Russia faced one of its biggest attacks of the year as at least 3,124 Ukrainian drones were intercepted and destroyed in the past week, the country’s defence minister said this morning.
The biggest onslaught on Russia was on 13 May and 17 May, with 572 and 1,054 drones downed respectively, it said, confirming the siege on the country.
At least four people were killed, and a dozen were injured, after a Ukrainian drone attack in Russia overnight, local officials said yesterday.
Three people were killed in a strike on the Moscow region, and a fourth was killed in the Belgorod region bordering northeastern Ukraine, local authorities said.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensk confirmed the attacks on social media site X, said, "Our responses to Russia’s prolongation of the war and its attacks on our cities and communities are entirely justified," Zelenskiy said.
Later on Sunday, Zelensky said that Ukraine's "long-range sanctions have reached the Moscow region", referring to the latest drone attack.
"We are clearly telling the Russians: their state must end its war," he wrote in a post on Telegram.
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Key Points
- Ukraine strikes on Russia kill four people
- Russia says it destroyed over 3,000 Ukrainian drones last week
- Zelensky says response to Russia is "entirely justified"
- Putin to visit Chinese leader Xi Jinping days after Trump's trip to Beijing
Russia says it destroyed over 3,000 Ukrainian drones last week
04:06 , Arpan RaiRussia has intercepted and destroyed at least 3,124 Ukrainian drones over the past week, the RIA state news agency said, citing data from the defence ministry.
RIA, after compiling the data, said the most drones were downed on 13 May and 17 May with 572 and 1,054 units destroyed, respectively, mostly over European Russia.
At least four people were killed, including three in the Moscow region, after Ukraine launched its biggest overnight drone attack on the Russian capital in more than a year, local officials said on Sunday.
In pictures: Ukraine and Russia prisoner of war swap
04:00 , Rebecca Thomas
US Treasury allows sanctions waiver on Russian seaborne oil to lapse
02:30 , Rebecca ThomasThe Trump administration on Saturday allowed a sanctions waiver to lapse that had previously allowed countries, including India, to buy Russian seaborne oil after a month-long extension aimed at easing oil supply shortages and high prices due to Iran's closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent had previously said he would not renew the general license allowing the purchase of Russian oil stored on tankers. As of early afternoon Washington time on Saturday, no renewal notice had been posted on the Treasury website. A Treasury spokesperson declined further comment.
Two top Democratic U.S. senators, Jeanne Shaheen and Elizabeth Warren, on Friday urged the Trump administration against renewing the waiver, arguing that it was providing revenue to Russia to aid its war in Ukraine, but there was no evidence it was bringing down fuel costs for American consumers.
The prior extension was part of the Trump administration's effort to control global energy prices that have shot higher during the Iran war.
The Ukrainian flag has been removed from outside Essex County Council's offices by the newly elected Reform UK administration, according to reports by the BBC.
A second Union flag was instead put up in its place outside County Hall in Chelmsford on Friday.
Council leader Peter Harris said in a statement to the BBC that it was a "proud moment".
Harris said: "The replacement of the Ukraine flag does not diminish the support and generosity that Essex residents have shown the people of Ukraine since 2022, and I know this will continue."
A spokesman said there would be discussions with the county's Ukrainian community before finding the flag a new home.
Pictures showing the aftermath of Russia’s strike in Kyiv that killed 24 people.
Russia says prison population falls as convicts sent to fight Putin's war in Ukraine
Sunday 17 May 2026 22:30 , Rebecca ThomasRussia is witnessing a decrease in its population inside prison, with a drop of more than 180,000 people, in the past five years, the country’s prison chief said.
"If at the end of 2021 there were 465,000 (prisoners), then now there are 282,000," said Arkady Gostev, the head of Russia's penitentiary service.
Around 85,000 of the current prison population is held in pre-trial detention, he told TASS state news agency.
