Donald Trump has said he is “so disappointed” in Vladimir Putin as the war in Ukraine continues to rage.
Touting what he described as his peacemaking abilities during a speech to military personnel on Tuesday, the US president said Putin and Ukrainian leader Zelensky must get together to settle Moscow’s war in Ukraine.
It comes as the Russian president announced his biggest conscription plans in almost a decade, mandating 135,000 Russians between the ages of 18 and 30 to join the army. In 2016, 152,000 soldiers were enlisted.
The move follows alarms raised by Nato nations over violations in their airspace from Russia, with Denmark ordering a ban on civil drone flights ahead of two European summits this week after unexplained drones were spotted near military sites over the weekend.
On Tuesday, Zelensky said Ukraine would share with European countries its expertise in fighting Russian drones, sending a mission to Denmark for joint exercises.
“Our military has begun deploying a mission in Denmark to disseminate Ukrainian experience in drone defense," Zelenskyy said. European defence ministers agreed last week to build what they called a "drone wall" along their borders with Russia and Ukraine to better detect, track and intercept drones violating Europe's airspace.
Key Points
- Russia’s war on Ukraine is war against freedom, says German chancellor
- Kremlin warns Tomahawks will not be a game-changer in the war
- Moldova’s pro-EU party wins clear parliamentary majority, defeating pro-Russian groups
- Putin directs largest autumn conscription in a decade, recruiting 135,000 soldiers
- Russia says it has taken control of two villages in Ukraine’s Donetsk region
Princess Anne visits Ukraine to support children affected by war
04:00 , Arpan RaiPrincess Anne, the late Queen Elizabeth's only daughter, visited Ukraine to express her solidarity with children and families enduring the impact of the war, Buckingham Palace said today.
Anne, who celebrated her 75th birthday in August, met Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky during her visit to Kyiv yesterday, where they discussed Britain's ongoing support for Ukraine, among other issues.
The royal paid her respects at a memorial honouring the children who have died since the start of the conflict in February 2022. She was accompanied by Ukrainian first lady Olena Zelenska and laid a toy as a tribute.
Anne also spoke with Ukrainian children who have been displaced or deported by Russia and she visited a rehabilitation centre, where she met veterans returning from the frontline.
Anne's visit to Ukraine follows that of Prince Harry, the younger son of King Charles, who travelled to Kyiv earlier this month with a team from his Invictus Games Foundation to highlight the charity's plans to support the rehabilitation of wounded soldiers.
IAEA working to restore power to Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, Grossi says
03:00 , Nicole Wootton-CaneThe International Atomic Energy Agency is engaging with both sides of the military conflict to restore offsite power to Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant as soon as possible, the UN atomic watchdog's chief Rafael Grossi said on Tuesday in a statement.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy had earlier said the situation at the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station had become critical, with Russian shelling preventing restoration of power needed to cool the reactors and prevent a meltdown.
Princess Royal leaves bear at children's memorial in powerful Ukraine visit
02:00 , Nicole Wootton-CaneThe Princess Royal has made a surprise trip to Ukraine in a show of solidarity with children and families facing the horrors of the Russian invasion.
The King's sister travelled to the war-torn country on Tuesday, where she left a toy bear at a children's memorial in a poignant tribute to youngsters killed in the conflict.
Anne, travelling at the request of the Foreign Office, made the official visit to Kyiv to highlight the traumatic experiences of children living on the front line, Buckingham Palace said.
She also met with President Volodymyr Zelensky to discuss the UK's support for Ukraine and the country's ongoing resistance.
Anne's secret overseas mission, which was not publicised beforehand for security reasons, came just two days after a Russian aerial bombardment killed at least four people in Kyiv including a 12-year-old girl and injured at least 70 others.
Zelensky condemns Russia over 'emergency' at nuclear power plant
01:00 , Nicole Wootton-CaneZelensky has condemned Russia’s decision to attack a nuclear power plant as a “threat to everyone”.
The Ukrainian president said “no terrorist in the world has ever dared to do to a nuclear plant what Russia is doing” in a post on X.
“It is now the seventh day – something that has never happened before – of an emergency situation at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant.
“Because of Russian shelling, the plant has been cut off from power, disconnected from the electrical grid, and is being supplied with electricity by diesel generators,” he wrote.
“This is extraordinary. The generators and the plant were not designed for this, have never operated in this mode for long, and we already have information that one generator has failed.
“It is Russian shelling that prevents repair of the power lines to the plant and the restoration of basic safety.
“This is a threat to everyone – no terrorist in the world has ever dared to do to a nuclear plant what Russia is doing. And it is right that the world does not stay silent.”
It is now the seventh day – something that has never happened before – of an emergency situation at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant. Because of Russian shelling, the plant has been cut off from power, disconnected from the electrical grid, and is being supplied with… pic.twitter.com/hUSusfgVjy
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) September 30, 2025
Ukraine loan from Russian frozen assets would fund EU defence industry, von der Leyen says
00:30 , Maira ButtEuropean Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has revealed that a reparations loan to Ukraine, proposed by the EU Commission, will fund defence procurement within Europe.
It will be backed by frozen Russian assets, but Von der Leyen said the proposal did not involve seizing the assets. Ukraine would repay the loan if Russia paid reparations.
Trump tells military leaders he wants to get Putin and Zelensky together
23:59 , Nicole Wootton-CaneDonald Trump touted what he described as his peacemaking abilities during a speech to military personnel on Tuesday, but said that conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine were still raging despite his administration's mediation.
In a speech before military commanders in Quantico, Virginia, Trump said that Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President President Volodymyr Zelensky need to get together to settle Moscow's war in Ukraine.
It comes after the US president failed to persuade Putin to make progress on the conflict after the two met in Alaska for a high-stakes summit last month.
Ukrainian journalist held by Russia wins Vaclav Havel rights award
23:31 , Maira ButtMaksym Butkevych, a Ukrainian journalist and human rights activist who was released last year after being captured by Russian forces, was handed the Václav Havel Human Rights Prize by the Council of Europe on Monday.
Butkevych, who confounded the independent Hromadske radio station and Zmina human rights centre in Kyiv, was detained by Russia in June 2022 and convicted for war crimes in March 2023.
Sentenced to a 13-year prison term on charges of wounding two civilians while serving as a soldier in the Ukrainian army, he was released last year in October during prison exchange.
Ukraine assassinates Russian lieutenant colonel far from frontlines, intelligence claims
23:03 , Maira ButtUkraine has killed a senior Russian military official and two service members during an intelligence operation.
HUR, the state’s military intelligence agency said that the Russian National Guard senior officer, his aide and a driver were killed while travelling to a training ground on Saturday.
The agency released footage of the officer being monitored from afar, before an explosion hit his moving vehicle near the village of Tambukan in Russia’s Stavropol Krai, Tuesday.
A Russian National Guard senior officer and two other service members were killed in a Ukrainian intelligence operation in the North Caucasus on Sept. 27, Ukraine's military intelligence (HUR) said.
US envoy says Russia-Ukraine war on scale 'not seen since World War II'
22:32 , Maira ButtUS envoy to Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, told the Warsaw Security Forum in Poland that the war Russia-Ukraine war is on a scale and severity that “Europe has not seen since World War II”.
“The killing is industrial strength,” he said as he estimated approximately one million people across both sides could have died or been wounded since Russia’s invasion in 2022.
