Four people were killed and another 10 injured in Russian overnight attacks on Ukraine, just one day after Moscow launched its deadliest attack on Kyiv this year.
In the bordering Sumy region, two women, an elderly man and a girl younger than two years old were killed and three others injured after a Russian drone hit a house, said Oleh Hryhorov, the head of the regional military administration.
Several people were also inured in the central Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih, president Volodymyr Zelensky’s hometown
It comes as a day of mourning is observed in Kyiv on Friday after at least three dozen people were killed there on Thursday.
Both Ukraine and Russia have since vowed to escalate fighting hours after Moscow unleashed the deadly bombardment.
The attack left 91 injured and more than 130 buildings were destroyed. Mr Zelensky said his forces would “definitely” retaliate in response to the overnight attacks.
Moscow said the attacks were retaliation for Ukrainian drone strikes on Russian energy infrastructure.
Mr Zelensky blamed the destruction in part on a failure of allies to deliver promised air defences which “could have saved more homes and lives today”.
Key Points
- 30 killed as Russia bombards Kyiv in deadliest strike this year
- Ukraine and US negotiators held talks in past two days, says Zelensky
- Monaco identifies suspect behind assassination attempt on Ukrainian tycoon
- Trump wants Ukraine war settled so 'senseless killing' ends, says official
- Russian attacks kill two and injures eight in Ukraine overnight
Monaco blast suspect is a woman who has been spotted in Germany - judicial sources
09:34 , Alex Croft
The main suspect behind a bomb attack in Monaco earlier this week is a woman who has been spotted in Germany, a judicial source in Monaco said on Friday.
Three people were wounded on Monday evening in a parcel bomb explosion in the wealthy principality, which was believed to be an attack on Ukrainian-born oligarch Vadym Yermolaiev, in an incident that the authorities say was almost certainly an attack targeting the tycoon.
A woman at the residence suffered very serious injuries in the attack and was being treated in a hospital in Nice, according to Christophe Mirmand, the minister of state for Monaco. Local media reports said she underwent a lower-limb amputation.
The tycoon and a 13-year-old child suffered less serious injuries, including burns and shrapnel wounds, but remain in hospital, Mr Mirmand said.
In pictures: Strike on Kyiv kills at least 30
09:01 , Alex Croft
Trump wants Ukraine war settled so 'senseless killing' ends, says official
08:29 , Arpan Rai
A US official has said Donald Trump wants the war in Ukraine to end so the killings end, a US official said.
Trump “wants this war settled so the senseless killing ends”, the official said after 27 people were killed in Russian strikes on Kyiv.
The president “remains optimistic that we’ll ultimately get a peace deal done”, they said.
Putin briefed on Kyiv attack as Kremlin vows to keep pressure on Ukraine
08:00 , Arpan Rai
President Vladimir Putin has been briefed by his top military commander about a massive overnight Russian strike on Kyiv, the Kremlin said on Thursday.
Peskov added that Moscow would continue to increase pressure on Ukraine in order to achieve its goals.
At least 17 people were killed in the attack, and scores wounded.
In a call with reporters, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov accused Europe of escalating tensions, and said Russia was unable to turn a blind eye to such moves.
Monaco identifies suspect behind assassination attempt on Ukrainian tycoon
07:40 , Alex Croft
Authorities have identified the suspect behind the parcel bombing that seriously injured a Ukrainian-origin oligarch and two others, Monaco’s prosecutor general said.
Public prosecutor, Stephane Thibault, did not reveal any detail about the individual but said an international arrest warrant is being issued to arrest the suspect.
“The suspect will be the subject of an Interpol Red Notice from this evening,” the prosecutor’s office said.
France's Le Figaro daily, however, claimed in an exclusive report that the suspect, who was captured on CCTV wearing a black fisherman's hat, is believed to be a Ukrainian woman in her thirties who tried to pass off as a man. The woman is registered as living in Germany, according to the paper.
A press briefing will be held shortly before noon on Friday, the public prosecutor said.
Read the full report:
Monaco identifies suspect behind assassination attempt on Ukrainian tycoon
Zelensky fumes at allies for not delivering air defence to fight deadliest Russian attack
07:20 , Arpan Rai
Volodymyr Zelensky has blamed the destruction in part on a failure of allies to deliver promised air defences.
"If our partners had delivered on their promises in a timely manner, I think we could have saved more homes and lives today," said Zelensky, who looked tired and frustrated.
