War in Ukraine timeline
Russia's war in Ukraine: the strikes on both sides, the sanctions and arms deliveries, the dispute over Starlink, and the talks towards a ceasefire.
12 timelines from the outlets of our UK edition, 8 October to 8 November 2026, oldest first. Each one gathers the articles about one development, day by day.
Latest timeline: Russia strikes Ukrainian rescue crews at the site of an attack that killed at least 55
- Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband announces new sanctions on Russia during a visit to Ukraine
Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband has announced new sanctions on Russia during a visit to Ukraine. The crackdown was announced as the Foreign Secretary visited the site of a Russian missile strike on a residential building in the Chernihiv region.
- Zelenskyy criticises the US and calls for more Starlink access amid a deadly Russian assault
Ukrainian President Zelenskyy criticised the US and called for more Starlink access amid a deadly Russian assault, The Guardian reported. The Ukrainian president said expanded Starlink access would help Ukraine target Russian ballistic-missile launchers. The Independent reported that Zelenskyy criticised the US ahead of peace talks in Florida.
- Trump's Russian diesel deal draws calls to ditch it as Burnham hosts Zelenskyy at Downing Street
Donald Trump announced on 9 October a deal with Vladimir Putin to release Russian diesel, saying Russia would immediately supply '300,000 tons of diesel', according to Sky News, and Zelenskyy called the deal a 'gift to Putin', according to The Independent. On 11 October, Trump claimed in a social media post that gave no details that Russia and Ukraine had agreed to an 'energy ceasefire', according to The Guardian, and the Prime Minister said the UK backs it, but Russia attacked multiple power plants after the claim, The Guardian reported. On 13 October, Trump accused Europe of hypocrisy and insisted the energy ceasefire still holds, and a group of senators warned that lifting sanctions is 'a gift to our adversary and a betrayal of our allies', The Independent reported. On 14 October, Andy Burnham received Zelenskyy at No 10 and said the UK's support for Ukraine 'will not change', the Evening Standard and The Independent reported, and Meloni warned the deal would grant Russia 'legitimacy', according to the Financial Times. The Evening Standard and The Independent reported on 15 October that the UK will 'make case' for the US to continue backing Ukraine amid strained relations and that Andy Burnham avoided saying Trump had betrayed Ukraine over Starlink limits, and on 16 October that Trump declined to blame Putin for the Ukraine war amid transatlantic tensions, while Britain and most other Nato members have been clear in putting the fault on the Russian leader.
- Ukrainian officer goes on trial in Hamburg over the 2022 Nord Stream pipeline sabotage
A former Ukrainian army officer is going on trial in Germany over the undersea explosions that damaged the Nord Stream gas pipelines between Russia and Germany four years ago, The Independent reported, and The Guardian said the special forces officer, Serhii Kuznetsov, denies involvement in the 2022 blasts and is to go on trial in Hamburg. The Financial Times named the accused Serhii Kuznietsov and said the officer is accused of leading a group of divers who placed explosives on the pipelines in the Baltic Sea, and BBC News said Serhii K will appear in court accused of a plot to destroy Russia's gas pipelines to Germany.
- Russia strikes nine Ukrainian regions, causing emergency power outages, as strain grows between Zelenskyy and Trump
Russian attacks on nine regions of Ukraine have caused emergency power outages and damaged homes, wounding at least 15 people, The Independent reported on Friday 16 October, as strain grows between Zelenskyy and Trump. Russia's heavy bombardment of the power grid before winter sets in has been an annual feature of the war, aiming to wear down Ukraine's appetite for the fight by denying civilians heating and running water, Euronews reported.
- British troops to join a major military exercise preparing for Ukraine peace
The Evening Standard and The Independent reported on Saturday 17 October that British troops are to take part in a major Ukraine-facing wargame next month, both outlets also reporting that Donald Trump is at loggerheads with allies over the conflict, having refused to say President Putin sparked the Ukraine war. On Tuesday 3 November The Independent reported that British troops are to join a major military exercise preparing for Ukraine peace, a drill simulating moving troops and supplies such as food and fuel that was agreed at a Coalition of the Willing summit in July, and that hundreds of UK troops are to train to help Ukraine with peace time security.
