Putin warns Europe against sending troops to Ukraine

Russian President Vladimir Putin warned European nations that sending troops to Ukraine would amount to “war with Russia” during a speech at the BRICS summit in India. He denied that Russia posed a threat to Europe and blamed “Western globalist elites” for the invasion, while Moscow carried out jet‑powered drone strikes on two Kyiv petrol stations that killed two people.

The drone attacks on Kyiv have intensified over the past two weeks, targeting petrol stations, residential blocks and infrastructure such as the Kyivstar mobile‑operator building. The strikes paused briefly while U.S. peace negotiators visited Kyiv, but resumed after the weekend. A United Nations development agency head warned that the upcoming winter could bring a humanitarian catastrophe if Russian attacks continue to disrupt water and power supplies.

Moscow has not yet decided whether President Putin will attend the G20 summit in Miami in December. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the decision remains unknown, and foreign‑policy aide Yuri Ushakov added that the possibility has not even been discussed. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he would travel to Miami if Putin attends and would seek a meeting, but Peskov reiterated that any meeting should take place in Moscow.

In Bulgaria, Interior Minister Ivan Demerdzhiev reported a fire at a weapons storage facility near Tsareva Livada, with no injuries. The incident, which follows an earlier explosion at an EMCO depot, is under investigation, and officials do not rule out sabotage or outside interference.

Ukrainian drones struck industrial facilities in Russia’s Samara region, while Russia’s defence ministry claimed it shot down 230 drones over multiple regions, including Crimea and the Black Sea. The attacks caused damage to residential buildings and commercial properties, and highlighted the growing role of local media as war correspondents amid the conflict. MI5 chief Sir Ken McCallum has warned that Britain faces greater danger now than on 9/11, citing threats from Russia and China alongside terrorism.