Poland scrambled fighter jets in the early hours today as a preventive measure as Russia launched a major aerial attack on Kyiv.
At least two people were killed and more than a dozen injured as several residential buildings were set ablaze in the Russian drones and missiles barrage. A hotel in Kyiv’s central boulevard was also on fire, officials said.
The attack comes hours after president Volodymyr Zelensky warned Russia was planning a massive night-time attack and said he was cutting short his visit to Dublin for the start of Ireland's six-month term in the rotating presidency of the EU.
Ukraine’s commander-in-chief Oleksandr Syrskyi had also said Russian president Vladimir Putin has ordered his military to find ways in which Russia can launch new offensive operations on Ukraine to capture Kyiv.
These include Russian offensives launched from Belarusian territory to capture the Ukrainian capital and its surrounding areas, Syrskyi said.
In Russia, attacks have reached northwestern Leningrad region, Putin's home and where large export and oil refining facilities are located, and air defences brought down six drones today, officials said.
Key Points
- Two killed and 16 injured as Russia launches overnight drone and missile attack on Kyiv
- Russia buys gasoline from India to tackle shortages – report
- Russia approved secret China military training at top level, sources say
- Poland scrambles jets as Ukraine bombed overnight
Poland scrambles jets as Ukraine bombed overnight
04:24 , Arpan Rai
Ukraine’s neighbour Poland, a Nato and European Union member, scrambled fighter jets on Thursday as a preventive measure.
Shortly after, the Polish Armed Forces said the fighter jets flights have been ended as no airspace violation was recorded.
Two killed and 16 injured as Russia launches overnight drone and missile attack on Kyiv
03:57 , Arpan Rai
Russian forces attacked the Ukrainian capital Kyiv overnight killing at least two people and injuring more than a dozen, as drones and missiles struck residential buildings and started a fire in a hotel on a central boulevard.
President Volodymyr Zelensky had earlier warned of a possible overnight attack and said he was cutting short his visit to Dublin for the start of Ireland's six-month term in the rotating presidency of the EU.
Tymur Tkachenko, head of the capital's military administration, said two people had been killed and 16 injured. He did not elaborate.
Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko, writing on Telegram, said the first to sixth floors of an apartment building collapsed after a direct hit.
In an earlier post, he said the injured included paramedics and drivers at an ambulance station, and that some people were still trapped inside damaged residential buildings.
Pictures posted online showed a fire burning out of control at the top of a building on the central Shevchenko Boulevard. Multiple explosions were heard in Kyiv, a Reuters witness said.
Carrying children, belongings, tents and pets, people crowded into underground stations, as air raid alerts were issued for most of Ukraine's territory on Thursday in Russia's worst attack on the country since mid-June.
Russia buys gasoline from India to tackle shortages – report
03:49 , Arpan Rai
Russia has started seaborne imports of gasoline from India, two industry sources said, in an effort to mitigate fuel shortages triggered by Ukrainian attacks on its energy infrastructure.
Fuel shortages are being felt across Russia's 11 time zones with rationing, long queues at filling stations and a record gasoline price increase.
The Kremlin said on Tuesday that Russia was in contact with other countries and discussing imports of fuel at acceptable prices.
An industry source told Reuters that at least 60,000 metric tons of gasoline have been dispatched from India to Russia.
Another source said that two tankers, with parcels of 30,000 to 40,000 tons each, have been sent.
A third source said that in total, Russia plans to import 400,000 tons of gasoline from various countries each month, including from neighbouring Belarus, which has already been exporting fuel to Russia.
Gasoline consumption in Russia is at least 110,000 tons per day in summer, when demand for fuel is high.
It is not clear which Indian refiner will be supplying gasoline to Russia.
President Vladimir Putin acknowledged on Sunday at a meeting with government ministers and other officials that Ukrainian drone strikes on oil refineries had triggered fuel shortages in some regions, but said that Russia was dealing with them.
Russia approved secret China military training at top level, sources say
03:00 , Alex Croft
China's covert military training of Russian forces last year was personally approved by president Vladimir Putin's defence minister and directly involved at least four Russian and Chinese generals, according to two European officials and documents seen by Reuters.
The officials said the involvement of such high-ranking individuals in training linked to the Ukraine war signalled the importance for Russia and China of such cooperation, which has caused alarm in Europe even as Beijing has denied it took place.
A classified Russian document seen by Reuters directly referred to an internal decree issued by defence minister Andrei Belousov in August, 2025.
It said that, in accordance with a decision by Belousov, a delegation from Russia's armed forces travelled to China to participate in training exercises at People's Liberation Army (PLA) facilities.
The report and a second one described and displayed images of Russian soldiers being lectured by a Chinese instructor, looking at a model nuclear reactor, and being taught about "chemical reconnaissance", "radiation reconnaissance" and protecting ventilation systems from contamination.