Gostev said the major decline in the prison population was partly driven by the army's recruitment drive, but also due to more suspended sentences and other forms of punishment handed out.
Moscow has regularly relied on recruiting its prisoners in exchange for buying out their sentences and sent them on the Ukraine frontline, but experts flagged that their lack of military and battlefield knowledge made them vulnerable to killings.
Video: Moment of explosion at apartment building in Russia during drone attack
Sunday 17 May 2026 20:30 , Rebecca ThomasPutin to visit Chinese leader Xi Jinping days after Trump's trip to Beijing
Sunday 17 May 2026 19:30 , Rebecca ThomasRussian President Vladimir Putin will meet with Chinese leader Xi Jinping on a two-day trip to Beijing next week, the Kremlin said Saturday.
The announcement comes less than 24 hours after U.S. President Donald Trump finished his own state visit to China, where he also met Xi to discuss trade and the U.S. and Israel’s war in Iran.
In a statement, the Kremlin said that Putin’s trip, planned for May 19-20, had been scheduled to coincide with the 25th anniversary of the 2001 Sino-Russian Treaty of Friendship.
It said that the two leaders would discuss bilateral relations as well as “key international and regional issues” and economic cooperation.
The young woman killed in Russian strike that killed 24 people
Sunday 17 May 2026 18:30 , Rebecca ThomasA young woman, Maryna Homeniuk, who died in the Russian strike on Ukraine, which killed 24 people, was a sensitive soul who took in abandoned animals, her friends told reporters.
She died with her partner Yurii Orlov, who captained the Kyiv Floorball Club after playing hockey for teams in the Ukrainian capital.
Pride march Odessa Ukraine meets anti-protestors
Sunday 17 May 2026 17:30 , Rebecca ThomasAmid Russia's attack on Ukraine, a Pride March was held, organized by the LGBTQ+ community, in Odesa.
The march was met with protestors shouting slogans denouncing the march.
Two killed, 41 injured in Russian attacks across Ukraine over past day, reports
Sunday 17 May 2026 16:54 , Rebecca ThomasAt least two have been killed and 41 others in Russian attacks on Ukraine since Saturday, according to the Kyiv Independent.
According to the reports, Russia launched 287 attack drones overnight, Ukraine’s Air Force said, adding that 279 drones were shot down or suppressed by air defenses. Eight drones struck seven locations.
In Kherson Oblast, in Southern Ukraine, one person was killed and 15 others injured, including a child, local authorities reported.
Russian attacks in Donetsk Oblast, eastern Ukraine, killed one civilian, according to Governor Vadym Filashkin.
Russia accuses Ukraine of targeting civilians
Sunday 17 May 2026 16:30 , Rebecca ThomasRussia's foreign ministry accused Kyiv of targeting civilians.
"To the sound of Eurovision songs, the Kyiv regime, financed by the EU, carried out yet another mass terrorist attack," TASS news agency cited the ministry's spokeswoman Maria Zakharova as saying.
Both sides in the conflict deny deliberately targeting civilians.
Update: Ukraine strikes on Russia kill four
Sunday 17 May 2026 16:30 , Rebecca ThomasAt least four people were killed, including three in the Moscow region, after Ukraine launched its biggest overnight drone attack on the Russian capital in more than a year, local officials said on Sunday.
A fourth person was killed in the Belgorod region bordering northeastern Ukraine, local authorities said, while Russia's defence ministry said by midday more than 1,000 Ukrainian drones had been downed over the country in the past 24 hours.
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy had vowed retribution on Friday following Russia's heaviest drone and missile attack on Kyiv over a two-day period since the war started more than four years ago.
Confirming the attack, Zelenskyy post a video on X of a drone in flight, columns of black smoke and fire crews trying to extinguish the flames. "Our responses to Russia’s prolongation of the war and its attacks on our cities and communities are entirely justified," Zelenskiy said.
