Ukrainian forces have reportedly targeted an oil refinery as fires and explosions were reported across southern Russia, according to the Kyiv Independent citing the Ukrainian channel Exilenova Plus.
It follows statements made by President Volodymyr Zelensky that every Ukrainian power plant has been damaged by Russian attacks.
“The Russians use Shaheds and missiles to strike even the energy equipment that our nuclear power plants depend on. Every power plant in Ukraine has suffered from Russian attacks in one way or another,” he said in an address to participants of the 30th Ibero-American Summit on Thursday.
Meanwhile, Donald Trump has claimed that Russia's war on Ukraine was close to being settled and that ending it might involve all of Europe.
Trump said he met privately with Russian special envoy Kirill Dmitriev at the White House as first lady, Melania Trump, hosted representatives from Kyiv and Moscow.
"It's going to be a big agreement, and it's going to involve more than Ukraine ... I could even say it might involve all of Europe. It's going to be a big, beautiful agreement, and everyone's going to be thrilled," Trump said.
Read MoreTrump teases ‘big agreement’ after meeting Putin envoy but not with Ukrainian officials
Melania Trump pushes for peace at meeting with Putin envoy and Ukraine officials at White House
Trump’s diesel deal with Putin in shambles after Russian tankers turn away from US due to sanctions
Tankers carrying Russian diesel change course, raising doubts about shipments to US
Key Points
- Trump meets with Putin envoy and says 'beautiful agreement' with Ukraine could be close
- UK breaks with Trump by refusing to invite Putin to G20 summit
- Russia says it struck energy facility in Kyiv region
- Iran's security chief meets Russia's Putin
- Zelensky calls Russian strike on school ‘insane’ as death toll reaches 40
Zelensky seeks Latin America's help to restore damaged power plant
15:00 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarPresident Volodymyr Zelensky said Russian strikes have damaged every power plant in Ukraine as he urged Latin American leaders to send help "as soon as possible" to save his country's power grid.
“Every power plant in Ukraine has been damaged in one way or another by attacks,” he said at a summit in Madrid.
“We need as much international cooperation as possible to continue rebuilding and repairing our energy system,” he said.
"We need equipment that works with our power grid and we need it fast. So please support directly to have connections with your companies, with your productions and get these supplies to Ukraine as quick as possible," Zelensky added.
The situation in Oleshky has been dire
14:30 , Rituparna ChatterjeeFood and medical supplies had been scarce for months in Oleshky, once a city of about 24,000 residents that sits on the Dnipro River separating Ukrainian forces from the city’s Russian occupiers. There is no electricity, heat or running water.
Oleshky was captured by Moscow’s forces on the first day of Russia’s full-scale invasion. Its buildings were shelled and burned, and its infrastructure damaged.
In June 2023, floodwaters inundated the city after the Kakhovka Dam collapsed from an explosion that an Associated Press investigation found was likely caused by the Russian military.
Hundreds of residents were killed.Those left in the city along Ukraine’s southeastern front face death from hunger or disease as another harsh winter looms.
Ukraine has appealed repeatedly for a local ceasefire to organize evacuations.
Russia, as the occupying power, is obligated by international law to ensure civilians under its control have what they need to survive.
US first lady Melania Trump presented Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelenskyy's representatives with large white envelopes and asked them to deliver her personal letter to each leader.
EU foreign policy chief agrees with Meloni on need for single voice
14:00 , Rituparna ChatterjeeEuropean Union foreign policy chief Kaya Kallas said she agrees with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni that the EU should not speak with different voices.
"We should remain united to say that clearly these things that Russia wants also require European decision.
If we are united in sending out this message, then actually we are also taken into account," she said in Lisbon where she met with Portuguese Foreign Minister Paulo Rangel.
US says NATO talks on Ukraine were productive
13:30 , Maira ButtThe United States, NATO, Ukraine and European partners held productive and substantive talks on resolving the conflict in Ukraine on Thursday, US envoy Jared Kushner posted on X, ahead of discussions next week in Abu Dhabi involving Kyiv and Moscow.
Kyiv strikes oil refinery as Zelensky admits ‘every Ukrainian power plant’ damaged
13:00 , Maira ButtUkrainian forces have reportedly targeted an oil refinery as fires and explosions were reported across southern Russia, according to the Kyiv Independent citing the Ukrainian channel Exilenova Plus.
It follows statements made by President Volodymyr Zelensky that every Ukrainian power plant has been damaged by Russian attacks.