US has moved submarines near Russian coast to 'be careful', says Trump
22:01 , Maira ButtAmerican submarines have been stationed near the Russian coast, according to the US President.
“I moved a submarine or two, over to the coast of Russia, just to be careful, because we can't let people throw around that word [nuclear],” he said.
He boasted that US submarines were 25 years ahead of Moscow’s.
EU moves to sidestep Hungary for Ukraine membership
21:35 , Maira ButtTechnical work has begun to advance Ukraine and Moldova’s accession to the EU despite Hungary’s attempts to block membership, according to the Financial Times.
Ukraine hopes to persuade Hungary to enable negotiations to continue as the final decision requires unanimity, according to Taras Kachka, Ukraine’s deputy prime minister for European integration.
“But meanwhile we have and we really appreciate that we have, an offer from EU institutions and other member states to go with technical work on clusters,” she told the publication.
Who’s arming the Ukraine-Russia war? Every nation involved as US considers sending Tomahawks
21:01 , Maira ButtAs Donald Trump is set to decide whether to send long-range missile to Ukraine, The Independent takes a look at which countries are the key military backers behind war in Europe.
Alex Croft and Bryony Gooch report:
Who’s arming the Ukraine-Russia war as US considers sending Kyiv Tomahawks
'So what?': Hungarian PM shrugs off alleged drone incursion into Ukraine
20:28 , Maira ButtHungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has denied Ukraine’s sovereignty as he shrugged off accusations that his country engaged in drone incursions into Ukraine.
“Let’s suppose they flew a few meters in there [Ukraine], and so what?” said on the Fighter’s Hour podcast produced by the Fidesz party, which he leads.
“Ukraine is not an independent country. Ukraine is not a sovereign country … If we, that is the West, decide not to give it a single forint [Hungarian currency], tomorrow Ukraine could shut down.”
Hungary continues to block Ukraine’s attempts to join the European Union.
Ukrainian diver detained in Poland over Nord Stream explosions
20:01 , Maira ButtA Ukrainian citizen has been detained in Poland over his alleged involvement in the 2022 Nord Stream explosions.
Identified only as Volodymyr Z., the suspect was held after a German court issued a European arrest warrant, according to Polish radio station RMF FM.
His Polish lawyer confirmed Volodymyr, a diving instructor, was being detained on Tuesday. There was no immediate comment from Polish or German prosecutors.
Ukraine and Denmark begin joint exercises to counter drones, says Zelensky
19:30 , Maira Butt“Our group of specialists has begun deploying a mission in Denmark to share Ukraine’s experience in countering drones,” the Ukrainian president wrote on X/Twitter on Tuesday.
“Our guys arrived to take part in the joint exercises with partners, which could become the foundation for a new system to counter Russian and any other drones.”
It follows unexplained drone activity near Danish airports last week, with the Russian prime minister Mette Fredriksen refusing to rule out Russian involvement. Russia has denied it initiated drone incursions into European airspace.
Our group of specialists has begun deploying a mission in Denmark to share Ukraine’s experience in countering drones. Our guys arrived to take part in the joint exercises with partners, which could become the foundation for a new system to counter Russian and any other drones.…
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) September 30, 2025
Donald Trump 'disappointed' in Putin
19:02 , Maira ButtAddressing America’s military in Virginia, he said about the war in Ukraine: “I think we'll get that done, but that's turned out to be the toughest one.”
He added: “I'm so disappointed in President Putin, I thought he would get this thing over with.
“He should have had that war done in a week, and I said to him.
“And I said to him, you know, you don't look good. You're four years fighting a war that should have taken a week. Are you a paper tiger?
Russia to expel Austrian diplomat in tit-for-tat move
18:34 , Maira ButtRussia is seeking to expel its Austrian diplomat in a retaliatory move after Austria expelled its Russian diplomat on suspicion of espionage.
Earlier this month, an OMV employee was fired after he was accused for spying for Russia and its diplomat, according to Profil.
The employee allegedly attracted attention through meetings with the diplomat suspected of being an agent of the Russian intelligence service (FSB).
Russia struggling to meet mobilisation target in occupied Crimea
18:01 , Maira ButtRussia is struggling to meet mobilisation targets in occupied Crimea, Ukraine’s Centre of National Resistance has shared with the Kyiv Independent.
Despite Putin’s push for an additional 135,000 soldiers to be recruited by the end of the year, this falls far below Russ’a targets in occupied Crimea.
Only 963 people of an expected 1,636 people have been mobilised, accounting for 59 per cent of the annual target.
War in Ukraine driving criminal gangs to target rural farm machinery for ‘lucrative rewards’
17:32 , Maira ButtThe war in Ukraine is driving a wave of organised crime gang operations in rural parts of Britain, with stolen farm machinery being sent to eastern Europe for “lucrative rewards”, a police officer has warned.
Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine three years ago, police say a black market has opened up for equipment in the region, which has seen production plummet and sanctions imposed on Moscow.
Alex Ross reports:
War in Ukraine drives gangs to chase ‘lucrative rewards’ in English countryside
Putin to conscript record 135,000 soldiers
17:00 , Maira ButtRussia is pushing for its biggest conscription drive since 2016.
President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree for plans to recruit 135,000 soldiers from Wednesday until the end of the year, according to the Russian government website.
It is the single largest draft for mandatory service since 2016, when 152,000 soldiers were enlisted.
Citizens of Russia aged between 18 to 30 who are not in the reserve will be drafted.
Rare daytime attack kills one in Ukraine
16:58 , Athena StavrouRussia launched a rare daytime drone attack on the Ukrainian city of Dnipro on Tuesday.
One man was killed and 20 others were injured in the attack that also damaged medical, residential and office buildings, officials said.
Serhiy Lysak, the regional governor, said the attack targeted the centre of the industrial city at a time when people were at work and children were in schools
.On the Telegram app, he shared a video showing heavy smoke billowing above buildings and firefighters battling the blaze in the centre of Dnipro, which serves as an industrial and business hub for southeastern Ukraine.
Lysak said an office building was on fire, adding that several other buildings and dozens of cars were damaged.
President Volodymyr Zelensky issued a fresh appeal for stronger sanctions against Russia."With every such strike, Russians prove time and again that they must face strong pressure," Zelensky said in a post on X.
"Joint action is essential. Only through united and strong action can these terrorists be defeated. Russia must be held accountable for its actions."
Right now in Dnipro, rescuers and all emergency and utility services are responding after a Russian drone strike on the city, a brazen attack in broad daylight, targeting civilian infrastructure.
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) September 30, 2025
So far, more than 10 people have been reported injured. All of them are receiving… pic.twitter.com/QVE01AA5RJ
In pictures: Family of four killed in overnight Russian drone attack in Sumy
16:27 , Maira Butt
Britain might already be at war with Russia, ex-MI5 chief warns
16:00 , Maira ButtBritain might already be at war with Russia, a former MI5 chief has warned, pointing to the rising number of cyber attacks as well as sabotage and covert operations on UK soil.
Eliza Manningham-Buller, who was head of the security service between 2002 and 2007, said Moscow could be waging a different kind of conflict against the West, echoing comments from foreign policy expert Fiona Hill.
