Closing summary
And, on that note, we will be closing the blog for today.
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Firefighters were locked in a potentially decisive push Tuesday to encircle Belgium’s largest wildfire in a century, despite rainclouds hampering air support operations over the High Fens nature reserve (16:27, 16:39, 17:01).
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But their air operations had to be suspended due to worsening weather conditions and fog, local media reported (17:29).
In other news,
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10 people were killed in overnight Russian strikes on Ukraine, with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy saying Kyiv will “definitely respond” with its own strikes (9:38, 10:02, 10:43, 13:01).
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Overnight, Ukraine launched over 600 drones at Moscow and surrounding areas (9:38).
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Separately, Moscow has threatened the UK with “consequences” after reports that British drones have been used to strike targets on Russia’s mainland for the first time (9:43, 15:00, 15:42), prompting UK prime minister Andy Burnham to pledge his policy on supporting Ukraine will not change (13:25).
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Belgium’s foreign minister Maxime Prévot was rushed to a bomb shelter in Kyiv after an air alert in the Ukrainian capital, and held his talks with his Ukrainian counterpart there (15:13).
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Germany opened a new centre for drone security warning about “the shadow war of the 21st century” (11:15).
Separately,
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Several earthquakes, three of which were of magnitude 4.0 or higher, were reported in Granada, Spain, leaving three people injured and causing local damage to buildings (11:07, 11:48, 12:08, 13:51).
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The tremors come after the city was hit with a 5.0 earthquake on Saturday, prompting further concerns from local residents.
If you have any tips, comments or suggestions, email me at jakub.krupa@theguardian.com.
I am also on Bluesky at @jakubkrupa.bsky.social and on X at @jakubkrupa.
Fog complicates firefighting operations in Belgium
Belgian firefighters have suspended their air operations for today amid foggy weather conditions in the area, Belga and VRT reported.
European farmers face ‘unprecedented crisis’ after successive heatwaves
Jon Henley in Paris, Angela Giuffrida in Rome and Stephen Burgen in Barcelona
Successive intense heatwaves and an increasingly severe, continent-wide drought have left many of Europe’s farmers in an “unprecedented” crisis, with vegetable and grain growers in particular warning of “catastrophic” harvests.
French vegetable production is down by “a very significant extent” compared with previous years, French growers have said, with shortfalls put at 25% for courgettes, 35% for lettuces, 40% for peas, 60% for broccoli and 50% to 100% for artichokes.
“The vegetable sector is facing a historic crisis,” said Prince de Bretagne, which groups together more than 1,300 vegetable producers in Brittany, calling for “urgent action” to address a “dramatic” fall in yields and in the quality of many crops.
Accelerated, human-caused global heating and a supersized El Niño have scorched fields across Europe this summer, with plant development prevented by temperatures routinely exceeding 30C and often 35C, almost no rainfall, and hot winds.
“Usually one region fares better, which helps compensate,” Eric Legras, of the 4,400-member French canned and frozen vegetable producers’ association, told Le Monde. “This year, all our main production areas have been hit, and at the same time.”
Cereal production has been equally hard hit, with the agriculture ministry estimating the maize harvest in France – Europe’s largest grains producer – will be down by 35% on 2025 levels at about 9m tonnes, a quantity last seen in 1980.
Part of the fall is due to farmers’ switching to other crops, such as sunflowers, the ministry said, but it also reflects the impact of this summer’s vicious heatwaves, which have battered the crucial crop during critical stages of its growth cycle.
That is likely to cause big problems for livestock farmers. With dairy cows typically starting to suffer from heat stress above 25C, many producers have already reported milk yields down by 10%-15%. Most are now also concerned about winter feed.
Extreme heat more dangerous for people 60 and over than previously thought
Health policy editor
People aged 60 and over face dangers to their health from exposure to heat at much lower temperatures than previously thought, research has found.
Older adults will bear the brunt of increasingly frequent sustained spells of extreme heat globally as the world continues to warm up, according to a study in The Lancet Public Health.
Heatwaves will leave huge and growing numbers of people worldwide of all ages suffering from uncompensable heat stress (UHS) – where the body loses the ability to cool itself – and thus at risk of serious damage to their health, including death.
“Our results suggest accounting for age stratified vulnerability, intolerable heat will be experienced at much larger scales and for longer durations, affecting far more people than previously thought,” according to the study, which was led by health academics from Stanford University in California.
