No indication intelligence sharing with Ukraine has stopped, EU says
The European Commission declined to comment on reported disruption to Starlink’s services in Ukraine, but said there are “no indication that [US] intelligence sharing has stopped.”
Repeatedly asked about the issue, the commission spokespeople said they were “aware of the report” on Starlink, but declined to comment “until we have more information.”
“[It is] important also to say that we have no indications that, intelligence sharing has stopped,” the chief spokesperson, Paula Pinho, said.
Bulgaria investigating report that Starlink antennas set on fire near Sofia
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 has said.
“The investigation is extremely intensive. We are working with partner services to successfully carry out this operation,” AFP reports Radev said in parliament, without confirming or denying the claim.
A Bulgarian opposition MP has claimed 11 telecommunications antennas linked to the Starlink network were set on fire over the weekend “at a secret facility near Sofia”.
A spokesperson for the Sofia prosecutor’s office confirmed to AFP that an investigation was under way but said no one has been charged.
A fire broke out at a Starlink satellite communications station in central Poland in September, with the country’s digital affairs minister calling the blaze an act of “sabotage” and prime minister Donald Tusk describing it as an “act of hybrid warfare”.
A Ukrainian serviceman prepares a Starlink satellite internet system earlier this year. Photograph: Reuters
Germany’s foreign minister, Johann Wadephul, has said his country has not observed a substantial reduction in US support for Ukraine, and does not expect to. The statement comes amid the US and Russia having secured a diesel supply deal, and reports that Elon Musk’s Starlink service has been reduced for Ukrainian forces.
Moscow has said that the US-Russia deal over diesel “will open other opportunities as well”.
Reuters reports Kremlin envoy Kirill Dmitriev said Moscow would overcome any sanctions-related difficulties to ensure the diesel supplies were delivered, and that the deal could pave the way for further economic cooperation between the two nations.
Reuters, citing local media, reports that Bulgaria expects to join a Nato anti-drone initiative by the end of October. The news comes a day after a drone attack sank a cargo vessel off the country’s Black Sea coast for the second time in a week.
Defence minister Dimitar Stoyanov said “Bulgaria will be part of this project as soon as possible. Expectations are that by 30 October, we will already be part of the project.”
Eutelsat shares jump as Ukraine flags curbs on Starlink military-grade service
And Reuters is reporting that shares in European satellite operator Eutelsat rose sharply on Wednesday after Ukraine said SpaceX’s Starlink had introduced restrictions on its military-grade service, fuelling investor bets that European providers could benefit from growing strains between Washington and Kyiv.
Eutelsat shares were up 11.6% by late morning, while Luxembourg-based rival SES, which also provides satellite connectivity services, gained 2.7%.
No indication intelligence sharing with Ukraine has stopped, EU says
The European Commission declined to comment on reported disruption to Starlink’s services in Ukraine, but said there are “no indication that [US] intelligence sharing has stopped.”
Repeatedly asked about the issue, the commission spokespeople said they were “aware of the report” on Starlink, but declined to comment “until we have more information.”
“[It is] important also to say that we have no indications that, intelligence sharing has stopped,” the chief spokesperson, Paula Pinho, said.
EU 'headed for a very, very difficult winter,' commission warns as energy markets remain 'very volatile'
The European Commission has warned that the EU is “headed for a very, very difficult winter” with high energy prices expected to cause an affordability crisis and “a very volatile” in the energy markets.
A digital billboard displays fuel prices at a petrol station in Berlin, Germany. Photograph: John MacDougall/AFP/Getty Images
The warning was delivered by the EU’s energy spokesperson Anna-Kaisa Itkonen when answering questions about proposed changes adding flexibility to rules on methane imports to help save costs.
She stressed the EU was “not facing a security supply issue for the time being,” but it faced a “very unpredictable” situation in the coming months.
“We do not have visibility, for example, what and when something will happen in the Strait of Hormuz, where 20% of gas and oil is being blocked since many, many months,” she said.
The commission’s chief spokesperson, Paula Pinho, added that the changes are needed as “we could not anticipate that we would have a crisis in the Strait of Hormuz,” which continues to affect prices and supply of energy.
Why is the far right on the rise in Europe? - Reddit AMA
Lucy O’Brien
This summer in Germany, Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) booked a historic state election victory in Saxony-Anhalt.Meanwhile, support for far-right parties has been growing across Europe.
‘It starts here’ banner at the AfD election party for the 2026 Saxony-Anhalt state election in Germany. Photograph: dts News Agency Germany/Shutterstock
There are now radical right, populist parties in coalition governments in Croatia, Czechia, Italy and Finland, and leading in the polls in Austria, Belgium, France and Germany.
The coming months will see further crucial elections, beginning in Spain in November and continuing in France, Estonia, Finland, Greece, Slovakia, Poland and Italy next year. How might these elections shape the political future of the continent?
Jon Henley and Ashifa Kassam, our European correspondents, will be answering your questions live on Reddit r/geopolitics from 4pm CEST.
'No imminent threat against Nato territory,' Rutte says
Rutte gets asked “is Russia foolish enough to consider attacking any of Nato countries?”
