Donald Trump has said that Russia is carrying out “underground” nuclear weapons tests as he doubled down on his announcement last week that the US would restart their own nuclear testing.
Speaking to Norah O’Donnell on 60 Minutes, he said that “Russia's testing, and China's testing, but they don't talk about it”, adding they were doing them “underground where people don't know exactly what's happening with the test.”
When Ms O’Donnell tried to clarify if he meant that Russia and China were definitely testing their nuclear weapons, he said: “Russia's testing nuclear weapons.
“Russia did make-- a little bit of a threat the other day when they said they were gonna do certain forms of a different level of testing.”
It comes after he has now backed away from the idea of giving Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine for carrying out strikes inside Russia, at least for now. Trump has publicly toyed with the idea of providing the long-range missiles to Ukraine, saying that Volodymyr Zelensky would like him to add Tomahawks to Kyiv's arsenal. Tomahawk missiles have a range of 2,500km, enough to strike deep inside Russia, including Moscow.
Key Points
- Trump says no Tomahawks for Ukraine, for now
- Belgium investigating new drone sightings over military base
- Ukraine deploys elite forces in Pokrovsk as 'multi-thousand' Russian forces attack
- Trump warned Ukraine war is creating ‘significant risks’ for US economy
- Nato will 'stand with Ukraine' to get long-lasting peace
- 'It is clear that Moscow aims to inflict harm primarily on our people,' Zelensky says
- Moscow testing nuclear weapons, says Trump
UK sends more Storm Shadow missiles to Ukraine
03:15 , Arpan RaiThe UK government has provided Ukraine with more supplies of Storm Shadow cruise missiles, officials said.
An unspecified number of missiles have been sent to Ukraine to ensure the war-hit nation is amply stocked up to respond to Russian attacks with its own long-range strikes deep inside Russian territory, people aware of the matter told Bloomberg.
The officials said Britain is resupplying Ukraine with the cruise missiles as it is concerned Moscow will step up attacks on Ukrainian civilians.
The UK government has not publicly announced the transfer of Storm Shadow missiles or how many are being sent. The reported transfer comes as Donald Trump continues to delay a decision on sending US-made Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine.
Two weeks ago Ukraine successfully attacked an important Russian chemical plant using British-made Storm Shadow missiles. Kyiv described the facility as critical to Moscow’s war efforts.
Ukraine will open arms export offices in Berlin and Copenhagen, says Zelensky
03:05 , Arpan RaiUkraine will set up offices for arms exports and joint weapons production in Berlin and Copenhagen this year, Volodymyr Zelensky has announced.
Zelensky told reporters that naval drones and artillery systems were among the weapons that Kyiv could export. He also said that Ukraine plans to launch mass production of its domestically produced missiles - Flamingo and Ruta - by the end of this year.
Why Russia is so desperate to win the battle of Pokrovsk and what happens next
02:52 , Arpan RaiRussian forces have advanced in the eastern Ukrainiancity of Pokrovsk, the Russian Defence Ministry said on Monday.
Pokrovsk is a city that Russia has been trying to capture for over a year.
An estimated 100,000 Russian troops were circling the area, with Ukraine’s top military commander Oleksandr Syrskyi saying his forces pushed hard to dislodge Russian troops.
Capturing Pokrovsk, dubbed "the gateway to Donetsk" by Russian media, and Kostiantynivka to its northeast which Russian forces are also trying to envelop, would give Moscow a platform to drive north towards the two biggest remaining Ukrainian-controlled cities in Donetsk - Kramatorsk and Sloviansk.
Read more about the hottest sector on the frontline here:
Why Russia is so desperate to win the battle of Pokrovsk and what happens next
Watch: How Ukraine and Russia are playing out a deadly cat and mouse drone war from underground bunkers
01:00 , Bryony GoochAnalysis: Why has the battle for Pokrovsk taken so long?
00:00 , ReutersRussia has been threatening Pokrovsk for more than a year. Instead of the full frontal assaults it used in earlier battles like the bloody campaign for the similar-sized city of Bakhmut, Russia's military is using a pincer movement to gradually encircle Pokrovsk and threaten Ukrainian supply lines.
