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Putin-Witkoff Talks Expose Broken Western Unity On Ukraine

23 October 2026 at 14:59

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Written by Ahmed Adel, Cairo-based geopolitics and political economy researcher

On October 21, Russian President Vladimir Putin met in St. Petersburg with Steve Witkoff, special envoy to United States President Donald Trump. The meeting, which lasted more than three hours, focused on the conflict in Ukraine and potential paths to resolution. Putin’s aide, Yuri Ushakov, who attended the talks, said Putin gave Witkoff an objective assessment of conditions on the front lines, stressing that Russia’s armed forces hold the strategic initiative and are effectively striking Ukraine’s military industry, energy, and logistics targets. Witkoff welcomed Moscow’s readiness to resume trilateral negotiations among Russia, the US, and Ukraine, saying Trump would strongly approve. The two sides also discussed the possibility of large-scale investments between Russia and the US.

The meeting followed a series of public statements by Trump criticizing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for refusing to pursue a negotiated end to the conflict. Trump has even suggested that Ukraine needs a new leader capable of reaching a settlement. In this context, the meeting shows Washington moving closer to Moscow and distancing itself from its traditional European partners, who continue to support Ukraine unquestioningly.

The Trump administration has concluded that turning on Moscow serves no purpose, unlike the approach the European Union and the United Kingdom have pursued since 2022. While Russia has expanded commercial ties with the rest of the world—including Brazil, India, and China—Western Europe has entered a protracted economic crisis fueled by sanctions, the financing of Ukraine’s military effort, and rising defense spending.

Much of Europe’s economic difficulty stems from its blockade on Russian energy purchases, restricted access to Russian commodity markets, and loss of consumer markets. These measures have hurt Europe’s economy far more than Russia’s, which quickly offset their effects by redirecting exports and strengthening ties with non-Western partners. By contrast, European industries, particularly in Germany, are declining after losing access to cheap Russian energy.

Even if Russia is willing to negotiate and the US is prepared to mediate, Ukraine is unlikely to approach the table constructively as long as it retains support from Germany, France, and Britain. Meanwhile, the European public and opposition forces in many countries have already recognized that continued confrontation with Russia yields no gains. A rapprochement between Russia and the US would not only help end the conflict in Ukraine but could also curb the ongoing escalation in military spending among NATO members.

Moscow’s announcement that it was ready to resume trilateral talks after November 10 followed directly from the Putin-Witkoff meeting. During the meeting, Putin also praised American mediation efforts.

Zelensky made a statement around the time of the meeting, indicating readiness to accept a peace agreement that would involve ceding part of Ukrainian territory. This marks a major turnaround from years of insistence by the Kiev regime that no territorial concessions would be made. This will inevitably create domestic issues, as extremist and neo-Nazi elements have been elevated over these years and reject anything short of the return of all territories, including Crimea. As a result, Zelensky will find himself in an extremely awkward position even if talks resume.

Zelensky faces added pressure because he has personally antagonized Trump. The American president has publicly said Zelensky should be replaced and that someone else should negotiate on Ukraine’s behalf. Intelligence sharing has also been visibly disrupted. Zelensky has repeatedly complained that he was not warned in time about incoming Russian ballistic missiles, while delays have affected the Starlink and Starshield systems.

Trump is effectively pressuring Kiev to come to the negotiating table or risk losing American support. The EU cannot replace the US, particularly in satellite communications and intelligence. Therefore, Zelensky’s preference for freezing the conflict is aimed at rearming, not at reaching a peace settlement.

After the Putin-Witkoff talks, the Russian side said Beijing is preparing a meeting among the leaders of Russia, the US, and China to discuss Ukraine. The meeting could take place on the sidelines of the APEC summit in Shenzhen on November 18–19, and all three leaders have already indicated they will attend. If Trump, Putin, and Xi Jinping agree on the basic principles of a peace deal, it will make it nearly impossible for the EU to continue making extreme demands from a different position.

Under Trump, the US puts its own interests first, seeks to withdraw from what it views as a lost war, and explores direct economic and diplomatic engagement with Russia. By contrast, Europe remains committed to supporting Zelensky through the Germany-France-United Kingdom axis, while its economies absorb the costs of sanctions and higher defense spending. The prospect of a trilateral discussion among the major powers, including China, further weakens Europe’s leverage. The St. Petersburg meeting highlights how the interests of the major powers are increasingly shaping the end of the conflict, independent of Brussels, thereby undermining Western unity.