He says “we don’t think so” and that there is “no imminent threat against Nato territory,” but stresses that “if we see a build up, we will react to it.”
He says Nato’s message – as also expressed by the alliance’s top commander, Alexus Grynkewich earlier this week – is clear: “we will defend every inch of our territory, whether people live there or not.”
But he says:
“We will never, ever mount a attack towards anyone else because that is not in our interest. We are a defensive alliance.”
Trump 'was very clear' that US intelligence sharing with Ukraine has not stopped, Rutte says
In the Q&A, Rutte gets asked about the growing speculations that the US intelligence sharing with Ukraine may have stopped, after Zelenskyy’s repeated complains that Kyiv had no notice of recent attacks.
He says Trump “was very clear yesterday … that intelligence sharing has not stopped.”
More broadly on Russia, he says Nato has “all the response options we need,” although “you will not always see them; they will not always be public.”
“But here’s the main thing: we are stronger. Russia is not in a good place. These hybrid attacks, whatever it is, are a sign of weakness. What they allow us to do is to talk about it the whole day and to be rattled and to have press conferences on it. We’re not going to do that. We will react where we need to react.”
'With Russia's aggression unrelenting, allies need to do more,' Nato's Rutte says
Nato’s Rutte thanks Estonia for the role it plays in Nato, before turning to Ukraine.
He says “with winter coming and with Russia’s aggression unrelenting, allies need to do more, especially in support of air defence.”
He says “Russia continues its attacks on Ukrainian civilians and it continues its hybrid campaign against NATO allies.”
“Putin is trying to weaken our resolve and stop our support for Ukraine, but Russia is failing. It is failing on the battlefield in Ukraine and we will not be intimidated.”
'Russia wants us to focus on our problems and get tired of supporting Ukraine,' Estonia's PM warns
Nato’s secretary general Mark Rutte is now appearing at a press conference with Estonia’s prime minister Kristen Michal.
Estonian prime minister Kristen Michal welcomes Nato secretary general Mark Rutte in Tallinn, Estonia. Photograph: Ints Kalniņš/Reuters
Michal says that “supporting Ukraine is part of our own security,” as he warns that “Russia’s goals have not changed” and Moscow is “testing our unity with hybrid attacks and tries to divert our attention from Ukraine to elsewhere.”
“Russia wants us to focus on our problems and get tired of supporting Ukraine. We should not let it happen. Estonia will continue to support Ukraine militarily this year.”
He says “our task is to help Ukraine resist Russia’s brutal attacks,” and help it with more weapons and air defence.
He continues:
“We are learning from Ukraine every day. Ukrainian experience is invaluable for developing our defence capability and defence industry … Ukraine’s NATO membership would, in the long run be the strongest security guarantee.”
Michal says “Russia must know that Nato is ready” as it defends allies and supports Ukraine.
Ukrainian soldiers in combat have access to Starlink satellite internet restricted
Ukrainian soldiers in combat have suddenly had their access to Starlink satellite internet terminals restricted (9:57, 10:16) as the Trump administration has increased pressure on Ukraine to halt long-range strikes on Russia’s oil industry immediately.
Smoke rises over Kyiv after Russian strikes
The terminals, which are distributed and managed by Elon Musk’s SpaceX, are a key component of Ukraine’s military operations and the sudden restrictions on the high-speed terminals on Tuesday evening led to the failure of several combat missions, said an adviser on military technology to Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
The sudden outage came as Russia launched ballistic missiles at Ukraine without any advance warning from the US for a second night. For years the US has provided Ukraine with intelligence when strikes were about to take place.
Terminals travelling at more than 100mph and using a version of Starlink for the military and other national security agencies suddenly lost connectivity, said Serhiy Beskrestnov, in what appeared to be a targeted outage meant to disrupt military operations.
“Our armed forces did not receive a warning about these restrictions and this led to the failure of a number of missions,” said Beskrestnov, who is also a popular military blogger. “It’s clear that this action cannot be a coincidence and is connected to the current political situation.”
Ukrainian soldier to go on trial over sabotage of Nord Stream gas pipelines
in Berlin
A Ukrainian soldier is to go on trial in Hamburg accused of taking part in one of the most brazen acts of sabotage in postwar European history – the 2022 attack on the Nord Stream gas pipelines between Russia and Germany.
Serhii Kuznetsov, a special forces officer from the Ukrainian military, is accused by prosecutors of being an accomplice to war crimes by attacking civilian infrastructure, causing an explosion, damaging property and disrupting public services.
Police escort Serhii K. to a helicopter following a hearing with the German Federal Public Prosecutor last year. Photograph: Thilo Schmülgen/Reuters
Kuznetsov, who will be identified in the trial opening on Wednesday just as Serhii K due to German privacy laws, was referenced by his full name in an extradition order. He is alleged to have prepared and carried out the detonation of at least four incendiary devices of up to 27kg in weight at a depth of about 80 metres under the Baltic Sea, close to the Danish island of Bornholm.