Tara Cobham reports:
Britain might already be at war with Russia, ex-MI5 chief warns
US has moved submarines near Russian coast to 'be careful', says Trump
15:15 , Maira ButtAmerican submarines have been stationed near the Russian coast, according to the US President.
“I moved a submarine or two, over to the coast of Russia, just to be careful, because we can't let people throw around that word [nuclear],” he said.
He boasted that US submarines were 25 years ahead of Moscow’s.
From Moldova to the UK: How Russia is using interference to try and disrupt elections
15:08 , Maira ButtWestern leaders applauded as Moldova’s pro-EU party beat several pro-Kremlin opponents to victory in an election marred by allegations of Russian interference.
The ruling party secured more than 50 per cent of the vote, compared to less than 25 cent for the Russian alligned outfit. Moscow was charged with trying to sway the vote through widespread disinformation and vote-buying, something it denied.
But this isn’t the first time Putin’s government has been accused of interfering in other country’s democracy; Russia was accused of helping to bring US president Donald Trump into power back in 2016, has been linked to attempted coups in Montenegro, and even been connected to interference in the UK, such as the poisoning of Alexander Litvinenko on British soil.
Bryony Gooch reports:
From Moldova to the UK: How Russia is using interference to try and disrupt elections
Zelensky and Putin need to get together, says Trump
14:53 , Maira ButtPresident Trump has said that Ukrainian leader Zelensky and Russian President Putin must meet together in person in order to solve Russia’s war with Ukraine.
The American leader made the suggestion in before military commanders in Quantico, Virginia on Tuesday.
The battle has been raging for over three years, after Putin’s forces invaded the country in February 2022.
US envoy, Keith Kellogg, estimated that approximately one million people could have been killed or wounded across both sides since fighting began.
Family of British man killed in Ukraine says foreign office 'not helpful'
14:35 , Maira ButtThe parents of a young British man killed in Ukraine has said that the foreign office was “not helpful” after his death.
Christopher and Michaela Tarmey told PA that their son Marlyn Tarmey was "so much more than a soldier or a statistic" and that he was "a much loved son, grandson, cousin, brother and friend with a big heart and a great wit".
They called for more help for the families of fallen soldiers.
Mr Tarmey died at the age of 20 in June 2024, three months after joining the fighting in Ukraine.
War in Ukraine driving criminal gangs to target rural farm machinery for ‘lucrative rewards’
14:23 , Maira ButtThe war in Ukraine is driving a wave of organised crime gang operations in rural parts of Britain, with stolen farm machinery being sent to eastern Europe for “lucrative rewards”, a police officer has warned.
Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine three years ago, police say a black market has opened up for equipment in the region, which has seen production plummet and sanctions imposed on Moscow.
Alex Ross reports:
War in Ukraine drives gangs to chase ‘lucrative rewards’ in English countryside
Ukrainian detained in Poland over Nord Stream explosions
14:01 , Maira ButtA Ukrainian citizen has been detained in Poland over his alleged involvement in the 2022 Nord Stream explosions.
Identified only as Volodymyr Z., the suspect was held after a German court issued a European arrest warrant, according to Polish radio station RMF FM.
His Polish lawyer confirmed Volodymyr, a diving instructor, was being detained on Tuesday. There was no immediate comment from Polish or German prosecutors.
Russia and Ukraine clash over Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant outage
13:25 , Maira ButtTensions are rising over Europe’s largest nuclear facility after a key power line failed in the war-torn southeast of Ukraine, leaving the Zaporizhzhia plant reliant on emergency diesel generators.
The outage, which began last Wednesday, has stretched longer than previous cuts during the conflict, heightening concerns about the plant’s cooling systems that prevent fuel from overheating inside its inactive reactors.
Moscow and Kyiv have traded accusations over the disruption. Russian officials claim Ukrainian shelling destroyed the high-voltage line, making repair efforts too dangerous.
Ukraine, however, has accused Moscow of engineering the crisis as a pretext to link the facility to Russia’s electricity grid and bring it back online despite the risks of operating in a combat zone.
Although experts say the immediate threat of a meltdown or explosion is low, every loss of external power weakens the plant’s already fragile safeguards.
Former CIA director says underwater drones 'could stop Russians cold'
13:01 , Maira Butt“This is the moment where Ukraine can stop the Russians cold on the battlefields if they are able to make even more unmanned systems,” General David Petraeus told The Telegraph.
He suggested that unmanned submarines could serve as a vital component of Ukraine’s military campaign against Russia, allowing it to strike deep within the country.
US envoy says Putin knows he 'can't win' war
12:29 , Maira Butt“[US President] Trump has been personally engaged, with Joe Biden he never picked up the phone and talked to Putin once, you've got to be able to talk to your enemies,” Keith Kellogg told the Warsaw Security Council on Tuesday.
“There's a level of frustration, we're in a pretty good position with the Ukrainians and Putin doesn't want to go there.
“I think probably in his heart of hearts, he realises he can't win this.”
Ukraine and Denmark begin joint exercises to counter drones, says Zelensky
12:20 , Maira Butt“Our group of specialists has begun deploying a mission in Denmark to share Ukraine’s experience in countering drones,” the Ukrainian president wrote on X/Twitter on Tuesday.
“Our guys arrived to take part in the joint exercises with partners, which could become the foundation for a new system to counter Russian and any other drones.”
It follows unexplained drone activity near Danish airports last week, with the Russian prime minister Mette Fredriksen refusing to rule out Russian involvement. Russia has denied it initiated drone incursions into European airspace.
Our group of specialists has begun deploying a mission in Denmark to share Ukraine’s experience in countering drones. Our guys arrived to take part in the joint exercises with partners, which could become the foundation for a new system to counter Russian and any other drones.…
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) September 30, 2025
US envoy says Russia-Ukraine war on scale 'not seen since World War II'
12:20 , Maira ButtUS envoy to Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, told the Warsaw Security Forum in Poland that the war Russia-Ukraine war is on a scale and severity that “Europe has not seen since World War II”.
“The killing is industrial strength,” he said as he estimated approximately one million people across both sides could have died since Russia’s invasion in 2022.
Russia claims to have seized third frontline settlement in a day in battle with Ukraine
12:01 , Maira ButtThe Russian defence ministry said its forces had captured the settlement of Sieversk Malyi in eastern Ukraine's Donetsk region, on Tuesday.
It follows Russian claims that the military had seized two other frontline settlements, Shandryholove and Zarichne, near the northeast city of Sloviansk overnight.
The report has not been independently verified.
Russia does not believe US has decided to supply Ukraine with Tomahawk missiles
11:47 , Maira ButtRussian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said he does not believe the US has taken a decision to supply Ukraine with Tomahawk missiles.
On Sunday Vice President JD Vance said Washington had been considering a Ukrainian request for the weapons. Russia had warned the move could trigger a steep escalation at the time.
Wanted Ukrainian citizen detained over Nord Stream explosions
11:20 , Maira ButtA Ukrainian citizen wanted over the Nord Stream explosions has been arrested, according to RMF FM.
The September 2022 Nord Stream sabotage mission destroyed a series of underwater gas pipelines and caused gas leaks across the area.
The man was wanted by Germany over his alleged involvement in the scheme and was detained in Poland. The news was confirmed by his lawyer.
Kremlin hits back at German chancellor Merz's claim Europe 'no longer at peace'
11:14 , Maira ButtRussia has responded to German chancellor Friedrich Merz’s claim on Monday that Europe and Russia are “no longer at peace”.