Local residents mourn those killed in apartment after Russia strike
Sunday 17 May 2026 16:00 , Rebecca Thomas
Romania finds unexploded projectile in village near Ukraine border
Sunday 17 May 2026 15:30 , Rebecca ThomasAn unexploded projectile was discovered on a property in southeastern Romania near the European Union and NATO member's border with Ukraine on Saturday, its defence ministry said.
According to reports from Reuters, the ministry described an unguided reactive projectile was found in the yard of an uninhabited house in the village of Pardina in Romania's Tulcea county, it said in a statement.
The ministry did not indicate its suspected origin.
"Technical verifications confirmed the presence of 2 kg worth of explosives in the projectile's body," the statement said, adding that the area's perimeter had been secured.
Last month, an explosive drone landed in a backyard in the city of Galati, marking the first time since the start of the Ukraine war that such an incident had damaged property in Romania.
Update: Ukraine strikes on Russia kill four
Sunday 17 May 2026 15:00 , Rebecca ThomasAt least four people were killed, including three in the Moscow region, after Ukraine launched its biggest overnight drone attack on the Russian capital in more than a year, local officials said on Sunday.
A fourth person was killed in the Belgorod region bordering northeastern Ukraine, local authorities said, while Russia's defence ministry said by midday more than 1,000 Ukrainian drones had been downed over the country in the past 24 hours.
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy had vowed retribution on Friday following Russia's heaviest drone and missile attack on Kyiv over a two-day period since the war started more than four years ago.
Confirming the attack, Zelenskyy post a video on X of a drone in flight, columns of black smoke and fire crews trying to extinguish the flames. "Our responses to Russia’s prolongation of the war and its attacks on our cities and communities are entirely justified," Zelenskiy said.
Putin to visit Chinese leader Xi Jinping days after Trump's trip to Beijing
Sunday 17 May 2026 15:00 , Rebecca ThomasRussian President Vladimir Putin will meet with Chinese leader Xi Jinping on a two-day trip to Beijing next week, the Kremlin said Saturday.The announcement comes less than 24 hours after U.S. President Donald Trump finished his own state visit to China, where he also met Xi to discuss trade and the U.S. and Israel’s war in Iran.
In a statement, the Kremlin said that Putin’s trip, planned for May 19-20, had been scheduled to coincide with the 25th anniversary of the 2001 Sino-Russian Treaty of Friendship.
It said that the two leaders would discuss bilateral relations as well as “key international and regional issues” and economic cooperation.
Indian worker among those killed in Moscow drone strikes, embassy says
Sunday 17 May 2026 14:21 , Rebecca ThomasOne Indian worker lost his life and three others were injured in a drone attack in the Moscow region on Sunday, the Indian embassy in Russia said in a post on social media site, X.
Embassy officials have visited the location, met the injured workers in the hospital, and are working with local authorities to provide necessary assistance to the workers, the statement added.
Zelenskyy says response to Russia is "entirely justified"
Sunday 17 May 2026 14:00 , Rebecca ThomasUkrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said his responses to Russia’s “prolongation” of war are “ entirely justified” as Ukraine launched an overnight drone attack on Moscow.
Posting on social media site X, he said: “Our responses to Russia’s prolongation of the war and its attacks on our cities and communities are entirely justified. This time, Ukrainian long-range sanctions reached the Moscow region, and we are clearly telling the Russians: their state must end its war. Ukrainian drone and missile manufacturers continue their work. I am grateful to the Security Service of Ukraine and all the Defense Forces of Ukraine for their precision...”
Our responses to Russia’s prolongation of the war and its attacks on our cities and communities are entirely justified. This time, Ukrainian long-range sanctions reached the Moscow region, and we are clearly telling the Russians: their state must end its war. Ukrainian drone and… pic.twitter.com/BVFJ1BJQ1i
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) May 17, 2026
Young Kyiv couple killed in a fierce Russian airstrike hoped to start a family, mourners say
Sunday 17 May 2026 13:30 , Rebecca ThomasMaryna Homeniuk fled her homeland after Russia's full-scale invasion four years ago. She managed to complete her degree in the Czech Republic, adding Vietnamese to her impressive list of languages, before returning home the following year and meeting her beloved, Yurii Orlov, reports The Associated Press.
