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Head of the Foreign Intelligence Service of the Russian Federation Sergei Naryshkin said that European member states of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) are preparing for war with Russia. Naryshkin added during a meeting of the Council of Heads of Security Agencies and Special Services of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) in Samarkand, "we see how the European NATO allies are preparing for war with our country. The task has been set to quickly provide all the necessary resources to the Allied Rapid Reaction Forces designated for this purpose," according to both RIA Novosti and Sputnik News. "The process of significantly increasing the production of the European military-industrial complex has begun. Mobilization exercises and propaganda indoctrination about the inevitable aggression from Moscow have become a regular practice," he said. Naryshkin stressed that restraint, the ability to compromise, and responsibility are now required to avoid a new global armed conflict, noting that Russia has observed in recent years unprecedented NATO activity along its western borders, emphasizing that the West must abandon its policy of militarizing the continent. He also accused Kyiv of ignoring the commitment made by the administration of US President Donald Trump to engage in constructive discussions to resolve the crisis.

Ukraine drones hit Russia's Orenburg gas processing plantGas from Karachaganak is being processed at the Orenburg plantShell, Eni, Chevron are among Karachaganak stakeholdersA Ukrainian drone attack on Russia's Orenburg gas plant has forced neighbouring Kazakhstan to reduce production at its Karachaganak oil and gas condensate field by 25% to 30%, two industry sources told Reuters on Monday.One of the world's largest gas processing plants, Orenburg was forced to suspend its intake of gas from Kazakhstan after the attack, Kazakhstan's energy ministry said on Sunday.Ukraine confirmed it hit a gas plant in the Orenburg region, some 1,700 kilometres east of the Russian border with Ukraine, and an oil refinery in the Samara region.Kyiv has stepped up its attacks on Russian refineries and other energy facilities since August to try to disrupt fuel supplies and deprive Moscow of funding.Output at Karachaganak on Monday was down to between 25,000 metric tons (196,500 barrels per day) and 28,000 metric tons from the usual level of 35,000-35,500, according to two sources who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the situation.They said Orenburg, which is controlled by gas producer Gazprom, might resume some gas intake from Karachaganak on Monday. However, they declined to say when normal levels of supply would be restored.Oil and gas output at Karachaganak are closely linked, meaning the field is not able to produce much oil if its gas production is down.Apart from processing at Orenburg, Karachaganak gas is used for re-injection to maintain reservoir pressure as well as for power generation at local facilities.Karachaganak produced around 263,000 bpd of oil in 2024. It is exported by the Caspian Pipeline Consortium via a Russian Black Sea terminal, as well as through Russia's Druzhba pipeline to Germany.The field is operated by a consortium which includes US major Chevron (18%) and European energy firms Shell (29.25%) and Eni (29.25%).Russia's Lukoil (13.5%) and local firm KazMunayGaz (10%) also hold stakes.The consortium, Gazprom, and Kazakhstan's energy ministry did not reply to requests for comment.Kazakh authorities agreed with Karachaganak shareholders in 2024 to build a new gas processing plant at the field with annual capacity of up to 4 billion cubic metres, expected to start operations in 2028.However, the project has been suspended under the current consortium, and the government is seeking new investors, aiming to attract Kazakh companies.Industry sources has said that oil and gas condensate production at Karachaganak declined in September by 24% from August to 200,000 bpd amid maintenance at the Orenburg plant.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called for the war with Russia to be frozen along current battle lines before the two sides can enter peace negotiations, even as his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin continues to demand that Ukraine cede the entire Donetsk region in the east to Russia. Zelenskyy affirmed the need to end the war, especially from the contact line between the two armies. To end the war and return to peace negotiations, the Ukrainian president stressed that the soldiers need to stay where they are, so as to not cede anything more to Putin. During a phone call with US President Donald Trump on October 16, the Russian president demanded that Kyiv cede full control of Donetsk as a condition for ending the war, the Washington Post reported, citing unidentified senior officials. The Ukrainian president has repeatedly refused to cede any territory to Russia.

US President Donald Trump affirmed that he is working hard on resolving the Ukrainian crisis, amid the ongoing Russian military operation against Ukraine since February 24, 2022. Trump added, in press statements, that he continues to work on ending the Russian war on Ukraine, saying he is working diligently on this file, ahead of the expected visit of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to the White House scheduled for Friday. On another note, the US President stated that the United States is in a trade war with China. In response to a question about the possibility of escalating relations with China into a trade war, Trump said, "We're in one now."

Germany called on US President Donald Trump to increase pressure on Russia to end the war in Ukraine following his successful mediation to end the war in the Gaza Strip. German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said, during a meeting with his Bulgarian counterpart Georgi Georgiev in Sofia, that Trump has made a decisive contribution to the agreement on the Gaza Strip, and "Germany is calling on him to continue his efforts to secure negotiations between Russia and Ukraine." Wadephul added that the German government has high expectations of the US administration, as President Trump has convincingly demonstrated his interest in participating in concluding peace agreements in various parts of the world. He indicated his country's readiness to support Trump in such a peace initiative, stressing that "it is worth making every effort to launch a new attempt at a peace process in Ukraine now, before large-scale fighting flares up again." The US president has sought to end the war in Ukraine since taking office. He sent his special envoy, Steve Witkoff, to Russia several times and met with Russian President Vladimir Putin to reach a peace agreement between the two sides, but without any success due to the wide gap in the two countries' positions.

