Oct 13, 2026, 02:00 PM UTC

As the conflict in Ukraine reached its 1,663rd day, US President Donald Trump announced that Moscow and Kyiv have agreed to refrain from striking energy infrastructure. The statement comes amid continued hostilities across multiple fronts. Ukrainian authorities reported two fatalities and 14 injuries following shelling in the Kherson region, while drone strikes in Sochi and Russia's Belgorod region injured seven people.

Meanwhile, European Union leadership took action to extend existing sanctions against Russia. Commenting on a recent Russian attack targeting a train near the Ukrainian-Polish border, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas and French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot stated that the strike was intended to intimidate European nations and sow division. In Kyiv, President Volodymyr Zelensky issued a decree dismissing the country's prosecutor general.

Sources: CDM.

Russian forces launched fresh overnight drone strikes against Kyiv, injuring a resident, as Moscow formally initiated a campaign aimed at crippling Ukraine's energy grid before winter. The strikes intensified following Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's address at the UN General Assembly. In retaliation, Ukrainian long-range drones struck Russian petroleum infrastructure, disrupting domestic fuel manufacturing and driving Moscow to import foreign supplies.

Meanwhile, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen warned that the European Union "will not tolerate attacks on EU soil" and is "ready to respond." Her statement followed German law enforcement identifying two suspects connected to Moscow regarding an explosive drone plot in Leipzig.

Sources: Corriere della Sera, La Repubblica.

Iranian state media reported that military forces targeted six vessels in the Persian Gulf, including three commercial tankers and three US naval ships, alongside launching missiles toward an American aircraft carrier. A fire on one damaged tanker was subsequently extinguished.

US President Donald Trump dismissed Tehran's operational capabilities, asserting that the Strait of Hormuz remains open and that Iran faces severe military difficulties. The latest exchanges follow months of conflict, including joint US-Israeli strikes in February, a 14-point ceasefire agreement signed in June, and renewed US bombings earlier this month.

Meanwhile, US intelligence assessments warned that Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps views its strategic position as strengthened, worsening concerns over potential regional escalation.

Sources: Corriere della Sera, La Repubblica.

Federal prosecutors in Manhattan have unsealed an indictment against five alleged operatives linked to Russian intelligence services. Authorities accuse the suspects of managing an international network tasked with conducting surveillance, sabotage, and assassination plots targeting individuals aligned with Ukraine across North America and Europe. According to court filings, the operatives recruited facilitators for missions, including a June 2024 operation in Prague. All five defendants currently remain at large.

Concurrently, Denmark's Security and Intelligence Service reported a surge in Russian hybrid actions. Danish authorities confirmed that domestic defense contractors supplying military equipment to Kyiv have faced direct sabotage operations aimed at undermining Western assistance to Ukraine.

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

Russian bombardments targeted Ukraine's Dnipropetrovsk region over a 24-hour period, leaving five civilians dead and 16 others injured, according to local emergency services. Russian forces launched nearly 60 strikes across five districts, hitting residential areas and damaging local infrastructure.

The heaviest casualties occurred in Kamianske district, where three people were killed and five sustained injuries. In Pavlohrad district, two residents lost their lives and seven others were wounded. Further casualties and structural damage were reported in Nikopol district following artillery and missile attacks. Emergency responders deployed across the region to extinguish fires, clear rubble, and assist injured residents.

Sources: Ziarul de Gardă.