The Kremlin accused Germany of being indirectly involved in the war in Ukraine in response.
Ukraine assassinates Russian lieutenant colonel far from frontlines, intelligence claims
11:03 , Maira ButtUkraine has killed a senior Russian military official and two service members during an intelligence operation.
HUR, the state’s military intelligence agency said that the Russian National Guard senior officer, his aide and a driver were killed while travelling to a training ground on Saturday.
The agency released footage of the officer being monitored from afar, before an explosion hit his moving vehicle near the village of Tambukan in Russia’s Stavropol Krai, Tuesday.
A Russian National Guard senior officer and two other service members were killed in a Ukrainian intelligence operation in the North Caucasus on Sept. 27, Ukraine's military intelligence (HUR) said.
Hungary blocks Ukrainian news sites amid feud
10:51 , Maira ButtTwelve Ukrainian news sites have been blocked across Hungary as tensions deepen between the neighbours amid Russia’s invasion.
It comes in response to Ukraine blocking pro-Russian sites, including eight Hungarian language portals.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban's chief of staff, Gergely Gulyas, said that “a sovereign country must give a proportional response to an entirely unjustified attack.”
However, Ukrainian foreign ministry spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi said the reasoning behind the restrictions were unjustified: “The difference is that Ukraine blocks Russian propaganda, whereas Orban's government blocks Hungarians' access to fact-based journalism.”
Who’s arming the Ukraine-Russia war? Every nation involved as US considers sending Tomahawks
10:35 , Maira ButtAs Donald Trump is set to decide whether to send long-range missile to Ukraine, The Independent takes a look at which countries are the key military backers behind war in Europe.
Alex Croft and Bryony Gooch report:
Who’s arming the Ukraine-Russia war as US considers sending Kyiv Tomahawks
EU moves to sidestep Hungary for Ukraine membership
10:20 , Maira ButtTechnical work has begun to advance Ukraine and Moldova’s accession to the EU despite Hungary’s attempts to block membership, according to the Financial Times.
Ukraine hopes to persuade Hungary to enable negotiations to continue as the final decision requires unanimity, according to Taras Kachka, Ukraine’s deputy prime minister for European integration.
“But meanwhile we have and we really appreciate that we have, an offer from EU institutions and other member states to go with technical work on clusters,” she told the publication.
'So what?': Hungarian PM shrugs off alleged drone incursion into Ukraine
09:56 , Maira ButtHungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has denied Ukraine’s sovereignty as he shrugged off accusations that his country engaged in drone incursions into Ukraine.
“Let’s suppose they flew a few meters in there [Ukraine], and so what?” said on the Fighter’s Hour podcast produced by the Fidesz party, which he leads.
“Ukraine is not an independent country. Ukraine is not a sovereign country … If we, that is the West, decide not to give it a single forint [Hungarian currency], tomorrow Ukraine could shut down.”
Hungary continues to block Ukraine’s attempts to join the European Union.
Britain might already be at war with Russia, ex-MI5 chief warns
09:44 , Maira ButtBritain might already be at war with Russia, a former MI5 chief has warned, pointing to the rising number of cyber attacks as well as sabotage and covert operations on UK soil.
Eliza Manningham-Buller, who was head of the security service between 2002 and 2007, said Moscow could be waging a different kind of conflict against the West, echoing comments from foreign policy expert Fiona Hill.
Tara Cobham reports:
Britain might already be at war with Russia, ex-MI5 chief warns
Putin issues defiant message after Russian forces claim to seize two Ukrainian settlements
09:18 , Maira ButtPresident Vladimir Putin has issued a defiant message after Russian forces claimed they seized two frontline settlements in the Donetsk region in eastern Ukraine.
"Our fighters and commanders go on the attack, and the entire country, all of Russia, is waging this righteous battle and working hard,” he said in a video posted to the Kremlin’s website.
"We are fighting and we are prevailing."
In pictures: Russian overnight drone strike kills family of four
09:02 , Maira ButtUkraine loan from Russian frozen assets would fund EU defence industry, von der Leyen says
08:42 , Maira ButtEuropean Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has revealed that a reparations loan to Ukraine, proposed by the EU Commission, will fund defence procurement within Europe.
It will be backed by frozen Russian assets, but Von der Leyen said the proposal did not involve seizing the assets. Ukraine would repay the loan if Russia paid reparations.
Putin to conscript record 135,000 soldiers
08:13 , Maira ButtRussia is pushing for its biggest conscription drive since 2016.
President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree for plans to recruit 135,000 soldiers from Wednesday until the end of the year, according to the Russian government website.
It is the single largest draft for mandatory service since 2016, when 152,000 soldiers were enlisted.
Citizens of Russia aged between 18 to 30 who are not in the reserve will be drafted.
EU pushes forward with technical preparations for Ukraine and Moldova’s accession
07:49 , Namita SinghThe European Union has begun laying the groundwork for Ukraine and Moldova to move closer to membership, despite Hungary’s ongoing efforts to block progress, according to officials familiar with the discussions.
Kyiv formally applied to join the bloc in 2022, shortly after Russia launched its full-scale invasion, with neighbouring Moldova following soon after.
Both countries officially opened accession talks last year, but further steps have since stalled because the EU requires unanimous backing from all 27 members to open individual “chapters” of negotiations covering areas such as energy, competition policy and judicial reform.
Brussels is now seeking a way around Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orbán’s veto. According to officials, the European Commission has suggested changing its procedures to allow technical work on several “clusters” of rules to begin, even without a formal agreement to open negotiations.
The matter is expected to be discussed by EU leaders at a meeting in Copenhagen on Wednesday, ahead of a broader summit on Thursday that will also include Ukraine and Moldova.
Taras Kachka, Ukraine’s deputy prime minister for European integration, said Kyiv would continue trying to convince Budapest to lift its objections, noting that the final decision on accession will always rest with all member states.
“But meanwhile we have and we really appreciate that we have, an offer from EU institutions and other member states to go with technical work on clusters,” Kachka told the Financial Times.
War in Ukraine driving criminal gangs to target rural farm machinery for ‘lucrative rewards’
07:47 , Maira ButtThe war in Ukraine is driving a wave of organised crime gang operations in rural parts of Britain, with stolen farm machinery being sent to eastern Europe for “lucrative rewards”, a police officer has warned.
Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine three years ago, police say a black market has opened up for equipment in the region, which has seen production plummet and sanctions imposed on Moscow.
Alex Ross reports:
War in Ukraine drives gangs to chase ‘lucrative rewards’ in English countryside
Family of four killed in Ukraine’s Sumy region, governor says
07:23 , Namita SinghTwo brothers aged four and six and their parents were killed in an overnight Russian drone attack on a village in the northern Sumy region, the regional governor Oleh Hryhorov said on Tuesday.
"Last night, the enemy purposefully hit a residential building with an attack drone in the village of Chernechchyna," Hryhorov wrote on the Telegram messaging app.
He added the family's bodies were pulled from under the rubble. The report could not be independently verified.
Russian forces are engaged in a long, grinding war along the front line through eastern and southern Ukraine, but have also tried to gain a foothold in areas like Sumy, which borders Russia's Kursk region.
Russia denies targeting civilians in its almost daily drone and missile attacks on Ukraine. Thousands of civilians have been killed and homes, apartment blocks and commercial property damaged and destroyed.
