New US intelligence assessments have reportedly warned that Russian president Vladimir Putin could test Nato’s unity with a limited attack on an alliance member within the next few years.
According to US officials cited in a Wall Street Journal report, the scenarios under consideration include cyberattacks, sabotage or a small-scale ground incursion, rather than a full-scale invasion.
The assessment also comes as the US faces shortages of key munitions – including long-range missiles and Stinger air-defence missiles – after supplying Ukraine and conducting military operations against Iran.
Meanwhile, Lithuania also fears that Putin may be planning a “false flag” strike on the Baltics, following a spate of recent drone incursions along Europe’s eastern frontier.
Defence minister Robertas Kaunas said yesterday that his country believes that Russia is considering using Ukrainian-made drones to stage provocations against the region.
“Lithuanian intelligence is working, we are collecting information and seeing it,” he told reporters in Vilnius, adding that critical infrastructure had been strengthened to safeguard against an attack.
He said the Lithuanian military and all security institutions were monitoring the situation, but reassured that there was no singular “direct threat” at present.
Key Points
- Zelensky wants ‘concrete results’ in developing anti-ballistic missile defence system
- Ukrainian plane near explosive-laden drone in Germany 'was carrying military ammunition'
- Leipzig drone incident represents 'new hybrid threat scenario', says Interior Minister
- Lithuania says Russia could use Ukrainian drones against Baltic region
- Ukraine strikes oil refinery over 1,300km behind Russia’s frontline, says Zelensky
- Our quarrel is with Putin, not the Russian people, says Wes Streeting
Ukraine says it struck Russian oil refineries and Black Sea vessels in long-range attacks
05:30 , Maroosha Muzaffar
Ukraine said it carried out a series of long-range strikes on Russian energy and maritime targets on Thursday.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukrainian drones struck oil refineries in the Bashkortostan and Yaroslavl regions, with the Bashkortostan facility located more than 1,300km (800 miles) from the frontline.
Yaroslavl governor Mikhail Yevrayev confirmed that a refinery had been attacked and that oil storage tanks caught fire.
Zelensky also said Ukrainian forces struck two Russian military patrol boats in the Black Sea, as well as vessels from Moscow’s so-called shadow fleet used to circumvent Western sanctions on oil exports.
Russia’s defence ministry said its air defences intercepted 605 Ukrainian drones over Russian territory.
UN appears to blame Russia and Ukraine for attacks on civilians
05:00 , Maroosha Muzaffar
As Kyiv observed a day of mourning for victims of Russia’s latest missile and drone attack, the UN appeared to condemn attacks on civilians by both Russia and Ukraine.
“These latest series of attacks follow an alarming pattern of escalating strikes against populated areas,” said Farhan Haq, a spokesperson for Antonio Guterres, the UN secretary general.
“The secretary general strongly condemns the latest large-scale missile and drone attacks by the armed forces of the Russian Federation on Kyiv and other cities in Ukraine … [Guterres] also condemns the recent Ukrainian drone attacks on several regions of the Russian Federation.”
Russia has increasingly claimed that strikes causing civilian deaths in Ukraine are aimed at military facilities or dual-use infrastructure such as warehouses, ports and logistics hubs, while portraying Ukrainian attacks on military and economic targets inside Russia as deliberate strikes on civilians.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky shared a video a few days ago that he said showed a Russian drone deliberately pursuing a civilian in southern Ukraine, describing it as evidence of a Russian “human safari” attack in which drones hunt people rather than military targets.
He used the footage to accuse Russia of intentionally targeting civilians, the BBC reported.
Russian forces have also reportedly repeatedly used anti-personnel explosive FPV drones against civilians in Ukrainian cities including Kherson, Zaporizhzhia and Kharkiv.
Kyiv region marks official day of mourning after Russian missile and drone barrage kills 17
04:30 , Maroosha Muzaffar
The Kyiv region marked an official day of mourning on Thursday after a Russian missile and drone barrage killed 17 people a day earlier.
According to the UN office in Kyiv, 1,396 civilians were killed and 7,978 wounded in Ukraine during the first six months of 2026 – up 37 per cent from the same period in 2025 and 114 per cent higher than in 2024.
The UN said the increase was driven by an escalation in Russia’s long-range aerial strikes.
Zelensky wants ‘concrete results’ in developing anti-ballistic missile defence system
04:00 , Maroosha Muzaffar
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukraine aims to achieve “concrete results” by the end of this year in developing a European anti-ballistic missile defence system under the Freyja programme.
