WorldRussian and Ukrainian officials are cooperating in occupied Oleshky to evacuate civilians and deliver aid. After months of negotiations, a local ceasefire lets residents choose whether to go to Ukraine or Russia, though it remains unclear whether the humanitarian truce could be repeated elsewhere or is an exception in a war still being fought along the frontlines.
WorldRussia says Ukraine has restarted attacks on its oil refineries after a pause. Black smoke is visible above oil facilities in Russia’s Samara region. BNE IntelliNews editor-in-chief Ben Aris shares his analysis.
WorldJens Schumacher, Solidarity International’s field coordinator in Mykolaiv and Kherson, says the Ukrainian-controlled city of Kherson is only a few kilometres from Russian-occupied Oleshky. Yet occupation, disrupted essential services and uncertain evacuation arrangements leave civilians with little assurance of life-saving assistance.
WorldBlack smoke was seen billowing above the Novokuybyshevsk oil refinery in Russia after a reported Ukrainian drone attack in the Samara region.
Reuters
WorldSome residents of Oleshky, a Russian-occupied town in southern Ukraine facing food and medicine shortages, left on Friday under a rare US-brokered ceasefire due to end Sunday evening. Ukrainian and Russian officials visited together, bringing aid and organizing departures for those who wanted to leave.
WorldOn Friday, October 30, a joint relief effort was taking hungry, exhausted residents out of Oleshky, a town in southern Ukraine under Russian occupation. The war had gone four years and eight months without a comparable mission.
WorldA Kyiv Independent documentary investigates mounting reports of Ukrainian refugees—mostly women and children—facing harassment and attacks in Germany, the Czech Republic and Poland. It examines what lies behind the hostility and the role local politicians play in fueling violence.
WorldA Greek container ship sank on Wednesday, October 28, after three drones—potentially of Russian origin—struck it off Bulgaria’s Black Sea coast. The incident underscores growing concerns about commercial shipping amid the continuing Russia-Ukraine conflict.
WorldRecruitment of Africans to fight for Russia in Ukraine is absent from the agenda as African leaders and Russian officials meet at the Africa-Russia summit. More than 1,400 Africans have enlisted since 2023. In Tunisia, families are still trying to learn the fate of men who went to Russia for work or study.
WorldYoung Cameroonian men who were lured to Russia with promises of employment have instead ended up on the front lines in Ukraine. Their families are calling for them to be brought home.
WorldThe first humanitarian operation in years in Russian-occupied Oleshky offers a fragile glimmer of hope to civilians trapped by war. A former Ukrainian prime minister warns it will not lead to a broader truce with Russia, while raising grave concerns about Moscow’s intentions and the fate of people seeking evacuation to Ukrainian-controlled territory.
WorldA rare ceasefire in Russian-occupied Oleshky has entered its fourth day, with aid expected to arrive, after a Russian drone killed at least 14 people at Dnipro’s station. Protesters in Albania face fines of up to €5,500. The programme also examines Israel’s deadlock and the Ebola epidemic in Congo.
WorldFormer Ukrainian prime minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk told Europe Today that the planned evacuation of Oleshky is a Russian “special propaganda operation” and can succeed only with US support.
WorldA rare truce in Oleshky, Ukraine, is holding, while Albania has imposed heavy fines on protesters.
WorldRussian drones have struck cities across Ukraine, including Dnipro, Chernihiv and Kremenchuk. Kyiv warns of possible further missile attacks. The report examines why railways and other critical infrastructure are targets, how upgraded jet-powered drones are changing the battlefield, and whether Ukraine has enough air defenses to protect vital lifelines.
WorldLocal officials say a Russian jet-powered drone struck a crowded platform at the main railway station in Dnipro, killing at least 14 people and wounding at least 14 others, including an 11-year-old boy. Ukraine’s railway operator said a passenger train bound for Zaporizhzhia was at a platform when the drone hit.
BBC News
WorldDuring a temporary ceasefire, Russian troops clear mines and debris from roads in Ukraine’s Oleshky as residents buy food and visit relatives. Putin accused Ukraine of planting mines around the town, saying they contributed to a humanitarian catastrophe. The AP could not independently verify the footage.
The Associated Press
PoliticsThe European Commission has reopened €21.3 billion in unused SAFE defence loans and urged EU governments to spend them on joint projects with Ukraine, which faces a €70 billion budget gap. Brussels cannot compel them, but hopes joint procurement rules will direct some funding to Kyiv.
WorldA Russian drone attack on a railway station in Ukraine killed at least 14 people. Russia and Ukraine have stepped up drone and missile attacks in recent months, while Moscow and Kyiv prepare to resume US-mediated peace talks next month.
WorldA Russian drone hit a platform at the main railway station in Ukraine’s Dnipro, killing at least 13 people and injuring at least 10. Ukraine’s rail operator said a heightened threat alert had been issued, but many people remained on the platform.
WorldA US-brokered six-day ceasefire linked to an aid mission in Russian-occupied Oleshky has brought unusual quiet to Ukrainian-held Kherson across the water. The local pause began at 3 a.m. Tuesday to permit deliveries of medicine, food and water, with evacuation corridors due to open later this week.
WorldA ceasefire has taken effect in Oleshky, a Ukrainian city on the front line with Russia, where thousands of residents have been trapped without food, water or electricity. Melania Trump is described as an unexpected broker, while the Vatican also claims credit, prompting questions about who brought the truce about and what it could mean for those caught in the fighting.
BBC News
WorldUkraine’s minister for veterans affairs, Vitalii Kim, says Ukrainians will keep fighting for their homeland even if Europe does not support them. He says Ukraine’s resolve to resist Russian aggression will persist regardless of the outcome of talks over European financial assistance.
WorldA Reuters camera crew traveled overnight by train from Dnipro to Odesa, where staff and passengers faced evacuations and air-raid alerts. The threat of deadly Russian drone strikes is disrupting journeys as Ukrainians go about their lives.
Reuters