Older adults are known to be more in danger because of the effects of very high temperatures. They sweat less, their hearts work harder in the heat and their blood vessels are less able to widen, limiting their capacity to stay cool.
However, previous studies did not properly set out the different risks faced by younger people aged 15-39, middle-aged adults (40-59) and older adults (aged 60 or over). That is because they applied thresholds at which people cannot maintain their heat balance – which were accurate for younger people – to all age groups, and so overlooking older people’s greater risk of, for example, heart attacks.
A combination of rising global temperatures and the projected doubling in the world’s population of those aged 60 and over to 2.1bn by 2050 means more people in that age bracket will suffer heat-related health problems, especially in low- and middle-income countries such as India and Pakistan.
Belgian firefighters tackle historic blaze in the High Fens region – in pictures
Some 500 emergency workers are still active in the High Fens region as part of the effort to control the blaze in Belgium, local media reported.
Some 40 German firefighters also joined across the border to assist, VRT reported.
Belgian firefighters push to encircle 'largest wildfire in a century'
Firefighters were locked in a potentially decisive push Tuesday to encircle Belgium’s largest wildfire in a century, despite rainclouds hampering air support operations over the High Fens nature reserve, AFP reported.
The blaze charring the expanse of peatland, pine trees and hiking trails grew over the weekend to half the size of Manhattan – 3,000 hectares (7,500 acres) – with hundreds of firefighters working night and day to wrestle it under control.
Much of the fire has now been contained but a hard-to-access front closest to the German border remains a concern, with gusty easterly winds bringing an added challenge.
“This day will likely be decisive if firefighters succeed in their strategy of encircling the fire,” said crisis cell spokesman Tony Hosmans.
“If that happens, the fire will be completely surrounded, and we can hope to stop its advance,” he said.
Hungarian courts order detention of Polish bus driver after fatal crash
A Hungarian court on Tuesday ordered the continued detention of a Polish bus driver suspected of falling asleep at the wheel, resulting in a crash that killed 12 people and injured dozens in eastern Hungary early on Sunday, Reuters reported.
A Polish bus carrying 57 pilgrims ran into a ditch and tipped over at around 1am on Sunday in eastern Hungary. Twelve people died at the scene or after being taken to hospital, three sustained life-threatening injuries and 20 others were seriously hurt, prosecutors said.
Police took the driver into custody and questioned him on suspicion of negligently causing a road accident resulting in mass fatalities. He did not make a statement, they said.
Palio di Siena horse race expected to go ahead after rain delays
The famous Palio dell’ Assunta horse race will take place this afternoon in Siena, Italy after being delayed twice due to tricky weather conditions.
Siena’s local authorities confirmed this afternoon that the three-lap race around a course built in the Piazza del Campo will go ahead after it had to be postponed twice due to heavy rain.
The race is held twice a year, and the previous run in July also faced rain delays.
Up to 15,000 people are expected to take seats in the stands, with many more following the race, a source of local pride and a popular highlight of the tourist season which once even featured in a James Bond movie, across the city.
Ten horses representing 10 of the 17 districts – or contradas – will take to the course around 7pm local time, and the winner will take the prestigious Drappellone trophy.
Enhanced security measures have been adopted for this year’s race, including special anti-drone system.
Sophie Adenot becomes first French, second European female astronaut to go for a spacewalk
Sophie Adenot became the first French female astronaut to venture outside the International Space Station for a spacewalk on Tuesday, accompanied by American astronaut Anil Menon, AFP reported.
During the six-and-a-half hour mission, the two astronauts were to replace an antenna that allows the ISS to communicate with mission control in Houston, according to Nasa.
“I’m out,” Adenot, 44, said after exiting the ISS, some 400 kilometers above the Earth.
Adenot became the second European woman to conduct a spacewalk after Italian astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti’s 2022 mission.
French president Emmanuel Macron congratulated her on her achievement.
“By becoming the first Frenchwoman to venture into space, Sophie Adenot embodies French pride as much as a horizon for little girls who dream of infinity. The face of all possibilities,” he said on X.
Updated
Let’s quickly bring you up to speed on other news from around Europe.
Why is Russia talking the drone issue up - snap analysis
Defence and security editor
It is as good an opportunity as any for the Kremlin to make a political point.
