Ukraine-Russia war latest: Zelensky says ready for honest work after Trump ‘approves peace deal with Moscow’

Putin is still pulling Trump’s puppet strings with a new Ukraine ‘peace’ plan – but they can be cut

Revealed: The Russian commander wanted by Ukraine over Bucha massacres

What is in Trump’s controversial ‘secret peace plan’ to end the Russia-Ukraine war?

Russian troops disguising themselves as civilians in combat, says Ukrainian commander

Key Points

• Zelensky ready for 'honest' work on US-backed plan as Europeans push back
• Russia will rejoin G7 in Trump's new peace plan
• White House confirms secret peace deal and says it's good for both sides
• Russian attack kills five in Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia
• Ukraine rejects reports of Russian forces capturing Kupiansk

Money laundering networks lead from Britain to Russia, UK says

A billion-dollar money laundering network that operated across Britain bought a controlling stake in a Kyrgyzstani bank to facilitate sanctions evasion and support Russia's war in Ukraine, the National Crime Agency said this morning.

In an update to an international investigation into Russian money laundering networks, dubbed "Operation Destabilise", the NCA said it was highlighting the scale of networks it was disrupting that convert cash from street crime into cryptocurrency and tie the local drugs trade to organised and state-sponsored crime.

The NCA and the US Treasury Department last December cast a spotlight on TGR and Smart, two networks they said were used by rich Russians to evade sanctions and which London said laundered cash for drug traffickers, criminals and spies in a "cash-for-crypto" swap.

What is in Trump’s controversial ‘secret peace plan’ to end the Russia-Ukraine war?

Donald Trump has given his approval for a controversial new peace plan to end the war between Ukraine and Russia, according to reports.

The new 28-point plan would consist of “security guarantees, security in Europe, and future US relations with Russia and Ukraine”, Axios reported, citing sources.

But it has caused outrage as it would require Kyiv to give up more land to Russia and partially disarm, conditions long seen by Ukraine and its allies as tantamount to capitulation.

Mr Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, is said to have discussed the plan with Russian envoy Kirill Dmitriev and Volodymyr Zelensky’s security adviser Rustem Umerov, according to officials from Washington and Kyiv.

The stark details inside Trump’s controversial ‘secret peace plan’ to end Ukraine war

Revealed: The Russian commander wanted by Ukraine over Bucha massacres

A Russian commander has become the first military official to be accused of systematic and coordinated war crimes related to the Bucha massacre, one of the bloodiest atrocities of the war in Ukraine.

Yurii Vladimirovich Kim, 28, the lieutenant platoon commander in the 76th Air Assault Division, is suspected of being criminally responsible for ordering troops to commit war crimes, including the wilful killing of civilians, during the illegal occupation of Bucha between 7 March and 1 April 2022 in the early stages of Russia’s full-scale invasion.

Kim is suspected to be responsible for 17 killings and four instances of ill-treatment purposely committed by forces under his command.

Revealed: The Russian commander wanted by Ukraine over Bucha massacres

Putin is still pulling Trump’s puppet strings with a new Ukraine ‘peace’ plan – but they can be cut

He let the performance play out. Donald Trump would give the impression of independence from the Kremlin, threatening sanctions on Russian fuel importers and muttering insults, but, in the end, Vladimir Putin has snapped the puppet strings tight, and the US president is again dancing the Moscow jig.

It is a desperate but effective move by Moscow to dominate the terms of discussion over a war Russia cannot win.

According to a 28-point plan for peace in Ukraine briefed to the media on Wednesday, the US and Russia have agreed that Kyiv should give up a vast tract of the east of the country, halve its army, abandon its constitutionally mandated Nato membership application, and give up any weapons that could be used in its future defence.

The Kremlin is pulling Trump’s puppet strings, but they can be cut

Watch: White House expresses confidence as Ukraine peace plan advances

Zelensky ready for 'honest' work on US-backed plan as Europeans push back

President Volodymyr Zelensky said after talks with a top US Army official that he was ready for "honest" work with Washington on a plan to end the war in Ukraine, while European allies pushed back against punishing concessions to Russia.