“All we ask of our partners is simply to do what we’ve agreed on. We’re not even asking for more."
Later, in his nightly video address, Zelensky said the issue of air defences would be "one of the key outcomes" of next week's Nato summit in Turkey, as he repeated his call for the development of European air defences.
“If, of course, Nato still means anything to the allies," he said.
“Europe must have its own sufficient capability to defend against all types of threats, including this one from Russian ballistic missiles,” Zelensky said.
Watch: Zelensky vow to escalate fighting after deadliest strike on Kyiv this year
06:58 , Arpan Rai
Kallas: Words of condemnation will not stop Russia - we need more sanctions
06:53 , Arpan Rai
European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, responded to Russia’s large scale attack on Kyiv, and has called for more sanctions.
She said on Thursday she would propose more sanctions against Russia following a new wave of Russian attacks on Ukraine.
“Words of condemnation alone will not stop attacks on Kyiv. Only sustained military support for Ukraine and increased pressure on Moscow can do that,” she wrote on X.
"Today, I will propose to sanction more entities supporting Russia's military-industrial complex in response to the strikes. The more Moscow attacks civilians, the more sanctions must be imposed.”
Words of condemnation alone will not stop attacks on Kyiv. Only sustained military support for Ukraine and increased pressure on Moscow can do that.
— Kaja Kallas (@kajakallas) July 2, 2026
This week, the EU has started disbursing €6 billion under the €90 billion support loan to strengthen Kyiv’s defences.
Today, I…
Four killed and 10 injured in Ukraine overnight, officials say
06:49 , Arpan Rai
At least four people were killed and another 10 injured in Russian overnight attacks on Ukraine, officials said on Telegram in the early hours of Friday.
A day of mourning will be observed in Kyiv on Friday after at least three dozen people were killed there on Thursday in the deadliest Russian attack on the Ukrainian capital this year.
In the bordering Sumy region, two women, an elderly man and a girl younger than two years old were killed and three others injured after a Russian drone hit a house, said Oleh Hryhorov, the head of the regional military administration.
In the central Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih, hometown of president Volodymyr Zelenskiy, seven people were injured after a Russian missile strike on the densely built urban area, said Oleksandr Vilkul, the head of the city's defence council.
Death toll reaches 30 in Kyiv
06:23 , Arpan Rai
Three more bodies have been recovered from the rubble in Kyiv in rescue operations, taking the death toll to 30 this morning in the deadliest attack on the capital this year.
Multiple explosions shook central Kyiv and reverberated across the capital throughout the night as thousands of residents rushed to bomb shelters and underground metro stations. Huge columns of smoke filled the skyline.
The death toll climbed to 30 after three more bodies were recovered from the rubble, Ukraine's emergency service said.
The head of the capital's military administration, Tymur Tkachenko, earlier said 91 were injured. He had earlier warned that the toll was likely to rise as rescue teams worked through the night, sifting through rubble in search of trapped residents.
Russia deploys cossacks and volunteers to keep order at petrol stations in Black Sea resort
06:01 , Arpan Rai
Cossacks and volunteers have stepped in to help city officials and police keep order and prevent conflicts at petrol stations in the popular Russian Black Sea resort of Anapa, as Ukrainian attacks worsen a countrywide fuel crisis.
In Anapa, a popular vacation spot in the southern region of Krasnodar, Cossacks, a historic military and social community known for their distinctive uniforms and traditional fur hats, are among those helping to prevent fights when cars line up for fuel, the city's administration said on Telegram.
"They regulate traffic flow, prevent conflicts and attempts to fill petrol cans with fuel, and ensure that the queue is maintained in an orderly manner," said the post published late on Thursday.
Like other places in Russia and parts of Russian-occupied Ukraine, Anapa restricts drivers to buying 20 litres of gasoline per car, which a resident, Aleksandra Nesterenko, told a local TV station was enough for about a week.
“I've come to terms with it. If the restrictions were introduced, then there's a good reason for them," Nesterenko, a woman who appeared to be in her 30s, said in the video that was attached to the city administration's post.
The changes have helped trim waiting times to 30 to 40 minutes from up to four hours, Arsen Melkumyan, an administration official, said in the same video, posing in front of a petrol station as cars kept coming and going.
Putin briefed on Kyiv attack as Kremlin vows to keep pressure on Ukraine
05:35 , Arpan Rai
President Vladimir Putin has been briefed by his top military commander about a massive overnight Russian strike on Kyiv, the Kremlin said on Thursday.