The inclusion of radiological, biological and chemical warfare training underlined the strategic nature of the exchanges, one of the European officials said, noting that the topic was particularly sensitive for militaries in general.
Why Ukraine wants £5.56bn of EU peace funds to be directed towards military aid
02:01 , Alex Croft
As we earlier reported, Ukraine is asking the EU to direct €6.6 billion (£5.68bn) available under the European Peace Facility to military aid, to take advantage of what it sees as a six-to-nine-month "window of opportunity" on the battlefield.
Ukraine is set to receive about €28.3 billion for defence purposes this year from the €90-billion EU loan, but even with that and Kyiv's own funding, "substantial" defence financing needs remain unmet, Fedorov said in the letter, dated June 26.
The funds under the EPF could become "one of the most impactful European contributions to Ukraine's defence effort this year, but only if those resources are directed where they can generate the greatest and most immediate military effect," he said.
Ukraine's total defence need is estimated at around €136 billion this year, with the Ukrainian budget covering around €53 billion of that amount, defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov said in a letter.
Russia's advances have slowed this year, with Ukraine staging successful counterattacks on some parts of the frontline and leveraging its mid- and long-range attacks on Russian territory to disrupt Moscow's logistics and curb its oil revenue.
Separately, Fedorov told a news conference on June 17 that he was seeking an additional $20 billion in military funding from the Ukraine Defence Contact Group — an alliance of 50 nations, also known as the Ramstein group, that provides aid to Ukraine — on top of $40 billion already committed.
In pictures: Russia launches attack on Kramatorsk, Donetsk region
Thursday 2 July 2026 00:30 , Alex Croft
Poland concerned Russia may seek to exploit Ukraine tensions with attack
Wednesday 1 July 2026 23:30 , Alex Croft
Polish special services are preparing for possible Russian sabotage operations aimed at inflaming tensions between Poles and Ukrainians, Tomasz Siemoniak, minister in charge of special services, told RMF FM Radio on Wednesday.
Relations between Poland and Ukraine have deteriorated after President Karol Nawrocki's decision to strip Volodymyr Zelensky of Poland's highest state honour due to a dispute over the naming of a Ukrainian army unit after insurgents blamed for massacring Poles during World War Two.
Siemoniak said Russian information warfare against Poland had intensified in recent weeks, with trolls and bots seeking to amplify disputes and influence Poland's online space.
"Russia's dream, the dream of the Russian services, was and is the greatest possible tension between Poland and Ukraine," Siemoniak said.
Asked about the possibility of a Russian provocation, including an attack targeting Ukrainians in Poland that could further inflame public sentiment, Siemoniak said such scenarios were entirely plausible.
He said authorities were not suggesting any specific plot was imminent but had to anticipate attempts by Russia to exploit current tensions.
Opening of Russia-North Korea bridge likely delayed, says US think tank
Wednesday 1 July 2026 22:31 , Alex Croft
Russia and North Korea are unlikely to open a road bridge connecting their countries soon, despite an earlier target of mid-June, US think tank 38 North said.
Satellite imagery has showed Russian-side facilities unfinished.
The 850-metre (2,789-ft) bridge, which will connect to Russia's highway system, was agreed during Russian president Vladimir Putin's visit to Pyongyang in June 2024, and will be a first road link between the two. The Russian embassy in Pyongyang had said in April that it would open on June 19.
Analysts say the bridge could eventually increase logistics activity by more than 40 per cent and help North Korea reduce its heavy reliance on China by deepening economic ties with Russia.
38 North, citing satellite imagery, said on Tuesday that the bridge over the Tumen River appears complete and North Korean border facilities are largely finished, but much more work is needed on the Russian side before the crossing can become operational.
The North Korean side has a large warehouse, parking lot, paved access roads and what appears to be a completed frontier post, while Russia's probable customs complex is far less advanced and is likely to be at least three times larger, the think tank said.
Russia's transport ministry declined to comment. The North Korean embassy in Moscow did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Watch: Zelensky mocks Putin’s 15 failed deadlines to capture Donbas
Wednesday 1 July 2026 21:29 , Alex Croft
Ukraine, Putin or call centre fraud: The theories behind assassination attempt on Ukrainian tycoon in Monaco
Wednesday 1 July 2026 20:31 , 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:
Everything we know about the Monaco attack on a Ukrainian oligarch
Russia starts imports of gasoline from India
Wednesday 1 July 2026 19:30 , Alex Croft
Russia has started seaborne imports of gasoline from India, two industry sources said on Wednesday, in an effort to mitigate fuel shortages triggered by Ukrainian attacks on its energy infrastructure.
Fuel shortages are being felt across Russia's 11 time zones with rationing, long queues at filling stations and a record gasoline price increase.
The Kremlin said on Tuesday that Russia was in contact with other countries and discussing imports of fuel at acceptable prices.
