Ukraine live: Russia's 'targeted' strikes on energy leave 600000 without power, Zelensky says

A Russian drone attack on the western Ukrainian city of Lutsk on Wednesday killed six people and wounded 12, the Ukrainian interior ministry said. Earlier, a senior Ukrainian official accused the United States of helping Russia, saying Washington failed to warn it of incoming strikes and slowed the Starlink system Kyiv relies on for communications and logistics. Follow our liveblog for the latest updates.

Ukraine accuses SpaceX of crippling military missions as ties with US worsen

Ukraine accused Elon Musk's SpaceX of limiting Starlink services, crippling its drones, as Russian missiles knocked out power stations in attacks President Volodymyr Zelensky called "ostentatious disrespect" to US President Donald Trump.

Kyiv's relationship with Washington has taken a sharp turn for the worse since Trump abruptly lifted sanctions on Russian diesel last week and publicly turned on Zelensky.

FRANCE 24's Gulliver Cragg reports from Kyiv, Ukraine.

Ukraine asking US, SpaceX and NATO to clarify Starlink limitations

⁠Ukraine is ​in ​with the US, SpaceX and NATO to seek ​clarification ‌over ⁠limitations imposed on its access ‌to the Starlink satellite ⁠internet system, a source in the ​country's defence ministry ‌said.

Ukrainian troops have reported that the Starlink ​connection is being shut off when travelling at ​higher speeds, causing major ​disruption to ​Ukrainian drone operations, many ​of which depend on satellite internet to pilot the craft.

FRANCE 24’s International Affairs Editor Angela Diffley tells us more.

Hungary's PM Magyar says to meet Ukraine's Zelensky on Friday

Russia expects first diesel contracts with US in ' few days'

Russia indicated that the first contracts on providing diesel to the United States would be signed in the coming days, following US President Donald Trump's decision to ease sanctions on Russian diesel.

"It will all happen in the few days," Kirill Dmitriev, the Kremlin's special envoy on economic cooperation, was quoted as saying by Russian news agencies, adding: "We are in very close, hourly with the American side, and everything is moving very quickly."

US 'helping Russia' in war, senior Ukrainian official says

The United States is helping Russia in its war with Ukraine, a senior Ukrainian official told AFP, blaming Washington for not warning Kyiv incoming strikes and slowing Starlink.

"There have already been two cases where the Americans did not provide warnings Russian ballistic launches, a massive ballistic attack against our energy sector ... And on top of that they've throttled Starlink speeds," said the official, who asked not to be identified.

UK PM Burnham looks to 'repair bridges' between Trump, Zelensky

UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham said he will seek to "repair bridges" between US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky amid strained ties between the pair.

Burnham made the before he was due to welcome Zelensky to his official Downing Street residence, in a show of support for Ukraine's president following new criticism by Trump.

Russia drone attack kills 6 in Ukrainian city of Lutsk, interior ministry says

A Russian jet-powered drone attack on the city of Lutsk in western Ukraine killed six people in a retail grocery warehouse, the interior ministry and local authorities said.

Debris from a Russian jet-powered drone fell on the city, triggering a fire in the warehouse. Six people were killed and 12 wounded, the Ukrainian interior ministry told AFP.

Zelensky lands in Britain to receive king and PM's support

Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in Britain where Prime Minister Andy Burnham and King Charles ​will show their support for the Ukrainian leader after his relationship with the US took a sharp turn for the worse.

Zelenskiy said on X he had arrived in Britain after ​another night ‌of heavy Russian attacks and hours after Ukraine accused Elon Musk's ⁠SpaceX of crippling its drones by limiting Starlink services.

Starlink curbs to affect Ukrainian interceptor drones and middle strikes, two sources say

⁠SpaceX's slowdown ​of Starlink services ​for Ukraine's military will affect its ability to ​conduct ‌medium-range strikes ⁠and to use ‌interceptor drones to counter incoming ⁠long-range Russian drones, a Ukrainian defence ministry ​source and ‌a military source said.