The Russian military unleashed a massive 11-hour barrage on the Ukrainian capital overnight into Thursday morning that killed at least 27 people. It was one of the deadliest attacks on Kyiv since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion.
Peskov added that Moscow would continue to increase pressure on Ukraine in order to achieve its goals.
In a call with reporters, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov accused Europe of escalating tensions, and said Russia was unable to turn a blind eye to such moves.
Industrial facility in Russia's Belgorod on fire after Ukraine's attack
05:15 , Arpan Rai
An industrial facility caught fire after Ukraine attacked the Russian city of Belgorod and its surrounding with missiles, Vesti news channel said, citing local officials.
Energy infrastructure was damaged and water and gas supplies were interrupted, Vesti added. A woman was killed in the attack, TASS news agency said separately, citing local officials.
Zelensky fumes at allies for not delivering air defence to fight deadliest Russian attack
05:08 , Arpan Rai
Volodymyr Zelensky has blamed the destruction in part on a failure of allies to deliver promised air defences.
"If our partners had delivered on their promises in a timely manner, I think we could have saved more homes and lives today," said Zelensky, who looked tired and frustrated.
“All we ask of our partners is simply to do what we’ve agreed on. We’re not even asking for more."
Later, in his nightly video address, Zelensky said the issue of air defences would be "one of the key outcomes" of next week's Nato summit in Turkey, as he repeated his call for the development of European air defences.
“If, of course, Nato still means anything to the allies," he said.
“Europe must have its own sufficient capability to defend against all types of threats, including this one from Russian ballistic missiles,” Zelensky said.
27 killed as Russia bombards Kyiv in deadliest strike this year
04:45 , Arpan Rai
At least 27 people were killed and 91 left injured after Russia launched hundreds of drones and dozens of missiles at Ukraine's capital Kyiv yesterday.
The strikes damaged around 130 buildings in the deadliest attack on the capital this year.
Multiple explosions shook central Kyiv and reverberated across the capital throughout the night as thousands of residents rushed to bomb shelters and underground metro stations. Huge columns of smoke filled the skyline.
The death toll climbed to 27 after an injured person died in hospital, and 91 were injured, the head of the capital's military administration, Tymur Tkachenko, said on Telegram.
Tkachenko had earlier warned that the toll was likely to rise as rescue teams worked through the night, sifting through rubble in search of trapped residents.
He said teams at one site in an eastern suburb on the capital's left bank of the Dnipro River had recovered five bodies while eight residents were unaccounted for.
Ukraine and US negotiators held talks in past two days, says Zelensky
04:31 , Arpan Rai
A senior Ukrainian defence official, Rustem Umerov, and president Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner have held talks in the past two days, president Volodymyr Zelensky said.
Speaking at one of the sites targeted in a devastating Russian attack on Kyiv as rescuers sifted through rubble, Zelensky said he still hoped Kushner and envoy Steve Witkoff would visit Ukraine even though US-backed peace efforts to end the war have stalled for months.
Zelensky added that he hoped to have a meeting with Trump on the sidelines of a Nato summit in the Turkish capital Ankara next week.
Trump wants Ukraine war settled so 'senseless killing' ends, says official
04:18 , Arpan Rai
A US official has said Donald Trump wants the war in Ukraine to end so the killings end, a US official said.
Trump “wants this war settled so the senseless killing ends”, the official said after 27 people were killed in Russian strikes on Kyiv.
The president “remains optimistic that we’ll ultimately get a peace deal done”, they said.
Russian attacks kill two and injures eight in Ukraine overnight
04:04 , Arpan Rai
At least two people were killed and another eight injured in Russian overnight attacks on Ukraine, officials said on Telegram in the early hours of Friday.
In the bordering Sumy region, two were killed and one injured after Russian drones hit a private house, said Oleh Hryhorov, head of the regional military administration.
In the central Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih, hometown of president Volodymyr Zelensky, seven people were injured after a Russian missile strike on the densely built urban area, said Oleksandr Vilkul, the head of the city's defence council.
A day of mourning will be observed in Kyiv on Friday after nearly three dozen people were killed there on Thursday in the deadliest Russian attack on the Ukrainian capital this year.
Germany charges Ukrainian for Nord Stream attacks in 2022
03:00 , Alex Croft
German federal prosecutors has said that a Ukrainian national tied to the Nord Stream pipeline blasts has been charged with being an accomplice to a war crime, disruption of public services, causing an explosion and destroying structures.