Russia's energy ministry and India's oil ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
An industry source said at least 60,000 metric tons of gasoline have been dispatched from India to Russia. Another source said that two tankers, with parcels of 30,000 to 40,000 tons each, have been sent.
A third source said that in total, Russia plans to import 400,000 tons of gasoline from various countries each month, including from neighbouring Belarus, which has already been exporting fuel to Russia.
Russia domestic fuel market well supplied with petrol, claims deputy PM
Wednesday 1 July 2026 18:29 , Alex Croft
Russia's domestic fuel market is well supplied with gasoline and diesel and problems are quickly being tackled, deputy prime minister Alexander Novak said on Wednesday, amid widespread reports of shortages.
He said there were shortages at some filling stations due to supply chain disruption, adding that oil majors were keeping retail prices in check.
Zelensky arrives in Ireland as Dublin takes over presidency of Council of EU
Wednesday 1 July 2026 17:31 , Alex Croft
Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in Ireland on Wednesday as Dublin takes over the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union.
"We hope that during Ireland’s presidency ... we will be able to achieve tangible progress on the path to membership and open all negotiating clusters," Zelensky said on X.
Arrived in Ireland to take part in the opening ceremony of Ireland’s presidency of the Council of the European Union. I will also meet with Taoiseach Micheál Martin and President of the European Council António Costa.
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) July 1, 2026
Every day, Ukraine proves that it deserves to be an equal… pic.twitter.com/3KunHP8pj8
US indispensible in Ukraine's defence, says Nato secretary general
Wednesday 1 July 2026 16:30 , Alex Croft
The US remains indispensible for the defence of Ukraine, said Nato secretary general Mark Rutte, at a news conference alongside German chancellor Friedrich Merz, and German defence minister Boris Pistorius.
"When it comes to the defence of Ukraine, the US is still indispensable," he said.
"Europe is massively supporting Ukraine in money, and in support and in defence industrial output.
Look at Germany, when it comes to what Germany is doing bilaterally, but also through the Czech ammunition initiative and other initiatives and also investing in the defence industrial base in Ukraine so that's Europe. But also the US. And we need both," he added.
Germany to continue purchasing US weapons, says defence minister
Wednesday 1 July 2026 15:29 , Alex Croft
Germany will continue to purchase US weapons even as it seeks to become less dependent on US military supplies, German defence minister Boris Pistorius said on Wednesday.
"Despite seeking to become more independent, nobody has ever said we'll refrain from buying American (weapons) systems. This is not the case and will not be the case in future," he told reporters in Berlin.
"We are working very closely together with the U.S. defence industry and aim to continue doing so."
Watch: Birds in Ukraine build nests with fibre optic cable
Wednesday 1 July 2026 15:01 , Alex Croft
Rutte: Nato will commit to more funding for Ukraine at summit
Wednesday 1 July 2026 14:36 , Alex Croft
We’ve now heard from Nato secretary general Mark Rutte, speaking at the aforementioned press conference in Berlin with chancellor Friedrich Merz.
He says that a Nato summit next week in Turkey will see Nato allies commit to providing sustainable, long-term security assistance for Ukraine.
"Allies will commit to providing sustainable and predictable, long-term security assistance for Ukraine," Rutte told the news conference, alongside Mr Merz and German defence minister Boris Pistorius.
Rutte added that Nato's message to the defence industry was to "scale up" and that next week's summit would focus on turning extra spending into combat-ready capabilities.
Germany to make new funding commitment to Ukraine at Nato summit
Wednesday 1 July 2026 14:09 , Alex Croft
Germany intends to make a new funding commitment to Ukraine at the upcoming Nato summit, German chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Wednesday.
"The German government proposes that, as European Nato allies, we make a new funding commitment to Kyiv," he said at a joint press conference with defence minister Boris Pistorius and Nato secretary general Mark Rutte after a meeting at the defence ministry in Berlin.
Sweden’s Saab signs $2.54bn Gripen fighter jet deal with Ukraine
Wednesday 1 July 2026 13:45 , Alex Croft
Swedish defence equipment maker Saab signed a contract to deliver 16 Gripen E fighter aircraft to Ukraine in a deal worth about 24.6bn Swedish crowns.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky, writing on the Telegram messaging app, said the agreement reached with Swedish prime minister Ulf Kristersson involved the purchase of 16 Gripen E aircraft and included technical support.
Saab said deliveries of the aircraft were scheduled for 2029-2030.
In remarks on the Ukrainian presidential website, Zelensky said deliveries of Gripen C/D aircraft would begin early in 2027.
Zelensky said he had discussed implementation of the agreement and broader defence cooperation with Swedish defence minister Pal Jonson during a meeting in Kyiv on Tuesday, including drone and missile-defence projects.
