Russia faced one of the biggest aerial assaults of the war so far from Ukraine overnight, saying its air defences downed as many as 555 Ukrainian drones over multiple regions.
Moscow has ordered the suspension of flights at all its major airports, while traffic was halted on Moscow's ring road near an oil refinery after multiple drone strikes.
Photos and videos shared online purported to show massive explosions at the refinery, including one that blew an oil container lid hundreds of feet into the air.
Moscow's mayor Sergei Sobhyanin said around 180 drones heading for the capital alone had been downed.
The attacks come after Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has said he held an "important" final phone call after the G7 with US president Donald Trump and French president Emmanuel Macron.
“This was an important coordinating conversation which could change a great deal," Zelensky said.
Hours earlier, Trump said that Vladimir Putin needs the war in Ukraine to end as Moscow is losing more troops than Kyiv.
Key Points
- Zelensky says he spoke to Trump and Macron after G7 summit
- Moscow refinery on fire as Russia downs 555 Ukrainian drones, traffic halted
- Kyiv attacked hours after Trump counts Putin’s battlefield losses
- Macron says Trump 'took note of fact Russia does not want peace'
- Flights at all Moscow airports suspended after Ukrainian drone attack
- In photos: Moscow under siege as more than 500 drones attack Russia
Flights at all Moscow airports suspended after Ukrainian drone attack
07:32 , Arpan Rai
Flights at all major Moscow airports have been temporarily suspended for safety reasons after a Ukrainian drone attack, Russia's aviation authority, Rosaviatsiya, said this morning.
At least 180 Ukrainian drones had been shot down over Moscow, officials said.
In photos: Moscow under siege as more than 500 drones attack Russia
07:26 , Arpan Rai
Moscow refinery on fire as Russia downs 555 Ukrainian drones, traffic halted
06:53 , Arpan Rai
Russia faced one of the biggest aerial assaults of the war so far from Ukraine overnight, saying its air defences downed as many as 555 Ukrainian drones over multiple regions.
Moscow's mayor Sergei Sobhyanin said around 180 drones heading for the capital alone had been downed.
Traffic was halted on Moscow's ring road near an oil refinery after multiple drone strikes, RIA reported, citing the interior ministry.
Visuals of the attack were shared online purporting to show massive explosions, including one that blew an oil container lid hundreds of feet into the air.
Several drones are also seen flying in the air and targeting the refinery’s infrastructure.
Additional view of the oil tank lid turret toss at the Moscow Refinery after a Ukrainian drone attack this morning. pic.twitter.com/KZhYr54KuR
— OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) June 18, 2026
Zelensky will join Ukraine alliance meeting at Nato, Rutte says
06:40 , Arpan Rai
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky will join a meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group, an alliance that provides military aid for Kyiv, at Nato headquarters in Brussels today, secretary general Mark Rutte said.
The meeting comes after Zelensky also attended a gathering of G7 leaders in France, which ended with a joint statement of support for Kyiv and a vow to increase pressure on Russia.
Timeline of UK-Russia incidents at sea since the war in Ukraine began
06:16 , Arpan Rai
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) is investigating after a Russian warship fired warning shots at a British yacht that came near it in the English Channel.
The Admiral Grigorovich, a Russian frigate, fired warning shots after making attempts to contact the yacht, the MoD claimed, in order to prevent a potential collision. Russia’s defence ministry has claimed its sailors were acting “in strict accordance” with international shipping regulations.
While this is being viewed as an isolated incident, it came days after tensions between the UK and Russia spiked when Britain seized a sanctioned vessel transiting through the Channel.
Timeline of UK-Russia incidents at sea since the war in Ukraine began
Ukrainian drone attack kills one in Russia's Belgorod
05:42 , Arpan Rai
In Russia's Belgorod border region, local officials said a Ukrainian drone strike killed one man in his car.
On Wednesday, Moscow had accused Ukraine of attacking a bus carrying Belarusian schoolchildren, an accusation Kyiv said was "false".
In the southern Russian region of Rostov, a Ukrainian drone attack killed one, injured two and caused a fire at two commercial facilities, local officials said.
Macron says Trump 'took note of fact Russia does not want peace'
05:36 , Arpan Rai
Emmanuel Macron has said that president Donald Trump “took notice” of the fact that Russia was not seeking peace.
Speaking at a press conference at the G7 summit, the French president said Washington acknowledged that Moscow was not looking to end its war in Ukraine.
He said the G7 had “showed a real change in the approach from the US on Ukraine”.
