increases funding for defence-related investments by amending existing EU programs: the Strategic Technologies for Europe Platform (STEP), Horizon Europe, the European Defence Fund (EDF), the Digital Europe Programme (DEP), and the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) — with the aim of directing EU funds toward defence needs under the ReArm Europe plan.

"MEPs insisted that the legislation should allow for broader support to Ukraine's defence industry and guarantee its participation in the European Defence Fund," the European Parliament press service told Europeiska Pravda.

Denmark's EU presidency confirmed that Ukraine's inclusion in the European Defence Fund will create "new opportunities for Ukrainian entities to join collaborative research and development projects in defence within the EU in the future."

The EDF budget for 2021-2027 is approximately €7.3 billion ($ 8.4 bn), of which €2.7 bn ($3.1 bn) is allocated to joint defence research and €5.3 bn ($6.1 bn) to joint defence capability development projects, complementing national contributions.

The legislative act incorporating Ukraine's accession to the EDF will be coordinated at the European Parliament committee level in the coming weeks and will be brought to a plenary vote by the end of the year. Following this, it must be approved by the EU Council.

On 16 October , the European Commission presented a defence roadmap — a comprehensive plan to strengthen European defence capabilities, which includes countering drones and other threats from air, sea, and space. Ukraine was identified as a key component of the EU's defence readiness.

Missiles targeted the Oryol thermal power plant in Russia for the second time in the early hours of 5 November, according to videos and eyewitness accounts reported by Astra.

Local residents reported a series of powerful explosions near the city's thermal power station during the night.

"Sounds of a jet engine were heard before the explosions, indicating an attack by missiles or jet-powered drones," according to the reports. Local residents also believe the attack was carried out with missiles.

The governor of Oryol Oblast claimed that "air defense forces destroyed enemy UAVs, and debris damaged several private houses and an outbuilding." However, the published videos contain no sounds of air raid sirens in the city or the operation of Russian air defense systems.

The Oryol thermal power plant was previously attacked on the night of 31 October. According to the Ukrainian Navy, the facility was struck with Neptune cruise missiles at that time. The strike hit an open switchgear facility, causing massive power outages in the city.

The Oryol thermal power plant is the largest source of electricity and heat in the region, providing power system operations and heat supply for the city. "The installed electrical capacity of the station is 330 MW," according to the report.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian Defense Forces struck a high-voltage substation near the Russian city of Vladimir on the night of 4-5 November, Astra reports, citing Vladimir Oblast Governor Alexander Avdeev.

The strike hit the Vladimirskaya substation (750 kV) in the Energetik settlement near Vladimir. Videos show fire and smoke. Russian authorities have not officially confirmed the type of facility that was attacked.

Vladimirskaya reportedly is a major energy facility in the region. Its installed capacity is approximately 4,010 MVA. The substation serves as a hub with numerous power lines of 110-750 kV voltage, servicing the region's energy system. "Its stable operation is critically important for the reliability and balance of Russia's energy system," the report says.

The same substation was attacked by strike drones on 31 October 2025, when a massive fire broke out, captured on video and photos by eyewitnesses.

The day before the Oryol and Vladimir strikes, Ukrainian Defense Forces conducted a series of drone strikes on two oil refining infrastructure facilities in Russia, attacking the Sterlitamak petrochemical plant in the Republic of Bashkortostan and an oil refinery in Nizhny Novgorod Oblast.

NATO confirms $60 bn Ukraine aid package for 2026, double of country’s self-funding capacity

Russia has purchased 18,000 drones for 500 schools at a cost of 8.38 billion rubles in 2024 as part of a program training teenagers to operate unmanned aerial vehicles for combat, according to Ukrainian intelligence reports.

The program, which began in 2023, targets students from grades 8-9 and aims to develop "understanding of modern combat experience," according to the intelligence data. The drones are being used to teach skills including reconnaissance, strike operations, and targeted attacks.

"By 2030, Moscow plans to equip 4,872 schools and 380 colleges with drones, as well as train a million so-called specialists in unmanned systems," Ukrainian intelligence reported.

Regional authorities are establishing specialized centers on college campuses where instructors, including teachers, receive training in "combat aspects." These facilities include classrooms, flight zones, and 3D printing sections for drone production.

In September 2024, Russia introduced its first official textbook for studying unmanned aerial systems. The manual was developed in collaboration with the Geoscan group, which is controlled by a fund linked to Katerina Tikhonova, Vladimir Putin's daughter, according to the intelligence report.

The initiative represents what Ukrainian intelligence describes as a systematic Kremlin course toward militarizing education amid Russia's ongoing aggression against Ukraine. The program shifts focus from civilian skills to what the report characterizes as "technologies of killing," which Ukrainian officials say violates conventions on children's rights and creates a generation prepared for conflict escalation.

The scale of the program indicates long-term planning, with the million-specialist target suggesting Russia is building infrastructure for sustained military operations requiring drone operators and technicians.

The North Atlantic Alliance will allocate $60 billion in aid to Ukraine in 2026, according to Patrick Turner, head of NATO's representation in Ukraine, in an interview with Suspilne.

"Last year, the allocation was $50 billion, next year it will be $60 billion — this is very large and practical support," Turner told Suspilne.

The funding represents half of Ukraine's projected $120 billion defense budget for 2026. Turner explained that the Ukrainian government has informed its partners, including NATO, that it will finance half of this amount domestically, while international partners will cover the remainder.

Four aid packages have already been announced under the PURL initiative (Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List), according to Turner. "Aid under these packages has either already been provided or is still in the process of arriving in Ukraine," he said. The diplomat said that work continues on organizing and financing subsequent packages.

Turner identified Ukraine's defense as NATO's primary near-term priority. "The most reliable way to do this is military support," he said, describing the PURL initiative as "vitally necessary support" and a key element in overall military assistance from Alliance members.

Beyond lethal aid, NATO operates the Comprehensive Assistance Package (CAP), which provides non-lethal support across multiple areas. "It covers both assistance related to battlefield conditions and long-term programs, such as support for hospitals or assistance to veterans," Turner said.

The official highlighted NATO's interest in Ukrainian defense innovation. "NATO wants to work with Ukrainian industry and innovation. We need to learn how you transition from creating a capability concept to delivering weapons for battlefield use in a matter of weeks," Turner said.

A joint center in Poland studies and implements combat experience and assists in countering battlefield threats, according to Turner. He also emphasized Ukraine's progress on reforms that NATO members expect from potential members.

Inside the PURL initiative

The United States and NATO signed the Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List agreement on 14 July, enabling European countries to purchase American weapons for Ukraine. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said that under the agreement, Kyiv could receive large quantities of air defense systems, missiles, and ammunition.

