Miriam Braun
Trump on drone discovery: Putin is not planning any attacks on NATO
After the suspected Russian attempted attack at Leipzig/Halle Airport, US President Donald Trump still sees no danger of a Russian attack on NATO. "We talk to each other, I know him very well. Putin is not planning an attack on NATO territory," said Trump when asked whether the discovery of an explosive drone at Leipzig/Halle Airport constituted such an attack. The US President did not provide any further information.
Trump had already made similar comments at the end of August after CIA chief John Ratcliffe made a surprise visit to Moscow. The Wall Street Journal and Politico magazine previously reported that Ratcliffe had warned the Kremlin against attacking NATO allies. At this point, however, the federal government had not yet officially blamed Russia for the attempted attack.
Miriam Braun
Trump confirms Witkoff and Kushner's trip to Moscow and Kyiv
US President Donald Trump has also confirmed the travel plans of his negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to Russia and Ukraine. Witkoff and Kushner flew first to Moscow and then to Kiev, Trump said on Friday. “They are bringing a proposal to end the war,” he added. The trip should last until the beginning of next week.
Vivian Melchert
Zelenskyj: Kushner and Witkoff are coming to Kiev on Sunday after visiting Moscow
The two US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are expected in Kiev on Sunday, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Before that, they would visit Moscow, Zelensky said on Friday. During their stay in the Russian capital, Ukraine will guarantee security in Russian airspace. Conversely, Russia must also stop its air strikes on Ukraine during the visit of the two envoys.
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Laura Thalmeyer
Russian drone hits Kiev secret service headquarters
A Russian drone hit the main building of the Ukrainian secret service SBU in central Kiev. “The drone aimed directly at the office of the head of the SBU in this building,” said President Volodymyr Zelensky. According to the city administration, at least twelve people were injured in the attack and the roof and outer wall of the building were also damaged. Zelensky instructed SBU boss Olexander Poklad to respond to Russia in a “mirror image”. Zelensky later said that the geographical framework for the response had been determined and the timing would be chosen to ensure results.
According to the museum administration, the attack also damaged a UNESCO World Heritage building in the St. Sophia Cathedral complex. Window panes in an 18th century administrative building were broken. Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha called the attack a “significant escalation” and called on UNESCO to respond. At the same time, he demanded condemnation from international partners and more pressure on Russia. The attack took place during a new attempt at peace talks with US mediation.
Vivian Melchert
Security concerns are expected to delay travel by US envoys to Moscow and Kyiv
The planned trips of the two US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to Russia and Ukraine this weekend have not yet been finally confirmed due to US security concerns. The Reuters news agency learned this on Friday from a person familiar with the situation. The USA continued to seek guarantees from both sides to ensure the safety of the envoys before their planned departure to Moscow on Saturday and to Kiev on Sunday. The Russian state agency Tass and the US news portal “Axios” had independently reported on an upcoming visit.
Vivian Melchert
Kremlin sees no basis for peace - visit from the USA?
The Kremlin sees no basis for an end to the war in Ukraine ahead of a possible visit by US President Donald Trump's negotiators to Moscow. “There are no concrete prerequisites yet,” said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov in Moscow. But diplomatic work is continuing and contacts will continue, he said, according to the state news agency Tass.
The businessmen Witkoff and Kushner, neither of whom are diplomats, are responsible for efforts to end the war in Ukraine in the Trump administration. In recent months, however, talks have been on hold because Washington has turned its attention to the war against Iran.
Vivian Melchert
Ukrainian drone strike hits Sochi and surrounding areas
A large-scale Ukrainian drone strike is reported to have hit the Russian Black Sea city of Sochi and the neighboring district of Sirius. The attack caused a fire to break out in an oil storage facility, regional officials said on Friday. They initially did not provide any further details.
Russian media reported that a total of two oil depots were hit. Accordingly, fires broke out in both Sochi and Sirius.
Vivian Melchert
At least three dead in Russian attacks on Ukraine
At least three people are said to have been killed in Russian attacks in Ukraine. The governor of the Odessa region in the south of the country, Oleh Kiper, said on Telegram that at least one person was killed in the attacks on Friday night and at least five others were injured. Several residential buildings were damaged.
According to authorities, two police officers were killed in Dnipro. Three people were reported injured in a drone attack on a residential building in Kiev.
Felicitas Dahmen
Russian agency: Witkoff and Kushner travel to Moscow and for the first time to Kyiv
According to an official Russian agency report, US negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are scheduled to travel to Russia on Saturday and Sunday and to Ukraine for the first time since the start of the war. The Russian news agency Tass reported this on Friday, citing an insider.
There is no official confirmation. Discussions about the visit have not yet been concluded, says the insider. This Sunday is being considered as a possible date for the trip to Kyiv.
It would be the first visit by the two negotiators to the Ukrainian capital since the full-scale Russian invasion began in February 2022. Russia wanted to prevent the trip to Kiev and was trying to persuade US representatives to change their plans, sources said. Witkoff and Kushner were last in Moscow in January.
Bianca Hugo
Zelensky wants to meet US envoys in Kyiv
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has announced that he will meet with representatives of US President Donald Trump in the coming days. The envoys will also travel to Russia. This marks a new attempt to revive talks that have been stalled for a long time.
"We are expecting the US President's envoys here in Kiev. They have confirmed that they will have a meeting in Moscow and another in Kiev. We expect the latter to take place in the coming days," Zelenskyj wrote on X on Thursday. Zelensky did not name any names in his post.
