The European Union (EU) agreed on Friday to a new package of sanctions against Russia for the invasion of Ukraine, the 18th one, which includes a reduction in the maximum price of Russian oil and increases pressure on the so-called ghost fleet through which Russia exports oil.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenski, who celebrated the EU's ability to buy Russian oil at the new cap of $46 per barrel, replacing the current $60, sees it as a good opportunity to give "more momentum" to negotiations with Russia, with the EU and the US standing firm in support of Ukraine and distancing themselves from Vladimir Putin. Donald Trump has threatened harsher sanctions against the Russian president if a peace agreement is not reached.
This cap on the barrel is an initiative of the G-7 aimed at limiting the money Russia earns from oil exports. "We are attacking the heart of Russia's war machinery," said European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
"The EU has just approved one of the toughest sanction packages against Russia," celebrated EU's foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, after Slovakia withdrew its veto.
Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orbán rejected the EU's budget plan for 2028-2034, considering it "pro-Ukraine," warning that it would lead the bloc to ruin.
Russian air defenses destroyed 73 Ukrainian drones overnight, including three heading to Moscow. The operations at two airports near the Russian capital, Domodedovo and Zhukovsky, were briefly suspended, while a third airport, Vnukovo, was shut down much later into the night before being reopened in the morning.
Crimea, controlled by Russia, imposes an information blackout to counter Ukrainian drone attacks
Crimea authorities, controlled by Russia, announced on Friday an information blackout to counter Ukrainian drone attacks, missiles, and sabotage.
Sergei Aksyonov, the head of Crimea - annexed by Russia from Ukraine in 2014 - signed a decree prohibiting media and social media users from publishing any content revealing the location of Russian forces or details of Ukrainian attacks on the Black Sea peninsula.
A Russian attack kills a Ukrainian train driver in Dnipropetrovsk
A Russian attack on Friday killed a Ukrainian train driver in the Dnipropetrovsk region by hitting the locomotive he was driving, according to the national train company Ukrzaliznytsia.
"More tragic news this morning for the entire railway family. In Dnipropetrovsk, the enemy attacked an electric locomotive, the driver has died, his assistant is injured but stable," the statement read.
Ukrzaliznytsia did not provide further details on the incident.
The Ukrainian train company continues to operate its railways almost to the front line in wartime conditions. Its trains and infrastructure have been repeatedly attacked by Russia.
The UN warns that the war has increased organized crime activity in Ukraine
The war in Ukraine has increased organized crime activity in the country, adapting to the conflict to expand the trafficking of synthetic drugs, internet scams, and human trafficking, according to a UN report released on Friday in Vienna.
The UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) warns in its report "Ukraine: Dynamics of Organized Crime in the Context of War" that organized crime networks in Ukraine have undergone a significant transformation since the start of the Russian invasion in February 2022.
"The war has not only inflicted indescribable suffering on the Ukrainian people but has also triggered a marked evolution of organized crime, which could have profound implications for the country's recovery and reconstruction," warned Angela Me, head of Research and Analysis at UNODC.
Orbán rejects the EU budget proposal for being "pro-Ukraine"
Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orbán rejected the EU budget plan for 2028-2034, considering it "pro-Ukraine" and lacking clear goals, warning that in its current form, it would lead the bloc to ruin.
"This budget ruins the European Union," said Orbán, adding that since all EU members criticize it, "it will not survive next year."
The Prime Minister believes that the plan presented by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is a "budget of despair. It is not optimistic and lacks clear plans."
Orbán had already indicated that in its current form, he would veto the budget plan, considering it "pro-Ukraine."
He stated that "20% of the budget is allocated to Ukraine" and emphasized that "this is European money."
Orbán also pointed out that the proposal lacks clear strategic foundations and goals to achieve.
"Its only goal is Ukraine's accession to the EU," added the Prime Minister, who strongly opposes the neighboring country's integration into the European Union.
Zelenski tasks Umerov with giving "more momentum" to negotiations with Russia
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenski said on Friday that peace talks with Russia need "more momentum" and that he had asked the new Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council, Rustem Umerov, to "intensify" the process.
"The implementation of the agreements from the second Istanbul meeting is ongoing," he wrote, referring to the recent talks between the two warring parties in Turkey earlier this year.
Zelenski added that he had also tasked Umerov, who was Minister of Defense until the government reshuffle on Thursday, to work on armament agreements with Kiev's allies.
Zelenski positively assesses the new $46 cap on oil barrel price replacing $60
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenski positively assessed the new $46 cap on the price of a barrel of oil - replacing the previous $60 - at which the EU can buy Russian crude and committed to continue working to have Ukraine's partners outside the EU also lower the cap set in their sanctions.
Zelenski also welcomed the EU's ban on all transactions related to the Nord Stream gas pipelines built for Russia to export gas to the EU.
Zelenski celebrates EU sanctions to end "oil-funded killings"
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenski celebrated the new round of EU sanctions against Russia on Friday, highlighting that they will intensify pressure on the so-called ghost fleet through which Russia exports oil.
"The eighteenth package of sanctions continues to target the Russian tanker fleet, not only the ships themselves but also the captains of the ghost fleet and the companies that enable the 'oil-funded killings' that Russia commits in Ukraine," said Zelenski on his social media, as reported by Efe.
The Guajiro Unit: Colombians Joining Ukraine's Fight
The Guajiro Unit, a contingent of foreign fighters within the Jartia Brigade of the Ukrainian National Guard, trains in the Ukrainian region of Kharkiv in the country's east. A patch identifies them as Colombians.
Many in their country know little about the war, and the Colombian government considers them mercenaries, explains one of them integrated into the Jartia Brigade to Efe.
He points out that Russia's elite units have been decimated after three years of war, but the number of enemies remains high.
The Jartia Brigade, proud to apply NATO standards and use robotized warfare, began recruiting foreign fighters, including Colombians, over a year ago to bolster their ranks with trained and committed soldiers.
The Spanish-language website of Jartia details the service conditions, and many new recruits learn about the Guajiro Unit through recommendations or social media like TikTok.
Ukraine celebrates the new EU sanctions package against Russia
Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko celebrated the EU's agreement on an 18th package of sanctions against Russia, stating that it "strengthens pressure where needed," according to Reuters.
Svyrydenko added that there is still much to do in terms of measures to help bring peace closer.