Russian forces seize villages in Zaporizhzhia and Kharkiv, claims Moscow
Wednesday 1 July 2026 13:25 , Alex Croft
Russian forces have taken control of the settlements of Kopani in the Zaporizhzia region of Ukraine and Ukrainske in the northeastern Kharkiv region, state news agency RIA reported on Wednesday, citing the Defence Ministry.
The Independent could not independently verify the battlefield reports.
Russia approved secret China military training at top level, sources say
Wednesday 1 July 2026 13:05 , Alex Croft
China's covert military training of Russian forces last year was personally approved by president Vladimir Putin's defence minister and directly involved at least four Russian and Chinese generals, according to two European officials and documents seen by Reuters.
The officials said the involvement of such high-ranking individuals in training linked to the Ukraine war signalled the importance for Russia and China of such cooperation, which has caused alarm in Europe even as Beijing has denied it took place.
A classified Russian document seen by Reuters directly referred to an internal decree issued by defence minister Andrei Belousov in August, 2025.
It said that, in accordance with a decision by Belousov, a delegation from Russia's armed forces travelled to China to participate in training exercises at People's Liberation Army (PLA) facilities.
The report and a second one described and displayed images of Russian soldiers being lectured by a Chinese instructor, looking at a model nuclear reactor, and being taught about "chemical reconnaissance", "radiation reconnaissance" and protecting ventilation systems from contamination.
The inclusion of radiological, biological and chemical warfare training underlined the strategic nature of the exchanges, one of the European officials said, noting that the topic was particularly sensitive for militaries in general.
Starmer says UK has learnt lessons from Ukraine as he announces defence plan - ICYMI
Wednesday 1 July 2026 12:25 , Alex Croft
Prime minister Sir Keir Starmer has said his government has learnt “the lessons of Ukraine” and will ramp up spending on drone technology.
Sir Keir said: “(We are) learning the lessons of Ukraine in order to modernise our military, equipped to fight the wars both of today and tomorrow.
“We’re backing this by putting in more than £5 billion pounds into drones and autonomous weapons – that is the largest ever UK investment in this technology.”
He said the military will also invest in “low-cost, one-way attack drones” which have proved so effective in the Ukraine war.
Sir Keir added that the plan would mean “driving real reforms within the Ministry of Defence to get greater value from our investment”, including by “reducing non-military spending on civil service staff”.
Putin's troops exhausted and Russian battlefield offensive declining, says Ukrainian military chief
Wednesday 1 July 2026 12:05 , Alex Croft
Ukrainian forces are witnessing signs of exhaustion among Russian soldiers and it is reflecting on the battlefield, Ukraine’s commander-in-chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said.
In comments to TSN Ukrainian television, Syrskyi said there were indications that Russian troops were exhausted and the intensity of front-line battles was declining.
He said Russian frontline activity had declined by 30 per cent while Ukrainian forces pressed on with a campaign of long-range strikes against Russian targets, mainly linked to the oil industry.
Russia attacks fuel stations in Dnipropetrovsk, killing one, says Kyiv
Wednesday 1 July 2026 11:20 , Alex Croft
Russia attacked five retail fuel stations in Ukraine's southeastern Dnipropetrovsk region overnight, killing a woman, regional governor Oleksandr Hanzha said on the Telegram messaging app on Wednesday.
Three other women, one of them pregnant, were injured in the strikes, Hanzha said, adding that equipment had been damaged at all of them and the attacks had caused fires.
In the past 24 hours, Russia also hit four stations in the northern Chernihiv region, regional governor Viacheslav Chaus said.
Russia has been striking fuel stations, but the drone attacks have intensified recently, with Ukrainian authorities in frontline Zaporizhzhia, Sumy, Kharkiv and Dnipropetrovsk regions reporting nearly daily attacks.
Serhiy Beskrestnov, an adviser to the defence minister, said on Sunday that Russia aimed to "destroy all our frontline filling stations" in response to Ukrainian attacks on Russia's logistics.
"Civilian filling stations have absolutely no impact on military fuel supplies, therefore, the aim of the attacks is to terrorise the civilian population," he said on Telegram.
Watch: Zelensky mocks Putin’s 15 failed deadlines to capture Donbas
Wednesday 1 July 2026 10:58 , Alex Croft
Opening of Russia-North korea bridge likely delayed, says US think tank
Wednesday 1 July 2026 10:35 , Alex Croft
Russia and North Korea are unlikely to open a road bridge connecting their countries soon, despite an earlier target of mid-June, US think tank 38 North said.
Satellite imagery has showed Russian-side facilities unfinished.
The 850-metre (2,789-ft) bridge, which will connect to Russia's highway system, was agreed during Russian president Vladimir Putin's visit to Pyongyang in June 2024, and will be a first road link between the two. The Russian embassy in Pyongyang had said in April that it would open on June 19.
Analysts say the bridge could eventually increase logistics activity by more than 40 per cent and help North Korea reduce its heavy reliance on China by deepening economic ties with Russia.
