Volodymyr Zelensky has written an urgent letter to Donald Trump warning of an impending shortage of Ukraine’s critical air defences, it has been reported.
In the note seen by the Kyiv Independent, the Ukrainian president said Europe cannot keep pace with the number of US-produced Patriot missiles needed and asked his US counterpart for help, adding ballistic missiles remain Moscow's "last major advantage on the battlefield."
Ukraine's only means to shoot down Russian ballistic missiles is US-made interceptors for the Patriot air defence system. Throughout four years of war, Kyiv has been short of interceptors, but the Iran war has threatened to make resources even more scarce.
Since Trump took office, Ukraine has been purchasing Patriot missiles through NATO's Prioritised Ukraine Requirements List (PURL) initiative, financed by its European allies. But in his letter, President Zelensky warned the pace of deliveries is “no longer keeping up with the reality of the threat we face.”
"For us - for a nation fighting for its survival - there is hardly anything more painful to see than Patriot batteries with no missiles loaded," he added.
It comes as Russia intensifies its attacks from above and threatened a new wave of long-range strikes on Kyiv.
Key Points
- UK intelligence chief says almost half a million Russian soldiers have died in Putin’s war
- Zelensky sends Trump urgent letter over Ukraine's critical missile defence shortages
- Russia is asking its top banks to shoot down Ukrainian drones themselves, as Moscow struggles to defend key sites from attacks
- Ukrainian commander says Kyiv has list of 500 targets in Belarus ready if Lukashenko joins Putin in war on Ukraine
- Russia says it has launched a campaign of 'systematic' strikes on Kyiv, urging foreign citizens, diplomats and residents to leave city
- Over 50 countries condemn Russia’s large-scale attack on Ukrainian capital at UN, calling it 'a new and appalling level of aggression'
- Russia and Kazakhstan will sign a nuclear power agreement and discuss boosting Russian oil transit to China during Vladimir Putin’s visit this week
Almost 500,000 Russian soldiers killed in Ukraine war, GCHQ says
04:19 , Arpan Rai
Nearly 500,000 Russian soldiers have been killed over the course of the Ukraine war, new intelligence from GCHQ suggests.
The agency’s director Anne Keast-Butler revealed the figures during her inaugural public speech on Wednesday as she set out the biggest threats facing the UK.
She said Russia is "targeting critical infrastructure, democratic processes, supply chains and public trust".
Ms Keast-Butler added: "In the face of such aggression and chaos, GCHQ is working tirelessly with intelligence and defence partners to degrade and reduce the Russian threat."
She warned the UK is at a "moment of consequence" with Russia "relentlessly targeting" critical infrastructure across the country.
Von der Leyen discusses Ukraine's path to EU membership with Zelensky
04:06 , Arpan Rai
European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said she discussed Ukraine's path to EU membership with president Volodymyr Zelensky.
"Air defence and drone and counter-drone capabilities are among Europe's most urgent defence priorities. And Ukraine will be fully integrated into these efforts," she said in a post on X yesterday.
"The coming weeks will be important to take decisive steps forward in the accession process," she said.
German chancellor Friedrich Merz earlier this month suggested permitting Ukraine "associate" membership in the bloc, allowing it to participate in EU meetings and institutions without a vote, as an interim step toward full membership – a proposal that Zelensky has labelled as unfair.
Zelensky has said Ukraine has pressed ahead with reforms needed for EU membership, with an opportunity for substantive progress on talks following the electoral defeat of Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orban, a staunch opponent of Ukraine's EU membership.
Von der Leyen added that Europe continues to support Ukraine amid its war with Russia.
Ukraine rejects Russian claims of capturing two more Ukrainian villages
03:55 , Arpan Rai
The Russian defence ministry has claimed its troops have taken control of one village in Ukraine's northeastern Kharkiv region and another in the southeastern Zaporizhzhia region yesterday.
But the claims were swiftly denied by Ukraine’s military and the country's most widely read military blog.
Russia's defence ministry said its forces had taken control of Hraniv in Kharkiv region on the border with Russia and Vozdvyzhivka in a highly contested part of Zaporizhzhia region.
Ukraine's 14th Army dismissed the Russian report, saying Hraniv was under the control of the Ukrainian military.
"Units of the Defence Forces of Ukraine are reliably holding designated defensive lines, effectively repelling enemy offensive actions, and inflicting significant losses on them in personnel and equipment," it said on Facebook.
