Putin pledges to stop recruiting Ghanaians after talks with Kenya’s Ruto, while Ukraine resumes strikes on Russian oil refineries and a Kherson ceasefire expires.

MoneyTurkey Politics Desk | 1 November 2026

Key points

• Russia agreed to halt recruitment of Ghanaians for the Ukraine war after Kenyan President Ruto secured the pledge from Putin.
• Ukraine resumed drone strikes on Russian oil refineries in Samara and Nizhny Novgorod regions after a reported pause linked to US pressure.

Russia has agreed to stop recruiting Ghanaians for its war in Ukraine after Kenyan President William Ruto secured the pledge from President Vladimir Putin. The commitment came during bilateral talks that also covered expanded economic ties between Kenya and Russia. The move follows similar pledges made to other African governments and coincides with renewed Ukrainian strikes on Russian energy infrastructure.

What happened

Kenyan President Ruto announced that Putin had pledged to halt military recruitment of Kenyans and Ghanaians for the Ukraine conflict. The pledge was reported by Anadolu Agency and confirmed in Kenyan state media. Russian authorities did not immediately comment on the scope of the recruitment halt.

Separately, Ukrainian forces resumed drone strikes on Russian oil refineries in Samara and Nizhny Novgorod regions. Russian state media reported fires at the Kstovo refinery and damage to an industrial facility in Nizhny Novgorod. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed strikes on a missile fuel producer in Russia’s Rostov region.

A six-day localized ceasefire in Ukraine’s Kherson region expired on Sunday night. The truce had allowed civilian evacuations from the Russian-occupied town of Oleshky. Both sides reported no violations during the pause, according to Anadolu Agency.

What is at stake for markets

Ukrainian strikes on Russian refineries risk further disruption to global fuel supplies. Russian state media reported damage to facilities owned by Rosneft in Samara oblast. The Wall Street Journal had previously reported that Ukraine agreed to pause such strikes under US pressure ahead of midterm elections.

The resumption of refinery attacks follows Trump’s reported lifting of US sanctions on Russian diesel. Kremlin officials stated that Kyiv is “simply ignoring” US wishes regarding energy infrastructure strikes. Zelenskyy attributed the renewed attacks to Russian strikes on Ukrainian energy facilities that left hundreds of thousands without power.

The recruitment halt in Ghana and Kenya may reduce the flow of foreign fighters to Russian forces. Anadolu Agency reported that Ruto secured the pledge during talks that also covered expanded bilateral ties. No immediate market impact from the recruitment agreement has been reported.

Why it matters

The Russian pledge to halt African recruitment follows similar commitments made to other governments concerned about citizen involvement in the conflict. Reuters and Anadolu Agency reported the agreement came during talks focused on expanding economic cooperation between Kenya and Russia.

Ukrainian strikes on Russian energy infrastructure continue despite reported US diplomatic pressure. The Guardian reported that Ukrainian officials denied agreeing to a 30-day pause requested by Jared Kushner. Zelenskyy stated that Russia lost 54,400 troops killed or wounded in October, the highest monthly figure since the full-scale invasion began.

The expiry of the Kherson ceasefire returns the region to active hostilities after a brief humanitarian window. BBC reported that the truce had enabled emotional family reunions for evacuees who had been trapped in occupied territory. Emergency power cuts remain in effect across Ukraine due to ongoing Russian strikes on energy infrastructure.

What to watch

• Whether Russia extends recruitment halt to other African nations
• Impact of resumed refinery strikes on global fuel prices
• Status of civilian evacuations from Kherson region after ceasefire ends
• US response to Ukraine’s defiance of reported pressure on energy strikes

For information only. Not investment advice.

Sources

• Bloomberg: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-11-01/russia-agrees-to-halt-recruitment-of-ghanaians-for-ukraine-war
• AP: https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-kherson-ceasefire-oleshky-22a9bcde97cf12c96328aacf88486e40
• Reuters: https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/ukraine-evacuates-civilians-parts-kherson-region-expiry-oleshky-ceasefire-nears-2026-11-01/
• WSJ: https://www.wsj.com/world/russia/how-the-seizure-of-a-russian-vessel-brought-the-ukraine-war-to-the-arctic-93beddaa
• Politico: https://www.politico.eu/article/russia-strikes-leave-thousands-without-power-ukraine-volodymyr-zelenskyy/
• Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/nov/01/ukraine-defies-trump-resumes-attacks-russian-oil
• BBC: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c64g1y90p71eo
• Anadolu: https://www.aa.com.tr/en/eurasia/zelenskyy-claims-russia-lost-record-54-400-troops-killed-or-wounded-in-october/4108131
• SCMP: https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3372908/longest-truce-ukraine-war-kherson-region-set-end
• Anadolu: https://www.aa.com.tr/en/europe/oleshky-ceasefire-between-russia-ukraine-ends-with-no-violations-reported/4108228