Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has pleaded for interceptors, the only weapon that can shoot down ballistic projectiles, after Ukraine was unable to down any of the missiles fired by Russia.
He said it was "simply nonsensical that, in the modern world, production has still not been scaled up to the level actually required to protect people from ballistic terror".
Ukraine’s Air Force said Russia fired 351 drones and 68 missiles overnight into Monday, targeting mainly Kyiv, and all 29 ballistic missiles struck their targets.
“Russians are certainly using the fact that there is a serious deficit of interceptor missiles now, in Ukraine and the world,” said Ukraine Air Force spokesperson Yurii Ihnat.
Ukraine’s defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov also warned that Russia is deliberately ramping up ballistic missile attacks on a scale unseen before, exploiting the acute shortage of Patriot interceptors.
This comes as ahead of the Nato summit in Ankara, Turkey today, US president Donald Trump said that a resolution to the more than four-year-old war in Ukraine is "getting closer than people realise" and that he will talk about Ukraine during talks in Turkey this week at a Nato summit.
Key Points
- Kyiv says it is facing interceptor missiles shortage as Russia increases attacks
- Zelensky: It is 'absurd' that production of missile defence arms cannot meet demand
- Trump says Ukraine war is 'getting closer' to settle after talks with Putin and Zelensky
- Trump to meet Zelensky at Nato summit in Turkey
- Norway seeks China's intervention to help bring Russia to Ukraine peace talks
Death toll in Kyiv rises to 28 as Ukraine battles air-defence shortages
05:21 , Arpan Rai
Russia hammered Kyiv and the surrounding region with missiles and drones early on Monday, killing at least 28 people and exposing Ukraine's critical shortage of US-made air-defence interceptors, officials said.
Rescuers were digging bodies from the rubble of a Kyiv high-rise ripped open in the overnight bombardment.
At least 18 people were killed in Kyiv, the Emergency Services said on Telegram as search and rescue operations recovered more bodies as crews worked through the night.
Prosecutors said 10 were killed in the wider Kyiv region.
Emergency Services reported repeated explosions and many damaged residential buildings in Vyshneve, outside the capital.
The governor of southeastern Zaporizhzhia region said a drone strike on a filling station killed two people later on Monday.
And in Sumy region on the Russian border, where Moscow wants to broaden a buffer zone, the regional governor said two residents died in separate Russian drone strikes.
In Kyiv, nearly 30 buildings were significantly damaged, interior minister Ihor Klymenko said.
A search operation dragged into Monday afternoon as crews combed mountains of rubble and twisted metal in the multi-storey building whose top floors had been torn open.
Ukraine's military was unable to down any of the 23 ballistic missiles fired by Russia, according to air force data, reflecting its increasing vulnerability to Moscow's strikes as stocks of its prized Patriot missiles run out.
US tells Nato that spending must increase ‘immediately’ or alliance will face consequences
04:58 , Arpan Rai
The Trump administration has warned that Nato allies must step up defence spending “immediately” or face the consequences ahead of a summit with the military alliance this week.
Matt Whitaker, the US ambassador to Nato, said on Sunday that some partners were “doing more than others”, and that president Donald Trump expects all to “step up” and honour their commitments.
“Some allies are doing more than others. Poland, the Nordic countries, the Baltic countries lead the way,” he said.
US tells Nato to increase spending ‘immediately’ or face consequences
Kyiv says it is facing interceptor missiles shortage as Russia increases attacks
04:36 , Arpan Rai
Ukraine’s air force said Russia fired 351 drones and 68 missiles overnight into Monday, targeting mainly Kyiv, and all 29 ballistic missiles struck their targets.
“To intercept ballistics, we need the means for interception,” air force spokesperson Yurii Ihnat said on national television.
“Russians are certainly using the fact that there is a serious deficit of interceptor missiles now, in Ukraine and the world.”
Ukraine’s defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov said Russia is deliberately ramping up ballistic missile attacks on a scale unseen before, exploiting the acute shortage of Patriot interceptors.
“Fewer such missiles are produced worldwide each month than the enemy fires at Ukraine in that same period,” he said.
Ahead of the Nato summit in Turkey, Zelensky said Ukrainian forces had performed well against drones and cruise missiles but not against ballistic missiles — a shortfall he blamed on insufficient supplies of interceptors.
He urged US and European partners at the summit to bolster Ukraine’s air defense and protect civilians.
“As long as Patriot missiles remain in our allies’ stockpiles, Russia is only encouraged to keep ‘vanquishing’ residential buildings. The United States and Europe have enough strength to stop this terror,” he said on X following the attack.
Russia's defence ministry threatened that any increase in the supply of drones, missiles and ammunition produced in the West "will not go unnoticed and will be countered by a corresponding increase in the number and power of retaliatory strikes by the Russian armed forces on Ukrainian territory.”
Trump says Ukraine war is 'getting closer' to settle after talks with Putin and Zelensky
04:19 , Arpan Rai
US president Donald Trump said on Monday that a resolution to the more than four-year-old war in Ukraine is "getting closer than people realise" and that he will talk about Ukraine during talks in Turkey this week at a Nato summit.
“This is one that I think we're getting much closer than people realise. And president Putin wants it to end. I will tell you that very strongly," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office.
