Romania blames Russia for ship drone attacks in Black Sea, urges joint NATO command
Romania holds Russia responsible for drone attacks on ships off its coast and is calling for a joint NATO Black Sea command. Day 1696 of the war also brought reports of Starlink limits in Ukraine, a Belgian F-16 pledge and power cuts in Volyn.
Romania, a NATO and European Union member on the Black Sea, blames Russia for drone attacks on ships off its coast. Bucharest is calling for a joint NATO command for the Black Sea region. This was one of the main developments of day 1696 of the Russo-Ukrainian war, on 16 October 2026.
Starlink limits
It was reported that the White House restricted Ukraine's Starlink service after pressure from Elon Musk. Starlink is a satellite internet system. The reports prompted questions in Berlin.
Belgian pledge
Belgium promised to deliver 10 F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine by the end of the year.
Power supply in Volyn
Russian drones left 370,000 people without electricity in Volyn Oblast, in north-western Ukraine.
The source lists these events together as a daily war digest and gives no further detail on them.