38 North, citing satellite imagery, said on Tuesday that the bridge over the Tumen River appears complete and North Korean border facilities are largely finished, but much more work is needed on the Russian side before the crossing can become operational.
The North Korean side has a large warehouse, parking lot, paved access roads and what appears to be a completed frontier post, while Russia's probable customs complex is far less advanced and is likely to be at least three times larger, the think tank said.
Russia's transport ministry declined to comment. The North Korean embassy in Moscow did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Russia launches more than 150 drones and missiles in overnight attack
Wednesday 1 July 2026 10:14 , Alex Croft
Russia launched one missile and 151 drones at Ukraine in an overnight attack, according to the daily update from Ukraine’s Air Force.
Ukrainian defences detroyed or jammed the missile and 130 of the drones across the north, south and east of the country.
Strikes by 17 drones were recorded at 16 locations - and there have so far been no reports of any casualties.
As of 7:30am local time (5:30am BST), the attack was ongoing, the air force said.
In pictures: Russia launches attack on Kramatorsk, Donetsk region
Wednesday 1 July 2026 09:51 , Alex Croft
Poland concerned Russia may seek to exploit Ukraine tensions with attack
Wednesday 1 July 2026 09:32 , Alex Croft
Polish special services are preparing for possible Russian sabotage operations aimed at inflaming tensions between Poles and Ukrainians, Tomasz Siemoniak, minister in charge of special services, told RMF FM Radio on Wednesday.
Relations between Poland and Ukraine have deteriorated after President Karol Nawrocki's decision to strip Volodymyr Zelensky of Poland's highest state honour due to a dispute over the naming of a Ukrainian army unit after insurgents blamed for massacring Poles during World War Two.
Siemoniak said Russian information warfare against Poland had intensified in recent weeks, with trolls and bots seeking to amplify disputes and influence Poland's online space.
"Russia's dream, the dream of the Russian services, was and is the greatest possible tension between Poland and Ukraine," Siemoniak said.
Asked about the possibility of a Russian provocation, including an attack targeting Ukrainians in Poland that could further inflame public sentiment, Siemoniak said such scenarios were entirely plausible.
He said authorities were not suggesting any specific plot was imminent but had to anticipate attempts by Russia to exploit current tensions.
Russian soldiers ‘surviving average of 20 minutes when they reach frontline due to drone attacks’
Wednesday 1 July 2026 09:10 , 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.
Russian soldiers ‘surviving just 20 minutes on frontline due to drone attacks’
Why Ukraine wants £5.56bn of EU peace funds to be directed towards military aid
Wednesday 1 July 2026 08:48 , Alex Croft
As we earlier reported, Ukraine is asking the EU to direct €6.6 billion (£5.68bn) available under the European Peace Facility to military aid, to take advantage of what it sees as a six-to-nine-month "window of opportunity" on the battlefield.
Ukraine is set to receive about €28.3 billion for defence purposes this year from the €90-billion EU loan, but even with that and Kyiv's own funding, "substantial" defence financing needs remain unmet, Fedorov said in the letter, dated June 26.
The funds under the EPF could become "one of the most impactful European contributions to Ukraine's defence effort this year, but only if those resources are directed where they can generate the greatest and most immediate military effect," he said.
Ukraine's total defence need is estimated at around €136 billion this year, with the Ukrainian budget covering around €53 billion of that amount, defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov said in a letter.
Russia's advances have slowed this year, with Ukraine staging successful counterattacks on some parts of the frontline and leveraging its mid- and long-range attacks on Russian territory to disrupt Moscow's logistics and curb its oil revenue.
Separately, Fedorov told a news conference on June 17 that he was seeking an additional $20 billion in military funding from the Ukraine Defence Contact Group — an alliance of 50 nations, also known as the Ramstein group, that provides aid to Ukraine — on top of $40 billion already committed.
Ukraine's forces strike oil refinery in Russian city of Ufa
Wednesday 1 July 2026 08:24 , Alex Croft
Ukraine's forces have struck an oil refinery in the Russian city of Ufa, more than 1,300 km (800 miles) from the frontline, for the second time, president Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Wednesday.
Mr Zelensky also reported a strike on what he said was a "strategic facility" in the Penza region, involved in making components for missile weaponry used by Moscow in attacks on Ukraine.
"The distance to the target is about 600 kilometers from the frontline," he said on X.
Watch: Emotional Putin pays respects at funeral of former defence minister Sergei Ivanov
Wednesday 1 July 2026 08:00 , Alex Croft
Ukraine asking EU to direct £5.68bn of peace fund to military aid
Wednesday 1 July 2026 07:31 , Alex Croft
Ukraine is asking its EU partners to direct €6.6 billion (£5.68bn) available under the European Peace Facility to military aid.
