A Russian missile attack late on Friday struck infrastructure near the Black Sea port of Pivdennyi in Ukraine's Odesa region, killing seven people and injuring 15, Ukrainian officials reported. The port is one of three crucial for Ukrainian grain and other exports, and Odesa has been a frequent target of Russian strikes. Ukraine's Deputy Prime Minister Oleksiy Kuleba said Kyiv is in talks with Moldovan authorities to find alternative routes for trucks and passengers affected by the attack, while Moldova has set up temporary camps at border crossings to provide shelter and food for travellers.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy welcomed a €90bn loan from the EU, secured on Friday, describing it as "significant support that truly strengthens our resilience." He noted that the loan, lasting two years, would only need to be repaid if and when Russia pays war reparations, adding that it is important Russian assets remain immobilised.
According to six sources familiar with US intelligence, Russian President Vladimir Putin intends to capture all of Ukraine and reclaim parts of Europe that belonged to the former Soviet empire. The reports, the most recent dating from late September, contradict claims by Donald Trump and his peace negotiators that Putin wants to end the conflict, as well as Putin's denials of being a threat to Europe. Putin stated on Friday that "the ball is now fully and completely" in the court of Kyiv and its Western allies regarding an end to the war.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio promised not to force Ukraine into any agreement to end Russia's invasion, as European allies joined fresh talks in Miami. Rubio said both sides must agree voluntarily: "We can't force Ukraine to make a deal. We can't force Russia to make a deal. They have to want to make a deal." The talks, led by Trump envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, include top Ukrainian negotiator Rustem Umerov and officials from Britain, France and Germany. Putin's special envoy Kirill Dmitriev is also heading to Miami to meet Witkoff and Kushner, though a meeting with Ukrainian negotiators has been ruled out.