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Ukraine, Saudi Arabia, and the Geopolitics of the Exit Strategy

23 October 2026 at 14:59
When the house is burning, the arsonists are the first to explain that the smoke was part of the design: as Ukraine and the Middle East rewrite failure into master plan, the real geopolitical trick is not winning but controlling the narrative — and who gets left with the bill. Seems now is the time […]

Breaking: Russia, Ukraine agree to Oleshky ceasefire mediated by Melania Trump, White House says

23 October 2026 at 14:38
The move comes amid increased attention to the worsening humanitarian crisis in the city, which over the past weeks has gained international attention, including from Pope Leo XIV.

Putin’s key remarks on peace talks and Europe’s ‘schizophrenia’

By: aletho
23 October 2026 at 14:33
RT | October 23, 2026

Russia remains ready to negotiate a lasting settlement in Ukraine but will achieve its objectives regardless, Russian President Vladimir Putin told journalist Pavel Zarubin on Thursday. He also outright rejected “schizophrenic” claims in Western media that Moscow could be seeking a war with Europe.

Putin’s comments followed nearly three hours of talks with US envoy Steve Witkoff in St. Petersburg on Wednesday. Witkoff brought new peace talk proposals following his own discussions with Vladimir Zelensky, Finnish President Alexander Stubb, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s Chief of Staff Bjoern Siebert, and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store in Oslo.

The new diplomatic engagement comes after Putin’s October 9 agreement with US President Donald Trump on Russian diesel supplies, whereby Washington eased fuel export restrictions while engaging with Moscow on broader economic cooperation.

Lasting peace, rather than a temporary pause

Putin confirmed Russia’s readiness to resume trilateral contacts with the US and Ukraine, focusing on security arrangements for both countries after a final settlement. The goal is to achieve definitive peace agreements, rather than “a suspension of hostilities for some short period,” he stressed.

The Russian leader also stated that he agrees with Witkoff’s argument that such discussions would also need to address Europe’s wider security architecture.

Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov previously suggested the talks could resume around mid-November, potentially in Abu Dhabi.

Putin said an agreement was possible, but insisted that “all the goals of the special military operation will be achieved” one way or another.

Europe’s ‘political schizophrenia’

European claims that Russia poses a military threat and preparations for confrontation amount to “political schizophrenia,” Putin said, arguing that European populations do not want war with Russia and explicitly rejected suggestions that Moscow is preparing to attack them.

“We do not want, we are not preparing for any war with Europe,” he said.

Putin described inflicting a strategic defeat on Russia as unrealistic, expressing hope that its opponents would recognize that peaceful relations better serve their own populations.

‘Historic Russia’ and the territorial question

Asked about Zelensky’s recent comments to Fox News that he would be willing to give up 25% of his territories in order to freeze the conflict on the current battle lines, Putin rejected the premise.

“It is not their territory, it is the territory of historic Russia,” he said, citing residents’ votes for independence and subsequently for reunification with the Russian Federation.

He acknowledged that the issue remained disputed, but argued that describing these developments as Ukraine losing territory was inappropriate.

Fighting ‘to the last Ukrainian’

Putin called it “incomprehensible” that Kiev expects that “the entire world should pay them, fight for them, supply them with weapons, ammunition, equipment,” and stressed that Russia has no desire to fight Ukraine.

“If Ukraine’s current leadership wants to wage war, let them fight. But why do they think everyone should pay for it and supply them with weapons?” Putin questioned.

He noted that much of this desire for war can be attributed to foreign countries that want to fight against Russia in order to weaken it and have promised support to Kiev.

However, Putin stressed that these foreign entities are prepared to fight until “the last Ukrainian” and questioned whether Ukraine’s leadership similarly treats its citizens as expendable cannon fodder.

Putin accused Ukrainian authorities of rounding up men “like stray dogs” and forcibly sending them to the front, undermining motivation. He also argued that nationalist groups that carry out this so-called “busification” do not always bear the frontline burden themselves.

He recalled that, according to official figures, there have been half a million deserters in Ukraine and over 300,000 criminal cases opened, adding that the actual numbers could be significantly higher.

Shared history and missed opportunities

Putin said Moscow had sought a negotiated resolution with Kiev since 2014, including through the Minsk agreements intended to settle the Donbass conflict. He blamed Ukrainian authorities for repeatedly rejecting opportunities to reach an agreement before Russia’s military operation began in 2022.

He described Ukrainians as a people closely related to Russians, pointing to genetic research that has shown they are “one people.” However, he acknowledged that some wished to identify differently and said Russia accepted that reality.

“We are ready even now to negotiate and seek solutions to this difficult, complicated situation,” Putin said. “Everything can be agreed upon.”

Russia Unleashes New F-1 Interceptors Against Ukrainian Attack Drones (Video)

23 October 2026 at 14:25

File image.

