Ukraine's intelligence services has obtained documents showing that Russian leader Vladimir Putin had issued a "new doctrine" of military attacks on a much broader range of civilian targets ahead of this winter, president Volodymyr Zelensky said.
Ukraine will double down on attacking Russian oil refineries in response to a new policy of airstrikes by Moscow designed to force people to abandon Kyiv and other cities, but will not target civilians, he said.
"We saw documents and we know that they allow them to attack infrastructure, logistics, and especially to attack in the cities, in the villages, everywhere, roads, schools, hospitals," Zelensky told Reuters in an interview.
The Kremlin was not available to comment. But the Russian Foreign Ministry said Moscow would continue to systematically hit targets in what it said were retaliatory strikes for Ukrainian attacks on Russia in recent months.
Earlier, the Northern Bridge across the Dnipro river in the capital Kyiv was hit during a Russian air attack, mayor Vitali Klitschko said. Emergency services were deployed to the scene and traffic across the bridge from the east to the west bank was suspended following damage to the road surface and the overhead trolleybus cables.
Read MoreBritish paratrooper died in tragic accident in Ukraine, coroner rules
Seoul's anger with Kyiv over POWs may be driven by worries about its ties to North Korea
Trump diverts Ukraine aid to authoritarian countries in Latin America
Nato’s northern flank is facing a threat level not seen since the Cold War
Key Points
- Putin has told his generals 'there are no rules now' in Ukraine war, Zelensky says
- Second major bridge in Ukraine hit in Russian air attack
- Putin says he will use ‘all Russia’s weapons’ against Europe if attacked in chilling threat
- Four injured in Russian attacks on pharmaceutical warehouse in Kyiv oblast
- Embassies 'not planning evacuation' in Kyiv amid Russian strikes, Ukrainian foreign ministry says
Russian strikes on Kyiv bridge causes traffic chaos
Saturday 3 October 2026 05:00 , Vishwam SankaranRussia struck a bridge over the Dnipro River that linked two sides of Kyiv, forcing full or partial traffic suspension across it.
A drone struck the Souther Bridge around 5.40pm local time yesterday, marking the second attack on the structure in two days.
Nearly 90 per cent of transit traffic between the two banks of the river passes through the Southern Bridge.
The latest attack also coincided with Kyiv's evening rush hour.
The Russian aerial attacks on the bridge are part of an intensifying campaign on infrastructure across Kyiv, disrupting daily life in the Ukrainian capital.
They have led to long traffic jams across the city throughout the day.
Ukraine describes India's proposal for possible ceasefire with Russia as the 'broadest'
08:30 , Rituparna ChatterjeeUkraine has described India's proposal for a possible ceasefire with Russia as the "broadest" among four offers received by Kyiv, according to reports.
Ukrainian foreign minister Andrii Sybiha said: “We have four proposals. The broadest one is India’s proposal. We are ready for an energy and Black Sea ceasefire, but only in this combination.”
Sybiha was speaking to reporters in Kyiv, according to European Pravda newspaper.
The other proposals were from Turkey, Egypt and the US.
Russia has stockpiled ballistic missiles ahead of winter onslaught, officials warn
07:30 , Rituparna ChatterjeeUkrainian officials warn Russia has stockpiled hundreds of ballistic missiles ahead of an expected winter onslaught against electricity and water infrastructure.
Last winter, the worst of the war, Russian strikes left swathes of the country without electricity and heating for days at a time.
Since the summer, Moscow has also begun launching dozens of fast and relatively cheap jet-powered Shahed drones a day at Ukraine, whose air defence teams have struggled to cope because their interceptor drones were too slow to catch them.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukraine had been forced to rely heavily on its fighter aircraft – F-16s and MiGs – to down around 60 per cent of the Russian jet-powered drones, but supplies of 20mm ammunition for the planes were running low.
Kyiv was urgently working on other solutions – including boosting its electronic jamming capabilities, he said. In the second half of October, it would receive the first shipment of small, cheap air defence missiles capable of hitting the new Shaheds.
Last week, Zelensky said Ukraine was developing five models of new interceptor drones capable of downing the jet Shaheds.
Fresh from a meeting with his defence chiefs, he said tests on two of those models showed a modest success rate of around 30 per cent.
