+++ News in the Ukraine war +++: Trump envoy Witkoff continues to travel to Putin

US negotiator Steve Witkoff's talks with Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin about Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine have ended, according to the Kremlin. The meeting in the Constantine Palace in St. Petersburg lasted about three hours, state media reported, according to the Kremlin. Nothing was initially known about the results. After his talks in Oslo the day before with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Europeans, Witkoff handed over documents with new proposals for a peace solution, as he himself said.

At the meeting with Putin, he expressed his hope for the resumption of three-way talks between Russians and Ukrainians under US mediation. There is currently momentum for ending the war, said Witkoff. He hopes for concrete steps towards a peace process. At the start of the meeting, Putin himself once again thanked US President Donald Trump for trying to end the war in Ukraine. Putin's foreign policy advisor Yuri Ushakov and his representative for international economic cooperation, Kirill Dmitriyev, were also at the negotiating table. (dpa)

A Sukhoi Su-30 fighter jet crashed in the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad. The accident occurred during a training flight, reports the Interfax news agency, citing the Defense Ministry in Moscow. The crew was able to escape using the ejection seat and there were no injuries. The ministry is not initially commenting on the cause of the crash. (rtr)

From the Kremlin's perspective, a trilateral meeting between the USA, Russia and China is possible. “There is an opinion from three sides that it would be good to meet,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Russian state television. Russia is aiming for such a meeting on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Shenzhen, China, in November. There is not yet a clearly defined agenda. The USA wanted to talk about nuclear disarmament, but China didn't want that. Russia is ready for this and other things, said Peskov.

After the meeting with Putin, Witkoff is expected again in Oslo to report on Putin's reaction. The contents of the new proposals are not yet known. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said only that Putin would examine them. Even after meetings in the past between Witkoff and Putin, there was usually little concrete. (dpa)

US President Donald Trump has praised the release of the American Stephen Hubbard, who has been imprisoned for years, by Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin. "No 'exchange' was necessary for this release," Trump said on his social network Truth Social. The USA did not have to provide anything in return. Trump spoke of "an unprecedented situation for Russia". Putin had recently released another American without - as is usual - demanding the release of a Russian in return.

Trump said he asked Putin to release Hubbard in their recent phone call. “Stephen is on his way home,” he explained. Putin had recently said at a meeting with Trump's negotiator Steve Witkoff in St. Petersburg that Hubbard was at Pulkovo International Airport. Witkoff was supposed to fly back from there after the talks with Putin. (dpa)

The EU has called reports of SpaceX founder Elon Musk's order to throttle Ukraine's Starlink satellite internet "extremely worrying" and called for an immediate change of course. “SpaceX must urgently restore full services to Ukraine because Ukraine needs these critical connections,” a spokesman for the Ursula von der Leyen-led EU Commission said in Brussels. Ukraine needs satellite internet to keep its soldiers connected, protect its citizens and control the drones it needs to defend its territory.

The spokesman added that the war in Ukraine shows how much Europe's security depends on space. That is why, among other things, the EU is actively working on the development and construction of a new satellite network called IRIS2. The constellation will consist of more than 300 satellites and will provide the best possible secure satellite connections for both civil and military purposes. “We will of course fully involve Ukraine in this,” emphasized the spokesman. (dpa)

‌According to the Kremlin, progress in resolving the Ukraine conflict is “theoretically possible.” Russia is examining the US proposals, but a lot depends on Ukraine, reports the Interfax news agency, citing the presidential office in Moscow. If Kiev does not make the necessary decisions, the situation for the country will worsen. The talks between President Vladimir Putin and US special envoy Steve Witkoff are serious and detailed. A three-way meeting between Putin, US President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping is possible, but there is no concrete agenda for this yet. (rtr)

Russia has announced the first diesel shipment to the USA for Thursday. “This tanker will have a loading capacity of 40,000 tons,” Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Nowak told reporters, as reported by the Russian news agency Interfax. Further deliveries will follow accordingly. The signing of the contract is about to be completed. Nowak did not rule out diesel exports to other countries. However, that depends on Russian refining capacities. “As planned, we will only reach full production volume towards the end of the year and then other countries will also be able to receive the quantities that they received earlier,” he explained.