Trump made his remarks after speaking at the weekend with both Russian president Vladimir Putin and his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelensky.
He gave no specific reason for his assertion that a solution to the conflict was in sight, and overnight Russia hammered Kyiv and the surrounding region with missiles and drones, killing at least 28 people.
In Moscow, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said he believed the US position on how to resolve the conflict remained unchanged.
But Zelensky, interviewed by the Financial Times, said he believed the US president was viewing the conflict in a new light in view of recent Ukrainian successes.
Trump said he had held a "good call" with Putin on the Fourth of July holiday, a conversation a Kremlin aide said lasted 85 minutes and was marked by the US president offering to help find a way to move towards peace.
“And president Zelensky actually wants it to end now. And we're going to be going to Nato, and we're going to be talking about it, and I think we're going to get it," he said.
“I think we're going to get it ended. It's been a terrible situation." Trump is scheduled to meet Zelensky on Wednesday on the sidelines of the Nato summit in Ankara and a US official said the idea of the talks was to make a renewed push to end the war.
The same official said Trump would likely follow up with Putin after talking to Zelensky.
Norway seeks China's intervention to help bring Russia to Ukraine peace talks
04:08 , Arpan Rai
Norway wants China to use its ties to the Russian leadership to help bring about a negotiated settlement to the war in Ukraineand improve Beijing's relations with Europe, Norwegian prime minister Jonas Gahr Stoere said on Monday.
"China is probably the country with the best and most direct access to the Russian leadership. We expect, hope and strongly urge China to use that channel," he told reporters after meeting Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi in Oslo.
The biggest chunk of their discussion was devoted to Ukraine, Stoere said.
“There is a potential for deeper cooperation between Europe and China, but as long as this war goes on and China is a close partner of Russia, that is a limitation on that opportunity," he added.
Norwegian foreign minister Espen Barth Eide, speaking earlier on Monday, said dialogue with China on ending the war had been "constructive and promising".
“I'm not a spokesperson for China. I'm not going to quote them, but there are some hints in what they say,” he said when asked whether China had indicated it would help to bring Russia to the negotiating table.
Norwegian officials said negotiations should begin without conditions, starting with a ceasefire based on the current front line in Ukraine.
“That is, in itself, a major concession from Ukraine's side. It is inside their territory,” Stoere said.
Nato to unveil big arms deals in Ankara before summit with Trump
03:53 , Arpan Rai
Nato leaders plan to unveil arms deals worth tens of billions of dollars in Ankara today to show they are heeding US calls to spend more to defend Europe before joining president Donald Trump for a summit.
European governments will announce the deals at a Nato defence industry forum before Trump flies in to meet Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan and join fellow leaders of the military alliance for the summit, which begins with a dinner on Tuesday evening.
Nato secretary general Mark Rutte said on Monday Europeans had made “staggering” increases in defence spending in part due to fears of Russia, which have surged since Moscow’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, but also because Trump had been “extremely forceful” in encouraging them to do so.
Trump has long accused European governments of over-relying on the US to defend them through the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, which has protected the continent since the early years of the Cold War.
“We are now creating an alliance which is sustainable, where the US knows it is a fair deal,” Rutte told reporters in Ankara on the eve of the summit.
Rutte said last month that Nato's European members and Canada spent $90bn more on defence in real terms in 2025 than in 2024, to reach a total of more than $570bn – an increase of around 20 per cent in a single year.
Nato backs Ukraine’s long-range drone strikes to force Putin to negotiate, says Finnish PM
03:00 , Bryony Gooch
Nato backs Ukraine’s long-range strikes to force Putin to negotiate, says Finnish PM
Recap: Russia advertises on job website for drone operator to ‘defend Moscow’
02:00 , Bryony Gooch
Russia forced to advertise on job website for drone operators to ‘defend Moscow’
Watch: Rescue operations continue in Kyiv after Putin's deadly attack
01:00 , Bryony Gooch
Recap: Zelensky demands ‘strong decisions’ at Nato summit after ballistic missiles strike Kyiv
Tuesday 7 July 2026 00:00 , James Reynolds
Volodymyr Zelensky urged Nato allies to make “strong decisions” to stop Russia’s blitz of Ukraine after at least 12 people were killed in heavy strikes in Kyiv on Monday.
Ahead of Tuesday’s summit in Ankara, the Ukrainian president said it was “critically important” that the US and Europe come out of the summit with “strong decisions in support of our air defence, and thus the protection of ordinary people’s lives”.
“As long as Patriot missiles remain in our allies' stockpiles, Russia is only encouraged to keep ‘vanquishing’ residential buildings. The United States and Europe have enough strength to stop this terror,” he said, as shortages of the US-made interceptors left the Ukrainian capital struggling to defend itself, just days after the deadliest attack this year.
Ukraine's air force data showed it was unable to down any of the 23 ballistic missiles fired by Russia overnight. Russia launched 68 missiles and 351 drones in total, the air force said.
The heavy overnight bombardment came ahead of a NATO summit in Turkey this week, where U.S. President Donald Trump is due to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to make a renewed push to end the war, now in its fifth year.
In pictures: Residents reel from Russian strikes near Kyiv on Monday
Monday 6 July 2026 23:00 , James Reynolds
US tells Nato that spending must increase ‘immediately’ or alliance will face consequences
Monday 6 July 2026 22:00 , James Reynolds
The Trump administration has warned that Nato allies must step up defence spending “immediately” or face the consequences ahead of a summit with the military alliance this week.