Ukrainian journalist held by Russia wins Vaclav Havel rights award
07:01 , Namita SinghMaksym Butkevych, a Ukrainian journalist and human rights activist who was released last year after being captured by Russian forces, was handed the Václav Havel Human Rights Prize by the Council of Europe on Monday.
Butkevych, who confounded the independent Hromadske radio station and Zmina human rights centre in Kyiv, was detained by Russia in June 2022 and convicted for war crimes in March 2023.
Sentenced to a 13-year prison term on charges of wounding two civilians while serving as a soldier in the Ukrainian army, he was released last year in October during prison exchange.
Russia and Ukraine clash over Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant outage
06:51 , Namita SinghTensions are rising over Europe’s largest nuclear facility after a key power line failed in the war-torn southeast of Ukraine, leaving the Zaporizhzhia plant reliant on emergency diesel generators.
The outage, which began last Wednesday, has stretched longer than previous cuts during the conflict, heightening concerns about the plant’s cooling systems that prevent fuel from overheating inside its inactive reactors.
Moscow and Kyiv have traded accusations over the disruption. Russian officials claim Ukrainian shelling destroyed the high-voltage line, making repair efforts too dangerous.
Ukraine, however, has accused Moscow of engineering the crisis as a pretext to link the facility to Russia’s electricity grid and bring it back online despite the risks of operating in a combat zone.
Although experts say the immediate threat of a meltdown or explosion is low, every loss of external power weakens the plant’s already fragile safeguards.
“This situation is critical,” said Bruno Chareyron, scientific adviser to the French nonprofit Commission for Independent Research and Information on Radioactivity. Referring to the reliance on diesel power, he added: “The problem is, with this war, people get used to it. It’s very dangerous that people are used to a situation that is absolutely not normal” for the functioning of a nuclear facility.
The plant has long been a flashpoint. Russian forces stormed it in March 2022, hitting buildings and equipment during their assault.
Since September that year, all six reactors have remained shut down, but the facility continues to sit on the frontline – with every disruption raising new fears about its safety.
UK may already be at war with Russia, says former MI5 chief
06:23 , Namita SinghBritain and Russia may already be at war, said a former head of MI5. But it is a “different sort of war”, said Baroness Manningham-Buller while appearing on the Lord Speaker’s Corner podcast.
“Fiona Hill may be right in saying we’re already at war with Russia,” said the former chief of Security Services, who served as the head between 2002 and 2007.
“It’s a different sort of war, but the hostility, the cyberattacks, the physical attacks, intelligence work is extensive.”
Speaking of her meeting with Putin in 2005, she said: “We all hoped that at the end of the Soviet Union we would have a potential partner. That was one of the reasons why Putin was with us for the G8 summit in 2005.
“I met him when he came back to London. But actually we were wrong because Russia is extremely hostile to the West. I didn’t anticipate that within a year he’d be ordering the murder on London streets of Alexander Litvinenko.”
Hungary blocks 12 Ukrainian news sites in tit-for-tat
06:10 , Namita SinghHungary said on Monday it was blocking access to 12 Ukrainian news sites after a similar move by Kyiv, worsening relations between the two neighbours which have been fraught during Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Earlier this month, Ukraine blocked various websites deemed to contain pro-Russian views at the request of the security services. They included eight Hungarian-language portals, among them a popular pro-government news site, origo.hu.
"A sovereign country must give a proportional response to an entirely unjustified attack," Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orban's chief of staff, Gergely Gulyas, said in a Facebook post on Monday, announcing the measure.
Most of the websites targeted by Hungary are widely read in Ukraine.
One, European Pravda, closely tracks Ukraine's EU accession aspiration and Hungary's efforts to block that.
Gulyas said Ukraine banned the Hungarian portals because they wrote critically about sanctions against Russia and military support for Ukraine and criticised the European Union and Nato alliance as being fragmented and ineffective.
"If the fragmentation of the European Union provides grounds for state censorship in Ukraine, then it is time for Ukraine to renounce its intention to join," he wrote.
Putin directs largest autumn conscription in a decade
05:55 , Namita SinghRussian president has called for the largest conscription operation in the military service since 2016, as the country announces vacancies for 135,000 men in the army.
The mobilisation comes amid mounting Russian losses in the war and pressure to maintain the 1,000km long frontline.
According to Western estimates over a million troops from Vladimir Putin’s army have died in the war. Putin has increased annual conscription by an average of five per cent since the start of war in 2022.
Putin says Russia is prevailing in ‘righteous battle’ in Ukraine
05:43 , Namita SinghRussian president Vladimir Putin said on Monday that Russian forces are prevailing in what he said was a "righteous battle" in Ukraine.
"Our fighters and commanders go on the attack, and the entire country, all of Russia, is waging this righteous battle and working hard," Putin said in a video published on the Kremlin's website.
"Together we are defending our love for the Motherland and the unity of our historical destiny, we are fighting and we are prevailing."
Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022, calling it a "special military operation" to demilitarise and de-nazify its neighbour.
Kyiv and its allies say the invasion is an unprovoked imperialistic attempt to grab land.
Russia says it has taken control of two villages in Ukraine’s Donetsk region
05:32 , Namita SinghRussian forces have taken control of two more frontline settlements in key areas of eastern Ukraine's Donetsk region, the Russian defence ministry said on Monday.
Ukrainian officials did not address the Russian announcement concerning the two villages, but president Volodymyr Zelensky said Kyiv's counter-offensive operation near the town of Dobropillia, also in Donetsk region, made progress.
It could not be independently verified.
The Russian defence ministry said its forces were now in control of Shandryholove and Zarichne, both northeast of the city of Sloviansk – one of the centres Moscow hopes eventually to capture in its drive westward through Donetsk region.
It then issued a second statement saying defence minister Andrei Belousov had congratulated the unit for the "bold and decisive" actions that led to the capture of Zarichne, identified by its Soviet-era name, Kirovsk.
Video released by Russia's ministry of defence purport to show Russian troops moving from building to building and holding aloft a Russian flag as they take control of Shandryholove.
Moscow has been advancing slowly along the frontline crossing eastern and southern areas of Ukraine, announcing the capture of new villages nearly every day.
It does not release casualty figures, but Ukrainian and Western military analysts say the advances have come at a high cost in men and equipment.
Zelensky offers Europe support to counter drone incursions
04:50 , Namita SinghUkraine’s president has offered to help European countries after several nations saw a wave of drone incursions last month.
Poland, Romania and Denmark saw drones breaching the international borders, forcing the closure of airports, exposing the gaps in Nato’s ability to respond in a timely manner.
Offering support, Volodymyr Zelensky said his country was offering “to Poland and all our partners to build a joint, truly reliable shield against Russian aerial threats”.
He said his country’s military “can counter all types of Russian drones and missiles”, adding that “if Russia loses the ability to strike in the skies, it will be unable to continue the war”.
Russia’s war on Ukraine is war against freedom, says German chancellor
04:10 , Namita SinghGerman chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Monday that Russia’s war on Ukraine is a war against Europe’s freedom.
In comments during a media event in Duesseldorf, he said that while Europe “is not at war”, it is also “no longer at peace” with Russia.
Elaborating, the German chancellor said, Moscow’s war is “a war against our democracy and a war against our freedom.”He added that Moscow’s intention was to undermine unity in the bloc.