US President Donald Trump praised Qatar's mediation efforts to end the war in the Gaza Strip and stressed that the ceasefire will hold. In a press statement, the US President said that the war in the Gaza Strip has ended and that numerous guarantees have been provided to ensure the ceasefire holds. President Trump explained that Hamas may release some of its prisoners earlier than the date stipulated in the agreement between the movement and Israel. He pointed out that the new administration in the Gaza Strip would begin its work very quickly. He also expressed his desire to visit the Strip. The US President will co-chair the Sharm El Sheikh Peace Summit in Egypt. The summit aims to end the war in the Gaza Strip and advance efforts to achieve peace and stability in the Middle East.

More than 1 million had suffered power cuts in UkraineTwo killed, 20 people hurt, officials sayTransport delays and blackouts disrupt life in KyivRussia intensifies attacks on Ukraine's energyEmergency crews restored power to many parts of Ukraine after an overnight Russian drone and missile attack on Friday struck energy facilities, plunging large districts of Kyiv and other areas into darkness and cutting water supplies.In the latest mass attack targeting the energy system as winter approaches, electricity was interrupted in nine regions and over a million households and businesses were temporarily without power across the country.In southeastern Ukraine, a seven-year-old was killed when his home was hit and at least 20 people were injured.In Kyiv, an apartment block in the city centre was damaged by a projectile, while on the left bank of the Dnipro that divides the capital, crowds waited at bus stops with the metro out of action. People filled water bottles at distribution points."We didn't sleep at all," said Liuba, a pensioner, as she collected water. "From 2:30 a.m. there was so much noise. By 3:30 we had no electricity, no gas, no water. Nothing."Ukraine's energy ministry said more than 800,000 customers had at one point suffered power cuts in Kyiv.By Saturday morning, the private power company DTEK said electricity had been restored to most of Kyiv residents, but local problems remained. It said power had also been restored in areas outside the capital and in Dnipropetrovsk region in the southeast.Authorities reported Russian attacks in different parts of the country throughout Friday. An official in the northern Chernihiv region said one person was killed when a car belonging to the local energy utility was hit by a drone.Ukrainians are bracing for a tough winter, as the full-scale war launched by Russia's February 2022 invasion nears its fourth anniversary. Russia has intensified attacks on the energy system in recent weeks, striking power plants and gas production facilities, and local authorities are struggling with the scale of repairs."They can't demonstrate anything real on the battlefield... so they will attack our energy sector," President Volodymyr Zelenskiy told reporters in Kyiv.Calling for more support from allies, he said that 203 main energy facilities in the country needed air-defence protection.Energy Minister Svitlana Hrynchuk met G7 ambassadors and representatives of some of Ukraine's biggest energy companies to discuss how allies could help protect the country against further attacks and repair the damage."The blow is strong, but it is definitely not fatal," Zelenskiy said.Speaking later in his nightly video address, he said Putin had deliberately launched the attack when world attention was focused on the "valuable opportunity" to move towards Middle East peace after the ceasefire agreement in Gaza."This marks a new record of Russian depravity, to intensify terrorist strikes and target civilian lives at such a moment," he said.Ukraine's air force said it had downed 405 of 465 drones and 15 of 32 missiles in this attack. Ukraine's stretched air defences are no match for regular barrages on such a scale.According to Zelenskiy, Russia waited for bad weather to attack and the inclement conditions reduced the efficiency of Ukraine's air defences by between 20% and 30%.Russia said its overnight strikes were in response to Ukraine's attacks on Russian civilian facilities.Ukraine regularly launches drone strikes against Russia's military and oil installations, although they are generally on a far smaller scale. Kyiv says it wants to force Moscow to negotiate a peace deal in good faith.For many Kyiv residents, the day started with power cuts, disruptions in the water supply and transport delays."We had no power or water when I left my house. I can't get to work because the subway is not operating and buses are overflowing," Anatoliy, a 23-year-old student, told Reuters.Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko said the assault was among the heaviest concentrated strikes on energy infrastructure and reported significant damage.Her deputy, Oleksiy Kuleba, said two million customers in Kyiv temporarily faced problems with water supplies.DTEK said its thermal power plants had suffered significant damage without providing details.