Matt Whitaker, the US ambassador to Nato, said on Sunday that some partners were “doing more than others”, and that president Donald Trump expects all to “step up” and honour their commitments.
“Some allies are doing more than others. Poland, the Nordic countries, the Baltic countries lead the way,” he said.
Read the full story:
US tells Nato to increase spending ‘immediately’ or face consequences
Death toll in Kyiv region rises to 26
Monday 6 July 2026 21:48 , Bryony Gooch
At least 26 people have been killed in the Kyiv region as part of Russia’s latest bombardment.
Russian strikes killed at least 16 in the capital, with 10 dead in wider Kyiv region, officials said on Telegram as search and rescue operations proceeded.
Emergency Services reported repeated explosions and many damaged residential buildings in Vyshneve, outside the capital.
The governor of Zaporizhzhia region in southeast Ukraine said a drone strike on a filling station killed two people later on Monday. In Kyiv, nearly 30 buildings were significantly damaged, Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said.
A search operation dragged into Monday afternoon as crews combed mountains of rubble and twisted metal in the multi-storey building whose top floors had been torn open.
Watch: Rescue operations continue in Kyiv after Putin's deadly attack
Monday 6 July 2026 21:00 , James Reynolds
Suspect in Monaco blast is Ukrainian woman disguised as man
Monday 6 July 2026 20:00 , James Reynolds
The main suspect behind a bomb attack in Monaco is a Ukrainian woman who disguised herself as a man and has been spotted in Germany, prosecutors have said.
Three people, including 58-year-old Ukrainian business tycoon Vadym Iermolaiev, a woman and a 13-year-old teenager, were wounded on Monday evening when an explosive was remotely detonated in what authorities believe was a targeted attack.
The two adults were rushed to hospital in a critical condition, with the woman having both her legs amputated.
Suspect in Monaco blast is Ukrainian woman who was disguised as man
Ukraine's Zelensky: It is 'absurd' that production of missile defence arms cannot meet demand
Monday 6 July 2026 19:46 , Bryony Gooch
President Volodymyr Zelensky lamented a shortage of arms to defend Ukraine against Russian ballistic missiles on Monday and said it was "absurd" that production could not meet demand to protect people.
"It is simply absurd that, in the modern world, production has still not been scaled up to the level actually required to protect people from ballistic terror," he said in his nightly video address.
Zelensky said Ukraine had the know-how to produce the weapons and if it received US licences to manufacture US Patriot systems "our production would be sufficient not only to defend Ukraine but also to assist partners who need them.
Tens of millions face being pushed into hunger crisis by Trump’s Iran war fallout
Monday 6 July 2026 19:00 , James Reynolds
Tens of millions of people around the world could be pushed into a hunger crisis thanks to the fallout from Donald Trump’s war in Iran.
Selena Victor, senior director of policy for Mercy Corps, told The Independent that in spite of a ceasefire between Iran and the US, farmers have already been forced to plant crops without fertiliser due to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
“The damage has been done,” she said. “The crops have already been planted … This will play out into the harvest season at the end of this year, and because that will also deplete the land, this will also play out into 2027. It is a long tail shock.”
In March, the UN predicted that the Strait of Hormuz blockade could leave an additional 45 million people facing acute hunger, meaning the estimated 318 million people facing acute food insecurity would rise to up to 363 million. That is a record high for global hunger this century, beyond that caused by the Ukraine war.
The worst of the shock was expected in east and southern Africa, where 17.7 million more people could go hungry.
Read the full story:
Tens of millions face being pushed into hunger crisis by Trump’s Iran war fallout
Recap: Russia plotting attack on Poland to test Nato’s resolve, US claims
Monday 6 July 2026 18:00 , James Reynolds
The US has warned Warsaw that Russia is planning an armed “provocation” against Poland to test Nato’s resolve, according to reports.
The assault could see Poland’s vital infrastructure targeted by missiles or drones, or even Russian soldiers crossing the border into Nato territory, Washington has said.
Sources close to Polish president Karol Nawrocki told Polish outlet Onet that the aim of Moscow’s possible assault, which could be launched in a matter of months, would be to provoke tensions and pressure Ukraine’s Western allies to suspend their military and financial aid.
Poland said on Monday that the US would resume its rotation of troops in the country after all, after temporarily suspending the process.
Read the full story:
Russia plotting attack on Poland to test Nato’s resolve, US claims
UK sanctions Russians over ‘barbaric’ Navalny and Salisbury poisonings
Monday 6 July 2026 17:00 , James Reynolds
The UK government has imposed sanctions on the scientists and institutions responsible for developing the Novichok nerve agent, which was used in the 2018 Salisbury assassination plot.
This deadly poison led to the death of Dawn Sturgess and the attempted assassination of former spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia.
The Foreign Office also announced targeted measures against Russians involved in the creation of the Epibatidine toxin. This substance was deployed against Alexei Navalny, a prominent opposition leader and vocal critic of Vladimir Putin.