“The Russians use Shaheds and missiles to strike even the energy equipment that our nuclear power plants depend on. Every power plant in Ukraine has suffered from Russian attacks in one way or another,” he said in an address to participants of the 30th Ibero-American Summit on Thursday.
Melania Trump says she is 'involved in every stage of planning' for short-term ceasefire
12:30 , Rituparna ChatterjeeMelania Trump has said she was "involved in every stage of the planning" for the short-term ceasefire in Oleshky, which included reviewing aerial photos and evaluating road and hospital access.
President Trump, who did not attend, praised his wife’s role in the Oleshky ceasefire, remarking to reporters in October that "she does better than our professionals."
"We have chosen humanity over war," the first lady said.
"We must use the courage we brought to Oleshky to find common ground through a shared concern for the suffering of innocent people," she added.
Trump teases ‘big agreement’ after meeting Putin envoy but not with Ukrainian officials
12:00 , Rituparna ChatterjeePresident Donald Trump confirmed holding talks with Vladimir Putin’s envoy at the White House on Thursday, but did not meet visiting Ukrainian officials.
Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, Trump acknowledged his conversation with Kirill Dmitriev. "I can’t tell you what I discussed," Trump said.
Asked if he had met Ukrainian representatives, Trump said he had not.
The Ukrainian GCSE is great – but there’s another language a million people are waiting for
11:30 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
The Ukrainian GCSE is great – but there’s a language a million people are waiting for
Fire breaks out at industrial facility in Russian town
11:00 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarA fire broke out at an industrial facility in the town of Afipsky in the southern Krasnodar region following a drone attack, the local emergency service said on Telegram, without providing details.
The town hosts the Afipsky oil refinery.
Another bout of strikes reportedly targeted the oil refinery during the early hours of the day.
Death toll from Russian bombing of Ukrainian aid point rises to 53
10:30 , Rituparna ChatterjeeThe death toll from Russia's bombing of an aid distribution point in Ukraine's southeastern Zaporizhzhia region on Monday has risen to 53, the acting regional governor said on Friday, making it one of the deadliest strikes on civilians this year.
In a post on the Telegram messaging app, Mykhailo Semikin said search and rescue work at the site in the village of Komyshuvakha had entered its fifth day.
Ukraine's Emergency Service had earlier said the toll was 50 and that search and rescue work was continuing despite difficult conditions and the constant threat of repeat Russian strikes.
Russia will ‘delay peace talks until spring’
10:00 , Rituparna ChatterjeeGitanas Nauseda, the president of Lithuania, has said Russia will delay peace talks until spring of 2027 and continue to attack Ukraine through the winter, according to reports.
“I don’t think Russia is currently ready for large-scale operations,” he said in an interview with WELT, the Politico reported.
“Russia’s resources are tied up on the Ukrainian battlefield, and Russia is not succeeding there.”
Zelensky says Russia has damaged 'every power plant' in Ukraine
09:30 , Rituparna ChatterjeeVolodymyr Zelensky has said Russia has damaged “every power plant in Ukraine”.
The Ukrainian president said at a summit in Madrid repair crews were working around the clock to fix the damage from the attacks.
“We need as much international cooperation as possible to continue rebuilding and repairing our energy system,” Guardian quoted him as saying at the meeting on the sidelines of a summit of the Ibero-American Community.
“We know that companies in Spain and Latin America can help with this, can support this,” Zelenskyy said. “We need equipment that works with our power grid, and we need it fast.”
Russian captain among 2 crew found guilty of damaging Baltic cables
09:00 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarA Finnish court has convicted the captain and another crew member of a cargo ship of damaging undersea telecommunications cables in the Baltic Sea late last year.
The Helsinki District Court found the two guilty of aggravated sabotage and gave them prison sentences.
The captain was sentenced to three years and six months, and the boatswain to two years and 10 months. National broadcaster Yle reported that the captain is Russian and the boatswain is Azerbaijani.
More here.
Russian captain among 2 crew found guilty by Finnish court of damaging Baltic cables
Russian strikes cause new outages in seven Ukrainian regions
08:30 , Rituparna ChatterjeeRussian attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure caused new power outages overnight and on Friday morning in seven Ukrainian regions, Deputy Energy Minister Artem Nekrasov said.
The affected regions are Vinnytsia, Dnipropetrovsk, Zhytomyr, Zaporizhzhia, Kyiv, Kharkiv and Chernihiv.
"The situation remains most difficult in the capital region," Nekrasov said, adding that utility workers were still having to impose network restrictions `because of heavy damage.