Serhii K, as the suspect is known under German privacy rules, is suspected of acting on behalf of Ukrainian government entities, along with other military personnel, to destroy the pipelines in 2022.
Birds in Ukraine build nests with fibre optic cable
02:01 , Alex Croft
Poland detains two men suspected of spying for Belarus
Friday 3 July 2026 00:29 , Alex Croft
Polish security services have detained a Belarusian citizen and a Polish citizen suspected of spying on Belarusian exiles on behalf of the Belarusian intelligence services, Polish security services said on Thursday.
"Men paid by Belarusian intelligence participated in events organized in Warsaw by the Belarusian minority, where they recorded and photographed participants," the spokesperson, Jacek Dobrzynski, wrote on X.
"The collected materials – passed across the eastern border – were used by (President Alexander) Lukashenko's services and regime propaganda."
The two arrests were part of an ongoing case in which three Belarusians and two Ukrainians were already detained last November.
A court ordered the 19-year-old Belarusian citizen to be held for three months, while the Polish citizen, 44, was barred from leaving the country and placed under police supervision.
The Belarusian embassy in Warsaw did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Ukraine, Putin or call centre fraud: The theories behind assassination attempt on Ukrainian tycoon in Monaco
Thursday 2 July 2026 23:31 , Alex Croft
Ukraine, Putin or call centre fraud: The theories behind assassination attempt on Ukrainian tycoon in Monaco
Vadym Iermolaiev was returning to his apartment in Monaco on a warm summer night last Monday with a woman and child when the bomb exploded.
Within seconds, the Ukrainian oligarch and the woman and child were lying covered in blood on the floor outside the building on the Rue Révérend-Père-Louis-Frolla.
The suspect, who dropped a suspected parcel bomb in the lobby, had already fled the scene. A manhunt to locate him is ongoing, while Iermolaiev and the other two victims are being treated for serious injuries at the Pasteur Hospital in Nice.
Two days since the attack, the case remains shrouded in mystery with sources offering various theories for why Iermolaiev, one of Ukraine’s richest men, was targeted.
Read more here:
Everything we know about the Monaco attack on a Ukrainian oligarch
Putin briefed on Kyiv attack as Kremlin vows to keep pressure on Ukraine
Thursday 2 July 2026 22:31 , Alex Croft
President Vladimir Putin has been briefed by his top military commander about a massive overnight Russian strike on Kyiv, the Kremlin said on Thursday.
Peskov added that Moscow would continue to increase pressure on Ukraine in order to achieve its goals.
At least 17 people were killed in the attack, and scores wounded.
In a call with reporters, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov accused Europe of escalating tensions, and said Russia was unable to turn a blind eye to such moves.
Death toll from strikes rises to 25
Thursday 2 July 2026 21:42 , Nicole Wootton-Cane
The number of people killed in Russian strikes on Kyiv overnight has risen to 25, authorities have said.
Tymur Tkachenko, head of the capital's military administration, said on Telegram that the death toll stood at 25 and was likely to rise as rescue teams worked through the night, sifting through rubble in search of trapped residents.
He said teams at one site in an eastern suburb on the capital's left bank of the Dnipro River had recovered five bodies while eight residents were unaccounted for.
"Rescue crews will work without interruption until all the debris is cleared," he wrote. "Unfortunately, more victims may still be found."
Taiwan turns to drones as it seeks to replicate Ukraine's stellar defence
Thursday 2 July 2026 21:28 , Alex Croft
Taiwan needs a "hornet's nest" of drones to help deter conflict and provide security, the top US diplomat to the democratically governed island said on Thursday.
Taiwan says it needs to bolster its defences in the face of a stepped-up threat from China, which claims the island as its own territory.
The US and Taiwan can anchor "democratic" drone production and strengthen the collective deterrence posture of the free world, said Raymond Greene, director of the American Institute in Taiwan and the de facto US ambassador.
"Fortunately for Taiwan, drones have significantly boosted defenders, even when facing overwhelming odds," he added, referring to the war in Ukraine.
"Nothing will deter conflict more effectively than turning Taiwan into a hornet's nest of air, surface, and subsurface drones."