Russian forces harry Ukrainian troops by sending in small units and drones to disrupt logistics and sow chaos to their rear before sending in larger reinforcements.
Ukraine says Russia's offensive has seen its forces sustain huge losses. Moscow says it is Ukraine, with its significantly smaller population, that is at risk of running out of men and that its own slower tactics are designed to minimise casualties.
An incursion into Russia's Kursk region by Ukrainian forces last year, which Moscow fought back, slowed the Russian attack on Pokrovsk too.
Analysis: Why is Pokrovsk so important?
Monday 3 November 2025 23:00 , ReutersIf it falls, Pokrovsk will be the most important Russian territorial gain inside Ukraine since Moscow took the ruined city of Avdiivka in early 2024 after one of the bloodiest battles of the war.
Since then, Russia has made steady but slow gains in intense fighting along the 1,000-km (600-mile) front line of a war that has dragged on for more than three years and eight months.
No face-to-face peace talks have taken place since July, despite attempts by U.S. President Donald Trump to push for an end to the conflict.
Kyiv says the costly fighting is largely stalemated and its territorial losses marginal; Moscow says it is still making important gains.
Elsewhere, the Russian Defence Ministry said its forces had carried out heavy overnight strikes against a Ukrainian military airfield, a military equipment repair base and military-industrial facilities, as well as gas infrastructure facilities that supported them.
Moscow said its troops had also attacked Ukrainian forces near another city, Kupiansk, and dislodged them from four fortified positions in the industrial zone on the left bank of the Oskol River.
Ukrainian military spokesman Viktor Trehubov said on Sunday that Russian attempts to get to the centre of Kupiansk had failed so far, and recent Ukrainian attacks had slowed Russian advances.
Watch: Fire breaks out in Mykolaiv after Russian attack, authorities say
Monday 3 November 2025 22:00 , Bryony GoochRussia says its forces advance in ruins of Pokrovsk, Ukraine says defenders hold on
Monday 3 November 2025 21:00 , ReutersRussia said on Monday that its troops had advanced in the eastern Ukrainian city of Pokrovsk, a transport and logistics hub that they have been trying to capture for over a year, but Ukraine said its forces were holding on.
The Russian Defence Ministry said its soldiers were destroying what it described as surrounded Ukrainian formations near Pokrovsk's railway station and industrial zone, and had entered the city's Prigorodny area and dug in there.
Reuters could not independently verify the battlefield reports.
The Ukrainian military said Russian troops were not in full control of any district of the city.
"The invaders continue to attack in small groups of up to five soldiers, without using armored vehicles," the operation task force responsible for Ukraine's eastern front line said on Facebook.
Ukraine's 7th Rapid Response Corps said Ukrainian forces had thwarted an attempt to cut off a supply route from Rodynske, to the north.
Pokrovsk had a pre-war population of some 60,000 people, but most civilians fled its ruins long ago. Capturing it could give Moscow a platform to drive towards Kramatorsk and Sloviansk, the two biggest remaining Ukrainian-controlled cities in the Donetsk region which Russia wants to capture in its entirety.
North of Pokrovsk, however, Ukraine has recorded recent gains near Dobropillia. Army chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said his forces had stepped up pressure there with the aim of forcing Russia to divert its focus away from Pokrovsk.
In pictures: People walk near a makeshift memorial with the names of fallen service members written on Ukrainian and other national flags, at the Independence Square
Monday 3 November 2025 20:00 , Bryony Gooch
Watch: Putin unveils Russia's new nuclear powered missile cruiser Khabarovskowered Missile Cruiser Khabarovsk
Monday 3 November 2025 19:00 , Bryony GoochRecap: Why are US Tomahawk missiles so highly-coveted by Ukraine?
Monday 3 November 2025 18:00 , Bryony GoochThe Tomahawk cruise missile has been in the US military’s inventory since the 1980s. While slow by missile standards, the cruise missile flies around 100 feet (about 30 meters) off the ground, making it harder to detect by defence systems.