Denmark allocated approximately 580 million Danish kroner ($84 million) through PURL, Sweden contributed $275 million, and Norway provided approximately $135 million. The Netherlands financed the first aid package under PURL worth 500 million euros ($541 million), and Germany has also joined the program.

The first military equipment under the US-NATO PURL agreement arrived in Ukraine in September. Following a meeting with Rutte on 24 September, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that PURL funding reached $2.1 billion within two months of the program's creation.

Recent Russian advances through Pokrovsk represent the culmination of a 21-month campaign to seize the town, according to military analysis. The progress has been enabled by a five-month battlefield air interdiction effort specifically designed to degrade Ukrainian defensive capabilities.

Russian forces are now sending nearly 100 fireteams—consisting of up to three personnel each—into Pokrovsk daily, a Ukrainian drone unit operating in the area reported. The unit stated that these Russian fireteams are overwhelming Ukrainian positions to the point where drone operators lack sufficient time to launch their equipment.

"Russian infiltration groups are deliberately targeting Ukrainian drone crews to engage them in close combat, inhibiting Ukrainian drone operations," Ukrainian military sources recently reported.

The Russian advance from Avdiivka to Pokrovsk covered 39 kilometers—just over 24 miles—over 21 months. Russian forces captured Avdiivka in February 2024 and immediately began the Pokrovsk campaign, initially attempting to take the town through direct frontal assaults in March 2024. When this approach failed, they shifted to an envelopment campaign in Fall 2024, according to Ukrainian military observer Kostyantyn Mashovets.

Mashovets reported that the Russian military command established a new three-phased infiltration process: preparation, execution, and exploitation. In the preparation phase, the command prioritizes identifying Ukrainian ground lines of communication supporting forward positions, drone operator positions and launch sites, and other exploitable areas. Spetsnaz forces conduct initial infiltration missions and surprise attacks during this phase, followed by standard assault forces in the execution phase. During exploitation, Russian forces deploy numerous small assault groups for further infiltrations and position consolidation, "likely hoping to overwhelm Ukrainian forces while sustaining heavy casualties," Mashovets added.

Successful Ukrainian drone operations largely stymied Russian advances in the Pokrovsk direction from late 2024 into summer 2025. The shift came in July 2025, when Russian forces began achieving battlefield air interdiction effects against Ukrainian ground lines of communication, effectively denying Ukrainian forces the ability to use Pokrovsk as a logistics hub.

Russian technical innovations enabled these effects. First-person view drones with increased ranges, thermobaric warheads, and "sleeper" or "waiter" drones deployed along ground lines of communication allowed Russian forces to restrict Ukrainian troop movements, evacuations, and logistics. Russia also deployed elite drone operators from the Rubikon Center for Advanced Unmanned Technologies to the Pokrovsk direction and other priority sectors in Donetsk Oblast, focusing on interdicting Ukrainian logistics routes and eliminating Ukrainian drone operators.

Mashovets said on 4 November that Russia created the Rubikon Center specifically to target and strike Ukrainian drone crews, noting that Russian forces prioritize Ukrainian drone crews in tactical, operational, and strategic-level strikes.

Russian forces achieved a limited penetration northeast of Pokrovsk in the Dobropillya tactical direction in August 2025, likely exploiting a porous frontline while seeking to secure the eastern flank of the Pokrovsk direction.

Russian forces are attempting to encircle the Pokrovsk agglomeration, with the main pressure coming from the south as troops try to establish positions in the city's industrial zone and residential areas, a serviceman from Ukraine's 25th Sich Airborne Brigade reported on 5 November.

Pokrovsk remains a critical frontline city in eastern Ukraine, with intense fighting as Russian forces continue to press their offensive and Ukrainian defenders repel repeated attacks while reinforcing their positions and logistics.

"They are making every effort to encircle the Pokrovsk agglomeration. In particular, pressure is being applied mainly from the south. They are trying to establish themselves in the industrial zone and in Pokrovsk's residential areas," said Valerii, callsign "Arkheoloh" (Archaeologist), speaking on Suspilne Studio.

Russian forces are operating in small groups of two to three people, disguising themselves in civilian clothing and forming sabotage and reconnaissance units to disrupt Ukrainian logistics, the soldier said. The Russian troops are using almost no vehicles in this direction, with the exception of the Myrnohrad area, he added.

The Myrnohrad axis remains particularly dangerous, according to "Arkheoloh." Russian forces are attempting to close the ring from the south, cut off supply routes, and create a threat of encircling Pokrovsk.

"This is their goal, precisely to close from the south through Pokrovsk, bypass it, cut off our logistics. And accordingly, the Myrnohrad direction is also very important for them, critically important for solving this task that the führer set for them," he said.

Recent engagements illustrate the threat. About 10 enemy servicemen were detected on the southeastern direction near Myrnohrad and eliminated, "Arkheoloh" reported. On the Pokrovsk axis, Ukrainian forces recently eliminated a group attempting to cut off logistics, specifically the road to Rodynske.

"But still, this is really a dangerous situation. And the same applies to the Pokrovsk direction — just recently we eliminated a group that was trying to cut off logistics, specifically the road to Rodynske," the serviceman said.

Belgium's Brussels Airport suspended operations on the evening of 4 November following reports of unidentified drones, according to VRT NWS and Nieuwsblad. Sources told VRT NWS that three drones were spotted over the airport.

The security incident forced Brussels Airlines to cancel 16 flights. Passengers were stranded at the terminal waiting for operations to resume.

Drones were also detected over the Kleine Brogel military base, where American nuclear weapons are stored. Local residents reported six UAVs in the area, though police only confirmed two, the publications report.

The base went into heightened alert status. Federal police responded to the scene and checked suspicious vehicles in the vicinity.

Belgium's Interior Minister Bernard Quintin requested Prime Minister Bart De Wever urgently convene the National Security Council following the repeated drone appearances.

"We cannot allow our airports to be disrupted by unauthorized drone flights. This requires a coordinated and national response," Quintin said.

This marks the second drone incident near Kleine Brogel in recent days. Unknown drones were spotted near the base during the night of 1 November. Kleine Brogel serves as the Belgian army's main air base and houses American nuclear weapons. The facility is scheduled to host new F-35 fighter jets starting in 2027.

NATO fighter jets conducting air policing missions in the Baltic states scrambled three times last week to identify and escort Russian military aircraft, Lithuania's Ministry of Defence announced, according to LRT.

On 27 October, NATO aircraft took off to identify a Russian Il-20 reconnaissance plane flying through international airspace from mainland Russia to Kaliningrad Oblast. The aircraft was operating without an activated radar transponder and without a flight plan, though it maintained radio contact with the Regional Air Traffic Control Centre (RSVS).

Two days later, NATO fighters scrambled again to identify an Il-78 tanker aircraft traveling from Kaliningrad Oblast to mainland Russia.

