The European Union has extended sanctions against Russia in connection with hybrid threats for another year, until October 9, 2026. Restrictive measures apply to 47 individuals and 15 entities.
The tanker Boracay, detained by the French military on suspicion of ties to Russia's "shadow fleet," continued its course from the west coast of France to the Suez Canal, according to Marine Traffic and Vesselfinder.
Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg has abdicated after 25 years of reign, transferring power to his 43-year-old son Guillaume. The coronation ceremony will take place today, after which the new Grand Duke will take the oath and meet with the public.
The chiefs of staff of the armed forces of EU member states will meet after the detention of the tanker "Pushpa", which was en route from Russia. French military detained the tanker, which repeatedly changed names and flags, off the coast of Saint-Nazaire.
A new study has found that almost half of the deadliest and costliest wildfires in the past 44 years have occurred in just the last decade. The cause is a combination of climate change, expanding human settlements, and improper land use.
On October 3-4, elections will be held in the Czech Republic, where the populist ANO party of former Prime Minister Andrej Babiš is leading in the polls. However, government formation remains uncertain due to several small parties approaching the 5% threshold.
Vietnam's coffee exports in nine months increased by 61% to $6. 98 billion, which has already exceeded the figure for the entire year 2024. This happened against the backdrop of rising consumer prices and increased demand from Europe.
Romania has canceled the performance of Russian opera singer Anna Netrebko, who supports Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine reported that the Embassy of Ukraine in Romania communicated with relevant institutions to prevent the performance.
Michael O'Leary, CEO of Ryanair, criticized EU leaders for their inability to protect airports from drone attacks, calling for the immediate shooting down of unmanned aerial vehicles. He mentioned incidents in Poland and Denmark where drones paralyzed air traffic.
Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof stated that the country does not support accelerating negotiations on Ukraine's accession to the EU by abolishing the unanimity principle. The Netherlands insists on adhering to the Copenhagen criteria and the unanimity principle, believing that changing the rules is not the way for Ukraine and Moldova to join the EU.
Vladimir Putin stated that he would not send drones to France and Denmark, comparing European officials to those who believe in UFOs. He also noted that Russia has no targets in Europe, and the speculations of European countries are a way to escalate the situation.
The psychological attack by the invaders around the situation with the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant continues. Meanwhile, the Kremlin dictator, at the Valdai forum, effectively threatened to strike other Ukrainian nuclear power plants.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with President of Moldova Maia Sandu in Copenhagen. The leaders discussed their joint movement towards the European Union and the development of trade and economic relations.
At the summit in Copenhagen, EU leaders discussed the use of frozen Russian assets to finance aid to Ukraine. A decision is expected at the European Council meeting on October 23-24.
The EU is considering lending Ukraine the monetary value of Russian assets immobilized in Euroclear, but some EU countries are expressing concerns about the legal implications. The European Commission needs to further investigate the legal and fiscal consequences.
The European Union plans to increase tariffs on steel imports to 50%, which will align the tariff percentage with the US level. This decision aims to minimize the risk of trade diversion and counter steel overproduction from China.
Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever is once again raising the issue of using frozen Russian assets to finance Ukraine. He is demanding firm guarantees from EU and NATO leaders regarding risk sharing.
Ukraine expects a number of economic decisions from the EU by the end of the year, including a review of duties on agricultural products. The government's main task is to accelerate the country's accession process to the European Union.
Ukraine has approved the State Target Program for Energy Modernization of Heat Supply Enterprises until 2030. It provides for stimulating enterprises to apply energy-efficient measures, developed in pursuance of the EU Ukraine Facility initiative.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived in Copenhagen to participate in the European Political Community summit. He met with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, discussing airspace violations and a joint air defense system.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will meet with European leaders in Copenhagen on Thursday. He will speak at the European Political Community meeting and hold a press conference.
Ukraine's state budget revenues for January-September 2025 exceeded planned targets by UAH 71. 1 billion, reaching UAH 1.6 trillion. Defense expenditures are fully financed by own resources, while international aid is directed to social and civilian needs.
A "Shahed" UAV was drawn on one of the Dutch Air Force planes, although other drones flew over Poland in September.
Russia has modified its missiles to bypass Ukrainian air defense, as evidenced by months of devastating airstrikes. Ukrainian forces intercepted 37% of ballistic missiles in July, but this figure dropped to 6% in September.
The European Union is changing its strategy of sanctions against Russia, preparing tougher restrictions instead of a gradual increase in pressure. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced significantly stricter measures in energy, financial services, and trade, which will be included in the 19th package of sanctions, agreed with the United States.
Russia is developing a plan to nationalize and quickly sell off foreign assets if the European Union confiscates frozen Russian funds. The President of the Russian Federation signed a decree allowing the express sale of state assets in response to "unfriendly" actions by foreign states.
The Ministry of Culture of Ukraine has evacuated over 670,000 museum items from frontline regions by September 2025, with almost 100,000 of them this year. The Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Fund is being established for systematic international support.
French military seized the Russian tanker "Pushpa" off the coast of Saint-Nazaire, which repeatedly changed names and flags and is under international sanctions. The vessel is linked to a "ghost fleet" that finances Russian troops and may be involved in sabotage operations.
EU leaders at an informal summit discussed common defense, frozen Russian assets, and Ukraine's accession to the EU. Meetings of defense ministers and EU chief diplomat Kaja Kallas will become more frequent.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha reacted to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban's statement about his country's unwillingness to be in integration associations with Ukraine. Sybiha noted that the countries are already members of many international organizations and formats.