Zelensky, whose office said he had received a draft of the plan, said after meeting US army secretary Daniel Driscoll in Kyiv that Ukraine and Washington would work together on elements of it.

"Our teams – Ukraine and the USA – will work on the points of the plan to end the war," Zelensky wrote on Telegram. "We are ready for constructive, honest and prompt work."

Zelensky's office did not comment directly on the content of the 28-point plan, which has not been officially published, but said he had "outlined the fundamental principles that matter to our people."

"In the coming days, the president of Ukraine expects to discuss with president Trump the existing diplomatic opportunities and the key points required to achieve peace," it said.

Russia will rejoin G7 in Trump's new peace plan

Russia will rejoin the G7 under Donald Trump’s proposed peace plan for Ukraine, according to a report.

Russia will also be given majority of its frozen assets and freed from Western sanctions, The Telegraph has reported.

Washington has been secretly forming a plan with Russia to end the war in Ukraine. The new 28-point plan would consist of “security guarantees, security in Europe, and future US relations with Russia and Ukraine”, officials said.

It comes amid a fresh attempt by the US to force through a peace between Moscow and Kyiv after several diplomatic overtures faltered in recent months.

The Independent had reported earlier on the cash-for-land deal the US is pitching to Ukraine.

The US officials working on a new peace plan could force Ukraine to lease a part of its territory to Russia, people aware of the situation said.

The deal would ask Kyiv to cede control of the eastern Donbas region, while retaining legal ownership of the territory, officials familiar with the deal told The Telegraph.

Russia would pay an undisclosed rental fee for the region, they said. Russian will be the official state language and the Russian orthodox church would be given official status in the occupied territories.

The deal will also slash the size of Ukraine’s military in half and ban them from possessing long-range missiles, the report added.

The deployment of foreign troops will also be blocked under this deal, US military assistance will also cease and foreign diplomatic aircraft will be prevented from landing in the country.

White House confirms secret peace deal and says it's good for both sides

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed that the US is working on a new peace plan aimed at ending the war in Ukraine.

"Special envoy Steve Witkoff and Marco Rubio have been working on a plan quietly for about the last month," she said in a press briefing yesterday.

"They've been engaging with both sides, Russia and Ukraine equally, to understand what these countries would commit to in order to see a lasting and durable peace,” Leavitt said, adding that she will not “litigate the details” of the plan.

"It's a good plan for both Russia and Ukraine, and we believe that it should be acceptable to both sides and we're working very hard to get it done,” the White House press secretary said.

Russian attack kills five in Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia

A Russian attack on the southeastern Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia late yesterday killed five people and injured three, regional governor Ivan Fedorov said.

Pictures posted by Fedorov online showed buildings engulfed by flames and streets strewn with rubble.

The governor had earlier issued a warning of an impending attack by Russian guided bombs.

Ukraine rejects reports of Russian forces capturing Kupiansk

The chief of Russia's general staff told president Vladimir Putin yesterday that Russian forces had taken control of the northeastern Ukrainian city of Kupiansk, but Ukraine's military denied the city had changed hands.

Ukraine also dismissed Russian statements that its forces had taken over large parts of two other towns – Pokrovsk, a logistics hub it has been pressing to capture for months, and Vovchansk, near the Russian border.

Putin had visited the command post of the Russian forces "West" grouping, where he met with chief of staff Valery Gerasimov, and top military brass, the Kremlin said earlier.

Putin had been briefed on the situation in two key cities in Ukraine's east, Kostiantynivka and Kramatorsk, as well as around Kupiansk in Kharkiv region, the Kremlin said.

"Units of the 'West' grouping have liberated the city of Kupiansk and are continuing to destroy Ukrainian armed forces units surrounded on the left bank of the Oskol River," Gerasimov told Putin in a video posted on the Kremlin site.

A late-evening statement by the Ukrainian military said: "The General Staff of Ukraine's armed forces hereby announces that Kupiansk is under the control of Ukraine's defence forces."

