Йоганн Вадефуль
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US ordered Starlink restrictions for Ukraine, Reuters reports; Trump denies involvement
In the night of October 13–14, SpaceX unilaterally imposed speed restrictions on Starshield satellite terminals used by Ukrainian forces, cutting off connectivity above roughly 160 km/h during a major Russian attack. Reuters, citing two US officials and one Western official, reports the order came from the White House, while The Telegraph says Elon Musk proposed the idea and Donald Trump agreed. Trump publicly denied both his own and Musk's involvement. By October 15 the Ukrainian Defense Ministry said operation in motion had been restored, though President Zelensky said the previous speeds had not returned and the cap was being lifted only gradually.
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Trump says Zelensky is 'not the person' the US should be dealing with, calls Ukrainian refinery strikes 'a disgrace'
In a Newsmax interview published on October 15, US President Donald Trump publicly broke with Volodymyr Zelensky, saying he is "not a big fan" of the Ukrainian president and that Zelensky "is not the person we should be dealing with." Trump said it is harder to negotiate with Zelensky than with Vladimir Putin, demanded Ukraine halt strikes on Russian oil refineries, called such strikes "a disgrace," and repeated his call for Ukrainian elections. Zelensky responded in Brussels the following day, saying he finds it easier to deal with Trump than with Putin and that Ukraine is ready to hold elections if Russia accepts a 60-day ceasefire.
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UK's Starmer and Zelensky agree to meet after phone call on sanctions and air defense
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer agreed during a phone call to hold a bilateral meeting in the coming days. The call covered continued UK sanctions on Russia, Ukraine's need for air defense, and a joint demand for an immediate energy ceasefire. It came against the backdrop of US President Donald Trump's public call for Ukraine to change its leadership and a reported US–Russian agreement on Russian diesel fuel supplies.
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Zelensky offers to halt strikes on Russian oil refineries if Russia stops hitting Ukrainian energy
On 11 October, President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukraine is ready to stop strikes on Russian oil refineries and other energy infrastructure if Russia reciprocally halts strikes on Ukrainian energy. The offer came the same day U.S. President Donald Trump announced that Ukraine and Russia had agreed to an immediate 'energy ceasefire.' Zelensky said the U.S. announcement was news to him and that the Armed Forces of Ukraine had received the relevant orders. The same day, Russia struck the TEC-5 thermal power plant in Kharkiv, continuing a week in which Zelensky said Russian forces launched roughly 1,450 aerial bombs, 75 missiles and more than 1,640 strike drones at Ukraine.
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Berlin prosecutors probe tenants of "Russian House" over suspected sanctions violations
The Berlin prosecutor's office is investigating tenants of Berlin's "Russian House" cultural center for alleged violations of Germany's Foreign Trade Act, as several outlets inside the building continue to operate despite the German government's decision to close it. The probe targets an entity linked to Rossotrudnichestvo, a Russian state agency under EU sanctions since 2022, and is part of a broader German response to alleged Russian sabotage.
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Merz accuses Russia of supporting Germany's far-right AfD, offers no evidence
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said in a speech in Münster that Russia supports the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, without providing concrete evidence. The remarks came at the International Westphalian Peace Prize ceremony, whose 2025 laureate is NATO, and follow a sharp drop in support for Merz's CDU in two regional elections.
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Turkey and UN to mediate new Russia–Ukraine Black Sea ceasefire talks in early October
Turkey and the United Nations are organizing a new round of negotiations between Russia and Ukraine on a ceasefire in the Black Sea to protect grain and food exports. Meetings are scheduled for early October, with the Swiss NGO Center for Humanitarian Dialogue acting as mediator. The initiative, launched in September, seeks to recreate the 2022 Black Sea Grain Initiative and was discussed at a closed meeting on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly attended by officials from Turkey, the US, European countries, India and Egypt.
