Russia's Federal Security Service detained a suspect after receiving a warning from the United States about a planned attack in Moscow and thanked Washington for the tip, according to the latest developments in the war in Ukraine. The Russian news agency RIA reported that the information reached the FSB through existing partner channels and that the security service was taking appropriate measures.
Separately, the US Embassy in Moscow said it had credible information about a planned attack in the Russian capital that could cause many casualties. The US government said it was coordinating with the Russian authorities.
German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier said in an ARD interview that he had rejected reports of possible negotiations between China, Russia and the United States over Ukraine. He said China's President Xi Jinping had made clear to him during talks in Beijing that no such preparations were under way and that Europe would have to be included in any peace settlement. Steinmeier said the three countries would hold a meeting on the sidelines of the Apec summit in Shenzhen, but that Ukraine would not be on the agenda.
On the Black Sea, Rubio pointed to growing interest in a limited ceasefire, while Erdogan described attacks on commercial ships in the Black Sea as unacceptable. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he had discussed the upcoming negotiations with Erdogan.
The evacuation of the Russian-occupied front-line town of Oleshky in southern Ukraine has been completed. Some of those taken out of the town travelled to Ukraine and others to Russia, according to statements from both sides. Zelensky confirmed on Saturday that the evacuees had arrived on Ukrainian territory. According to Ukrainian negotiator Davyd Arakhamia, the group flew via the Russian-annexed Crimean peninsula to Belarus and then crossed a border checkpoint into Ukraine. Russia's human rights commissioner, Yana Lantratova, said the humanitarian mission had passed without incident.
Belarusian state news agency Belta reported that three planes carrying evacuees landed at the airport in Homel. The evacuees, who wanted to continue to Ukraine, had earlier been taken by bus via Crimea to the Russian city of Anapa and from there flown to Belarus. The weakened and exhausted residents had been evacuated from Oleshky by bus on Friday as part of a joint aid operation by the two warring sides, the first such operation in a war that has lasted more than four years. The United States mediated a local truce for the evacuation, and both sides' human rights commissioners credited US First Lady Melania Trump with brokering it. Ukrainian human rights commissioner Dmytro Lubinets said 25 buses with 750 seats had been ready for the evacuation and stressed that the six-day truce mediated by the US had to hold.
The US government approved the sale of 500 PAC-3 Patriot missiles to Ukraine. The US State Department said the sale had an estimated value of $2.1 billion. Financing came from contributions by Canada, Germany and Norway as well as Ukrainian funds financed through an EU loan, according to the statement. The main contractor was US defence company Lockheed Martin. Zelensky had said earlier in the week that his country had been waiting almost a month for approval of the missile deliveries amid intensified Russian attacks on infrastructure, and had repeatedly urged the US to speed up deliveries before winter.
Russia said it had struck military facilities in Ukraine, including energy infrastructure in and around Kyiv and in the Dnipropetrovsk region, as well as port facilities in the Odesa region and cargo ships that Moscow said were used by the Ukrainian military. Kyiv reported massive power outages caused by Russian drone attacks, and Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko referred to Russian strikes on infrastructure in the capital. Ukraine said it had attacked a Russian factory producing rocket fuel, while Russian authorities reported two people killed in a Ukrainian drone attack in the Bryansk region and damage to an industrial facility.
The Wall Street Journal reported that Ukraine had suspended attacks on Russian oil refineries under pressure from US President Donald Trump. Citing people familiar with the matter, the newspaper said the informal pause began early last week and was expected to last until after the US midterm elections on 3 November and possibly later in November.
Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said there was no easing of tensions between Moscow and Washington. Russia also said that remarks by Zelensky were complicating new talks.
Sources: Handelsblatt.