"We'll have to scale it," he said. "I hope that with all these things, with all these elements, we'll find a way."
Zelensky says 'not fair to normalise' ties with Russia before return to peace
06:30 , Rituparna ChatterjeeAfter the Trump administration invited Vladimir Putin to attend a G20 summit in Miami in December and discussed business deals with Russian envoys, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky urged Washington not to normalise relations with Russia before ensuring a return to peace.
Zelensky said he would be happy to meet Putin for peace talks at the G20, but he warned the US not to believe in "illusions" that Russia would simply end hostilities if it gained control of Donbas.
"It's not fair just to normalise," said Zelensky, dressed in his trademark black T-shirt and military-style jacket.
Any resumption of economic and diplomatic ties with the West had to be in return for Russia ending hostilities, he said: "Because peace is more important than any kind of economy."
While the US has proposed a resumption of trilateral talks in the coming weeks in the UAE, Zelensky noted that an exact date and location for the technical-level conversations had still not been set.
German chancellor arrives in Kyiv
05:35 , Vishwam SankaranGermany's chancellor Friedrich Merz arrived in Kyiv today, pledging support for Ukraine.
Merz arrived along with the chiefs of German defence companies, in a show of support for president Volodymyr Zelensky amid escalating Russian attacks.
"I travelled to Kyiv today because Ukraine needs all our support in the coming weeks," the German chancellor said.
"If Russia is not stopped, sooner or later its war machine will turn against us,” he said, adding that Ukraine can “count on our help”.
Latvia's pro-Ukraine prime minister wins election
05:33 , Vishwam SankaranLatvia’s pro-Ukraine prime minister Andris Kulbergs' United List party has won the country’s parliamentary election held yesterday by a wide margin.
The election was held in the shadow of the Russia-Ukraine war, with many voters on edge amid warnings of potential Russian aggression.
Baltic countries have warned for months that Russia is mounting sabotage, cyber and other hybrid attacks across Europe to erode support for Ukraine and sow fear.
But Western officials dismiss concerns that Moscow is capable of launching a direct assault on Nato, of which Latvia is also a member.
Russia has dismissed such accusations as baseless and the result of anti-Russian hysteria.
Ukrainian counteroffensive 'Vivaldi' ongoing in Donbas
05:00 , Rituparna ChatterjeeUkrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said a successful Ukrainian counteroffensive, code-named "Vivaldi", had recaptured around 140sqkm (54sqm) of Ukraine's eastern Donbas region and was still ongoing.
Russia has said it must control Donbas in its entirety as a condition for any peace deal.
In recent weeks, US president Donald Trump's administration has sought to revive talks to end the four-year-old conflict – Europe's bloodiest since Second World War.
The US leader last month urged Ukraine to refrain from hitting Russian oil installations, saying that was sending global diesel prices surging.
But Zelensky, speaking as air raid sirens blared outside the gilded halls of the presidential offices, said he had received no indications from Russia that Putin was interested in peace talks, or discussing a ceasefire on energy infrastructure.
Putin has issued 'new doctrine' of striking civilian targets in Ukraine, Zelensky says
04:20 , Rituparna ChatterjeeUkraine's intelligence services has obtained documents showing that Russian leader Vladimir Putin had issued a "new doctrine" of military attacks on a much broader range of civilian targets ahead of this winter, president Volodymyr Zelensky said.
Ukraine will double down on attacking Russian oil refineries in response to the new policy of airstrikes designed to force people to abandon Kyiv and other cities, but will not target civilians, Zelensky said.
"We saw documents and we know that they allow them to attack infrastructure, logistics, and especially to attack in the cities, in the villages, everywhere, roads, schools, hospitals," Zelensky told Reuters in an interview.
"To pressure people to leave the capital, leave different cities: this is the goal of the operation."
The Kremlin was not available to comment on Saturday. But in a statement urging foreign nationals to leave Kyiv, the Russian Foreign Ministry said Moscow would continue to systematically hit targets in what it said were retaliatory strikes for Ukrainian attacks on Russia in recent months.
EU warns situation in Russia-occupied Oleshky is 'appalling'
Saturday 3 October 2026 15:30 , Vishwam SankaranThe situation of civilians in the Russia-occupied Ukrainian town of Oleshky is “appalling”, the European Union has warned.