DeepState, a Ukrainian war blog that tracks the two sides along the 1,250-km (775-mile) front line using open sources, said the Russian report of Vozdvyzhivka's capture was untrue.
It said a group of Russian servicemen had briefly entered the village earlier this month but had been evicted or killed.
On Tuesday, the 14th Army also denied the capture of one of two villages the Russian military claimed to have seized in Sumy region, a border area where Moscow says it wants to expand a buffer zone.
Watch: Russian strikes on Zaporizhzhia injure 12, including infant
03:00 , Nicole Wootton-Cane
Recap: Belarus warned not to get ‘dragged into Russia’s war’ as opposition leader visits Ukraine
02:00 , Nicole Wootton-Cane
Belarus's exiled opposition leader, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, made her inaugural visit to Kyiv on Monday.
It comes amid intense international focus on the extent of support the Belarusian government might offer Moscow's ongoing invasion of Ukraine.
The visit by Ms Tsikhanouskaya followed a significant diplomatic exchange the previous day, when French President Emmanuel Macron held a phone conversation with President Alexander Lukashenko. Mr Lukashenko has governed Belarus with an iron fist for more than three decades, maintaining close ties with the Kremlin.
During their call, the French leader "underscored the risks for Belarus of allowing itself to be dragged into Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine," according to a presidential aide in Macron’s office.
You can read the full report below:
Belarus warned not to get ‘dragged into Russia’s war’ as opposition leader in Ukraine
Ukraine war is at ‘turning point’ and Kyiv has six months to seize initiative, says senior commander
01:00 , Nicole Wootton-Cane
Ukraine faces a critical six-month window to seize the battlefield initiative from Russia and strengthen its position for potential peace negotiations, a senior commander has said, predicting an imminent "turning point" in the conflict now in its fifth year.
Russian forces have made incremental gains since their full-scale invasion in February 2022, but their advances have slowed this year. Ukrainian troops are now intensifying pressure on the frontline in an effort to push back the invaders.
Brigadier General Andriy Biletsky, who commands Ukraine's Third Army Corps – one of the nation's most respected fighting formations – told Reuters in an interview that he believes Russia's military is exhausted and incapable of achieving significant breakthroughs.
You can read the full report below:
Ukraine war is at crucial turning point, says senior commander
EU's von der Leyen discussed Ukraine's path to EU membership with Zelensky
Thursday 28 May 2026 00:00 , Nicole Wootton-Cane
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Wednesday she had discussed Ukraine's path to EU membership with President Volodymyr Zelensky.
"The coming weeks will be important to take decisive steps forward in the accession process," she said in a post on social media platform X.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz earlier this month suggested permitting Ukraine "associate" membership in the bloc, allowing it to participate in EU meetings and institutions without a vote, as an interim step toward full membership - a proposal that Zelenskiy has labelled as unfair.
Zelenskiy has said Ukraine has pressed ahead with reforms needed for EU membership, with an opportunity for substantive progress on talks following the electoral defeat of Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orban, a staunch opponent of Ukraine's EU membership.
Ms Von der Leyen added that Europe continues to support Ukraine amid its war with Russia.
"Air defence and drone and counter-drone capabilities are among Europe's most urgent defence priorities. And Ukraine will be fully integrated into these efforts," she said.
Zelensky sends Trump urgent letter over Ukraine's critical missile defence shortages
Wednesday 27 May 2026 23:20 , Nicole Wootton-Cane
President Zelensky has sent President Trump an urgent letter warning of UKraine’s critical missile defence shortages, reports have suggested.
The letter, as seen by the Kyiv Independent, reads: "When it comes to air defence against missiles, we rely on our friends.
"When it comes to defending against ballistic missiles, we rely almost exclusively on the United States."
It comes as Russia steps up its mass aerial strikes on Ukraine and has threatened a new wave of long-range strikes on Kyiv.
Almost 500,000 Russian soldiers killed in Ukraine war, GCHQ says
Wednesday 27 May 2026 23:00 , Nicole Wootton-Cane
Nearly 500,000 Russian soldiers have been killed over the course of the Ukraine war, new intelligence from GCHQ suggests.
The agency’s director Anne Keast-Butler revealed the figures during her inaugural public speech on Wednesday as she set out the biggest threats facing the UK.