Kyiv wants to use this money to take advantage of what is sees as a six-to-nine month "window of opportunity" on the battlefield.
Ukraine's total defence need is estimated at around €136 billion this year, with the Ukrainian budget covering around €53 billion of that amount, defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov said in a letter reviewed by Reuters news agency.
Russia approved secret China military training at top level, sources say
Wednesday 1 July 2026 07:13 , Arpan Rai
China's covert military training of Russian forces last year was personally approved by president Vladimir Putin's defence minister and directly involved at least four Russian and Chinese generals, according to two European officials and documents seen by Reuters.
The officials said the involvement of such high-ranking individuals in training linked to the Ukraine war signalled the importance for Russia and China of such cooperation, which has caused alarm in Europe even as Beijing has denied it took place.
A classified Russian document seen by Reuters directly referred to an internal decree issued by defence minister Andrei Belousov in August, 2025.
It said that, in accordance with a decision by Belousov, a delegation from Russia's armed forces travelled to China to participate in training exercises at People's Liberation Army (PLA) facilities.
The report and a second one described and displayed images of Russian soldiers being lectured by a Chinese instructor, looking at a model nuclear reactor, and being taught about "chemical reconnaissance", "radiation reconnaissance" and protecting ventilation systems from contamination.
The inclusion of radiological, biological and chemical warfare training underlined the strategic nature of the exchanges, one of the European officials said, noting that the topic was particularly sensitive for militaries in general.
Ukraine has 'window of opportunity' to seize momentum in war, says defence minister
Wednesday 1 July 2026 06:58 , Arpan Rai
Ukraine’s forces have a six-to-nine-months “window of opportunity” to make the most of its advantage over Russia on the battlefield, Ukrainian defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov has said.
The latest update was shared in a letter to EU allies, seen by Reuters, which asked them to unlock €6.6bn in military aid for Ukraine.
Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky has informed his allies that the country is now on the offensive and has the strategic advantage against Russian forces.
One killed as Russia attacks retail fuel stations in Ukraine
Wednesday 1 July 2026 06:29 , Arpan Rai
Russia attacked five retail fuel stations in Ukraine's southeastern Dnipropetrovsk region overnight, killing a woman, regional governor Oleksandr Hanzha said this morning.
In the city of Kherson in the south, a drone attack on a passenger bus killed two and left another five wounded, regional governor Oleksandr Prokudin said separately on Wednesday.
He said three other people were injured.
Russia has been striking fuel stations, but the attacks have intensified recently, with Ukrainian authorities in frontline Zaporizhzhia, Sumy, Kharkiv and Dnipropetrovsk regions reporting nearly daily attacks.
Putin's troops exhausted and Russian battlefield offensive declining, says Ukrainian military chief
Wednesday 1 July 2026 06:16 , Arpan Rai
Ukrainian forces are witnessing signs of exhaustion among Russian soldiers and it is reflecting on the battlefield, Ukraine’s commander-in-chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said.
In comments to TSN Ukrainian television, Syrskyi said there were indications that Russian troops were exhausted and the intensity of front-line battles was declining.
He said Russian frontline activity had declined by 30 per cent while Ukrainian forces pressed on with a campaign of long-range strikes against Russian targets, mainly linked to the oil industry.
Starmer says UK has learnt lessons from Ukraine as he announces defence plan
Wednesday 1 July 2026 05:26 , Arpan Rai
Prime minister Sir Keir Starmer has said his government has learnt “the lessons of Ukraine” and will ramp up spending on drone technology.
Sir Keir said: “(We are) learning the lessons of Ukraine in order to modernise our military, equipped to fight the wars both of today and tomorrow.
“We’re backing this by putting in more than £5 billion pounds into drones and autonomous weapons – that is the largest ever UK investment in this technology.”
He said the military will also invest in “low-cost, one-way attack drones” which have proved so effective in the Ukraine war.
Sir Keir added that the plan would mean “driving real reforms within the Ministry of Defence to get greater value from our investment”, including by “reducing non-military spending on civil service staff”.
Two killed in Russian glide bombs attack on Ukraine, officials say
Wednesday 1 July 2026 04:30 , Arpan Rai
Russian glide bombs killed two people and injured at least 15 in the southeastern Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia, regional governor Ivan Fedorov said yesterday.
A drone strike on a minibus on Monday in Zaporizhzhia killed two men and a woman
Fedorov, writing on the Telegram messaging app, said Russian forces had deployed seven bombs over a 90-minute period in the city, a frequent target of Russian attacks.
Reuters Television footage showed emergency crews carrying the injured to safety and training hoses on blazing buildings.
Russian soldiers ‘surviving average of 20 minutes when they reach frontline due to drone attacks’
Wednesday 1 July 2026 04:24 , Arpan Rai
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.