“Also untrue are statements suggesting that 80 per cent of Vovchansk in Kharkiv region has been captured and 70 per cent of the city of Pokrovsk," it added.

The general staff reported heavy fighting in the Pokrovsk sector, with Russian forces launching 56 attacks.

Russian attack kills five in Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia, regional governor says

A Russian attack on the southeastern Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia late on Thursday killed five people and injured three, regional governor Ivan Fedorov said.

Pictures posted by Fedorov online showed buildings engulfed by flames and streets strewn with rubble. The governor had earlier issued a warning of an impending attack by Russian guided bombs.

Defenceless Britain is a sitting duck – when Ukraine falls, we’re next

On Thursday, the defence secretary John Healey put Vladimir Putin and his military on notice following reports of aggressive activity by the Russian surveillance ship Yantar towards an RAF plane sent to track it off the north of Scotland.

Healey said the Yantar crew had fired laser beams at the pilots of an RAF P-8 maritime patrol plane.

“That Russian action is deeply dangerous,” he warned. “We see you. We know what you are doing. And if Yantar travels south this week, we are ready.”

Ready for what, you may ask? The activities of Yantar around the British Isles have been noted for nearly three years. The summer before last, the Irish coastguard spotted the ship loitering off Limerick for almost a month, close to one of the main hubs for the transatlantic communication cables.

The ship comes under Russia’s GUGI agency, a separate naval command, now responsible for ocean surveillance and sabotage. Among the GUGI inventory is a mother submarine, Belgorod, which can launch underwater attack drones capable of cutting underwater cables and oil and gas pipelines.

Read the full analysis from Robert Fox:

Defenceless Britain is a sitting duck – when Ukraine falls, we’re next

Russian forces take Ukraine's Kupiansk, top military official says

The chief of Russia's general staff told President Vladimir Putin on Thursday that Russian forces had taken control of the northeastern Ukrainian city of Kupiansk, but Ukraine's military denied the city had changed hands.

Ukraine also dismissed Russian statements that its forces had taken over large parts of two other towns -- Pokrovsk, a logistics hub it has been pressing to capture for months, and Vovchansk, near the Russian border.

Putin had visited the command post of the Russian forces "West" grouping, where he met with chief of staff Valery Gerasimov, and top military brass, the Kremlin said earlier.

Putin had been briefed on the situation in two key cities in Ukraine's east -- Kostiantynivka and Kramatorsk -- as well as around Kupiansk in Kharkiv region, the Kremlin said.

"Units of the 'West' grouping have liberated the city of Kupiansk and are continuing to destroy Ukrainian armed forces units surrounded on the left bank of the Oskol River," Gerasimov told Putin in a video posted on the Kremlin site.

Russia and Ukraine exchange bodies of dead soldiers

Ukraine and Russia have carried out a new exchange of bodies of dead soldiers, Ukrainian officials and Russian state media said on Thursday.

Ukraine said it received 1,000 bodies and Russian state news agency TASS quoted an unidentified source as saying Moscow got back 30.

"Investigators from law enforcement bodies, together with expert agencies of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, will soon conduct all necessary examinations and identify the repatriated bodies," Ukraine's prisoner-of-war coordination centre said on Telegram.

The two sides have conducted a series of such swaps, as well as exchanging live prisoners, in the course of the war that began with Russia's full-blown invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022.

Ukraine has previously accused Russia of returning bodies in a disorderly way, and of sometimes sending the bodies of Russian soldiers. Moscow has denied this.

Poland detains several people in connection with explosion on railway used to supply aid to Ukraine

Poland has detained several people linked with an explosion on a railway track used to transport weapons to Ukraine, Polish authorities have said.

An explosion damaged a railway track near Mika village in Poland on Sunday, which prime minister Donald Tusk described as an “unprecedented act of sabotage”.