Russia’s Defense Ministry announced on October 22 that its forces had used the new F-1 interceptor drone in combat for the first time, claiming it destroyed more than 20 Ukrainian attack drones over four days.

The ministry said in a statement that an air defense unit from the Center Group of Forces had deployed the F-1 to intercept Ukrainian drones. Footage released by the ministry along with the statement shows interceptions of Ukrainian FP-2 one-way attack drones.

“This F-1 drone, which has been put into service with the air defense missile brigade’s anti-UAV unit, has demonstrated high effectiveness in destroying high-speed targets. Over four days of combat use, the crews destroyed more than 20 enemy attack drones of various types, including the PD-2, Rubaka, and Bliskavka,” the ministry said.

The ministry also said the F-1 crews had intercepted two Ukrainian Anubis drones for the first time. The Anubis is a clone of Iran’s Shahed-136.

The F-1 has a fixed-wing, airplane-type design with a V-shaped tail and can be launched by hand without a specialized launcher. Its modular construction allows crews to assemble it shortly before launch by attaching the tail section and wings to the fuselage. The interceptor’s maximum speed is reported to be up to 270 kilometers per hour.

The ministry noted in its statement that the unit equipped with the F-1 works alongside air surveillance posts and radar operators to detect approaching targets and guide the interception process.

Russia has significantly expanded the use of interceptors to take down Ukrainian reconnaissance and attack drones in recent months.

Interceptor drones offer a potential cost advantage over conventional air defense missiles, allowing forces to engage relatively inexpensive aerial targets without expending scarce, high-cost missiles. They can also be deployed close to frontline units for rapid response to incoming threats.

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Prepping a Postmortem for Zelensky’s Presidency

By: A A
23 October 2026 at 14:05

By Ted SNIDER

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Contact us: info@strategic-culture.su

The Ukrainian leader faces escalating crises.

Like the man in Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky may be crying, “I’m not dead.” It is too early to perform a postmortem on Zelensky’s political career. But it may not be premature to attempt an analysis of his deteriorating condition and struggle to survive.

Zelensky’s strength is being undermined on four fronts: overall domestic support, support from his party, financial support from Europe, and a collapsing relationship with President Donald Trump.

Polls show that Ukrainians, who wanted Zelensky to lead them through the war, no longer want him to lead them after the war. Indeed, having fed Ukrainians with fantastical promises of pushing Russia out of all Ukrainian lands and being welcomed into NATO, and having depended on a cooperative relationship with Ukrainian ultranationalists who oppose a compromise peace with Moscow, Zelensky may have put himself into a position where his presidency cannot survive the war. Polling shows a collapse of domestic support for Zelensky, suggesting that he would lose by a wide margin in the next election.

But, while the foreign media has been entirely focused on the war, domestic attention in Ukraine has also turned to corruption. Zelensky was elected on the twin platform of making peace with Russia and ending Ukraine’s self-destructive corruption. He has delivered on neither.

A key metric is Zelensky’s trust rating. Asked recently which political figures they trust, Ukrainians ranked their president a damning sixth, with only 18 percent of respondents fully trusting him. His main potential political rivals, Valeriy Zaluzhny, Kyrylo Budanov, and Mykhailo Fedorov are all more trusted. A fifth of those who say they do not trust Zelensky cite corruption as the main reason, and 72 percent of Ukrainians say he is personally responsible for corruption in his government. Amid his latest spat with Trump, one recent poll found Zelensky’s trust rating had risen, but the overall trend is still bad, and the rally-around-the-flag effect may prove fleeting. Zelensky has hurt himself with his handling of a snowballing corruption scandal that is reaching deeper and deeper into his inner circle.

And Ukraine’s president is not only losing ground with voters—he’s also losing the support of his party, which once was solidly behind him. He is being confronted by unfamiliar resistance, with dozens of MPs in his Servant of the People party boycotting or rebelling. His legislative supermajority is reportedly at risk as a result of defections.

The lack of support at home also puts in jeopardy EU funding on which the Ukrainian government relies. Ukraine is facing a massive budgetary shortfall totaling tens of billions of dollars. Kiev wants money promised by the EU for 2027 to be provided sooner. But the release of badly needed funds from the EU is contingent on the Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine’s parliament, enacting corruption reforms—and Zelensky’s party has refused to pass such measures. Even a package of tax bills that was passed last week and that could unlock $4.3 billion dealt only with less controversial items, and avoided addressing many of the more serious demands being made by the EU.