Trump's envoy says Brussels meeting with Ukraine was 'productive'
08:00 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarDonald Trump's rump envoy Jared Kushner said US officials meeting in Brussels held "productive and substantive discussions” with Ukraine, Nato and European partners on security guarantees for Ukraine and a broader European security architecture.
"We are working intensively with all parties to find practical solutions that can bring this war to an end and establish the foundations for lasting peace," he said in a social media post.
A US delegation is scheduled to mediate talks in Abu Dhabi from 10 to 11 November between representatives from Russia and Ukraine.
Trump’s diesel deal with Putin in shambles
07:00 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarPresident Donald Trump’s controversial diesel deal with Vladimir Putin appears to be unravelling as two Russian fuel tankers turned away from the US this week.
The US leader, whose party suffered a crushing defeat at the midterm elections this week, had risked political capital in Europe for the agreement, which appears to have done little for him domestically.
Russian tanker Talisman and the Hong Kong-owned Leruo abandoned the US Atlantic Coast as their originally declared destination, according to the Financial Times.
More here.
Trump’s diesel deal with Putin in shambles after Russian tankers turn away from US
Putin envoy says Oleshky ceasefire shows what can be achieved with cooperation
06:00 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarKirill Dmitriev, Russian president Vladimir Putin’s envoy, has said that the recent ceasefire with Ukraine in the Russian-controlled city of Oleshky showed what can be achieved when compassion, determination and cooperation come together.
In an event hosted by US first lady Melania Trump with Russian and Ukrainian officials, Dmitriev said Putin also appreciated the US president's peacemaking efforts.
Russia says it struck energy facility in Kyiv region
05:51 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarThe Russian military struck an energy storage battery facility in Ukraine's Kyiv region and a cargo vessel in the Black Sea port of Odesa, the Russian defence ministry said this morning.
It added that both were used for military purposes.
The attack comes less than 24 hours after Russian and Ukrainian representatives were hosted by the US first lady, Melania Trump, at the White House.
Meloni warns Europe risks irrelevance in Ukraine peace talks
05:00 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarItalian prime minister Giorgia Meloni said Europe risked becoming irrelevant in any Ukraine peace negotiations unless it ends competing diplomatic initiatives and agrees on a single representative empowered to speak on its behalf.
In a letter to EU Council president Antonio Costa, Meloni said the proliferation of different negotiating formats is making Europe less credible and giving the impression it is proceeding in "random order".
Meloni added that she is not seeking a place at the negotiating table for herself or Italy, but Rome will not accept commitments being negotiated without an EU mandate.
“All this is making us look utterly lacking in credibility in handling one of the most complicated dossiers our nations are facing,” she said.
Costa wrote back that he agreed, “Europe needs to act with coherence, unity and determination”
Russia bombards power station near Ukraine's Sumy
04:49 , Rituparna ChatterjeeRussian Aerospace Forces have bombarded a power station near the Ukrainian city of Sumy and a military brigade in the Zaporizhzhia region using a FAB-3000 aerial bomb, Russian newswires quoted the defence ministry as saying on Friday.
Trump teases ‘big agreement’ after meeting Putin envoy but not with Ukrainian officials
04:30 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarPresident Donald Trump confirmed holding talks with Vladimir Putin’s envoy at the White House on Thursday, but did not meet visiting Ukrainian officials.
Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, Trump acknowledged his conversation with Kirill Dmitriev. "I can’t tell you what I discussed," Trump said.
Asked if he had met Ukrainian representatives, Trump said he had not.
Officials from both countries were at the White House for an occasion honouring Melania Trump’s work brokering a ceasefire in Oleshky.
More here.
Trump teases 'big agreement' after meeting Putin envoy but not Ukrainian officials
Iran's security chief meets Russia's Putin
04:00 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarRussian president Vladimir Putin met Iranian top security official Mohsen Rezaei at the Kremlin, Iran's state media reported, after Iranian negotiators met with mediators to discuss proposals to end hostilities with the US.
Rezaei delivered a message from Iran's supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei to Putin, state media said. Putin's office also said the two met at the Kremlin.
“Important regional issues were discussed with Mr Putin, and significant conversations took place regarding the post-war period and regional security arrangements," Rezaei said after the meeting, referring to the war between Iran and the US.
Russian captain among 2 crew found guilty by Finnish court of damaging Baltic cables
03:00 , Maira ButtA Finnish court on Thursday convicted the captain and another crew member of a cargo ship of damaging undersea telecommunications cables in the Baltic Sea late last year.