Read more here:

Several arrests made in connection with explosion on Polish railway

Inside Putin’s plan to crush Ukraine this winter – and why it might work

Surviving the cold season is simply not possible without light and heat, and the resilience of ordinary long-suffering Ukrainians is about to face its most serious test of the war so far. Owen Matthews reports on Putin’s plan to deliver his fatal blow:

Inside Putin’s plan to crush Ukraine this winter – and why it might work

Ukraine must determine its future, Starmer says in response to US-backed plan

Sir Keir Starmer has said “the future of Ukraine must be determined by Ukraine” amid reports the US has been secretly forging a plan with Russia to end the war.

The White House is said to have pressed Kyiv to accept an agreement under which the invaded country would be required to give up territory and accept limits on the size of its army.

Volodymyr Zelensky indicated he was ready to work on the Washington-backed plan.

Speaking to reporters on the flight to the G20 summit in South Africa, the Prime Minister said: “You’ll have seen the statement that Ukraine’s put out this afternoon, so that makes their position absolutely clear.

“My position has always been focused on a just and lasting peace. That’s why we have done so much work on the Coalition of the Willing.

“But that is premised on the principle underpinning that, which is central to me, which is that the future of Ukraine must be determined by Ukraine and we must never lose sight of that principle underpinning the just and lasting peace that we all want to see.”

What is in Trump’s controversial ‘secret peace plan’ to end the Russia-Ukraine war?

The Independent’s Maryam Zakir-Hussain reports:

Donald Trump has given his approval for a controversial new peace plan to end the war between Ukraine and Russia, according to reports.

The new 28-point plan would consist of “security guarantees, security in Europe, and future US relations with Russia and Ukraine”, Axios reported, citing sources.

What is in Trump’s controversial ‘secret peace plan’ to end the Russia-Ukraine war?

Ukraine's military says it struck two Russian oil refineries

Ukraine's military said on Thursday it had struck Russia's Ryazan and Ilsky oil refineries.

Ukraine's military general staff said it had struck the Ryazan refinery overnight, recording a hit and observing fires in the vicinity of secondary oil processing facilities. Ukraine had also hit this refinery in a previous strike last week.

Separately, Ukraine's drone force chief Robert Brovdi said the Ilsky refinery had been struck by his units the night before.

Zelensky says he is ready to work on US-backed plan to end war in Ukraine

Zelensky said after talks with a top U.S. Army official on Thursday he was ready to work with Washington on a plan to end the war in Ukraine

"Our teams - Ukraine and the USA - will work on the points of the plan to end the war," Zelensky wrote on Telegram. "We are ready for constructive, honest and prompt work."

Zelensky's office did not comment directly on the content of the 28-point plan, which has not been published, but said he had "outlined the fundamental principles that matter to our people".

"In the coming days, the President of Ukraine expects to discuss with President Trump the existing diplomatic opportunities and the key points required to achieve peace," it said.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told a news briefing that Secretary of State Marco Rubio and U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff had been quietly working on the plan for about a month and Trump supports the plan.

"It's a good plan for both Russia and Ukraine, and we believe that it should be acceptable to both sides," she said.

Watch: Government responds to urgent question over Russian spy ship

Zelensky under pressure to show accountability after corruption scandal

Pressure is mounting on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to take stronger action to show accountability in the face of a corruption scandal presenting the greatest threat to his government since Russia's full-scale invasion.

Last week, Zelensky dismissed two top officials and imposed sanctions on close associates after government investigators revealed that $100 million had been embezzled from the energy sector through kickbacks paid by contractors.

But that hasn't quieted the political storm. After more than three years of war in which Ukrainians face regular power outages as a result of Russia's fierce bombardment, allegations of corruption in the energy sector aren't sitting well with the public.

Calls are growing for Zelenskyy to remove his longtime chief of staff, Andrii Yermak, considered by many to be Ukraine's de facto vice president.

Neither Zelensky nor Yermak have been accused of any wrongdoing by those leading the corruption investigation. Yet Zelensky's political opponents — as well as allies worried the scandal could weaken their parliamentary governing coalition — say more senior leaders need to be held accountable to restore public trust.