She said Russia is "targeting critical infrastructure, democratic processes, supply chains and public trust".
Ms Keast-Butler added: "In the face of such aggression and chaos, GCHQ is working tirelessly with intelligence and defence partners to degrade and reduce the Russian threat."
Lithuania to buy more than 900 armoured vehicles from Finland, Lithuanian president says
Wednesday 27 May 2026 22:30 , Daniel Keane
Lithuania will purchase more than 900 armoured vehicles from Finnish defence group Patria, including 300 by 2030, the Baltic country's President Gitanas Nauseda said on Wednesday.
Pictured: A woman carries flowers in front of a burned-out market after a Russian attack in Kyiv
Wednesday 27 May 2026 21:30 , Daniel Keane
Finland suspects Russian military aircraft violated its airspace to evade thunderstorm
Wednesday 27 May 2026 20:30 , Daniel Keane
Finland's defence forces said on Wednesday they suspected a Russian military aircraft had violated Finnish airspace while evading a thunderstorm in the Gulf of Finland.
The Finnish air force responded to the incident with an operational flight, the defence forces said in a statement, adding it had happened near Porkkala on the southwestern coast of Finland.
The Finnish border guard is investigating the incident, Defence Minister Antti Hakkanen said.
North Korea claims it has tested AI-guided missiles and rockets
Wednesday 27 May 2026 19:30 , Daniel Keane
Moscow’s ally North Korea has reportedly used artificial intelligence for the first time in its missile technology, according to the state-run KCNA news agency on Wednesday.
Pyongyang tested a “newly-developed lightweight multi-purpose missile launching system and multiple tactical cruise missile weapon system” on Tuesday under Kim Jong Un’s supervision, KCNA reported.
The launches included a tactical ballistic missile, artillery rockets and tests involving “the AI-guided hit accuracy of [a] tactical cruise missile”.
Missile downed in southern Russian city of Taganrog, regional governor says
Wednesday 27 May 2026 18:30 , Daniel Keane
A missile was downed in the southern Russian city of Taganrog in the early hours of Wednesday, Yuri Slyusar, the governor of the Rostov region, said on the Telegram messaging app.
Details about casualties are being clarified, he added.
Taganrog is a port city at the eastern end of the Sea of Azov, east of the border with Ukraine.
Pictured: Ukrainian soldiers fire a howitzer toward Russian positions
Wednesday 27 May 2026 17:30 , Daniel Keane
Latvia to increase anti-drone defences on Russian border
Wednesday 27 May 2026 16:30 , Daniel Keane
Latvia is increasing anti-drone defences on its borders with Russia and Moscow-allied Belarus in response to drones flying into the NATO country, an army official told Reuters.
Ukrainian drones have strayed into NATO Baltic countries' airspace in recent weeks, sowing confusion and raising tensions with Russia at a time when US commitment to NATO's collective security is in question.
Ukraine, which has been targeting Russia's Baltic oil loading ports, has said Russian jamming of their drones' signals had caused them to veer off course.
"We plan to deploy (drone) interceptor teams over the next two weeks", Modris Kairiss, head of the Latvian Army Autonomous Systems Competence Centre, told Reuters at a side event of the Drone Summit conference in Latvia.
Poland to sign defence treaty to tackle Russian threats
Wednesday 27 May 2026 15:30 , Daniel Keane
Britain will sign a new defence and security treaty with Poland on Wednesday to combat threats, including from an increasingly aggressive Russia, part of Prime Minister Keir Starmer's efforts to bolster ties with the rest of Europe.
The deal, due to be signed by Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk and Starmer in London, will improve border security, tackle organised crime and deepen defence cooperation with the European Union, a statement from the British government said.
The latest defence deal with an EU member, following similar agreements with France and Germany, underlines Starmer's push to repair the damage inflicted by Brexit almost 10 years ago and to respond to calls by U.S. President Donald Trump for Europe to take more responsibility over the continent's defences.
Crucial initiative to purchase ammunition for Ukraine sees fall in backing
Wednesday 27 May 2026 14:30 , Daniel Keane
A crucial Czech-led initiative to purchase ammunition for Ukraine has experienced a significant drop in financial backing, with participating countries falling from 18 to just nine.
