In brief

• German ZEIT ONLINE reports that evacuation has begun in Oleshky, with at least 750 people expected to leave. Czech iROZHLAS says it was made possible by a local several-day ceasefire mediated by Melania Trump. Belarusian Zerkalo reports that the humanitarian mission has ended and 25 buses took part in the operation.
• German FAZ.NET reports that the independent newspaper „Nowaja Gazeta” has announced the end of its activities under pressure from Russian authorities. Editor-in-chief Sergei Sokolov, according to FAZ.NET, calls it a dramatic moment for the staff.
• German DER SPIEGEL reports that the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has allowed Russian teams to take part in IIHF events, overturning the ban in force for the 2026/2027 season. Czech iROZHLAS relays the reaction of the Czech ice hockey association, whose president Alois Hadamczik is shocked by the decision.
• Polish Rzeczpospolita reports that Radosław Sikorski does not want to pose for a joint photo with Sergei Lavrov at the G20 summit in Atlanta. Ukrainian Європейська правда, citing German minister Johann Wadephul, writes that there will be no photo because of Russia's war against Ukraine.
• According to Ukrainian Espreso, citing The Guardian and Greenpeace data, seven tankers carrying about 288 thousand tonnes of Russian diesel are heading to the USA. Polish Rzeczpospolita reports that American companies, despite offers, do not want to buy it, while Belarusian Charter 97, citing The Washington Sun, writes about large discounts and fears of Congressional investigations.

Polish press

According to Polish Rzeczpospolita, American companies have for several weeks been receiving offers to buy Russian diesel that was supposed to reach the USA under an agreement between the White House and the Kremlin. Even companies operating in the grey zone have nonetheless decided not to buy it (Diesel wysokiego ryzyka. Nikt w USA nie chce tknąć paliwa z Rosji – Rzeczpospolita).

According to the Polish portal WNP.pl, the Belgian depository Euroclear earned 3.6 billion euros in interest on frozen Russian assets during the first three quarters of 2026, which are to feed a support fund for Ukraine. The same service recalls that EU sanctions have blocked a total of about 185 billion euros belonging to the Russian state and the Central Bank of Russia. (3,6 mld euro od rosyjskich aktywów zasili Ukrainę – WNP.pl)

According to Polish Rzeczpospolita, in Yaoundé, the capital of Cameroon, relatives of men who were supposed to work in Russia but ended up at the front marched peacefully to the Russian diplomatic mission. The newspaper reports that the movement operates under the slogan of bringing these people home. Participants of the protest, as Rzeczpospolita relates, demanded action from both the authorities in Moscow and the government of Cameroon. (Mieli pracować w Rosji, trafili na wojnę Putina. Rodziny protestują – Rzeczpospolita)

The Polish edition of Business Insider reports that Hanna Notte, a Russia expert, told the German weekly „Die Zeit” that as long as Vladimir Putin holds power, Moscow will harbour exaggerated notions of its own role in the world. As the portal relates, the researcher also warns that the Kremlin's policy may become increasingly dangerous in the near future. („Musimy przetrwać od pięciu do dziesięciu lat”. Ekspertka od Rosji wskazuje – Business Insider Polska)

According to Polish Rzeczpospolita, Radosław Sikorski does not want to pose for a joint photo with Sergei Lavrov during the G20 summit in Atlanta. Before flying to the USA, the foreign minister had the head of Russian diplomacy told that the war should already be over. (Radosław Sikorski nie stanie do zdjęcia z Siergiejem Ławrowem. „Dość tej krwawej wojny” – Rzeczpospolita) Citing the AP agency, the Ukrainian outlet NV reports that European diplomats at the G20 meeting in the USA refused a joint photo with Lavrov and other Russians, and that differences between states, including China and Russia, forced the American delegation to abandon the idea. (Европейские дипломаты со скандалом отказались на встрече G20 в США от совместного фото с Лавровым и россиянами — АР – NV) Both reports concern the same G20 summit and the same issue of joint photos with Russian representatives, so they form one thread.