Ukrainian ‌troops have reported that ​the Starlink connection is being shut off when travelling ​at higher ​speeds, causing major ​disruption to Ukrainian drone ​operations, many of which depend on satellite internet to pilot ⁠the craft.

IEA says Russian oil output up 65,000 bpd in September, still down on the year

Russia's crude ⁠oil production increased by ​65,000 barrels per day in September to 8.43 million bpd, but still ​remained some 870,000 bpd below year-ago level, the International Energy Agency said on Wednesday.

The Paris-based IEA also said that the recently announced easing of Russian ​diesel ‌export restrictions was unlikely to materially change the global ⁠gasoil market balance because of a lack of operational Russian refinery capacity.

The agency, which advises ‌industrialised countries and manages their strategic oil reserves, said Russian crude ⁠exports rose 60,000 bpd last month from August to 5.3 million bpd, while estimated refinery runs remained flat for a second ​consecutive month as Ukrainian strikes continued to disrupt refining operations.

Crude ‌output in Russia, the world's third-largest oil producer, has been declining amid Ukraine's strikes on the country's energy infrastructure, including oil refineries.

Plumes of smoke rise from fires at an oil refinery following what the authorities say is a Ukrainian drone strike in Moscow on September, 20, 2026. © Stringer, Reuters

In photos: Kyiv apartment building damaged by a Russian missile strike

A family evacuates their burning apartment building following a Russian strike in Kyiv on October 13, 2026. © Reuters

A residential building on fire following a Russian missile strike in Kyiv overnight on Tuesday © AP

A resident smokes a cigarette after his apartment building was hit by a strike in Kyiv on October 13, 2026. © AP

Ukraine asking US, SpaceX and NATO to clarify Starlink limitations, source says

Ukraine is ​in ​with the US, SpaceX and NATO to seek ​clarification ‌over ⁠limitations imposed on its access ‌to the Starlink satellite ⁠internet system, a source in the ​country's Defence Ministry ‌said on Wednesday.

Ukrainian troops have ‌reported that the Starlink ​connection is being shut off when travelling at ​higher speeds, causing major ​disruption to ​Ukrainian drone operations, many ​of which depend on satellite internet to pilot the craft.

Wreckage found on Baltic beach was Polish drone from military exercise, minister says

An object found on ​a Polish beach is the remains of a Polish drone that was destroyed as part of an exercise ​conducted ‌by the country's military, ⁠Defence Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz said on Wednesday.

"Drone tests were conducted a few weeks ago ‌in Ustka (a town on the Baltic coast). This is a ​Polish drone that was destroyed by Polish anti-drone systems during the exercises," Kosiniak-Kamysz said.

A Defence Ministry spokesperson said ​earlier that preliminary findings indicated the fragments belonged ​to a test drone from a ​Polish military aviation technology institute.

US diesel deal 'positive ​signal' for Russian economy, Deputy PM Novak says

⁠The ​US diesel ​deal will boost Russia's economy and allow ​it ‌to ⁠increase production ‌and refining volumes with ⁠supplies shipped directly to the ​US and global ‌markets, Russian Deputy Prime ‌Minister Alexander ​Novak said on Wednesday.

"Without a doubt, this is ​a positive ​signal ​for our economy," he ​told reporters.

Bulgaria probing report that Starlink antennas set on fire

Bulgaria is investigating a report that several antennas used for communication with the Starlink satellite network were deliberately set on fire, Prime Minister Rumen Radev said Wednesday.

"The investigation is extremely intensive. We are working with partner services to successfully carry out this operation," Radev said in parliament, without confirming or denying the claim.

Ukraine uses the Starlink satellite system controlled by SpaceX owner Elon Musk for battlefield communications.

A Bulgarian opposition MP on Monday said 11 telecommunications antennas linked to the Starlink network were set on fire over the weekend "at a secret facility near Sofia".

"The burned antennas serve as the main link to Musk's satellites in space, which are actively used in the war in Ukraine," Ivaylo Mirtchev, a pro-European opposition MP, said in a post.