- Trump waives new Russia sanctions passed by Congress, citing America's national interests
Donald Trump has waived Russian sanctions, claiming the move was in America's 'national interests', the Evening Standard and The Independent reported on 17 October, as the US-Ukraine relationship frays, and BBC News reported Trump saying parts of a new law that aims to punish Moscow for its war against Ukraine are against US national interests. The president signed the legislation, championed by late senator Lindsey Graham, last month but waived the restrictions as they were due to come into effect, The Guardian reported, and the Financial Times wrote that the US president gives Putin a reprieve on threatened energy measures after cutting a deal with Moscow to release diesel. Zelenskyy urged supporters to defend the new US sanctions, according to The Independent, and warned that the decision will intensify the Kremlin's war in Ukraine, calling it a 'reward' for Vladimir Putin as Moscow launched one of its worst strikes yet on Ukraine's power plants, The Guardian reported. On 18 October The Guardian and The Independent reported that Secretary of State Marco Rubio says the waiver is a '60-day pause' to analyse its economic impact, and a minister said the UK takes a 'different view' to Trump on Russia sanctions, according to the Evening Standard and The Independent. BBC News later reported Trump saying the suspension of the sanctions is to keep peace negotiations going, and i News that Trump claims waiving them will keep Putin 'at the bargaining table'.
- Zelenskyy claims the US is deliberately delaying interceptor missiles, Rubio denies a 'deliberate political directive'
Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said the US is deliberately delaying deliveries of interceptor missiles to Ukraine, deepening a public spat with Donald Trump, The Guardian reported on Tuesday 20 October, the Ukrainian president having claimed, speaking to US senators on Monday, that 'the Pentagon is delaying the delivery of missiles' already paid for by European countries. According to The Guardian, Zelenskyy said the shipment is awaiting the signature of the US defence secretary, Pete Hegseth, and that 'all of this suggests that some political decision has been made to slow down the support for us'. Rubio, the US secretary of state, denied there is 'some deliberate political directive' to harm the Kyiv government as the row rages, saying Fairford shows the US has its own defence needs, the Evening Standard and The Independent reported.
- UK rejects Trump negotiator Steve Witkoff's description of Vladimir Putin as 'humanitarian'
The UK rejected the Trump negotiator Steve Witkoff's description of Vladimir Putin as 'humanitarian', the Evening Standard and The Independent reported on Thursday 22 October, the two outlets later headlining that Downing Street rejected the American description. Witkoff, the US special envoy, made the remark while meeting the Russian leader this week, according to the two outlets.
- Musk says SpaceX restricted Ukraine's Starlink connection, Ukraine disputes claim its military violated the terms
Trump said Elon Musk has restored Ukraine's internet access, BBC News reported on 22 October, Ukraine relying on Starlink for a range of military uses and Musk having repeatedly denied restricting access. On 23 October The Guardian reported uncertainty over Kyiv's Starlink access after the claim, the US president saying the Starshield military communications system is back but declining to comment on whether there was any conversation with Musk on the matter. Later that day the Evening Standard and The Independent reported that Burnham raised Ukraine's Starlink access in a phone call with Trump, the Prime Minister raising the issue directly with the US president after restrictions placed on Kyiv's use of the satellite communications system, and The Independent and the Manchester Evening News headlined that Andy Burnham told Donald Trump Ukraine must have 'full' Starlink access. On 24 October The Independent reported that Elon Musk restricted Ukraine's Starlink access after the military 'violated' terms, the episode adding to tensions between Kyiv and DC. On 25 October BBC News reported that Musk says SpaceX restricted Ukraine's Starlink connection as service was restored, accusing Ukraine of violating its terms of service by using the network for military activity, and The Independent reported that Ukrainian officials have disputed Musk's claims that Ukraine's military violated Starlink's terms by using it for offensive drone strikes.
- Ukraine: Zelenskyy says trilateral peace talks will restart in November, Trump teases a 'big, beautiful agreement'
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said a meeting between Ukraine, Russia and the US will take place next month, Sky News reported on Sunday 25 October, Euronews reporting that the trilateral talks in November aim to restart stalled peace talks between Ukraine and Russia, with the latter's invasion well into its fifth year. On Monday 26 October The Guardian reported that, according to Zelenskyy, Ukraine will not discuss limits to its armed forces or enforced neutrality at the November meeting. On Thursday 5 November The Independent reported that Donald Trump teased a 'big agreement' after meeting a Putin envoy but not the visiting Ukrainian officials, representatives of both countries having been at the White House for an event honouring Melania Trump's work brokering a ceasefire in Oleshky, and Trump said a 'big, beautiful agreement' on Ukraine 'might involve all of Europe', the Evening Standard and The Independent reported.
- Russia strikes Ukrainian rescue crews at the site of an attack that killed at least 55
Moscow struck emergency workers on rescue missions, Sky News reported on Sunday 8 November, while one person died after being hit by a Ukrainian drone attack in western Russia. Russia launched a fresh drone strike on Ukraine rescue crews, the Manchester Evening News reported, the same location having been struck by multiple Russian-guided bombs earlier in the week, killing at least 55 people as residents gathered to receive humanitarian aid.
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