The Civil Defense in the Gaza Strip revealed that more than 10,000 Palestinians remain missing to date, since the onset of the genocide war on Gaza on October 7, 2023.In remarks to Qatar News Agency (QNA) on Saturday, spokesperson for the Civil Defense in Gaza, Mahmoud Basal, stated that Civil Defense teams are awaiting the full withdrawal of Israeli occupation forces from all agreed-upon locations under the ceasefire agreement, in order to carry out their duties of recovering the bodies of martyrs and searching for the missing.He pointed out that thousands of citizens have been lost beneath the rubble and destroyed homes since the beginning of the aggression, and could not be reached due to the presence of occupation forces or because the bodies are trapped under residential buildings and towers that were demolished by their inhabitants.He noted that Civil Defense lacks the heavy equipment necessary to remove the debris and extract the bodies, adding that field teams will face significant challenges in retrieving or identifying the remains due to decomposition over time.Basal explained that on the first day of the Israeli army's withdrawal from various areas of the Strip, more than 140 bodies of martyrs were recovered, including over 60 in Gaza City, with many others still under the rubble.He noted that Civil Defense teams continue to receive reports of remains beneath the debris but are unable to retrieve them due to the lack of necessary equipment.He further stated that within a single day following the ceasefire, Civil Defense and municipal and service teams carried out more than 850 rescue and relief operations, including body recovery, debris removal, and securing destroyed areas.Basal confirmed that Civil Defense headquarters in areas vacated by the Israeli army were completely destroyed, emphasizing that the occupation committed horrific crimes by targeting humanitarian and service personnel. More than 1,670 medical staff, 140 Civil Defense members, and over 1,000 Civil Defense and civilian police personnel were martyred while conducting rescue operations, delivering aid, or performing their duties to serve and protect citizens. Hundreds of municipal employees and humanitarian aid workers were also killed.The Civil Defense spokesperson highlighted the immense challenges facing the humanitarian and relief sectors in Gaza, amid the collapse of the health infrastructure and destruction of hospitals, medical facilities, municipal buildings, Civil Defense and rescue centers.He called on the international community and relevant organizations to act urgently to deliver aid, medical supplies, and rescue and emergency equipment.The ceasefire agreement between Hamas and the Israeli entity, reached in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, came into effect Friday afternoon, following the Israeli government's approval of the deal and the beginning of its military withdrawal from populated areas in the Strip.The return of displaced residents to northern Gaza also began, as part of the first phase of US President Donald Trump's initiative to end the war on Gaza.

HE Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Defence Affairs Sheikh Saoud bin Abdulrahman bin Hassan bin Ali al-Thani, who is visiting Washington, met with US Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth.Discusion during the meeting, dealt with issues of common interest, ways to enhance and develop bilateral co-operation, and the latest regional and international developments.**media[367122]**The meeting was attended by Qatar's ambassador to the United States, Sheikh Meshal bin Hamad al-Thani; Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Dan Caine and a number of senior officers from both sides.**media[367123]**

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia welcomed Thuursday the agreement reached on Gaza and the commencement of implementation of the first phase of US President Donald Trump's proposal aimed at halting the war on the Gaza Strip and paving the way for a comprehensive and just peace. A statement issued by the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs commended the active role of the US President and the mediation efforts undertaken by the State of Qatar, the Arab Republic of Egypt, and the Republic of Turkiye to reach this agreement. The Saudi Foreign Ministry voiced its hope that this important step would lead to urgent action to alleviate the humanitarian suffering of the fraternal Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip, achieve a complete Israeli withdrawal, restore security and stability, and initiate practical steps to achieve a just and comprehensive peace based on the two-state solution, and establish an independent Palestinian state on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital, in accordance with relevant UN resolutions, the Arab Peace Initiative, and the New York Statement on a peaceful solution to the Palestinian issue and the implementation of the two-state solution. US President Donald Trump announced earlier today that Israel and the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) had signed the first phase of the peace plan, expressing his gratitude to the mediators from the State of Qatar, the Arab Republic of Egypt, and the Republic of Turkiye.

Kuwait on Thursday welcomed the agreement reached to implement the first phase of U.S. President Donald Trump’s peace plan, which includes a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and the launch of serious negotiations aimed at ending the war and alleviating the worsening humanitarian suffering of the Palestinian people in the Strip. In a statement, Kuwait’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs affirmed Kuwait’s full support for all international efforts and initiatives aimed at consolidating the ceasefire and delivering humanitarian aid immediately, safely, and sustainably, as a step toward establishing security and stability in the region. The ministry also reiterated its appreciation for the positive role played by Qatar, Egypt, the United States, and Turkiye in making the agreement a success. The ministry reaffirmed Kuwait’s firm and longstanding support for the rights of the Palestinian people, particularly the establishment of an independent state based on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital, in accordance with international legitimacy, the Arab Peace Initiative, and the New York Statement on the two-state solution. The ministry stressed that achieving a just and comprehensive peace is the only path to ensuring lasting security and stability in the region.

Lebanese President General Joseph Aoun welcomed the agreement reached between Israel and the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) in its first phase, aimed at ending the war on the Gaza Strip. In a statement issued by the Lebanese Presidency, President Aoun expressed hope that the agreement would serve as a first step toward a permanent ceasefire and the alleviation of the humanitarian suffering of the Palestinian people in Gaza. He emphasized the importance of sustained international and regional efforts to achieve a comprehensive and just peace in the region—one that guarantees the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, in line with the Arab Peace Initiative adopted at the Beirut Arab Summit in 2002. President Aoun also expressed hope that Israel would respond positively to calls from Arab and international leaders to halt its aggressive policies in Palestine, Lebanon, and Syria, in order to create the necessary conditions for a just, comprehensive, and lasting peace that would ensure stability in the Middle East.