At the beginning of October 2026, US President Donald Trump and Kremlin boss Vladimir Putin agreed on diesel deliveries from Russia to the USA, for which Washington temporarily suspended existing Russia sanctions. The deal sparked sharp international criticism - from the EU, Ukraine, the federal government and even parts of the US Congress - while Moscow welcomed it. Russian oil refineries are regularly attacked by Ukrainian combat drones. The repairs have limited Russian production capacity, prompting Moscow to impose export bans on gasoline and diesel. Trump therefore repeatedly criticized the Ukrainian attacks and blamed Kiev for rising fuel prices ahead of the congressional elections at the beginning of November. (dpa)

According to Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU), the greatest threat to Germany currently clearly comes from Russia. “My biggest concern at the moment is not our economy, not the USA or China, but the influence of Russia on our society,” said Merz on Wednesday in Berlin. He referred to acts of sabotage and hybrid attacks on communication systems, but also to efforts to destabilize Germany. “These attacks take place every day,” warned Merz during an appearance at the “Global Dialogue” forum. Their importance is still underestimated in Germany. “These are fundamental attacks,” said the Chancellor.

As an example, he again cited the obviously failed Russian attack on Ukrainian cargo planes at Leipzig Airport in August. Merz also once again condemned Russian actions in Ukraine, against which Russia has been “waging a brutal war for five years.” The Chancellor further emphasized that this was “a threat to our security.” Merz expressly acknowledged the ongoing efforts to end the war in Ukraine. “But Ukraine’s capitulation is not an option,” and preventing this “is in all of our interests,” he made clear. (afp)

Russian President Vladimir Putin proposes a meeting with US President Donald Trump in China. He explains this at the reception of US special envoy Steve Witkoff in St. Petersburg, as Russian state television reports. The Kremlin had raised the possibility of a three-way meeting between himself, Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the APEC summit next month. The Russian head of state is also offering talks about resuming economic cooperation between Moscow and Washington. (rtr)

US negotiator Steve Witkoff's talks with Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin about Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine have begun in St. Petersburg. At the start, Putin announced the release of an American who was sentenced to long prison in 2024 because he is said to have fought as a mercenary alongside the Ukrainian armed forces against Russian troops.

Stephen Hubbard is already at Pulkovo Airport in St. Petersburg, the president said, according to the Russian news agency Interfax. Witkoff thanked Putin for the release. He wants to leave Pulkovo after talks with the Russian President. Putin himself once again thanked US President Donald Trump for trying to end the war in Ukraine. To do this, Witkoff should inform him about his Ukraine talks the day before in Oslo, as the Kremlin chief said in the Constantine Palace. (dpa)

Chancellor Friedrich Merz has emphasized that Ukraine's surrender is not an option. With regard to the US pressure on Kyiv, Merz says that Germany and the Europeans are ready to talk at any time. “We are not supporting Ukraine to prolong this war,” he emphasized. “But capitulation – or even an unconditional surrender by Ukraine – is out of the question,” says the Chancellor. “Because that would be a surrender from all of us.” Therefore, Ukraine will continue to be supported in its own interest. (rtr)

The Russian domestic secret service FSB has reported the arrest of a German citizen who is said to have escaped from the Ukrainian armed forces. The FSB said he deserted as a foreign mercenary and sniper after not receiving the promised money, according to the Russian state news agency Tass. A decision will be made about whether to initiate criminal proceedings for mercenary activity, it said. According to the report, the man is said to have served in the Bundeswehr from 1996 to 2010.

