Russia targets Ukraine energy facilities despite Trump ceasefire announcement
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12/10/2026 - 21:46
'Increasingly evident' Russia won't accept 'energy ceasefire', Zelensky says
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said it was clear that Russia would not agree to stop hitting energy targets, after US President Donald Trump unilaterally announced a deal between the warring nations.
"It is increasingly evident that Russia is unwilling to accept an energy ceasefire proposed by the United States," Zelensky said on social media.
FRANCE 24's Selina Sykes reports.
12/10/2026 - 21:18
'A lot of Ukrainians are feeling extremely betrayed' by Trump's Russian diesel deal
Reporting from central Ukraine, FRANCE 24's Gulliver Cragg says that "a lot of Ukrainians are feeling extremely betrayed by a country that until recently they saw not only as an ally but as a beacon of freedom and democracy, a country whose values they should aspire to. All of that is falling apart very quickly and Ukrainians' admiration for the United States is disintegrating."
12/10/2026 - 21:01
Russia says delivered $320 billion worth of hydrocarbons to Europe since 2022
Russia said it has sold European countries more than $320 billion worth of hydrocarbons since 2022, despite the sanctions imposed on it over the war in Ukraine.
"For the period from 2022 to today, this figure amounts to $320.7 billion. This is the volume of energy resource deliveries to European Union countries," Russian Deputy Prime Minister in charge of Energy Alexander Novak said on television.
12/10/2026 - 21:00
French navy boards 'shadow fleet' ship in Indian Ocean, Macron says
The French navy boarded a vessel suspected of illegally smuggling oil in an operation off the Indian Ocean island of Reunion, President Emmanuel Macron said.
Macron vowed no let up in the struggle against the "shadow fleet" – a term used for the clandestine network of ships used by Russia to circumvent Western embargoes since its 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
"This morning, more than 450 nautical miles south of Reunion, our national Navy boarded the tanker DF Peak," Macron posted on X along with a brief video of the operation.
12/10/2026 - 18:59
Russian strike on Kyiv residential building kills one, officials say
A Russian strike on a residential building in the Ukrainian capital Kyiv killed one person, the city's military administration said on Telegram.
Officials had earlier said that a Russian drone struck a high-rise apartment building in an eastern suburb of the capital. Mayor Vitali Klitschko said four people were injured in that attack.
Pictures posted on unofficial Telegram channels showed parts of an apartment building ablaze.
12/10/2026 - 18:48
Poland says two Turkish nationals detained in Germany over Starlink station fire
Two Turkish citizens have been detained in Germany in connection with a fire at a Starlink station in Poland, the Polish Interior Minister Marcin Kierwinski said.
Poland's Special Services Minister Tomasz Siemoniak said Russia was behind the incident.
Officials from several EU countries have warned for months that Russia has been mounting sabotage, cyber and other hybrid attacks across Europe to erode support for Ukraine. Russia says such accusations are baseless and the result of anti-Russian hysteria.
12/10/2026 - 17:54
EU countries back visa ban for Russian ex-combatants, EU's Kallas says
EU countries back barring entry to Russians who fought in Ukraine, but need to work out how to implement the measure, the EU's top diplomat said.
"The political agreement is there. We just need to work out the technicalities," Kaja Kallas said after a meeting of EU foreign ministers Monday.
The EU has been mulling introducing the ban for months but has faced questions over how it could be enforced.
The push has gained traction as fears have risen over what Western officials describe as Moscow's "hybrid" campaign of sabotage and interference in Europe.
Alongside that there are also discussions on limiting travel for Moscow's diplomats and tightening criteria for tourist visas for Russians.
12/10/2026 - 17:53
Now is not the time to ease pressure on Moscow, EU's Kallas says
European Union foreign ministers have a clear understanding that now is not the moment to ease pressure on Russia, Kaja Kallas, the bloc's foreign policy chief, told reporters.
"Pressure on Moscow, not concessions, is the fastest way to end the war," she said following a gathering of European foreign ministers in Luxembourg.
12/10/2026 - 17:14
Russia introduces visa-free travel for Vietnamese citizens
Russia has introduced a visa-free regime for Vietnamese citizens, a decree signed by Russian President Vladimir Putin showed.
The regime, which will remain in force until October 15 2027, allows Vietnamese citizens to visit Russia without a visa for up to 30 days.
The policy does not apply to Vietnamese citizens travelling to Russia for employment.
Russia has similar visa-free arrangements with citizens of several countries, including China.
12/10/2026 - 17:10
Ukraine says EU set to open next accession stages after Kyiv passes minority rights law
Ukraine expects the European Union to approve opening the second and third stages of its accession talks on Tuesday, Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said.