Polish Bankier.pl reports that on Friday the Ukrainian portal Militarnyj announced an attack by Ukrainian military drones on the refinery in Novokuibyshevsk, located in Samara Oblast, in the eastern part of European Russia (Apokaliptyczny widok. Rosyjska rafineria w ogniu po ataku dronów – Bankier.pl).

German press

German ZEIT ONLINE reports that evacuation of residents has begun in Oleshky, which is occupied by Russia. It is expected that at least 750 people will leave the city, although many may remain there even after the ceasefire ends (Russische Besatzung: Russland und Ukraine beginnen mit der Evakuierung von Oleschky – ZEIT ONLINE).

German FAZ.NET reports that the independent newspaper „Nowaja Gazeta” has announced the end of its activities, as a result of pressure from the Russian regime. Editor-in-chief Sergei Sokolov stressed that for many staff members this is a dramatic moment, because „Nowaja” had been their home for 30 years. The authorities forced the editorial office to stop work, which means the end of one of the last independent media outlets in Russia (Russische Repression: Die „Nowaja Gaseta“ kündigt ihr Ende an – FAZ.NET).

According to German DER SPIEGEL, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has allowed Russian teams to take part in events of the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF), overturning the ban in force for the 2026/2027 season, which also covers the men's World Championship in Germany in 2027. DER SPIEGEL reports that CAS found insufficient evidence to support the IIHF's concerns about security, and the IIHF announced it will comply with the ruling, although it still maintains its doubts; the German ice hockey association criticises the decision and, together with the IIHF, is analysing its consequences for the event. The DER SPIEGEL editors noted that the permission does not automatically mean Russia will take part in the tournaments, as qualification issues remain open. (Eishockey-WM: Sportgerichtshof erlaubt Russlands Teilnahme 2027 in Deutschland – DER SPIEGEL) According to Ukrainian NV, Vitalij Ljałka, leader of Ukraine's national ice hockey team, considered Russia's return to sport unacceptable as long as its attacks on Ukraine continue, including on civilian lives and sports facilities. («Ракета РФ убила нашего хоккеиста». Лидер сборной Украины жестко прокомментировал возвращение России на чемпионат мира – NV)

Czech press

Czech iROZHLAS reports that the president of the Czech Ice Hockey Association, Alois Hadamczik, is shocked by the decision to return Russia to the World Championship after the Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled in its favour. Hadamczik stresses that morality should matter more than sport and expresses opposition to the presence of Russians in competitions (Hadamčíkova návrat Rusů šokoval. ‚Morálka musí být víc než sport,‘ říká prezident hokejového svazu – iROZHLAS). In a similar tone, the leader of the Ukrainian national ice hockey team, Vitalij Ljałka, stated that Russia's return to sport is unacceptable as long as the country conducts military actions against Ukraine, which makes the CAS decision controversial. iROZHLAS also writes about this matter, reporting that the IIHF excluded Russia from international competitions in February 2022 after the attack on Ukraine, and extended the start ban recently in January of this year; the federation disagrees with the arbitration decision but must respect it, while former ice hockey player Dominik Hašek calls on the government to push through a ban on public appearances of Russian athletes on Czech territory („Zákony země jsou nadřazené sportovním.“ Hašek volá po zásahu politiků proti startu ruských hokejistů – iROZHLAS).

The Czech portal ČT24 reports that Russia is in no hurry to take part in planned negotiations on the conflict with Ukraine, which could take place in November in Abu Dhabi. Expert Pavel Havlíček notes that Moscow prefers the current state of affairs, which may suggest that it intends to wait for more favourable conditions before entering talks (Rusko k jednacímu stolu nespěchá. Kyjev chce zatlačit do kouta, míní expert – ČT24). Meanwhile, the Ukrainian press reports that Ukraine seeks to organise these trilateral negotiations as soon as possible, which underlines the importance of cooperation with the USA and European partners in the context of the situation in the Middle East (Україна хоче якнайшвидше провести переговори з США та Росією: що відомо про дату зустрічі – TSN). Both articles point to a tense situation and differing approaches to negotiations on the part of Russia and Ukraine.