Russian soldiers ‘surviving just 20 minutes on frontline due to drone attacks’
Sweden’s Saab signs $2.54bn Gripen fighter jet deal with Ukraine
Wednesday 1 July 2026 04:10 , Arpan Rai
Swedish defence equipment maker Saab signed a contract to deliver 16 Gripen E fighter aircraft to Ukraine in a deal worth about 24.6bn Swedish crowns.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky, writing on the Telegram messaging app, said the agreement reached with Swedish prime minister Ulf Kristersson involved the purchase of 16 Gripen E aircraft and included technical support.
Saab said deliveries of the aircraft were scheduled for 2029-2030.
In remarks on the Ukrainian presidential website, Zelensky said deliveries of Gripen C/D aircraft would begin early in 2027.
Zelensky said he had discussed implementation of the agreement and broader defence cooperation with Swedish defence minister Pal Jonson during a meeting in Kyiv on Tuesday, including drone and missile-defence projects.
Putin orders military to work on a plan to capture Kyiv, says Ukraine military chief
Wednesday 1 July 2026 04:00 , Arpan Rai
Russian president Vladimir Putin has ordered his military to find ways in which Russia can launch new offensive operations on Ukraine to capture Kyiv, said Ukraine’s commander-in-chief Oleksandr Syrskyi.
These include Russian offensives launched from Belarusian territory to capture the Ukrainian capital and its surrounding areas, Syrskyi said.
"Considering recent events, I do not think that the leadership of Belarus will dare to provide the aggressor with its territory to use as a staging ground for conducting an offensive operation. At the same time, we are taking such an option into account," Syrskyi said.
Another includes strike from the Russia’s bordering Bryansk region towards Ukraine’s Chernihiv region, which is the most probable scenario, he said.
US will stand alongside European allies in defence of Baltics - American general
Wednesday 1 July 2026 03:00 , Alex Croft
We heard earlier from the American commander of Nato's land forces in Europe, who spoke on Tuesday during the opening ceremony for an additional headquarters in the region.
"You're ready to do more and following words with action, and the United States will be there alongside you," US General Chris Donahue said at a ceremony in the Estonian town of Valga.
"That is how deterrence is built: Not with words from a podium, but with boots in the mud."
Donahue, who will relinquish his post on Thursday, doubles as chief of the US Army in Europe and Africa.
NATO troops in the Baltic states of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, and in northern Poland, have until now come under the command of a single multinational headquarters based in the northwestern Polish city of Szczecin.
Romania detonates drone fragments in southeast
Wednesday 1 July 2026 02:02 , Alex Croft
Romania has safely detonated drone fragments found in the southeastern village of Rachelu near the border with Ukraine, its defence ministry said on Tuesday.
The fragments landed on its territory during a Russian attack on Kyiv's port infrastructure from April.
Romania, a European Union and NATO state which shares a long land border with Ukraine, has seen Russian drones breach its national airspace 15 times this year, the defence ministry said.
In May, one drone crashed into an apartment building and injured two people.
Nato responding to shifting security landscape but US won't leave - Turkish defence minister
Wednesday 1 July 2026 01:01 , Alex Croft
Turkish defence minister Yasar Guler has said the US is not seeking to leave the Nato alliance, which is adjusting to a shifting security landscape.
His comments came before Turkey will hosts 32 Nato leaders, as well as officials from the Gulf and Asia-Pacific region, on July 7-8.
The summit will come amid tensions within the alliance over burden-sharing, defence spending, and US complaints about allies' lack of involvement in re-opening the Strait of Hormuz.
In written responses to questions, Guler said the summit would focus on bloc unity, evaluating allies' increased defence spending, bolstering defence industry cooperation and increasing support for Ukraine. Ankara should be involved in European defence initiatives, he added.
"NATO continues to be an unparalleled and fundamental platform for Euro-Atlantic security and defence. We evaluate the period we are going through not as a crisis, but as a process of adjusting to the changing security environment," Guler said.
He said the US had no intention of withdrawing from Nato, but that it wanted European allies and Canada to assume more responsibility for the security of Europe, which he said must include Ankara in its defence plans and initiatives.
Watch: Emotional Putin pays respects at funeral of former defence minister Sergei Ivanov
Wednesday 1 July 2026 00:01 , Alex Croft
North Korea suffered 7,000 troop casualties fighting with Russia, Ukraine says
Tuesday 30 June 2026 23:02 , Alex Croft
North Korean troops have suffered more than 7,000 casualties while fighting alongside Russia, Ukrainian military intelligence.
The figures is significantly higher than previously reported by British and South Korean intelligence agencies, which estimated around 6,000 casualties between August 2024 and March 2025.
The updated figure, reported by Kyiv Independent, comes as Russia and North Korea deepen their military cooperation.
Starmer: Ukraine conflict is not a remote threat
Tuesday 30 June 2026 22:01 , Alex Croft
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said conflicts in Ukraine and in the Middle East are not “remote” threats.