Czech President Petr Pavel disclosed the reduction in an interview published on 26 May, linking it to Prime Minister Andrej Babis taking office in December 2025.
Despite the decline in support, President Pavel told the Financial Times that the initiative, vital for supplying Ukraine with artillery ammunition, remains operational.
"The initiative is still working, but the new difficulty is that only about nine member states are contributing financially," he stated.
He emphasised its irreplaceable role, noting: "This initiative has been delivering up to 50 per cent of all large calibre ammunition to the Ukrainians, so in this sense it cannot be replaced easily by anything else."
The drop in participation coincides with Andrej Babis assuming the premiership in December 2025.
Mr Babis campaigned on an anti-Ukraine platform, pledging upon taking office not to make Czech citizens pay for weapons for Kyiv.
Watch: One killed and several injured in Russian strikes on Odesa
Wednesday 27 May 2026 13:21 , Daniel Keane
Russia to allow banks and staff to shoot down drones
Wednesday 27 May 2026 12:24 , Daniel Keane
Russia has passed a law allowing its central bank and other financial institutions to operate their own defence systems and arm staff to repel drone attacks.
Ukraine struck the central bank's office in Sevastopol in Crimea with a missile on Wednesday, local governor Mikhail Razvozhaev said, causing a fire in the building.
Under the plan published by the lower house of parliament in Russia, Drone defence systems could be located next to the central bank, the country's biggest bank Sberbank, and the Russian Cash Collection Association.
Staff at those institutions would be permitted to be armed.
Ukraine is increasingly striking long-range targets in Russia with drones, placing Vladimir Putin under domestic pressure.
Watch: Russian strikes on Zaporizhzhia injure 12, including infant
Wednesday 27 May 2026 12:00 , James Reynolds
Latvia to strengthen anti-drone defences along its Russia and Belarus border
Wednesday 27 May 2026 11:30 , James Reynolds
Latvia is increasing anti-drone defences on its borders with Russia and Moscow-allied Belarus in response to drones flying into the NATO country, an army official told Reuters.
Ukrainian drones have strayed into NATO Baltic countries' airspace in recent weeks, sowing confusion and raising tensions with Russia. Ukraine says Russian jamming has caused their drones to veer off course, causing explosions in Latvia earlier in May.
"We plan to deploy (drone) interceptor teams over the next two weeks", Modris Kairiss, head of the Latvian Army Autonomous Systems Competence Centre, told Reuters at a side event of the Drone Summit conference in Latvia.
The teams will consist of up to four soldiers in a rugged terrain vehicle operating killer drones, which can destroy incoming military drones in a 10-km (6-mile) radius, he said.
The number of such teams patrolling the 400-km Latvian border with Russia and its ally Belarus is classified.
"We do need to increase the number of such teams, but we need to balance this against other army needs. If we put them on every kilometer of the border, we will quickly burn all army resources", he said.
Russia 'shoots down storm shadow missiles'
Wednesday 27 May 2026 11:00 , James Reynolds
Russia shot down three British-supplied Storm Shadow missiles, the defence ministry claimed on Wednesday.
The Independent was unable to verify the claims.
Storm Shadow is an Anglo-French cruise missile with a maximum range of around 155 miles (250km).
Powered by a turbo-jet engine, the 1,300kg Storm Shadow travels at speeds of more than 600mph, is just over five metres long and has a wingspan of three metres.
US plans to slash bombers and warships available to Nato in a crisis, report claims
Wednesday 27 May 2026 11:00 , Shweta Sharma
The United States plans to slash vital military contributions available to Europe in a crisis, including fighter jets, warships and strategic bombers, according to a report.
An envoy of US defence secretary Pete Hegseth briefed top officials at Nato headquarters late last week that Washington intends to cut its commitments to the so-called Nato Force Model, according to German outlet Der Spiegel.
The framework sets out how national forces are made available to the alliance, helping to ensure a rapid response in the event of a crisis or conflict.
US plans to slash bombers and warships available to Nato in a crisis, report claims
Half of countries have pulled out from Czech-led initiative to supply ammunition to Ukraine
Wednesday 27 May 2026 10:30 , Shweta Sharma
Participation in a Czech-led initiative to supply ammunition to Ukraine has fallen from 18 countries to nine since prime minister Andrej Babis took office in December 2025, Czech president Petr Pavel said in an interview with the Financial Times.
