Julius Stockheim
Drones hit ship off the coast of Bulgaria again
According to Bulgarian reports, a Greek container ship was attacked by maritime drones off the country's Black Sea coast. The Liberian-flagged ship was hit by three drones in Bulgaria's exclusive economic zone about 39 kilometers southeast of Shabla, says Defense Minister Dimitar Stoyanov. The crew was evacuated, according to security sources.
Bulgarian radio reports that the ship is on its way from Haifa, Israel, to Constanta, Romania. It remains unclear who is responsible for the attack. At least six merchant ships have been attacked off the coast of Bulgaria in recent weeks. Ukraine blames Russia for this. Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev says the attacks appear to benefit Russia. Moscow denies involvement.
Anna Kipnis
Federal Government: Norwegian-Finnish peace initiative was agreed upon
According to the federal government, the peace efforts by Finland and Norway through direct contact with Russian President Vladimir Putin were coordinated with Germany. Both Scandinavian states subsequently informed about the diplomatic initiative, says a government spokesman in Berlin. A ceasefire and strong security guarantees are needed for Ukraine. But there can be no solution without Ukraine and the EU.
Russia shows no desire for peace. Finnish President Alexander Stubb and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre spoke to Putin by phone on Tuesday. It was one of the few direct conversations between top European politicians with him since the start of the Ukraine war more than four and a half years ago.
Anna Kipnis
Ukraine: Ceasefire around occupied frontline town of Oleschky is observed
According to information from Kiev, the ceasefire around the Russian-occupied front-line town of Oleschky in the south of Ukraine is holding. It was not broken in the first 30 hours, said Ukrainian human rights commissioner Dmytro Lubinets. The ceasefire was brokered by the USA and is limited to November 1st to enable the evacuation of the city, which has been under dispute for months, and to enable aid deliveries. The living conditions there recently became more and more dramatic; it was almost impossible for the residents to escape.
Alisa Svoboda
Trump: Hope to meet Putin and Zelensky soon
According to his own words, US President Donald Trump is hoping for an early meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian head of state Volodymyr Zelenskyj to resolve the war in Ukraine. Great progress has been made in efforts to resolve the conflict, says Trump.
Putin had said Russia was ready to resume U.S.-brokered talks with Ukraine next month. He called for security guarantees for both countries as well as a comprehensive security architecture for Europe. Trump also says he has planned a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping about nuclear disarmament. He also announced that he would travel to the Philippine capital Manila in November for the summit of the Association of Southeast Asian States (Asean).
Alisa Svoboda
Ukraine: Five injured in Russian drone strike on Kharkiv
Five people were injured in a Russian drone attack on the northeastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv. A four-year-old child was among the injured, the Ukrainian civil protection agency said on the short message service Telegram. A major fire caused by the attack was extinguished.
Angelika Ahrens
France is transferring maritime patrol aircraft to Romania to protect infrastructure
France is temporarily deploying a maritime patrol aircraft to Romania to detect threats to shipping and protect critical energy infrastructure in the Black Sea. According to the Romanian Ministry of Defense, the Atlantique 2 aircraft will complete surveillance missions over the western part of the inland sea until November 6th. In the past three weeks, at least eight cargo ships have been hit off the coasts of NATO members Romania and Bulgaria. Around 34 sailors died or are missing. Romanian fighter jets shot down two Russian drones over their own territorial waters, prompting NATO to announce an increase in surveillance in the region.
Sabrina Frangos
Zelensky: More than 100 ballistic missiles against Kyiv in two weeks
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has once again highlighted his country's need for anti-aircraft missiles and delays in their deliveries. Moscow has used more than 100 ballistic missiles against the capital Kiev and its surrounding areas within two weeks, Zelensky said in a video message. There are significant delays in the delivery of air defense systems. “And everyone hears and everyone sees that it is currently difficult for us to defend ourselves against Russian ballistic missiles,” he said, citing casualties and damage.
Above all, it is about US systems of the Patriot type. They are considered particularly effective against ballistic missile attacks, which are difficult to intercept due to their high speed. Only on Monday Zelenskyj complained about delays in deliveries. Ukraine has been defending itself against a large-scale Russian invasion with Western help for more than four and a half years.
Marc Renner
Danish head of government criticizes contact with Putin
Denmark's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has criticized a phone call between Finnish President Alexander Stubb and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Frederiksen said she sees no signs that Russia wants peace with Europe.
The call was not coordinated with other European heads of state and government. “I believe we should keep Europe united instead of going it alone,” she said.
Marc Renner
Melania Trump: Ceasefire extended beyond Oleschky
The ceasefire, which is limited to the Ukrainian city of Oleshky, has been expanded, according to the words of the American First Lady Melania Trump. Melania Trump said on social media that it now applies beyond the city within the Kherson region.
“The schedule has been advanced by two days to ensure the safety of civilians and facilitate the delivery of vital humanitarian assistance,” said Melania Trump. “The geographical area of the ceasefire has been expanded beyond Oleshky to the Kherson region to allow safe passage for humanitarian convoys.”