EU seeks to raise cash for Ukraine at IMF and G7 meetings, European Commissioner says

Ukraine faces a ⁠funding gap for ​2027 and the European Union is trying to raise extra cash for the country ​at the meetings of the International Monetary Fund and G7 finance ministers this week in Bangkok, European Economic Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis said.

Ukraine's 2026 funding is already ​covered, with ‌some €31 billion from the EU waiting for disbursement as ⁠soon as Kyiv votes through the agreed reforms.

But despite another €45 billion ($50 billion) already promised from the EU for ‌2027, Ukraine's needs will be much higher and the EU is ⁠scrambling to organise the cash from countries such as Norway, Switzerland, Canada, Japan or Britain.

"This is one of the topics being discussed ​during the IMF and G7 meetings, where we are seeking ‌to mobilise support from other partners," Dombrovskis told Reuters on the sidelines of the IMF meetings in Bangkok.

Bulgaria expects to join NATO anti-drone initiative this month, minister says

Bulgaria expects to ⁠join a NATO anti-drone ​initiative by the end of October, Defence Minister Dimitar Stoyanov said on Wednesday, ​a day after a drone attack sank a cargo vessel off the country's Black Sea coast for the second time in a week.

The attacks have highlighted the growing ​threat that ‌drone warfare linked to the Russia-Ukraine war poses to ⁠commercial shipping near NATO's southeastern flank, prompting Bulgaria to push for stronger alliance defences in the Black Sea.

"Bulgaria will ‌be part of this project as soon as possible. Expectations are ⁠that by October 30, we will already be part of the project," local media quoted Stoyanov as telling a parliamentary hearing.

Russia's diesel deal with US opens way for more cooperation, Kremlin envoy says

The ​US-Russia diesel ​deal can pave the way for further ​economic ‌cooperation ⁠between the ‌two countries, Kremlin envoy Kirill ⁠Dmitriev said adding ​that Moscow ‌would overcome any sanctions-related difficulties to ‌ensure the ​diesel supplies.

The example of diesel cooperation with ​the US "will ​open other opportunities ​as well," he ​told reporters.

Ukraine says it frees more territory in Donetsk region counteroffensive

Ukraine has ⁠freed 16 villages from ​Russian forces in the eastern Donetsk region in its latest counteroffensive, ​a senior commander said on Wednesday, part of what he called a major frontline pushback amid increased Russian air attacks elsewhere.

Kyiv's Third Army ​Corps ‌has waged an operation, announced last month, to ⁠dislodge Russian troops north of the strategic city of Sloviansk, one of the two ‌main bastions in Ukraine's so-called "fortress belt" anchoring its eastern defences.

Brig. ⁠Gen. Andrii Biletskyi said recent Ukrainian assaults had liberated three more villages in the area of the counteroffensive - some 30 ​km (19 miles) north of Sloviansk - bringing the total ‌of freed territory to 277 square kilometres (107 square miles) and the number of settlements to 16.

Russia, whose pace of battlefield gains ‌has slowed this year, has demanded that Ukraine cede the 20 percent of the Donetsk region ​it still controls before it stops fighting.

Zelensky says 'targeted' Russian strikes on energy leave 600,000 without power

Death toll from Russian strikes in Ukraine rises to 6, authorities say

Starlink restricted operations in Ukraine overnight, says Zelensky adviser

EU says 'no indications' US intel-sharing with Ukraine halted

Ukraine ex-military officer on trial in Germany over Nord Stream sabotage

Russia drone attack kills 6 in Ukrainian city of Lutsk, interior ministry says

Yesterday's key developments:

's President said Tuesday that a Russian ballistic missile struck a Kyiv power plant without advance warning from Western allies, killing at least two people and wounding around 20. The attack came days after US President announced an energy ceasefire between and , raising questions over efforts to halt strikes on critical infrastructure.

's President said Tuesday that a Russian ballistic missile struck a Kyiv power plant without advance warning from Western allies, killing at least two people and wounding around 20.

The attack came days after US President announced an energy ceasefire between and , raising questions over efforts to halt strikes on critical infrastructure.

(FRANCE 24 with AP, Reuters and AFP)