Oct 26, 2026, 05:00 AM UTC

Ukraine is heading into the upcoming winter heating season with conflicting indicators of energy readiness. State energy company Naftogaz reported that natural gas reserves have reached a six-year high of 16 billion cubic meters despite experiencing more than 400 Russian attacks on its infrastructure. Concurrently, energy regulator NKREKP approved dynamic pricing for smart meters, while power supplier YASNO highlighted an ongoing shift toward decentralized generation.

However, industry analysts and former officials raised serious concerns regarding administrative and logistical delays. Serhiy Sukhomlyn, former head of the State Agency for Restoration, cautioned that organizational setbacks leave Ukraine relying on "a warm winter and the inaccuracy of Russian strikes." Similarly, experts cited by Liga net warned that bureaucratic roadblocks continue to prevent critical equipment from reaching power facilities before cold weather arrives.

Sources: NV, Українська правда, Радіо Свобода, Liga net, NEXTA.

Serbia held snap parliamentary elections on Sunday, with 6.45 million registered voters eligible to elect 250 members of the National Assembly across nearly 8,400 polling stations. The vote, called in September by long-serving populist leader Aleksandar Vučić, follows two years of widespread anti-corruption protests.

Polling stations reported high turnout from the early morning hours, including long queues in major domestic cities and overseas voting centers. A total of 18 electoral lists featuring over 2,400 candidates contested the election. Vučić's ruling coalition faced its strongest challenge in over a decade from a mobilized opposition and youth-led movement, including the Student List civic group. Authorities deployed security forces in the streets as polls closed ahead of initial results.

Sources: Adevărul, Digi24, HotNews, Moldova1, Ziarul de Gardă

Saulius Ivoška, an advisor to the mayor of Alytus and member of Lithuania's Social Democratic Party, faces public scrutiny after receiving hundreds of thousands of euros in financial gifts from his retired parents. When asked about the origin of the funds, Ivoška maintained that the wealth "is justified."

An investigation revealed that two businesses previously managed by his mother earned substantial revenue from contracts with the Alytus city municipality and municipally owned enterprises. Municipal taxpayer funds were directed to a local news portal and a construction waste disposal company connected to his family. Local authorities have not announced any formal legal proceedings regarding the contracts.

Sources: 15min.

Following an attack at a checkpoint in Hebron that left two Israeli soldiers dead, the Israeli military initiated a major operation in the occupied West Bank. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced a full closure of the West Bank and warned of military actions on a scale unseen since the 1967 war.

During the overnight operation in Hebron, Israeli forces displaced between 150 and 250 Palestinian families, conducted searches, and carried out building demolitions. The escalation comes just days before Israel's legislative elections scheduled for October 27, where pollsters expect high turnout among Arab Israeli voters.

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

Thousands of demonstrators filled Prague's Old Town Square on Sunday to protest proposed legislative changes to public broadcasting funding in the Czech Republic. The demonstration, organized by the civic movement Milion chvilek pro demokracii under the slogan "Hands off media," targeted government plans to abolish user license fees and transfer direct financing of Czech Television (ČT) and Czech Radio (ČRo) to the state budget.

The protest followed an early-morning parliamentary vote advancing the bill to its second reading. Critics expressed concerns over potential threats to media independence. In response to the legislative initiative, employees at both ČT and ČRo announced plans for a full-day strike scheduled for November 3. Organizers indicated that future demonstrations may move to Prague's Letná Plain.

Sources: Seznam Zprávy, Ekonomický deník, Respekt, Denník N, Hospodářské noviny