What did 3 October 2020 look like from Ukraine?
A look back at the reports reaching Kyiv in the days around 3 October 2020, from wildfires in the east to European sanctions diplomacy.
What was the news picture on 3 October 2020, as Ukraine looked at its own region and at Europe? Two reports from the preceding days frame it.
On 1 October 2020, wildfires swept through part of eastern Ukraine. Eight people were killed and ten others were injured. The toll made the fires the most immediate domestic story as the weekend began.
On 2 October 2020, the European Council agreed on sanctions against Belarus. Cyprus had held up the decision, and its opposition was lifted when the Council also agreed on a warning to Turkey. The sanctions were a response to the Belarusian presidential election and the protests that followed it, as reported at the time.
Taken together, the two reports show a country dealing with a deadly emergency at home while a neighbouring state's crisis was being addressed in European institutions.
