Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has criticized US sanctions against Russian energy companies as a mistake, despite his upcoming visit to Washington to discuss reducing Hungary's dependence on Russian oil and gas. He also announced plans to form an alliance with the Czech Republic and Slovakia against EU support for Ukraine.
Meanwhile, Baltic countries—Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia—are implicated in reports of maintaining Russia’s shadow tanker fleet despite international sanctions. According to LRT, companies from these countries conducted hundreds of ship-to-ship transfers of Russian oil.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced the start of the heating season. In Chernihiv, Kherson, and Nikopol regions, Russia continues to target civilian infrastructure with attacks resulting in injuries, casualties, and damage to homes and power lines. On the night of October 28, Ukraine faced 38 drone attacks, with 26 intercepted or neutralized.
A new UN report finds that Russia is deliberately targeting civilians near the frontline using drones to force residents to leave their homes. More than 200 interviews and hundreds of videos form the basis of the investigation, which will be presented to the UN General Assembly as additional justification for expanding sanctions against Russia.
Russian officials have announced a deepening standoff with the West. President Putin formally ended an agreement with the US on plutonium disposal, and there have been reports of Russian cruise missile tests with nuclear warheads in the Arctic.
The US has granted Germany a six-month reprieve from sanctions on Rosneft, and Lukoil has announced plans to sell its foreign assets. Indian refineries are also avoiding new purchases of Russian oil due to sanctions.
Upcoming meetings among US, Chinese, Indian, and Russian leaders may impact the course of the war and further sanctions policy.