On 30 October, NATO jets identified and escorted a Russian Il-76 transport aircraft, also flying from Kaliningrad Oblast to mainland Russia. Both the tanker and transport aircraft flew with their radar transponders activated and maintained radio communication with RSVS, but only the tanker had filed a flight plan, the Lithuanian defence ministry specified.

The incidents form part of a broader pattern of Russian military flights near NATO airspace. On 28 October, a pair of Polish MiG-29 fighters intercepted a Russian Il-20 over the Baltic Sea. Polish MiG-29s scrambled again on 30 October to intercept another Russian reconnaissance aircraft over the Baltic Sea, marking the third such interception by Polish forces within a week when they scrambled once more on 31 October.

The Danish government is contributing $1.4 mn to a new Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Fund, according to a statement from Denmark's EU Council Presidency.

Since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, more than 500 cultural sites across the country have been destroyed in Russian attacks, UNESCO data shows.

"To help overcome this destruction, the Danish government is allocating $1.4 million (10 million Danish kroner) to support Ukraine's cultural heritage. The funding can be directed, for example, to the restoration of Ukrainian buildings, monuments and museums that have been destroyed by Russian bombs. The funds will be channeled through the new Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Fund," the statement reads.

The donation coincides with an informal ministerial meeting taking place in Denmark on 3 November, attended by culture ministers from European countries and representatives from Ukraine. The meeting aims to encourage other countries to follow Denmark's example.

"I am proud that Denmark is once again taking a leading role by contributing to the restoration of Ukraine's cultural heritage. Cultural heritage plays a vital role in shaping the national identity and self-awareness of the Ukrainian people," said Jakob Engel-Schmidt, Denmark's Minister of Culture.

The $1.4 mn grant will be financed through Denmark's development aid as part of its civilian support to Ukraine. The funds can only be disbursed after approval by the Danish parliament.

In October, the European Union announced the launch of three new projects worth a total of $7.1 million aimed at strengthening Ukraine's independent media sector. Previously, the EU allocated $7.5 million to support cultural projects in Ukraine.

The European Union will approve the fifth tranche of macro-financial assistance to Ukraine under the Ukraine Facility mechanism in the amount of 1.351 billion euros ($1.46 bl) on 4 November, according to an informed EU source who spoke to European Pravda's correspondent in Brussels.

"EU ambassadors in Brussels approved the provision of the fifth Ukraine Facility tranche to Ukraine last Wednesday (at the Coreper meeting on 29 October)," European Pravda reported, citing its sources.

The official decision to provide Ukraine with 1.351 billion euros ($1.46 bl) will be approved on 4 November, at the EU Council level, the source added.

The payment comes after Ukraine fulfilled key reform commitments. On 8 October, the Verkhovna Rada adopted two EU integration bills: one on creating a payment agency in the agricultural sector, and another in the first reading on legality and transparency in local government activities, Evropeyska Pravda reports.

These laws are part of Ukraine's reform obligations to receive financial support from the EU under the Ukraine Facility program, which totals 50 billion euros ($54 bn).

In September, the European Commission approved Ukraine's proposed amendments to the "Ukraine Plan" – a reform plan necessary to receive EU funds under the Ukraine Facility program.

Carsten Linnemann, general secretary of Germany's Christian Democratic Union, has publicly criticized the growing number of young Ukrainian men arriving in Germany, RTL and ntv reported.

Speaking on television, Linnemann said such Ukrainians should not rely on Germany's social welfare system but should seek employment instead.

"I don't want to deport anyone. But if someone comes to Germany and is young, then of course they should not rely on the social welfare system; their goal should be to find work," Linnemann said.

He added that the situation with Ukrainians is particularly sensitive because they are fighting for freedom.

"And we support Ukrainians. This is about a very important issue: peace and freedom. I find it unacceptable that so many young people are coming to us because there is a war in Ukraine. And these people are needed there," Linnemann said.

The recent law in Ukraine, effective from 28 August 2025, allows Ukrainian men aged 18 to 22 to travel abroad without restrictions during martial law. This change aims to help young Ukrainians maintain ties with Ukraine and realize their potential, especially in education, while balancing military needs.

According to Germany's Federal Ministry of Internal Affairs, the number of young Ukrainians aged 18 to 22 entering the country increased from 19 per week in mid-August to over 1,000 in mid-September. In October, these figures rose further, reaching between 1,400 and nearly 1,800 per week.

Bavaria's Premier Markus Söder has intensified calls to limit the entry of young Ukrainian men, demanding that the EU pressure Ukraine on this issue.

As of early October 2025, there were about 1,293,672 people from Ukraine registered in Germany's Central Register of Foreigners as having fled Ukraine since the start of the war in February 2022. However, around 450,000 Ukrainians were no longer registered as residents by the end of September 2025.

A scientific study tracking over 100 Ukrainians' sleep patterns during six months of war has revealed that chronic sleep disorders persist even on quiet nights, with insomnia rates three times higher than in peacetime countries, Texty.org.ua reported on 28 October.

The research, conducted by an international team of scientists with financial support from MSCA4Ukraine and the European Union between October 2023 and March 2024, measured 1,344 nights of sleep deprivation. During the night of 25 November 2023, when over 70 drones attacked Kyiv, half of the study participants from the capital and its surrounding region spent significantly more time awake than usual.

Russian troops has been attacking Ukrainian civilians almost daily since 2022. Ukraine and international institutions classify these attacks as war crimes.

A 53-year-old woman from Kyiv Oblast experienced multiple awakenings that night, spending far more time awake than normal. Her sleep data showed poor rest even on nights without air raid alerts.

"We expected to see a clearer correlation between poor sleep and air raid alerts. However, our expectation was not confirmed," the researchers stated.

After nearly two years of constant nighttime attacks, Ukrainians developed chronic sleep disorders. Individual data shows poor sleep regardless of the presence or absence of alerts.

During late 2023 and early 2024, when air raids disrupted an average of 6-7 out of 40 nights covered by the study, 44% of participants showed signs of insomnia, while 27% exhibited clinical insomnia. This is three times higher than indicators typical for peaceful countries, where clinical insomnia is diagnosed in only 8.5-13% of the population.

The study documented multiple sleep pattern disruptions. A 50-year-old woman from Dnipropetrovsk Oblast typically went to bed between 21:00 and 01:00, but spent an additional hour or two falling asleep. Her nighttime awakenings were also significantly longer than normal.

An 18-year-old from Kyiv Oblast usually went to bed around 02:00 and woke between 06:00 and 08:00. Despite proportions of sleep phases generally corresponding to norms, on some days she slept only four hours instead of the necessary 7-8.