Earlier, Ukraine's parliament passed legislation expanding the rights of Hungarian speakers and other minorities to receive education in their native language, part of an agreement with Hungary's new government to drop objections that had blocked Kyiv's EU membership bid.
Sybiha said he met his Hungarian counterpart Anita Orban on the sidelines of a Foreign Affairs Council meeting in Luxembourg and they welcomed the implementation of bilateral agreements between the two countries.
"We welcome today's important step by the Ukrainian Parliament on minority education rights," Orban said on X.
12/10/2026 - 16:59
'Ukraine's future is in the EU', EU's Kallas says
12/10/2026 - 16:06
Zelensky says 'increasingly clear' Russia does not want energy ceasefire after strikes
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said it was "increasingly clear" that Russia was unwilling to accept a US-proposed ceasefire on energy strikes, as Moscow hit six Ukrainian energy facilities.
"This is what happens when Russia sees the prospect of higher revenues for its war machine," he wrote in a post on X.
12/10/2026 - 15:32
Finland calls for EU ban on Russian tourist visas
Finland's Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen urged all EU countries to stop issuing tourist visas to Russians until Moscow ends its invasion of Ukraine.
Valtonen, in a statement, urged the European Commission to "adopt stricter guidelines on the processing of visa applications by Russian citizens" and "introduce necessary amendments to EU legislation to implement a ban on tourist visas".
"Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine is now in its fifth year. It is not right that Russians can travel to Europe to enjoy the way of life and freedoms here while their country bombs the homes of Ukrainians," Valtonen said.
12/10/2026 - 14:58
Germany faces 'shadow war' that goes beyond Cold War threats, minister warns
German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt warned that Germany faced a "shadow war" more far-reaching than the Cold War, and said the threat underscored the need to strengthen the country's BfV domestic intelligence agency.
"The shadow war we are witnessing today has an objective that extends far beyond anything seen during the Cold War," Dobrindt said at a BfV press conference in Berlin.
Officials from many Western countries have warned for months that Russia is mounting sabotage, cyber and other hybrid attacks across Europe to erode support for Ukraine.
12/10/2026 - 14:55
Three killed in Russian strike in eastern Ukraine
A 13-year-old girl was among three people killed in a Russian strike on a house near the frontline city of Kramatorsk in eastern Ukraine, the authorities said.
The head of the Donetsk regional military administration, Vadym Filashkin, said a house in the Cherkaske area was hit with cluster munitions, accusing Russia of "a deliberate attempt" to maximise civilian casualties.
12/10/2026 - 14:45
NATO's top military commander warns Russia over alleged sabotage
As the war in Ukraine continues, Western concerns are growing over Moscow’s alleged campaign of sabotage and interference against Kiev's wartime backers.
Watch the replay of the press conference from NATO's top military commander and analysis by FRANCE 24's International Affairs Commentator Douglas Herbert.
12/10/2026 - 14:44
Zelensky says learned of Trump's 'energy ceasefire' through media
An Axios report is citing an unnamed US source who says that US President Donald Trump's surprise energy ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine only concerns oil refineries.
FRANCE 24's Elitsa Gadeva explains what this would mean for both sides.
12/10/2026 - 14:31
Ukraine adopts law key to advancing EU accession talks
Ukrainian lawmakers passed legislation protecting the rights of national minorities, in a move expected to remove a major stumbling block to the country's EU ambitions.
Hungary has blocked the opening of so-called negotiation "clusters" – policy areas with which EU candidates must align their laws – as it accuses Kyiv of failing to protect the rights of the Hungarian minority.
Kyiv has long said it respected minorities rights but negotiated with Budapest and passed the legislation, which still requires President Volodymyr Zelensky's signature to become law.
12/10/2026 - 14:28
'Hit more data centres' in Russia, says Lithuania PM
Ukraine's allies should ask President Volodymyr Zelensky to "hit more data centres" in Russia, Lithuanian prime minister Mindaugas Sinkevicius told the Warsaw Security Forum.
"I believe that we should ask Mr Zelensky to hit more data centres in Russia, and that might help," he said when asked what Lithuania, Poland and other allies should do to protect elections in their countries against interference.
He added allies should make "huge" investments in fighting disinformation.
Data centres belonging to Yandex, often dubbed "Russia's Google", have come under attack in recent weeks, which follows a spate of Russian attacks on similar facilities in Ukraine.
12/10/2026 - 14:25
Russian continues to strike Ukraine despite Trump's announcement of an 'energy ceasefire'
Russia attacks multiple power plants in Ukraine including in Kharkiv and the capital Kiev. The strikes were reported despite claims from US President Donald Trump that a so-called “energy ceasefire” is in place.
Moscow has yet to comment on any potential deal while Ukrainian President Zelensky said the announcement came as a surprise.
Analysis by FRANCE 24 international affairs editor Douglas Herbert.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP, AP and Reuters)