Western financial support is critical for Ukraine’s war effort and anything that might undermine public confidence in countries such as the UK is from Moscow’s perspective worth making, particularly in the summer when there is less domestic political news to crowd the embassy’s remarks out.
Russia is also hurting economically from Ukraine’s sustained deep strike campaign that has targeted oil refineries and, more recently, ecommerce distribution warehouses on the outskirts of Moscow. Attacks are taking place on a near daily basis.
It is the first time in the war that Ukraine has been able to hit targets in and around Moscow, more than 300 miles from its border, deploying a long-range capability that western leaders had refused to supply until Kyiv developed it for itself.
Russia has been engaged in hostile behaviour towards the UK for years, conducting two poisonings on British soil of defectors Alexander Litvinenko in London in 2006 and Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in Salisbury in 2018. Russian hackers routinely target the UK, and regularly mount online disinformation campaigns.
However, as the war in Ukraine remains almost deadlocked, and as Kyiv strikes closer and closer to home, Russia has become more reckless across Europe.
It has conducted arson attacks using incendiary devices hidden in DHL parcels, including in the UK; flown 20 drones into Poland, and conducted an aerial harassment campaign across the continent.
Moscow was almost certainly behind an attempt to attack Ukrainian cargo planes at Leipzig airport in Germany earlier this month with a small quadcopter drone armed with plastic explosive.
It appears willing to spread the Ukraine war into Europe, the UK included.
Belgian foreign minister forced to hold Ukraine talks in bomb shelter during air alerts in Kyiv
Belgium’s foreign minister Maxime Prévot was rushed to a bomb shelter in Kyiv after an air alert in the Ukrainian capital.
Prévot was forced to hold talks with his Ukrainian counterpart, Andrii Sybiha, in a shelter.
“A daily reality for millions of Ukrainians, shared by our Belgian guests today,” Sybiha noted on X.
Jamie Grierson and Rowena Mason
The use of the drones made by UK companies is part of Ukraine’s “deep strike” campaign. However, it is not the first time Ukraine has deployed British-made equipment in Russia, having long used Storm Shadow missiles.
Kyiv has stepped up its attacks this year, with long-range missiles and swarms of drones increasingly targeting Russia’s military industries and energy facilities.
It has also hit large depots of Russia’s largest online retailer, Wildberries, burning merchandise worth billions of pounds and bringing the war home to the Russian public more than four years into Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Updated
Let’s get a bit more on these Russian threats against the UK (9:43, 13:25).
EU welcomes moves to align restrictive measures against Belarus
The European Union welcomes the decision by Albania, Bosnia, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Norway and Ukraine to align with the bloc’s restrictive measures against Belarus, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said in a statement on Tuesday.
In July, the EU Council decided to impose restrictive measures against the country “in view of the involvement of Belarus in the Russian aggression against Ukraine,” Reuters reported.
Multiple earthquakes in Granada cause some damage to buildings - in pictures
We are getting some more pictures from Granada after multiple earthquakes reported locally this morning, with the strongest one confirmed as 4.8 magnitude (11:07, 11:48).
Local authorities confirmed some local damage, including to the structural integrity of the buildings, and that three people suffered light injuries – with many more understandably concerned about the situation.
As promised earlier, I will keep an eye on this one for you.
PM Burnham says UK's position on drones 'won't change' despite Russia's threats
UK prime minister Andy Burnham responded to Russia’s warnings against London after reports of Ukraine using British-made drones to strike Russian territory (9:43).
Burnham told reporters:
“This is the UK doing what it has long said it would do, which is to support Ukraine 100% against this illegal war led by Vladimir Putin.
“We are providing support so that Ukraine can defend itself, and that’s been the British position all the way through this conflict by previous prime ministers, it remains the case with me … We are not fair weather friends. We will be there in Ukraine’s hour of need, and that won’t change.”
Russia's attacks 'serve only one purpose: terror,' Estonia's foreign minister says after overnight attack on Ukraine
Meanwhile, Estonia’s foreign minister Margus Tsahkna condemned the overnight Russian attacks on Ukraine.
In a post on X, he said:
“Once again, Russia has deliberately targeted innocent Ukrainian civilians, this time striking Pechenihy, where homes, a café, the post office, and other civilian infrastructure were severely damaged. Ten people have already been killed.
Ten lives cut short in an attack that served only one purpose: terror. These are grave violations of international law and a continued weaponisation of human life.