Trump had earlier suggested that the US could impose sanctions on Russia if it did not take steps to end the war.
Watch: Trump claims Moscow losing more troops than Kyiv as he admits Putin on ‘the offensive’
05:02 , Arpan Rai
Kyiv attacked hours after Trump counts Putin’s battlefield losses
04:46 , Arpan Rai
Kyiv has come under attack from Russian missiles in the early hours today, Kyiv authorities said, as they urged residents to take shelter.
A Reuters witness heard explosions in Kyiv and authorities in the northeastern Ukrainian city of Sumy said one person was killed in a drone attack.
Air strike alerts were issued for most of Ukraine's territory.
“The enemy is attacking the capital with ballistic missiles. Stay in safe places until the air raid alert is over!" Tymur Tkachenko, the head of Kyiv's military administration, said in a Telegram post early on Thursday.
The attack came just hours after Trump said Russia was losing more soldiers than Ukraine, after he suggested that both Russian president Vladimir Putin and Zelensky seemed open to doing something about the war.
Flames and thick plumes of smoke seen in Moscow district
04:43 , Arpan Rai
Thick plumes of smoke with flames were seen in the early hours of Thursday in southeastern Kapotnya district in the Russian capital of Moscow, a Reuters witness said.
It was not immediately clear what the source of the fire was. The Moscow oil refinery is located in the area. Over three dozen drones heading for Moscow were downed overnight, mayor Sergei Sobyanin said on Telegram.
Zelensky says he spoke to Trump and Macron after G7 summit
04:18 , Arpan Rai
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said late on Wednesday he had spoken to US president Donald Trump and French president Emmanuel Macron in a "coordinating conversation" at the close of the G7 summit in Evian.
"This was an important coordinating conversation which could change a great deal," Zelensky wrote on Telegram.
“I am grateful to President Trump for his attention to Ukraine and for his readiness to help bring peace closer. I am grateful to Emmanuel for the excellent organisation of the summit and the consistently strong joint work,” he said.
Zelensky, in a subsequent post on Telegram, said he had discussed the outcome of the Evian summit with Nato secretary general Mark Rutte in Brussels."The main thing is working on strengthening our defence and getting US licences to produce air defence systems," Zelensky wrote.
One killed as drones spark fire at two commercial facilities in Russia's Rostov
04:00 , Arpan Rai
A drone attack killed one, injured another two people and caused a fire at two commercial facilities in the southern Russian region of Rostov, regional governor Yuri Slyusar said on Telegram.
He added that a locomotive was also damaged after drones attacked the town of Gukovo, saying that defence systems continued to repel the attack.
In full: Timeline of UK-Russia incidents at sea since the war in Ukraine began
03:00 , James Reynolds
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) is investigating after a Russian warship fired warning shots at a British yacht that came near it in the English Channel.
The Admiral Grigorovich, a Russian frigate, fired warning shots after making attempts to contact the yacht, the MoD claimed, in order to prevent a potential collision. Russia’s defence ministry has claimed its sailors were acting “in strict accordance” with international shipping regulations.
While this is being viewed as an isolated incident, it came days after tensions between the UK and Russia spiked when Britain seized a sanctioned vessel transiting through the Channel.
Here’s a timeline of the UK-Russia incidents at sea since the war in Ukraine began:
Timeline of UK-Russia incidents at sea since the war in Ukraine began
Watch: Starmer says Channel incident involving Russian warship 'reckless'
02:00 , James Reynolds
Comment: Russia’s pathetic ‘yacht potshots’ show how desperate for a win Putin has become
01:00 , James Reynolds
It is embarrassing that a hostile frigate can meander along our coastline frightening small ships unimpeded – yet it also shows that Moscow’s war in Ukraine is running on fumes, says Robert Fox:
Russia’s pathetic ‘yacht potshots’ show how desperate for a win Putin has become
Ukraine denies strike on bus carrying children's football team in Russia
Thursday 18 June 2026 00:00 , James Reynolds
Ukraine's military said on Wednesday that Russian allegations of a Ukrainian drone strike on a bus carrying a children's football team in Russia's Bryansk region were "false".
"We emphasize that during the specified period, the Defence Forces of Ukraine did not employ unmanned aerial vehicles against targets in Bryansk Oblast," Ukrainian military's General Staff said in a statement on Telegram.
