The briefing for Friday, October 16.

A string of drone attacks on at least seven cargo vessels in the Black Sea this month, off the coasts of NATO members Romania and Bulgaria, has left two people dead and more than two dozen missing. The latest incidents came Wednesday and Thursday, when fires broke out on two chemical tankers — the Yara J and the Wine Trader — after drone strikes, with seven crew members still missing from the Wine Trader as of Thursday. Russia has not claimed responsibility, though Moscow said it struck two cargo ships carrying military cargo bound for Ukraine's Odesa port without naming the vessels.

Romanian President Nicusor Dan confirmed both tankers were struck by drones but stopped short of blaming Russia directly, saying only that "there will be a reaction from the Romanian state." Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev was more pointed, telling his country's Parliament that "there is no logic in Ukraine attacking its own ships and crews" but acknowledged "we cannot prove it." Earlier this week, two ships were struck off Bulgaria's coast, with one sinking and 11 crew still missing. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has directly blamed Russia for related attacks on civilian vessels, calling one strike "horrific."

The attacks threaten a vital global shipping corridor and raise the question of whether Putin is deliberately testing NATO's resolve. NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte met with Dan and Radev in Brussels to discuss the alliance's response, saying NATO has "strengthened our posture along the eastern flank including with increasing counter-drone capabilities." But it remains legally murky whether NATO's Article 5 mutual defense guarantee applies, since most of the strikes occurred within the countries' exclusive economic zones rather than their territorial waters — an ambiguity Romanian defense analyst Radu Tudor says has "raised a lot of questions" about the alliance's readiness to respond.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Thursday that Ukraine will resume strikes on Russian energy infrastructure after pausing for three days at the request of the United States, telling the Financial Times "we're done" with the halt. The announcement came after Russia accused Ukraine of attacking an oil refinery south of Moscow in Ryazan, which Russia's defense ministry said involved four missiles and dozens of drones, causing a fire from falling debris. Zelensky said dozens of Ukrainian cities had come under Russian attack in the prior 24 hours.

Zelensky also accused the US of using Starlink satellite restrictions as leverage to force Ukraine to halt its strikes, telling the FT that American counterparts warned "if you will not stop [the strikes], we will block intelligence." He said the Starlink disruption was deliberate rather than a technical glitch, a view echoed by Starlink owner Elon Musk. However, Ukrainian defense sources later told the BBC that some Starlink functionality — specifically "operation while on the move" for the military Starshield service — had been restored, though it remains unclear if speed restrictions on drone operations have been fully lifted. The Trump administration has denied halting intelligence-sharing.

The reversal follows a brief US-brokered "energy ceasefire" that Trump announced Sunday, which Zelensky said he was willing to honor only if Russia reciprocated. He accused Moscow of ignoring the deal within hours, leaving hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians without power. European leaders have rallied behind Zelensky; Italian Defence Minister Guido Crosetto called any US intelligence restriction "a complete mistake" that would deny Ukraine its ability to defend itself and could embolden Putin. Zelensky also criticized a separate US-Russia deal to release 300,000 tonnes of diesel to global markets, calling it effectively American investment in Russia's war effort.

President Trump has called off plans to livestream the execution of former Army psychiatrist Nidal Hasan, who is scheduled to be put to death by firing squad on December 3 for killing 13 unarmed soldiers at Fort Hood in 2009. Trump said on Truth Social that "many very good and well meaning people would rather not watch him die," adding that the execution "will not be streamed" but will proceed as scheduled. Families of victims will still be allowed to view the execution in person.

The decision followed mounting criticism, including a letter from 72 retired generals, admirals and other senior military officers who warned the livestream would violate constitutional protections against cruel and unusual punishment and risk turning Hasan into "a martyr." The United Nations had called the original plan "abhorrent," noting that public executions are rare globally, carried out in only two countries last year. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had initially defended airing the execution, saying "people need to understand that there's serious consequences for these types of things," but a Pentagon spokesman said Thursday that Hegseth "supports the President's decision."