The Russian intelligence information cannot be independently verified. The FSB did not say where the suspect was arrested. According to the information, he is said to have been deployed as a Bundeswehr soldier in Afghanistan and Somalia between 2004 and 2010 and to have fought as a mercenary in Syria after his release. From 2016 to 2018, the German citizen worked as a sniper in one of the territorial defense units of the Ukrainian armed forces. Apparently he was deployed on the front line in the Donetsk region, which was then partly controlled by pro-Russian separatists. In 2025 he entered Ukraine again to earn money and signed a contract for military service for three years. (dpa)

Authorities say at least four people have been killed in a new wave of Russian attacks on Ukraine. Two people died when a drone hit a 24-story building in Kyiv and two more in the northeastern Kharkiv region, Prime Minister Serhiy Koretskyj announced on Wednesday. Since Tuesday evening, Russia has “continuously” attacked energy facilities, railway facilities, shopping centers and residential buildings, Korezkyj explained. Energy plants in the Kyiv, Volhynia, Odessa and Mykolaiv regions were affected.

A shopping center in Uman and a university building in Kremenchuk were also hit. According to the head of government, a merchant ship was also attacked by a drone in the Black Sea. According to the head of the regional administration, Oleh Synjehubow, the fatalities in the Kharkiv region were an elderly couple. Their bodies were recovered from the rubble after their house was destroyed. According to authorities, eleven other people were injured in the region. The Ukrainian electricity supplier DTEK reported unscheduled power cuts in parts of Kyiv due to the attacks. There were already planned power shutdowns in other parts of the city. (afp)

According to Ukraine's anti-corruption agency, investigators are searching the central bank's premises and the private apartment of an employee. A statement published on Telegram said that there have been no arrests so far and no suspicion has been formally expressed against anyone. The central bank confirmed that an investigation by the anti-corruption agency was underway at the bank's premises. Operations will continue as normal there. (rtr)

US Secretary of State Marco ‌Rubio has stated that decisions ‌about Ukraine's access to the Starlink satellite network rest with the operator SpaceX and its boss Elon Musk. The US government has no influence on this, Rubio said on Wednesday during a trip to India. His comments suggest that Musk may have arbitrarily restricted service to Kyiv. They also amount to a reversal in the US government's argument.

The Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday that Musk had ordered a slowdown in a military version of Starlink, which Ukraine relies on to defend against Russian missile attacks. According to the report, Musk is said to have previously agreed with US President Donald Trump and representatives of the White House. "I don't know if we knew about this decision in advance. But that's irrelevant," Rubio told reporters. “Ultimately this is governed by a private commercial contract – about how their equipment can be used and what speeds are allowed.” SpaceX and Musk did not initially respond to inquiries from the Reuters news agency. (rtr)

Russia says it shot down three drones over the Leningrad region. This was announced by regional governor Alexander Drozdenko. The region in northwestern Russia surrounds the city of St. Petersburg, where a meeting between President Vladimir Putin and US special envoy Steve Witkoff is scheduled for this morning. (rtr)

Because of massive Russian attacks, Ukraine's economic prospects are becoming increasingly bleak, according to a new forecast. The country's economy is “with its back to the wall,” according to the latest analysis by the Vienna Institute for International Economic Studies (wiiw). The institute, which specializes in Central and Eastern Europe, lowered its expectations for this year's Ukrainian economic growth to 0.6 percent. This is 0.4 percentage points lower than the previous forecast from July.

The growth rate for 2027 was also revised downwards by 0.4 percentage points and is now expected at 2.1 percent - if Ukraine receives enough financial and military support from abroad, it said. However, this appears increasingly uncertain, the experts wrote. “The fifth winter of war is likely to present Ukraine with a tough test,” said Olga Pindyuk, a Ukraine expert at the institute. Russian airstrikes have destroyed Ukrainian energy facilities and infrastructure as well as loading facilities on the Black Sea. According to the institute, grain exports fell by 70 percent in August compared to July. The steel industry is also suffering massively from the attacks. Strong inflation and high interest rates were also slowing down the economy, it was said.