The pair were among the 24 people killed Thursday during a terrifying wave of Russian airstrikes.
On Saturday, friends and family paid their final respects to Homeniuk, a 24-year-old English teacher. They had hoped to pay tribute to Orlov, too, but his body wasn't ready for burial yet.“
She was a very caring person. I feel very sorry, because she had so many dreams. She worked with children and wanted to have children herself someday, when times were safer,” her friend Olesia Yukhnovych told The Associated Press.
Zelensky releases footage of drone strikes in Russia
Sunday 17 May 2026 13:00 , Vishwam SankaranUkrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky released footage of drone strikes deep in Russian territories, including one on an aircraft, calling the attack a “justified response”.
“Most of the operations are still ongoing, so the video captures only a portion of our results,” Zelensky said in a post on X.
Our long-range sanctions this week. Most of the operations are still ongoing, so the video captures only a portion of our results. Be-200 amphibious aircraft, a Ka-27 helicopter, a cargo vessel carrying ammunition, a Pantsir-S1 surface‑to‑air missile and gun system, a Tor… pic.twitter.com/kX3oPCuok8
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) May 16, 2026
“These are our entirely justified responses to what the Russians are doing. We will continue to increase both the range and scale of these sanctions,” he said.
What we know about latest Ukrainian strikes on Russia
Sunday 17 May 2026 12:00 , Rebecca ThomasAt least four people died in one of the largest Ukrainian overnight attacks against Russia since the start of the war, according to Russian local authorities.
A woman was killed after a drone hit her home in Khimki, a city just northwest of Moscow, and two men died in the village of Pogorelki 10 km (6 miles) north of the capital, according to local Governor Andrei Vorobyev. In social media updates, Vorobyev said Ukrainian drones had also damaged unspecified “infrastructure” and several high-rises.
In Moscow itself, at least 12 people were wounded in the nighttime strike, mostly near the entrance to the city’s oil refinery, mayor Sergei Sobyanin reported.
Sobyanin reported the “technology” of the refinery has not been damaged.
Russian defenses shot down 81 drones headed for Moscow overnight, state agency Tass reported, citing Sobyanin, marking one of the largest attacks on the Russian capital since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022.
One man was also killed as a drone struck a lorry in the Belgorod region, which borders Ukraine, according to local authorities. Russian air defenses destroyed a total of 556 drones over Russia, the country’s defense ministry said.
In pictures: Ukraine's overnight drone attack on Moscow
Sunday 17 May 2026 12:00 , Vishwam Sankaran
Kremlin simplifies citizenship access for people in Transnistria
Sunday 17 May 2026 11:00 , Vishwam SankaranRussian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree simplifying the procedure for Transnistria residents to acquire Russian citizenship.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky criticised the move as Russia's way of staking a claim to Moldovian region.
Russia took another step regarding Transnistria – the Russians simplified access to citizenship for people originating from this region of Moldova. It is a very telling move. It means not only that Russia is looking for new soldiers in this way – because citizenship also entails… pic.twitter.com/6gaoY1GwtM
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) May 16, 2026
“It means not only that Russia is looking for new soldiers in this way – because citizenship also entails military obligation – it is also Russia's way of staking a claim to Transnistria’s territory,” Zelensky said in a post on X.
In video: Ukraine vows retribution after overnight Russian drone attack
Sunday 17 May 2026 10:00 , Vishwam SankaranUkraine blames Belarus for giving air corridors for Russian drones
Sunday 17 May 2026 09:00 , Vishwam SankaranUkrainian unmanned systems forces major Robert Brovdi accused Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko of actively providing safe air corridors for Russian Shahed kamikaze drones targeting Ukraine.
