Russia reports strikes on Ukrainian energy facilities, Ukraine claims hitting Russian targets

Russia said on Saturday that its forces struck energy facilities and fuel depots in Ukraine, while Ukraine on the same day reported attacks on a Russian fuel depot and multiple military targets.

According to the Russian Defense Ministry, Russian forces targeted energy facilities supporting Ukrainian military-industrial enterprises, fuel depots, and temporary deployment points for Ukrainian soldiers and foreign mercenaries over the past 24 hours.

The ministry added that its air defense systems intercepted one Neptune missile and shot down 70 Ukrainian drones. Additionally, between 09:00 and 16:00 local time on Saturday, Russian air defenses intercepted and destroyed 33 Ukrainian drones over several regions.

On the same day, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that 68 combat engagements had taken place along the front lines as of Saturday afternoon, with the most intense fight occurring in the direction of Pokrovsk (also known as Krasnoarmeysk).

The Ukrainian forces reported repelling multiple Russian attacks. In addition, the General Staff said its troops carried out early-morning strikes on Saturday against a fuel depot in Russia's Volgograd Oblast and several Russian military targets in the Zaporizhzhia and Donetsk regions.

Russia reports strikes on Ukrainian energy facilities, Ukraine claims hitting Russian targets

U.S. consumer sentiment kept falling in October, according to preliminary data released Friday from the University of Michigan, as households grew more pessimistic about the broader economic outlook.

The widely watched Consumer Sentiment Index has weakened to 46.3 from the final reading of 48.1 in September, missing economists' expectations and falling for a third consecutive month.

The Current Economic Conditions Index dropped to 44.7 from the final reading of 50.9 in September, while the Expectations Index rose to 47.3 from 46.3.

The one-year inflation expectations ticked up from 4.6 percent in September to 4.7 percent in October, substantially exceeding the 3.4 percent seen in February before the Iran conflict began. The five-year inflation expectations also stepped up from 3.4 percent to 3.5 percent. Inflation expectations over both time horizons increased for the second straight month to their highest readings since May.

The survey found that consumers across the political spectrum believe that the trajectory of the economy has weakened since the beginning of the year, and frustration over cost-of-living continues to mount.

Overall, sentiment for lower-income consumers and those with smaller stock portfolios dropped steeply this month, groups that have fewer resources to weather increases in prices.

US consumer sentiment continues to fall in October