Earlier this month, the EU rejected Zelensky’s appeals and refused to accelerate payments to cover the shortfall, again tying funding to corruption reform. According to Slovakia’s Prime Minister Robert Fico, neither Slovakia nor Hungary will participate in another EU loan to Ukraine. Other, more pro-Ukraine EU nations would have trouble filling the gaps. France, for example, is convulsed by riots motivated in part by the rising cost of living, and populist critics of the establishment are quick to remind voters of the vast sums that have already been sent to Ukraine. The right-wing leader Marine Le Pen, currently the favorite to win France’s next presidential election, recently said that, if she wins, Paris will cut financial aid to Ukraine.

But Zelensky’s biggest challenge comes from Ukraine’s most crucial supporter. Shaky relations with U.S. presidents are nothing new for Zelensky. In the first year of the war, when Joe Biden authorized further military assistance for Ukraine, Zelensky complained about what he wasn’t getting. Biden reportedly “lost his temper” during a call with the Ukrainian leader. “Raising his voice,” he told Zelensky to “show a little more gratitude.” The next year, Thomas Friedman of the New York Times reported, “There is deep mistrust between the White House and President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine—considerably more than has been reported.”

But Zelensky managed those challenges. Even following last year’s public debacle that saw Trump throw him out of the Oval Office, Zelensky was able to repair his relationship with Trump. That work has now exploded.

Earlier this month, Trump made three decisions that seemed to collectively amount to a breaking point for a reluctantly conciliatory Zelensky. He made a deal with Russia’s President Vladimir Putin that would allow Russia to sell diesel fuel, he announced a surprise energy ceasefire that demanded Ukrainian armed forces stop all strikes on Russian refineries, and he waived new sanctions on Russia.

This trio of announcements apparently led Zelensky to conclude that his conciliatory approach was no longer working. According to a person close to Zelensky, he let it be known that “plain speaking” was now needed, and he made the decision to publicly criticize Trump.

Zelensky said Trump’s behavior “is certainly not how partners should treat each other.” When Ukraine struck another Russian refinery, Trump said Zelensky “better damn well stop.” Zelensky said Trump was not being fair or honest. He called Trump weak, and juxtaposed his leadership to the “real leaders” in Europe. Trump fired back, declaring, “I think it’s time for Ukraine to get a new president…. I suggest they get a new leader who can make a deal.” Trump later expanded: “I think if they are going to end up with a settlement of some kind, they are not going to do it with him.” On Monday, Trump added, “To be honest, I think it’s time for somebody else to negotiate on behalf of Ukraine.”

The gloves were off, and Zelensky was in danger of losing Trump. The military-grade version of Starlink, which Ukrainians use for battlefield communications, as well as U.S. early warnings of incoming Russian missiles went silent. “He is not a good guy for us to deal with,” Trump said of Zelensky Friday, adding that he is “more difficult to deal with than Putin.” Zelensky, he said, had “destroyed that country.”

When Russia kept pounding Ukraine’s electricity grid with drones, ballistic and hypersonic missiles, and with access to U.S. intelligence was restricted, Zelensky defied Trump’s orders, letting it be known that the block on attacking Russian refineries was off.

Zelensky is a political survivor, but the latest constellation of crises is the most difficult challenge to his leadership yet.

Original article:  www.theamericanconservative.com

An Arctic Traffic Jam Highlights Doubts Over Russia's Northern Sea Route To China

23 October 2026 at 13:34
The Kremlin has heavily invested in the promise that retreating Arctic sea ice opens up a once impassable route that is further from the reach of Ukrainian drone attacks or European naval interdiction of shadow fleet vessels. But officials are learning that cutting a path through ice isn't easy.

Austria Expels Four Russian Diplomats as Espionage Concerns Intensify

23 October 2026 at 12:30

Austria has ordered four Russian diplomats to leave the country after security authorities identified activities incompatible with their diplomatic status, in a further deterioration of relations between Vienna and Moscow.

The Austrian foreign ministry announced the expulsions on Friday, 23 October. Three of the officials were accredited to the Russian embassy in Vienna, while the fourth served at Russia’s mission to the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), where the diplomat worked on military security and arms control. All four have been declared persona non grata.

The decision follows findings by Austria’s security authorities, according to the details of the foreign ministry announcement. Officials have not publicly disclosed the activities involved or brought criminal charges in connection with the announcement. Moscow has indicated that it will retaliate, although the nature of its response has not yet been specified.

Vienna’s diplomatic position

The expulsions are particularly significant because Vienna hosts numerous international organisations and remains one of Europe’s principal diplomatic centres. In addition to the OSCE, the city accommodates United Nations offices and organisations dealing with nuclear policy, international development and arms control.