He is believed to have had six accomplices, including four deep-sea divers, an explosives expert and a ship’s captain, who are alleged to have used a rented yacht and timer-controlled explosives. Both he and his country deny any involvement in the attacks.
The explosions took place on 26 September 2022, badly damaging the pipelines which had been constructed to carry Russian natural gas between Vyborg in western Russia and Lubmin, near Greifswald in northern Germany.
The blasts caused the Nord Stream 1 pipelines – Russia’s main gas supply route to Germany before Moscow cut the supplies in August 2022 – to burst. They also damaged Nord Stream 2, which was ready to carry gas but was never put into operation after Germany suspended its authorisation process just before Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
The release of gas emanating from a leak on the Nord Stream 1 gas pipeline, in the Swedish economic zone in the Baltic Sea. Photograph: SWEDISH COAST GUARD/AFP/Getty Images
The attacks happened as European countries were seeking to transition away from Russian energy supplies in reaction to the Kremlin’s aggression.
They exposed the dependence of Europe – and, in particular, Germany – on Russian gas as well as highlighting the murkiness of underground operations during wartime.
Security observers initially blamed Moscow for the attack. Russia has denied involvement, in turn blaming the US, which has denied it just as forcefully.
However, in July German state prosecutors accused Ukrainian “state authorities” of ordering the attack, arguing: “The aim was to permanently halt gas supplies via the pipelines and prevent Russia from using the revenue from natural gas trade to finance its war effort.”
The Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, has denied his country was involved.
Sixteen trial dates have been scheduled at Hamburg’s Hanseatic higher regional court up to and including 17 December, with further hearings likely in January and February.
'Big man, are you playing politics with your products again?' Poland's Sikorski taunts Musk
Poland’s foreign minister Radosław Sikorski has taken to X to confront the platform’s billionaire owner Elon Musk over reported restrictions to Starlink in Ukraine.
A Ukrainian serviceman of 47th brigade prepares a Starlink satellite internet systems at his positions at a front line. Photograph: Reuters
Poland helps Ukraine to foot the bill for Starlink, which provides crucial internet connectivity to Kyiv and its military, and says it pays some $50m a year.
Sikorski said:
“Hey, @elonmusk, big man, are you playing politics with your products again? As your European customers, we are watching you.”
The pair repeatedly clashed in the past, with annoyed Musk telling Sikorski last year to be “quiet.”
Italy's Meloni criticises US-Russia diesel deal as 'very risky choice'
Meanwhile, Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni said the US deal with Russia over diesel supply is “a very risky choice,” with “clear” risks.
PM Giorgia Meloni speaks in the Italian parliament in Rome earlier today. Photograph: Mauro Scrobogna/LaPresse/Shutterstock
“The outcome of this decision is uncertain, while the risks are clear,” Meloni told the Italian parliament.
“It provides Moscow with legitimacy as its bombs continue to fall on Ukrainian cities, generates new revenue to finance the war, and implicitly weakens the effectiveness of sanctions,” she added.
The Italian PM also returned to the idea that the EU27 should appoint “an authoritative figure” to lead talks with Russia and Ukraine.
The overnight attacks killed at least three people in Kyiv, authorities said.
Mayor Vitaly Klitschko reported overnight that “a massive ballistic missile strike” against the capital hit its energy facilities, causing power outages across the city.
Wednesday’s Russian attacks also targeted state railway facilities in five regions across Ukraine, said prime minister Sergii Koretskyi.
Morning opening: Russia showing 'ostentatious disrespect' towards US with attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure, Zelenskyy says
“Russia has never before shown such ostentatious disrespect toward the United States,” Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, after a night of relentless attacks on Ukraine’s infrastructure, despite Donald Trump’s claims of an energy ceasefire.
Ukrainian firefighters extinguish a blaze at the site of a Russian missile strike at an apartment building in Kyiv. Photograph: Genya Savilov/AFP/Getty Images
“A targeted Russian ballistic missile strike specifically against energy infrastructure – the very infrastructure covered by the ceasefire announced by the American President. The strike was entirely deliberate and demonstrative in its scale,” he said.
At least 600,000 people were left without power this morning, with temperatures falling below 10 degrees Celsius in Kyiv.
Meanwhile, a senior aide to Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine has been left struggling after Starlink satellite connection speeds were apparently restricted, complicating military operations on the ground.
Serhii Beskrestnov, widely known by his call sign, Flash, said:
“Our defence forces received no warning about this restriction, and it led to the disruption of a number of missions. Clearly, this action cannot be a coincidence and is linked to the current political situation.”
Ukraine’s Zelenskyy is expected in London today for talks with the UK’s prime minister, Andy Burnham, so we will probably hear more from him.
Elsewhere, Nato’s secretary general Mark Rutte will visit Estonia this morning, and Germany’s embattled chancellor Friedrich Merz is scheduled to address the Bundestag with a statement on the EU and Ukraine this afternoon.
And Pope Leo had a “peaceful night” at Rome’s Gemelli hospital after yesterday’s surgery which confirmed lung adenocarcinoma, the most common form of lung cancer.