“We see the horrendous human toll of these conflicts, which cuts across our values of justice and sovereignty, and that simple British impulse that bullies and dictators cannot be allowed to push people around,” Sir Keir said as the defence investment plan was revealed.
“We also know that these threats are not remote. We see foreign states targeting our nation as well.
“Thugs hired by foreign powers conducting violence, vandalism, and arson on our streets.
“Disinformation aimed at sowing division and stoking disorder, spreading lies and undermining our democracy.
“Russian ships targeting the underwater cables that carry the data on which modern life depends.”
Putin has finally admitted Russia is facing problems in Ukraine war – are there signs he may be cracking?
Tuesday 30 June 2026 21:00 , Alex Croft
When Vladimir Putin spoke to a state TV reporter on Sunday, few expected him to make such a frank admission about his flagging invasion in Ukraine.
Speaking just hours after Ukraine hit another oil refinery in the southern Krasnodar region, Putin said that Russia was facing "problems" due to repeated attacks on infrastructure that have sparked fuel shortages across the country.
Ukraine has intensified strikes on refineries, depots and supply routes in recent months as part of an audacious strategy using cutting-edge long-range drones. Queues have been seen at petrol stations across Russia, while fuel rationing has been implemented in regions including occupied Crimea and Siberia.
“As for strikes against critical infrastructure in general, and energy infrastructure in particular, of course these attacks on our infrastructure facilities create problems, that’s obvious,” said Putin in an interview published by the Kremlin.
In an interview on Sunday, the Russian leader made a rare admission that the country was suffering from fuel shortages as a result of Ukrainian drone strikes. Experts tell Alex Croft and Maira Butt that Putin can no longer hide the failures in Russia’s air defence from the public
Ukrainian drones crashing onto Nato soil are worth defeating Putin, says Estonia
AfD leader vows to restore German-Russian relations ahead of state elections
Tuesday 30 June 2026 20:03 , Alex Croft
Germany should end a boycott of Russian oil and gas to bolster its flagging economy, the leader of the far-right Alternative for Germany, Alice Weidel, has said as she outlined the party's ambitions to lead a national government.
Weidel said the AfD can win two key federal state elections in the coming months, describing them as milestones to securing the post of German chancellor as soon as the next national elections due by 2029.
"Cheap energy from Russia was the secret of the success of 'Made in Germany'. We need it back," Weidel said.
"The loss of this energy has set us back years. Hundreds of thousands of jobs have been lost. It has made us dependent on the United States, which sells us energy at far higher prices."
Two including baby killed by drone in Russia, say authorities
Tuesday 30 June 2026 19:00 , Alex Croft
A six-month-old baby died after debris from a drone fell on a private building in the Moscow region on Tuesday, governor Andrei Vorobyov said on his Telegram channel.
The baby was taken out of the building with another child and two other survivors, but died on the way to hospital, the governor said.
Another man was killed overnight by a Ukrainian drone attack in Russia's Belgorod region, local authorities said.
Watch: Kyiv continues intensifying strikes on Russian oil refineries
Tuesday 30 June 2026 18:02 , Alex Croft
Starmer: UK ready to fight Russia by 2030 if necessary
Tuesday 30 June 2026 17:01 , Alex Croft
Sir Keir Starmer was earlier asked whether the UK would be prepared to fight Russia, following the announcement of his new defence investment plan.
He insisted Britain would be ready to fight Russia by 2030 if necessary.
Asked whether he could say the defence investment plan was enough to allow the UK to deter or fight Russia by that date, Sir Keir Starmer said: “Yes I can, and that’s because of the increase in defence spending that we put in place last year, announced last year, already in place, which was the single-biggest increase, sustained increase, since the 1980s, and the fact that this defence investment plan builds on that.
“And it’s not just the amount of money, it’s also the capabilities.
“We’ve learned a lot from Ukraine, actually also from Iran as well, about the capability that is needed in order to confront countries like Russia.
“That is exactly what is going on in Ukraine, so I am confident in that.”
Starmer says UK has learnt lessons from Ukraine as he announces defence plan
Tuesday 30 June 2026 16:00 , Alex Croft
British prime minister Sir Keir Starmer has said his government has learnt “the lessons of Ukraine” and will ramp up spending on drone technology.
Sir Keir said: “(We are) learning the lessons of Ukraine in order to modernise our military, equipped to fight the wars both of today and tomorrow.
“We’re backing this by putting in more than £5 billion pounds into drones and autonomous weapons – that is the largest ever UK investment in this technology.”
He said the military will also invest in “low-cost, one-way attack drones” which have proved so effective in the Ukraine war.
Sir Keir added that the plan would mean “driving real reforms within the Ministry of Defence to get greater value from our investment”, including by “reducing non-military spending on civil service staff”.
Tuesday 30 June 2026 15:31 , Alex Croft