Zelensky's term officially ended in May 2024, but he has continued to govern without elections, saying they cannot be held while Russia is occupying a fifth of the country.

Russian troops disguising themselves as civilians in combat, says Ukrainian commander

The Independent’s Alex Croft reports:

Russian forces are dressing up as civilians to confuse Ukraine’s defensive forces in the eastern town of Pokrovsk, Kyiv’s military has said.

The commander of the 68th Jaeger Brigade, codenamed "Liutyi”, told Ukrainian national broadcaster Suspilne that Russian troops are acting more like “sabotage and reconnaissance” groups rather than following any typical procedures of war.

Russian troops disguising themselves as civilians in Pokrovsk, says Ukraine

Ukraine's military dismisses Russian statement on situation in Kupiansk

Ukraine’s military on Thursday dismissed statements by the chief of Russia's general staff that Moscow's forces had seized the northeastern Ukrainian city of Kupiansk and controlled large sections of the towns of Pokrovsk and Vovchansk.

"The General Staff of Ukraine's armed forces hereby announces that Kupiansk is under the control of Ukraine's defence forces," the Ukrainian general staff said in a late evening bulletin.

"Also untrue are statements suggesting that 80 per cent of Vovchansk in Kharkiv region has been captured and 70 per cent of the city of Pokrovsk."

Putin is still pulling Trump’s puppet strings with a new Ukraine ‘peace’ plan – but they can be cut

The ‘deal’ being briefed out by Washington and Moscow is really just a blueprint for Russian conquest. Sam Kiley explains why it doesn’t have to be that way:

The Kremlin is pulling Trump’s puppet strings, but they can be cut

Putin passes new law to force reservists to guard oil sites from Ukrainian drone strikes

The Independent’s James C. Reynolds reports:

The Kremlin has passed a raft of laws addressing vulnerabilities at home as Ukraine continues to prove a lethal and disruptive threat within Russia’s borders.

At least 20 regions have started calling up military reservists to help guard key infrastructure under a new law. Energy firms are glad for the extra support, but are tempering their expectations without proper air defences against incoming drones.

Reservists to guard Russian infrastructure from Ukrainian drone strikes

Watch: White House expresses confidence as Ukraine peace plan advances

Foreign minister declines to say reported US-Russia peace plan unacceptable

A Foreign Office minister has declined to brand a reported US and Russia peace plan which would see Ukraine make significant concessions as unacceptable.

Hamish Falconer said he would not be drawn on media reports which suggest the new framework would require Ukraine to give up territory and accept limits on the size of its army to end the war.

Downing Street said it shares US President Donald Trump's desire to end the war but added "only the Ukrainian people can determine their future".

The draft plan has not been confirmed by Washington or Moscow.

Mr Falconer said the government is committed to "the principle that international borders must not be changed by force" as he responded to questions in the Commons.

White House says it briefed Ukraine on peace plan

The White House said on Thursday that senior Trump administration officials met with Ukrainians this past week to discuss a peace plan that should be acceptable to them and to Russia.

Spokesperson Karoline Leavitt told reporters U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff were involved in the meetings. She said the administration is having good conversations with both parties to the conflict about how to end the war.

Russian forces captured Ukraine's Kupiansk, top military official tells Putin

The chief of Russia's general staff Valery Gerasimov told President Vladimir Putin on Thursday that Russian forces had taken control of the Ukrainian city of Kupiansk.

Putin had visited the command post of the Russian forces "West" grouping where he had met with Gerasimov, and top military brass, the Kremlin said earlier.

Putin had been briefed on the situation in Kostiantynivka and Kramatorsk in Ukraine's Donetsk region as well as around Kupiansk in Kharkiv region, the Kremlin said.

"Units of the 'West' grouping have liberated the city of Kupiansk and are continuing to destroy Ukrainian armed forces units surrounded on the left bank of the Oskol River," Gerasimov told Putin.

Gerasimov also told Putin that Russian forces had taken control of 70 per cent of Pokrovsk, as well as over 80 per cent of Vovchansk.