That concentration of diplomatic missions gives Austria a distinctive position in European security affairs. Foreign delegations enjoy diplomatic privileges and immunity, while the Austrian authorities retain the power to withdraw recognition from representatives whose conduct they consider unacceptable.

Austria’s constitutional commitment to military neutrality has not prevented successive governments from supporting European Union sanctions against Russia or condemning Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Neutrality limits participation in military alliances; it does not require Vienna to remain politically neutral over the conduct of a war.

Russian missions to international organisations also have a particular role. The OSCE brings together European, North American and Central Asian states, including Russia and Ukraine, and provides a forum for discussions on military transparency and conflict prevention. Its proceedings have become more contentious since the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Repeated expulsions

Friday’s decision brings the reported number of Russian diplomats expelled by Austria since 2020 to 18. In May 2026, Vienna expelled three Russian diplomats amid security concerns involving antenna installations on Russian diplomatic buildings. Those concerns added to wider scrutiny of possible intelligence-gathering activity in the Austrian capital.

Diplomatic expulsions are a familiar response when governments suspect espionage but do not pursue ordinary criminal proceedings. Under the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, a receiving state can declare a diplomat persona non grata without publicly explaining the underlying evidence. The sending state must then recall the official or terminate their functions.

The mechanism is politically consequential but is not in itself a criminal judgment. A declaration of persona non grata establishes that the host government will no longer accept the diplomat’s accreditation; it does not establish guilt in a court of law.

Moscow has regularly responded to expulsions of its diplomatic personnel from European countries with reciprocal measures. Such retaliation can reduce the number of diplomats available for routine consular work and political dialogue, even when wider bilateral relations remain formally intact.

European security implications

The new Austrian action comes as European countries face continuing questions about Russian intelligence networks, attempts to gather military information and suspected interference activities. The circumstances of individual cases vary, and intelligence allegations cannot automatically be treated as proven simply because diplomats have been expelled.

The latest episode nonetheless illustrates how Russia’s war against Ukraine has affected the functioning of diplomacy in European capitals. Vienna must balance its international hosting responsibilities and established channels of communication with the security obligations arising from suspected abuses of diplomatic status.

The decision also comes against the background of wider European efforts to strengthen protection against strategic vulnerabilities and an expanding debate about hybrid threats to critical infrastructure.

For now, Austria has confirmed the expulsions but has not published an account of the conduct attributed to the four officials. The next diplomatic development will be Russia’s response and whether it affects Austrian representatives in Moscow.

Acqua in bottiglia, radio a manovella e cibo in scatola: la guida di sopravvivenza di Londra contro crisi climatica e “potenze ostili”

23 October 2026 at 12:26

La campagna, che durerà tre anni, è stata lanciata dal Cabinet Office, il dipartimento che si occupa del coordinamento del governo britannico, e mira a persuadere le persone a fare scorta di provviste sufficienti per 72 ore, in un contesto di crescente preoccupazione ufficiale per l’impatto della crisi climatica, la dipendenza tecnologica e le minacce provenienti da stati ostili. La campagna “Be Ready” è stata illustrata in Parlamento dal ministro per la Sicurezza Dan Jarvis, secondo cui “chiunque possa seguire questi consigli dovrebbe farlo”: meno pressione sui servizi di emergenza significa poter dare la priorità a chi ne ha davvero bisogno. Le azioni chiave sono due: tenere in casa acqua in bottiglia e cibo non deperibile sufficienti per tre giorni e iscriversi, se si ha diritto, al Priority Services Register, il registro gratuito che segnala alle aziende di luce, gas e acqua i clienti più fragili da assistere per primi in caso di guasti.

Secondo le nuove linee guida del governo, ogni cittadino britannico è invitato a fare scorta di nove litri di acqua in bottiglia e di cibo sufficiente per tre giorni, al fine di garantire la sopravvivenza delle famiglie in caso di emergenze meteorologiche, informatiche o di altro tipo grave. Dan Jarvis, il ministro della sicurezza, ha affermato che “chiunque possa seguire questo consiglio dovrebbe farlo”. Si tratta di “semplici passi per essere pronti alle emergenze quotidiane” nell’ambito di un più ampio sforzo a livello comunitario “per migliorare la nostra resilienza come nazione”, ha aggiunto.

Wes Streeting, il ministro della Difesa, ha aggiunto che la Gran Bretagna deve anche prepararsi alla minaccia del “terrorismo sponsorizzato dallo Stato” da parte della Russia o di altre potenze ostili, prendendo di mira le infrastrutture quotidiane. “Di fronte a queste minacce, che non sono ipotetiche ma reali, e non provengono da altrove ma sempre più spesso sono qui, dobbiamo farci avanti e prendere sul serio la nostra resilienza nazionale, oltre alla nostra difesa nazionale”.