According to Czech iROZHLAS, evacuation of the population has begun in the Ukrainian city of Olesky (Oleshky), occupied by the Russian army, and humanitarian aid has also arrived at the site. Citing Ukrainian and Russian officials, iROZHLAS reports, based on AFP and Reuters agencies, that the ombudsmen of Ukraine and Russia, Dmytro Lubinets and Yana Lantratova, travelled to the city, and this was made possible by a local several-day ceasefire mediated by American First Lady Melania Trump (ONLINE: V ukrajinském městě Olešky začala evakuace obyvatel. Na místo dorazila i humanitární pomoc – iROZHLAS). German ZEIT ONLINE describes the same evacuation and reports that at least 750 people are expected to leave, although many of them may stay in the city even after the truce ends.

Ukrainian press

Ukrainian press, including TSN, reports that in temporarily occupied Oleshky considerably more residents want to evacuate to territory controlled by Ukraine than to Russia. Russian authorities, however, are planning a propaganda show to conceal these figures, displaying empty buses as if they were transporting people to Russia (Олешки не хочуть до Росії: окупанти готують пропагандистську виставу з автобусами – TSN). German ZEIT ONLINE, for its part, reports that evacuation of residents of Oleshky has begun, with at least 750 people expected to leave the city, which may affect the situation in the region. 24tv.ua also reports on the evacuation of Oleshky residents, stressing that Russian authorities plan to organise a propaganda show to conceal the actual evacuation data (Евакуація в Олешках і провокації окупантів, Росія втрачає літаки, “іскандери” та НПЗ: огляд ... – 24tv.ua).

The Ukrainian press reports that Ukraine seeks to organise trilateral negotiations with the USA and Russia as quickly as possible, preferring a date in November. Foreign Ministry spokesman Georgiy Tykhyi noted that a specific date for the meeting in Abu Dhabi has not yet been set, and its choice depends on the situation in the Middle East and the position of the American side. Ukraine also plans to coordinate its actions with European partners to ensure their participation in the peace process, even if they are not directly present at the negotiating table, TSN reports.

The Ukrainian press highlights the need to maintain dialogue with Russia in a humanitarian context, illustrated by the example of ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets, who is holding talks with Russian representatives to save residents of blockaded Oleshky. According to Українська правда, such actions provoke controversy in Ukraine, where questions arise about the morality of cooperating with the enemy to save people's lives (Розмова з ворогом заради життя. Навіщо Україні потрібні гуманітарні мости – Українська правда). German ZEIT ONLINE reports that evacuation of residents has begun in Oleshky, occupied by Russia, which may be the result of these talks.

According to Ukrainian NV, Vitalij Ljałka, leader of Ukraine's national ice hockey team, expressed his outrage at the decision of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) to restore Russian teams to international competitions. Ljałka stressed that Russia's return to sport is unacceptable as long as the country continues its attacks on Ukraine, including on sports infrastructure and civilian lives. He noted that Ukrainian hockey players were killed as a result of Russian attacks and that the situation in the country is dramatic, which makes the CAS decision even more controversial.

According to Ukrainian Європейська правда, the traditional "family photo" of G20 foreign ministers will not take place at the meeting in Atlanta, which is linked to the presence of the Russian minister, Sergei Lavrov. German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul stressed that, because of Russia's aggressive war against Ukraine, misleading visual signals cannot be sent, which is why the photo will not be taken. Additionally, American sources indicate that the USA dropped plans for a joint photo after several European diplomats refused to pose with Lavrov. (На зустрічі G20 не буде спільного фото міністрів, у Німеччині кажуть, що через Лаврова – Європейська правда)

Ukrainian press reports that the leaders of Finland and Norway spoke with Vladimir Putin at the request of Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky, in order to convey Ukraine's position on ending the war and an appeal to stop attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure, which underlines the importance of coordinating actions with Kyiv, according to TSN. Meanwhile, the Czech portal ČT24 notes that Russia is in no hurry to negotiate, which may affect the dynamics of the situation and the further talks that Ukraine is trying to organise, indicating the different approaches of both sides to dialogue.