Who’s arming the Ukraine-Russia war?
04:06 , Namita SinghUkraine could soon receive some long-range Tomahawk missiles, vice president JD Vance has said, adding that Donald Trump will make the “final decision” on the deal.Volodymyr Zelensky asked the US to sell the highly coveted weapons to European nations that would send them to Ukraine.
With a range of 2,500km, adding Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine’s artillery would put Russia’s capital within Kyiv’s range, something that could be seen by Vladimir Putin as an escalation in the three-and-a-half-year war.
President Trump has previously denied Ukraine’s requests for the use of long-range missiles in the past, but as he grows more frustrated with Moscow, he appears to be more accepting of Zelensky’s requests.
The US leader has not often granted Ukraine’s requests, but suggested in June that the US could send more Patriot missile systems to Ukraine.
Here, The Independent takes a look at what weapons the US and other countries have been sending to Ukraine and Russia as the war show no signs of ending soon.
Who’s arming the Ukraine-Russia war as US considers sending Kyiv Tomahawks
Watch: Destruction in Kyiv after deadly Russian attack
04:00 , Rebecca WhittakerMoldova’s pro-EU party wins clear parliamentary majority, defeating pro-Russian groups
03:50 , Namita SinghMoldovans gave the country's pro-Western governing party a clear parliamentary majority in a weekend election, defeating pro-Russian groups in a vote widely viewed as a stark choice between East and West.
European leaders on Monday hailed Moldovans for re-affirming their commitment to a Western path and future membership in the European Union in the face of alleged Russian interference. The country is small in size and population but with outsized geopolitical importance.
"You made your choice clear: Europe. Democracy. Freedom," European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said in a post on X.
"No attempt to sow fear or division could break your resolve."
Landlocked between war-torn Ukraine and EU and Nato member Romania, Moldova was a Soviet republic until it proclaimed independence in 1991.
In recent years it has taken a clear Westward path, turning the country into a geopolitical battleground between Russia and Europe.
The outcome of Sunday's high-stakes ballot was noteworthy considering Moldovan authorities' repeated claims that Russia was conducting a vast "hybrid war" to try to sway the outcome.
Moldova applied to join the EU in 2022 in the wake of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and was granted candidate status that year. Brussels agreed to open accession negotiations last year.
Fighter jets waving at Nato and Alaska incursions: Every time Russia has tested the airspace of Ukraine’s allies
03:00 , Rebecca Whittaker
Every time Russia has tested the airspace of Ukraine’s allies
Recap: Kremlin warns Tomahawks will not be a game-changer in the war
02:00 , Rebecca WhittakerKremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said any use of Tomahawks would not be a game-changer in the war, as the US is considering selling the long-range missile to Europe, to pass on to Ukraine.
"Even if this happens, there's no panacea that can change the situation on the front for the Kyiv regime right now... And whether it's Tomahawks or other missiles, they won't be able to change the dynamic," Peskov said, referring to the slow but steady gains Russian forces are making in eastern Ukraine.
Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said on Monday that Europe "simply cannot afford a war with Russia" but that "the possibility of a fatal accident always exists".
Can Ukraine regain all the land lost to Russia? Maps show huge scale of task despite Trump’s call to ‘fight and win’
01:00 , Rebecca Whittaker
Can Ukraine regain land occupied by Russia? Maps show scale of task facing Kyiv
Watch: Zelensky warns Europe of drone attacks after 'treacherous' Ukraine strikes
Tuesday 30 September 2025 00:01 , Rebecca WhittakerWho’s arming the Ukraine-Russia war? Every nation involved as US considers sending Tomahawks
Monday 29 September 2025 23:00 , Bryony GoochWho’s arming the Ukraine-Russia war as US considers sending Kyiv Tomahawks
Russia set to shrink defence budget in 2026
Monday 29 September 2025 22:00 , Bryony GoochRussia's state spending on national defence is set to fall slightly in 2026, according to draft budget materials submitted to parliament, but sources said it could be increased if needed.
The documents show planned defence spending of 13 trillion roubles ($157 billion) in 2026, which would be the fifth year of the war in Ukraine.
That is more than the 12.6 trillion roubles noted in preliminary Finance Ministry documents obtained by Reuters last week, but below this year's post-Soviet high of 13.5 trillion roubles.
The lower target has raised questions among analysts, given that there is no sign of an end to the conflict. How the money will actually be spent is unclear, because 84 per cent of defence expenditure is classified.
A source with knowledge of the budget process told Reuters that defence spending can be increased rapidly if necessary.
"If there is active warfare, they can add funding at any moment," said the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the subject.
Another source said actual military spending often exceeds targets and may be hidden within other types of expenditure.
Actual military spending in 2025 is classified, but published materials show some increases compared to the initial plan, including 30 billion roubles in additional capital for PSB, a bank serving the military-industrial complex.
Watch: Zelensky urges Europe to support Moldova following pro-EU election result
Monday 29 September 2025 21:00 , Bryony GoochNato countries and allies bordering Russia plan to build concrete bunkers around energy facilities
Monday 29 September 2025 20:00 , Bryony GoochFour NATO and European Union countries bordering Russia plan to build concrete bunkers and anti-drone nets at vital energy facilities under a plan to protect their power grids following Russian drone incursions.
Violations of Polish airspace by Russian drones this month and multiple drone sightings, including one that forced the closure of Copenhagen Airport for several hours, have raised concerns about NATO's defences on its eastern flank.
The airspace violations have also increased concerns about the vulnerability of energy facilities in the area, and Poland, Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia have drawn up a plan to protect their power grids which they now treat as a matter of urgency.
In pictures: Residential houses are seen destroyed after a Russian strike in Kyiv, Ukraine
Monday 29 September 2025 19:00 , Bryony Gooch
Kremlin warns Tomahawks will not be a game-changer in the war
Monday 29 September 2025 18:00 , Bryony GoochKremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said any use of Tomahawks would not be a game-changer in the war, as the US is considering selling the long-range missile to Europe, to pass on to Ukraine.
"Even if this happens, there's no panacea that can change the situation on the front for the Kyiv regime right now... And whether it's Tomahawks or other missiles, they won't be able to change the dynamic," Peskov said, referring to the slow but steady gains Russian forces are making in eastern Ukraine.
Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said on Monday that Europe "simply cannot afford a war with Russia" but that "the possibility of a fatal accident always exists".
'Putin fears unity', says Zelensky
Monday 29 September 2025 17:00 , Bryony GoochVolodymyr Zelensky has called for European unity, claiming that it’s the “number one weapons” Vladimir Putin fears.
“The number one weapon any aggressor truly fears – in this case, Russia and Putin – is unity,” he said on X. “That is our strongest weapon. Even though they tried to use certain representatives, even on the European continent, to drive a wedge – to undermine European unity and even split the EU itself – Russia failed to divide most countries.
“That is why we are strong, and that’s why Ukraine has such support. The second thing we need now is coordination. That night, according to our data, 92 drones flew toward Poland, in that direction – I cannot say those drones were all intended to enter Polish territory, but they were headed that way.
“Our Air Force shot down everything they could, and that is a fact. And you know that 19 made it into Polish airspace. Had we acted in a more coordinated way, I believe we would have achieved an even greater result.
