Jul 25, 2026, 05:00 PM UTC

European Council President António Costa has pledged support for Romania following consecutive drone incursions into its airspace, stating that "the security of Romania is the security of Europe."

The statement follows the downing of two drones over Romanian territory within 24 hours. A second aircraft was intercepted Saturday near the Danube Delta, following a Friday downing near Buzău. NATO confirmed allied fighters operated under NATO command and control during the initial response, which involved Romanian F-16s and Italian Eurofighters.

Concurrently, commercial shipping to Ukrainian Black Sea ports remains halted after shipowners voluntarily paused entries due to Russian threat warnings. Ukrainian officials noted that while exports are severely impacted, state authorities have not imposed formal shipping restrictions.

Sources: Digi24, Flux24, Ziarul de Gardă

Demonstrators opposing the construction of the Turin-Lyon high-speed rail line targeted a site in Chiomonte, located in northern Italy's Val Susa valley. During the clash, two Carabinieri police vans were set on fire as protesters stormed the perimeter of the facility.

The incident drew immediate condemnation from members of the Italian government. Infrastructure Minister Matteo Salvini criticized the violent tactics, while Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani described the clashes as disgraceful guerrilla activity. Italian law enforcement authorities have initiated investigations into the destruction of security vehicles and the breach of the high-speed rail infrastructure site.

Sources: Il Sole 24 Ore

Ukraine launched a massive aerial assault involving over 300 drones targeting facilities deep inside Russian territory. Regional authorities reported that drone strikes reached as far as Yekaterinburg in the Ural Mountains, located more than 1,600 kilometers from the front line, where commercial assets including Wildberries warehouses were hit. At least two fatalities were reported in Russian border regions following the raids.

The widespread drone campaign follows a cruise missile strike on the Avitek armaments plant in the Kirov region, over 800 kilometers northeast of Moscow. Regional Governor Aleksandr Sokolov confirmed that several people were injured in the Kirov attack, which targeted a facility manufacturing anti-aircraft missiles and military components. Ukrainian forces have continually escalated long-range operations targeting Russian energy, industrial, and logistics infrastructure to disrupt military supply lines.

Sources: Digi24

Italian fuel prices continue to rise, with petrol exceeding €2.60 per litre at select service stations in Milan. According to data from Italy's Ministry of Business and Made in Italy, national average self-service prices reached €1.979 per litre for petrol and €2.180 per litre for diesel, with motorways recording higher rates.

In Milan, prices at certain residential and ring road stations climbed to €2.635 per litre for full-service fuel. Consumer organization Codacons warned that the price hikes could place a significant financial burden on motorists over the summer holiday season. Most pumps across the metropolitan area now report petrol prices above the two-euro mark.

Sources: Il Messaggero, Il Sole 24 Ore.

The industrial sector in Germany is hemorrhaging approximately 15,000 jobs every month, according to Tanja Gönner, managing director of the Federation of German Industries (BDI).

Gönner described the situation facing German manufacturing as critical, highlighting ongoing structural challenges across the sector. Despite the steady decline in employment, she maintained an optimistic outlook regarding potential recovery. The BDI chief emphasized that German businesses continue to prioritize innovation and expressed confidence that targeted reforms and economic effort could reverse the negative trend and restore competitiveness.

Sources: Investor.bg