Eastern Europe / News
Bulgaria moves to seize Lukoil refinery to shield it from US sanctions
Bulgaria is preparing to take control of Russian oil company Lukoil’s Burgas refinery, the country’s only oil-processing facility, to protect it from US sanctions.
Defence firms replace IT companies as key driver of Ukraine’s office real estate market
Ukraine has become an increasingly important hub for international defence firms seeking to co-develop and test weapons systems, finds consultancy UTG.
First Russian wheat train reaches Armenia via Azerbaijan as Baku-Tbilisi route reopens after decades
Azerbaijan has lifted all post-war restrictions on freight transit to Armenia.
Pokrovsk update: Russia controls half the city in a chaotic battle
The battle for Pokrovsk is raging and the Armed Forces of Russia (AFR) have captured half the city, but the situation is very confused. Reports from the city say there is no frontline as the Russians are using a “Brownian motion” tactic.
Foreign companies pay Russia $60bn in taxes since Ukraine invasion
Foreign companies in Russia paid at least $20bn in taxes in 2024 alone, and cumulative tax payments since early 2022 exceed $60bn.
Russia floats missile supplies to Maduro as US pressure mounts
A prominent Russian lawmaker has suggested that Moscow could supply Venezuela with advanced weapons systems, including the new Oreshnik ballistic missile, as Caracas desperately seeks military assistance amid the escalating US military build-up.
Russia closing the trap as its forces expand control of Pokrovsk
The stronghold city of Pokrovsk in the heart of the Donbas now risks “becoming a graveyard for Ukraine’s finest,” Euromaidan Press reports as Russian forces expand their control and threaten to encircle hundreds of Ukraine’s best troops.
Russia launches Khabarovsk nuclear submarine designed to deploy nuclear-capable Poseidon drones
Russia has launched a new strategic nuclear submarine, the Khabarovsk, which is capable of carrying a dozen of the Kremlin’s recently unveiled nuclear-powered Poseidon torpedo—a next-generation weapons system that Putin called "unstoppable."
Ukraine’s elite HUR forces turn the tide in the battle for Pokrovsk, as Russia’s effort to capture key logistics hub fails
The battle for Pokrovsk became intense early on November 1and it looked like the fall of the key logistics hub to Russia was imminent. But a bold counterattack by Ukraine’s elite HUR forces seems to have turned the tide.
US prepares attack on Venezuela as Maduro begs Putin for aid
The Trump administration has reportedly drawn up a list of potential military targets within Venezuela as part of its intensifying pressure on President Nicolás Maduro, who has turned to Moscow seeking urgent military assistance.
Bulgaria suspends fuel exports to EU after US sanctions Lukoil
Bulgaria has temporarily suspended exports of petroleum products to European Union countries after the United States imposed sanctions on Russian oil giant Lukoil.
Russia faces $50bn annual losses from oil sanctions as Lukoil exits international assets
Russia is expected to lose at least $50bn annually due to oil-related sanctions, as Moscow’s largest private oil producer Lukoil agrees to sell its international assets and Germany considers nationalising operations owned by state-run Rosneft.
Situation critical in Ukraine’s frontline key logistics hub Pokrovsk
Russian infantry units have breached Ukrainian defensive lines and entered the key eastern logistics hub of Pokrovsk, sparking intense street fighting and threatening to encircle Ukrainian forces as the situation becomes "critical."
Trump–Xi dialogue in Busan aims to cool tariff dispute
US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping began direct discussions on October 30, marking their first in person meeting since Trump returned to the White House.
Russia tests nuclear-powered Poseidon torpedo, Putin says
Speaking during a hospital visit with soldiers wounded in Ukraine, Putin said the device was launched from a submarine and that its onboard nuclear power unit had been successfully activated.
Russia withdraws from Cold War plutonium disposal pact with US
Russian President Vladimir Putin has formally withdrawn from a key arms control agreement with the United States governing the disposal of weapons-grade plutonium, as the few remaining nuclear security accords between the two powers vanish.
Zelenskiy allows the start of controlled arms exports
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy ordered Ukraine’s Ministry of Defence to begin the controlled export of domestically produced weapons starting in November for the first time in the hope of boosting production and attracting investment.
Russia's Lukoil to sell international assets as a result of new US oil sanctions
Russia's second-largest oil producer, the privately owned Lukoil, will sell its international assets as a result of the new oil sanctions imposed by US President Donald Trump last week.
Ukraine accuses Russia of using energy blackmail against Serbia
Ukraine says Moscow is repeating tactics it previously deployed against Kyiv after Russia refuses to sell its stake in Serbia's NIS.
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US senator tells Maduro "head to Russia or China" as warships close in on Venezuela
A senior US Republican senator has warned that Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro's time in power is running out and suggested he leave the country, as military tensions in the Caribbean continue to escalate.