Watch: Crew rescues survivors after Putin's latest attack on Kyiv
Thursday 2 July 2026 20:30 , Alex Croft
Kallas: Words of condemnation will not stop Russia - we need more sanctions
Thursday 2 July 2026 19:30 , Alex Croft
We’ve earlier from European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, who has responded to Russia’s large scale attack on Kyiv.
She said on Thursday she would propose more sanctions against Russia following a new wave of Russian attacks on Ukraine.
“Words of condemnation alone will not stop attacks on Kyiv. Only sustained military support for Ukraine and increased pressure on Moscow can do that,” she wrote on X.
"Today, I will propose to sanction more entities supporting Russia's military-industrial complex in response to the strikes. The more Moscow attacks civilians, the more sanctions must be imposed.”
Words of condemnation alone will not stop attacks on Kyiv. Only sustained military support for Ukraine and increased pressure on Moscow can do that.
— Kaja Kallas (@kajakallas) July 2, 2026
This week, the EU has started disbursing €6 billion under the €90 billion support loan to strengthen Kyiv’s defences.
Today, I…
Half a million dead but just 40sq km gained in six months: Impact of Putin’s devastating war in numbers
Thursday 2 July 2026 18:30 , Alex Croft
After a bleak winter which saw months of fierce Russian bombing of Ukrainian energy infrastructure, the future is beginning to look more positive for Kyiv.
Nearly four-and-a-half years since Vladimir Putin launched the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Russia’s frontline advances have slowed almost to a halt, as Ukrainian counter-attacks and defensive tactics become more effective.
Successes in local counterattacks have become more frequent, as Ukrainian forces scale up their use of ground robots and short-range drone warfare.
But most importantly, Kyiv has succeeded in bringing home the war to Russia, inflicting costly damage to its fuel infrastructure which has caused major shortages. This has fomented public discontent in Russia, increasing the pressure on Putin to end the conflict.
The cost of his war is laid bare in data showing the scale of Russian losses, offset against such small gains in territory.
Read our ‘In Numbers’ piece on the cost of Russia’s invasion in Ukraine.
Europe has largely filled funding gaps left by US, says Nato commander
Thursday 2 July 2026 17:29 , Alex Croft
European NATO allies have largely filled the gaps left by the United States in the alliance's defence plans, NATO's top commander said on Thursday.
US Air Force General Alexus Grynkewich added that the bloc was looking at workarounds to address the remaining shortfalls in a few areas.
"Most may not know – although there was some reporting overnight about this – that in a matter of weeks, European allies have largely filled the gaps left by U.S. reductions to the NATO Force Model," he said.
"And in those few areas where they haven't, where they do not currently have a like capability to replace, we are looking at alternate capabilities with matching effect."
Citing a NATO source, Reuters reported on Wednesday that NATO will announce at next week's Ankara summit that its European members have filled almost all the gaps left by the United States in the alliance's defence plans.
In pictures: Zelensky visits scene of huge Russian attack in Kyiv
Thursday 2 July 2026 16:29 , Alex Croft
Death toll in Russian attack on Kyiv rises to 21 in one of the war's biggest attacks
Thursday 2 July 2026 15:56 , Alex Croft
The death toll in Russia’s huge attack on Kyiv has increased to 21, emergency services said.
Russia launched hundreds of drones and dozens of missiles at Ukraine's capital Kyiv in the early hours on Thursday, wounding scores more and damaging around 130 buildings in one of the biggest attacks of the war.
Multiple explosions shook central Kyiv and reverberated across the capital throughout the night as thousands of residents rushed to bomb shelters and underground metro stations. Huge columns of smoke filled the skyline.
The attack was the deadliest in Kyiv since at least May, and the wide spread of destruction across the breadth of the capital had little precedent even in a war now in its fifth year.
President Volodymyr Zelensky, who cut short his visit to Ireland and rushed home, visited a site on the city's left bank where a nine-storey residential building was half destroyed. He blamed the destruction in part on a failure of allies to deliver promised air defenses.
"If our partners had delivered on their promises in a timely manner, I think we could have saved more homes and lives today," said Zelenskiy, who looked tired and visibly frustrated. "All we ask of our partners is simply to do what we’ve agreed on. We’re not even asking for more."
Ukrainian drone attack injures two on tourist bus, says Russia
Thursday 2 July 2026 15:52 , Alex Croft
A Ukrainian drone attack injured two people travelling aboard a tourist bus from the Belarusian capital Minsk to the Russian Black Sea resort town of Anapa on Thursday, Russian state media reported.
