Oct 29, 2026, 01:00 PM UTC

Russian forces executed another series of overnight drone attacks against Kyiv, injuring a resident shortly after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky addressed the United Nations General Assembly. Russian defense officials confirmed an intensified military focus aimed at disrupting Ukraine's national energy grid ahead of winter. In turn, Ukrainian drone strikes against Russian oil facilities have severely constrained domestic supply, prompting Moscow to procure petrol from abroad.

Meanwhile, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen warned that the bloc "will not tolerate attacks on EU soil" following revelations from German investigators. Authorities in Leipzig linked two suspects connected to Moscow to explosive drone incidents near critical infrastructure. European Union officials are assessing coordinated defensive measures to address growing hybrid security threats across member states.

Sources: Corriere della Sera, La Repubblica.

Iranian state media claimed responsibility for attacks targeting six vessels near the Strait of Hormuz, including three commercial oil tankers and three US naval ships, along with launching missiles toward an American aircraft carrier. Firefighters successfully extinguished a blaze on one damaged tanker.

US President Donald Trump downplayed the impact of the strikes, asserting that "Hormuz [is] open" and maintaining that "Tehran is in great difficulty." However, intelligence reports from Washington indicate that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps feels emboldened by recent operations, raising concerns over potential escalation.

The maritime hostilities follow renewed US airstrikes in July, which compromised a 14-point memorandum of understanding signed by Washington and Tehran in June.

Sources: Corriere della Sera, La Repubblica.

Recent developments in artificial intelligence highlight a growing divide between technological advancement and public apprehension in Italy. A survey by SWG indicates that positive sentiment toward AI among Italians has dropped to 49 percent from 68 percent in 2020, with concerns rising to 45 percent. This shift follows reports attributing nearly 425,000 job losses worldwide to AI integration over the past three years. Additionally, Italian digital publishers face economic challenges as AI-generated search summaries risk driving website traffic toward a "zero click" model.

Despite these domestic and economic uncertainties, Italian executives and innovators, such as Anthropic chief executive Dario Amodei, continue to play central roles in global AI development and safety debates. Meanwhile, major technology firms face scrutiny over power concentration and efforts to resist government regulatory oversight.

Sources: ANSA, Corriere della Sera, Il Messaggero, Il Sole 24 Ore, La Repubblica.

Russian ground forces remain largely stalled across Ukraine's frontlines, with tracking data showing virtually no net territorial shifts in recent weeks despite claims of progress from Moscow. Independent assessments, including analysis from the Institute for the Study of War and the DeepState project, indicate that Russian advances have slowed significantly. Meanwhile, Ukrainian forces have carried out localized counterattacks, notably near Oleksandrivka, recapturing hundreds of square kilometers since January.

As ground movements stall, Moscow has intensified long-range strikes against Ukraine's energy infrastructure ahead of winter. Ukrainian Prime Minister Serhij Koreckyj confirmed that recent bombardments targeting power facilities around Kyiv marked the largest campaign since the last heating season. Concurrently, reports indicate that Ukrainian air defense interception efficiency decreased from 92 percent in May to 83 percent in September amid sustained drone and missile attacks.

Sources: Deník N, Ekonomický deník, Respect, Seznam Zprávy.

Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković has reaffirmed targets to increase the country's average monthly net wage to €1,600 by 2028, with consultations on adjusting the minimum wage scheduled for October. Concurrently, the government unveiled a National Industrial Development Plan allocating nearly €3 billion through 2034 to modernize manufacturing.

However, key economic stakeholders expressed concern regarding long-term growth foundations. Mislav Balković, president of the Croatian Employers' Association, stated that rising labor costs are outpacing productivity gains, emphasizing that the private sector must drive future expansion rather than public spending. Meanwhile, economist Ljubo Jurčić delivered a grimmer assessment of the second-quarter slowdown, describing the economy as floating "without an engine and without a rudder" and calling for growth rates above five percent.

Sources: HRT Vijesti, Index, Poslovni dnevnik, Vijesti