"What is happening in Oleshky, Ukraine, is appalling. Civilians are trapped under siege by Russian forces without access to food, medicine, clean water and basic care,” EU commissioner Hadja Lahbib said yesterday.
“This is unacceptable...Russia, as occupying power, has clear obligations under international humanitarian law: civilians must be protected, and humanitarian assistance must be facilitated," she said.
Ukraine seeks missiles and ammunitions for its jets
Saturday 3 October 2026 14:30 , Vishwam SankaranPoland, Belgium and Spain have agreed to supply 20mm rounds for cannons on Ukraine's F-16 jet fighters, Ukrainian foreign minister Andrii Sybiha said.
Ukraine is anticipating a potential agreement on the supply of "several million" rounds of this ammunition in the near future, Sybiha said, adding that Kyiv also needed at least 300 Patriot interceptor missiles to bring down Russia's ballistic missiles.
The foreign minister said Moscow could be making 120 to 140 ballistic missiles each month, with 600 already in its stocks.
South Korea's Lee accuses Zelensky of making him look like a 'liar'
Saturday 3 October 2026 13:30 , Vishwam SankaranSouth Korean leader Lee has accused Ukraine of making him look like “a liar” by contradicting his earlier claim about a non-disclosure agreement with Kyiv.
Lee said on X that Seoul would take “additional measures” if Ukraine refused to admit the existence of the non-disclosure agreement and apologise publicly.
The diplomatic row between South Korea and Ukraine has emerged after Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy appeared to reveal a secret deal in which Kyiv would transfer North Korean prisoners of war to Seoul.
“This is a matter concerning the honour of the Republic of Korea’s people and nation; we cannot overlook it,” Lee said.
Russia hits Liberian-flagged ship in Ukraine's Odesa port, kills one
Saturday 3 October 2026 13:00 , Maira ButtRussia attacked a Liberian-flagged cargo ship in one of Ukraine's Black Sea ports in the Odesa region, killing one person and injuring three, the Ukrainian sea ports administration said on Saturday.
In a statement on the Telegram app it said that 13 other crew members were evacuated to safety.
As the war is in its fifth year, Russia effectively renewed its blockade of the Ukrainian Black Sea ports since the summer, disrupting trade routes, reducing grain and steel exports and dealing a heavy blow to the Ukrainian economy.
Hungary welcomes Ukraine's bill strengthening Hungarian minority rights
Saturday 3 October 2026 12:30 , Vishwam SankaranHungary has welcomed Ukraine’s decision to submit a draft law to parliament seeking to strengthen the education rights of its ethnic Hungarian minority.
"The (Ukrainian) bill strengthens the legal guarantees of education in the Hungarian language and the network of educational institutions," Hungarian prime minister Peter Magyar said in a Facebook post.
The move could help Kyiv get backing for its EU membership from Hungary, which had said that progress on boosting the rights of ethnic Hungarians in Ukraine is a prerequisite for Budapest's backing of Ukraine's EU accession.
US-Russia talks on Ukraine involve multi-billion dollar oil deal, NYT reports
Saturday 3 October 2026 12:00 , Rituparna ChatterjeeThe Trump administration’s talks with Russia on ending the war in Ukraine have expanded to include a multibillion-dollar oil deal that would benefit Middle Eastern business executives with ties to US negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, the New York Times reported on Saturday.
The deal, which is contingent on approval from the US government and the Kremlin, involves a sprawling set of oil fields, refineries and gas stations around the world owned by Lukoil, the NYT reported.
In Video: Russia intensifies strikes on Ukraine's civilian infrastructure
Saturday 3 October 2026 11:30 , Vishwam SankaranOne killed in drone attack on Russian-controlled part of Zaporizhzhia region
Saturday 3 October 2026 11:00 , Rituparna ChatterjeeOne person was killed following a drone attack in Zaporizhzhia in southeastern Ukraine, the Moscow-installed governor of Russian-controlled parts of the region was cited as saying by the TASS news agency on Saturday.
Reuters could not independently verify the battlefield report.
Ten more were injured in the attack.
Second major bridge in Ukraine hit in Russian air attack
Saturday 3 October 2026 10:54 , Rituparna ChatterjeeThe Northern Bridge across the Dnipro river in Kyiv was hit during a Russian air attack on Saturday, mayor Vitali Klitschko said, amid an escalation in strikes on infrastructure in the Ukrainian capital.
