+++ News in the Ukraine War +++: US Senators demand clarification on Starlink throttling

Russia and Ukraine exchanged prisoners of war again. 270 soldiers were handed over to their home countries, reports the Russian state news agency Tass, citing the Defense Ministry. (rtr)

Off the Romanian Black Sea coast, not far from the border with Ukraine, a merchant ship was once again allegedly hit by a drone. One sailor died and nine were rescued, several Romanian media reported, citing the shipping authority in the port city of Constanta responsible for the rescue operations. A search is underway for three more missing sailors. The Interior Ministry in Bucharest reported that the ship was in danger of sinking. Romanian President Nicusor Dan described the incident as another “escalation attempt by Russia” in the context of the war of aggression against Ukraine, the Romanian news agency Mediafax reported.

Dan did not explicitly say whether a Russian drone had hit the ship, but he indicated that he thought this was likely. The accident occurred 13 nautical miles from Constanta in the Black Sea and therefore just outside Romanian territorial waters, as the media reported, citing the shipping authority. The crew of the ship, which was flying the Comoros flag, was able to make an emergency call. (dpa)

The ‌Federal Court of Justice has taken the ‌suspected Russian spy arrested in Brandenburg into custody. The Federal Prosecutor General announced on Friday in Karlsruhe that the arrest warrant against the Ukrainian national Vadym J. had been executed. The accused is strongly suspected of having collected military-relevant information for a Russian intelligence service. (rtr)

According to the Kremlin, after the diesel deal with US President Donald Trump, Russia has now sent the first tanker with 40,000 tons on board on the journey. Further deliveries would follow, said Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov in Moscow. President Vladimir Putin announced the launch on Wednesday at a meeting with US special envoy Steve Witkoff in St. Petersburg. Russia does not exclude diesel exports to other countries. However, that depends on Russian refining capacity. “As planned, we will only reach the 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,” said Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Nowak, who is responsible for energy issues, this week. (dpa)

The Kremlin has announced direct negotiations between Russian and Ukrainian negotiators under US mediation in November in the United Arab Emirates. The talks are “scheduled for the first half of November in Abu Dhabi,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Friday. After a meeting between Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin and US special envoy Steve Witkoff on Wednesday, Moscow agreed to resume negotiations with Washington and Kiev. (afp)

According to Moscow-appointed governor Leonid Passechnik, two civilians were killed and four injured in Ukrainian drone strikes in the Russian-controlled Luhansk region in the east of the country. A drone hit a truck and fatally injured the driver, Passetschnik said on Telegram. An occupant was killed in another attack on a car. The Reuters news agency cannot independently verify the information. There is currently no Ukrainian statement available. (rtr)

Russia has triggered massive power outages in the country with new serious attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure. According to authorities, more than half a million people are affected. The Energy Ministry in Kyiv said that more than 500,000 Ukrainians were without electricity after the attacks in the Zhytomyr, Volhynia, Mykolaiv, Poltava, Khmelnytskyi and Rivne regions. “The energy suppliers have already started emergency and recovery work as far as the security situation allows,” the ministry said.

However, the work would be made more difficult by the ongoing Russian attacks. The ministry also announced plans for hourly power cuts and power limitations for industry and companies. “These measures are necessary for the stable operation of the power grid and to avoid major outages,” the authority said. (dpa)

Ukraine says it still has problems using the Starshield military communications system, which is important for warfare. “Cases of signal loss are still being observed this morning,” Defense Ministry sources said on Friday. There is “no confirmation that the restrictions have been lifted”. The leadership in Kyiv has been complaining for days about a throttling of the Internet communications system Starlink and its variant Starshield. US media, citing government officials, reported that tech billionaire Elon Musk had ordered a restriction on the service provided by his company SpaceX.

Musk, however, said that “any restrictions on the speed or use” of the Starshield system would be decided by the US military and ultimately the president. On Thursday, US President Donald Trump declared that Starshield was “back”. "I don't want to say anything about whether I called or whether someone else called - it makes no difference," Trump said in response to journalists' questions about whether he had spoken to Musk. “I guess the bottom line is he turned it back on,” Trump said. (afp)

A tanker loaded with ‌40,000 tons of ‌Russian diesel is on its way to New York. This emerged on Friday from shipping data from the financial services provider LSEG. The delivery is part of an agreement between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Trump hopes to take several measures to reduce diesel prices before the US midterm elections on November 3rd. This also includes the suspension of parts of a new sanctions law against Russia. The Maltese-flagged tanker Agioi Fanendes was loaded with low-sulfur diesel in the Russian Baltic Sea port of Primorsk on October 22, according to shipping data. It is scheduled to arrive in the US on November 7th.