Read the full story:
UK sanctions Russian scientists over ‘barbaric’ Navalny and Salisbury poisonings
Russian staff to return to Iranian nuclear plant next month
Monday 6 July 2026 16:30 , James Reynolds
Russia's state nuclear corporation Rosatom plans to send staff back to Iran's Bushehr nuclear power plant from the middle of July, Rosatom's head said on Monday.
Rosatom, which is building two new units at Bushehr, evacuated hundreds of staff after the United States and Israel launched a war against Iran on February 28.
Future of US troops in Estonia is under review, minister says
Monday 6 July 2026 16:23 , Bryony Gooch
The future of US troops in Nato member Estonia is under review, its defence minister told public broadcaster ERR.
The US has had a military troop unit in Estonia, in overlapping rotations, since 2022, the year of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
The future of the unit is unclear beyond the next rotation, due to arrive later this summer and leave by the end of 2026, Estonian defence minister Hanno Pevkur was quoted as saying by ERR.
The Estonian Defence Ministry told Reuters on Monday it is in close contact with the US government.
"The US is currently reviewing its force posture in Europe ... Further details will be confirmed once the arrangements are clearer," the ministry said.
US tells Nato that spending must increase ‘immediately’ or alliance will face consequences
Monday 6 July 2026 16:00 , James Reynolds
The Trump administration has warned that Nato allies must step up defence spending “immediately” or face the consequences ahead of a summit with the military alliance this week.
Matt Whitaker, the US ambassador to Nato, said on Sunday that some partners were “doing more than others”, and that president Donald Trump expects all to “step up” and honour their commitments.
“Some allies are doing more than others. Poland, the Nordic countries, the Baltic countries lead the way,” he said.
US tells Nato to increase spending ‘immediately’ or face consequences
Azerbaijan summons Russian envoy over drone strike on SOCAR fuel station in Ukraine
Monday 6 July 2026 15:30 , James Reynolds
Azerbaijan's Foreign Ministry said on Monday it had summoned Russia's ambassador to protest over what it said was a Russian drone strike on a fuel station belonging to state oil and gas company SOCAR in Ukraine's Mykolaiv region on Sunday.
Russia has been systematically striking Ukrainian fuel stations in retaliation for Kyiv's escalating campaign against Russia's own energy infrastructure, which has caused fuel shortages in many Russian regions.
Rutte speaks ahead of Nato summit
Monday 6 July 2026 15:05 , James Reynolds
Speaking ahead of Tuesday/Wednesday’s summit with Nato leaders in Ankara, Mark Rutte says he is already seeing “transformational” progress on the 5% defence spending target.
He said he expects nations to present clear and concrete plans to reach the target set last year during the summit in Turkey this week.
European allies and Canada are already investing around 4% of their GDP in defence and security, he tells reporters.
He says we can expect tens of billions of dollars in new contracts at the defence industry forum on Tuesday.
Recap: UK says aircraft carrier approached by Russian plane in Norwegian Sea
Monday 6 July 2026 15:00 , James Reynolds
Britain said its aircraft carrier in the Norwegian Sea was repeatedly approached by a Russian patrol aircraft, before being escorted away by UK fighter jets, in the latest incident risking a potential escalation between NATO and Russia.
The incident, which Britain called "unsafe and unprofessional", comes ahead of a NATO meeting in Ankara on Tuesday, where NATO members are set to pledge €70 billion in military assistance to Ukraine for 2026.
Britain said the Russian "Bear-F" maritime patrol aircraft passed at low altitude and "unnecessarily close" to HMS Prince of Wales, the aircraft carrier at the centre of a naval formation known as a carrier strike group, on July 2.
"The Bear-F...dropped a large number of sonobuoys in close proximity to the carrier," the Ministry of Defence said in a statement, referring to devices which are used to detect and track submarines.
UK jets scrambled to intercept Russian aircraft near Britain’s flagship carrier
US to resume troop rotation in Poland
Monday 6 July 2026 14:30 , James Reynolds
The US will resume its rotation of troops in Poland within weeks after temporarily suspending the process, Poland’s defence minister said on Monday.
Washington announced in May that it was suspending the rotation of troops to Poland, before days later Donald Trump said the US would send 5,000 extra troops to the country, which shares borders with Ukraine and Belarus.
The U.S. is currently reviewing the number of its troops stationed in Europe, arguing that European countries should bear more responsibility and pay more for their own defence.
"Poland is a loyal (U.S.) ally, so I was even more pleased to hear that the rotation, which was suspended a few weeks ago, is returning and will be completed in the coming weeks," minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz said during a ceremony at a missile factory.
The Polish government had earlier signaled it was working on getting the soldiers back, but the timeline was unclear.
Ukraine claims strikes on shadow fleet tankers
Monday 6 July 2026 14:00 , James Reynolds
Ukrainian forces struck two vessels belonging to Russia's so-called "shadow fleet" in the Sea of Azov, Kyiv's top drone commander said on Monday.
In a statement on Telegram, Robert Brovdi said each of the vessels had been carrying around 7,000 tonnes of fuel from the western Russian port of Taganrog to occupied Crimea.
Ukraine strikes targets 1,700m away, says Russia
Monday 6 July 2026 13:28 , James Reynolds
The governor of Russia's Omsk region said on Monday that the western Siberian province had come under attack from Ukrainian drones, in what would be one of the longest-ranged Ukrainian strikes since the beginning of the war.