Brovdi dismissed Lukashenko’s claims of neutrality, arguing that Shahed drones were crossing into Ukraine via Belarusian airspace, citing Ukrainian tracking systems records.
He stressed that Belarus remains directly complicit in air campaigns targeting Ukrainian energy and civilian infrastructure, despite the country projecting diplomatic neutrality.
“Minsk Gauleiter Lukashesku! We record the flight of every single Shahed that, taking advantage of the corridors of Belarus, heads to Ukraine, every single one of your military-tinted frictions and vacillations,” Brovdi said in a Facebook post, adding that the Belarusian dictator was "directly involved in the murder of civilian Ukrainians".
Ukraine drone attack kills three in Moscow
Sunday 17 May 2026 08:00 , Vishwam SankaranAn overnight drone attack by Ukraine has killed three and injured 12 in Moscow, regional authorities said today.
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said over 120 drones were shot down over Moscow in the last 24 hours, which left three houses damaged.
Among those killed was one woman, whose home was hit in the city of Khimki, north of Moscow. Two men died in the village of Pogorelki in the Mytishchi district, according to Moscow governor Andrei Vorobyov.
More than 550 drones were shot down over Russia overnight, Sobyanin said.
France ready for 'important step' with Ukraine, Zelensky says
Sunday 17 May 2026 07:00 , Vishwam SankaranParis is ready to develop a ballistic missile defence system for Kyiv, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said, calling the move an "important step" to counter Russian attacks.
"France is ready to work on anti-ballistic measures. This is a strong decision and an important step. We discussed strengthening our capabilities to repel Russian attacks right now," Zelensky said yesterday following a phone call with his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron.
"We are forming an anti-ballistic missile coalition. It is the right thing to do, and we are closer to achieving this goal now than ever before," the Ukrainian president said.
The announcement comes after a large-scale missile and drone strike on Kyiv last week that killed 24 people and injured 48 others.
Unexploded projectile lands in Romania
Sunday 17 May 2026 06:00 , Vishwam SankaranRomanian authorities discovered an unexploded projectile on a property near the country's border with Ukraine.
The projectile was found in the yard of an uninhabited house in Romania's Tulcea County, Romania's defence ministry said.
Authorities described the object as an "unguided reactive projectile", but did not disclose its origin.
"Technical checks confirmed the presence of two kilograms (4.4 lbs) of explosives in the projectile body," the ministry said in a statement.
Putin plans China visit after Trump's
Sunday 17 May 2026 05:00 , Vishwam SankaranRussian president Vladimir Putin is set to visit Beijing this week at the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping, days after US president Donald Trump travelled to China.
During the visit, the Russian and Chinese presidents will discuss bilateral relations and ways to deepen the countries' "partnership and strategic cooperation", the Kremlin said in a statement.
The planned meeting comes after Trump travelled to China last week, marking the first visit by a US president to Beijing since 2017.
Trump and Xi reportedly discussed ways to enhance economic cooperation between the US and China, including expanding market access for American businesses in China and increasing Chinese investment in US industries.
Russia claims it downed over 70 Ukrainian drones near Moscow overnight
Sunday 17 May 2026 04:00 , Vishwam SankaranRussian officials claim that a large-scale drone attack targeted Moscow overnight, causing multiple explosions across the area.
At least 73 drones had been shot down, with air defences still being engaged, according to Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin.
Videos shared on social media show flashes in the sky and fires in several locations across the Russian capital.
No casualties have so far been reported, but it remains to be seen whether any infrastructure was directly hit.
In video: Nearly 300 drones launched by Russia overnight on Ukraine
Sunday 17 May 2026 03:32 , Vishwam SankaranFrance 'prepared to cooperate with Kyiv on missile defence'
Sunday 17 May 2026 02:03 , Chris StevensonFrance is prepared to cooperate with Ukraine on developing a ballistic missile defense system, President Volodymyr Zelensky has said, following a phone call with French President Emmanuel Macron.
