The Morning Briefing: October 19, 2026

Russia and Ukraine exchanged their heaviest strikes in months overnight, with Ukraine sending more than 1,000 drones deep into Russia as Moscow’s missiles hit Kyiv. Wall Street looks to recover after Friday’s sharp selloff, and Emmanuel Macron addressed France after one of its most violent days of unrest in years. Here is what to know.

Ukraine launches its biggest drone assault of the war

Ukraine carried out one of the largest aerial attacks of the war on Sunday, launching more than 1,000 drones at targets across Russia and setting an oil export terminal ablaze in St. Petersburg. Governor Alexander Beglov said one person was killed and five injured. Firefighters battled blazes at the Petersburg Oil Terminal and the city’s Ruchi oil depot, operations at St. Petersburg’s main airport were restricted, and about 20,000 people in the Leningrad region lost power.

Overnight, Russia answered with multiple waves of ballistic missiles on Kyiv, killing at least one person and injuring eight, according to Ukraine’s State Emergency Service. Mayor Vitali Klitschko said the Chernihiv and Lisova metro stations were damaged and train service was suspended, and energy officials reported strikes on power facilities in 11 regions that left tens of thousands without electricity. The attacks came as the “energy ceasefire” President Trump announced on October 11 unraveled: President Zelenskyy said Russia had struck Ukraine’s energy, oil and gas sector 76 times in a week, and told the Financial Times he was “done” with the agreement.

The weekend also deepened the rift between Kyiv and Washington. Secretary of State Marco Rubio denied that the United States had paused intelligence sharing with Ukraine, contradicting Zelenskyy, who said sharing had been interrupted and then “de-blocked.” Mr. Trump has criticized Ukraine’s strikes on Russian oil infrastructure, and the Wall Street Journal reported that Vladimir Putin proposed a Trump-Xi summit on Ukraine that would leave Zelenskyy out.

Read the full stories: Ukraine’s drone assault on St. Petersburg | Russia’s overnight strike on Kyiv | Putin’s proposed Trump-Xi summit

Wall Street opens higher after Friday’s selloff

U.S. stocks tumbled on Friday as technology shares led a broad decline. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.3 percent to 52,002.41, the Nasdaq Composite dropped 2.1 percent to 26,140.03, and the S&P 500 lost 1.1 percent to 7,659.44, according to Zacks. The CBOE Volatility Index jumped 21.45 percent to 19.99. Microsoft fell 1.9 percent to $529.05, while Oracle, Meta and Amazon each dropped between 1.9 and 4.6 percent.

Futures pointed to a rebound on Monday morning: S&P 500 E-minis were up 0.47 percent and Nasdaq 100 E-minis gained nearly 1 percent before the bell, as oil eased and the 10-year Treasury yield slipped to 5.085 percent. Brent crude fell about 1.8 percent to near $107 a barrel after Mr. Trump waived some sanctions on Russia. The week ahead is packed with earnings: Netflix reports Tuesday, followed by Tesla and Meta on Wednesday.

Read the full story: El-Erian warns markets are pricing in too many Fed rate hikes

Macron speaks after France’s worst unrest in years

France woke Sunday to the wreckage of one of its most violent days of unrest in years. Nationwide protests over high prices and public services drew between 550,000 and 800,000 people on Saturday, and while most marched peacefully, violent groups torched a 143-year-old city hall in Limoges, ransacked luxury stores including Louis Vuitton and Hermes in Paris and Bordeaux, and toppled a bust of Marianne in Marseille’s city hall. Police made about 1,800 arrests, and between 500 and 1,000 officers were injured.

Two people died: a protester who suffered cardiac arrest in Paris and a 22-year-old police officer struck by a vehicle in Nantes. Addressing the nation Sunday evening, Mr. Macron said “those who destroyed must pay” and asked the government to bring together students, unions and business leaders this week to produce “concrete proposals.” The unrest comes ahead of Tuesday’s National Assembly vote on the first part of the 2027 budget, which seeks 54 billion euros in savings as France’s debt reaches 119 percent of GDP.

Read the full story: Macron says France feels ‘anger and shame’ after weekend riots

Four soldiers killed in fire at Canadian military base

Four Canadian service members were killed and 39 injured, 19 of them critically, when a fast-moving grass fire overtook soldiers conducting live-fire training at CFB Wainwright in Alberta on Sunday. Maj. Gen. Wade Rutland said officials had known about the fire for hours but believed it was contained; winds then shifted and the flames reached the soldiers in less than a minute.

Prime Minister Mark Carney called it one of the worst peacetime tragedies for Canada’s military on domestic soil and ordered flags lowered to half-staff on federal buildings.

Read the full story: Four soldiers killed as grass fire engulfs Canadian military base

Another tanker hit in the Strait of Hormuz

Iran reported that another tanker struck a mine in the Strait of Hormuz, Reuters reported Monday, as attacks on shipping in the region keep mounting. The United Nations’ maritime chief has warned that 6,000 seafarers are trapped near the strait, and shipping and insurance costs are keeping oil prices for actual delivery well above futures.

Read the full story: UN maritime chief warns 6,000 seafarers trapped near Strait of Hormuz

NFL Sunday comes down to the wire

Eight of Sunday’s 12 NFL games were decided by seven points or fewer. C.J. Stroud threw for 312 yards and three touchdowns as the Houston Texans edged the Jacksonville Jaguars 34-31 in London. Josh Allen passed for 255 yards and two scores, tying Jim Kelly’s franchise touchdown mark, in Buffalo’s 33-30 win over Las Vegas. Kansas City stayed unbeaten at 5-0 with a 22-6 win over the Chargers behind Kenneth Walker’s 128 rushing yards and two touchdowns.

Caleb Williams returned from a hamstring injury to throw for 305 yards in Chicago’s 31-23 win at Atlanta, while Chad Ryland kicked six field goals as Arizona stunned the Rams 18-16. Tonight, the Washington Commanders visit the San Francisco 49ers on Monday Night Football.

Read the full story: Caleb Williams throws for 305 yards in return as Bears beat Falcons

Also this morning: NPR reports the 2026 midterms are on track to be the most expensive on record.