The government in Russia's Bryansk region, on the borders of Ukraine and Belarus, told Sputnik Belarus news agency that two drivers suffered minor injuries in the attack, which occurred at the Krasniy Kamen border crossing between Russia and Belarus.
There was no immediate comment from Ukraine.
Bryansk and the neighbouring Kursk region regularly come under Ukrainian shelling, resulting in injuries and deaths of local residents and damage to local infrastructure.
Russia accused Ukraine of conducting a deadly drone strike on a bus carrying Belarusian schoolchildren in a separate incident in the Bryansk region last month. Ukraine's military denied attacking the bus, which was transporting members of a youth soccer team from Belarus to southern Russia.
US and Ukrainian negotiators held talks in past two days - Zelensky
Thursday 2 July 2026 15:29 , Alex Croft
A senior Ukrainian defence official, Rustem Umerov, and Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner have held talks in the past two days, president Volodymyr Zelensky said on Thursday.
Speaking at one of the sites targeted in a devastating Russian attack on Kyiv as rescuers sifted through rubble, Mr Zelensky said he still hoped Kushner and envoy Steve Witkoff would visit Ukraine even though US-backed peace efforts to end the war have stalled for months.
Mr Zelensky added that he hoped to have a meeting with Trump on the sidelines of a NATO summit in the Turkish capital Ankara next week.
Poland accuses Ukraine of failing to deliver promised drone tech
Thursday 2 July 2026 14:05 , Alex Croft
Ukraine has failed to deliver promised drone technology despite Poland's military support and willingness to transfer MiG-29 fighter jets, Polish defence minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz told Polish radio broadcaster Trojka on Thursday.
Poland has been one of Ukraine's strongest backers since Russia began its full-scale invasion in 2022, providing military aid and serving as a key logistics hub for Western assistance.
However, relations have periodically been strained by disputes over historical issues and agricultural imports.
The latest tensions come after Polish President Karol Nawrocki stripped Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky of Poland's highest state honour amid a dispute over a Ukrainian military unit named after insurgents Warsaw blames for massacres of Poles during World War Two.
Kosiniak-Kamysz said on Thursday that discussions on the transfer of the remaining MiG-29 fighter jets to Kyiv in exchange for access to Ukrainian drone technology had been going on for months.
"Initially, they agreed to such a resolution, but today they are not honouring the agreement," Kosiniak-Kamysz said.
"If Ukraine is already able to sell drones to Kuwait and generate revenue from it while at war, then it is capable of reciprocating to those who provide their equipment and—at times, symbolically—sharing its own capabilities," Kosiniak-Kamysz said.
Russian soldiers ‘surviving average of 20 minutes when they reach frontline due to drone attacks’
Thursday 2 July 2026 13:39 , Alex Croft
Russian troops in some areas of the Ukrainian frontline can expect to live for between 20 to 35 minutes due to rising drone attacks, according to an estimate from Russian military bloggers.
The estimate, cited by Oxford historian Peter Frankopan in a report for Foreign Policy, lays bare the increasingly dangerous conditions for the Russian army as Ukraine evolves its drone capabilities.
Moscow has been accused of employing a ‘meat-grinder’ strategy, in which it sends vast numbers of troops to the Ukrainian frontline in an attempt to slowly grind down Kyiv’s heavily-fortified defences.
But with drones now dominating the war, Russia is losing men at a fast rate, with an average of 30,000 monthly casualties in 2026. Some estimates even suggest Russia is suffering eight men killed or wounded for every one lost by Kyiv.
Read more here:
Russian soldiers ‘surviving just 20 minutes on frontline due to drone attacks’
Russia claims it has seized village in Donetsk region
Thursday 2 July 2026 13:15 , Alex Croft
Russia's Defence Ministry said on Thursday that its forces have taken the village of Pyskunivka, in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region.
The Independent was not able to independently verify the battlefield report - but we’ll bring you more when we have it.
Germany condemns Russia's strike on Kyiv
Thursday 2 July 2026 12:53 , Alex Croft
Germany's foreign ministry condemned Russia's major strike on Kyiv on Thursday, stating their condemnation was in the strongest possible terms.
In a statement, it vowed to continue supporting Ukraine in its struggle against Moscow.
Russian President Vladimir Putin "shows no willingness to negotiate," said the ministry in a statement, adding that continued backing for Ukraine would be the focus of next week's Nato summit.