Marc Renner
Ukraine: Ceasefire for Oleshky could pave way for peace process
According to the government in Kiev, the ceasefire for the Russian-occupied city of Oleshky in southeastern Ukraine could be a confidence-building measure. “If we see results in Oleshky, this can pave the way for further steps in the peace process,” Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha told the press.
According to Russian information, the ceasefire will last until shortly before midnight on November 1st. It will remain in force until 10:59 p.m. Moscow time (8:59 p.m. CET) on November 1st, explains Russian Human Rights Commissioner Yana Lantratova.
Henning Ott
Stubb and Støre talk to Putin about Ukraine negotiations
Finland's President Alexander Stubb and Norway's Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre spoke to Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin for the first time about his war against Ukraine during a phone call. “The aim of the phone call was to send messages directly to President Putin regarding future negotiations that should help end the war,” the two European politicians said in Helsinki. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed the phone call, which had not previously been publicly announced by either party.
“The discussion was open and well-founded,” said Stubb. "The outcome of this war will have a direct impact on our security and the security of Europe as a whole. Direct talks are needed to end the war," he stressed. Støre said: "The suffering and destruction will affect entire generations. In the phone call we emphasized the importance of de-escalation."
According to their own statements, Stubb and Støre took the initiative themselves to work for peace and stability in Europe. As supporters of Ukraine, you are clearly on Kiev's side. They also emphasized that they did not speak to Putin on behalf of Europe as a whole. Both countries are also concerned about predictability in the Baltic Sea region, they said in a joint statement.
Henning Ott
Russia attacks important bridge in Kiev
Russia has hit an important bridge in Kiev in nightly attacks on Ukraine, according to President Volodymyr Zelensky. “Tragically there are casualties and hits in Kiev, including at the South Bridge,” he wrote on X, referring to one of the most important road bridges over the Dnipro River, which divides the Ukrainian capital. Russia used 16 ballistic missiles and more than 280 drones in the attacks, which also targeted numerous other regions.
Leonidas Exucidis
Ceasefire in Oleschky has begun
Russia and Ukraine have begun a localized ceasefire in the Russian-occupied city of Oleshky. Both sides confirmed the start of the ceasefire, which is intended to allow humanitarian measures for the city near the front.
Food and medicine are to be delivered to the city's needy residents. In addition, preparations should be made to ensure freedom of movement for residents.
The city is currently completely mined. The Ukrainian armed forces at times used drones to bring relief supplies into the city. However, many of the unmanned aerial vehicles were shot down by Russian troops. According to the agreement, mines are now to be cleared in order to create a safe corridor. It is unclear whether the approximately 2,000 remaining residents will be allowed to leave their city.
Sabrina Frangos
Dead and injured by rockets in Kyiv
At least one person was killed in a Russian rocket attack on the Ukrainian capital Kiev this evening. Numerous people were injured, as Mayor Vitali Klitschko announced on Telegram. According to him, an ambulance was also hit in addition to several buildings. Two paramedics were injured. People could be trapped in one of the residential buildings hit.
According to Ukrainian air defense, the Russian military used ballistic missiles for this attack. These weapons are difficult to defend against, especially since the anti-aircraft defense system complains about a lack of appropriate ammunition. The Russian military is exploiting this Ukrainian weakness to launch frequent rocket attacks against urban centers in Ukraine.
Vivian Melchert
E5 states want to strengthen Ukraine militarily before winter
The five militarily strongest European NATO members want to strengthen Ukraine militarily before the upcoming winter with air defense systems and other equipment. “We have put together winter packages as part of our support for Ukraine,” said Defense Minister Boris Pistorius after a meeting with his counterparts from France, Poland, Great Britain and Italy in Paris. “We will also do everything we can to ensure that the USA also supports Ukraine with its deliveries and, above all, with intelligence information and satellite data.”
The so-called E5 countries also worked with Ukraine to develop an air defense system. “This, in addition to the Patriots and other systems, is intended to protect Ukrainians from air attacks,” Pistorius said. He accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of terrorism against the civilian population. “He will rely on a cold winter and further worsen the conditions for the people of Ukraine by destroying Ukrainian energy and water supplies, very systematically.”
Vivian Melchert
Dead and injured in Russian attack on Kharkiv
According to official information, at least two people were killed in a Russian attack on the eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv. In addition, at least four people were injured, Mayor Ihor Terekhov reported on Telegram. “Multi-family homes, single-family homes and cars were damaged,” he added. The emergency services were still on duty that evening.
Just on Saturday evening, a hardware store in Kharkiv was hit by several Russian bullets. No one was harmed. The day before, at least seven people were injured in a Russian attack on the surrounding oblast.
Vivian Melchert
Romania's secret service: Russian-controlled spy network uncovered
According to the secret service, a spy network coordinated by Russia has been uncovered in Romania. The Romanian secret service said this network targeted military and industrial targets in Romania. The group is responsible for a fire in September on an industrial platform in central Romania near a state-owned defense company. “The coordinators in the Russian Federation had assigned it an extensive list of targets in the region: state and private weapons production facilities as well as other targets of military and industrial interest.”