“Ukraine is capable of producing its missile and launcher, while our partners will provide the necessary components and critical elements – radars, sensors, and everything else required … Others spent decades developing their systems. Ukraine must do this as quickly as possible, with concrete results already in place by the turn of 2026–2027,” he said.
He also said Ukraine is accelerating work on its own ballistic missile programme, adding that tests have shown “strong potential” and that the goal is to turn it into a “real weapon”.
“We are creating all the necessary conditions to make that happen.”
Trump says Biden gave 'tremendous amount’ of munitions to Ukraine as he denies shortages
03:00 , Harriette Boucher
Zelensky to visit Serbia on Saturday
02:00 , Harriette Boucher
Volodymyr Zelensky will visit Serbia on Saturday in his first visit to the Balkan country since he became president in 2019.
President Zelensky will meet his counterpart, Aleksandar Vucic, in what will be seen as a symbolic trip for Ukraine’s leader.
Serbia has maintained close ties with Russia, but has maintained neutrality in its invasion of Ukraine.
Ukraine to help farmers hit by Russian attacks
01:00 , Harriette Boucher
Ukraine will provide support to farmers hit by Russian attacks on shipping and port facilities, Volodymyr Zelensky said.
The measures had been elaborated at a government meeting and would focus on farmers “who are now in a difficult situation because of Russian strikes on our ports and the maritime corridor”.
Ukraine’s president added support would include subsidised credits and other assistance with financing, would “begin to be implemented in the coming days”.
Zelensky says US knows 'exactly' what it needs to provide
Friday 7 August 2026 00:00 , Harriette Boucher
Volodymyr Zelensky has told the US it knows exactly what Ukraine needs, as he renewed calls for further military support.
“As of now, the number one challenge is Russian strikes,” he said.
“The United States knows exactly what we need and that this is not about something abstract. This is about protecting lives. These are real people, individual lives.
“Air defence support is needed, and that requires political decisions. In Europe too. In the G7 countries too.”
Ukrainian drone attack slightly damages Wildberries warehouse in Russia, governor says
Thursday 6 August 2026 23:00 , Daniel Keane
Falling Ukrainian drone debris slightly damaged the facade of a Wildberries logistics complex in Russia's Tver region, Vitaly Korolyov, the local governor, said on Thursday.
The incident is the latest in a series of Ukrainian strikes targeting Wildberries facilities.
At least 20 warehouses owned by the company have been attacked since July 18.
The real worry for Ukraine’s allies as beach strike on Russian civilians marks a shift in the war
Thursday 6 August 2026 22:00 , Sam Kiley
The real worry for Ukraine’s allies as beach strike on civilians marks shift in war
Recap: Lithuania believes Russia could use captured Ukrainian drones
Thursday 6 August 2026 21:00 , Daniel Keane
Lithuanian intelligence officials believe Russia is considering using captured Ukrainian-made drones to stage provocations against the Baltic region, Lithuanian Defence Minister Robertas Kaunas has said.
Military drones flying from Ukraine to attack targets in Russia have already strayed into the airspace of Finland and the Baltics in recent months, which Kyiv says was caused by Russia using electronic defences that jam or spoof signals.
Russia has suggested the Baltic states are colluding to let Ukraine use their airspace to stage attacks on Russian targets.
The Baltic states and Ukraine deny this.
Sweden's top court clears way for transfer of seized ship to Ukraine
Thursday 6 August 2026 20:00 , Daniel Keane
Sweden's top court said on Thursday it has upheld a ruling that a cargo vessel seized in the Baltic Sea this year can be handed over to Ukraine, where it is suspected of illegally transporting grain from Russian-occupied territory.
The supreme court dismissed an appeal from the owners of the Caffa vessel, which was seized in March off southern Sweden on suspicion of sailing under a false flag and of violating maritime and ship safety laws due to a lack of seaworthiness.
Ukraine has sought the ship as part of a probe into suspected war crimes involving the appropriation and removal of property from Russian-occupied territory.
Lower Swedish courts said those alleged actions could constitute a war crime under Swedish law, meaning Sweden could transfer the vessel and related evidence to Ukraine.
"The Supreme Court does not grant leave to appeal. The Court of Appeal's decision is therefore final," the supreme court said in a ruling.
UK targets ships and banks with new Russia sanctions
Thursday 6 August 2026 19:00 , Daniel Keane
The UK has announced new sanctions targeting Russian ships, banks and industrial companies in its latest effort to disrupt the oil revenues flowing to the Moscow which could be used to fund Russia's war against Ukraine.