Emergency services were deployed to the scene, the mayor said, and traffic across the bridge from the east to the west bank was suspended following damage to the road surface and the overhead trolleybus cables.
There were no casualties reported.
In the past two days, the Southern Bridge has been struck several times by Russian drones, forcing the temporary suspension of traffic across it and two other bridges across the vast Dnipro river.
Over a third of the capital's three million residents lived on the east, or "left", bank of the Dnipro before Russia's 2022 invasion, but the vast majority work on the western, or "right", bank where most government institutions and companies are.
Memories of last winter, the worst of the war, are prominent in residents' minds after Russia launched last week what was seen in Ukraine as the first salvo of an expected winter bombing campaign against power facilities supplying the capital.
One killed in Ukrainian attack on Russia's Belgorod region
Saturday 3 October 2026 10:30 , Rituparna ChatterjeeOne person was killed and two more suffered injuries in a Ukrainian attack on Russia's Belgorod region, which borders Ukraine, the TASS state news agency reported on Saturday.
Reuters could not independently verify the battlefield report.
Zelensky urges countries to help stop Russian drone production
Saturday 3 October 2026 10:00 , Vishwam SankaranThe Ukrainian president urged countries to strengthen sanctions that can help prevent the production of drones by Russia.
“No matter how hard Moscow tries to fully localise the production of its drones and missiles, its ability to escalate remains critically dependent on foreign components,” Zelensky said in a post on X.
“These are supply chains running from Europe, the US, China, Japan, and many other countries. Most of these companies are well-known manufacturers, but their components still make their way to Russia,” he said, adding that “sanctions must work and must be strengthened”.
“Every Russian drone can actually be stopped right at the production line. What is needed is the political will of these countries,” the Ukrainian president said.
Latvia goes to poll amid Ukraine war and drone incursions
Saturday 3 October 2026 09:30 , Vishwam SankaranLatvians vote today in parliamentary elections in the country amid potential Russian aggression across Europe, including the Baltics, and a growing number of airspace incursions related to Moscow's war in Ukraine.
Russia has denied accusations that it is planning to attack Nato, but security concerns have weighed heavily on the Latvian election campaign.
The election is likely to keep power in the hands of pro-Ukrainian Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs, according to opinion polls.
"We have to give Ukraine everything necessary right now (so) that they can have the upper hand and win", Kulbergs told Reuters last month.
Russia attacks key bridge in Kyiv for third straight day
Saturday 3 October 2026 09:00 , Vishwam SankaranRussian attacks struck the Northern Bridge over the Dnipro River in Kyiv early today, marking the third straight day of strikes targeting the bridge in the capital city.
The bridge's surface and overhead power lines have been damaged in the attack, mayor Vitali Klitschko said.
Russian drones caused a large explosion on the bridge, which connects the right bank of the city with the left bank.
The full extent of the damage remains unclear.
Lithuania airport closed over suspected drone
Saturday 3 October 2026 08:43 , Rituparna ChatterjeeVilnius airport in Lithuania was closed and NATO Baltic Air Policing jets were scrambled on Saturday after a suspected drone was reported to be flying into Lithuania from Belarus, the country's National Crisis Management Centre said.
Authorities advised residents in the Vilnius region to be prepared to seek shelter if necessary, it said.
Russia planning to increase number of attacks in Europe, Ukraine warns
Saturday 3 October 2026 08:30 , Vishwam SankaranRussia's secret service are devising plans to increase "hybrid warfare" across Europe, Ukrainian intelligence warned in a statement yesterday.
"The special services of the aggressor state of Russia have been tasked with increasing activity on the territory of the European Union and NATO states – this involves preparing for hybrid operations aimed at undermining aid to Ukraine and weakening the Alliance's capabilities," it said.
Such "hybrid warfare", according to Ukrainian intelligence, has included arson, assassinations, and an attempt in Leipzig in August to blow up Ukraine's Antonov cargo aircraft with modified FPV drones.
"Among the aggressor's likely targets are Starlink satellite internet receiving stations located in European countries," it said.