In a post on Telegram, Vitaly Khotsenko said that several drones had reached what he called "Omsk's northern industrial hub", which is located around 2,700 km (1,700 miles) from Ukrainian-held territory, close to Russia's border with Kazakhstan.
He said that the consequences of the attack were being clarified, and that emergency services were working to "liquidate" the strike's aftermath.
Recap: Ukraine's military strikes oil refineries in Russia
Monday 6 July 2026 12:30 , James Reynolds
Ukraine's military said on Monday it struck oil refineries in Russia's Yaroslavl and Leningrad regions overnight.
Explosions were recorded near the Slavneft-YANOS oil refinery in Yaroslavl region, and smoke was seen rising from the premises, the Ukrainian military's General Staff said on Telegram.
The General Staff added that NOVATEK-Ust Luga refinery was hit in the Leningrad region.
Recap: Suspect in Monaco blast is Ukrainian woman disguised as man
Monday 6 July 2026 12:00 , James Reynolds
The main suspect behind a bomb attack in Monaco is a Ukrainian woman who disguised herself as a man and has been spotted in Germany, prosecutors have said.
Three people, including 58-year-old Ukrainian business tycoon Vadym Iermolaiev, a woman and a 13-year-old teenager, were wounded on Monday evening when an explosive was remotely detonated in what authorities believe was a targeted attack.
The two adults were rushed to hospital in a critical condition, with the woman having both her legs amputated.
Suspect in Monaco blast is Ukrainian woman who was disguised as man
Ukraine hits back: Military claims strikes on refineries in Russia
Monday 6 July 2026 11:30 , James Reynolds
Ukraine’s military says that it has struck oil refineries in Russia’s Yaroslavl and Leningrad regions.
That comes as part of a mounting campaign against energy infrastructure across Russia as Ukraine ramps up its long-range attacks.
How Ukraine’s drone campaign sparked a fuel crisis 3,500km behind enemy lines
Recap: UK jets scrambled to intercept Russian aircraft near Britain’s flagship carrier
Monday 6 July 2026 11:00 , James Reynolds
UK fighter jets were scrambled to intercept a Russian aircraft after it came “unnecessarily close” to Britain’s flagship carrier in Arctic.
A Russian ‘Bear F’ aircraft dropped a “large number” of tracking devices near the HMS Prince of Wales in the Arctic Circle, the Ministry of Defence said.
The MoD warned the activity of the Russian maritime patrol aircraft was “unsafe and unprofessional”, and said it was intercepted and escorted by two UK F-35 jets until it left the area.
Read the full story:
UK jets scrambled to intercept Russian aircraft near Britain’s flagship carrier
Recap: Trump ‘offers to be peacemaker during 90-minute call with Putin’
Monday 6 July 2026 10:30 , James Reynolds
Donald Trump offered to help find a solution to the Ukraine war in a 90 minute call with Vladimir Putin, Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said on Sunday.
Ushakov said Trump made the offer during the call on Saturday, US Independence Day, in the context of his participation next week at the NATO summit in Turkey.
Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky said he also spoke to Trump.
"The American president once again confirmed his readiness to work towards a rapid end to the fighting and find solutions to overcome the crisis," Ushakov said of Trump's call with the Russian president.
Ushakov, who described the conversation as "business-like and quite constructive," said Russia sought "a political-diplomatic resolution of the conflict, with due account of Russia's fundamental approach."
Ushakov accused Kyiv and its European allies of "counting on extending and even escalating the conflict, and on terrorism against civilians."
Russia claims 'massive' attack on 'military and energy facilities' in Kyiv
Monday 6 July 2026 10:00 , James Reynolds
Russia said on Monday it had conducted a "massive" attack on Ukraine's capital of Kyiv and other locations using long-range, high-precision air-, land-, sea-launched weapons and drones.
The defence ministry also said it had hit military and energy facilities in Kyiv and the Kyiv region, as well as military airfields in several other Ukrainian regions.
At least 11 people died in strikes, according to Ukrainian officials. The Ukrainian air force said Russia launched 68 missiles and 351 drones overnight.
UK jets scrambled to intercept Russian aircraft near Britain’s flagship carrier
Monday 6 July 2026 09:43 , James Reynolds
UK fighter jets were scrambled to intercept a Russian aircraft after it came “unnecessarily close” to Britain’s flagship carrier in Arctic.
A Russian ‘Bear F’ aircraft dropped a “large number” of tracking devices near the HMS Prince of Wales in the Arctic Circle, the Ministry of Defence said.
The MoD warned the activity of the Russian maritime patrol aircraft was “unsafe and unprofessional”, and said it was intercepted and escorted by two UK F-35 jets until it left the area.
Read the full story:
UK jets scrambled to intercept Russian aircraft near Britain’s flagship carrier
Watch: Rescue operations continue in Kyiv after Putin's deadly attack
Monday 6 July 2026 09:30 , James Reynolds
Trump and Zelensky expected to meet on sidelines of Ankara summit
Monday 6 July 2026 09:01 , James Reynolds
Donald Trump will meet Volodymyr Zelensky on the sidelines of this week’s Nato summit in Turkey as part of a renewed effort to end the war, according to reports.
The US president is set to arrive at the summit in Ankara on Tuesday and should meet with Zelensky on Wednesday morning, US officials told Reuters and the Kyiv Independent.
