Ukraine updates: Russia says 36 drones downed over Black Sea

Russian forces shot down 36 Ukrainian drones over the Black Sea and the northwestern part of the Crimean peninsula, Moscow's Defense Ministry said.

"On the night of October 29, an attempt by the Kyiv regime to carry out a terrorist attack using air-type drones against facilities on the territory of the Russian Federation was stopped," the ministry said on Telegram.

"The air defense systems in place destroyed 36 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles over the Black Sea and the northwestern part of the Crimean peninsula," the statement said.

There has been no reaction from Ukrainian authorities.

Crimea was illegally annexed by Moscow in 2014 and is a key location — the peninsula's biggest city Sevastopol is the primary base for Russia's Black Sea fleet.

It is also an important supply route for Russian forces who are occupying southern and eastern Ukraine.

Ukraine's Zelenskyy thanks delegates at Malta peace talks

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy gave his thanks to the representatives of more than 60 countries attending a peace summit in Malta.

"The unity of all those in the world who work with us and all our partners to restore the strength of international law and the real weight of UN principles and norms" will certainly be effective, Zelenskyy said in a post on social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter. 

Zelenskyy is hoping to rally support for his 10-point plan to end Russia's war, and sees the growing list of participants as a signal that global support remains intact despite the US Congress halting new military aid for Ukraine.

The first round of talks in Denmark in June only managed to bring together 15 representatives.

The talks have been dismissed by Moscow, which described the gathering as "a blatantly anti-Russian event."

G7 ministers condemn Russia's invasion

Trade ministers from the Group of Seven have reiterated their criticism of Russia's war in Ukraine after meeting in Osaka, Japan.

In a joint statement, the ministers condemned "Russia's brutal, unprovoked, unjustifiable and illegal war of aggression against Ukraine."

The officials from the world's major industrialized countries also hit out at Russia's targeting of Ukraine's grain export infrastructure, along with Moscow's decision to "unilaterally" pull out of the Black Sea grain deal.

The deal had allowed the safe passage of grain from Ukrainian ports to the global market.

In July, Russia withdrew from the agreement, which was brokered by Turkey and the UN, complaining that Western sanctions were hindering the export of its own agricultural exports.