The missile also boasts an impressive range of around 1,000 miles and precision guidance systems that make it the go-to weapon for striking targets that are deep inland or in hostile territory. The long-range nature of the missiles would put Moscow in Ukraine’s range, a significant threat to Russia.
Questions have been raised about how Tomahawks could be employed in Ukraine. They are launched almost exclusively from ships or submarines and Ukraine doesn’t possess a Navy with ships capable of carrying the 20-foot-long missile.
The US Army has been developing a platform to launch the missile from the ground, but some experts have that the capability was still far from ready, even for US forces.
How many nuclear weapons are there in the world and who has the most?
Monday 3 November 2025 17:00 , Bryony Gooch
The 9 countries with nuclear weapons as US set to resume testing after 30 years
In pictures: Life in Kyiv continues amid Russia's latest overnight attack
Monday 3 November 2025 16:40 , Bryony Gooch
Moscow testing nuclear weapons, says Trump
Monday 3 November 2025 16:20 , Bryony GoochUS president Donald Trump has said that Russia is carrying out “underground” nuclear weapons tests as he doubled down on his announcement last week that the US would restart their own nuclear testing.
Speaking to Norah O’Donnell on 60 Minutes, he said that “Russia's testing, and China's testing, but they don't talk about it”, adding they were doing them “underground where people don't know exactly what's happening with the test.”
When Ms O’Donnell tried to clarify if he meant that Russia and China were definitely testing their nuclear weapons, he said: “Russia's testing nuclear weapons.
“Russia did make-- a little bit of a threat the other day when they said they were gonna do certain forms of a different level of testing.”
Drones spotted over Belgian military base
Monday 3 November 2025 16:00 , Bryony GoochDrones have been seen flying over a Belgian military base near the Dutch border for a third night in a row, according to the country's defence minister Theo Francken.
Police in Belgium are investigating the sightings following reports on Saturday of drones flying over the Kleine Brogel air base in north-east Belgium, Francken said in a post on X. A helicopter and police vehicles pursued but failed to capture the drone, and a drone jammer was unable to intercept it, he said.
"It was not a simple overflight, but a clear command targeting Kleine Brogel," Francken said.
Francken told Belgian radio on Monday that it looked like an espionage operation, but said he would not speculate on who could be behind it.
"I have some ideas, but I'm going to be cautious," he added.
NATO countries have been on high alert in recent weeks after drone sightings and other air incursions, including at airports in Copenhagen, Munich and in the Baltic region. Some 20 Russian drones entered Polish airspace in September.
The European Commission last month proposed four European defence projects, including a counter-drone system and a plan to fortify the eastern border with Russia, as part of a drive to get the continent ready to defend itself by 2030.
Ukraine says Russian troops do not fully control any of Pokrovsk's districts
Monday 3 November 2025 15:39 , Bryony GoochRussian troops do not have full control of any district in the eastern city of Pokrovsk, the Ukrainian military said on Monday.
"The invaders continue to attack in small groups of up to five soldiers, without using armoured vehicles," the operation task force responsible for Ukraine's eastern front line said on Facebook.
Russia said earlier on Monday that its troops had advanced in Pokrovsk, a transport and logistics hub that Russian forces have been seeking to capture for over a year.
Ukraine troops advance near Dobropillia, north of battleground Pokrovsk.
Monday 3 November 2025 15:23 , Bryony GoochKyiv’s troops have advanced further near Dobropillia, north of Pokrovsk, Ukraine’s army chief has said.
It comes as the Russian Defence Ministry has claimed that its forces had advanced in the Ukrainian city of Pokrovsk and had carried out massive strikes overnight on Ukrainian military-industrial sites.
Ukraine military using video game-style reward system earning points killing Russians with drones
Monday 3 November 2025 15:00 , Bryony GoochUkraine’s military units are competing with each other by launching deadly drone attacks to earn points that can be used to buy more weapons.
The video game style rewards system is proving to be very popular, Ukraine’s first deputy prime minister said, with hundreds of units participating. Launched a year ago, it is now being expanded to reconnaissance, artillery and logistics operations, according to reports.