According to the Ukrainian portal Espreso, the situation at the front in the Dobropillia area is very tense, as Russian forces have concentrated a significant number of units there and are conducting intense attacks. Military analyst Vasyl Pekhno stressed that four Russian armies are operating on a relatively narrow section of the front, which poses a serious threat. Nevertheless, Ukrainian defenders are effectively slowing the occupiers' advances and destroying their logistics, and are also achieving significant results on the battlefield (На фронті є небезпечно гаряча ділянка, де ворог має неймовірну кількість підрозділів, — Пехньо – Espreso).

The Ukrainian press reports that American diplomat Anthony Gardner warns of the danger posed by individual countries conducting negotiations with Vladimir Putin on their own, stressing that European unity is key in approaching Russia (Вкрай небезпечно, коли окремі країни самостійно ведуть переговори з Путіним, — дипломат Гарднер – Espreso). Meanwhile, the Czech portal ČT24 notes that Russia is in no hurry to take part in the planned talks, which may suggest that it is waiting for more favourable conditions. Both articles point to a tense situation and differing approaches to negotiations on the part of Russia and Ukraine.

According to the Ukrainian portal Espreso, the history of Ukraine's relations with Russia over the last 100 years shows that more Ukrainians died in peacetime on territories controlled by Moscow than during armed resistance. The article stresses that Ukraine has nowhere to flee, and under occupation it faces a worse fate, including a loud famine and deportations. Espreso points out that joint actions against the Kremlin regime may be the key to reducing migration risk. (Нам нікуди йти зі своєї землі – Espreso)

The Ukrainian portal Espreso reports that Ukraine is convening an urgent session of the UN Security Council after Russian strikes on Dnipro, Chernihiv and Kremenchuk. As Espreso reports, citing Ukraine's ambassador to the UN Andrii Melnyk, at least 20 people were killed and more than 80 were injured in these attacks. Melnyk called the attacks barbaric and called for Russia to be expelled from the UN. According to Espreso, a day of mourning was declared on 30 October in Chernihiv and in Dnipropetrovsk and Poltava oblasts. (Україна скликає термінове засідання Радбезу ООН через удари РФ по Дніпру, Чернігову та Кременчуку – Espreso)

The Ukrainian portal TSN reports that the President's Office responded to statements by the Kremlin about a phone call between Zelensky and Putin. Presidential adviser for communications Dmytro Lytvyn, according to TSN, argues that key issues concerning ending the war must be decided at the level of leaders, and that a phone call alone is not enough, because Russia wants to avoid a trilateral meeting of leaders. TSN also reports that Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated that Putin is reportedly ready for a phone conversation but will not call first himself. (В ОП відповіли на заяви Кремля про телефонну розмову Зеленського з Путіним – TSN) The Czech portal ČT24 writes that Russia is in no hurry to take part in the negotiations planned for November in Abu Dhabi, which fits the same picture of avoiding direct talks.

According to Ukrainian Espreso, citing Ukrainian military intelligence (GUR), Russians in occupied Crimea are involving children in learning to operate combat drones. Espreso reports that in Sevastopol about 50 pupils aged 7 to 18 reached the regional stage of competitions organised by the so-called „Движение первых” and a drone racing federation, and students train on simulators and real equipment used by the Russian military. According to the same service, schools also hold shooting and Kalashnikov assembly classes, and children take part in military-patriotic quests with Russian soldiers; GUR considers this an element of occupation policy aimed at raising a generation that accepts the war (У Криму росіяни залучають дітей до навчання керування бойовими дронами, – ГУР – Espreso).

