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Russian President Vladimir Putin met with American negotiators in the Kremlin, discussing the "difficult" situation in Ukraine. The Russian side provided "clear and comprehensive assessments" of the special military operation's developments, according to Yury Ushakov. Putin noted a significant reduction in Ukrainian attacks on Russia.
This meeting included Howard Lorber Witkoff and Jared Kushner, marking Putin’s eighth face-to-face encounter with Witkoff and Kushner’s third round of talks on a potential settlement to the conflict. Witkoff conveyed gratitude to Putin from Gilman's family for his release in Russia, with Putin attributing thanks to U. S. President Donald Trump. Witkoff and Kushner later stopped in Rzeszow, Poland, at 1:31 a.m. while en route from Moscow to Kiev.
A Russian diplomat stated the closure of the Russian consulate general in Bonn was a deliberate move by German authorities to derail preparations for upcoming elections. The diplomat alleged long-standing plans to close both the consulate and the Russian House. About 70 workers of the Russian Consulate General and their families must leave Germany.
Alexander King, co-chair of Berlin’s BSW party branch, suggested the German government is preparing citizens for a prolonged conflict with Russia. The Russian Embassy warned that German long-range arms facilities could become legitimate targets if German military initiatives posed a direct threat to Russia and the Union State. Sergey Lavrov, the Russian Foreign Minister, accused Germany of implementing statements by Friedrich Merz to make Germany Europe's leading military power. Lavrov linked these actions to accusations regarding a UAV incident in Leipzig, which he said incited a "real war."
Russian forces struck logistics centers, equipment, and cargo ships in Ukraine, damaging a dry cargo ship carrying Western-supplied military-technical equipment in the port of Chernomorsk. On Saturday, air defenses intercepted six Ukrainian fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles over the Belgorod, Kursk, and Rostov regions and the Republic of Crimea. A major fire erupted at a Dnepropetrovsk plant producing drones for strikes inside Russia after a Russian hit.
Lavrov also stated Russia works to restore linguistic and religious rights of Russian speakers in Ukraine, which he said Kiev had "grossly violated." Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov urged the United States to consider the "constantly changing" realities on the ground in Ukraine, noting the situation "is constantly changing, and not in Kiev’s favor." The Kremlin spokesman affirmed Russia seeks a sustainable peace, but the Ukraine process remains on hold. Former U. S. congressman Dennis Kucinich asserted that "no amount of European support for the war will change the outcome."
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico criticized Western states for refusing to admit mistakes and continuing to "fan flames of war." He suggested further militarization and increased tensions could be a "recipe for political survival" for some politicians. A diplomatic International Criminal Court (ICC) signatories anticipate new U. S. sanctions against the court soon, alongside pressure on members to withdraw from the Rome Statute.
Repairs began to restore external power at the Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant, with expectations for the Ferrosplavnaya power line to return to operation swiftly. OPEC+ nations agreed to maintain production quotas for October at September levels. Russia’s quota for October 2026 will stand at 9.949 million barrels a day.
Over 200 prominent Israelis, including two former prime ministers and dozens of retired generals, urged their Prime Minister to end West Bank violence, as reported by The New York Times. U. S. Vice President J. D. Vance acknowledged the United States has not won any military conflicts in