Read more here:
Ukraine military using video game-style reward system to earn new weapons with points
Analysis: Why does Russia want to capture Pokrovsk?
Monday 3 November 2025 14:40 , ReutersRussia wants to take the whole of the Donbas region, which comprises the Luhansk and Donetsk provinces. Ukraine still controls about 10% of Donbas - an area of about 5,000 square km (1,930 square miles) in western Donetsk.
Capturing Pokrovsk, dubbed "the gateway to Donetsk" by Russian media, and Kostiantynivka to its northeast which Russian forces are also trying to envelop, would give Moscow a platform to drive north towards the two biggest remaining Ukrainian-controlled cities in Donetsk - Kramatorsk and Sloviansk. It would also give Moscow its most important single territorial gain inside Ukraine since it took the ruined city of Avdiivka in early 2024.
Russian President Vladimir Putin says Donbas is now legally part of Russia. Kyiv and most Western nations reject Moscow's seizure of the territory as an illegal land grab. Some Western military analysts, like Rob Lee, a senior fellow at the U.S.-based Foreign Policy Research Institute, say that capturing Pokrovsk would hand Russia an important win, especially if it can do it by the end of the year.
But though important for operational reasons, Lee says taking Pokrovsk would still leave Russia a lot of work to do when it came to taking control of the rest of Donetsk and the two important fortress cities of Kramatorsk and Sloviansk.
Why are US Tomahawk missiles so highly-coveted by Ukraine?
Monday 3 November 2025 14:20 , Bryony GoochThe Tomahawk cruise missile has been in the US military’s inventory since the 1980s. While slow by missile standards, the cruise missile flies around 100 feet (about 30 meters) off the ground, making it harder to detect by defence systems.
The missile also boasts an impressive range of around 1,000 miles and precision guidance systems that make it the go-to weapon for striking targets that are deep inland or in hostile territory. The long-range nature of the missiles would put Moscow in Ukraine’s range, a significant threat to Russia.
Questions have been raised about how Tomahawks could be employed in Ukraine. They are launched almost exclusively from ships or submarines and Ukraine doesn’t possess a Navy with ships capable of carrying the 20-foot-long missile.
The US Army has been developing a platform to launch the missile from the ground, but some experts have that the capability was still far from ready, even for US forces.
Watch: How Ukraine and Russia are playing out a deadly cat and mouse drone war from underground bunkers
Monday 3 November 2025 14:00 , Bryony GoochPutin’s tests for Nato from airspace violations to drone incursions
Monday 3 November 2025 13:39 , Bryony GoochMultiples countries in the alliance have reported incursions by drones into their airspace in recent months, James C. Reynolds reports.
Read more here:
Airspace violations and drone incursions: How Putin is provoking Ukraine’s allies
In pictures: Russian PM meets Chinese premier
Monday 3 November 2025 13:19 , Bryony Gooch
Watch: Fire breaks out in Mykolaiv after Russian attack, authorities say
Monday 3 November 2025 13:07 , Bryony GoochRussia and China are 'good neighbours' says Chinese premier
Monday 3 November 2025 12:40 , Bryony GoochChina’s premier Li Qiang has met with Russia’s prime minister Mikhail Mishustin, according to Chinese state media.
Mishustin has arrived in China for a two-day visit that includes meetings with president Xi Jinping and premier Li Qiang.
Li has said that China and Russia are good “neighbours” with mutual trust, as he met Mishustin.
Russian coast guard boat flying Wagner flag spotted near Estonia
Monday 3 November 2025 12:18 , Bryony GoochEstonia’s foreign affairs ministry has said that a Russian coast guard boat flying a Wagner mercenary flag was spotted near the country.
The country suggested that the display of a symbol of the mercenary group that rebelled against the Kremlin two years ago "confirms the fact that Russia's 'iron' system is fracturing".
The Wagner company, led by late oligarch Yevgeny Prigozhin, fought in some of the hardest battles against Ukraine before staging an uprising against Moscow in June 2023. Prigozhin later died in a mysterious plane crash months after agreeing an end to the rebellion.
