Nov 12, 2026, 09:00 AM UTC

Intense combat persists along the Ukrainian frontline, with over 150 engagements recorded in a single day, concentrated heavily along the Pokrovsk and Kostiantynivka axes. According to the Institute for the Study of War, Ukrainian counterattacks have effectively stalled Russian offensive progress near Kupyansk and Sloviansk. However, Russian forces expanded their presence south of Dobropillia and claimed control over a village in Zaporizhzhia Oblast.

Simultaneously, extensive Russian air strikes targeting Ukraine's energy grid triggered widespread blackouts, impacting over 600,000 residents in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast and 250,000 in Kharkiv Oblast, alongside heat disruptions in Kyiv and Zhytomyr Oblast.

Meanwhile, several Russian regions instituted fuel sales restrictions to address local deficits following a series of targeted Ukrainian drone attacks against eight major Russian oil refineries over a two-week span.

Sources: Belsat, NEXTA, The Insider, Радіо Свобода, Українська правда.

Delegates from nearly 200 nations have convened in Antalya, Turkey, for the COP31 climate conference to negotiate measures against global warming. Australia and host nation Turkey are championing a proposal to expand electricity's share of global final energy consumption to 35 percent by 2035, leveraging current Middle East supply disruptions to advocate for reduced fossil fuel reliance. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz skipped the summit to address domestic concerns, warning during a Munich synagogue address that rising antisemitism poses a historic test for the country.

Concurrently, Eastern European governments are acting to secure winter energy supplies. Moldova has enacted legislation allowing municipalities, businesses, and residents to establish shared renewable energy communities, while Romanian Energy Minister Dumitru Chisăliță announced upcoming support schemes to cushion households and businesses against high fuel costs.

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

Russian military forces have launched updated strikes against Ukrainian energy infrastructure, cutting electricity to more than 850,000 customers across the Dnipropetrovsk and Kharkiv regions. Grid operator DTEK and local authorities confirmed the implementation of emergency blackouts and scheduled stabilization measures to maintain system integrity under heavy pressure.

Simultaneously, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported successful precision strikes against Russian positions in occupied areas of Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia. The targeted installations included ammunition depots, military logistical nodes, and a specialized satellite communications jamming station.

On the diplomatic front, attention remains centered on proposed peace talks in Abu Dhabi focusing on long-term security guarantees for Ukraine, alongside recent statements from U.S. President-elect Donald Trump predicting a rapid resolution to the conflict.

Sources: Adevărul, HotNews, Moldova1, TV8, Ziarul de Gardă.

Nvidia's board of directors and U.S. intelligence agencies are continuing internal and federal inquiries into Chief Executive Officer Jensen Huang following revelations of an extramarital affair with Alice Huang, a former executive at Singapore-based Megaspeed. U.S. officials suspect the woman of maintaining links to Chinese intelligence services and targeting the executive to obtain corporate or national security information.

Huang publicly admitted to infidelity in a message to employees without identifying the partner. U.S. President Donald Trump confirmed FBI involvement, stating that Huang expressed surprise over the espionage allegations and denied knowledge of any foreign intelligence ties. Nvidia’s preliminary findings indicate no evidence that corporate data or classified government intelligence was compromised. However, ongoing investigations and national security concerns contributed to a drop in Nvidia’s share price.

Sources: Hospodářské noviny, Money, Rzeczpospolita, Seznam Zprávy, TVP info.

US envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff have traveled to Moscow to brief Russian President Vladimir Putin following three-way talks in Abu Dhabi. A primary goal for the American delegation is encouraging the Kremlin to allow European representatives into future peace negotiations. Speaking after the sessions in the United Arab Emirates, Kushner insisted that European leaders must have a seat at the table and urged the continent to designate a single negotiator to streamline upcoming talks.

Following their consultations in Moscow, the US negotiators are scheduled to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Meanwhile, Russian strikes targeted Ukrainian energy infrastructure, leaving around 600,000 people without electricity in the east and prompting warnings of impending capital-wide blackouts in Kyiv.

Sources: Der Spiegel, Der Standard, FAZ, ORF, Tagesschau