Russia is also struggling with the consequences of its war of aggression, the wiiw said. But Russia expert Vasily Astrov made it clear: “Next year, President Putin will have no problems financing the war against Ukraine.” The state can continue to borrow money from domestic banks. The institute's growth forecast for Russia is 0.6 percent for 2026 and 1.3 percent for 2027. Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian refineries have led to a fuel crisis that is fueling inflation. Moscow imposed a fuel export ban. As a result, the country benefits less from the currently high world market prices, according to the Viennese economists. Russian industry also has to contend with Western sanctions. (dpa)

According to a media report, the Bundeswehr sees itself directly threatened by possible Russian acts of sabotage. In an internal paper, which the Süddeutsche Zeitung quoted on Wednesday, this danger was classified as “significant” for the first time, according to the text, which is also available to WDR. This is the armed forces' second highest threat category. Reference is made to several recent drone discoveries. The apparently failed attack in August at Leipzig/Halle Airport and another discovery near an air force base in Wunstorf are mentioned. This drone could therefore possibly be used against Bundeswehr aircraft. In Leipzig it was assumed that there was a suspected Russian attack on Ukrainian transport aircraft parked there.

“The incidents underline that Russia has almost certainly had the ability and very probably now also the increased intention to take action against forces and facilities of the Bundeswehr, but also partners such as Ukraine in Germany,” says the SZ in the analysis. The goal is therefore “very likely an intention to disintegrate, which is currently focused on the political and social weakening of German support for Ukraine.” (afp)

A few hours before Russian President Vladimir Putin's planned meeting with US special envoy Steve Witkoff, Russia said it attacked another cargo ship in the Black Sea. The Defense Ministry in Moscow said the ship carrying military equipment for Ukraine was hit on its way to the port of Odessa. In addition, the Russian armed forces have shelled drone camps in the central Ukrainian city of Poltava. In addition, a substation in Kyiv was hit. This supplies the Ukrainian defense and industrial sectors as well as logistics centers with electricity. Putin and Witkoff will meet in St. Petersburg later in the day. After Witkoff's talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj in Oslo on Tuesday, ways to end the war in Ukraine will be discussed. (rtr)

Whether trade, air travel or immigration: German-Russian exchanges have declined drastically as a result of the ongoing war against Ukraine. In the first half of 2026, Germany imported 96.4 percent fewer goods from Russia than in the comparable period of 2021 before the war, as the Federal Statistical Office announced on Wednesday. The value of imports fell from 15.0 billion to just over 0.5 billion euros. German exports to Russia fell by 73.1 percent in the same period - from a good 12.7 to 3.4 billion euros.

The European Union's sanctions have fundamentally changed the structure of trade. While the most important import goods in the pre-war period were oil and natural gas, now they are food and animal feed, metals and chemical products. Pharmaceutical products now dominate exports, accounting for more than 40 percent of deliveries.

Economic unbundling is also evident among companies. The number of companies in Germany controlled from Russia fell from 229 in 2021 to 76 in 2024. Their sales fell from almost 25.4 to 8.4 billion euros. Conversely, the number of companies controlled by German investors in Russia fell from 481 to 290 over the same period. The annual turnover achieved there fell from around 38 to 13 billion euros. (rtr)

According to Russian information, Ukraine is also continuing its attacks. A 19-year-old was killed in a drone attack on a car in the western Russian region of Bryansk, regional governor Yegor Kovalchuk said on the short message service Telegram. Two other people were injured in the incident. The information cannot initially be independently verified by the Reuters news agency. (rtr)

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has assessed the talks between US special envoy Steve Witkoff and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj about ending the war in Ukraine as “positive”. Witkoff is now traveling to Russia to present the proposals discussed in Oslo, Rubio said on Wednesday during a visit to India. “It was positive, nothing unexpected, nothing surprising,” Rubio said. With the ideas discussed in Oslo, Witkoff can now travel to St. Petersburg and “share them with the Russian side.” “Then we will see whether we can make progress,” the US Secretary of State added.