The announcement comes as Kyiv seeks to unite international partners around the creation of an air defense shield within what Mr Zelensky has described as an "anti-ballistic coalition."
"France is ready to work on anti-ballistic measures. This is a strong decision and an important step. We discussed strengthening our capabilities to repel Russian attacks right now," Mr Zelensky said.
Ukraine flag removed from council HQ by Reform, reports
Sunday 17 May 2026 15:44 , Rebecca ThomasThe Ukrainian flag has been removed from outside Essex County Council's offices by the newly elected Reform UK administration, according to the BBC.
A second Union flag was instead put up in its place outside County Hall in Chelmsford on Friday.
Council leader Peter Harris said it was a "proud moment" in a statement to the BBC.
He said: "The replacement of the Ukraine flag does not diminish the support and generosity that Essex residents have shown the people of Ukraine since 2022, and I know this will continue."
A spokesman said there would be discussions with the county's Ukrainian community before finding the flag a new home.
Latvian president proposes opposition lawmaker as next prime minister
Sunday 17 May 2026 01:04 , Rebecca ThomasLatvian President Edgars Rinkevics on Saturday proposed opposition lawmaker Andris Kulbergs as the next prime minister after Evika Silina resigned.Silina said on Thursday she was stepping down, triggering the collapse of her coalition just months before an election due in October.
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Kulbergs, from United List of smaller parties - the largest opposition bloc in parliament - will take office if lawmakers approve him and his cabinet.
Starmer set to approve increase in UK defence spending
Sunday 17 May 2026 00:02 , Chris StevensonPrime Minister Keir Starmer is expected to approve an increase of £18 billion ($24 billion) in defence spending.
If the government ruled out raising taxes or borrowing more, it would probably have to look at cutting other areas of public spending to fund a bigger defence budget.
The government is still finalising a defence spending plan and will publish it as soon as possible, a spokesperson told Reuters. The British government's defence investment plan will aim to deliver equipment and technology to frontline forces quickly while supporting economic growth, the spokesperson said.
Mr Starmer is expected to approve the spending boost as soon as next week, The Times said, bringing an end to months of delays and internal rows. It is unclear how the increase in spending will be funded.
Last month, the chancellor, Rachel Reeves said she did not favour tax hikes or higher borrowing to fund increases in defence spending, which has become a priority after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine and the war in Iran.
Russia launching recently manufactured missiles without stockpiling: Ukraine
Saturday 16 May 2026 23:09 , Chris StevensonUkraine's presidential commissioner for sanctions policy, Vladyslav Vlasyuk, has said that Moscow is launching newly produced missiles almost immediately after production without stockpiling them.
Analysis of missile debris from late 2025 and early 2026 suggests that Russia was launching recently produced missiles, Ukraine said.
Kyiv warned that easing sanctions on Russia at the moment would increase the threat of missile strikes against Ukraine as Western supplies of Patriot interceptors to Ukraine are slowing.
Sanctions relief could overwhelm Ukrainian air defence systems and increase the likelihood of successful hits, Kyiv said.
Russia planning to strike president's office in Kyiv, Zelensky says
Saturday 16 May 2026 22:04 , Chris StevensonRussia is plotting to strike the Ukrainian president's state residence Koncha Zaspa, president Volodymyr Zelensky said yesterday after a briefing with Kyiv's intelligence services.
Moscow was planning to target around two dozen "decision-making centers", including government buildings and military command posts, as well as three underground shelters in Kyiv, Mr Zelensky said, citing Ukraine's military intelligence agency (HUR).
"Russia must end its war and negotiate a dignified peace, rather than searching for new ways to intimidate Ukraine," the Ukrainian president said.
Russia 'persuading college students to ditch studies and fly drones'
Saturday 16 May 2026 21:06 , Chris StevensonRussia is pressing students of leading colleges in the country to ditch studies for a year and fly drones instead for the military.