Pavel said the scheme remains operational despite declining financial backing, warning it would be difficult to replace it.
"The initiative is still working, but the new difficulty is that only about nine member states are contributing financially," Pavel told the FT. "This initiative has been delivering up to 50 per cent of all large calibre ammunition to the Ukrainians, so in this sense it cannot be replaced easily by anything else."
The initiative narrowly avoided cancellation after Babis, who campaigned against further military aid to Kyiv, entered government.
Since launching in 2024, the programme has delivered more than three million artillery shells to Ukraine.
Pope Leo decries 'sharp intensification' of war in Ukraine
Wednesday 27 May 2026 10:26 , James Reynolds
Pope Leo on Wednesday decried what he called a "sharp intensification" of the war in Ukraine, telling pilgrims at his weekly audience at the Vatican that he wanted to express closeness to civilians killed in recent attacks.
"I am following with concern the war in Ukraine," Leo, the first U.S. pope, said.
"War does not solve problems, but aggravates them. It does not build security, but multiplies suffering and hatred".
"Where missiles and drones fall, hopes also fall, homes and places of worship are destroyed, and innocent lives are shattered," he said.
Pope Leo has condemned escalations in the war and last month called for dialogue to end the conflict.
Last month he called Volodymyr Zelensky and stressed his concerns about the humanitarian situation in Ukraine
In photos: Rescue and restoration teams work after deadly Kyiv attack
Wednesday 27 May 2026 09:30 , Shweta Sharma
The Kyiv region was pounded with hundreds of drones and missiles over the weekend in a mass bombardment of Ukraine’s capital and surrounding area.
The fatal attack came after Vladimir Putin vowed to retaliate for the strikes on a student dormitory on Friday.
Russia struck the region with a powerful Oreshnik hypersonic intermediate-range ballistic missile, which Putin has claimed is immune to any missile defence system.
Russia launched 600 strike drones and 90 air, sea and ground-launched missiles, with Ukrainian air defences destroying and jamming 549 drones and 55 missiles.
Diplomats refuse to leave Kyiv after Russia's threat
Wednesday 27 May 2026 09:00 , Shweta Sharma
There were no announcements of diplomatic departures from Kyiv as of Wednesday afternoon after Russia threatened to carry out “systemic strikes” on the Ukrainian capital.
The European Union, French and Polish delegations publicly said that they would not leave.
The level of security threats posed by Russia to Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities “remains the same as in previous years and months,” Ukraine’s foreign ministry said in a statement late last night.
Russia had urged foreign citizens, including members of diplomatic missions, to leave the Ukrainian capital as quickly as possible and told residents to steer clear of military and government facilities.
It said that “systemic strikes” on Kyiv were being prepared.
Russia has continuously launched missile and drone attacks on the capital for more than four years, it pointed out, adding that Ukraine was prepared to assist diplomatic missions seeking additional security measures.
Russia can 'spoof' GPS signals up to 450km into Europe, says Lithuania
Wednesday 27 May 2026 08:30 , Shweta Sharma
Russia now possesses the capacity to falsify GPS signals up to 450km (280 miles) into Europe from its Kaliningrad exclave, a Lithuanian official revealed on Tuesday.
This expanded capability raises significant concerns about electronic interference across the continent.
Darius Kuliesius, deputy head of Lithuania's communications regulator, told Reuters that Russia has increased its GPS "spoofing" antennae – which broadcast false signals to confuse other location systems – from three in early 2025 to 36.
These units are located in heavily militarised Kaliningrad, between Nato members Lithuania and Poland on the Baltic coast.
European nations have frequently accused Moscow of electronic interference since the 2022 Ukraine invasion, though President Vladimir Putin's government denies this, citing "Western smear tactics."
Mr Kuliesius stated: "The occasional interference began with the 2023 Nato summit in Vilnius. Now they have built up the infrastructure and the interference has become systemic, permanent, unending Russian provocation against European security."
Russian strikes on Zaporizhzhia injure 12, including infant
Wednesday 27 May 2026 08:00 , Shweta Sharma
UK targets Russian crypto networks in latest sanctions
Wednesday 27 May 2026 07:30 , Shweta Sharma
Britain on Tuesday imposed sanctions on Russia-linked cryptocurrency platforms, banks and financial networks that it said were being used to bypass sanctions, freezing their assets and barring UK firms from processing payments or maintaining correspondent banking relationships with them.