Russia had agreed to lift a self-imposed diesel export ban in order to return the fuel to global markets. Trump announced on October 9th that Russia would initially export 300,000 tons or 2.25 million barrels. ⁠This will be followed by 500,000 tonnes in November and one million tonnes “immediately thereafter”. Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said last week that Russia could increase its diesel exports to the usual volume of three to 3.5 million tons per month by the end of the year. Since the full EU embargo on Russian oil products came into force in February 2023 due to the war in Ukraine, Russia has exported diesel mainly to Brazil, Turkey and African countries. (rtr)

Austria has expelled several diplomats whom it accuses of activities “incompatible with their status.” “Based on findings from the Austrian security authorities, the Foreign Ministry has taken measures against four Russian diplomats in Vienna,” the ministry said on Friday. Three diplomats from the Russian Embassy “performed activities that are incompatible with their diplomatic status,” the statement continued. “They have therefore been declared personae non gratae in accordance with Article 9 of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations,” the ministry said.

A diplomat from the Russian Federation's delegation for military security and arms control to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) "also carried out activities that are incompatible with his status under the Headquarters Agreement," it said. He was also declared persona non grata and asked to leave Austrian territory.

Since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, several European countries have expelled Russian diplomats. After the election of the new head of government, Peter Magyar, Hungary expelled ten Russian diplomats from the country, citing the “security and sovereignty” of Hungary. Austria had also expelled Russian diplomats several times after 2022, although in smaller numbers than other countries. The neutral country is accused by NATO, among other things, of offering foreign agents a safe base due to its lax espionage laws. (afp)

Russian attacks on energy facilities in six Ukrainian regions left more than 500,000 people without power overnight. This is explained by Deputy Energy Minister Artem Nekrasov. (rtr)

Ukraine will work with Finnish companies ICEYE and Nokia on its own independent satellite communications. The Ukrainian Defense Ministry and the companies signed a memorandum of understanding during a visit to Kyiv by Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo. Details and a schedule were not given. But the agreement comes amid Ukraine's conflict with the US over satellite data and internet. "We have agreed to make greater use of Finnish satellite capacities. This is important for our defense and Ukraine's resilience," said President Volodymyr Zelensky. (dpa)

US senators are demanding clarification about why the Starlink satellite internet service from the space company SpaceX was temporarily restricted for the Ukrainian armed forces. Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal opened an investigation into it. The restrictions on the Starlink and Starshield services left Ukraine more exposed to Russian missile attacks that its armed forces could not repel quickly enough, Blumenthal wrote in a letter to SpaceX founder Elon Musk and US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.

“Regardless of whether the change was ordered by the White House, the Department of Defense, or SpaceX, the incident raises urgent questions,” Blumenthal wrote. Republican Senator Thom Tillis called on those responsible to come forward. Otherwise, the matter must be clarified, he wrote on the X platform. According to a report in the Wall Street Journal, the restrictions had affected the deployment of Ukrainian troops at the front. In addition, Ukraine was more exposed to Russian, jet-powered Shahed drones, which reach speeds of more than 400 kilometers per hour. (ap)

According to US President Donald Trump, Ukraine again has the Starlink satellite internet service provided by the US company SpaceX, which is crucial in the war against Russia and was recently allegedly throttled. He assumes that SpaceX boss Elon Musk has “turned the service back on,” Trump said on Thursday in Washington. When asked by reporters whether he had spoken to Musk, Trump replied: "I don't want to say anything about whether I called or whether someone else called - it makes no difference."

The leadership in Kyiv has been complaining for days about a throttling of Starlink and its Starshield variant. The services play an important role in the communication of the Ukrainian armed forces at the front and are also important for the control of drones and their defense. The Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday that SpaceX boss Elon Musk had ordered the restriction of Starshield for Ukraine. The high-tech billionaire limited the speed at which Ukrainian devices can connect to the system, which, among other things, resulted in Ukrainian drones becoming partially inoperable. Musk, however, had stated that “any restrictions on the speed or use” of the Starshield system would be decided by the US military and ultimately the president. This was rejected by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and also by Trump. (afp)

According to a newspaper report, Ukraine is negotiating with Poland and Slovakia about moving customs controls for grain transport to the interior of the two EU states. This was intended to prevent Russian drone attacks on trucks at the border, reports the Financial Times, citing insiders. The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry explains that it has already set up joint border checkpoints with Moldova and now wants to expand this initiative to other neighboring countries. Ministry spokesman Heorhij Tychyi tells the FT that the move is driven by a “new security environment” in which Russia is deliberately attempting to attack Ukraine’s borders. The government in Kyiv wants to conclude an agreement with Poland as quickly as possible. Statements from Warsaw and Bratislava are not initially known. (rtr)

According to information from government trips to Berlin, Federal Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul (CDU) is expected to attend a meeting of foreign ministers in the Turkish metropolis of Istanbul on Friday. According to the Turkish Foreign Ministry, Wadephul wants to discuss regional security with his colleagues from Great Britain and France as well as with the foreign ministers of Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Egypt.