Students are reportedly being persuaded with offers to earn over 5 million rubles ($68,275) in pay, along with free tuition upon their return.
Pamphlets of the offer were distributed at the Bauman Moscow State Technical University, according to Bloomberg.
More than 250 Russian academic institutions are promoting military contracts to their students, the independent magazine Groza first reported.
The Russian defence ministry has also called for drone pilot recruits with expertise in flying drones, model aircraft, electronics, and radio engineering.
These moves seem to be in line with the Kremlin's stated goal of having 168,000 drone operators by the end of 2026.
Suspected Ukrainian sea drone crashed on Greek island ‘after malfunction’
Saturday 16 May 2026 20:03 , Chris StevensonA military sea drone, laden with explosives, discovered last week on a Greek island is believed by investigators to have veered off course due to a technical malfunction, sources indicated on Friday.
The unmanned vessel, found by fishermen on the shores of Lefkada on 7 May, has sparked diplomatic tensions between Athens and Kyiv, with Greece asserting a Ukrainian origin, a claim officially denied by Ukraine.
Greek intelligence and military units are currently engaged in a detailed analysis of the drone, involving its dismantling and reverse engineering to ascertain its precise characteristics.
Read the full article here:
Suspected Ukrainian drone crashed on island ‘after malfunction’
US allows sanctions waiver for countries to buy Russian oil
Sunday 17 May 2026 04:42 , Vishwam SankaranThe US treasury has allowed a sanctions waiver for countries, including India, to buy Russian seaborne oil.
The decision is reportedly aimed at easing oil supply shortages and high prices due to Iran's closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
However, critics, including democratic senators Jeanne Shaheen and Elizabeth Warren, argue that the waiver would provide revenue to Russia to aid its war in Ukraine.
Meanwhile, India's purchase of Russian seaborne crude has been near record highs following previous sanctions waivers.
Putin discusses Iran with UAE president, Kremlin says
Saturday 16 May 2026 19:09 , Rebecca ThomasRussian President Vladimir Putin discussed the Iran conflict with his United Arab Emirates counterpart, Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Kremlin said in the statement on Saturday.
Both sides emphasised the importance of continuing the political and diplomatic process aimed at reaching compromise-based peace agreements," it said.
Putin also thanked the UAE for support in humanitarian issues related to the conflict in Ukraine.
Putin to China
Saturday 16 May 2026 18:05 , Chris StevensonRussian President Vladimir Putin will meet with Chinese leader Xi Jinping on a two-day trip to Beijing next week, the Kremlin has said.
The announcement comes less than 24 hours after U.S. President Donald Trump finished his own state visit to China, where he also met Mr Xi to discuss trade and the U.S. and Israel’s war in Iran.
In a statement, the Kremlin said that Putin’s trip, planned for 19 May to 20 May, had been scheduled to coincide with the 25th anniversary of the 2001 Sino-Russian Treaty of Friendship.
It said that the two leaders would discuss bilateral relations as well as “key international and regional issues” and economic cooperation.
Relations between China and Russia have deepened in recent years, particularly since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in early 2022 left Moscow shunned on the global stage and heavily reliant on Beijing for trade due to Western sanctions.
When Putin visited China in September 2025, Xi welcomed his counterpart as an “old friend.” Putin also addressed Mr Xi as “dear friend.”
France 'prepared to cooperate with Kyiv on missile defence'
Saturday 16 May 2026 17:05 , Chris StevensonFrance is prepared to cooperate with Ukraine on developing a ballistic missile defense system, President Volodymyr Zelensky has said, following a phone call with French President Emmanuel Macron.
The announcement comes as Kyiv seeks to unite international partners around the creation of an air defense shield within what Mr Zelensky has described as an "anti-ballistic coalition."
"France is ready to work on anti-ballistic measures. This is a strong decision and an important step. We discussed strengthening our capabilities to repel Russian attacks right now," Mr Zelensky said.