Ukrainian TSN reports, citing Ukrainian servicemen from the Telegram channel „Absolutely Reliable Source”, that on 29 October at Akhtubinsk airfield in Russia, irregularities during engine start-up led to a fire that completely destroyed a fifth-generation multirole Su-57 fighter. According to the same publisher, this is the fourth Su-57 lost by Russia in 2026, and the authors of the message noted that with production at a maximum of four aircraft a year, "the quota is already fulfilled" (Мінус ще один Су-57: у Росії згорів винищувач п’ятого покоління — військові (фото) – TSN). NV reports similarly, citing an OSINT project, and specifies that Akhtubinsk airfield is located in Astrakhan Oblast («Норма выполнена». В Астраханской области РФ сгорел истребитель пятого поколения Су-57 — OSINT-проект – NV).

Ukrainian NV, citing the AP agency, reports that European diplomats at the G20 meeting in the USA sharply refused a joint photo with Sergei Lavrov and other Russians. According to NV, deep differences between G20 diplomats, including those from China and Russia, forced the American delegation to abandon the idea of a joint photograph.

According to Ukrainian Espreso, citing the British newspaper The Guardian and Greenpeace data, seven tankers carrying about 288 thousand tonnes of Russian diesel are heading to the USA, whereas earlier three vessels had been mentioned. Espreso reports that New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill is looking for ways to prevent the unloading, and a group of Democratic legislators warned banks and ports about possible Congressional investigations. The same publisher notes that it is unknown whether the tankers will be able to unload. (До США пливуть сім танкерів із приблизно 288 тис. тонн російського дизелю за угодою Путіна й Трампа – Espreso) Polish Rzeczpospolita, according to which American companies do not want to buy Russian diesel even despite offers, describes the same problem from a market and legal perspective.

Belarusian press

Belarusian Zerkalo reports that the humanitarian mission in Ukrainian Oleshky has ended, where residents were evacuated to Armenia, and then to Russia and Ukraine via Belarus. 25 buses and ambulances took part in the operation, and the organisation proceeded without incidents, as confirmed by Russian representative Yana Lantratova. Meanwhile, German ZEIT ONLINE reports that at least 750 people are planned to be evacuated from Oleshky, occupied by Russia, which may affect the further course of the situation in the region. (Гуманитарная миссия в Олешках завершилась - Представительница России – Zerkalo)

Belarusian portal Charter 97 reports that Vladimir Putin is trying to provoke a reaction from Elon Musk, claiming that Russia is in close contact with the founder of SpaceX regarding low-orbit satellites. Military expert Oleksandr Musiienko stresses that there are no real projects of cooperation between Russia and SpaceX, and such statements aim to create tension between Ukraine, the USA and Europe. Musiienko suggests these may be provocations intended to prompt Musk into a public reaction. (Путин провоцирует Маска – Charter 97)

Charter 97, citing the American The Washington Sun, reports that batches of Russian diesel, which was to reach the USA under the agreement between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin, have for several weeks been offered to American companies, but none has yet agreed to be the buyer, despite very large discounts. According to the same source, the Trump administration is urging businesses to take part, while Wall Street traders explain their hesitation by fears of future Congressional investigations and lengthy court disputes (Американские компании отказались покупать «дизель Путина» – Charter 97). According to Polish Rzeczpospolita, American companies also do not want to buy this fuel, even though they operate even in the grey zone, which shows that the problem of lack of buyers concerns a wider circle of entities.

Belarusian Zerkalo reports that Russia attacked three Ukrainian oblasts, and according to this report one person was killed and others were injured, with the strikes hitting civilian infrastructure (Россия атаковала три области Украины - есть погибшая и пострадавшие – Zerkalo). Ukrainian Espreso reports that Ukraine is convening an urgent session of the UN Security Council after strikes on Dnipro, Chernihiv and Kremenchuk, in which – as Espreso reports, citing ambassador Andrii Melnyk – at least 20 people were killed and more than 80 were injured. Both reports concern Russian attacks on Ukraine, but their connection is presumed rather than confirmed in the sources, because Zerkalo does not name the cities given by Espreso.

Read also

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