A 22-year-old Kyiv woman showed the opposite problem. Her sleep quality indicators were generally good, but duration significantly exceeded the norm, sometimes reaching 12 hours.

A 22-year-old Kyiv man often went to bed after dawn between 06:00 and 08:00. Again, overall sleep quality corresponded to norms, but daytime sleep is less beneficial for recovery.

Alongside constant alerts, many study participants developed other psychological problems. The research found depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder among participants.

All participants underwent cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia during the study. Some showed substantial improvements. A 32-year-old Kyiv woman demonstrated noticeable changes in sleep quality indicators between the beginning and end of the observation period.

"Cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia is effective and capable of improving sleep quality during war," the study authors showed.

The therapy does not involve any medications and is based on changing behavior and attitudes toward sleep.

Anton Kurapov, a lecturer at the Faculty of Psychology at Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv and postdoctoral researcher at the Faculty of Natural Sciences at the University of Salzburg, served as co-author of the scientific study.

Scientists recommend quality sleep lasts 7-8 hours, of which 100-120 minutes should be deep sleep, with the remaining time in various stages of rapid and slow sleep. Even if you wake during the night, total awakening duration should not exceed 15-20 minutes.

The study said that not all participants had pronounced disorders. However, healthy sleep has become nearly impossible in wartime Ukraine. Ignoring air raid alerts while risking life, napping during the day, trying to sleep in a shelter or on one's own corridor floor—each person chooses the most optimal option for themselves, but none contributes to full rest.

Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Syrskyy said that there is no encirclement or blockade of Pokrovsk and Myrnograd in Donetsk Oblast. A comprehensive operation to destroy and displace enemy forces is underway in Pokrovsk, involving the Special Operations Forces, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), and the Main Intelligence Directorate (HUR).

Syrskyy made these remarks on Facebook following a trip to the Pokrovsk direction and meetings with commanders.

"In the Pokrovsk-Myrnograd agglomeration, our warriors are holding back the pressure of a multi-thousand enemy grouping that continues attempts to infiltrate residential areas and cut our supply routes. However, there is no encirclement or blockade of the cities; we are doing everything to maintain logistics," Syrskyy wrote.

He emphasized that a comprehensive operation to destroy and push out enemy forces from Pokrovsk is ongoing. "The main burden falls on the units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, particularly UAV operators and assault units. Also, by my order, combined groups of the Special Operations Forces, military police, SBU, and other units of the Defense Forces of Ukraine are operating in the city, including the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine," the Commander-in-Chief noted.

According to Syrskyy, the Russian froces in Pokrovsk is paying the highest price for attempting to fulfill the Kremlin dictator's task of occupying Ukrainian Donbas.

"We continue the liberation and clearing of territory on the Dobropillia salient. Pokrovsk – we hold. Myrnograd – we hold," Syrskyy said.

The Commander-in-Chief stressed that effective interaction between units and coordinated execution of assigned tasks is critically important under current difficult conditions.

"The defense of the agglomeration will be supported by additional units, weapons, equipment, including unmanned systems and UAV means," he added

Syrskyy also published photos from the Pokrovsk direction showing HUR chief Kyrylo Budanov.

On 1 November, Reuters, citing sources, reported that special forces from the Ukraine's Main Intelligence Directorate were deployed to Pokrovsk in Donetsk Oblast earlier this week due to intensified combat, with the aim of stabilizing the situation. The agency also wrote, citing a source, that the operation was led by HUR chief Kyrylo Budanov.

A source within military intelligence told Ukrainska Pravda that stabilization measures involving the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine are ongoing in Pokrovsk.

Commander of the Armed Forces of Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Forces Robert "Magyar" Brovdi has advised Russians to prepare for blackouts, stating that Ukrainians should not be the only ones suffering from attacks on energy infrastructure.

"Get used to it": Drone commander issues stark warning to russians

"Bugs, a blackout is not scary," Brovdi wrote on Telegram on 1 November. "It's just some inconveniences, get used to it, but across the entire swamp territory — the flight of the free Bird is unpredictable and not on schedule, which is why it is called the Free Ukrainian Bird."

Brovdi, who commands Ukraine's drone warfare division, explained that the Unmanned Systems Forces, together with other components of Ukraine's deep strike capabilities, "promise you a rapid, albeit somewhat forced adaptation."

"But you will manage: 'matches-flashlights-candles'... By the way, use your favorite battery-powered garlands as an emergency backup," the commander wrote.

He added a cryptic guideline: "Navigate by the principle 'light/warm-BADABOOM-dark/cold.'"

Zelenskyy confirms policy of symmetrical response to energy attacks

The statement comes after several recent developments. Days earlier, the Moscow region experienced a massive power outage. According to Russian media, the blackout occurred following drone attacks on energy facilities in the region.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy previously said that Russia would receive a symmetrical response if it attempts to create a blackout in Ukraine or the capital. "If Russia sets itself the goal of a blackout in Ukraine every winter, then I am not sure that the response from Ukraine and its partners should be different," Zelenskyy said.

"There is no need to show weakness. If they threaten a blackout in Ukraine's capital, then the Kremlin should know that there will be a blackout in Russia's capital as well," the president emphasized.

Drone campaign broadens to target Russian fuel and airports

Brovdi has also reported that Ukraine's Defense Forces are preparing strikes on Russia that will lead to blackouts. The commander added that Russian gasoline is becoming an increasingly scarce liquid, while gas and oil are becoming "highly flammable."

On the night of 1 November, airports in five Russian cities closed following reports of drone attacks. Russia's Ministry of Defense reported shooting down 98 UAVs.

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Russian occupying forces have captured Novohryhorivka in Zaporizhzhia Oblast over the past day, according to Deepstate analysts.

Ukrainian Defense Forces repelled the adversary near Novyi Shakhtyi in Donetsk Oblast, the analysts reported.

Deepstate added that Russian forces advanced near Krasnohirske in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, as well as in Myroliubivka and near Kozatske in Donetsk Oblast.

Novohryhorivka is located at the administrative border between Dnipropetrovsk and Zaporizhzhia regions and controls defensive fortifications that were constructed to impede Russian advances toward Zaporizhzhia city, which had a pre-war population of 700,000. The settlement's capture gives Russian forces control of trench systems that can now be used as staging points for further operations.

Russian occupation authorities in Mariupol have announced the completion of "restoration" work on the drama theater that Russian forces destroyed in March 2022, the Mariupol City Council reports.

The Russians claimed that restoration work is finishing and they plan to open the theater to visitors in December.

On 16 March 2022, Russian military dropped an aerial bomb on the drama theater in Mariupol. At that time, hundreds of locals could have been inside, hiding and waiting for evacuation from the city.