Si consiglia di tenere a casa una scorta di coperte e denaro contante, oltre a un kit di pronto soccorso, una torcia con batterie e una radio FM a manovella. È inoltre necessario conservare tre litri d’acqua a persona al giorno per bere, e una quantità maggiore per cucinare e lavarsi, aggiungono le linee guida. Ad agosto il governo aveva annunciato che ai cittadini del Regno Unito sarebbe stato consigliato di fare scorta di cibo in scatola, ma la campagna ‘Be Ready’ del Cabinet Office è più specifica. Sarà seguita da una campagna pubblicitaria sui social media e alla radio.

L'articolo Acqua in bottiglia, radio a manovella e cibo in scatola: la guida di sopravvivenza di Londra contro crisi climatica e “potenze ostili” proviene da Il Fatto Quotidiano.

Russia has kept the Red Cross away from Ukrainian POWs since 2024. Now about 1,500 captives it never confirmed as prisoners face prosecution

23 October 2026 at 12:20

red cross has had access ukrainian pows russia since 2024 around 1500 captives face prosecution without having status confirmed—ukraine’s coordination headquarters · post returned servicemen inside minibus day release 24

About 1,500 Ukrainians held in Russia and occupied Ukraine are facing criminal prosecution even though the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has never confirmed them as prisoners, Petro Yatsenko, representative of Ukraine's Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War, said on 19 October at an event on missing persons at UN headquarters in New York. The event was organized by the permanent missions of Ukraine and Poland to the UN.

Without ICRC confirmation, there is no official record that a person is alive or held, which leaves captives without proper protection, the headquarters said. Amnesty International calls this enforced disappearance, a practice that puts people outside the protection of the law. The ICRC itself has been shut out. Under the Geneva Conventions it is supposed to visit prisoners of war, but on 18 September it told Reuters that Russia has given it no access to Ukrainian POWs since 2024. UN investigators have gathered evidence of systematic torture in the detention centers where they are held. Russia denies torturing or mistreating POWs.

Families lose track of captives as Russia moves them between prisons

Kateryna Nazarii, who coordinates families of the 24th Mechanized Brigade, is the wife of a Ukrainian serviceman held by Russia. The ICRC has not been able to confirm his status as a prisoner of war. Russia does not let the ICRC or other humanitarian organizations into the prisons where Ukrainians are held, and does not hand over complete lists of prisoners, Nazarii said at the event. When families do find out where a relative is held, she said, that person is moved to another prison, and contact is lost again.

Many of those whose captivity Russia has not confirmed are civilians. Among them, Yatsenko said, are about 200 young people born after 2000 and nearly 400 people over 60. None of them has been confirmed through the ICRC, according to the headquarters.

Secrecy and torture in Russian captivity

Most Ukrainian POWs are cut off from the outside world. In a March 2025 report, Amnesty International found that 24 of the 43 families of confirmed POWs it interviewed had received no word at all from their relative. Counting prisoners allowed only one brief call or text at the start of captivity, 72% of those 43 were held incommunicado. The UN monitoring mission found that only 21 of 174 former POWs it interviewed had been able to correspond with their families, Amnesty noted.

Silence is what makes the abuse possible, Amnesty argues. The UN monitoring mission found that 97% of former POWs it interviewed had been tortured or ill-treated, the report notes, and methods include beatings, electric shocks, burns, and sexual violence. A UN commission of inquiry concluded in 2024 that the torture amounted to a "coordinated state policy," the report adds.

A Ukrainian defender who returned from Russian captivity shows the effects of his detention. June 2023
A Ukrainian defender who returned from Russian captivity shows the effects of his detention. June 2023. Photo: libkos/Instagram

When the Red Cross did get in, it saw what Russia chose to show. An OSCE expert mission reported in September 2025 that, according to former prisoners, Russian staff presented only prisoners in relatively good physical condition during ICRC visits and kept the sick and tortured out of sight. The experts also found that Russia blocked visits to some facilities and gave incomplete prisoner lists.

The unconfirmed are not a small group. A quarter of the 3,767 POWs who returned to Ukraine by November 2024 had never been confirmed by Russia as captives, the Coordination Headquarters said, as cited by Amnesty. Hundreds or possibly thousands more may still be held without Russia notifying the ICRC, Amnesty concluded.