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El Mundo reports CIA warning of Russian drone plot against Spain, France or Italy; Macron and Crosetto reject claim
Spanish newspaper El Mundo reported that the CIA shared intelligence with several European governments about an alleged Russian drone operation targeting Spain, France, or Italy, with launches from containers hidden on civilian ships in international waters. French President Emmanuel Macron and Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto publicly rejected the report, with Macron saying the CIA did not inform French services about such an attack and Crosetto calling the El Mundo publication baseless.
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NATO's top Europe commander warns of rising Russian-linked sabotage, urges calm
NATO's Supreme Allied Commander Europe, U.S. Air Force General Alexus Grinkevich, told Reuters the Alliance is increasing intelligence sharing in response to a wave of sabotage and other incidents likely linked to Russia. He urged calm, called NATO "the most powerful alliance in history" and assessed the risk of a limited Russian attack on NATO territory as "unlikely but cannot be ruled out." Grinkevich also rejected the assumption that Vladimir Putin could exploit depleted US long-range precision missile stockpiles to strike the Alliance.
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U.S. House passes sweeping Russia and Iran sanctions bill, sending it to Trump
The U.S. House of Representatives approved the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026, sending the legislation to President Donald Trump for signature. The bill imposes mandatory sanctions on Russian leadership, oligarchs, banks, energy firms and the shadow fleet, and authorizes tariffs of up to 100% on countries among the top five buyers of Russian oil and gas. Ukraine welcomed the measure; China, India and Russia sharply criticized it; Germany praised it; Hungary is seeking an exemption.
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Germany to boost Ukraine military aid after blaming Russia for Leipzig airport drone attack
On 1 September Germany formally blamed Russia for a series of drone incidents at Leipzig/Halle airport in August and announced a package of response measures. Berlin plans to supply Ukraine with thousands of strike drones and Iris-T air-defence missiles in September, deepen intelligence cooperation, and push for tougher EU sanctions. Germany also decided to close Russia's consulate in Bonn and terminate the lease of the "Russian House" in Berlin. The AfD in the Bundestag called for investigating a possible "Ukrainian trace," putting it at odds with the government's position.
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European states summon Russian diplomats over alleged drone sabotage at Leipzig airport
Germany accused Russia of attempting sabotage involving an explosive-laden drone found at Leipzig airport roughly a month earlier and announced it would close the Russian consulate in Bonn and the "Russian House" in Berlin. In response, at least eight European states and the EU summoned Russian diplomatic representatives, with Poland describing the incident as state terrorism.
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Germany accuses Russia of Leipzig drone attack on Ukrainian cargo plane; two suspects identified
On 1 September Germany formally accused Russia of orchestrating the 4–5 August drone attack at Leipzig/Halle Airport targeting a Ukrainian An-124 cargo aircraft. Investigators have identified two suspects: a Russian-born man with a Latvian passport linked to Russian intelligence, and a Belarusian-Russian citizen who entered the EU on an Italian tourist visa. Berlin announced retaliatory measures, and EU foreign ministers meeting in Ireland discussed tightening visa rules for Russian nationals.
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Germany blames Russia for drone incident at Leipzig/Halle airport, announces countermeasures
On 1 September, Germany formally blamed Russia for an explosive drone discovered on 4 August near a Ukrainian Antonov cargo aircraft at Leipzig/Halle airport. German ministers announced the closure of the Russian consulate general in Bonn, termination of the agreement for the "Russian House" in Berlin, tighter border controls, and new EU sanctions listings. Russia rejected the accusations, and the EU summoned the Russian ambassador.
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Germany accuses Russia over Leipzig airport drone, announces diplomatic measures
Germany officially accused Russia of being behind a drone incident at Leipzig airport that struck a Ukrainian transport aircraft, and announced a set of punitive measures. Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt and Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said Germany will revoke the agreement with the "Russian House" in Berlin, close Russia's consulate in Bonn by September 18, summon the Russian ambassador, tighten checks on Russian citizens entering the country, and step up pressure on the Russian shadow fleet. The Russian Embassy in Berlin will remain Moscow's only diplomatic mission in Germany.