After capturing Mariupol, the Russian occupying authorities announced they had finished clearing the debris from the theater. However, determining exactly how many people died there will likely prove impossible. Mariupol city authorities stated an estimated 300 deaths, while an Associated Press investigation cited twice that number.

Journalist Yuriy Butusov published intercepted conversations of a Russian burial team in Mariupol discussing the use of equipment, including tractors, to remove bodies from the drama theater.

The Mariupol City Council reported that occupation "investigators" claimed the smell of corpses in the drama theater came not from hundreds killed in the Russian airstrike, but from a hidden warehouse of rotten fish.

Ukraine's Navy announced on 31 October that its forces deployed domestically manufactured Neptune cruise missiles in overnight strikes targeting key energy installations deep inside Russian territory on 31 October.

The missiles hit the Oryol Thermal Power Plant and the Novobryansk electrical substation in Russia's Oryol Oblast, according to the Navy's statement. Both sites provided electricity to military production facilities across the region.

"The Ukrainian military continues to demonstrate that no enemy rear is safe," the Navy reported on Telegram, adding that disabling the infrastructure "dealt a serious blow to the occupiers' logistics."

The Neptune missile system, originally designed as Ukraine's ground-launched anti-ship weapon with a 300-kilometer range, gained international attention in April 2022 when Ukrainian forces used it to sink the Moskva, Russia's Black Sea Fleet flagship. The country has since developed multiple upgraded variants of the missile.

Surveillance cameras captured the moment of impact at the Oryol plant, showing a massive explosion. Residents in Oryol city reported hearing blasts during the night, Russian opposition outlet Astra said. The channel's analysis of footage revealed two separate strikes on the facility, which triggered power outages throughout the city.

Oryol Oblast Governor Andrey Klychkov offered a different account, claiming the plant was damaged by "debris from intercepted drones" that struck "power supply equipment." He reported no fires or casualties and said emergency crews were responding. Repairs were underway and electricity had been "almost completely restored," Klychkov stated.

Before the attack, the governor had issued warnings about missile threats in the oblast. Residents told Astra the explosions didn't sound like drone strikes.

The Oryol TPP operates with an electrical capacity of at least 330 megawatts. RIR Energo owns the facility—one of Russia's largest territorial power companies and a subsidiary of state energy giant Rosatom.

Multiple explosions also rocked the Russian cities of Vladimir and Yaroslavl overnight, Russian Telegram channels reported. Local residents said air defense systems were active in both locations.

Open-source investigators at Astra identified an electrical substation in Vladimir as the target of those attacks. The "Vladimir" substation, with a capacity around 4,010 MVA, functions as a central node in the region's power grid.

Vladimir Oblast Governor Alexander Avdeyev confirmed a strike on infrastructure near the city but didn't specify the substation. "The enemy carried out an attack on infrastructure near the city of Vladimir. All systems are currently operating normally. Specialists are working on site," he said.

In Yaroslavl, explosions were reported near the Novo-Yaroslavsky oil refinery—Russia's fifth-largest, processing 15 million tons of crude oil annually. The Kyiv Independent could not independently verify these reports.

The Ukrainian strikes followed a Russian mass attack on Ukraine's energy infrastructure the previous night. On 30 October, Russian forces launched missiles and drones against multiple thermal power plants across Ukraine, according to DTEK, the country's largest private energy company.

Later that same day, Russia struck the Sloviansk Thermal Power Plant in Donetsk Oblast, killing two people and injuring others.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy characterized Russia's targeting of Ukrainian energy facilities as "exclusively terror."

Russian forces struck Mykolaiv with a ballistic missile on the morning of 1 September, killing one person and injuring 15 others, according to Vitaliy Kim, head of the Mykolaiv Regional Military Administration.

The attack occurred at approximately 7:20 am when Russian forces launched what is preliminarily identified as an Iskander-M ballistic missile with a cluster warhead at the city, Kim said.

Among the 15 injured are victims with varying degrees of severity. A child was wounded in the strike, with doctors assessing the condition as moderate, according to the regional administration.

The missile damaged a gas station and multiple vehicles in the area.

Mykolaiv Mayor Oleksandr Senkevych confirmed the attack. He expressed condolences to the family of the person killed and wished a speedy recovery to those injured.

Ukraine's State Emergency Service reported that rescue workers were deployed to eliminate hazards at the strike site. Crews worked to wash away spilled fuel using water and air-mechanical foam to prevent ignition, the service said.

On 16 October, Russian forces attacked Mykolaiv with guided aerial bombs for the first time since the full-scale invasion began. That attack resulted in no casualties.

Russian forces have maintained consistent strikes on civilian targets in Mykolaiv throughout the full-scale invasion, attacks that constitute war crimes under international humanitarian law.

Ukrainian law enforcement has identified and charged five Russian soldiers with the execution of 17 civilians during the occupation of Bucha, Kyiv Oblast, in 2022, according to the Main Directorate of Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense.

Working in coordination with the National Police, HUR published the names and personal data of the occupiers from the 234th Assault Regiment of the 76th Division of the Russian Armed Forces.

The identified suspects are:

Lieutenant Yurii Kim, born in 1997, platoon commander of the fourth assault company of the second battalion tactical group, native of the Moscow region. He lives in Moscow region.

Private Yevgenii Meshalkin, born in 2001, shooter-operator of the second BTG, native of Tyumen region. He live in Tyumen region.

Senior Sergeant Anatolii Pavlov, born in 1990, gun commander of the second self-propelled artillery battery of the second BTG, native of Chuvashia. He lives in Pskov.

Senior Sergeant Shamil Hasanhuliev, squad commander and combat vehicle commander of the fourth assault company of the second BTG, native of Pskov. He lives in Pskov.

Senior Soldier Pavlo Kretinin, born in 1985, deputy platoon commander and squad commander of the second BTG, native of Voronezh region. He lives in Pskov.

HUR reported that "the indicated persons are involved in murders, torture, attempts to conceal war crimes by burning the bodies of executed Bucha residents, as well as threats to the civilian population during the Russian occupation of the city."

On 23 October, intelligence and the resistance movement eliminated Russian paratroopers of the 247th Caucasian Cossack Regiment in Stavropol. The unit's soldiers "distinguished themselves" with numerous war crimes during the full-scale invasion.

On 27 October, HUR reported that reconnaissance forces struck Russian positions on the Zaporizhzhia front. The attack killed the son of Lieutenant General Arkadii Marzoev, who is implicated in war crimes in Kherson.

Ukrainian air defense systems intercepted 206 out of 223 attack drones launched by Russian forces in an overnight assault, the Air Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported.

Russia deployed Shahed, Gerber, and other types of unmanned aerial vehicles from multiple locations including Kursk, Millerovo, Bryansk, Orel, Primorsko-Akhtarsk, and Gvardeyskoye in temporarily occupied Crimea. Approximately 140 of the launched drones were Shaheds, according to the military statement.