At the same time, Rubio acknowledged the difficulties in finding a peace solution. “If this war were easy to solve, it would have been solved long ago,” he said. According to a US government official, Witkoff is scheduled to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday. US President Donald Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, is to be connected via video. Witkoff met with Zelenskyj in Oslo on Tuesday. A US government representative then spoke of “very productive and constructive discussions” and “significant progress”. The aim of further discussions is to pave the way for direct talks between Kyiv, Moscow and Washington.

Rubio also rejected the US government's responsibility for throttling the Starlink and Starshield satellite communications services used by Ukraine. Trump didn't know anything about this in advance and couldn't give any instructions to the operator SpaceX and its boss Elon Musk, he said. (afp)

In the middle of US mediator Steve Witkoff's shuttle diplomacy, Russia has again attacked targets in Ukraine. Two people were killed in a drone attack near Kharkiv overnight, regional governor Oleh Synyehubow said on Telegram. In the capital Kyiv, a Russian air strike hit a high-rise residential building and parts of the transport infrastructure, explains Mayor Vitali Klitschko. Two people were injured in another attack on a university in Kremenchuk in the Poltava region, according to local authorities. US special envoy Witkoff is scheduled to meet with Russian leader Vladimir Putin in Russia on Wednesday. ‌On Tuesday, Witkoff spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr ‌Zelensky in Norway. (rtr)

In the struggle for peace in Ukraine, US negotiator Steve Witkoff is traveling from Oslo to Russia after his recent meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and European leaders. Witkoff will fly to St. Petersburg today for talks with the Russian leadership, Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre said yesterday evening. The confidant of US President Donald Trump wanted to present to the Russians the proposals “that European and American colleagues have developed”.

The US government hopes that the developed peace proposal “paves the way to direct trilateral and then broader multilateral negotiations,” a US official told the news portal “Axios”. Ukraine presented new ideas and proposals in Oslo, which were discussed in detail. There had been “significant progress” and “strong agreement at working level”.

Støre expressed the hope that Witkoff's appointment in St. Petersburg could prepare for "a meeting at the highest political level" - a meeting between top representatives of Ukraine, Russia and the USA, as Ukrainian President Zelensky has suggested several times. So far, the Russian government has always been against it or recommended Moscow as a meeting point, which is unacceptable for Ukraine. (dpa)

According to media reports, the founder of the US space company SpaceX, Elon Musk, is said to be behind the throttling of the Starlink satellite internet for Ukraine. This is reported by the Wall Street Journal and CBS News, citing people supposedly familiar with the matter. The White House and Musk had previously rejected allegations of targeted functional restrictions. Musk had several conversations with government officials leading up to the decision, CBS News reported. He therefore wanted to gain clarity about where President Donald Trump stands on this matter.

According to the Wall Street Journal, Musk and Trump then spoke directly to each other on the phone after the throttling. The Starlink satellite service belongs to the SpaceX company, which is owned by Musk. For around a week there have been reports from Ukraine about problems with the use of Starlink satellite internet. Accordingly, flying objects lost their connection if they moved faster than 160 kilometers per hour - sometimes even less quickly. President Volodymyr Zelensky complained that this would hinder Ukrainian drones in defending themselves against Russian jet drones as well as in their own medium-range attacks. (dpa)

US President Donald Trump has once again urged Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to reach a peace agreement with Russia. Zelensky must “make an agreement” with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Trump said on Tuesday in Washington. This is also in Zelenskyj's own interest. After his conversation with Zelensky in Oslo, Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff is traveling to Russia, where he plans to meet Kremlin boss Vladimir Putin on Wednesday.