Another US official told Reuters that the leaders will discuss “how we can end the war”.
"The battlefield has clearly frozen over the last couple of months and neither side is making a lot of progress," the official said. "The president feels a real sense of urgency to try to bring this to a stop."
Zelensky said on Saturday he had spoken to Trump on the Fourth of July holiday and called for "American resolve" to help end the more than four-year-old war with Russia.
The US and Europe can stop Russian 'terror', says Zelensky
Monday 6 July 2026 08:30 , James Reynolds
Volodymyr Zelensky says on social media that rescue efforts are still underway following the massive Russian bombardment overnight.
At least 64 people have been rescued, including two children. Eleven people were killed and “around 60” more were injured, he says.
Zelensky says that Ukraine is struggling to intercept ballistic missiles due to a lack of interceptor missiles.
“It is critically important that the world – first and foremost the United States and our European partners – come out of the NATO Summit in Ankara with strong decisions in support of our air defense, and thus the protection of ordinary people’s lives.
“As long as Patriot missiles remain in our allies' stockpiles, Russia is only encouraged to keep “vanquishing” residential buildings. The United States and Europe have enough strength to stop this terror.”
Update: 11 killed in Russian bombardment of Kyiv
Monday 6 July 2026 08:04 , James Reynolds
At least 11 people were killed as Russian missiles and drones struck Kyiv early on Monday, local officials said, in an attack just days after the deadliest assault on the Ukrainian capital this year.
Rescue crews were pulling residents from buildings destroyed in the overnight barrage, Kyiv’s mayor Vitali Klitschko said on Telegram. He said 46 people had been wounded across the city.
Ukraine's air force said Russia had used 68 missiles, including 23 ballistic and six super and hypersonic missiles, as well as 351 drones in the attack. Air force units shot down or neutralised 37 missiles and 326 drones, but none of the ballistic missiles or super and hypersonic missiles, the air force data showed.
At least 15 residential buildings had been damaged or destroyed in the attack, including a nine-storey block in the historic Podilskyi district which had been largely destroyed from the fifth level up, emergency services said.
The attack came ahead of a Nato summit in Turkey this week, where Donald Trump will meet Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky to make a renewed push to end the war.
Death toll rises to 10 in Kyiv
Monday 6 July 2026 07:29 , Arpan Rai
The death toll has risen to 10 in Kyiv after Russia launched waves of missiles and drones targeting the Ukrainian capital in the early hours today.
Another 46 were injured, according to local officials, as emergency workers combed through rubble looking for survivors at residential high-rise buildings in two locations that suffered direct hits.
“These are residential buildings. Places where people slept and lived their ordinary lives,” said Tymur Tkachenko, head of Kyiv’s City Military Administration in a post on Telegram.
What are Nato members expected do for Ukraine at summit this week?
Monday 6 July 2026 07:24 , Arpan Rai
Nato leaders will gather in Ankara for a summit tomorrow amid pressure from president Donald Trump for Europe to step up defence spending and following months of transatlantic friction over the Iran war and Greenland.
At the two-day summit, Nato members are expected to reaffirm support for Ukraine and pledge further assistance.
"For 2026, Allies pledge €70bn in military equipment, assistance and training for Ukraine and affirm their sovereign commitments to sustaining at least equivalent levels in 2027," the leaders are expected to say.
Part of the funding will come from existing bilateral pledges and an EU loan facility that provides €60 billion for Ukrainian defence investment and procurement for 2026-2027.
The United States is not expected to contribute to funding.
Watch: Rescue operations continue in Kyiv after Putin's deadly attack
Monday 6 July 2026 07:10 , Arpan Rai
Drone debris falls on Russia's Ust-Luga port, governor says
Monday 6 July 2026 06:51 , Arpan Rai
Drone debris has fallen in the region of Russia's Ust-Luga port in the Baltic Sea, the local governor Alexander Drozdenko said on his Telegram channel this morning.
He also said that 47 enemy drones have been shot down in recent attacks.
Kyiv death toll rises: Nine killed, 46 injured in major Russian strikes
Monday 6 July 2026 06:40 , Arpan Rai
Russian missiles and drones struck Kyiv early on Monday, killing at least nine people and heavily damaging apartment blocks and other buildings, officials said, just a few days after the deadliest assault on the Ukrainian capital this year.
Rescue crews were pulling residents from buildings shattered by the overnight barrage, said Kyiv's mayor Vitali Klitschko on Telegram.
Tymur Tkachenko, head of the city's military administration, said the death toll in the capital rose to nine, with 46 people wounded throughout the city.
“Unfortunately, this is not the final information," he said, as rescue operations continued.
At least 15 residential buildings had been damaged or destroyed in the attack, including a nine-storey block in the historic Podilskyi district, emergency services said.
Rescuers used a ladder truck to get to people trapped on the upper floors of that building, which had been largely destroyed from the fifth level, they said.
Russia claims it hit military-industrial targets and energy sites in 'massive' strike on Kyiv
Monday 6 July 2026 06:19 , Arpan Rai
Russia conducted a "massive" attack on Ukraine's capital of Kyiv and other locations using long-range, high-precision air-, land-, sea-launched weapons and drones, the Russian defence ministry said in a Telegram post this morning.