Those who come back describe the conditions. Anatolii Zemlianyi, a soldier of the 2nd Assault Brigade released in the May 2025 exchange, told Frontliner that he spent eight months in a hospital in occupied Donetsk with a grenade wound in his leg and got no proper treatment. In captivity, he said, prisoners drank water from puddles.

A Ukrainian service member who returned from captivity compares his current appearance with a photo taken before his detention. June 2023
A Ukrainian service member who returned from captivity compares his current appearance with a photo taken before his detention. June 2023. Photo: libkos/Instagram

Russia continues to hold Ukrainian civilians unlawfully

Nobody knows how many Ukrainian civilians Russia holds. "It is not known," the UN human rights office said in a September 2025 report, which cites Ukraine's Prosecutor General's Office as having identified 15,250 civilians detained by Russia between February 2022 and August 2025. Exchanges bring very few of them back: of 5,941 people released from Russian captivity between February 2022 and 14 August 2025, 352 were civilians, Ukraine's human rights commissioner Dmytro Lubinets told The Week.

Under the Fourth Geneva Convention, an occupying power may intern civilians only for imperative reasons of security, and only under a regular procedure with periodic review, the same UN report notes. Russia instead treats detained civilians as criminals, Oleksandr Kononenko, a representative of Ukraine's human rights commissioner, told relatives of civilian hostages in 2023.

"This convention clearly states that civilian hostages should not be detained. They should be released. What is Russia doing? It 'makes all these people criminals' and accuses them of terrorism, opposition to a special military operation, and assistance to the Ukrainian Armed Forces, which is completely absurd from the point of view of an independent state and those people who are patriots of their state," Kononenko said.

Kyiv believes Russia detains civilians partly to trade them. Regular civilian swaps risk signaling to Russia that by detaining more Ukrainians it could get more Russians released, so it may seize more people to replenish its "exchange fund," Lubinets said. Ukraine therefore demands that civilians be released unconditionally. Amnesty sees a second motive. It concluded that Russia has long used arbitrary arrest, torture, and enforced disappearance to intimidate civilians in areas it controls.

A novembre negoziati tra Russia e Ucraina ad Abu Dhabi. Gli Stati Uniti saranno mediatori

23 October 2026 at 11:56

A novembre Russia e Ucraina faranno un nuovo tentativo per arrivare a un accordo di pace. Dopo i colloqui indiretti favoriti dalla mediazione degli Stati Uniti ma poi naufragati, un nuovo round si terrà, come ipotizzato nei giorni scorsi, ad Abu Dhabi, negli Emirati Arabi Uniti. Ad annunciarlo è stato il portavoce del Cremlino, Dmitry Peskov, con la Russia che si è dichiarata pronta a riprendere i colloqui di pace, in stallo dall’inizio dell’anno, dopo un incontro avvenuto mercoledì tra il presidente russo Vladimir Putin e Steve Witkoff, inviato speciale di Donald Trump. Anche il presidente ucraino Volodymyr Zelensky si era espresso a favore.

L’Europa, come dall’inizio del conflitto, viene esclusa dai tavoli dei negoziati, pur essendo rimasto, dopo il disimpegno di Trump, il principale sostenitore dell’Ucraina. In quasi 5 anni di guerra non ha ancora nominato un suo mediatore da proporre in sede di negoziati, tema sul quale governi e famiglie politiche si sono già scontrate. Adesso, secondo il Daily Telegraph, nella shortlist dei cinque papabili figurerebbe anche quello della presidente del Consiglio, Giorgia Meloni. Insieme a lei, tra i candidati ci sono, si legge, il presidente finlandese Alexander Stubb, quello ceco Petr Pavel, la premier danese Mette Frederiksen e il premier norvegese Jonas Gahr Store.

Nomi che, però, rischiano di essere respinti in blocco da Mosca. Per due motivi. Il primo, il Cremlino non ha intenzione di accogliere al tavolo un ulteriore soggetto determinato a difendere i diritti e gli interessi dell’Ucraina, rafforzando così anche la posizione di Zelensky. Il secondo, quattro di questi nomi sono esponenti delle istituzioni di Paesi Ue che la Russia considera soggetti attivi nel conflitto, dato che forniscono aiuti militari ed economici all’esercito ucraino, e quindi incandidabili per il ruolo di mediatore. Diversa la posizione del premier norvegese che, comunque, rimane capo dell’esecutivo di un Paese Nato.

Un portavoce della Commissione Ue ha intanto fatto sapere, nel corso del consueto midday briefing, che l’Unione sta “lavorando costantemente affinché l’Ucraina si trovi, innanzitutto, in una posizione di forza e affinché si raggiunga una pace giusta e duratura. Attualmente ci aspettiamo che si terranno dei colloqui a livello multilaterale con alti funzionari. L’Ue sarà presente a questi colloqui che si terranno nel prossimo futuro. Il formato dovrebbe essere simile a quello dei precedenti colloqui, ad esempio quelli di Miami“.