The Helsinki District Court found the two guilty of aggravated sabotage and gave them prison sentences. The captain was sentenced to three years and six months, and the boatswain to two years and 10 months. National broadcaster Yle reported that the captain is Russian and the boatswain Azerbaijani.
The court also ordered them to pay compensation for the costs of examining and repairing the cables.
Russian captain among 2 crew found guilty by Finnish court of damaging Baltic cables
In pictures: Aftermath of drone strike in Donetsk
02:00 , Maira Butt
Iain Duncan Smith: The road to Taiwan runs through Kyiv
01:00 , Maira ButtRussia could not have continued fighting in Ukraine today had China not been actively involved in the war, former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith has said.
“I was at a conference in Warsaw the other day, and I complained because there was next to nothing said or debated about China. It was all about Russia. I understand that.
“But as long as we leave China out of the debate, we have surrendered completely to the real threat that we face,” he said on the sidelines of Annual Summit of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China.
He added: “I have said to the Americans on many occasions in Washington: the road to Taiwan runs through Kyiv. If we forget that, then we will have lost Taiwan because they will see us as weak.”
Watch: Zelensky calls Russian strike on school ‘insane’ as death toll reaches 40
00:01 , Maira ButtZelensky in Spain for Ibero-American summit
Thursday 5 November 2026 23:00 , Maira ButtUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in Spain for talks on boosting Kyiv's air defences and top-level meetings during the Ibero-American summit, the Ukrainian president said on the Telegram messaging app.
Zelensky, shown online being greeted as he stepped off his aircraft, also said he planned to speak with US officials in the run-up to planned three-way talks in Abu Dhabi next week, which will include Russia.
"Over these coming days, contacts with the American side are also planned," Zelensky wrote. "We're coordinating with our partners to achieve concrete results on security issues and the next steps toward peace."
Trump meets with Putin envoy and says 'beautiful agreement' with Ukraine could be close
Thursday 5 November 2026 22:06 , Harriette BoucherDonald Trump met with Vladimir Putin’s special envoy Kirill Dmitriev on Thursday and believes a “big, beautiful agreement” with Ukraine could be close.
He suggested that war could soon be over, but said bringing it to an end might involve all of Europe.
The president told reporters at the White House: “It's going to be an agreement. It's going to be a big agreement, and it's going to involve more than Ukraine... I could even say it might involve all of Europe.
“It's going to be a big, beautiful agreement, and everyone's going to be thrilled,” Trump said.
Seven killed in attacks on buses in Ukraine's Luhansk region
Thursday 5 November 2026 22:00 , Maira ButtSeven people were killed in Russian-controlled Ukraine's Luhansk region after two separate attacks on buses, Russian-installed governor Leonid Pasechnik said on MAX messenger on Thursday.
Fourteen people were injured, including two boys, aged 15 and 17, he added.
Trump’s diesel deal with Putin in shambles after Russian tankers turn away from US due to sanctions
Thursday 5 November 2026 21:00 , Maira ButtPresident Donald Trump’s controversial diesel deal with Vladimir Putin appears to be unravelling as two Russian fuel tankers turned away from the US this week.
The US leader, whose party suffered a crushing defeat at the midterm elections this week, had risked political capital in Europe for the agreement, which appears to have done little for him domestically.
Russian tanker Talisman and the Hong Kong-owned Leruo abandoned the US Atlantic Coast as their originally declared destination, according to the Financial Times.
Trump’s diesel deal with Putin in shambles after Russian tankers turn away from US
Full story: Melania Trump urges 'humanity over war' at meeting with Putin envoy and Ukraine officials at White House
Thursday 5 November 2026 20:00 , Maira ButtMelania Trump hosted representatives from Russia and Ukraine on Thursday at a White House event to recognize a recent six-day ceasefire she helped broker in the Russian-controlled city of Oleshky.
The event followed US officials' ramped-up efforts to secure a deal to end the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, which began when Russian forces invaded Ukraine in early 2022. A trilateral meeting with officials from the US, Ukraine and Russia is planned for November 10-11 in Abu Dhabi.
“We have chosen humanity over war,” the first lady said at the event. "We must use the courage we brought to Oleshky to find common ground through a shared concern for the suffering of innocent people," she added.
Melania Trump hosts Putin envoy and Ukraine officials at White House after ceasefire
Putin envoy says Oleshky ceasefire shows what can be achieved with cooperation
Thursday 5 November 2026 19:00 , Maira ButtKirill Dmitriev, Russian president Vladimir Putin’s envoy, has said that the recent ceasefire with Ukraine in the Russian-controlled city of Oleshky showed what can be achieved when compassion, determination and cooperation come together.
