US private equity firm Carlyle is considering acquiring Lukoil’s foreign assets, Reuters reports. The potential deal is unfolding under the pressure of a looming 21 November deadline, when Washington's sanctions will block all transactions with the Russian oil giant.

Carlyle "exploring options to buy" Lukoil’s global oil assets before sanctions lockout

American company Carlyle has begun exploring the purchase of Lukoil’s foreign holdings, sources familiar with the situation told Reuters. The assets are estimated at $22 billion and include refineries, oilfields, and fuel stations across multiple continents. Carlyle has informed Lukoil of its interest but has not yet begun due diligence.

Before it can proceed, Carlyle plans to apply for a US government license to make the deal legal under existing sanctions. The firm could still walk away from the deal, Reuters reports, depending on the outcome of the license application and timing constraints.

Gunvor pushed out after US calls it Kremlin “puppet”

Lukoil had previously tried to sell the same assets to Swiss commodities trader Gunvor. But the US Treasury blocked the transaction, Reuters reported, labeling Gunvor a Kremlin “puppet.” The move forced Gunvor to withdraw. That left Carlyle, which experts told Reuters is more likely to win approval from Washington. 

Lukoil has applied for an extension of the 21 November deadline, Reuters reported earlier this week. If the deadline stands, deals involving the company will be banned after that date.

$22 billion portfolio spans oilfields, refineries, and retail stations worldwide

Lukoil’s foreign assets produce 0.5% of the world’s oil and include three refineries in Europe, stakes in oilfields in Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Iraq, Mexico, Ghana, Egypt and Nigeria, and hundreds of fuel stations — including some in the US.

The company’s total global output amounts to about 2% of worldwide oil production. Its foreign portfolio, based on 2024 filings, is valued at roughly $22 billion.

During fighting near Vovchansk in Kharkiv Oblast, soldiers from Ukraine's 120th Separate Brigade of the Territorial Defense Forces have captured a foreign mercenary.

He turned out to be 25-year-old Iraqi citizen Alimari Kamal Nabil Khalaf, who spoke of blackmail, beatings, and inhumane conditions within the Russian army.

Ukrainian soldiers are usually suspicious when hearing information like that, as such stories are common among captured Russian soldiers.

“20 years in prison or the front line”: How the Iraqi citizen was lured into fighting

Alimari Kamal Nabil Khalaf, a native of Kirkuk, served in the 82nd Motorized Rifle Regiment of Russia’s 69th Motorized Rifle Division.

He had arrived in Russia on a tourist visa and was working in a restaurant when police detained him for lacking a work permit.

“He was given a choice: 20 years in prison or a contract with the Russian Defense Ministry,” Ukraine's brigade reported.

The prisoner admitted he agreed to the deal to avoid prison but later “realized it was hell.”

“We were beaten and humiliated”: Life of foreigners in the Russian army

“I chose the contract, but then I understood it was hell. We were beaten, humiliated, treated like animals,” said Alimari.

According to him, during “training,” he was surrounded by other foreigners from Kenya and Ghana, who were also beaten and forced to perform dangerous missions without any preparation.

He confessed that Russia had “destroyed his life” and thanked Ukrainian soldiers for their humane treatment. 

“I thank the Ukrainian soldiers for sparing my life and treating me like a human being," added Alimari. 

The cynicism of “contracts”: Migrants sent to die

The 120th Brigade emphasized that this is the true face of Russian “contracts” with their blackmail, coercion, and death.

“Behind the loud talk of ‘foreign volunteers’ lies the cynical exploitation of migrants, sent to die, and then erased as if they never existed,” the Ukrainian soldiers concluded.

Editor's note: This story is being updated.

Iran launched multiple missiles at U.S. military bases in the Middle East, targeting sites in Qatar and Iraq, a day after the U.S. conducted air strikes on nuclear sites in Iran.

At least 10 missiles were reportedly fired at the Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar and at least one toward a base in Iraq, Axios reported, citing an Israeli source.

The U.S. Defense Department confirmed that Iran launched several short- and medium-range missiles at Al Udeid Air Base, the New York Times reported. According to the Pentagon, there have been no reports of American casualties.

President Donald Trump downplayed Iran's response to the recent U.S. strike on its nuclear facilities, describing Tehran’s retaliation as limited and largely ineffective. "There have been 14 missiles fired — 13 were knocked down, and 1 was 'set free,' because it was headed in a nonthreatening direction," Trump said in a statement on Truth Social. He emphasized that no Americans were harmed and that the damage was minimal.

Trump went on to say, "Most importantly, they’ve gotten it all out of their ‘system,’ and there will, hopefully, be no further HATE." Ending on a conciliatory note, Trump added that he would "enthusiastically encourage Israel" to pursue peace in the region.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian wrote on X that his country "neither initiated the war nor wanted it, but we will not leave the aggression against the great Iran unanswered."

Iran's targeting of U.S. assets marks a dangerous widening of the conflict, raising fears of further destabilization in the region.

The missile strikes come in response to the June 21 U.S. air campaign that targeted three nuclear facilities in Iran — Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan — as Washington joined Israel's military operation against Tehran's nuclear program.

The escalation follows Israel's June 13 attack that prompted Iran to retaliate with missile attacks on Tel Aviv and other cities, killing multiple civilians, including five Ukrainian citizens.

Iran is a key supplier of weapons to Russia, including Shahed-type drones and ballistic missiles used in attacks on Ukrainian cities. Israel, which hosts a significant Russian-speaking population, has not joined Western sanctions against Moscow.

On June 13, Kyiv expressed concern over the security situation in the Middle East, describing Tehran as a "source of problems" in the region and beyond.

‘It was impossible to look at’ — Russian mass missile, drone attack on Kyiv kills at least 9, injures 33

Russia launched a wave of missile and drone attacks on Kyiv and surrounding region overnight on June 23.

The Kyiv IndependentLucy Pakhnyuk