"Aviation, anti-aircraft missile forces, electronic warfare units and unmanned systems units, and mobile fire groups of the Defense Forces repelled the air attack," the Air Forces reported.

The defense systems neutralized 206 Russian UAVs of the Shahed, Gerber and other types in the northern, southern and eastern regions of the country.

Military forces recorded 17 drone impacts across seven locations. Poltava Oblast came under fire during the night. "The enemy hit a gas extraction industry facility," the Air Forces reported.

The Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defence carried out a special operation on 31 October that disabled the "Koltsevoy" oil pipeline in the Ramensky district of the Moscow Oblast, the HUR reported.

All three lines that transported gasoline, diesel, and aviation fuel exploded simultaneously during the operation. The facility is currently not operational, according to intelligence data.

The pipeline extends 400 kilometers and received fuel from refineries in Ryazan, Nizhny Novgorod, and Moscow. The infrastructure had the capacity to pump up to 3 million tons of aviation fuel, 2.8 million tons of diesel fuel, and up to 1.6 million tons of gasoline annually.

"This operation dealt a serious blow to the military capabilities of the aggressor state," the HUR emphasized, adding that it also impacted the Russian economy.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has dismissed media reports claiming President Donald Trump authorized military strikes against Venezuelan targets.

"Your 'sources' who claim to 'know about the situation' tricked you into writing a fake article," Rubio wrote on X.

The denial came hours after the Miami Herald reported Friday that the Trump administration had decided to attack military facilities in Venezuela. The newspaper stated the strikes could occur at any moment and would target military sites allegedly used for illegal drug trafficking operations.

Trump also denied approving any strikes on Venezuelan military facilities.

The Miami Herald's report suggested the planned operations would focus on destroying infrastructure connected to narcotics smuggling routes.

Germany has expressed concerns that Trump's anti-drug enforcement measures could push cartels to redirect their operations toward Europe, Yevropeyska Pravda previously reported.

Amid a US military buildup in the Caribbean, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has requested military assistance from Russia, China, and Iran, according to internal US government documents obtained by The Washington Post.

The requests to Moscow were made in a letter intended for Russian President Vladimir Putin, to be delivered by a senior aide during a visit to the Russian capital this month, the documents show.

Maduro asked Russia to help restore several Russian Sukhoi Su-30MK2 aircraft previously purchased by Venezuela, overhaul eight engines and five radars, and acquire 14 sets of what were believed to be Russian missiles. He also requested unspecified "logistical support" and a "medium-term financing plan of three years" through Rostec, the Russian state-owned defense conglomerate, though no specific amount was mentioned.

In the letter, Maduro emphasized that Russian-made Sukhoi fighters "represented the most important deterrent the Venezuelan National Government had when facing the threat of war," according to the US records.

The Venezuelan president also composed a letter to Chinese President Xi Jinping seeking "expanded military cooperation" between their two countries to counter "the escalation between the US and Venezuela." In that missive, he asked the Chinese government to expedite Chinese companies' production of radar detection systems.

"In the missive, Maduro emphasized the seriousness of perceived US aggression in the Caribbean, framing US military action against Venezuela as action against China due to their shared ideology," the US documents state.

Transport Minister Ramón Celestino Velásquez recently coordinated a shipment of military equipment and drones from Iran while planning a visit to that country, the documents say. He told an Iranian official that Venezuela was in need of "passive detection equipment," "GPS scramblers" and "almost certainly drones with 1,000 km [600 mile] range," the documents state.

It remains unclear from the documents how Russia, China and Iran responded to these requests.

Russia's restrained response

On 26 October, an Ilyushin Il-76—one of the Russian aircraft sanctioned in 2023 by the United States for participating in the arms trade and transporting mercenaries—arrived in Caracas after a circuitous route over Africa to avoid Western airspace, according to Flightradar24.

The Kremlin declined to comment on the letter, but on the evening of 31 October, the Foreign Ministry said Moscow supports Venezuela "in defending its national sovereignty" and stands "ready to respond appropriately to the requests of our partners in light of emerging threats."

Moscow also recently ratified a new strategic treaty with Caracas.

However, the official messaging from Moscow on the Trump administration's actions against Venezuela has been relatively restrained. In early October, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov "expressed serious concern over the increasing escalation of Washington's activities in the Caribbean Sea" in a call with his Venezuelan counterpart.

On 29 October, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Moscow "respects Venezuela's sovereignty" and believes the issue should be resolved in accordance with "international law"—a common talking point the Kremlin often employs to sidestep sensitive geopolitical questions.

US military pressure

The US military buildup in the Caribbean is presenting perhaps the greatest challenge to Maduro since he took over the country's leadership in 2013.

More than a dozen US strikes on alleged drug traffickers, largely departing from Venezuelan shores, have killed at least 61 people since September. The administration has not presented proof that the ships were involved in drug trafficking, and Maduro has denied they were.

The USS Gerald Ford, the Navy's heaviest and most modern aircraft carrier, has been dispatched to the region.

"The fact that we've moved over 10 percent of our naval assets to the Caribbean is already a win, in some regards, for Putin," said James Story, a former US ambassador to Venezuela and founding partner of Global Frontier Advisors. "Our renewed interest in all things Western Hemisphere divides our attention on Ukraine. And that's a good thing for Putin."

Russia's shifting priorities

Defense analysts say Moscow has shifted some of its key Latin American listening posts from Venezuela to Nicaragua, where pro-Russian authoritarian President Daniel Ortega has solidified his grip on power.

"The reality is that Russia has been relatively quiet on Venezuela," said Douglas Farah, president of the national security consulting firm IBI Consultants. "And they've spent very little political capital defending Maduro."

Mired in a war in Ukraine and eyeing closer cooperation with other Latin American partners, Moscow has gradually curtailed its interest in Venezuela in recent years with little sign of a surge in support because of the current crisis.

With its forces tied up in Ukraine, Russia is also less capable of assisting a friendly leader across the Atlantic, even if it wanted to.

"Would Russia do anything [in case of a US operation]? I think it is not in the immediate plans of the Russian authorities," said Victor Jeifets, editor in chief of Russian scientific journal "Latin America."

The cooperation treaty with Venezuela stops short of a real military pledge. Jeifets said the treaty, which covers topics including money laundering and nuclear proliferation, is vague on military cooperation, simply suggesting that the two parties "improve ties in the field of defense."

Questionable military capabilities

Analysts and officials familiar with the Venezuelan military say much of what was purchased from Russia is nonoperational or outdated. One former Venezuelan military official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity out of fear of reprisals, said that by 2018, Venezuela had fewer than five Russian-built Sukhois operating.

"Chávez bought, or Russia sold Venezuela, pure junk," he said.