The measures target what the government described as “shadow financial systems” supporting Russia’s war economy, including the Kremlin-backed A7 network, which Britain said had been used to route funds, finance procurement and exploit foreign banking systems to evade restrictions.
The package also targets crypto exchanges and entities operating Russia-focused platforms, including a Kyrgyz bank and several firms registered in countries such as Georgia and the United Arab Emirates, as well as individuals linked to the network.
Britain said it was “tracking down and shutting off” payment routes helping to sustain Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.
In a statement, the Russian embassy in London described the sanctions as unlawful and ineffective.
“Russia has long since adapted to external pressure and will not alter its course on account of London’s whims,” the embassy said.
“The consequences of these multiplying restrictions will primarily affect the citizens, businesses and reputation of the United Kingdom itself.”
Among those sanctioned was Huobi Global SA, one of the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchanges, founded in China in 2013 and now operating under the name HTX. Britain’s sanctions list said the company had provided funds, economic resources, goods or technology to individuals and entities in Russia’s financial sector.
An HTX spokesperson said in an emailed statement: “Regulatory compliance remains our absolute top priority at HTX. We proactively monitor and strictly adhere to regulatory frameworks in all jurisdictions where we operate globally, including the UK.”
UK and Poland set to sign defence treaty to tackle threats across Europe
Wednesday 27 May 2026 07:00 , Shweta Sharma
Britain and Poland will sign a new defence and security treaty on Wednesday aimed at strengthening cooperation in response to growing threats across Europe, the British government said, following similar agreements with France and Germany.
The deal is set to be signed during a meeting in London between British prime minister Keir Starmer and his Polish counterpart Donald Tusk. According to the government, the treaty will boost border security, tackle organised crime and deepen defence cooperation with the European Union.
The two leaders are also expected to discuss what Britain described as a sharp rise in hybrid threats, including alleged Russian-backed arson attacks in east London and elsewhere in Europe, as well as cyberattacks and espionage.
Although Britain and Poland are already close allies, Starmer said “the challenges Europe now faces demand an even stronger partnership”.
“This treaty is the biggest step forward in our defence and security relationship with Poland in a generation, allowing us to confront modern security threats that may be less visible but no less dangerous,” he said.
Europe has come under increasing pressure from US president Donald Trump’s administration to take greater responsibility for its own defence.
Speaking at a Polish government meeting on Tuesday, Tusk described the agreement as a “historic moment”.
Poland signed a defence treaty with France in 2025 and is pursuing a similar agreement with Germany, as Warsaw places greater emphasis on alliances with European partners.
Ukraine warns Belarus it has 500 targets if Lukashenko joins war
Wednesday 27 May 2026 06:57 , Shweta Sharma
Ukraine has a list of 500 targets in Belarus ready if Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko joins the war with Vladimir Putin, a senior Ukrainian military commander has warned.
Robert “Magyar” Brovdi, commander of Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces, advised Belarus against interfering in the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war.
“To the Minsk Gauleiter Lukashesku: a barking dog does not bite. A bird of prey is different. The first 500 targets are already on the list. Free and very practical advice: don’t get in Ukraine’s way,” Brovdi said in a Facebook post, as reported by Ukrinform.
The warning comes after a series of verbal escalations and accusations between Kyiv and Minsk along the shared northern border.
Russia and its ally Belarus held joint nuclear drills last week, and Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has warned in recent days that Belarus could provide a launchpad for Russia to open a new front in northern Ukraine.
Some Russian troops entered Ukraine from Belarusian territory in Moscow’s initial invasion on 24 February 2022.
University sports body reinstates Belarusian athletes and eases restrictions on Russians
Wednesday 27 May 2026 06:40 , Shweta Sharma
The International University Sports Federation (FISU) said on Tuesday it would fully reinstate Belarusian athletes and ease restrictions on Russian competitors barred from events following Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
In a statement, FISU said the move aligned with policies adopted by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and international federations governing individual sports, several of which have recently relaxed restrictions on athletes from Russia and Belarus.
“The International University Sports Federation Executive Committee has decided today to reinstate student-athletes with a Belarusian passport at all its events with immediate effect, in line with the IOC’s 7 May 2026 recommendations,” the organisation said.