Is Wagner marching on Moscow again, or starting with St. Petersburg this time? Hard to tell.
— Estonian MFA 🇪🇪 | 🌻 #StandWithUkraine (@MFAestonia) November 2, 2025
From our side it looks like they’ve already annexed the Russian border guards.
Who knows… @mfa_russia? pic.twitter.com/fJmENccVzC
In pictures: Cemetery set up in Donetsk for Russian service members killed in conflict
Monday 3 November 2025 12:05 , Bryony Gooch
Latvian man arrested for allegedly collecting information for Russia's intelligence
Monday 3 November 2025 11:41 , Bryony GoochA Latvian citizen has been arrested for allegedly collecting information about the Baltic country's defence sector for Russia's shadowy GRU military intelligence service, authorities said Monday.
The suspect, whose identity was not made public, is accused of espionage. The person was taken into custody last month as officials conducted raids of two related sites.
Latvian authorities said the suspect obtained and passed along details about NATO forces there, as well as information about private infrastructure used for aviation and how to buy prepaid cellphone cards. The Baltics and the rest of Europe are on high alert after fighter jet and drone intrusions into NATO's airspace reached an unprecedented scale in September.
Some European officials described the incidents as Moscow testing NATO's response, which raised questions about how prepared the alliance is against Russia.
Russia 'will pay for everything', warns Ukrainian PM after children injured in Sumy region
Monday 3 November 2025 11:23 , Bryony GoochUkraine’s prime minister Yulia Svyrydenko has issued a stark warning to Russia after the latest overnight strike.
“Last night, Russians again attacked our peaceful cities and regions — Dnipro, Mykolaiv, and Sumy. Once again, children are among the victims. In Dnipro, missiles targeted civilian infrastructure.
“In Nikopol, the Russians shelled the city with artillery and FPV drones; in Pavlohrad, four people were injured over the past day. In Mykolaiv, Russian drones struck a large supermarket — more than 2,000 square meters were destroyed by fire. A fire also broke out at a service station, damaging vehicles and nearby buildings.
“The attack disrupted energy infrastructure, cutting power to twelve settlements. In the Sumy region, Russians struck a residential neighbourhood with UAVs — deliberate terror. A 52-year-old man was killed. Among the five injured are two small children, aged two and five.
“This is outright terrorism: Russians have nothing else. It is the glue that holds their culture together — campaigns of atrocities that deflect attention from the misery of their own population at home. They will pay for everything.”
Last night, Russians again attacked our peaceful cities and regions — Dnipro, Mykolaiv, and Sumy. Once again, children are among the victims.
— Yulia Svyrydenko (@Svyrydenko_Y) November 3, 2025
In Dnipro, missiles targeted civilian infrastructure. In Nikopol, the Russians shelled the city with artillery and FPV drones; in… pic.twitter.com/98Yu13GhW9
What Russia successfully testing a nuclear-powered missile tells us, according to an expert
Monday 3 November 2025 11:03 , Bryony GoochRussian President Vladimir Putin, dressed in a military uniform, announced on Oct. 26, that Russia had successfully tested a nuclear-powered missile. If true, such a weapon could provide Russia with a unique military capability that also has broader political implications.
The missile, called Burevestnik, was reportedly successfully tested over the Arctic Ocean after years of development and several earlier initial test flights, one of which resulted in the deaths of five nuclear scientists.
Iain Boyd, an engineer who studies defence systems, has written here for The Conversation about how these weapons function, the advantages they present over conventional missile systems, and their potential to disrupt global strategic stability.
What Russia’s successful nuclear-powered missile test tells us, according experts
Zelensky celebrates Ukraine's engineering troops
Monday 3 November 2025 10:41 , Bryony GoochVolodymyr Zelensky has shared post in support of Ukraine’s engineering troops.
He wrote on X: “Important results for Ukraine on the frontline are achieved thanks to the professional work of the many warriors serving within the various branches of our defense forces.
