The briefing for Sunday, October 18.

Ukraine launched more than 1,000 drones across Russia on Sunday in one of its largest aerial bombardments of the war, setting fire to an oil export terminal and an oil depot in St. Petersburg. Russia's Ministry of Defense said it destroyed 1,015 Ukrainian drones over 15 regions, Crimea and the Black Sea. One person was killed and five wounded in the St. Petersburg attacks, according to local Gov. Alexander Beglov. Russian strikes on Zaporizhzhia killed a woman and wounded at least two others, including a 6-year-old girl.

The massive strike comes just a week after President Trump announced that Russia and Ukraine had agreed to an "energy ceasefire," though he offered no details. Kyiv says Moscow never honored the deal: President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia attacked Ukraine's energy, oil and gas sectors 76 times in the week since Trump's announcement, leaving tens of thousands of families without power. Ukraine confirmed Thursday it had resumed its own attacks on Russian oil facilities after a three-day pause.

Zelenskyy pushed back on any suggestion that Ukraine bears responsibility for the continued fighting, writing on social media that it is Russia's invasion — not Ukraine's defense — that is prolonging the war. He argued that Russia has taken no reciprocal steps despite sanctions relief and other concessions, and said Moscow views such gestures as proof "their bet on war is paying off." The breakdown raises doubts about Washington's ability to broker even limited de-escalation steps as the war grinds toward its fifth year.

President Trump's decision to waive sanctions on Russia just days before they were set to take effect has drawn sharp, bipartisan criticism from Congress. The sanctions package, known as the Lindsey Graham Russian Sanctions Act, had passed the Senate 86-11 and targeted Russian banks, officials and a shadow fleet of tankers. Republican Sen. Thom Tillis called the waiver "beyond irresponsible," while Sen. John Cornyn invoked the bill's late namesake, saying "Lindsey would be appalled." Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said the move "keeps getting dirtier," and Sen. Elizabeth Warren accused Trump of "enabling Vladimir Putin to continue his war of aggression."

Zelenskyy called the decision "unfortunate" but stopped short of directly criticizing Trump, instead thanking lawmakers from both parties who backed the legislation. He warned that blocking the sanctions would encourage Russia to keep killing and would limit Ukraine's ability to retaliate. The waiver follows Trump's recent agreement to purchase diesel from Russia in an effort to lower U.S. gas prices — a move Republicans and Democrats alike say will aid Russia's war effort without meaningfully affecting global fuel prices.

Amid the political fallout, diplomatic efforts are quietly advancing. Zelenskyy revealed that Ukraine's lead negotiator, Rustem Umerov, met Friday with U.S. presidential envoy Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law, as Washington works to arrange a trilateral meeting between Zelenskyy, Putin and Trump, potentially in the Middle East, Europe or the U.S. Separately, Zelenskyy said Kyiv is investigating unexplained speed restrictions imposed on Ukraine's military-grade Starlink service, which have forced drones to fly slower and made them easier for Russian forces to target; it remains unclear who is responsible, and SpaceX has not commented.

Kenya confirmed seven Ebola cases, including three health workers infected while treating the country's first patient who died in early October after traveling from Congo. The outbreak involves the Bundibugyo virus strain with no approved vaccine, prompting Kenya to expand quarantine and contact-tracing efforts among approximately 130 exposed individuals.

Japan's space agency launched the world's first spacecraft mission to collect samples from Phobos, a Martian moon, with international collaboration from NASA and European agencies; the five-year mission aims to gather data that will inform future human Mars exploration and help scientists understand the origins of the Martian moons.