The government said it was adding 13 new designations and six specifications under Russia sanctions laws.
Sanctions cover six Russian banks, six newly acquired shadow fleet tankers as well as four Russian companies importing tantalum and niobium, rare metals used in battlefield weapons.
The UK government has now sanctioned over 3,400 individuals, entities and ships under the Russia sanctions regime since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022.
Pictured: Smoke rises after attack on oil refinery in Russia
Thursday 6 August 2026 18:00 , Daniel Keane
Recap: War of attrition hits new phase, says Zelensky’s aide
Thursday 6 August 2026 17:00 , James Reynolds
Serhii Beskrestnov, an adviser to Ukraine’s president on defence technology development, said the war of attrition has entered a new phase.
“The enemy is attacking everything indiscriminately — retail warehouses, food storage facilities, logistics hubs, enterprises, building materials warehouses,” he said on Facebook.
One of the companies that came under heavy fire overnight was the Epicentr, one of Ukraine’s largest retail and construction chains.
It said in a statement on Facebook that “in minutes, Russian missiles destroyed what the company had built over decades.”
One employee was killed and three others were wounded. Russia hit two of the company’s key logistics hubs.
A direct hit also destroyed the production floor of its ceramic tile factory, forcing the company to halt manufacturing there and shift production abroad, with full recovery expected to take up to two years, the company said.
Epicentr also voiced support for other Ukrainian businesses damaged in the attack, saying it understood “how many years of work, effort, faith and daily responsibility stand behind every enterprise.”
One killed after 'Russia hits foreign-flagged ship' in Ukraine's Black Sea
Thursday 6 August 2026 08:08 , James Reynolds
A Russian attack damaged a foreign-flagged ship loaded with wheat in Ukraine's Black Sea area, killing one crew member and causing a fire, Oleh Kiper, Odesa regional governor, said on Thursday.
Ukraine's sea ports administration said that the vessel Mera Queen, under the flag of Guinea-Bissau, was hit late on Wednesday.
For more than a month, Russia has been ramping up its efforts to strangle Ukraine's trade and export routes, launching nearly daily attacks at the country's Black Sea ports.
Six killed across Ukraine overnight
Thursday 6 August 2026 07:45 , James Reynolds
Rescuers worked on Thursday to douse fires and clear debris in Ukraine's eastern city of Balakliia after Russian strikes on homes killed three people overnight, authorities said.
Three people were also killed overnight and at least 19 wounded in Russian attacks on settlements in the northern region of Sumy.
Twelve more were wounded in the city of Sumy itself, following an attack with guided aerial bombs, the Ukrainian police said on Telegram.
A drone attack on a van wounded six in the southern region of Kherson, the regional administration said on Telegram.
Wildberries warehouse again attacked in Russia's Tver region
Thursday 6 August 2026 07:12 , Arpan Rai
A warehouse belonging to Russian logistics giant Wildberries has again come under attack from Ukrainian drones overnight, officials said.
Falling Ukrainian drone debris slightly damaged the facade of a Wildberries logistics complex in Russia's Tver region, Vitaly Korolyov, the local governor, said on Thursday.
The incident is the latest in a series of Ukrainian strikes targeting Wildberries facilities. At least 20 warehouses owned by the company have been attacked since 18 July.
Watch: Zelensky says Russia likely to boost ballistic missile output
Thursday 6 August 2026 06:43 , Arpan Rai
The real worry for Ukraine’s allies as beach strike on Russian civilians marks a shift in the war
Thursday 6 August 2026 06:41 , Arpan Rai
The gentle splash of breaking waves on a resort beach and the laughter of children having innocent fun gives way to the screech and crack of an explosion. Seven people dead – three of them are children.
This was the scene on Monday in the Russian Black Sea town of Gelendzhik where, even if every adult killed and all 40 of those injured were wide-eyed fans of Vladimir Putin and part of his war machine, the children were innocent.
It was the sort of attack that, if carried out by Russia against Ukraine, would have sparked international outrage and allegations of war crimes by targeting civilian areas.
The real worry for Ukraine’s allies as beach strike on civilians marks shift in war
Russia hit two vessels near Ukraine's Odesa
Thursday 6 August 2026 06:15 , Arpan Rai
Russia has struck two dry cargo vessels near Ukraine's Black Sea port of Odesa late on Wednesday, the Russian defence ministry said.
The vessels were transporting military goods, the ministry said.