A new prime minister in Latvia
Saturday 16 May 2026 16:10 , Chris StevensonLatvian President Edgars Rinkevics has proposed opposition legislator Andris Kulbergs as the next prime minister after Evika Silina resigned.
Ms Silina said on Thursday she was stepping down, triggering the collapse of her coalition just months before an election due in October.
Mr Kulbergs, from the United List of smaller parties – the largest opposition bloc in parliament – will take office if MPs approve him and his cabinet.
"Considering recent events, I think the new prime minister should come from opposition parties," Mr Rinkevics told a press conference.
Ms Silina dismissed Defence Minister Andris Spruds last weekend after two Ukrainian drones strayed into Latvia from Russia and exploded at an oil storage facility, the latest in a series of such incidents in Nato members Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania. The Latvian army said it failed to detect the drones as they crossed from Russia. Ms Silina blamed MrSpruds for not developing anti-drone systems quickly enough.
In response, Mr Spruds' Progressives party withdrew support from Ms Silina's government on Wednesday, leaving her without a parliamentary majority and exposed to a no-confidence vote.
Corruption court arrests Zelensky’s former right-hand man
Saturday 16 May 2026 16:07 , Rebecca ThomasUkraine's anti-corruption court on Thursday ordered the arrest of Andriy Yermak, a close ally of President Volodymyr Zelensky and former head of his administration, on money-laundering charges.
The court also set bail at 140 million hryvnias ($3.19 million), which would allow Yermak, who has denied the allegations against him, to be released pending a final ruling in his case.
"I don't have that kind of money, and my lawyer will now work with friends and acquaintances (to raise the money for bail)," Yermak told reporters after the court's decision.
"My legal team will file an appeal. We will use every legal avenue to seek justice and the truth."
Ukrainian authorities on Monday named Yermak as a suspect in a major corruption probe. His arrest was the closest that anti-corruption officials have come to the president's inner circle.
ICYMI: Zelensky says Russia plans to strike his office
Saturday 16 May 2026 15:00 , Vishwam SankaranUN accuses Russia of deliberately targeting its humanitarian convoy
Saturday 16 May 2026 14:00 , Vishwam SankaranRussian drones struck a clearly marked UN humanitarian convoy twice in Kherson, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Ukraine said.
The attack has prompted condemnation from both Kyiv and the UN.
“The Russians could not have failed to know which vehicle they were targeting,” Zelensky wrote on Telegram.
UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher said the incident could have been a possible “targeted attack".
“Our people were very, very lucky to escape with their lives,” Fletcher said, demanding "full investigations and accountability".
At least 3 killed across Ukraine in Russian attacks over past day
Saturday 16 May 2026 13:00 , Vishwam SankaranAt least 3 people were killed, and over 60 were injured in Russian attacks across Ukraine over the past day, Ukraine's Air Force said today.
Russia launched about 300 drones overnight, according to Ukrainian local news.
Nearly 270 of them were shot down, but 20 drones caused direct hits at 15 locations, leading to 63 people getting injured.
In Zaporizhzhia Oblast, one person was killed, and 21 others were injured, the region's governor said.
Another person was killed in the Donetsk Oblast, one in Kherson, reports say.
In video: Russian drone attacks kill 24 in Kyiv
Saturday 16 May 2026 12:00 , Vishwam SankaranSpace agency warns Russian rocket part may fall over Poland
Saturday 16 May 2026 11:00 , Vishwam SankaranPart of a Russian rocket weighing nearly a ton could re-enter the atmosphere over Poland today or tomorrow, the Polish Space Agency (POLSA) said.
The rocket part in question, is the upper stage of the Soyuz-2.1b launch vehicle, launched in March from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome.
It is currently in orbit and could re-enter the atmosphere soon, with its projected trajectory covering large part of Europe.
Experts are unsure whether the object would fully burn up during re-entry due to the lack of complete data.