Such brutality demands full accountability in the strongest of terms. Pressure on Russia must intensify. Isolation must endure. The cost of aggression must rise until Kremlin’s calculus changes.”
Ukrainian man convicted in Germany over alleged arson attack plans ordered by Russia
A Ukrainian man has been sentenced to jail in Germany after he was found guilty of plotting arson attacks on behalf of Russia, German news agency dpa reported.
The case involved three men arrested in Cologne, Konstanz and the Swiss canton of Thurgau last year and accused of planning a plot to target a Ukrainian parcel delivery company.
The prosecutors alleged the man was involved in a plan to send explosives meant to ignite in Germany and Ukraine and cause “as much damage as possible,” dpa said.
A 30-year-old man was jailed for 15 months, local German media reported today. However, the time he has already spent in pre-trial detention counted towards his sentence and he will now be released, AFP added.
The case drew parallels with a 2024 incident involving a DHL logistics centre at the Leipzig airport.
Two other defendants were acquitted.
Germany remains on high alert for sabotage attempts after another Leipzig airport incident earlier this month, involving a drone carrying explosives.
Updated
Some first pictures from this morning’s earthquakes in Granada are emerging on social media…
Andalusian president Juanma Moreno urged residents to maintain “maximum caution” as more seismic movements and aftershocks may happen.
“It is important to know how we should act in these situations. Let us follow the advice and maintain our composure, please,” he said.
Local emergency services said they received dozens of calls reporting damage, but no injuries so far.
I will keep an eye on this for you.
More local earthquakes reported in south-west Spanish region of Granada
I am still keeping an eye on Spain as yet another earthquake was reported in Alhendín in the Spanish region of Granada just minutes ago; this time of 4.2 magnitude.
Meanwhile, the earlier earthquake was revised up to 4.7 magnitude, with its epicentre reported in Gójar, and not neighbouring Alhendín (11:07).
Three people were injured, with one requiring hospitalisation, Spanish media reported.
A number of smaller tremors – ranging from 2.6 to 4.0 – were also reported in the last 90 minutes.
Local police told residents to “stay calm and do not remain near buildings due to possible falling debris.” They added that emergency services were attending to local incidents.
Football club Granada said its club store and ticket offices would remain closed until further notice for public safety reasons.
Updated
Paris prosecutors investigating concerns two 2027 presidential candidates may have been targeted by Russia
Speaking about concerns about Russian activities in Europe …
The Paris prosecutors will look into suspicious that Édouard Philippe and Gabriel Attal, two former French prime ministers and prospective presidential candidates in 2027, may have been targeted by destabilisation operations attributed to Russian state actors, AFP reported.
The prosecutors were quoted in reports by Le Figaro and BFMTV as saying they were investigating suspicions that the two politicians may have been targeted by a Russian-inspired campaign.
Earlier this month, Attal’s lawyers said they received a report of alleged “external digital interference” linked to Russia from state authorities, and said they would file a formal complaint.
They said Attal was alerted to the issue by France’s General Secretariat for Defence and National Security and its Viginum service (French Service for Vigilance and Protection against Foreign Digital Interference), looking at alleged foreign interference and disinformation.
A separate probe was also opened earlier this month into concerns about a potential Russian campaign against another presidential candidate, Raphaël Glucksmann.
Glucksmann said at the time in a post on X that the campaign was believed to be linked with Russia’s military intelligence agency, GRU, and its Storm1516 group.
Germany opens new centre for drone security to fight back against 'the shadow war of 21st century' just weeks after Leipzig airport incident
Meanwhile, the German interior minister, Alexander Dobrindt, opened a new centre for drone security in Cochstedt in Saxony-Anhalt.
Dobrindt said the new centre will form a central part of Germany’s response to the emerging hybrid threat, as he said the country is ofted targeted with espionage, sabotage, destabilisation efforts, and drone attacks for its central role in upholding Europe’s stability and supporting Ukraine.
“What we are experiencing today is the shadow war of the 21st century,” he warned, adding “whoever targets Germany, hits all of Europe.”
The new Cochstedt centre will be “a key component of the security architecture” to fight back against the threats posed by drones, he said.
The opening comes two weeks after a drone incident at the Leipzig airport, which was linked to “foreign powers,” widely seen as a reference to Russia.
After the incident, Dobrindt spoke of “a competition” between different countries as they sought to use the drone technology against rivals, and the need to boost research in this area.