Trump said Zelensky must show a willingness to “end this war.” Otherwise, things will “end up very badly,” warned the US President. The USA gave a lot to Ukraine and received nothing in return. Relations between Kyiv and Washington have deteriorated sharply in recent weeks. Trump concluded an agreement with Moscow on the supply of diesel fuel and suspended planned sanctions against Russia. Trump also called for the replacement of the Ukrainian president. (afp)

US President Donald Trump has said he has asked Russian leader Vladimir Putin for the release of US citizen Stephen Hubbard, who has been imprisoned for years. It's time to bring Hubbard back, Trump said in Washington on Tuesday. The retired teacher was sentenced to almost seven years in prison in Moscow in October 2024 for alleged “mercenary work” for Ukraine. Trump said he had spoken “at length” with Putin about the case. The US President indicated that something could change shortly. The USA has repeatedly exchanged prisoners with Russia in the past.

Hubbard's imprisonment by Russia was initially kept secret after the major attack on Ukraine in February 2022. After more than two years of imprisonment, he was then brought to trial. Russian investigators said the former teacher joined a Ukrainian defense battalion and received “at least a thousand dollars” a month in pay. He himself denied the allegations. At the time of his sentencing, Hubbard was 72 years old. A former Ukrainian prisoner reported in the fall of 2024 that the US citizen, like many other prisoners, had been tortured with food deprivation and electric shocks. (afp)

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has called for his country to take part in a possible Ukraine summit between US President Donald Trump, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping. Talks about the future of his country are “only acceptable if we sit at the negotiating table,” Zelensky said on Tuesday during a visit to the Norwegian capital Oslo.

Putin is aiming to meet Trump and Xi on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit on November 18 and 19 in Shenzhen, China, according to a US newspaper report. Trump appeared open to such a three-party summit on Monday: “I would do it,” the US President told journalists in Washington. But the meeting has not yet been agreed.

Zelensky said in Oslo that he didn't know what the three-party summit would be about, "that's their business." But “of course” Ukraine must be represented when it comes to its future. “That is absolutely clear,” he added. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha had previously warned that such a three-way meeting would only “encourage Putin to continue this war.” (afp)

After a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and US special envoy Steve Witkoff in Oslo, Norway and Finland expressed themselves positively. Finnish President Alexander Stubb explains that great progress has been made behind the scenes on a substantive and technical level over the past week. Some approaches to a peace solution have been found, which will now be pursued further in St. Petersburg. According to Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere, Witkoff will travel there tomorrow to meet with the Russian leadership. The Russian state news agency Tass also reports the travel plans, citing an insider. Stoere describes the talks in Oslo as good and constructive. (rtr)

‌Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky thanks the US for resuming the sharing of intelligence information and early warnings of Russian ballistic missile attacks. At a press conference in Oslo after talks with US negotiators, Zelensky said Ukraine was not losing the war against Russia. However, Kyiv deplores the loss of life and is determined to find paths to peace. He reiterated Ukraine's hope to discuss key issues for an end to the war at a trilateral summit. (rtr)

According to Prime Minister Rumen Radev, Bulgaria will no longer participate in new financial aid from the European Union (EU) for Ukraine. At the most recent EU summit, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj demanded a further 70 billion euros from the EU for the coming year in order to be able to defend itself against Russia's war of aggression. "How does this seem to you in the context of everything that is happening in Europe? Bulgaria can in no way be involved in these 70 billion," Radev told reporters in the small town of Tvarditsa, Bulgarian news agency BTA reported.

The Bulgarian head of government recalled that the EU had approved Ukraine 90 billion euros for 2026 and 2027 last year. For this loan, three EU states – Hungary, the Czech Republic and Slovakia – had negotiated not to share in the costs. However, Bulgaria was still involved. The Ukraine war is exhausting European economies and leading to social tension and political instability, Radev said. He called for an end to the war as soon as possible. “The outcome will not be achieved through military means.” (dpa)

NATO is expanding its surveillance capabilities in the Black Sea region after several ships were hit there. The military alliance's ambassadors discussed security in the area in the North Atlantic Council, a spokeswoman said on the X platform. The alliance has already increased its presence on the eastern flank, including with drone defense systems. Additional resources would now be deployed to the region to support surveillance, reconnaissance and forensics. (rtr)