In an event hosted by US first lady Melania Trump with Russian and Ukrainian officials, Dmitriev said Putin also appreciated the US president's peacemaking efforts.
In pictures: Melania Trump meets Russian and Ukrainian officials at the White House
Thursday 5 November 2026 18:00 , Maira Butt
Ukraine lawmaker urges Melania Trump to continue efforts to end war
Thursday 5 November 2026 17:30 , Maira ButtSenior Ukrainian lawmaker David Arakhamia has urged US first lady Melania Trump to continue de-escalation efforts to end Russia's war against Ukraine in comments made on Thursday.
Arakhamia was speaking at an event hosted by Melania in Washington with Russian and Ukrainian officials.
Melania Trump says officials have chosen 'humanity over war'
Thursday 5 November 2026 17:00 , Maira ButtAt a meeting between Russian and US officials on Thursday, Melania Trump said that the group had chosen “humanity over war”.
“We have chosen humanity over war,” she said at the event held at the White House.
“We must use the courage we brought to Oleshky to find common ground through a shared concern for the suffering of innocent people.”
Watch: Zelensky calls Russian strike on school ‘insane’ as death toll reaches 40
Thursday 5 November 2026 16:25 , Maira ButtUK breaks with Trump by refusing to invite Putin to G20 summit
Thursday 5 November 2026 15:30 , Maira ButtBritish prime minister Andy Burnham has said that Russian president Vladimir Putin will not be invited to next year’s G20 summit, according to comments reported in The Economist.
Mr Burnham said: “No” when asked if the Russian leader would be invited to the event.
It marks a break with president Donald Trump, whose secretary of state Marco Rubio said in September that Washington had invited Putin to a G20 meeting in Miami in December.
Russia remains a member of the Group of Twenty despite largely becoming a pariah on the world stage following the invasion of Ukraine.
Canada refuses to play Russian ice hockey teams in protest against Moscow’s war in Ukraine
Thursday 5 November 2026 15:00 , Maroosha MuzaffarCanada has joined a growing group of countries refusing to play Russian ice hockey teams in protest against Moscow’s war in Ukraine.
Canadian prime minister Mark Carney said Russian players would not be allowed to compete at next month’s world junior championship in Canada.
He said: “While Russia and Belarus are supporting this illegal, unjustified, horrific war in Ukraine, as long as that’s going on, there will be none of those athletes competing for their countries in Canada.”
The move follows a Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) decision to lift the ban on Russian participation in International Ice Hockey Federation events, arguing that safety concerns “were not supported by sufficient evidence”.
The ban had been in place since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Finland, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Latvia and the Czech Republic have also opposed playing Russian teams.
Ukrainian foreign minister Andrii Sybiha thanked European countries for “refusing to share the ice with Russia”, adding: “If CAS lacks a moral compass, let’s show that hockey still has values”.
“Refuse to play against Russia and deny visas to its players. Keep Russia off the ice! A war of aggression and hockey are incompatible,” he said.
Zelensky hopes US election outcome will generate more help for Ukraine
Thursday 5 November 2026 14:30 , Rituparna ChatterjeeUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, in an interview on Wednesday, said he hoped gains by Democrats in the US midterm elections would generate more help for Ukraine in its 4-1/2-year-long war with Russia.
Zelensky told Germany's ZDF television he hoped the changes caused by Democrats taking control of both chambers of Congress next year would be to Kyiv's advantage.
"I am also grateful to the Republicans, but the Democrats speak very clearly about supporting Ukraine and providing assistance to Ukraine," Zelenskiy said in comments provided in German by ZDF before the interview was broadcast.
"They speak about renewing the connection between the United States and Europe... Therefore, there is hope that a balance of power will emerge and that we will receive more support."
Zelensky in Spain for Ibero-American summit
Thursday 5 November 2026 14:00 , Rituparna ChatterjeeUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in Spain for talks on boosting Kyiv's air defences and top-level meetings during the Ibero-American summit, the Ukrainian president said on the Telegram messaging app.
Zelensky, shown online being greeted as he stepped off his aircraft, also said he planned to speak with US officials in the run-up to planned three-way talks in Abu Dhabi next week, which will include Russia.
"Over these coming days, contacts with the American side are also planned," Zelensky wrote. "We're coordinating with our partners to achieve concrete results on security issues and the next steps toward peace."