Recap: MoD tried to shut our story down, say British couple on yacht that faced warning shots from Russian ship
Wednesday 17 June 2026 23:00 , James Reynolds
The owners of a yacht that faced warning shots from a Russian warship in the English Channel have accused the Ministry of Defence (MoD) of “trying to shut the story down”.
Jane Kelvey, 68, and her husband Alan, 70, were stunned when a Russian frigate, the Admiral Grigorovich, fired towards their yacht Bright Future, around 23 miles off the coast of the Isle of Wight on Tuesday morning.
The Russian ministry of defence said the yacht had been on a “dangerous approach” towards the Admiral Grigorovich as a result of adverse weather conditions, firing the shots in an attempt to draw the attention of the yacht’s crew.
Read the full story:
Couple on yacht criticise MoD after facing warning shots from Russian warship
Italy will not join PURL scheme to buy weapons for Ukraine
Wednesday 17 June 2026 22:00 , James Reynolds
Italy will not join the Prioritised Ukraine Requirements List initiative to supply Ukraine with U.S. weapons, the defence minister told parliament on Wednesday.
"We have said no from the beginning, and it is still a no," minister Guido Crosetto, a key figure within Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's Brothers of Italy party, said during a question time session at the lower house of parliament.
Earlier this week, Crosetto met U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in Washington.
Recap: Zelenskyy says G7 leaders pledge more vital help for Ukraine against Russia
Wednesday 17 June 2026 21:00 , James Reynolds
Ukraine has won key pledges of further support for its fight against Russia from world leaders attending the Group of Seven summit in France, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Wednesday.
The leaders of the world’s leading industrial economies promised to strengthen Ukraine’s air defenses and ensure its energy supply, as well as step up international economic pressure on Moscow, as Kyiv’s fight against Russia’s all-out invasion stretches into its fifth year with no end in sight.
“The G7 Summit in France delivered important results for Ukraine. Most importantly, we agreed on additional strengthening of Ukraine’s air defense,” Zelenskyy, who attended the gathering, said on X.
Read the full story:
Zelenskyy says G7 leaders pledge more vital help for Ukraine against Russia
Wednesday 17 June 2026 20:00 , James Reynolds
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) is investigating after a Russian warship fired warning shots at a British yacht that came near it in the English Channel.
The Admiral Grigorovich, a Russian frigate, fired warning shots after making attempts to contact the yacht, the MoD claimed, in order to prevent a potential collision. Russia’s defence ministry has claimed its sailors were acting “in strict accordance” with international shipping regulations.
While this is being viewed as an isolated incident, it came days after tensions between the UK and Russia spiked when Britain seized a sanctioned vessel transiting through the Channel.
Here’s a timeline of the UK-Russia incidents at sea since the war in Ukraine began:
Timeline of UK-Russia incidents at sea since the war in Ukraine began
Watch: Zelensky's intimate message to family
Wednesday 17 June 2026 19:00 , James Reynolds
This Week in History: From a post-Soviet purge to the ‘Velvet Divorce’
Wednesday 17 June 2026 18:00 , James Reynolds
This week, we revisit the dramatic reshaping of Europe – the internal purges of the post-Soviet era, the slashing of global nuclear stockpiles, and the anxious but peaceful ‘Velvet Divorce’ of Czechoslovakia.
Meanwhile, closer to home, the front pages document staggering breaches of public trust, revisiting the dawn-raid arrests of Robert Maxwell's sons over missing pension funds and the notorious, heavily censored release of MPs' expenses.
All this and more is charted across the front pages of The Independent.
This Week in History: From a post-Soviet purge to the ‘Velvet Divorce’
Recap: Russia accuses Ukraine of attacking bus carrying schoolchildren
Wednesday 17 June 2026 17:00 , James Reynolds
Russia accused Ukraine of conducting a deadly drone strike on a bus carrying Belarusian schoolchildren on Wednesday, prompting a swift rebuke from Ukraine.
Yegor Kovalchuk, the acting governor of Russia's Bryansk region, said the bus had been taking a children's soccer team for a holiday in southern Russia from Belarus.
Russia's foreign ministry called the attack "another monstrous crime” and said a woman accompanying the children had been killed and that eight others, including six children, had been injured.
The Ukrainian military's General Staff denied the Russian allegation, saying on Telegram that "during the specified period, the defence forces of Ukraine did not employ unmanned aerial vehicles against targets in Bryansk Oblast."
Reuters was unable to verify the report. Both sides deny targeting civilians.
Kovalchuk, the acting governor, posted images online showing a silver bus with some of its windows blown out, its front right tyre damaged and what looked like blood stains on some of its interior seats.