Revealed: The Russian commander wanted by Ukraine over Bucha massacres

The Independent’s Bryony Gooch reports:

A Russian commander has become the first military official to be accused of systematic and coordinated war crimes related to the Bucha massacre, one of the bloodiest atrocities of the war in Ukraine.

Yurii Vladimirovich Kim, 28, the lieutenant platoon commander in the 76th Air Assault Division, is suspected of being criminally responsible for ordering troops to commit war crimes, including the wilful killing of civilians, during the illegal occupation of Bucha between 7 March and 1 April 2022 in the early stages of Russia’s full-scale invasion.

Revealed: The Russian commander wanted by Ukraine over Bucha massacres

Putin met with Russian top military brass, Kremlin says

The Kremlin said on Thursday that Russian President Vladimir Putin had visited the command post of the Russian forces "West" grouping where he had met with the chief of Russia's general staff, Valery Gerasimov, and top military brass.

Putin had been briefed on the situation in Kostiantynivka and Kramatorsk in Ukraine's Donetsk region as well as around Kupyansk in Kharkiv region, the Kremlin said.

Gerasimov told Putin that the Russian forces had taken control of the Ukrainian city of Kupiansk, as well as over 80 per cent of Vovchansk.

Zelensky meets US military officials and says they will work on peace plan

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Thursday he and the visiting Secretary of the U.S. Army had discussed ways of achieving peace and pledged both sides would work on the points of a plan to end the war with Russia.

"Our teams - Ukraine and the USA - will work on the points of the plan to end the war," Zelenskiy wrote on Telegram after meeting a delegation that included Daniel Driscoll, Secretary of the U.S. Army.

"Our teams -- Ukraine and the USA -- will work on the points of the plan to end the war. We are ready for constructive, honest and prompt work."

European countries push back against US-backed peace plan

European countries pushed back on Thursday against a US-backed peace plan for Ukraine that sources said would require Kyiv to give up more land and partially disarm, conditions long seen by Ukraine's allies as tantamount to capitulation.

Two sources said Washington had signalled to President Volodymyr Zelensky that Kyiv must accept a US-drafted framework to end the war, which includes territorial concessions and curbs to Ukraine's armed forces.

The sources spoke to Reuters on condition they were not identified because of the sensitivity of the matter.

The acceleration in US diplomacy comes at an awkward time for Kyiv, with its troops on the back foot on the battlefield and Zelensky's government undermined by a corruption scandal. Parliament fired two cabinet ministers on Wednesday.

Comment | Putin is still pulling Trump’s puppet strings with a new Ukraine ‘peace’ plan – but they can be cut

Our world affairs editor Sam Kiley writes:

He let the performance play out. Donald Trump would give the impression of independence from the Kremlin, threatening sanctions on Russian fuel importers and muttering insults, but in the end Vladimir Putin has snapped the puppet strings tight and the US president is again dancing the Moscow jig.

It is a desperate but effective move from Moscow to dominate the terms of discussion over a war Russia cannot win.

According to a 28-point plan for peace in Ukraine briefed to the media on Wednesday, the US and Russia have agreed that Kyiv should give up a vast tract of the east of the country, halve its army, abandon its constitutionally mandated Nato membership application, and give up any weapons that could be used in its future defence.

Read more here:

The Kremlin is pulling the White House puppet strings, they can be cut

UK PM says 'only Ukraine can decide its future' as Trump 'backs Ukraine giving up lan

The Independent’s political correspondent Millie Cooke reports:

Sir Keir Starmer has reiterated that "only Ukraine can decide its future", amid reports that Donald Trump approves of a secret deal being proposed by US and Russian officials that would force Ukraine to give up some of its arms and lease key territories to Russia.

Asked whether the prime minister would be happy with Ukraine ceding land to Russia, his official spokesperson said: "We share President Trump's desire to bring this barbaric war to an end. But as we've been repeatedly clear only Ukraine can decide on its future".

It is understood Sir Keir has not spoken to Mr Trump in recent days.