Zelensky says he spoke to Nato head Rutte about securing interceptors
Thursday 6 August 2026 05:49 , Arpan Rai
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said he has spoken with Nato secretary general Mark Rutte about the possibility of securing more air defence interceptors.
"Mark is well-informed about the threats, and we have coordinated our efforts regarding countries that possess the necessary missiles and the capability to help," Zelensky wrote in English on social media platform X.
“It is crucial to eliminate all bureaucracy and make the required political decisions.”
After speaking with the Ukrainian leader, Rutte said in a post on X that he is "discussing with Allies how we can continue to get Ukraine the air defences they urgently need”.
Ukraine's weakness exploited as air forces fail to intercept a single missile in attacks
Thursday 6 August 2026 05:43 , Arpan Rai
Ukraine’s depleted air defences failed to stop any of Moscow’s incoming missiles yesterday as Russia unleashed at least 115 drones and 28 hypersonic and ballistic missiles.
The barrage, which lasted about two hours, was the latest in a series of large-scale Russian missile strikes that have become almost routine this summer.
Moscow is exploiting Ukraine’s critical shortage of interceptors for the US-made Patriot systems, the sole air defence weapon in its arsenal able to shoot down ballistic missiles.
Volodymyr Zelensky said after a Russian attack Friday night that air defences shot down only one ballistic missile “solely because there are no missiles for the Patriots.”
Supplies of defensive missiles for Ukraine in the first half of this year fell to one-third of the 2025 level, Zelensky said.
“Ballistic interceptors are what could have saved the lives of those killed today,” Zelensky said.
“It is very important for our partners to understand that delays in supplying them, or a reluctance to hand over anti-ballistic systems, lead directly to such horrific casualties and destruction.”
Russian strikes kill three in Ukraine's Balakliia, local officials say
Thursday 6 August 2026 05:21 , Arpan Rai
At least three people have been killed in Russian strikes overnight in Ukraine’s eastern city of Balakliia, local officials said this morning.
The authorities said rescuers are working to douse fires and clear the debris from the attack.
Rubio and Miliband discuss Ukraine war, boosting Europe's role in its own security
Thursday 6 August 2026 04:42 , Arpan Rai
US secretary of state Marco Rubio and foreign secretary Ed Miliband discussed the importance of Europe taking a greater role in its security during a meeting in Washington yesterday, the State Department said in a statement.
A British official said they also reaffirmed the strength of the relationship between the two allies, including their shared commitment to the Nato security alliance.
Rubio told reporters before the meeting that Ukraine would also be on the agenda.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has ratcheted up appeals to allies for more air defence missiles as Russia escalates ballistic missile strikes.
Miliband had planned to underline that Ukraine's security is inseparable from European and transatlantic security, and to reiterate the UK's commitment to stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes, his ministry said.
Watch: Ukrainian forest covered in fibre optic cables left by Russian drones
Thursday 6 August 2026 04:33 , Arpan Rai
Explosive drone at German airport raises new danger, minister says
Thursday 6 August 2026 04:05 , Arpan Rai
German interior minister Alexander Dobrindt said the explosive-laden drone found near a runway at Leipzig/Halle airport overnight was a hybrid attack which opened a new level of danger.
Germany opened a counterterrorism investigation on Wednesday after the drone prompted the closure of parts of one of Europe's biggest cargo hubs.
“Drone sightings and drone threats in a hybrid context are something we have known from the past, but a drone armed with explosives being present on airport grounds is a new threat scenario," Dobrindt said, after an emergency meeting with the heads of Germany's security services on Wednesday night.
Airport workers discovered the drone in a restricted cargo area near the southern runway overnight. Flights were suspended and several aircraft, including some owned by German logistics firm DHL, were diverted. Authorities said there had been no danger to passengers or airport staff and most operations resumed by morning after one runway was reopened.
All speculation about the explosives, the drone, its origin, and who is behind it, is now part of the investigation, the interior minister said. "It is part of the nature of hybrid threats that it is not always immediately clear where they originate," Dobrindt said.
Putin names new chief of Russia's drone force
Thursday 6 August 2026 03:00 , Alex Croft
Russian president Vladimir Putin has named Denis Lyamin to head Russia's Unmanned Systems Forces, a newly established branch of the military that will be responsible for drone warfare.
Lyamin was previously chief of staff for the "Centre" group of the Russian armed forces.
The 47-year-old, who graduated from Chelyabinsk Higher Tank Command School in 2001, commanded the 58th Combined Arms army in 2023.
He also served as the commander of the 22nd Army Corps in Crimea after November 2020.
