Oct 29, 2026, 02:00 PM UTC

US President Donald Trump has urged Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin to reach a peace agreement before winter. Speaking after discussions with Zelensky and a phone call with Putin, Trump expressed confidence that the Russian leader seeks a resolution, adding, "He wants a deal." Trump stressed that both leaders must negotiate directly to stop the conflict.

Zelensky described his meeting with Trump as "positive and productive," noting that both Washington and Kyiv aim to end the hostilities soon. The Ukrainian president suggested that the war could reach its final phase in the coming months. Trump reiterated his alignment with Zelensky on several issues while insisting that a negotiated settlement remains imperative for both nations.

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

Heavy fighting continues across multiple sectors in Ukraine, marked by contrasting territorial claims from both sides. Ukrainian forces have reportedly advanced along the right bank of the Oskil River north of Kupiansk. Additionally, Ukrainian authorities are expected to formalize control over approximately 200 square kilometers near Lyman.

Conversely, Russia’s Ministry of Defence reported capturing several settlements on the approaches to the northern city of Sumy. In the southern Zaporizhzhia sector, Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov publicly dismissed reports of Ukrainian progress, maintaining that Russian positions remain secure. Meanwhile, overnight Russian air strikes hit ammunition depots in the Kyiv region.

Sources: The Insider

United States authorities have charged five alleged Russian intelligence operatives with conspiring to execute assassinations and sabotage operations across Europe and North America. According to the unsealed federal indictment, the network recruited individuals internationally to surveil and target entities supporting Ukraine, including orchestrating an attack in Prague in June 2024. All five suspects remain at large.

Concurrently, Denmark's Security and Intelligence Service revealed that Russian operatives carried out physical sabotage against Danish defense manufacturers supplying military equipment to Ukrainian forces. Danish officials described the incidents as a marked escalation in Moscow's hybrid warfare campaign intended to undermine Western assistance to Kyiv.

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

Western intelligence and media reports indicate that Russian authorities are conducting logistical preparations for a prospective second wave of military mobilization following the State Duma elections in September. Recent drills, including exercises in the Kaliningrad region, tested procedures for housing, equipping, and supplying new conscripts.

Concurrently, regional administrations have updated military registration databases, while the Kremlin faces mounting financial costs to attract contract recruits alongside severe battlefield losses. Analysts and Western officials anticipate that intensified hostilities could persist through 2027, particularly as Russian forces prepare for potential offensives toward Sloviansk and Kramatorsk. Although Russian President Vladimir Putin has not formally declared a new draft, logistical readiness and chronic manpower shortages continue to heighten expectations of a prospective call-up.

Sources: Belsat, NEXTA, The Insider.