“The warriors of the Engineering Troops are among them. Bridges, crossings, and minelaying are the result of their vital efforts. They operate under fire, without rest, building defenses and supporting the warriors from other branches of our Defense and Security Forces.
“Thank you for your daily service. Thank you for your professionalism. Congratulations on Ukraine’s Engineering Troops Day!”
Important results for Ukraine on the frontline are achieved thanks to the professional work of the many warriors serving within the various branches of our defense forces. The warriors of the Engineering Troops are among them. Bridges, crossings, and minelaying are the result of… pic.twitter.com/12BbYcKwDM
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) November 3, 2025
Russia says its forces advance in Pokrovsk, strike Ukrainian military-industrial targets
Monday 3 November 2025 10:19 , Bryony GoochThe Russian Defence Ministry said on Monday that its forces had advanced in the Ukrainian city of Pokrovsk and had carried out massive strikes overnight on Ukrainian military-industrial sites.
Moscow said its forces were destroying what it described as surrounded Ukrainian formations near Pokrovsk's railway station and industrial zone, and had entered the city's Prigorodny area and dug in there.
The Defence Ministry said its overnight strikes had targeted a Ukrainian military airfield, a military equipment repair base and military-industrial facilities as well as gas infrastructure facilities that supported them.
Moscow said its troops had also ejected Kyiv's troops from positions around another city, Kupiansk, Russian state news agencies cited the Defence Ministry as saying.
Reuters could not independently verify the battlefield reports.
Hungary's Orban further refuses to finance Ukraine in war against Russia
Monday 3 November 2025 10:00 , Bryony GoochHungarian leader Viktor Orban has refused to financially back Ukraine in the war against Russia in a critique of Brussels on X.
He said that Europe is expected to foot the bill for Ukraine in the war, which is “why Brussels is so agitated.
“That’s why they want to seize frozen Russian assets, overhaul the EU funding system, and take on new loans.
“We reject this. It’s not Hungary’s job to finance Ukraine. We have no reason to do so: not politically, not economically, not morally. We are not alone in Europe, but we speak the most openly.”
Orban remains Putin’s closest ally in Europe, as well as a staunch critic of Zelensky.
“That’s why Brussels keeps attacking us. They want a ‘jawohl government’, with the European Public Prosecutor’s Office, EU-compliant economic policies, Brussels-approved experts, and a prime minister they can control.
“In the next four years, we will support Hungarian families, Hungarian businesses, and Hungarian pensioners.
“That is why we are introducing tax exemption for mothers with two or three children, extending our three per cent loan scheme to businesses, and bringing back the 14th-month pension. We cannot allow Hungarians’ money to be sent to Ukraine!”
According to The Economist, Ukraine would need $400 billion over the next four years to continue the war. Weapons, reconstruction, pensions, salaries… and once again, Europe is expected to foot the bill. There’s no one else left willing to pick up the tab.
— Orbán Viktor (@PM_ViktorOrban) November 3, 2025
That’s why… pic.twitter.com/0CRmRM3RXR
Ukraine's military says it hit oil refinery in Russia's Saratov region
Monday 3 November 2025 09:43 , Bryony GoochUkraine's military said on Monday it hit an oil refinery in Russia's Saratov region overnight, adding that a successful strike and resulting fire had been recorded on one of the refining facilities.
The military also said it had hit Russian military logistical facilities in the occupied region of Luhansk.
Watch: Fire breaks out in Mykolaiv after Russian attack, authorities say
Monday 3 November 2025 09:30 , Bryony GoochRussia launches 150 drones and missiles at Ukraine in overnight strike
Monday 3 November 2025 09:14 , Bryony GoochRussia has launched 150 drones and missiles at Ukraine in its latest overnight attack.
Three “Kinzhal” aeroballistic missiles, four Iskander-M ballistic missiles, and five S-300/S-400 surface-to-air guided missiles were launched from Lipetsk, Crimea and Kursk, as well as 138 Shahed and Gerbera drones.
Ukraine’s defence forces were able to shoot down and suppress 116 targets. Missile hits and 20 strike UAVs were recorded at 11 different locations.
