(WARSAW) – A gunfight between members of Ukraine’s security services has left three officers wounded. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called the situation “absolutely shameful.”
The incident involved members of Ukraine’s intelligence service, the SBU, and Defence Intelligence (HUR) and took place in Kyiv. The clash occurred amid reports of rising tensions between the two organisations and an SBU investigation into the Russian Volunteer Corps, a military unit consisting of naturalised Russian citizens who fight against Russia under the supervision of HUR. President Zelenskyy rebuked those involved, dismissing a high-ranking SBU official and demanding an investigation. He commented that shooting is only permissible at Russian occupiers in defence of Ukraine.
Russia will close its branches of the German Goethe Institute, as announced by the country’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. Lavrov said the decision follows the closure of the Berlin Russian House cultural centre and of the Russian consulate in Bonn, which came after Germany blamed Russia for an attempted drone attack at the Leipzig airport. The Russian foreign minister added it is possible Germany’s consulate general in St. Petersburg could be closed as well.
US President Donald Trump wants to hold a summit with the Russian dictator Vladimir Putin, but only once Moscow is ready to strike a peace deal with Kyiv. Trump said having a good relationship with both Russia and Ukraine would be “great for business.”
Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha met with his Polish counterpart on the sidelines of the Gymnich meeting of EU foreign ministers in Wicklow, Ireland. The two ministers discussed bilateral relations, defence cooperation, and joint work to counter Russian escalation and threats to Europe. Sybiha also thanked Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski for Warsaw’s permission to begin search efforts in the village of Lasziv, next to the border dividing Poland and Ukraine. The town is the suspected burial site of Ukrainian civilians killed in March 1944, relating to the Second World War era Volhynia massacres.
Polish Foreign Minister Sikorski is in Germany for the Weimar Triangle discussions. Sikorski and his French counterpart Jean-Noël Barrot were hosted by German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock. The talks focused on current challenges facing the alliance and Europe, particularly security, aid for Ukraine, and further collaboration within the Weimar Triangle format.
Estonia’s parliament has elected constitutional lawyer Madis Timpson as the Baltic country’s next president, replacing the incumbent Alar Karis. The 51-year-old, who has been Estonia’s human rights ombudsman since 2015, will hold the largely ceremonial position for the next five years. Timpson has stated that she will continue Estonia’s pro-EU, pro-NATO stance and support for Ukraine. Estonia, a nation of 1.4 million people bordering Russia, is among the strongest supporters of Ukraine and critics of Moscow within NATO and the European Union.
At least 14 members of Serbian civil society were targeted with sophisticated spyware ahead of local elections in March. The digital rights group Share Foundation said on Wednesday the data hack, uncovered in August after Apple warned users in 110 countries that they might have been targeted by mercenary spyware, represents the largest documented spyware campaign in Serbia to date. Confirmed cases of targeting include politicians, members of a student movement, and activists. At least one device was infected with Pegasus, a powerful digital spying tool developed by Israel’s NSO Group.
The Dutch central bank has moved 86 tonnes of gold from the US and Canada to the UK, citing rising geopolitical tensions. The central bank maintains that it does not expect to use its reserves but says the move will strengthen its resilience and preparedness. Gold reserves held in London could be traded more easily than those held in New York and Ottawa. The transfer took place over the past six months and did not affect the size of Dutch gold reserves, which amount to well over 612 tonnes. At current market rates, 86 tonnes of gold is worth approximately €6.5 billion (£5.6 billion / $7.1 billion).
Europe will increase pressure on Russia, says European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, while Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk warns that the coming weeks will be critical for all countries from Central Europe to the Baltics. This is in response to a wave of bombings, arson attacks, and other acts of sabotage linked to the Kremlin. Germany has blamed Russia for the Leipzig airport drone incident from August. “Europe and NATO will not just maintain our pressure on Russia. We will increase it and we will not stop,” von der Leyen said.
In the past month, Europe has witnessed a flurry of suspected sabotage acts and drone incursions. There have been two cases of arson in Poland this week, one already confirmed by investigators as a foreign intelligence operation. According to Warsaw, things could get even worse. Experts echo these warnings, pointing to the Leipzig incident as a potential turning point in Russia’s hybrid war. Germany responded to the drone incident with the closing of a Russian consulate in Bonn and the culture centre in Berlin. It also introduced tougher entry measures for Russian nationals. The Russian dictator Vladimir Putin called these measures a serious mistake, while NATO’s Mark Rutte said: “If Russia thinks we will be divided by the threats or if they think we will be deterred from supporting Ukraine, they are mistaken. Our unity is unshaken.”
Turkish Airlines and Pegasus Airlines cancelled several flights to and from Moscow on Wednesday. The disruption came hours after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned that Russian airspace was becoming increasingly unsafe as Ukraine says its expanding drone operations will increasingly affect Russian skies. “This escalation cannot and will not remain confined to Ukrainian territory. It is entirely natural and just that its consequences will also be felt in Russia, including in Russian airspace,” Zelenskyy said. Most western airlines already avoid Russian airspace, but carriers from Turkey, China, and the Gulf States continue to use it. Moscow called Zelenskyy’s warning an indication of state terrorism.
With no end to the conflict in the Middle East, consumers across Europe are bracing for higher costs, especially when it comes to fuel at the pump. In the Eurozone, a 14 percent increase in energy costs from a year earlier drove the rate of consumer inflation in August to 3.3 percent, the highest in almost three years. Polish consumers are seeing prices rise at a similar rate of 3.4 percent based on the latest figures for last month. Creeping inflation, along with the prospect of higher interest rates set by central banks, is exacerbating surging yields on government bonds. Across some of Europe’s biggest economies, yields on government bonds are sitting at the highest levels in well over a decade.
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