Hasan's attorney, John Galligan, said the reversal "comes as no surprise," calling the original livestream plan "a dumb decision" that violated Army regulations. He noted Trump reportedly did not know Hasan is paralyzed from the chest down when he first approved the plan. Galligan said the episode "will permanently remain a stain on our military justice system," regardless of the reversal.

No commercial goods have entered Gaza for two days, Israeli authorities said Thursday, raising fears of worsening shortages just as winter approaches. Israel's military body overseeing humanitarian affairs, COGAT, blamed the halt on Palestinian merchants angered by taxes imposed by Hamas, saying vendors themselves cancelled coordination to bring goods in. Palestinian importers dispute this account entirely.

Nahed Sheheiber, head of Gaza's private truckers union, said Israel — not merchants — is responsible for the halt, and that Israeli officials are using fees levied by Gaza's Ministry of Economy as a pretext. The ministry said it was asking for roughly $3,226 per truck, but described the payment as a voluntary donation to help pay civil servants, not a tax. The dispute has left the actual cause of the shutdown unclear, with both sides pointing fingers.

The suspension cuts off goods including fruit and winter clothing — supplies merchants typically import, distinct from staples like flour that aid groups provide. Humanitarian workers warn that without a functioning commercial market, prices could spike beyond what aid alone can offset. The World Food Programme's assessment this year found Gaza's food situation had improved since famine was declared in August 2025 but remained at crisis levels, warning that "even small disruptions to humanitarian access could rapidly reverse recent gains." COGAT estimates Gaza needs roughly 250 truckloads of goods daily — far below the 600-truck minimum set by a ceasefire brokered by the US a year ago.

Former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, pleaded not guilty Thursday in a Manhattan federal court to new charges of conspiracy to commit torture, added to an earlier drug trafficking indictment. The two were captured during a US military raid on their Caracas home in January and have remained jailed in Brooklyn since. Maduro told the court through a translator that he rejected the "false accusations and false testimony against me," while Flores said "I am completely innocent."

The rewritten indictment alleges Maduro and Flores "created and maintained a violent system of repression" that killed, harassed and tortured thousands of Venezuelans, including three Americans, using methods such as electric shock, asphyxiation, rape, forced nudity, and prolonged isolation. Prosecutors allege Maduro personally recommended torture methods, received updates on specific victims, and threatened to kill one prisoner's child as psychological torture. Flores, a former attorney general, allegedly helped develop the system and ordered torture against specific individuals.

Maduro's attorney, Barry Pollack, said his client denies the charges and "looks forward to his day in court." Both defendants have argued the case should be dismissed on sovereign immunity grounds, contending they were the legitimate leader and first lady of a foreign nation and that their forcible removal by the US was illegal. Their trial is scheduled for June 2027. Maduro has also faced years of International Criminal Court scrutiny over alleged crimes against humanity tied to his crackdown on political opponents, allegations he has consistently denied.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney warned Thursday that the United States is trying to break Canada so it can "own us," as he campaigned against Monday's Alberta referendum on whether to begin a legal process toward a future independence vote. Speaking to roughly 5,000 supporters at a Calgary rally, Carney said "this referendum comes at the worst possible time," citing a more dangerous and divided world. He did not name the US or President Trump directly but has done so in past speeches referencing Trump's trade war and repeated threats to make Canada the 51st state.

The vote itself would not directly trigger independence — Alberta, which holds the world's fourth-largest proven oil reserves, would instead instruct its government to begin the legal process toward a future separation referendum. Carney urged Albertans not to treat the vote as a mere protest message to Ottawa, calling it "a dangerous bluff that will lead to years of deep division." He acknowledged long-standing Albertan grievances, saying Ottawa historically made residents feel "like our resources weren't our own."

Pro-independence leaders pushed back on Carney's framing. Tanya Clemens of Let Alberta Decide called Carney "formidable" but argued his agreements with Alberta Premier Danielle Smith amount to "pinky promises" that don't resolve underlying tensions. Smith, who called the referendum but supports staying in Canada, has said separatist support remains higher than she'd like. Political scientist Daniel Béland said Carney has benefited from a "Trump effect" rallying Canadians — even in Alberta — around national unity, an unusual dynamic for a Liberal prime minister in a province that has long feuded with Ottawa.