The attack hit residential buildings and killed at least nine civilians, which the Russian ministry did not acknowledge in its claims.
The ministry also said it had hit military and energy facilities in Kyiv and the Kyiv region, as well as military airfields in several other Ukrainian regions.
Russian oil refinery in Yaroslavl hit in Ukrainian drone attack
Monday 6 July 2026 05:52 , Arpan Rai
A Russian oil refinery in the city of Yaroslavl came under attack from Ukrainian drones and was see on fire, local reports said.
Local residents took to social media to show what was purportedly smoke billowing from the oil refinery.
The Yaroslavl Oil Refinery has been attacked frequently by the Ukrainian military and this is the second time it has been hit in 10 days.
The oil facility is located nearly 250km (150 miles) northeast of Moscow and 700km (435 miles) from Russia-Ukraine border.
Putin shares battlefield updates with Trump ahead of Nato summit
Monday 6 July 2026 05:26 , Arpan Rai
The Kremlin said that Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump discussed the conflict in Ukraine in a “constructive” phone call on Saturday.
Kremlin foreign affairs adviser Yuri Ushakov said that Putin congratulated Trump and the American people on the 250th anniversary of America’s independence during the call that lasted nearly an hour and half, their fourth conversation so far this year.
Ushakov said that Trump reaffirmed his “readiness to help achieve a quick cessation of hostilities and search for peaceful solutions to settle the crisis” in Ukraine, while Trump’s envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner will continue mediation efforts and stand ready to visit Moscow.
The Kremlin adviser said Putin once again emphasized Russia’s “preference for a diplomatic settlement of the conflict, provided that Russia’s well-known, fundamental positions are taken into account.”
At the same time, Putin charged that Kyiv and its European allies are “betting on prolonging, and even escalating the conflict,” arguing that “the European ‘party of war’ proceeds from a flawed perception of the overall situation and the state of things along the line of contact,” Ushakov said.
He added that Putin told Trump about the “real situation on the battlefield, where Russian armed forces are confidently advancing, liberating one settlement after another.”
The Russian leader specifically mentioned the capture of the Ukrainian stronghold of Kostyantynivka, describing it as a key step toward the “liberation” of the entire Donetsk region.
Kyiv has denied the Russian claim of capturing Kostyantynivka. Ukraine’s General Staff reiterated that the embattled city remains under Ukrainian control in a statement on Telegram on Sunday, a day after Zelensky said that Russia's claim to have taken control was “just another Russian lie.”
Russia claims Ukraine refused to halt shelling for handover of soldiers' bodies
Monday 6 July 2026 05:03 , Arpan Rai
Ukraine has refused to halt shelling of the town of Kostiantynivka in the east of the country to allow Russia to hand over the bodies of fallen Ukrainian soldiers, the Russian defence ministry claimed yesterday.
Russian military commanders told president Vladimir Putin on Friday that Moscow's forces had taken control of Kostiantynivka, though Ukraine denied the claim, saying its forces remained in control of the town.
Ukraine's defence ministry and general staff did not immediately comment on the remarks from Russia.
Kostiantynivka is a key locality whose capture Moscow has long sought in its military campaign in the Donetsk region.
Russia said it had proposed a six-hour ceasefire in and around Kostiantynivka on Monday to facilitate the handover of Ukrainian servicemen's bodies and had given Kyiv until 0900 GMT on Sunday to respond.
Trump to meet Zelensky at Nato summit in Turkey
Monday 6 July 2026 04:45 , Arpan Rai
US president Donald Trump will meet with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky while in Turkey this week for a Nato summit to make a renewed push to end the war in Ukraine, a senior US official said.
Trump is scheduled to arrive at the summit on Tuesday. His first meeting will be with the summit host, Turkish president Rcep Tayyip Erdogan. Trump will also meet with Syrian president Ahmed al-Sharaa and hold a news conference, the White House said.
A senior US official who briefed reporters on condition of anonymity about the trip said Trump will meet with Zelensky on Wednesday to discuss "how we can end the war."
“The battlefield has clearly frozen over the last couple of months and neither side is making a lot of progress,” the official said.
“The president feels a real sense of urgency to try to bring this to a stop,” the official said.
Trump will also urge Nato allies to increase their defence spending, the official said.
"He will deliver that message in person," the official said.
In photos: Kyiv attacked with ballistic and cruise missiles overnight
Monday 6 July 2026 04:21 , Arpan Rai
Ballistic and cruise missiles hit Ukraine capital, hours after Zelensky's warning
Monday 6 July 2026 04:05 , Arpan Rai
Russia launched waves of missiles and drones targeting Kyiv overnight into Monday, officials said.
The attack, which was still underway early Monday morning, involved waves of ballistic and cruise missiles as well as drones.
Explosions echoed across the city as civilians sought shelter in metro stations.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky had warned hours earlier of another large-scale Russian attack on the city.
Monday's attack comes days after a combined Russian attack killed at least 31 people in Kyiv last week.
Seven killed in Russian attack on Kyiv overnight
Monday 6 July 2026 03:58 , Arpan Rai
Russian missiles and drones struck the Ukrainian capital Kyiv early on Monday, killing at least seven people and hitting apartment blocks and other buildings, Tymur Tkachenko, head of the city's military administration, said on Telegram.