Macron says Trump 'took note of fact Russia does not want peace'
Wednesday 17 June 2026 16:25 , Daniel Keane
Emmanuel Macron has said that President Trump “took notice” of the fact that Russia was not seeking peace.
Speaking at a press conference at the G7 summit, the French president said Washington acknowledged that Moscow was not looking to end its war in Ukraine.
He said the G7 had “showed a real change in the approach from the US on Ukraine”.
Trump had earlier suggested that the US could impose sanctions on Russia if it did not take steps to end the war.
In pictures:
Wednesday 17 June 2026 15:40 , Maira Butt
Trump says he had 'very good talks' with Zelensky
Wednesday 17 June 2026 15:23 , Maira Butt
President Donald Trump has confirmed that he has had “very good talks” with Ukrainian leader president Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian president Vladimir Putin as he spoke with Indian prime minister Narendra Modi at the G7 summit.
He was seen speaking to Zelensky at the sidelines of the G7 summit on Tuesday.
Lavish banquet and a personalised football shirt: How Europe is still mollycoddling Trump at the G7
Wednesday 17 June 2026 15:10 , Maira Butt
Europe has once again laid out the proverbial red carpet for Donald Trump at the G7 summit in the French Alps this week.
Pomp and circumstance, gifts and warm welcomes were all on display for the US president, with the diplomatic awkward barbs exchanged forgotten for now.
The Group of Seven is coming together for a series of meetings that started on Monday to discuss the wars in Ukraine and Iran, as well as the global economy and AI.
The date of the annual summit was pushed back by a day in order to allow Trump to celebrate his 80th birthday on Sunday, and a series of additional adjustments appear to have been made in order to capture the attention of the mercurial president.
Gala banquet and personalised football shirt: How Europe is still mollycoddling Trump
Watch: Ukraine strikes Russian oil depot with long-range drones
Wednesday 17 June 2026 14:40 , Maira Butt
More boots on the ground needed in the Baltics, Latvian PM says
Wednesday 17 June 2026 14:37 , James Reynolds
There needs to be more NATO military forces stationed in the Baltic countries, Latvia's Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs said on Wednesday.
"We need more boots on the ground and we need more Allied Forces presence not only in Latvia, in the Baltics and the eastern flank and that is a necessary part," Kulbergs said in a joint press conference with NATO chief Mark Rutte.
Ukraine denies Russian claims of drone strike on bus carrying children
Wednesday 17 June 2026 14:27 , James Reynolds
Ukraine's military has denied Russian claims of a Ukrainian drone strike on a bus carrying children in Russia's Bryansk region.
Watch: Trump jokes 'I'm the boss' ahead of session with G7 leaders
Wednesday 17 June 2026 14:26 , James Reynolds
Allies filling gaps in NATO crisis forces left by US, Rutte says
Wednesday 17 June 2026 14:10 , Maira Butt
Other Nato members have increased their contributions to the alliance's crisis forces to fill many of the gaps left by US cuts to its commitments, chief Mark Rutte said on Wednesday.
The US told its allies last month that it had decided to shrink the pool of national military capabilities committed to the transatlantic alliance in a crisis, raising urgent questions as leaders prepare for a Nato summit in Ankara on July 7-8.
“There are ... areas that require more work but the overall picture is looking good,” Rutte told reporters at Nato headquarters in Brussels ahead of a meeting of alliance defence ministers on Thursday. He did not provide further details.
Watch: British couple describe moment Russian warship fired shots near them
Wednesday 17 June 2026 13:41 , Maira Butt
Germany and Poland to sign a new defense deal as balance of power in Europe shifts
Wednesday 17 June 2026 13:10 , Maira Butt
Germany and Poland were set to sign a new defense agreement Wednesday, putting aside their complicated past to strengthen European military cooperation at a time of heightened tension with Russia and growing uncertainty over U.S. engagement in Europe.
Relations between the two neighbors in recent years have become more pragmatic in the wake of Russia’s full‑scale war on Ukraine in 2022 and the coming to power of a liberal government in Poland in 2023.
As the U.S. weighs a partial drawdown of its military presence in Europe, Poland is keen to ensure that major European allies take a greater role in defending the continent’s eastern flank.
Germany and Poland to sign a new defense deal as balance of power in Europe shifts
Ukraine's military hits 'shadow fleet' tanker in Black Sea and bridges
Wednesday 17 June 2026 12:33 , Maira Butt
Ukraine's military has struck the FINA A tanker in the Black Sea, which it described as part of Russian “shadow fleet”, the Ukrainian General Staff said in a post on Telegram on Wednesday.
