Several Finnish lawmakers have said someone entered their homes while they were away, Yle reported. The incidents took place over the past year. Nothing was stolen during the suspected intrusions, but lawmakers reported noticeable signs that someone had been there — for example, doors left open or lights turned on. Parliament Speaker Jussi Halla-aho said this may have been deliberate.

The U.S. Treasury Department has designated A7, a Russia-linked payment network created to evade sanctions, a “significant transnational criminal organization.” The designation will make it possible to bar U.S. financial institutions from making any transfers involving A7’s “Sub-Agents,” foreign shell companies through which the network processes payments for clients in Russia. The restrictions on A7 were formally imposed as part of sanctions targeting Iran.

Mikhail Tereshchenko / TASS / Profimedia Vyacheslav Volodin presides over the first plenary session of the State Duma’s ninth session, September 30, 2026 Newly elected State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin opened the new parliament’s first session with some advice for lawmakers: History shows that our country cannot be defeated from the outside. All our problems come from within: conflict, betrayal by the elites, weak leadership. So we need to learn from this. We must not lose our country.

Several members of the Finnish Parliament immediately complained that someone had entered their homes in their absence, Yle writes. The incidents took place over the past year. Nothing was stolen during the alleged break-ins, but deputies reported noticeable signs, such as doors left open or lights turned on. Speaker of Parliament Jussi Halla-Aho expressed the opinion that this may have been done deliberately.

The US Treasury has declared the Russian-linked A7 payment network, created to evade sanctions, to be a “significant transnational criminal organization.” This status will make it possible to prohibit American financial institutions from any transfers involving A7 “subagents” - front foreign companies through which the network processes payments from clients from the Russian Federation.

Russian President Vladimir Putin rejected the idea of halting attacks on Ukrainian ships in exchange for Ukraine ending its strikes on Russian oil refineries. He made the remarks at the Valdai Forum. Putin estimated Russia’s losses from the refinery strikes at 1% of GDP. He said Russia has enough diesel to meet its own needs, but sanctions would keep any surplus off the global market — even if Ukraine stopped the strikes.

A major fire broke out at the historic Miller mansion in central St. Petersburg, near St. Isaac’s Cathedral, Fontanka reported. The blaze was classified as a second-alarm fire. No casualties have been reported. The Miller mansion was built in the 19th century and is a designated regional architectural landmark. In early 2026, property developer TAS secured a 768-million-ruble loan to restore the mansion. Plans called for converting it into an exclusive apartment building.

Latvia’s parliament, the Saeima, has passed a law that effectively bans the public broadcaster LSM from producing content in Russian. Most of the 55 lawmakers who voted for the bill belonged to the governing coalition, which comprises New Unity, the Union of Greens and Farmers, and the National Alliance. The 24 lawmakers who voted against it were members of the opposition parties the Progressives and Latvia First or were unaffiliated with a parliamentary group.

Russian President Vladimir Putin rejected the idea of ​​stopping attacks on Ukrainian ships in response to the cessation of attacks on Russian oil refineries by Ukraine. He made corresponding statements at the Valdai Forum. Putin estimated Russia's losses from attacks on oil refineries at 1% of GDP. At the same time, he said that Russia itself has enough diesel fuel, and its surplus will not reach the world market due to sanctions - even if Ukraine stops attacks.

Russian Telegram channels with ties to the security services reported explosions in a production unit at a chemical plant in the Moscow region town of Krasnozavodsk . One of the buildings was partially destroyed and a fire broke out, according to preliminary information cited by Mash. Eyewitness footage shows thick gray smoke rising into the sky. Shot reported that seven people were killed. More than 40 people were evacuated.

Russia’s Prosecutor General’s Office has sued Kazakhstani businessman Timur Turlov and Freedom Finance, the holding company he founded, RBC reported. A deputy prosecutor general filed the lawsuit in Moscow’s Tverskoy District Court. The nature of the lawsuit has not been disclosed. The defendants include Freedom Holding Corp., Freedom Finance Europe Ltd., and W-Empirical Holding Corp.

Artem Priakhin / SOPA Images / LightRocket / Getty Images In the fifth year of its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Russia is spending more on its military and looking for new ways to fund the war. In recent months, however, several Russian regions have sharply cut payments to the families of those killed in the war. Here are a few examples.

Vyacheslav Volodin became Speaker of the State Duma for the third time - this is a record. Why is he so useful to Vladimir Putin?

The Anti-Corruption Foundation has proposed easing sanctions on Russia in return for Russian authorities repealing repressive laws and dropping politically motivated criminal cases. The proposal came in response to reports that the U.S. administration is considering easing restrictions on Russia in exchange for the release of political prisoners. The foundation said “such negotiations should not be limited to lists of individual names” because not all politically motivated cases become public.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has banned Russians and foreigners from taking cash exceeding 1 million rubles to other Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) countries — Belarus, Armenia, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan — as well as Azerbaijan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. The restriction took effect on September 29. Previously, individuals traveling to EAEU countries could take the equivalent of $100,000 at the central bank’s exchange rate on the day they crossed the border.