Zelensky receives US plan to end war in Ukraine and is due to speak with Trump

President Volodymyr Zelensky has received the draft of a new U.S.-backed plan to end Russia's war in Ukraine and expects to have talks with President Donald Trump in the coming days, Zelensky's office said on Thursday.

The draft reportedly includes territorial concessions and curbs on Ukraine's armed forces.

European countries pushed back on Thursday against the plan, which sources said would require Kyiv to give up more land and partially disarm, conditions long seen by Ukraine's allies as tantamount to capitulation.

"We are ready now, as before, to work constructively with the American side, as well as with our partners in Europe and around the world, so that the outcome is peace," Zelensky's office said in a statement on Telegram.

Zelensky's talks with Trump would include discussion of the "key points required to achieve peace", it said.

What is the Russian ‘spy ship’ shooting lasers at the RAF from the edge of UK waters?

A Russian “spy ship” is lurking near British waters where it directed lasers at UK military pilots who were surveilling its activities, the defence secretary has said.

Royal Navy frigates and RAF P-8 planes had been deployed to monitor the Yantar vessel, which is designed for gathering intelligence, when the Russians directed the lasers at the planes.

Defence secretary John Healey said Britain “is ready” to respond, with “military options” drawn up if the ship heads south, in a warning to Russian president Vladimir Putin.

He told a Westminster press conference: “My message to Russia and to Putin is this: we see you. We know what you’re doing. And if the Yantar travels south this week, we are ready.”

But what is the Yantar vessel – and what is it doing near British territory?

Read more here:

What is the Russian ‘spy ship’ shooting lasers at the RAF from the edge of UK waters?

What is in the new ‘peace plan’?

The Independent’s Maryam Zakir-Hussain reports:

Details of the new plan were briefed to various media outlets on Wednesday night. They include a demand that Ukraine must surrender the Donetsk region as a precondition for peace, according to the Financial Times.

The deal would require Kyiv to cede control of the eastern Donbas region while legally retaining ownership of it. In exchange, Russia would pay an undisclosed rental fee for de facto control of the region, officials familiar with the deal told the Telegraph.

Two sources, who asked not to be identified, also said the proposals involved significantly cutting the size of Ukraine's armed forces in half, according to Reuters. The military would also be reportedly banned from possessing long-range missiles.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio did not deny any of the demands briefed to the media on Wednesday night. In a post on X, he said that Washington "will continue to develop a list of potential ideas for ending this war based on input from both sides of this conflict."

"Ending a complex and deadly war such as the one in Ukraine requires an extensive exchange of serious and realistic ideas. And achieving a durable peace will require both sides to agree to difficult but necessary concessions," Mr Rubio said.

The Kremlin said on Thursday that any peace plan for Ukraine would have to eliminate the “root causes” of the conflict, in a repetition of its previous position. They added that, while contacts were ongoing with the US, no formal negotiations on the plan were taking place.

Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov declined to comment if the Russian leader had been briefed on the details of the reported Ukraine peace plan.

Watch: Putin meets dancing AI-powered robot

Poland requests extradition of train sabotage suspects from Belarus

Poland has asked Belarus to extradite two Ukrainian citizens accused of carrying out railway sabotage on behalf of Russia, the Polish foreign ministry said on Thursday.

Warsaw says the two men fled to Belarus after two acts of sabotage on Sunday on a railway line to Ukraine, one involving an explosion.

The request was delivered to the Belarusian charge d’ffaires in Warsaw on Wednesday, according to state news agency PAP. Prosecutors have charged the men, identified as Oleksandr K and Yevhenii I, in absentia with sabotage on Poland’s rail network.

Already strained relations between Poland and Belarus have sunk to new lows since Minsk's ally Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022. The Belarusian embassy in Warsaw did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment on the Polish request.

Poland said on Wednesday it would close the last Russian consulate in its territory and deploy thousands of soldiers to protect infrastructure in response to a railway explosion it blames on Moscow.

Warsaw says the two Ukrainian men were acting on the orders of Russian intelligence. Moscow has denied involvement, accusing the Polish government of 'Russophobia'.

