Latest international news on the Russia-Ukraine conflict as of October 18

The Australian Labor government has formally reversed the 2018 decision by the Liberal Party to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. Foreign Minister Penny Wong stated that then-Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s 2018 decision was driven by personal and political considerations, and that the current Australian government considers Jerusalem’s status unresolved—requiring negotiation between Israel and Palestine. She emphasized that Australia remains a steadfast ally of Israel and a firm supporter of the Palestinian people’s liberation movement. 11:26 Researchers at Boston University claim to have developed a new, more lethal strain of COVID-19 in the lab. According to the researchers, after conducting a series of similar experiments, they engineered a novel COVID-19 variant with an 80% fatality rate in mice. The university stated this variant is a hybrid of Omicron and the original SARS-CoV-2 virus, killing 80% of infected mice. 11:03 Ukrainian MP Yuliya Sovsun angrily criticized Canada: “Why don’t you give us more equipment? I simply cannot understand.” 10:37 According to U.S.-based Military Watch, Russia’s S-300V4 air defense missile system set a record for longest-range aerial target destruction, shooting down a Ukrainian military aircraft at a distance of 217 kilometers. 9:52 Alex Younger, former head of Britain’s MI6, stated that if Vladimir Putin were no longer in power, his successor might be an even more extreme and right-wing figure. 9:20 General Sergey Surovikin—the so-called “Doomsday General”—issued his first public statement: “I no longer wish to sacrifice Russian soldiers in guerrilla warfare against NATO-armed fanatics. We possess sufficient force and technical capabilities to compel Ukraine’s complete surrender.” 9:14 U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said, “The world cannot function without American leadership.” 9:08 Bloomberg reports that Germany estimates economic losses caused by energy-related issues: nearly half of Germany’s major corporations have been forced to cut production, resulting in annual economic losses of $8.5 billion. 8:25 Oleksiy Arestovych remarked: “It feels somewhat disheartening… We confidently declared we would seize Kherson, then Svatove—and now everything. But seizing territory isn’t going as smoothly as expected; things are far from simple.” 8:13 Russian Armed Forces’ artillery, rocket troops, and aircraft launched large-scale strikes against concentrations of Ukrainian militants, disrupting their ability to regroup calmly. Thus, near Olekhiv…

Gazprom cites 'force majeure'—how will this affect gas supplies to at least one major customer, and what details matter?

Just as Europe anxiously awaited whether the Nord Stream 1 pipeline could resume gas deliveries promptly after its scheduled maintenance ending on June 22, another complication has emerged in Russia-Europe gas trade. According to CCTV News, Russian energy giant Gazprom PJSC (hereinafter 'Gazprom') stated in a letter dated June 14 that its natural gas exports to Europe are affected by 'force majeure', and that this condition will impact gas supply to at least one major European customer. However, Gazprom did not name the 'major customer' in the letter, nor did it specify the nature of the 'force majeure'. According to foreign media reports, German energy company Uniper and RWE—the largest German power generator and Europe’s third-largest renewable energy company—have both received Gazprom’s letters citing 'force majeure' affecting gas deliveries. What does 'force majeure' mean? 'Force majeure' refers to extraordinary circumstances beyond a company’s control in commercial contracts. When such events occur and lead to contractual non-performance, the affected party may be exempted from liability for damages. In this letter, Gazprom stressed that, as Russia’s dominant exporter of pipeline gas, it is invoking the 'force majeure' clause due to circumstances beyond its control—thereby relieving itself of contractual obligations, including continued gas supply. Gazprom further stated that this clause takes effect retroactively from June 14. Foreign media interpret this public letter as shielding Gazprom from financial liability—including compensation claims—in case of supply disruptions. As of press time, Uniper deemed the announcement unjustified and formally rejected Gazprom’s 'force majeure' claim, stating it intends to seek compensation; RWE has yet to issue an official response. Although Gazprom did not explicitly detail the specific 'extraordinary circumstances' in its letter, foreign media widely believe they are directly linked to the annual maintenance of the Nord Stream 1 pipeline, which began on June 11. Gazprom’s earlier announcement indicated that Nord Stream 1 would suspend gas deliveries to Germany from June 11 to 21 for routine maintenance. Supply ceased at 6 a.m. Central European Time on June 11, and gas flow dropped to zero within hours. In fact, Nord Stream 1’s supply volumes had already been reduced since mid-June…

Gazprom Halts Russian Natural Gas Exports to Armenia for 10-Day Repair Work

Sep 14, 2026

Gazprom Armenia announced a 10-day suspension of Russian natural gas supplies from September 15 to 25 for pipeline maintenance, supplemented by domestic reserves and Iranian volumes.

reuters

2026-06-26

Russia's Gazprom Forecasts Core Profit to Rise 6-7% in 2026

2026-08-28

Russia's Gazprom posts 12% fall in first-half profit

2026-09-14

Gazprom Halts Russian Natural Gas Exports to Armenia for 10-Day Repair Work

Gazprom Halts Russian Natural Gas Exports to Armenia for 10-Day Repair Work

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