Russia hit with 5.8 magnitude earthquake in Kamchatka
Monday 3 November 2025 09:00 , Bryony GoochAn earthquake of magnitude 5.8 struck the south-east coast of Russia's Kamchatka region on Monday, the United States Geological Survey said.
The quake was at a depth of 24 km (14.91 miles), USGS said.
GFZ had earlier pegged the earthquake at 6.4 magnitude.
Ukraine receives Patriots after Trump denies Tomahawks
Monday 3 November 2025 08:47 , Bryony GoochUkrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has thanked Germany and Europe for the arrival of more Patriots for their air defence system amid news that Donald Trump would not provide the much-coveted Tomahawks.
He shared on social media last night: “Today, we can already say there is a good result for our air defense – Ukraine now has more Patriots. I thank Chancellor Merz, I thank Germany, and everyone who helps – our agreements have been fulfilled.
“More Patriots are now in Ukraine and being put into operation. Of course, more systems are needed to protect key infrastructure sites and our cities across the entire territory of Ukraine, and we will continue working to obtain them – not only at the political level with states and leaders but also directly with manufacturers of all necessary air defense systems and missiles for them.”
Today, we can already say there is a good result for our air defense – Ukraine now has more Patriots. I thank Chancellor Merz, I thank Germany, and everyone who helps – our agreements have been fulfilled. More Patriots are now in Ukraine and being put into operation.
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) November 2, 2025
Of course,… pic.twitter.com/WW8qpOw84A
Russian premier Mikhail Mishustin begins ‘very important’ China visit
Monday 3 November 2025 08:35 , Bryony GoochRussian prime minister Mikhail Mishustin has arrived in China for a two-day visit that includes meetings with president Xi Jinping and premier Li Qiang.
The visit is seen by Moscow as “very important”, focusing on economic, industrial, and technological cooperation at a time when the two countries are facing rising Western pressure and sanctions.
“We expect prime minister Mikhail Mishustin will be received by Chinese president Xi Jinping. This is also a mutual tradition in bilateral relations,” a Kremlin spokesman said, according to the Russian news agency TASS.
“Therefore, we are, of course, looking forward to this visit and attach great importance to it.”
Read more here:
Russian premier Mikhail Mishustin begins ‘very important’ China visit
Most Americans disapprove of Trump on Ukraine, new poll suggests
Monday 3 November 2025 08:20 , Alex CroftA pair of new polls on Sunday suggest that Donald Trump and the Republican Party are fumbling their management of the U.S. economy, immigration system, and other issues where the president once held key advantages over Democrats.
The surveys come as a federal government shutdown is entering its second month this week, with no end in sight and the House of Representatives still out of session. Lawmakers on Capitol Hill seem little closer to breaking a stalemate over reopening the government, with Democrats refusing to give Republicans votes to do so unless subsidies for health care plans passed under the Biden administration are extended.
John Bowden reports:
Most Americans disapprove of Trump on economy, crime and Ukraine, poll suggests
Pictured: Firefighters battle drone strike in Odesa
Monday 3 November 2025 08:04 , Alex Croft
Russia fires 150 drones and missiles at Ukraine in overnight attack
Monday 3 November 2025 07:51 , Alex CroftThe Ukrainian Air Force is reporting that Russian forces have fired 150 drones and missiles at Ukraine in an overnight attack.
With attacks still ongoing, the extent of the damage remains unclear.
Among the missiles and drones were 5 S-300/S-400 surface-to-air guided missiles, 4 Iskander-M ballistic missiles, 3 Kh-47M2 Kinzhal aeroballistic missiles, and 138 drones, the force said according to Ukrainska Pravda.
Ukrainian air defences destroyed or jammed one of the Kinzhal missiles and 115 Russian drones over northern, southern and eastern Ukraine.
Hits have been recorded by 20 unmanned aerial vehicles in 11 locations.
Russian PM departs for 'very important' two-day China visit
Monday 3 November 2025 07:32 , Alex CroftRussia has sent prime minister Mikhail Mishustin for a two-day visit to China on Monday, a trip the Kremlin is haling as very significant.