FISU described the status of Russian competitors as “more complex”, noting that the IOC has not fully lifted restrictions on senior Russian athletes, and announced what it called a “uniform eligibility framework”.
“Russian student-athletes may therefore, depending on the sport and the applicable international federation position, be eligible to participate at FISU events under full national conditions,” it said.
Russian sports minister and Olympic committee chief Mikhail Degtyarev welcomed the decision, writing on Telegram: “FISU is continuing consistently to ease conditions for students from Russia. We welcome this.”
In recent weeks, international federations for aquatics, gymnastics, wrestling and modern pentathlon have also eased restrictions on athletes from one or both countries.
Sevastopol governor says Ukraine used Storm Shadow missiles in attack
Wednesday 27 May 2026 06:08 , Shweta Sharma
Air defence units in the port city of Sevastopol in Russian-occupied Crimea shot down more than 20 Ukrainian drones early on Wednesday, while Ukraine also launched Storm Shadow missiles, the city’s governor said on Telegram.
Governor Mikhail Razvozhayev said there were no reported injuries, though several buildings were damaged, including a regional central bank office and an eight-storey apartment block.
Storm Shadow missiles are produced by a Franco-British consortium. Russia, which annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014, has previously summoned the British and French ambassadors to protest Ukraine’s use of the weapons.
Separately, two people were wounded in the southern Russian port city of Taganrog, near the Ukrainian border, after Russian forces shot down a missile early on Wednesday, mayor Svetlana Kambulova said on Telegram.
Overall, Russia said it had intercepted 140 drones overnight, according to the Interfax news agency, citing the defence ministry.
Meanwhile, Russian strikes on Ukraine’s Dnipropetrovsk and Zaporizhzhia regions wounded 21 people, local authorities said on Telegram.
Russia and Kazakhstan will sign nuclear power deal during Putin trip, Kremlin says
Wednesday 27 May 2026 05:46 , Shweta Sharma
Russian President Vladimir Putin will oversee the signing of a deal outlining parameters for Russian construction of a nuclear power plant and a Russian state loan when he visits Kazakhstan this week, the Kremlin said on Tuesday.
He will also discuss an increase in transshipment of Russian oil to China via Kazakhstan, Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov told reporters.
Czech-led ammunition drive secures one million shells for Ukraine in 2026
Wednesday 27 May 2026 05:39 , Shweta Sharma
The Czech Republic’s ammunition initiative for Ukraine has secured contracts to deliver around one million large-calibre rounds in 2026, the defence ministry said.
The scheme supplied about 1.5 million rounds in 2024 and 1.8 million in 2025, despite fears it could be scrapped after prime minister Andrej Babis took office with anti-Ukrainian coalition partners.
The Czech president, Petr Pavel, has been a staunch supporter of Ukraine and its defence against Russian aggression.
Backed by countries including Denmark, Germany and the Netherlands, the initiative matches donor funding with Czech arms traders sourcing ammunition globally.
Prague said nearly €1bn in financing has already been secured this year, including funds from profits generated by frozen Russian assets.
Missile down over Russia's Taganrog city
Wednesday 27 May 2026 05:07 , Shweta Sharma
A missile was shot down over the southern Russian city of Taganrog in the early hours of Wednesday, Rostov region governor Yuri Slyusar said on Telegram, adding that details about possible casualties were still being clarified.
Taganrog is a port city on the eastern edge of the Sea of Azov, near the border with Ukraine.
More than 50 countries condemn Russia's mass strike on Ukraine
Wednesday 27 May 2026 04:44 , Shweta Sharma
Over 50 countries have joined in condemning Russia’s large-scale attack on Ukraine on Saturday at the UN, saying Moscow had reached “a new and appalling level of aggression” by intensifying strikes on civilians and civilian infrastructure.
In a joint statement delivered on Tuesday by Ukraine’s permanent representative to the United Nations, ambassador Andrii Melnyk, the countries warned that Russia’s repeated use of nuclear-capable missiles constituted an “unacceptable escalation”.
The signatories included the European Union and a broad group of allied states, including the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Japan, Germany, France, Poland and the Baltic states.
“For the city of Kyiv, this was one of the most devastating attacks recorded to date,” the statement said, referring to the overnight barrage on 23–24 May, when Russian forces launched hundreds of aerial weapons, including ballistic and cruise missiles as well as drones, against Ukrainian cities and regions.