The Turkish Foreign Ministry said the meeting would focus on the “Palestine issue, the situation in the Strait of Hormuz, developments in Yemen and the search for an end to the Ukraine war.” It is therefore the first meeting in the so-called R4+E3 format. The E3 format from Germany, Great Britain and France was set up more than 20 years ago as part of the nuclear negotiations with Iran. The R4 states Türkiye, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Egypt joined forces for closer security policy coordination this year in response to the Iran war. (afp)

After a conversation with US negotiator Steve Witkoff about ending the war in Ukraine, Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin appears ready to negotiate. “We agreed that we are ready to resume our trilateral contacts,” Putin told state television's pro-Kremlin correspondent Pavel Zarubin, referring to previous talks with US and Ukrainian officials. The aim of these negotiations will be to discuss the issue of ensuring the security of Ukraine and Russia after the conclusion of a peace agreement, Putin said. This is a “final variant”, not a temporary one as a result of a cessation of hostilities. The Kremlin chief thus once again rejected a ceasefire.

Witkoff said that discussions about the future security of Ukraine and Russia must also discuss European security, Putin said. In principle he agreed with it. “We will see how the situation develops in the next few days.” Putin, who ordered the invasion of Ukraine in 2022, repeatedly accused the neighboring country of wanting war and claimed that Russia did not want it. Putin once again denied the neighboring country its territorial integrity with regard to the Russian-occupied areas in eastern Ukraine. “My position on this matter is, first of all, that this is not their territory, but the territory of historical Russia.” (dpa)

Three people were killed in a Russian attack in southeastern Ukraine. The military administration said the attack hit a private house in Zaporizhia. A man (37) and two women (38, 69) were killed. The authorities initially did not provide any information about the nature of the attack. Also as a result of an impact on a residential building, nine people were injured in the Zhytomyr region west of Kyiv, as the head of the region's military administration, Vitaly Bunechko, wrote on Telegram. Among them are two minors. Two injured people were taken to hospital. Russia therefore used a drone. (dpa)

In view of the increased pressure from the USA on his country, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warns US President Donald Trump against further concessions to Russia. "My position on Putin is very clear. I think if we lift the sanctions, we will make him stronger," Zelensky said in an interview with US broadcaster CNN. He added: “There is nothing personal between me and President Trump, and of course I am against any lifting of sanctions.”

Relations between the USA and Ukraine have deteriorated sharply in recent weeks. Zelensky had said Trump was “on the wrong side of history” after he struck a diesel deal with Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin and lifted sanctions against Russia. There were also reports of SpaceX founder Elon Musk ordering a throttling of the Starlink satellite internet, which is very important for the Ukrainian army. (dpa)

Denmark is purchasing long-range precision missiles for the first time. The NATO member agreed to purchase the German-produced “Anthem” missiles from the US defense company Covenant and “Joint Strike Missiles” from the Norwegian manufacturer Kongsberg for its F-35 fighter jets, as the government announced. The new systems are intended to enable strikes “behind enemy lines” in the event of an attack, explains Defense Minister Jeppe Bruus. The Russian embassy in Copenhagen condemned the move and warned of “inevitable catastrophic consequences.” Copenhagen is under the dangerous illusion that the acquisition of offensive weapons will strengthen the country's security. Bruus did not mention the number of rockets ordered or the purchase price. (rtr)

Because of constant Russian attacks, Ukrainian authorities have ordered the evacuation of families with children from the eastern cities of Sloviansk and Kramatorsk. “The security situation is steadily deteriorating,” wrote the governor of the Donetsk region, Vadym Filaschkin, on Telegram. “The Russians are attacking Kramatorsk and Slovyansk on a daily basis, shelling residential areas, civilian transportation and places where people congregate.”

Staying there with children is an unjustifiable risk, explained Filaschkin. He did not provide any information on how many people were affected by the evacuation. Special police and civil protection units were supposed to bring the families out of the cities. Their onward journey to safe regions of Ukraine will then be organized.

Ukrainian troops defend the strategically important cities in the last part of the Donbass industrial region that is not occupied by Russia. However, Slovyansk and Kramatorsk are attacked almost constantly with aerial bombs, drones and artillery. There is severe destruction. The complete conquest of the Donetsk region is an important war goal for Moscow. (dpa)