Maduro this month, however, claimed Venezuela had deployed 5,000 Russian-made Igla-S portable surface-to-air missiles nationwide.

What Russia stands to lose

The political and economic ties between Russia and Venezuela date to Hugo Chavez following his rise to power in 1999. High-profile projects between the two countries continue to roll out, including a Kalashnikov munitions factory that opened in July in the Venezuelan state of Aragua, about 20 years after it was pledged. Moscow also has exploration rights for potentially billions of dollars in untapped natural gas and oil reserves.

Russian state companies have direct investments in three Venezuelan joint ventures that produce 107,000 barrels of crude per day, or about 11 percent of Venezuela's total current production and generate approximately $67 million a month, said Francisco Monaldi, director of the Latin American Energy Program at Rice University.

Russia is still a major player in Venezuelan oil, a thick sludgy crude product requiring substantial processing. The Russians provide essential inputs for processing that crude as well as supplies of gasoline to keep the industry running.

A regime change in Venezuela would be a major blow to Moscow, potentially representing the loss of a major ally while significantly weakening another, Cuba—an even longer-standing ally of Moscow's whose intelligence community is closely intertwined with Maduro's Venezuela.

"The Last Prometheus of Donbas": a film about Ukrainian energy workers to be presented at a festival in Germany

The official trailer for the documentary "The Last Prometheus of Donbas" has been released, UP.Kultura reports in a press release.

The film is directed by Anton Shtuka, known for his work on "Caution! Life Continues", which made the list of films submitted by the Ukrainian Oscar Committee for selection for the 2025 awards.

The world premiere will take place at the international FilmFestival Cottbus, running from November 4 to 9 in Cottbus, Germany. The festival is considered the most authoritative in Europe for discovering new directorial talent.

"The Last Prometheus of Donbas" follows workers at the Kurakhove Thermal Power Plant. Ten kilometers from the front line, under constant shelling, power engineers continue operating the last active power plant in the unoccupied part of Donetsk region.

"When the station starts up and smoke rises above the horizon, Russian forces immediately open fire. Despite the danger, the power engineers do not leave their workstations – until the shelling finally destroys key elements of the station. Then the evacuation begins – of people, equipment, life. The story repeats itself: as in 1941, when Soviet factories evacuated to the East, only this time the path leads in the opposite direction – away from the imperial invaders from Russia," the description states.

The film was produced by !Attention Films with support from the State Film Agency of Ukraine, the Ukrainian Cultural Foundation, and Kyivstar_TV, Ukrainian providing operator company.

Canada has expedited a $10 million payment to Ukraine's energy sector as Russian strikes continue to target power infrastructure ahead of winter, the Canadian government announced.

The early disbursement is part of Canada's $70 million contribution to the Ukraine Energy Support Fund, an initiative led by the Energy Community Secretariat. Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand said the payment will help repair critical energy infrastructure damaged by Russian attacks.

"As winter descends and Russia once again targets essential civilian infrastructure, the need for energy support is urgent," Anand said. "In response, Canada is accelerating efforts to help restore Ukraine's critical energy systems and support Ukrainians through the harsh months ahead."

The Energy Community Secretariat has allocated approximately $50 million of Canada's total contribution to procure and deliver natural gas compressors for Ukraine's Kharkiv region, according to the announcement. The equipment is needed to restore energy supply and stabilize the system before winter.

The decision to fast-track the compressor delivery comes in response to increased attacks on natural gas facilities in recent weeks.

"Canada's swift actions demonstrate our unwavering support for Ukraine's energy sector during these difficult times," said Randeep Sarai, Secretary of State for International Development. "This assistance will help Ukrainian energy companies restore essential inventory and maintain stable operations."

Energy and Natural Resources Minister Tim Hodgson connected energy security to national defense. "Energy security is national security," Hodgson said. "By supporting Ukraine's power systems, infrastructure, and technical capacity, we are supporting freedom, stability, and the shared security of democracies everywhere."

The funding is part of nearly $22 billion in economic, military, humanitarian, development, security, stabilization and immigration assistance Canada has provided to Ukraine since the start of the full-scale invasion.

Norway recently announced approximately $150 million for Ukraine's electricity and heating needs before winter, while Sweden allocated 35 million euros through the World Bank for winter assistance.

Canada has filed court proceedings to seize a Russian-registered Antonov An-124 cargo aircraft that has been grounded at Toronto Pearson International Airport since February 2022, with plans to transfer it to Ukraine if the forfeiture is successful.

Foreign Minister Anita Anand announced the government's court action on 31 October during the Group of Seven energy and environment ministers' summit in Toronto. The aircraft is owned by the Volga-Dnepr Group, a company Canada has placed under sanctions.

"The Antonov aircraft stands as a powerful symbol of accountability," Anand said at a news conference. "Those who enable Russia's war will face consequences and Ukraine will not be left to rebuild alone."

The An-124 ranks among the world's largest cargo aircraft. Canadian officials have previously indicated Russia could use the plane to transport military supplies in support of its war against Ukraine.

According to Anand, determining the plane's ownership structure proved complex. The government launched its court action earlier this year, and officials are now exploring multiple pathways to transfer the aircraft to Ukraine, including both judicial and legislative processes.

"I will say that Russia completely obliterated some of Ukraine's Antonov aircraft that were in Ukraine at the beginning of the war. And so this is in a sense replenishing the Antonov fleet," Anand said.

Bloomberg reports that the Attorney General of Canada initiated the forfeiture proceedings in May 2025 for the An-124, known as "Ruslan," which belongs to the Russian airline Volga-Dnepr.

During her opening remarks at the summit, Anand condemned Russia's strategy of "barbarically attacking Ukrainian civilians and civilian infrastructure, kindergartens, apartment blocks, seniors' homes and hospitals," as well as its strikes on Ukraine's energy infrastructure.

The Canadian government also announced it will accelerate the disbursement of the remaining C$10 million ($7.1 million) from a C$70 million commitment for Ukraine's power grid reconstruction, allowing those funds to repair facilities damaged by Russian attacks.

Polish fighter jets intercepted a Russian Il-20 reconnaissance aircraft over the Baltic Sea on the morning of 31 October, marking the third such incident in a week, the Operational Command of the Polish Armed Forces reports.

A pair of Polish MiG-29s were scrambled around 09:00 on 31 October to intercept the Russian Il-20 flying over the Baltic Sea. The Russian aircraft was operating without a filed flight plan and with its transponder switched off, posing a potential threat to air traffic safety in the region, according to the Operational Command.

Polish pilots intercepted and identified the foreign aircraft, which was escorted in accordance with NATO procedures. No violation of Polish airspace occurred.

