Oct 11, 2026, 07:30 PM UTC

US President Donald Trump announced that Russia and Ukraine have agreed to halt attacks on each other's energy infrastructure, even as hostilities persist across the region. Local Ukrainian authorities reported that recent Russian strikes in the Kherson region left two people dead and 14 injured. Meanwhile, Ukrainian drone strikes targeted the Russian coastal city of Sochi and the Belgorod region, injuring seven individuals.

On the diplomatic front, the European Union renewed its sanctions against Moscow. EU Foreign Policy Chief Kaja Kallas and French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot condemned a Russian strike on a train near the Ukrainian-Polish border, describing it as an attempt to intimidate European partners and cause division. In domestic developments, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky signed a decree dismissing the country's prosecutor general.

Sources: CDM.

Former Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov has urged lawmakers to establish the legal framework needed to hold national elections once martial law is eventually lifted. Speaking following his dismissal by President Volodymyr Zelensky in July, Fedorov emphasized that advance legislative planning is crucial to address complex logistical hurdles.

Ukrainian law strictly prohibits holding elections while martial law remains active during the conflict with Russia. Key challenges include establishing secure voting mechanisms for millions of Ukrainians displaced abroad and enabling active-duty soldiers on the frontline to cast their ballots. Advocates for early preparation argue that legislative action is required well in advance to guarantee a smooth transition back to democratic procedures when security conditions permit.

Sources: Le Monde.

Qatari-mediated negotiations between Washington and Tehran remain active despite escalating military action and severe diplomatic demands. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi outlined Tehran's conditions to US envoy Steve Witkoff for reopening the Strait of Hormuz, demanding an immediate end to the US naval blockade, the unfreezing of Iranian assets, and a complete cessation of hostilities.

Progress toward an agreement faces obstacles after US President Donald Trump announced Washington will demand financial compensation from Tehran for casualties tied to Iranian-backed attacks. Meanwhile, US forces targeted two missile launchers on Larak Island, marking the first US strikes on Iranian territory in a month. Iranian state media confirmed six naval personnel died in recent US actions.

Sources: Le Figaro, Le Monde, Le Soir, Libération, RTBF Info.

Tensions remain high around the Strait of Hormuz as Iran claims responsibility for striking six vessels, including three commercial tankers and three American naval ships, while targeting a U.S. aircraft carrier with missiles. The strikes follow recent U.S. military raids in the region. Firefighters managed to extinguish a blaze on one affected commercial ship.

U.S. President Donald Trump minimized the operational impact of the attacks, stating that the strategic waterway remains open and asserting that Iran faces severe economic and military strain. Conversely, reports from U.S. intelligence agencies indicate that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps believes its strategic stance has strengthened, raising concerns of potential further conflict.

Sources: Corriere della Sera, La Repubblica.

United States federal prosecutors in Manhattan have unsealed an indictment charging five alleged Russian intelligence operatives with orchestrating a global sabotage and assassination network. According to the Department of Justice, the suspects paid and recruited operatives to surveil and attack targets perceived as supportive of Ukraine across North America and Europe, including a June 2024 operation in Prague. All five defendants remain at large.

Simultaneously, Denmark's Security and Intelligence Service revealed at a Copenhagen conference that Russian operatives conducted targeted sabotage operations against Danish defense contractors manufacturing military supplies for Kyiv. Danish officials described the incidents as a notable escalation in Moscow's hybrid warfare campaign aimed at undermining Western military assistance to Ukraine.

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