In 2024 Belarus granted asylum to Polish judge Tomasz Szmydt, who is wanted by Warsaw on espionage charges.

In pictures: Ukrainian mourn at least 26 dead in Ternopil missile strike

What is in Trump’s controversial ‘secret peace plan’ to end the Russia-Ukraine war?

Donald Trump has given his approval for a controversial new peace plan to end the war between Ukraine and Russia, according to reports.

The new 28-point plan would consist of “security guarantees, security in Europe, and future US relations with Russia and Ukraine”, Axios reported, citing sources.

But it has caused outrage as it would require Kyiv to give up more land to Russia and partially disarm, conditions long seen by Ukraine and its allies as tantamount to capitulation.

Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, is said to have discussed the plan with Russian envoy Kirill Dmitriev and Volodymyr Zelensky’s security adviser Rustem Umerov, according to officials from Washington and Kyiv.

Maryam Zakir-Hussain reports:

What is in Trump’s controversial ‘secret peace plan’ to end the Russia-Ukraine war?

Ukraine receives 1,000 bodies of fallen soldiers from Russia, Kyiv says

Ukraine received 1,000 bodies of what Russia says are fallen Ukrainian servicemen, Kyiv's prisoner-of-war coordination centre said on Thursday.

"Investigators from law enforcement bodies, together with expert agencies of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, will soon conduct all necessary examinations and identify the repatriated bodies," the centre's post said on the Telegram messaging app.

Kyiv and Moscow have conducted swaps of thousands of fallen bodies during the war, which began with Russia's full-blown invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022.

Ukraine has previously accused Russia of returning bodies in a disorderly way, and of sometimes sending the bodies of Russian soldiers. Moscow has denied this.

Ukraine says it struck two Russian oil refineries

Ukraine's military said on Thursday it had struck Russia's Ryazan and Ilsky oil refineries.

The general staff said it had struck the Ryazan refinery overnight, recording a hit and observing fires in the vicinity of secondary oil processing facilities. Ukraine had also hit this refinery in a previous strike last week.

Separately, Ukraine's drone force chief Robert Brovdi said the Ilsky refinery had been struck by his units the night before.

It comes as part of Ukraine’s continued push to strain Russia ‘s economy through strikes on oil sites.

More than 400,000 Ukrainian consumers without electricity after Russian attacks

More than 400,000 Ukrainian consumers remained without electricity as of midday on Thursday following a recent large-scale Russian attack on Ukraine's western regions, energy officials said.

The attack led to a decrease in electricity production at Ukrainian nuclear power plants.

Ukraine generates more than half of its electricity at three nuclear power plants, but damage to power lines and transformers has forced the plants to reduce their output, a representative of the national nuclear energy company Energoatom told Reuters.

The International Atomic Energy Agency also confirmed the reduction in Ukraine's nuclear power output after Russian attacks on Tuesday night as the power stations lost the connection to their high-voltage power lines.

Energoatom said the situation remained unchanged as of Thursday, while the head of Ukrainian power grid operator Ukrenergo Vitaliy Zaichenko told national television that power supply restrictions were in effect across virtually the entire country, with blackouts lasting up to 16 hours.

Kremlin hits out at chairman of Airbus for comments on Russian nuclear weapons

The Kremlin has hit out at comments made by the chairman of Airbus on Russian nuclear weapons.

Airbus chairman Rene Obermann on Wednesday called on European countries to acquire tactical nuclear weapons in response to what he said was the threat posed by Russian nuclear-capable Iskander missiles deployed by Moscow in its exclave of Kaliningrad.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov asked why someone like him was making such comments in the first place, saying that "more and more Europeans” were "losing their restraint".

He added: "Why is he involved in nuclear weapons?"

Kaliningrad was part of Russia and Moscow was doing everything necessary to ensure its security, Peskov said.

"It is evident that more and more Europeans are losing their restraint and thoughtfulness in their approaches.

"Unfortunately, some are making provocative statements and calling for further steps to heighten and escalate tensions. We take a negative view of this," said Peskov.