Europe Explained

Imagine a school with no heating in winter. That is the risk Ukrainians face as Russia attacks their power plants. Overnight into Wednesday 14 October, Russian air attacks killed at least nine people and left more than half a million without power, according to Al Jazeera. Russia said it hit plants supplying power and heating in Kyiv and in Kharkiv.

The attacks came days after President Trump announced an “energy ceasefire”, a pause in strikes on power and oil sites. Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Russia of breaking it. On Thursday he told the Financial Times that Kyiv was “done” with the ceasefire, and that strikes on Russian oil refineries would resume. Russia says Ukraine hit a refinery in Ryazan, 180 km south of Moscow. Mr Zelenskyy says he would pause again only if the US supplied Patriot interceptors, which are missiles that shoot down other missiles.

Mr Zelenskyy was due to meet European leaders in Brussels on Thursday, asking for tougher sanctions on Russia, meaning penalties that hurt its economy, and faster help. The EU has pledged $50 billion for Ukraine next year, while Kyiv plans to spend $175 billion on defence. Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten urged EU leaders to “step up” their support.

Both sides are also fighting with drones. Ukraine’s Air Force said Russia launched 580 Shahed-type and other drones and two Kh-59 missiles overnight, and that 536 drones were neutralised. Moscow’s mayor said air defences downed nearly 500 drones heading for the capital, and Russia’s military put the total of Ukrainian drones downed that night at 902. Ukraine’s technology adviser said SpaceX limited the speed of Starlink terminals in motion; Elon Musk said only the US military and Mr Trump could limit its use.

Brexit was the UK’s exit from the European Union, decided by a referendum in 2016. After it, Britain and the EU agreed a trade deal. On Monday 12 October, Prime Minister Andy Burnham, who took office in July, told Parliament he will seek closer EU relations and renegotiate parts of that deal.

He will attend a UK–EU summit in Brussels in November. Topics include cutting paperwork for British food exports, emissions trading, a new youth experience scheme and deeper cooperation on immigration. Mr Burnham said the public would be “the boss” at every stage. His priorities are economic growth and controlling illegal immigration.

Not everyone agrees. Kemi Badenoch, the leader of the opposition, said the EU are “tough negotiators” and that Mr Burnham had already “shown his hand”.

Two European countries are seeing young people take to the streets over education. In France, protests began about two weeks before 6 October in the poorest suburbs of Paris and spread nationwide. Students want absent teachers replaced, longer lunch breaks, a changed school day and repairs to old buildings. Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu suspended high school classes for the rest of that week and told ministers to address the demands by the end of October.

The protests have been costly. The Interior Ministry reported 6,100 arrests, most of them minors, and the Justice Ministry said over 1,800 people will be prosecuted. Mr Lecornu said at least 215 teenagers and 715 police officers had been wounded.

In Albania, student protests over education conditions entered a third day on Thursday 15 October, and have often been violent since Tuesday. Fires damaged buildings including the prime minister’s office, and protesters want Prime Minister Edi Rama to resign. He refused, saying “governments change through democratic elections”. Protests spread to universities in Elbasan and Shkoder.