In Video: South Korea warns Ukraine of 'further actions' over prisoner transfer row
Saturday 3 October 2026 07:52 , Vishwam SankaranNorth Korea test-fires missile as tensions grow over border mine blasts
Saturday 3 October 2026 07:45 , Maira ButtNorth Korea fired at least one ballistic missile toward the sea on Saturday, South Korea’s military said, extending a recent run of weapons tests during heightened tensions between the rivals over border land mine blasts that injured three South Korean soldiers.
South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said it detected the missile being launched from the North’s eastern coastal Wonsan area, but didn’t immediately say how far the weapon flew. Japanese broadcaster NHK reported that the missile likely landed outside the country’s exclusive economic zone.
The South’s joint chiefs said the military stepped up surveillance and vigilance for possible further launches from the North and was closely sharing information with the United States and Japan.
North Korea test-fires missile as tensions grow over border mine blasts
Four injured in Russian attacks on pharmaceutical warehouse in Kyiv oblast
Saturday 3 October 2026 06:00 , Vishwam SankaranAt least four people are injured following Russian drone strikes at warehouses in Kyiv Oblast today.
The injured include an 8-year-old child, who suffered a shrapnel wound to the lower limb, according to Kyiv Oblast Military Administration head Tymur Tkachenko.
One of the targeted sites was a warehouse of Ukraine's third-largest pharmaceutical distributor, Venta LTD.
First US critical minerals deal with Ukraine unveiled
Saturday 3 October 2026 04:30 , Vishwam SankaranThe joint US–Ukraine Reconstruction Investment Fund (URIF) unveiled America's first-ever critical minerals deal with Ukrainian company BGV Group Management, valued at around $30 million.
It comes after Kyiv signed the so-called "minerals deal" with the US in April last year, establishing a joint investment fund in Ukraine that gives the US favourable access to mineral-related investment projects in Ukraine.
The project will see URIF develop a "joint investment platform" with the BGV Group, founded by Ukrainian billionaire Hennadii Butkevych.
It will "build a diverse portfolio of early-stage mining projects across Ukraine" with a focus on identifying rare earths, beryllium, and zirconium deposits, according to URIF.
Embassies 'not planning evacuation' in Kyiv amid Russian strikes, Ukrainian foreign ministry says
Saturday 3 October 2026 03:55 , Vishwam SankaranUkraine's presidential office said it has not received notifications from any foreign embassy in Kyiv regarding an intent to evacuate the Ukrainian capital city.
"If any diplomatic missions are planning to relocate, they inform us; that is the established procedure," Ukrainian foreign ministry spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi said today, adding that no such requests have been made.
His comments came after The Guardian reported, citing an unnamed diplomat, that the situation in Kyiv was "obviously deteriorating fast", and embassies could be planning to evacuate.
"As of now, the Foreign Ministry has not received any such requests or notifications from foreign diplomatic missions regarding plans to relocate," Tykhyi said.
EU says situation in Russian-occupied Oleshky is appalling
Saturday 3 October 2026 02:00 , Daniel KeaneRussia must provide humanitarian assistance to civilians in the Ukrainian town of Oleshky — currently occupied by Russia — as the situation there is "appalling", European Commissioner Hadja Lahbib, whose portfolio includes humanitarian aid, said on Friday.
"What is happening in Oleshky, Ukraine, is appalling. Civilians are trapped under siege by Russian forces without access to food, medicine, clean water and basic care. This is unacceptable," said Lahbib.
"Russia, as occupying power, has clear obligations under international humanitarian law: civilians must be protected and humanitarian assistance must be facilitated," she added.
Watch: Vladimir Putin attends Russian military drills
Saturday 3 October 2026 01:00 , Daniel KeanePictured: Traffic clogs streets in Kyiv after Russian jet drone strikes bridges
Saturday 3 October 2026 00:01 , Daniel Keane
Former German chancellor with links to Putin joins board of Russian retailer
Friday 2 October 2026 23:00 , Daniel KeaneFormer German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, who has faced criticism over his links to Russian business and President Vladimir Putin, has joined the supervisory board of Russian retailer Hyperglobus, the company said on Friday.
Schroeder formed a close relationship with Putin while serving as German chancellor from 1998 to 2005 and later working for Russian state companies.
Hyperglobus was spun off from Germany's Globus Holding in 2025 and is now fully independent, according to Globus. It operates more than 20 Russian supermarkets that continue to use the Globus brand.
