Sep 29, 2026, 02:00 PM UTC

United States federal authorities have unsealed an indictment charging five alleged Russian intelligence agents with orchestrating targeted assassinations and sabotage operations across Europe and North America.

According to court documents unsealed in Manhattan, the suspects recruited a global network to conduct surveillance and carry out attacks against individuals "aligned, or perceived to be aligned, with Ukraine," including a June 2024 incident in Prague. All five defendants remain at large.

Concurrently, a regional court in Stuttgart, Germany, convicted a Ukrainian national involved in a Kremlin-linked scheme to ship explosive packages across European delivery networks. German prosecutors stated the operation was directed by a Russian state entity to disrupt public security.

Sources: BBC News, Cyprus Mail, France24, OCCRP, The Guardian.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has explicitly turned down a US-backed 15-point peace initiative for Gaza, reiterating that Israeli forces will not pull out from the enclave until Hamas is fully disarmed. Addressing his cabinet in televised remarks, Netanyahu stated that "Israel rejects the 15-point document" recently endorsed by Hamas and promoted by US President Donald Trump.

The refusal underscores escalating diplomatic friction between Israel and Washington, despite Israeli forces recently scaling back air operations under American pressure. Netanyahu's stance comes as he prepares for national elections scheduled for October 27, balancing far-right coalition demands with US diplomatic expectations.

Sources: Cyprus Mail, France24, STV News, The Guardian, The Herald.

At a conference in Geneva, 128 United Nations member states reached a consensus on defining autonomous weapon systems. The agreement comes as the UN and the International Committee of the Red Cross warned that autonomous targeting risks crossing a "moral red line."

Concurrently, Germany's Defense Ministry confirmed updated operational guidelines allowing military hardware to execute certain functions without direct human intervention at every stage. However, ministry officials emphasized that "the decision on the use of military force remains with humans." Additionally, the Bundeswehr rejected American contractor Palantir in favor of developing a proprietary AI data-analysis system. Defense analysts noted that maintaining strategic sovereignty will increasingly depend on domestic military AI capabilities.

Sources: Correctiv, Der Spiegel, Der Standard, Die Zeit, ESUT

Former Slovenian national team captain Aleš Čeh and forward Jan Mlakar have reflected on their careers and the rivalry between NK Maribor and Olimpija Ljubljana ahead of the upcoming derby.

Čeh, who captained Slovenia under manager Srečko Katanec, transitioned into coaching after retiring and spent over a decade assisting Katanec, including seven years in Asia. He expressed enduring affection for Olimpija and Austria's Grazer AK, while emphasizing his respect for Maribor.

Meanwhile, Ljubljana-born forward Jan Mlakar returned to Maribor for a third spell. Addressing speculation about his roots, Mlakar confirmed he was "never close to joining Olimpija." He noted that despite Olimpija's current form, "in the derby they can only gain."

Sources: Delo, Siol.net

German law enforcement and intelligence agencies are investigating over 100 suspected cases of foreign state-sponsored hybrid interference, as new details emerge regarding a foiled drone attack at Leipzig/Halle Airport.

According to investigative files cited by German media, a suspected operative from Russia's GRU military intelligence served as the logistician for the August incident, in which an explosive-laden drone failed to detonate near Ukrainian transport aircraft. Additionally, Germany’s domestic intelligence service suspects Russian actors may have hidden weapons across the country for potential future operations.

State police forces are currently tracking dozens of unauthorized drone flights over military and critical infrastructure, sabotage against transit networks, severed undersea cables, and coordinated disinformation campaigns aimed at destabilizing democratic institutions.

Sources: Correctiv, Der Standard, FAZ, ORF, Tagesschau