Russia warns of ‘systematic’ strikes on Kyiv
Wednesday 27 May 2026 04:23 , Shweta Sharma
Russia said on Monday it had launched a campaign of “systematic” strikes on Kyiv targeting the Ukrainian capital’s “decision-making centres”.
It urged foreign citizens, diplomats and residents to avoid public buildings and leave the city “as soon as possible”.
Ukraine said the threats by Russia were "nothing short of shameless blackmail" and urged allies to ignore it – a call they have largely heeded.
With its warning to foreign nationals, Moscow is "effectively admitting that its shelling is aimed, among other things, at intimidating the foreign diplomatic corps", it said.
Russia tells banks to shoot down Ukrainian drones as air defences are stretched thin
Wednesday 27 May 2026 04:14 , Shweta Sharma
The Russian government is asking its top banks to shoot down Ukrainian drones themselves, as Moscow struggles to defend key sites from attacks.
The Russian parliament has passed a new law allowing banks, including its largest, Sberbank, and other financial institutions to operate defence systems, Reuters reported.
It also asks banks to arm staff against drones without special forces involvement.
Anatoly Aksakov, the head of the State Duma’s financial committee, said the institutions will handle the cost themselves
Alexander Shokhin, the head of Russia’s most influential business lobby, told Vladimir Putin on Monday that companies were willing to purchase heavier weapons and electronic warfare systems to protect themselves from drone attacks.
Putin gifts four Amur tigers to Kazakhstan ahead of visit
Wednesday 27 May 2026 03:54 , Shweta Sharma
Russia has handed Kazakhstan four Amur tigers, two of them cubs, to help the country restore its numbers of the animals, president Vladimir Putin said in an article issued ahead of his visit to the Central Asian nation this week.
Rich in energy resources and critical minerals, Kazakhstan shares a border with Russia and is a close ally of Moscow in a region where China and the United States are also expanding their influence.
The four animals captured in Russia's far eastern region of Khabarovsk were flown to Kazakhstan, Putin said on the Kremlin's website on Tuesday, and are soon to be released into the wild.
Putin is no stranger to using animals to advance diplomatic efforts.
In 2022, Russia sent 30 grey thoroughbred horses to North Korea, and the two nations have steadily boosted ties since the invasion of Ukraine that year.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is a keen horseman.
Kazakhstan, which is trying to restore the tiger population in Central Asia, sees the Amur tiger as a close relative of the extinct Caspian tiger.
The Russian gesture boosts the country's tally of the animals previously sent by the Netherlands.
On his visit, Putin will oversee the signing of a deal for a nuclear power project in Kazakhstan, which currently has no nuclear power generation, and will discuss efforts to boost the transit of Russian oil to China through the country, the Kremlin has said.
Diplomats refuse to leave Kyiv after Russia's threat
Wednesday 27 May 2026 02:43 , Tom Barnes
There were no announcements of diplomatic departures from Kyiv as of Tuesday afternoon.
The European Union, French and Polish delegations publicly said that they would not leave.
The level of security threats posed by Russia to Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities “remains the same as in previous years and months,” Ukraine’s foreign ministry said in a statement late last night.
Russia had urged foreign citizens, including members of diplomatic missions, to leave the Ukrainian capital as quickly as possible and told residents to steer clear of military and government facilities.
It said that “systemic strikes” on Kyiv were being prepared.
Russia has continuously launched missile and drone attacks on the capital for more than four years, it pointed out, adding that Ukraine was prepared to assist diplomatic missions seeking additional security measures.
Zelensky meets with Belarus opposition leader Tsikhanouskaya
Wednesday 27 May 2026 01:40 , Tom Barnes
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky met with the Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya today and the two leaders discussed Russia's attempts to draw Belarus deeper into the war against Ukraine.
"Ukraine has never been a threat to Belarus. And we are grateful to those Belarusians who stand with Ukraine – now, when the fate of both our independence and the independence of every nation that borders Russia is being decided," Zelensky said on X after the meeting.
Zelensky said Ukraine supports the “aspiration of the Belarusian people to free themselves from Russian interference”.
“We value every expression of support from Belarusians for a free Ukraine, and we know that the day will come when there will once again be good-neighborly relations between our states – based on the real independence of both Ukraine and Belarus from Moscow,” he said, sharing a video of their meeting.