Russian forces claim control of two more Ukrainian villages, claims defence ministry
Thursday 6 August 2026 01:30 , Alex Croft
Russian forces have taken control of two more Ukrainian villages, the Russian defence ministry claimed on Wednesday.
Moscow named the villages as Ryzhivka in the Sumy region and Zirnytsia in the Zaporizhzhia region.
EU to use £1.2 billion of interest generated by frozen Russian assets to help Ukraine
Thursday 6 August 2026 00:01 , Alex Croft
As we reported earlier, the European Commission has said the EU will use £1.2 billion taken from interest generated by frozen Russian assets to help Ukraine.
The money was transferred to the blog on 3 August and comes from interest on cash balances, part of Russian central bank assets frozen by the EU in the wake of Moscow's invasion, the Commission added.
"Russia must pay for the destruction it has caused. And we are using the proceeds from the immobilised Russian assets to make sure it does," European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said in the statement.
"We are making a further €1.4 billion of them available to Ukraine. This will support Ukraine's continued resistance against Russia's illegal war," she added.
Zelensky says air defence missile supplies down threefold from 2025
Wednesday 5 August 2026 23:01 , Alex Croft
Supplies of air defence missiles to Ukraine are three times less than in 2025, Volodymyr Zelensky said on Wednesday.
The Ukrainian president urged politicians in allied countries to approve more deliveries.
"This concerns not only this summer period, but every period of the first half of 2026," Mr Zelensky said on X following a deadly Russian strike on Kyiv, during which Ukraine did not manage to intercept any incoming missiles.
“Our partners do have the missiles. It is important that the necessary political decisions on supplies and the acceleration of production processes are ultimately made – including decisions on localization in Ukraine.”
I held a meeting with our military, the Ministry of Defense, and the teams of the Security Service of Ukraine, the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine, and the Office. First, the report from Mykhailo Drapatyi, Ihor Skybiuk, and Yevhenii Khmara on the situation at the front and key… pic.twitter.com/HUiXvXVbHg
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) August 5, 2026
North Korea sends missile unit to Russia as Putin tries to exploit Ukraine weakness
Wednesday 5 August 2026 22:01 , Alex Croft
A North Korean missile unit has been sent to Russia, set to be equipped with 120 ballistic missiles and six launchers for strikes against Ukraine.
Russia has fired scores of North Korean ballistic missiles at Ukraine since late 2023, but the deployment of North Korean missile forces would be an expansion of the already extensive military cooperation between Moscow and Pyongyang.
Andrii Cherniak of Ukraine's Main Directorate of Intelligence said Russia planned to base the missile unit of around 90 North Korean personnel in the western Russian region of Voronezh, within its 112th Missile Brigade.
Ukraine is very short of high-end air defences and Russia has tried to exploit this by using more ballistic missiles, which are particularly hard to shoot down.
Read more here:
North Korea sends missile unit to Russia as Putin tries to exploit Ukraine weakness
Watch: Ukraine shares video of Russian drone 'hunting down' market vendor
Wednesday 5 August 2026 20:00 , Alex Croft
Zelensky says he spoke to NATO head Rutte about securing interceptors
Wednesday 5 August 2026 19:57 , Harriette Boucher
Volodymyr Zelensky has spoken with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte about the possibility of securing more air defence interceptors.
“Mark is well-informed about the threats, and we have coordinated our efforts regarding countries that possess the necessary missiles and the capability to help,” the Ukrainian president wrote on X.
“It is crucial to eliminate all bureaucracy and make the required political decisions.”
After speaking with the Ukrainian leader, Rutte said in a post on X that he is “discussing with Allies how we can continue to get Ukraine the air defences they urgently need”.
Russia launches 28 missiles and 115 drones overnight
Wednesday 5 August 2026 19:01 , Alex Croft
Russian forces have attacked Ukraine with 28 missiles and 115 drones of overnight, the Ukrainian Air Force said.
Anti-ship missiles were launched from the Kursk and Rostov regions, with other types of missiles fire from Bryansk and Kursk, it said in an update on Facebook.
"As of 08:30, [Ukrainian] air defence forces had destroyed or jammed 98 Shahed, Gerbera, Italmas and other types of drones in the country's north, south and east,” the Air Force said.
“Hits by missiles and 17 UAVs have been recorded at 26 locations and the fall of downed aerial assets (debris) at six locations."
“The attack is ongoing, as several enemy drones are still in Ukrainian airspace. Please observe safety measures."