The General Staff said that the target was successfully struck and the extent of the damage was still undergoing an assessment.
It added that Ukrainian forces also struck a road bridge across the North Crimean Canal near the settlement of Stavky and a road bridge near Voinka in the occupied part of the Kherson region.
Watch: Starmer says Channel incident involving Russian warship 'reckless'
Wednesday 17 June 2026 12:09 , Maira Butt
Zelensky says G7 leaders pledge more vital help for Ukraine against Russia
Wednesday 17 June 2026 11:34 , Maira Butt
Ukraine has won key pledges of further support for its fight against Russia from world leaders attending the Group of Seven summit in France, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Wednesday.
The leaders of the world’s leading industrial economies promised to strengthen Ukraine’s air defences and ensure its energy supply, as well as step up international economic pressure on Moscow, as Kyiv’s fight against Russia’s all-out invasion stretches into its fifth year with no end in sight.
Zelenskyy says G7 leaders pledge more vital help for Ukraine against Russia
Russia’s pathetic ‘yacht potshots’ show how desperate for a win Putin has become
Wednesday 17 June 2026 10:57 , Maira Butt
he close encounter off the Isle of Wight between the Russian frigate Admiral Grigorovich and Alan and Jane Kelvey’s yacht Bright Hope seems to have been more accident than sinister plot. The yacht had been getting too close to the warship. Klaxons were sounded and then came a brief volley of small arms fired into the path of Bright Hope. The adventurous Kelveys then put on the engine and turned sharply away.
This was not an act of war, these “yacht potshots – and, apparently had little connection with the dramatic and stagey seizure of the tanker Smyrtos, part of the Russian shadow fleet, by Royal Marines at the weekend. But this appears to be a story of the sea mists of war, if not actual fog.
In a significant aspect, the two incidents are linked – and in a way that suggests that the conflict in Ukraine is now at a decisive phase, or a “culminating point” in military jargon.
Russia’s pathetic ‘yacht potshots’ show how desperate for a win Putin has become
Timeline of UK-Russia incidents at sea since the war in Ukraine began
Wednesday 17 June 2026 10:30 , Maira Butt
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) is investigating after a Russian warship fired warning shots at a British yacht that came near it in the English Channel.
The Admiral Grigorovich, a Russian frigate, fired warning shots after making attempts to contact the yacht, the MoD claimed, in order to prevent a potential collision. Russia’s defence ministry has claimed its sailors were acting “in strict accordance” with international shipping regulations.
While this is being viewed as an isolated incident, it came days after tensions between the UK and Russia spiked when Britain seized a sanctioned vessel transiting through the Channel.
The operation, which saw commandos fast-roping from a helicopter onto the tanker, was the first of its kind carried out by UK armed forces.
Bryony Gooch reports:
Timeline of UK-Russia incidents at sea since the war in Ukraine began
G7 agree to increase support for Ukraine – and pressure on Russia
Wednesday 17 June 2026 10:00 , Arpan Rai
The leaders of the G7 countries have announced today that they stand united in support of Ukraine, including its territorial integrity, and agreed to increase the pressure on the Russian war economy.
“In this context, we will strengthen our sanctions (against Russia), including those on the oil and gas sectors," the leaders said in a joint statement.
Separately, the leaders, who are meeting for a summit in the French town of Evian-les-Bains, have also welcomed the deal between the United States and Iran and said they are ready to contribute to its implementation.
They added they will make efforts to diversify energy supply routes and reduce dependence on the Strait of Hormuz and increase energy stocks.
Watch: Starmer meets Zelensky at G7 as leaders agree 'collective resolve' to put pressure on Putin
Wednesday 17 June 2026 09:45 , Arpan Rai
European diplomats praise Zelensky's 'psychological' move on Trump at the G7
Wednesday 17 June 2026 09:30 , Arpan Rai
Volodymyr Zelensky appears to have got the tone right as he presented evidence to Donald Trump of the war's impact on his country, which officials say moved the US president.
Two European diplomats said that, during the meeting, Zelensky showed Trump images of the aftermath of a Russian strike on Monday on Kyiv's Pechersk Lavra monastery.
Trump expressed disapproval of the strike, one of the European diplomats said, while the other said that it had been "psychologically" a good move by Zelensky to show the images.
European diplomats said the tone of the meeting had been constructive.