Ukrainian President Zelensky sits next to US envoy Steve Witkoff at the US ambassador's residence in Paris. dpa
Bianca Hugo
Russia attacked energy facilities in Odessa
Russia attacked energy infrastructure facilities in the southern Ukrainian region of Odessa overnight. The Ukrainian Ministry of Energy is therefore warning of possible network restrictions. Odessa Governor Oleh Kiper earlier said one person was killed in the attack. At least five people were injured.
Angelika Ahrens
Authorities: Fire in oil depot in Sochi after Ukrainian drone attack
An oil depot in the Russian Black Sea port of Sochi burns after a Ukrainian drone attack. The Russian authorities in the Krasnodar region announced this via the short message service Telegram.
Vivian Melchert
Dead from Ukrainian shelling in Belgorod region
According to authorities, at least four people were killed by Ukrainian shelling in the Russian border region of Belgorod. Three others were injured, the acting governor of the western Russian region, Alexander Shuvayev, said on Telegram. The victims were traveling in an ambulance in the city of Shebekino. Shebekino is only around five kilometers from the Russian-Ukrainian border. Russian troops have advanced up to ten kilometers into the neighboring Ukrainian region of Kharkiv along this section of the border.
Vivian Melchert
Russia is exporting more liquefied natural gas to Europe
Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports to Europe rose 10.7 percent to 10.3 million tons in the first eight months of the year, according to preliminary data from LSEG. Total Russian LNG exports climbed by 13.7 percent to 21.6 million tons in the same period. The reason for the increase is deliveries from the Arctic LNG 2 project. In August, however, volumes to Europe fell from 0.6 million tons in the same month of the previous year to around 0.5 million tons. In January, the EU states finally approved a ban on Russian natural gas imports from 2027.
Vivian Melchert
The majority of East Germans believe that arms aid to Ukraine is excessive
According to ARD Germany Trend, the majority of East Germans (54 percent) are of the opinion that German military aid to Ukraine goes too far. In West Germany this is 39 percent. Conversely, in the Infratest dimap survey, 59 percent of West Germans said that they felt threatened or very threatened by Russia. In East Germany this is 42 percent. 21 percent of those surveyed in the East see no threat at all.
Vivian Melchert
Zelensky: US negotiators will travel to Kyiv and Moscow shortly
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says he is expecting US negotiators in Kiev and Moscow soon to mediate a possible solution to the war. There are already tentative dates, says Zelenskyj in his evening video message. “We expect to see representatives of the US president here in Kiev.” Meetings are planned in both capitals in the coming days.
Lydia Wolter
Ukraine: Russian attack on Kyiv damages residential building
According to Mayor Vitaly Klitschko, a high-rise building was badly damaged in a Russian attack on the Ukrainian capital Kiev. A fire broke out on the ninth floor of the residential building near the city center, Klitschko said on the short message service Telegram. 15 people were brought to safety. Videos posted on unofficial Telegram channels show a large fireball in the sky.
Lydia Wolter
Interfax: One dead in Ukrainian drone attack on bus in Donetsk
A civilian was killed in a Ukrainian drone attack on a bus in the Russian-controlled town of Horlivka in the Donetsk region of Ukraine, according to the Russian news agency Interfax. The agency cites the city's Russian-appointed mayor, Ivan Prikhodko, who speaks of a targeted attack. Reuters cannot independently verify the information. Both Ukraine and Russia deny the accusation of attacking civilians.
Vivian Melchert
Trump demands Europe pay back military aid to Ukraine
US President Donald Trump is demanding that European states repay US military aid to Ukraine and is signaling a temporary halt to arms sales to allies. Hundreds of billions of dollars have been made available to Ukraine and NATO, Trump writes on social media. Europe would have paid for it if only they had asked for it. “We will demand this money, albeit a little late,” he added. At the same time, he criticizes reports about sharply reduced US ammunition stocks as a result of the war in Iran. The US is currently stockpiling for itself rather than selling ammunition. Sales to allies would soon resume.
Lydia Wolter
Leipzig: Latvia comments on the alleged suspect
The security authorities in Latvia have commented on media reports about two suspected suspects in the attempted drone attack at Leipzig/Halle Airport. According to available information, a Latvian citizen who is suspected in this connection has had his permanent residence in Russia for several years, the security police in Riga told the Leta news agency. The authority also confirmed that it was cooperating with the German investigators and providing support.
Lydia Wolter
Russia protests against Norway's seizure of ship
Following the seizure of a Russian ship by Norwegian authorities, the government in Moscow has now lodged a formal protest with the Norwegian ambassador. The Russian Foreign Ministry said it was demanding the release of the ship and urging its return.
Vivian Melchert
Situation under control – Putin is confident of victory
Kremlin boss Vladimir Putin sees resources for continuing his war despite billions in damages from the Ukrainian attacks on oil refineries and other critical infrastructure. “The Russian economy is in an absolutely stable state,” Putin told international guests in Vladivostok at the Eastern Economic Forum. Although he once again acknowledged difficulties, he emphasized, in view of the concerns of the people in Russia, that the situation was under control.
At the forum, the Kremlin chief described the blockade of Russian airspace threatened by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as “state terrorism.” Putin criticized the fact that there had been no reaction to Zelensky's threats in the West. Western allies “in this way become participants in international terrorism,” Putin said.
The president once again criticized Ukraine's attacks on Russian cargo and merchant ships as well as the seizure of ships by Western states on the world's oceans. The EU has imposed sanctions on oil tankers in the so-called shadow fleet and is taking action against them. Russia calls this piracy and has announced that it will use the navy to protect its ships.
Vivian Melchert
Another incident: Russian reconnaissance aircraft intercepted off Poland
For the second time in just a few days, the Polish