The incident follows two similar interceptions earlier in the week. On 29 October, two Polish fighters intercepted and escorted a Russian Il-20 out of the zone of responsibility. The next day, 30 October, Poland intercepted another Russian reconnaissance aircraft over the Baltic Sea.

The pattern of three interceptions within a week confirms increased Russian aviation activity in the region, the Operational Command notes.

New Zealand announced on 30 October it is imposing sanctions on 65 additional shadow fleet vessels and seven entities connected to Russia's oil trade, along with two individuals from Belarus, Iran and North Korea involved in refining and transporting Russian oil.

Foreign Minister Winston Peters made the announcement during meetings with Nordic 5 foreign ministers in Stockholm. The sanctions target actors "part of a broader network enabling the trade in Russian oil, undermining global efforts to curtail funding for Russia's illegal war," Peters said in a statement.

The shadow fleet consists of tankers that transport sanctioned cargoes from countries including Iran, Russia and Venezuela while concealing their operations through fake locations, documents and vessel names.

"By targeting the oil supply chain, New Zealand is acting decisively in support of international efforts to bring Russia to the negotiating table," Peters said.

The timing follows Reuters reporting Tuesday that Maritime Mutual, a small insurer based in New Zealand, had facilitated trade worth tens of billions of dollars in Iranian and Russian oil by providing insurance to vessels evading Western sanctions. The coverage enables these ships to enter ports that require proof of insurance.

The sanctions expand New Zealand's measures against Russia's energy sector, specifically targeting the financial mechanisms and transportation networks that allow sanctioned oil to reach global markets.

Three EU member states are maintaining unilateral import bans on Ukrainian agricultural products despite a new trade agreement designed to resolve the dispute, prompting the European Commission to warn that "all options are on the table" for enforcement action.

Poland, Hungary and Slovakia have refused to lift restrictions on Ukrainian grain and other farm products, even as a revised EU-Ukraine trade deal came into force this week. The national bans violate single market rules that prohibit member states from erecting trade barriers independently.

"We see no justification for maintaining these national measures," Commission Deputy Spokesperson Olof Gill said, one day after the updated agreement took effect.

The standoff highlights the political sensitivity of EU trade relations with Kyiv, with the three capitals effectively challenging Brussels to choose between enforcing the pact and maintaining unity with member states.

Poland's agriculture ministry told POLITICO earlier this week that government restrictions "do not automatically lift" under the new EU deal and remain in force. Hungary's Agriculture Minister István Nagy said Budapest will maintain national-level protections, accusing Brussels of "prioritizing Ukrainian interests." Slovak Agriculture Minister Richard Takáč called the new deal's safeguards "not strong enough" to protect local producers.

When pressed on whether the Commission had ruled out launching infringement proceedings against the countries, Gill replied: "All options are on the table." In an email, he said the EU executive would "intensify its contact" with the three capitals.

Brussels has avoided taking legal action since the bans were introduced in 2023, hoping the revised trade agreement would render them unnecessary. Officials familiar with the talks say political calculations are influencing the Commission's restraint. Court action against Poland could damage relations with Donald Tusk's pro-EU government, while targeting only Hungary and Slovakia would create the appearance of double standards.

The updated agreement, approved by EU countries on 13 Oct., replaces temporary trade liberalization introduced after Russia's 2022 invasion. It provides a framework for Ukrainian exports while adding safeguards for European farmers.

The Pentagon has given the green light to supply Ukraine with Tomahawk missiles, informing the White House that such a transfer would not negatively impact US stockpiles, CNN reports citing three American and European officials.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff communicated their assessment to the White House in early October, just before Donald Trump's meeting in Washington with Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who had been pushing for the missiles.

However, during that meeting, Trump told Zelenskyy he would prefer not to provide the missiles because "we don't want to give away what we need to defend our country," according to the report.

The Pentagon's assessment encouraged US European allies, who believe there are now fewer reasons not to provide the missiles, two European officials said. Days before meeting Zelensky, Trump had also stated that the US has "many Tomahawks" that could potentially be supplied to Ukraine.

American and European officials were therefore surprised when Trump abruptly reversed his position just days later, declaring during opening remarks at a working lunch with Zelensky that the US needs the Tomahawks. Behind closed doors, he then told Zelensky that the US would not provide the missiles "at least for now."

Trump's decision came the day after a phone call with Russian leader Vladimir Putin, who told the US president that Tomahawks could strike major Russian cities including Moscow and St. Petersburg, and that this would not significantly affect combat operations but would damage US-Russia relations.

CNN sources previously reported that Trump has not abandoned the idea of supplying the missiles, and the administration has prepared plans for their rapid delivery to Ukraine if Trump gives the order.

While the Pentagon has no concerns about stockpiles, the US military is still working out how Ukraine would be trained to use and deploy the missiles, the sources said. Several operational issues still need to be resolved for Ukraine to use the missiles effectively.

One unresolved question is how Ukraine would launch the missiles if the US provides them. Tomahawks are typically launched from ships or submarines, but Ukraine's Navy is severely depleted, meaning the missiles would likely need to be launched from land. The US Marine Corps and Army have developed ground-based launchers that could be provided to Ukraine.

Even if the US chooses not to provide the launchers, European officials believe Ukraine could find a way.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte previously stated that providing Ukraine with Tomahawk missiles remains "under consideration" by Trump.

President Volodymyr Zelensky said that during the meeting, Trump did not say "no" regarding the possibility of supplying long-range Tomahawk missiles, but he also did not say "yes."

Germany's Development Minister Svenja Schulze arrived in Kyiv on 30 October to encourage German companies to invest in Ukraine's reconstruction, reports DPA.

Schulze arrived in Ukraine overnight as the country endured one of the most severe Russian air attacks since the full-scale invasion began.

"Russia is attacking Ukraine with ever greater intensity. People die every day, air raid sirens sound every day, fear prevails every day," she said.

In Kyiv, the minister met with Deputy Prime Minister for Reconstruction Oleksiy Kuleba and urged German businesses to participate more actively in the country's recovery.

"Ukraine's reconstruction is impossible without a strong economy. That is why we continue to support the resilience of Ukrainian companies. Reconstruction also opens up opportunities for the German economy," Schulze stated.

According to the minister, the funds needed for Ukraine's reconstruction "cannot be financed exclusively through budget financing," and the country needs private investment.

Germany ranks among Ukraine's most important donors in its fight against Russia's full-scale invasion and recently overtook the United States as the largest provider of military aid.

Since the war began in February 2022, Germany's Development Ministry has provided Ukraine with €2 billion ($2.16 billion) in assistance.

Germany recently contributed €60 million ($65 million) to the Energy Support Fund for Ukraine to accelerate the supply of generators, energy equipment, and mobile thermal power plants.

The country has also committed to providing Ukraine with nine billion euros annually over the coming years.