Rescue crews were pulling residents from buildings shattered by the overnight barrage, said Kyiv's mayor Vitali Klitschko.
Reuters witnesses reported a series of explosions in and around the capital and said air defences were in action against Russian drones.
Tkachenko said the death toll included two bodies pulled out of a heavily damaged apartment building in the historic Podilskyi district.
Altogether, 24 people were injured throughout the city. He said four residential buildings had been struck in the Podilskyi district alone.
Klitschko said rescuers were pulling residents from apartments damaged on both sides of a building.
“From a building in the Podilskyi district, where a partial collapse occurred, rescuers evacuated 15 people," he wrote on Telegram.
“Three women and six children were taken down from the upper floors."
Klitschko said two people had died in the eastern Darnytskyi district, where drone fragments struck a 25-storey apartment building, and rescue teams were working to free residents trapped on upper floors.
He also said a fire had broken out in a 30-storey building in Darnytskyi, where many died in a strike last Thursday, when Russia launched hundreds of drones and dozens of missiles at the city, killing at least 30 people.
‘We will rebuild’: Ukrainians defiant after Russia ‘unleashes hell’ on Kyiv, with deadly strikes killing 30Residents on the ground in Kyiv tell Tom Watling of their shock following overnight onslaught of missiles and drones on the capital in ‘night of horror’
Monday 6 July 2026 03:00 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
Residents on the ground in Kyiv tell Tom Watling of their shock following overnight onslaught of missiles and drones on the capital in ‘night of horror’:
We will rise up and rebuild,” was the defiant message from Ukrainians after Russia unleashed one of the biggest attacks of the war on the capital Kyiv, leaving at least 30 dead, 91 hurt and 130 buildings damaged.
The EU ambassador to Ukraine said that “Russia unleashed hell on Kyiv” in the overnight attack, with 74 missiles and 496 drones launched, according to the Ukrainian air force. Foreign minister Andrii Sybiha described the assault as a “night of horror”.
The attack caused the widest destruction in Kyiv so far this year, and was the deadliest since at least May, when 24 people were killed in a strike that brought down an apartment block. Footage and images from the city showed widespread destruction as residents were left picking up the pieces.
Ukrainians defiant after Russia ‘unleashes hell’ on Kyiv with deadly strikes
How Ukraine’s audacious drone campaign sparked a fuel crisis 3,500km behind enemy lines
Monday 6 July 2026 02:00 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
In case you missed this one from James C. Reynolds:
The explosion was so powerful that it sent the huge disc-shaped lid of an oil storage tank flying high above the city on a cushion of black smoke and flame.
Ukrainian drones cut through the Russian air defences last week to strike an oil refinery in Moscow for the second time in three days, amid Kyiv’s largest ever attack on the capital.
The footage quickly travelled around the world as proof of Kyiv’s poise and ability to bring the war in Ukraine back to Vladimir Putin’s doorstep. On Sunday, the Russian president admitted that Moscow is experiencing “problems” in the war and warned of fuel shortages due to Ukrainian attacks.
How Ukraine’s drone campaign sparked a fuel crisis 3,500km behind enemy lines
Top EU official visits Armenia and offers economic support to help counter Russian pressure
Monday 6 July 2026 01:00 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen visited Armenia on Thursday, promising to provide a 18-million euro ($20.5-million) aid package and the elimination of import duties on most Armenian farm products to support the South Caucasus nation's push for closer ties with the European Union and pivot away from longtime ally Moscow.
Last month, the party of Armenia's Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan extended its hold on power in a parliamentary election that was widely seen as a vote on its geopolitical future. Weeks before the vote, Moscow introduced a slew of trade sanctions, imposing import bans on Armenian flowers, brandy, wine, fruits and more.
Von der Leyen said “Armenia is still facing significant economic pressure from Russia,” describing it as “nothing short of economic coercion.”
Top EU official visits Armenia and offers economic support to help counter Russian pressure
Half a million dead but just 40sqkm gained in six months: Impact of Putin’s devastating war in numbers
Monday 6 July 2026 00:00 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
Russia’s advances in eastern Ukraine are slowing and hundreds of thousands of troops have been killed. As Kyiv seizes the upper hand, Alex Croft looks at the data that shows why Moscow is struggling:
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.
Read more here:
Half a million dead but minor territorial gains: Putin’s devastating war in numbers
Putin shrugs off Ukraine's strikes on Russia's energy facilities as 'not critical'
Sunday 5 July 2026 23:00 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
Russian President Vladimir Putin has shrugged off Ukraine’s strikes on Russia’s energy facilities as “not critical,” and insisted the war will continue until his goals are met.
He has described the attacks on Russian energy as an effort by Ukraine to distract attention from its losses on the battlefield, although analysts say the advance of Russian forces has been stymied in recent months.
On Friday, Putin visited the Russian military headquarters directing the war in Ukraine and received a report on the capture of the city of Kostyantynivka, after weeks of intense street battles. He hailed it as a key step toward capturing the nearby cities of Sloviansk and Kramatorsk, the key remaining strongholds in the so-called “forest belt” of heavily fortified cities in the Donetsk region that remain in Ukraine’s hands.
The capture of Kostyantynivka, a big transport and industrial hub, is of “major strategic importance,” Putin, clad in military fatigues, said in televised comments.