The announcement of Schroeder's appointment came four days after Putin issued a decree placing the Russian assets of another big German retailer, Metro, under temporary administration – the latest in a series of moves against businesses from countries that have supported Ukraine against Russia in the war.
Putin says he will use ‘all Russia’s weapons’ against Europe if attacked in chilling threat
Friday 2 October 2026 22:00 , Maryam Zakir-HussainVladimir Putin has said Russia will use all the weapons at their disposal in response to European aggression.
The Russian president reiterated Moscow's long-held position that Russia is not planning to attack European countries, but would respond to any attacks with all its arsenal.
“If it comes to a direct attack on the Russian Federation — in this case we mean Kaliningrad, or maybe some other territories — of course, inevitably and immediately the question of Russian Federation using all weapons at the disposal of our country will appear on the agenda,” Putin said.
It comes as several Russian embassies in Europe this week issued statements that said Moscow has “information that NATO is preparing (an) air and naval blockade of Kaliningrad and (the) Kaliningrad region.”
They accused European leaders of “playing a dangerous game” by saying Russia might attack another country or ramp up a campaign of destabilising attacks with drones and sabotage. Moscow has called the allegations absurd.
Putin observes military drills in Russia's Urals region
Friday 2 October 2026 21:00 , Daniel KeaneRussian President Vladimir Putin observed the Centre-2026 military exercises in Russia's Chelyabinsk region in the Urals on Friday.
The drills involve more than 47,000 personnel, Putin said.
Russian aerial strikes snarl traffic on 3 Kyiv bridges in a new disruption tactic
Friday 2 October 2026 20:00 , Daniel KeaneRussian aerial attacks forced the partial closure Friday of three bridges over the Dnipro River in Kyiv, the Ukrainian capital's mayor said, in Moscow's latest effort to disrupt life in the city.
The Russian strikes forcing the full or partial closure of three of Kyiv's six road bridges caused traffic logjams and appeared to be a new tactic in its campaign to torment the city's residents.
Previously, Russia has hit apartment blocks, supermarket warehouses, gas stations and data centers, among other targets, in an escalation of attacks.
Oleksandr Pihalo, a Kyiv resident, said traffic was "jammed solid" and it took him 45 minutes to cover 4 kilometers (2 { miles). "It's a total mess on the road today," he told The Associated Press.
Trump diverts Ukraine aid to authoritarian countries in Latin America
Friday 2 October 2026 19:00 , Andrew FeinbergThe Trump administration is redirecting tens of millions of dollars in military aid from the European and Middle Eastern allies it had been allocated to by Congress and sending it instead to authoritarian and conservative-leaning regimes in Latin America.
Last month, the State Department notified leaders of the House and Senate foreign relations committees of its intent to divert the funds from their intended recipients, leading Senator Jeanne Shaheen and Rep. Gregory Meeks — the ranking Democrats on both panels — to send a letter in protest.
Shaheen and Meeks noted that the State Department’s decision to redirect upwards of $52 million in Foreign Military Finance funds meant for Ukraine, Europe and Middle Eastern partners to Colombia, Ecuador, Panama and Peru had not been properly justified.
Read our full story below.
Trump diverts Ukraine aid to authoritarian countries in Latin America
Watch: Putin warns Russia could use 'all weapons' to defend Kaliningrad
Friday 2 October 2026 18:30 , Daniel KeanePutin thinks he’s winning the Ukraine war – and I think he’s right, warns ex-Nato official
Friday 2 October 2026 18:00 , Athena Stavrou
Putin thinks he’s winning – and I think he’s right, warns ex-Nato official
Europe to release ‘massive amount of diesel’ after Trump’s supply threat
Friday 2 October 2026 17:30 , Daniel KeaneG7 leaders have agreed to release 100 million barrels of diesel within four months as European nations scramble to prevent Donald Trump’s threatened ban on US exports to the bloc.
The move, announced by Emmanuel Macron after crisis talks on Friday, came following a US stand-off with the EU in the wake of Mr Trump’s conflict with Iran, that have sent prices soaring.
Moments before the deal was announced, Mr Trump said Europe was going to “release a massive amount” of its stocks after he threatened to cut off American diesel supplies to Europe if they did not release its reserves to help bring down the price of fuel in the US.
