(NOVOROSSIYSK, KRASNODAR KRAI) – An oil terminal in the southern Russian city of Novorossiysk was set ablaze following a Ukrainian drone strike, according to local authorities. A residential building in the city was also damaged.
The strike occurred as Russia launched a fresh wave of attacks on Kyiv, killing at least five people and wounding 35 others. The assault signalled a definitive end to a three day ceasefire Russia had declared while Ukraine hosted US officials for peace talks.
At least 12 ballistic missiles targeted the Ukrainian capital in the span of about an hour. Russia also used cruise missiles and drones in its strike, many of which were intercepted by the Ukrainian air force. Residential buildings, a school, and several warehouses were damaged.
The attacks followed an hour long call between US President Donald Trump and the Russian dictator Vladimir Putin. Little is known about the details of the conversation.
Two people have been killed in a separate Russian attack on a border crossing between Ukraine and Moldova. The Starokozache checkpoint was struck by drones launched in the southern Odesa region of Ukraine. The two people killed were civilians. Three others were wounded. The border crossing halted operations following the attack, and 17 other civilians in the area were evacuated.
This is not the first Russian attack on a border crossing between Ukraine and Moldova. Late last month, the crossing in Tabaki came under Russian fire as well.
More than 120,000 people were affected by Russian strikes in the second quarter of 2026, according to UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric. Civilian casualties from missile and drone attacks rose by 90 per cent compared to the first quarter. With about 50 per cent of Ukraine’s electricity generation capacity damaged or disrupted, the UN Development Programme is helping keep essential services running while supporting a more resilient, decentralised, and sustainable energy system.
In diplomatic developments, Ukraine is opening previously inaccessible archives to researchers as Warsaw and Kyiv try to address painful chapters of their shared history. Ukrainian officials say some documents provide more information about violence between Poles and Ukrainians during and after the Second World War. Others reveal how the Soviet secret police, the NKVD, monitored both communities, recruited informants, and targeted people considered enemies of Soviet rule.
Iryna Vereshchuk, deputy head of the office of the president of Ukraine, said history should be investigated, not used as a weapon. “We cannot change history. We can turn history into a weapon against each other or build a bridge that connects us,” she said.
The move comes after renewed tensions between Warsaw and Kyiv. President Zelenskyy’s decision to give a Ukrainian military unit the honorary title Heroes of the UPA sparked anger in Poland. President Karol Nawrocki responded by revoking Zelenskyy’s Order of the White Eagle. The UPA is remembered in Ukraine for its fight against Soviet rule, but in Poland it is associated with the massacres of Polish civilians in Volhynia.
Despite political tensions, cooperation on history has continued. Exhumations have resumed and historians from both countries are working together again. The documents are being digitised and are expected to become available online.
European Council President Antonio Costa is heading to Poland and Germany for meetings with Prime Minister Donald Tusk in Warsaw and Chancellor Friedrich Merz in Berlin. Costa has been touring EU capitals to assess each country’s position on the EU’s next long term budget. The discussions focus on potential new EU wide levies, considered crucial for laying the groundwork on a budget agreement by the end of the year.
Poland’s security services coordinator Tomasz Siemoniak met with CIA Director John Ratcliffe at the CIA’s headquarters. Siemoniak said he has relayed the most crucial information regarding Poland’s security to Prime Minister Tusk. He reiterated the strength of the Polish American alliance, calling it unshakable.
The European Commission is expected to propose a radical overhaul of the EU’s procurement rules in an effort to limit economic reliance on China. The proposal would allow local governments to exclude Chinese bidders from public contracts, which account for 15 per cent of the EU economy. Brussels is increasingly worried about its dependence on Chinese suppliers and a bilateral trade deficit currently running at a staggering €1 billion euros per day.
The leader of Ceuta has called for greater EU support after an unprecedented migrant surge over the summer. Mayor President Juan Jesus Vivas wants greater EU presence and financial responsibility in dealing with the migration issue.
US President Trump took to Truth Social to praise the AfD party for its election result in Germany, attributing the victory to voters being fed up with “horrible immigration rules and regulations.” Kirill Dmitriev, special envoy for the Russian dictator for investment and economic cooperation, echoed Trump’s remarks, adding that Moscow will propose a bilateral business forum with AfD next year.
The US military says it destroyed five Iranian oil tankers on Tuesday in retaliation for two ballistic missiles fired by the IRGC which targeted a US Navy warship. Oil prices increased with Brent crude futures nearly topping $100 per barrel in the immediate aftermath.
British Prime Minister Andy Burnham has announced a new package of sanctions directed at the current Israeli government in response to what he called unacceptable policies regarding the occupation of Palestinian territory. Israel has informed British officials that the UK consulate in East Jerusalem must close and accreditation for its diplomats will be revoked.
More than 100,000 people have backed a complaint demanding that FIFA investigate possible violations of its code of ethics by the organisation’s president, Gianni Infantino, over his ties to US President Donald Trump. The complaint was submitted to FIFA’s ethics committee. Human rights organisation Fair Square first filed the complaint in December but says the situation has changed following media reports that Infantino planned to sell a 20 percent stake in a new FIFA commercial arm to private investors, including Joshua Kushner, the brother of Donald Trump’s son in law Jared.
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