Oct 8, 2026, 02:00 PM UTC

US President Donald Trump stated he believes Russian President Vladimir Putin is seeking a negotiated peace deal to end the conflict in Ukraine, following a phone call between the two leaders. Following a subsequent meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Trump called on both sides to negotiate an agreement before the winter season.

Zelensky described his discussions with Trump as "positive and productive," adding that both Washington and Kyiv share the goal of stopping Russian military actions quickly. The Ukrainian leader expressed optimism that the war could end within the coming months. However, neither party has publicly presented specific frameworks or conditions for potential diplomatic talks.

Sources: Diário de Notícias (DN), Expresso, Jornal Económico, RTP (Rádio e Televisão de Portugal)

US President Donald Trump announced that Russia and Ukraine have agreed to halt attacks on each other's energy infrastructure. The diplomatic update coincided with the European Union extending sanctions against Moscow following a Russian strike on a train near the Ukrainian-Polish border.

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas and French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot condemned the railway attack, asserting it aimed to "intimidate and divide Europeans."

Despite the energy agreement, combat operations persist. Ukrainian officials reported two deaths and 14 injuries from shelling in the Kherson region, while drone strikes in Russia's Belgorod and Sochi regions wounded seven people. In Kyiv, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky signed a decree dismissing the country's prosecutor general.

Sources: CDM

Unsealed U.S. federal court indictments have charged five alleged Russian intelligence operatives with executing a global campaign of sabotage and planned assassinations against supporters of Ukraine. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the network recruited individuals across North America and Europe to surveil and eliminate targets assisting Kyiv's defense, including orchestrating a June 2024 attack in Prague. All five suspects remain at large.

Concurrently, Denmark's Security and Intelligence Service disclosed at a Copenhagen conference that Russian agents have conducted sabotage operations against Danish defense contractors supplying military hardware to Ukraine. Danish officials characterized the acts as a notable escalation in Moscow's hybrid warfare strategy designed to disrupt Western aid.

Sources: BBC News, France24, OCCRP, Sweden Herald, The Guardian.

Russian forces launched nearly 60 strikes targeting five districts across Ukraine's Dnipropetrovsk region over a 24-hour period, according to local emergency personnel. The bombardment left at least five people dead and 16 others injured.

The attacks inflicted severe damage across multiple municipalities. In Kamianske, three residents lost their lives and five others sustained injuries during the shelling. Further strikes in Pavlohrad resulted in two fatalities and seven injured individuals. Emergency services were also deployed to the Nikopol district, where repeated strikes set residential buildings on fire and damaged local infrastructure, requiring urgent assistance from firefighting and medical crews.

Sources: Ziarul de Gardă

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has explicitly rejected a 15-point Gaza peace proposal backed by US President Donald Trump, reiterating that Israeli forces will remain in the territory until Hamas disarms.

Addressing his cabinet, Netanyahu stated that Israel "will not carry out any withdrawal until Hamas is genuinely disarmed" and vowed to counter threats against military personnel. The rejection follows a temporary pause in Israeli military strikes, which had been scaled back under diplomatic pressure from Washington.

The decision highlights growing tension between Washington's diplomatic efforts and domestic political pressures inside Israel. Facing an upcoming general election on October 27, Netanyahu continues to navigate demands from far-right coalition partners who oppose making concessions in Gaza.

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