Germany-Russia Escalation: Berlin says Russia was behind an explosive drone attack at Leipzig/Halle Airport and is tightening border controls for Russians, closing the Russian consulate in Bonn and ending the “Russian House” deal in Berlin, while EU leaders promise a “clear response” and more sanctions. Ukraine Support: EU defence ministers in Ireland discussed boosting training capacity in Ukraine and frontloading parts of the EU’s €90bn loan, with Ireland saying many member states back earlier disbursements. G20 Friction: EU economy chief Valdis Dombrovskis rejected “normalizing” Russia’s presence at the G20 as Russia’s finance minister attendance sparks European anger. EU Defence Planning: Kaja Kallas said Russia is suffering losses and that air defence remains the priority, including calls to transfer Patriot interceptors nearing end of service. Balkans EU Path Under Strain: A road-crash court case involving a dual Bulgarian-Macedonian citizen is spilling into EU accession politics, with Bulgaria asking the Commission to monitor the dispute. Tourism Watch: Cyprus saw the steepest EU drop in tourist overnight stays in H1 2026, underlining how exposed its economy is to foreign demand. Tech & Media Rules: The EU moves to apply strict Digital Services Act oversight to ChatGPT, Reddit and Roblox, while European news agencies join the SPUR Coalition to push for fair AI content licensing.