Germany charges Ukrainian for Nord Stream attacks in 2022
Thursday 2 July 2026 12:31 , Alex Croft
German federal prosecutors has said that a Ukrainian national tied to the Nord Stream pipeline blasts has been charged with being an accomplice to a war crime, disruption of public services, causing an explosion and destroying structures.
Serhii K, as the suspect is known under German privacy rules, is suspected of acting on behalf of Ukrainian government entities, along with other military personnel, to destroy the pipelines in 2022.
Watch: Birds in Ukraine build nests with fibre optic cable
Thursday 2 July 2026 12:09 , Alex Croft
Poland detains two men suspected of spying for Belarus
Thursday 2 July 2026 11:46 , Alex Croft
Polish security services have detained a Belarusian citizen and a Polish citizen suspected of spying on Belarusian exiles on behalf of the Belarusian intelligence services, Polish security services said on Thursday.
"Men paid by Belarusian intelligence participated in events organized in Warsaw by the Belarusian minority, where they recorded and photographed participants," the spokesperson, Jacek Dobrzynski, wrote on X.
"The collected materials – passed across the eastern border – were used by (President Alexander) Lukashenko's services and regime propaganda."
The two arrests were part of an ongoing case in which three Belarusians and two Ukrainians were already detained last November.
A court ordered the 19-year-old Belarusian citizen to be held for three months, while the Polish citizen, 44, was barred from leaving the country and placed under police supervision.
The Belarusian embassy in Warsaw did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Putin briefed on Kyiv attack as Kremlin vows to keep pressure on Ukraine
Thursday 2 July 2026 11:25 , Alex Croft
President Vladimir Putin has been briefed by his top military commander about a massive overnight Russian strike on Kyiv, the Kremlin said on Thursday.
Peskov added that Moscow would continue to increase pressure on Ukraine in order to achieve its goals.
At least 17 people were killed in the attack, and scores wounded.
In a call with reporters, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov accused Europe of escalating tensions, and said Russia was unable to turn a blind eye to such moves.
Ukraine, Putin or call centre fraud: The theories behind assassination attempt on Ukrainian tycoon in Monaco
Thursday 2 July 2026 11:02 , Alex Croft
Vadym Iermolaiev was returning to his apartment in Monaco on a warm summer night last Monday with a woman and child when the bomb exploded.
Within seconds, the Ukrainian oligarch and the woman and child were lying covered in blood on the floor outside the building on the Rue Révérend-Père-Louis-Frolla.
The suspect, who dropped a suspected parcel bomb in the lobby, had already fled the scene. A manhunt to locate him is ongoing, while Iermolaiev and the other two victims are being treated for serious injuries at the Pasteur Hospital in Nice.
Two days since the attack, the case remains shrouded in mystery with sources offering various theories for why Iermolaiev, one of Ukraine’s richest men, was targeted.
Read more here:
Everything we know about the Monaco attack on a Ukrainian oligarch
Kyrgyzstan asks neighbours to boost fuel supplies amid Russian shortages
Thursday 2 July 2026 10:39 , Alex Croft
Kyrgyzstan has asked Kazakhstan, Belarus, Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan to help ensure stable fuel supplies late on Wednesday, amid concerns over potential shortages linked to Ukraine's drone strikes against Russian oil refineries.
The Central Asian country of 7 million people imports more than 90 per cent of its gasoline from Russia, which is itself facing acute fuel shortages following Ukrainian strikes on energy infrastructure.
Russian president Vladimir Putin said last week that Moscow may ban diesel exports, acknowledging mounting domestic shortages.
"To ensure sustainable fuel supplies, official requests have been sent to the relevant government authorities of the Russian Federation, the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Republic of Belarus, the Republic of Azerbaijan, the Republic of Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan", Kyrgyzstan's energy ministry said in a statement.
The ministry said fuel stocks remain sufficient and supplies are proceeding as planned. In June, Kyrgyz authorities introduced price controls on some retail fuel sales.
Death toll in Russian attack on Kyiv rises to 17, with 86 injured
Thursday 2 July 2026 10:17 , Alex Croft
The death toll following a Russian drone and missile attack on Kyiv early on Thursday has risen to 17, Ukraine's emergency services said.
Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko earlier said 13 had been killed and another 86 injured.
Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said 20 residential buildings were damaged across the city.
The Emergency Service says it deployed nearly 500 personnel and 100 units of specialized vehicles, including a helicopter, to deal with the aftermath of the attack.