Another earthquake hits Granada, Spain
I’m also keeping an eye on reports from Granada, Spain, where local authorities have reported another strong earthquake – provisionally measured at magnitude 4.6 or 4.7 – with its epicentre in Alhendín, or – as it was later corrected – in Gójar.
It comes just days after Saturday’s 5.0-magnitude earthquake, causing some local damage and raising concerns of further seismic activity in the region during a peak tourist season.
Updated
Overnight Russian attacks on Ukraine - in pictures
We are now getting some pictures from Ukrainian emergency services showing the overnight Russian attacks on Pechenigy and Chernigiv.
'We will respond,' Zelenskyy says after 10 killed in overnight Russian attack on Ukraine
Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelenskyy also responded to the overnight Russian attack, saying Ukraine “will definitely respond” by strikes on Russia.
He said:
“As of now, 10 people have been reported killed. My condolences to their families and loved ones. Many people have been injured and are receiving all necessary medical care. First responders have already extinguished the fire, and all emergency and response services continue working at the site. All the circumstances of this tragedy are being established.
We will definitely respond to this Russian strike. And it is equally important that our partners also complement our just kinetic responses with their own actions to put pressure on Russia and support Ukraine.”
Putin 'continues to drag the war out' with continuing attacks, Ukraine's foreign minister says
Ukraine’s foreign minister Andrii Sybiha responded to Russian attacks on Ukraine overnight, saying “Putin continues to drag the war out instead of accepting Ukraine’s realistic ceasefire proposals and ending the bloodshed.”
10 people were killed in an overnight attack on the village of Pechenihy in the Kharkiv region.
“As long as Moscow refuses peace, it must face a growing cost for prolonging this war through additional sanctions, isolation, and strict accountability for Russian crimes. We are informing our partners and international organizations and calling for action to end this terror and ensure justice,” he said.
He added:
“I urge all states to join our accountability efforts, including the Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression Against Ukraine, which will soon begin its operations in The Hague. Accountability for Russian crimes is a matter of principle – not only for the victims of Russian attacks, but for the entire international community.”
Russia warns UK of ‘consequences’ over reports Ukraine using British drones in attacks
Moscow has threatened the UK with “consequences” after reports that British drones have been used to strike targets on Russia’s mainland for the first time.
Ukraine used drones made by two UK companies as part of a so-called deep strike campaign, the Sunday Times reported.
Kyiv has stepped up its attacks on Russia this year, with long-range missiles and swarms of drones increasingly targeting military industries and energy facilities.
It has also targeted giant depots for Wildberries – Russia’s largest online retailer – burning billions of pounds worth of merchandise and bringing the war home to the Russian public more than four years into Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Russia’s embassy to the UK said in a statement on Monday that the reports “confirm that London is deliberately opting for an escalation of the Ukraine crisis” and accused Britain of “seeking to contain Russia and inflict maximum damage on it by proxy”.
“London’s actions will inevitably carry consequences for which it will have to answer,” it said.
“The deeper its involvement in the conflict and the greater its support for Kyiv’s terrorist machinery, the higher the price it will pay.”
A Ministry of Defence spokesperson said:
“Britain stands shoulder to shoulder with Ukraine and we are committed to providing the equipment Ukraine needs to defend itself against Putin’s illegal invasion.
Russia should be in no doubt about the resolve of this government to stand against Russian aggression, in Ukraine and against the UK and our allies.”
Morning opening: Ukraine sends over 600 drones at Moscow
Ukraine launched over 600 drones at Moscow and surrounding areas overnight, continuing its massive attacks on targets in Russia after even larger weekend strikes.
Drones are believed to hit a warehouse of Russian e-commerce company Wildberries and other facilities near Moscow, Reuters reported. At least three people were injured in attacks.
But several other Russian-controlled regions, including the occupied Crimea, also reported heavy attacks, with the Crimean peninsular’s power supplier reporting power outages.
Meanwhile, at least 10 people died in a Russian strike on Pechenigy, a village in the Kharkiv region, which Ukraine says hit private houses and shops.
I will bring you more updates during the day.
I will also keep an eye on wildfires across Europe after another difficult day yesterday in Belgium, Greece, and other countries.
It’s Tuesday, 18 August 2026, it’s Jakub Krupa here, and this is Europe Live.
Good morning.