Read our full story below.
Trump claims Europe to release ‘massive amount of diesel’ after threat to supplies
Germany warns of further Russian hybrid attacks
Friday 2 October 2026 17:00 , Daniel KeaneGerman Chancellor Friedrich Merz has warned that Germany should prepare for further Russian hybrid attacks as the war in Ukraine continues. He said these could include cyberattacks and drone-related incidents.
German authorities have previously accused Russia of involvement in a range of hybrid activities, including an alleged attempted drone attack at Leipzig airport.
Moscow has rejected accusations from Germany and other Western governments that it is conducting such a campaign.
Merz also reaffirmed Germany's support for Ukraine and said Berlin wanted to strengthen its own military capabilities.
Ukraine ready for joint energy and Black Sea truce
Friday 2 October 2026 16:30 , Daniel KeaneUkraine has said it has received separate proposals for limited ceasefires covering energy infrastructure and shipping in the Black Sea.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said Kyiv was prepared to consider such an arrangement, proposed by the United States, India, Turkey and Egypt.
The proposed measures would focus on two areas that have become increasingly important during the war: attacks on energy infrastructure and attacks affecting commercial shipping in the Black Sea.
“We voiced our vision, based on our logic and our understanding of how this should all happen. We are ready for an energy and Black Sea ceasefire, but only in such a combination. Energy and ceasefire in the Black Sea,” the minister told Hromadske.
Ukraine ramps up production of interceptors as Russia steps up drone attacks
Friday 2 October 2026 15:54 , Daniel KeaneVolodymyr Zelensky has said that Ukraine will be able to produce up to 400 interceptors by the end of the month to repel Russia’s jet-powered attack drones.
Speaking to the Financial Times, the Ukrainian president said Kyiv is testing five types of high-speed interceptor drones to defend against Russian attacks.
Vladimir Putin has increasingly targeted Ukrainian cities using the drones, hitting key infrastructure that is keeping Ukraine’s war-battered economy afloat.
Recent targets have included energy systems, key industries, railways, post offices, shopping centers, telecom networks, gas stations and grain exports.
The drones fly much higher and faster than propeller-driven drones and are much harder to stop.
Zelensky said that manufacturers hope to reach production of around 400 units by the end of October.
Russia says it will consider partial lifting of diesel export ban
Friday 2 October 2026 13:00 , Adam WithnallRussia said on Friday it would consider a partial lifting of diesel export restrictions in case of overproduction, raising the prospect of a possible reprieve for global fuel markets strained by war and supply shortages.
Speaking in the upper chamber of the Russian parliament, deputy prime minister Alexander Novak also said that the domestic diesel market is currently balanced.
Russia this week extended its ban on diesel exports for fuel producers until the end of October, adding further strain on the global energy market. Russia was the world's second-largest diesel exporter after the United States before it started to limit overseas sales this summer to meet the demand of the domestic market, supplies to which were dented by Ukrainian attacks on refineries.
President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that Russia will not supply its diesel to global energy markets until sanctions against Moscow are lifted. Novak said that the situation with Ukrainian drone attacks on Russia's energy infrastructure has remained "tense".
He said Russia thwarted attacks on four refineries overnight, while the authorities were assessing the damage at one of the plants. Novak also said that the damage caused by repeated raids on refineries has been significantly lower thanks to protection measures.
"This allows us to restore damaged equipment and bring facilities back into operation more quickly after repairs," he said.
Zelensky says Putin has told his generals 'there are no rules now' in Ukraine war
Friday 2 October 2026 09:01 , Adam WithnallVolodymyr Zelensky says Russian president Vladimir Putin has instructed his generals to abandon the rules of war in pursuit of more territory in Ukraine, according to the Financial Times.
The Ukrainian president made the remarks during a visit to a bomb shelter inside a school that had been hit by a Russian drone on Thursday.
Zelensky said Putin gave the order last month, saying: "He said there are no rules now." Russia has since stepped up its air strikes on civilian targets, particularly in Kyiv, hitting data centres and energy infrastructure as well as schools and hospitals.
Russia still formally denies that it strikes civilian targets, and typically justifies its strikes as hitting military-linked buildings or infrastructure.
Zelensky cited intelligence from intercepted communications from Kremlin officials, the FT reported.