“Another key element is the PURL initiative, which enables Ukraine to buy American air-defense systems and missiles today. And six countries have already joined,” he continued.
“We would very much like other countries – including Poland – to support this initiative as well. It will definitely help us get through the winter. Third is about the future and our cooperation. There is the SAFE instrument that Poland will be using. We are ready to cooperate – even to use this instrument for air defense purposes.
“Today, Ukraine has interceptor drones, which are a technological breakthrough. Interceptor drones are the answer for defending the skies and countering any aerial targets – meaning other drones. We need additional funding for this.”
The number one weapon any aggressor truly fears – in this case, Russia and Putin – is unity. That is our strongest weapon. Even though they tried to use certain representatives, even on the European continent, to drive a wedge – to undermine European unity and even split the EU…
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) September 29, 2025
European commission to propose "Defence Readiness" roadmap
Monday 29 September 2025 16:40 , Bryony GoochThe European European Commission and European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas will propose a "Defence Readiness Roadmap" ahead of the October European Council, according to a document seen by Reuters.
In a "scoping paper", the commission proposes four "flagship" defence projects that it said will benefit the security of Europe as a whole: the European Drone Wall, the Eastern Flank Watch, the Air Defence Shield and the Defence Space Shield.
These projects will be open to all member states who want to participate, it added.
Germany ready to protect Baltic region, says defence minister
Monday 29 September 2025 16:20 , Bryony GoochGermany is ready to protect the Baltic region and will respond to Russia's threats in a united and responsible manner, Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said on Monday, describing Russia as the most significant and direct threat to NATO.
Pistorius, speaking at the opening of a Permanent Logistics Support Area in Rukla in Lithuania, said Germany was committed to strengthening deterrence, with roughly 2,000 troops to serve in Lithuania by mid-2026
Russia 'losing clout' with former Soviet states amid Moldova election, says Zelensky
Monday 29 September 2025 16:00 , Bryony GoochVolodymyr Zelensky has said that Russia is “losing clout” with former Soviet states as Moldova votes in a pro-EU party.
In a statement on social media, he said: “A united voice is essential, and it must respond to whatever Russia does and thinks it can get away with. We must focus not just on European countries, but also on former Soviet states where Russia is losing clout. That is another potential area for Russian aggression.
“Today, Moldova showed a pro-European result. And they did very well. And President Maia deserves credit, as the risks were substantial. The risks remain, but it is crucial that the people have clearly shown their aspirations and vision for the future.”
Zelensky says all of Europe must be protected from 'Russia's potential aggressive actions'
Monday 29 September 2025 15:39 , Bryony GoochVolodymyr Zelensky has said that all of Europe is under “Russia’s potential aggressive actions” and must be protected in a post on social media.
“Regarding Russian drone and aircraft encroachments into international airspace”, he said. “Estonia, Poland, Denmark, and Norway have been affected – and Sweden has already signaled its concern on the matter.
“There’s no smoke without fire. All these are definite risks: all these are violations of airspace, borders, and international law.
“Responses to these risks should not focus solely on the country under attack; they must consider that all of Europe is under Russia’s potential aggressive actions. Therefore, everyone must be protected. A united voice must respond – Europe, NATO, together with the United States. Because that’s exactly what Russia wants – for NATO to respond, but only partially, without the United States.”
Regarding Russian drone and aircraft encroachments into international airspace.
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) September 29, 2025
Estonia, Poland, Denmark, and Norway have been affected – and Sweden has already signaled its concern on the matter. There’s no smoke without fire. All these are definite risks: all these are…
Recap watch: Zelensky urges Europe to support Moldova following pro-EU election result
Monday 29 September 2025 15:25 , Bryony GoochEurope's defence industry may not be able to absorb EU rearmament funds, Romanian defence minister says
Monday 29 September 2025 15:09 , Bryony GoochRomanian Defence Minister Ionut Mosteanu said on Monday he was concerned that Europe's weapons industry could not absorb billions of euros stemming from the EU's new SAFE rearmament initiative.
Speaking at security conference in Warsaw, Mosteanu said European politicians should shorten approval times to help the defence industry absorb the new orders.
Pro-EU party delivers boost to West with victory in Moldova elections despite Russian interference claims
Monday 29 September 2025 15:00 , Bryony GoochMoldova’s ruling pro-Western party won a resounding victory in parliamentary elections on Monday, overcoming several pro-Kremlin opponents in a vote overshadowed by accusations of Russian interference.
President Maia Sandu’s Party of Action and Solidarity (PAS) had secured 50.2 per cent of the vote with all ballots counted by Monday. The pro-Russian Patriotic Electoral Bloc coalition sat at less than 25 per cent.
Electoral data indicate the PAS will hold a clear majority of about 55 of the 101 seats in the legislature.
PAS’s suprise majority comes as a major boost for the country’s bid to join the European Union by 2030 and break away from Moscow’s orbit amid rising tensions on Europe’s eastern frontier. The vote was widely seen as a choice for the electorate between aligning more closely with the West and folding back into Russia’s sphere of influence.
James C. Reynolds reports:
Pro-EU party claims victory in Moldova elections despite Russian interference claims
Russia exits European anti-torture convention
Monday 29 September 2025 14:45 , Bryony GoochRussian President Vladimir Putin on Monday signed a law denouncing the European Convention for the Prevention of Torture, according to a government website.
Russia's parliament previously voted to leave the treaty, which Moscow ratified in 1998.
According to the legislation passed by parliament, Russia's denunciation was in response to the Council of Europe refusing to seat a Russian representative on a committee that oversees the anti-torture convention.
UK defence secretary calls on Putin to 'stop the killing, start the talks'
Monday 29 September 2025 14:30 , Bryony GoochDefence Secretary John Healey has told Russian president Vladimir Putin to "stop the killing, start the talks".
He received a standing ovation at the Labour conference when he said: "Our message to Moscow from Liverpool today is this: 'President Putin, you will not win. 'Stop the killing, start the talks, agree a peace'.
"We will stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes."
German foreign minister: Russia's incursions have united Germans to push back
Monday 29 September 2025 14:15 , Bryony GoochGerman foreign minister Johann Wadephul said on Monday that Russia's recent incursions into NATO airspace have galvanised support in Germany for countermeasures to keep Russian aggressions in check.
"Now everybody recognised in Germany, also the far-right party AfD, that something happened and that sovereignty was touched and that had the absolute opposite effect of what Moscow had intended to. It brought us together, brought us behind our allies in Estonia, in Poland and in Romania," Wadephul said at the Warsaw Security Forum.
The AfD party, Germany's largest opposition party in the lower house of parliament, has opposed providing more military support to help Ukraine fend off Russian attacks.
Sweden, Germany and France to send military personnel and anti-drone systems to Denmark ahead of European summits
Monday 29 September 2025 14:00 , Bryony GoochFrance, Germany and Sweden said on Monday they will send military personnel and anti-drone systems to Denmark to boost security at this week's European summits in Copenhagen, after drone incursions that forced Denmark to shut several airports.
Denmark is due to host EU leaders on Wednesday, followed by a summit on Thursday of the wider, 47-member European Political Community. It has already said it has increased security around the events after the drone sightings.
Drones disrupted air traffic at six Danish airports last week, including at Copenhagen, the Nordic region's busiest, in what Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen called a hybrid attack on her nation.