L'articolo A novembre negoziati tra Russia e Ucraina ad Abu Dhabi. Gli Stati Uniti saranno mediatori proviene da Il Fatto Quotidiano.

Dados mostram que diesel russo está sendo exportado para os EUA após acordo

23 October 2026 at 11:53

Um petroleiro com bandeira de Malta, transportando 40.000 toneladas métricas de diesel russo, está a caminho de Nova York após um acordo com o presidente dos EUA, Donald Trump, segundo dados divulgados pela LSEG nesta sexta-feira (23).

Trump tomou várias medidas na esperança de reduzir os preços do diesel antes das eleições de meio de mandato dos EUA, em 3 de novembro, incluindo a suspensão de partes de uma nova lei de sanções contra a Rússia e a ameaça à Europa de proibir a exportação de diesel dos EUA, a menos que os países liberassem mais quantidades de suas reservas de emergência.

O petroleiro de médio porte Agioi Fanendes foi carregado com 40.000 toneladas métricas de diesel com teor ultrabaixo de enxofre no porto russo de Primorsk, no Báltico, em 22 de outubro, de acordo com dados de navegação. A previsão é que ele chegue aos Estados Unidos em 7 de novembro.

A Rússia concordou em suspender a proibição autoimposta às exportações de diesel e fornecer o combustível aos mercados globais, incluindo os EUA, após o acordo firmado entre o presidente russo, Vladimir Putin, e Trump.

Trump anunciou em 9 de outubro que a Rússia exportaria imediatamente 300.000 toneladas métricas, ou 2,25 milhões de barris, seguidas por 500.000 toneladas em novembro e 1 milhão de toneladas “imediatamente depois”.

A Rússia poderá aumentar as exportações de diesel para entre 3 milhões e 3,5 milhões de toneladas por mês até o final do ano, volume habitual de exportação do combustível pelo país, afirmou o vice-primeiro-ministro Alexander Novak na semana passada.

Na semana passada, cargas de diesel para exportação foram embarcadas no porto russo de Primorsk, no Báltico, mas seus destinos finais não estão claros, com a maioria dos navios indicando Gibraltar, a costa atlântica ou Port-Said, de acordo com dados de transporte marítimo da LSEG.

Desde que o embargo total da UE à importação de derivados de petróleo russos entrou em vigor em fevereiro de 2023 devido à guerra na Ucrânia, a Rússia tem exportado diesel principalmente para o Brasil e a Turquia, bem como para alguns países africanos.

Análise: Tensões entre Trump e Zelensky ameaçam apoio dos EUA à Ucrânia

Ukrainian Mi-24 Caught in Russian Geran Drone Strike at Myrhorod (Video)

23 October 2026 at 11:48

File image.

Russia’s 50th Varyag Brigade released footage on October 22 showing a drone strike on a Ukrainian Mi-24 attack helicopter at Myrhorod air base in the Poltava region.

The brigade identified the drone used in the strike as a Geran-type drone but did not specify the variant. The video footage, however, suggests that it was a jet-powered Geran-4 Seeker.

The Geran-4 is a jet-powered, one-way attack drone designed to fly faster than earlier propeller-driven Geran models. Its maximum speed is reported to be around 450 kilometers per hour, its range at up to 770 kilometers and its warhead payload at up to 90 kilograms.

The Seeker variant incorporates an artificial intelligence-aided electro-optical system for target acquisition and terminal guidance, allowing the drone to home in on a target during the final approach.

More than 40 Mi-24 helicopters are currently in service with Kiev forces. Many of these helicopters were delivered to Ukraine after the start of the Russian special military operation some two years ago, by the Czech Republic, Poland and North Macedonia.

Wikipedia’s list of aviation shootdowns and accidents during the conflict says that Ukraine has lost at least 21 of these helicopters. The real losses are likely even higher.

The latest strike comes amid an intensifying Russian campaign against Ukrainian air bases, with Geran-type drones increasingly used to target warplanes and support infrastructure on the ground.

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Analysis: Ukraine’s Starshield access is still crippled, and no one is taking the blame

23 October 2026 at 11:48

Eleven days after Ukraine's Starshield terminals started mysteriously malfunctioning, there is still nobody in Washington who wants to take responsibility, while Trump administration officials continue pointing fingers firmly at SpaceX CEO Elon Musk.

The Wall Street Journal reported on Oct. 23 that U.S. President Donald Trump had

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