Denmark has stopped short of saying definitively who it believes is responsible, but Frederiksen has suggested it could be Moscow, calling Russia the primary "country that poses a threat to European security". The Kremlin denies involvement.
Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said in a post on social media X that Sweden would send "Counter-UAS" - Counter-Unmanned Aircraft Systems - and that his country separately on Sunday had also shipped "a handful" of radar systems to Denmark.
Swedish police separately said they would send a significant force to Copenhagen at Denmark's request, and that Norwegian law enforcement officers would also take part.
France announced that it would be sending a Fennec military helicopter, as well as a team of 35 staff who would handle aspects of anti-drone work.
Ex-MI5 chief warns Britain could already be at war with Russia
Monday 29 September 2025 13:45 , Bryony GoochEliza Manningham-Buller, who was head of MI5 between 2002 and 2007, has said Moscow could be waging a different kind of conflict against the West, echoing comments from foreign policy expert Fiona Hill.
The warning comes as concern over hybrid warfare tactics – a combination of cyber war operations, disinformation and targeted violence – grows in Westminster.
Baroness Manningham-Buller told the Lord Speaker’s Corner podcast: “Fiona Hill may be right in saying we’re already at war with Russia. It’s a different sort of war, but the hostility, the cyber attacks, the physical attacks, intelligence work is extensive.”
“We all hoped that the past history of Russia wouldn’t prevail, and that at the end of the Soviet Union, we would have a potential partner. And that was one of the reasons why Putin was with us for the G8 [summit] in 2005. I met him when he came back to London.
“But actually, we were wrong in that, because Russia is extremely hostile to the West ... I didn’t anticipate that within a year he’d be ordering the murder on London streets of [Alexander] Litvinenko.”
Kremlin accuses Moldova of preventing hundreds of thousands of Moldovans living in Russia from voting
Monday 29 September 2025 13:30 , Bryony GoochThe Kremlin on Monday accused the authorities in Moldova of preventing hundreds of thousands of Moldovans living in Russia from voting in an important parliamentary election by providing only two polling stations for voters in the country.
Moldova's pro-European Union ruling party won a resounding victory over its Russian-leaning rival in the parliamentary election on Sunday, results showed, a major boost for those Moldovans who want to join the EU and break away from Moscow's orbit.
In a call with reporters, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Moldovans living in Russia, who are traditionally more likely to vote for pro-Russian political forces at home, had been unable to cast their vote.
"Hundreds of thousands of Moldovans were deprived of the opportunity to vote in the Russian Federation due to the fact that only two polling stations were open to them," said Peskov.
Asked whether Moscow recognised the results, Peskov noted that some political forces in Moldova had spoken of violations.
"First, Moldovans themselves should probably sort this out. As far as we know, some political forces are declaring their disagreement. They're talking about possible election violations," he said.
Around 500,000 Moldovan citizens live in Russia, Russian government officials say.
Fighter jets waving at Nato and Alaska incursions: Every time Russia has tested the airspace of Ukraine’s allies
Monday 29 September 2025 13:15 , Bryony GoochEvery time Russia has tested the airspace of Ukraine’s allies
Iraqi court sentences man to life in jail for trafficking fighters to Russian army in Ukraine
Monday 29 September 2025 13:00 , Bryony GoochAn Iraqi man has been sentenced to life in prison for human trafficking after he recruited Iraqis to fight for Russia against Ukraine, court officials said Monday.
The Najaf Criminal Court said in a statement that the convicted man had "formed groups and sent them to fight in foreign countries in exchange for financial compensation" and that the verdict was issued based on Iraq's anti-human trafficking law.
Iraqi judicial official and a senior security official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to comment, said the man, who they identified as Risan Falah Kamel, was convicted of recruiting fighters and sending them to fight on the Russian side.
Foreign fighters have joined both sides in the war that began with Russia's invasion in 2022.
Recap watch: Russia attacks Odesa over weekend, Ukrainian emergency services say
Monday 29 September 2025 12:52 , Bryony GoochNato test counter-drone technology in Latvia drills
Monday 29 September 2025 12:43 , Bryony GoochNato allies and partner countries met with industry and tested new counter-drone technology whilst exercising in Latvia, according to a post from the alliance on social media.
They tried new drones, including fibre-optic cable systems and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance systems.
NATO Allies and partner countries met with industry and tested new counter-drone technology whilst exercising in Latvia 🇱🇻
— NATO (@NATO) September 29, 2025
🎮 They tried new drones, including fibre-optic cable systems and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance systems pic.twitter.com/S3yRzRRt9V
Denmark lies more than 1,000 miles from Russia – so why would it be the target of a ‘hybrid attack’?
Monday 29 September 2025 12:34 , Bryony GoochCopenhagen has not ruled out Russian involvement in repeated drone incidents near Denmark’s airports, particularly after their recent diplomatic history.
Alex Croft reports:
Why would Denmark be the target of a Russian ‘hybrid drone attack’?
Watch: Zelensky urges Europe to support Moldova following pro-EU election result
Monday 29 September 2025 12:26 , Bryony GoochHungary blocks Ukrainian news sites in response to similar move by Ukraine
Monday 29 September 2025 12:13 , Bryony GoochHungary has blocked access to 12 Ukrainian news sites in its territory in response to a similar move by Ukraine, Prime Minister Viktor Orban's chief of staff said in a Facebook post on Monday.
Previously, Ukraine banned several news portals, including two from Hungary earlier this month for allegedly spreading Russian propaganda, Hungarian pro-government news site mandiner.hu reported earlier this month.
In pictures: Lithuania install concrete blocks to defend power grid operators
Monday 29 September 2025 12:00 , Bryony Gooch
Zelensky confirms 'good results' from long-range strikes as Russia responds to Tomahawk missiles talk
Monday 29 September 2025 11:53 , Bryony GoochVolodymyr Zelensky has said that Ukraine’s “long-range strikes have brought us good results” amid talks that the US is considering sending Tomahawk missiles with a 2,500km range.
“I received a report from Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi. I thank our warriors for their precision — our long-range strikes have brought us good results” he said in a statement on X.
“Ukraine is defending itself rightfully, and that is being felt on Russian territory. We are preparing a Technological Staff meeting that will be largely focused on Ukrainian long-range capabilities — specifically, the production of our drones and missiles of various types.”
It comes as the Kremlin has said they will monitor the potential sale of Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine.
Zelensky continued: “Yesterday I spent considerable time speaking with manufacturers; as a result, there will now be concrete tasks for Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense and the military. The Commander-in-Chief also reported on the frontline situation, particularly in the Pokrovsk and Dobropillia areas.
“We continue the counteroffensive. As of this morning, total Russian losses have reached 3,185 personnel, and almost 1,800 of them are irrecoverable.
“Over 174 square kilometers have been regained, and over 194 square kilometers have been cleared as part of the operation.
“We continue defending our positions on other axes as well. Special attention is being paid to the situation in Kupyansk. I am grateful to each of our units that are ensuring the destruction of the occupiers. Glory to Ukraine!”
Ukraine nuclear plant enters fifth day on emergency power
Monday 29 September 2025 11:41 , Bryony Gooch
Ukraine nuclear plant on emergency power as Zelenskyy announces $90B arms deal
Pictured: Russian soldiers ride an APC in an undisclosed Ukrainian location
Monday 29 September 2025 11:41 , Bryony Gooch