Mishustin is set to meet directly with Chinese president Xi Jinping on Tuesday, Tass news agency reported, one day after a meeting the country;s premier, Li Qiang.
They are expected to discuss trade and economic ties, transport and industrial cooperation, enhanced energy partnerships and expanded collaboration in advanced technology and agriculture.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the talks were of “great importance”, but devlined to say whether Vladimir Putin would sent a message to Xi via Mishustin.
It is the latest step in a continually deepening relationship between Beijing and Moscow, after the two presidents signed a 'no limits' partnership in February 2022, shortly before Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Since then, Moscow has turned to Beijing to mitigate the impact of Western sanctions, highlighting record bilateral trade, increased settlements in yuan and deepening energy cooperation.
Watch: Fire breaks out in Mykolaiv after Russian attack, Ukrainian authorities say
Monday 3 November 2025 07:21 , Alex CroftA look at the Tomahawk, a US cruise missile that could come into play in the Ukraine war
Monday 3 November 2025 07:12 , Arpan RaiDonald Trump has suggested he remains reluctant on sending Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine but has not completely ruled out the possibility.
"No, not really," Trump told reporters as he flew to Washington from Palm Beach, Florida, when asked whether he was considering a deal to sell the missiles. He added, however, that he could change his mind on the missiles that could make a key difference in the continuing war.
The Tomahawk cruise missile has been in the US military’s inventory since the 1980s. While slow by missile standards, the cruise missile flies around 100 feet (about 30 metres) off the ground, making it harder to detect by defense systems.
The missile also boasts an impressive range of around 1,000 miles and precision guidance systems that make it the go-to weapon for striking targets that are deep inland or in hostile territory.
Read more about it here:
A look at the Tomahawk, a US cruise missile that could come into play in the Ukraine war
Zelensky thanks Germany for more Patriot systems
Monday 3 November 2025 06:54 , Arpan RaiVolodymyr Zelensky has thanked Germany’s chancellor for providing Ukraine with Patriot air defence systems at a time the war-hit nation is under nightly Russian missile attacks.
“Today, we can already say there is a good result for our air defense – Ukraine now has more Patriots. I thank Chancellor Merz, I thank Germany, and everyone who helps – our agreements have been fulfilled. More Patriots are now in Ukraine and being put into operation,” he said in his nightly address.
He added that Ukraine needs more systems to protect key infrastructure sites.
“...we will continue working to obtain them – not only at the political level with states and leaders but also directly with manufacturers of all necessary air defence systems and missiles for them,” he said.
At least two people were killed in a Russian drone attack in Ukraine’s southwestern Odesa region. The strikes were the latest in Russia's sustained campaign on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure as winter temperatures approach.
The attacks have grown more effective as Russia launches hundreds of drones, some equipped with cameras that improve targeting, overwhelming air defences — especially in regions where protection is weaker.
Today, we can already say there is a good result for our air defense – Ukraine now has more Patriots. I thank Chancellor Merz, I thank Germany, and everyone who helps – our agreements have been fulfilled. More Patriots are now in Ukraine and being put into operation.
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) November 2, 2025
Of course,… pic.twitter.com/WW8qpOw84A
Zelensky says Russia has deployed 170,000 troops in push for Pokrovsk
Monday 3 November 2025 06:31 , Arpan RaiVolodymyr Zelensky has revealed that Russia has amassed approximately 170,000 troops in the eastern Donetsk region, aiming to seize the strategic stronghold of Pokrovsk in a significant push for a battlefield victory.
Speaking on Friday, Mr Zelensky described the situation in Pokrovsk as "difficult", while simultaneously refuting recent Russian assertions that the devastated city is encircled after over a year of intense fighting.
He conceded that some Russian units had infiltrated, but maintained that Ukrainian defenders are actively "weeding them out"
“There are Russians in Pokrovsk,” Zelensky told a media briefing in Kyiv. “They are being destroyed, gradually destroyed, because, well, we need to preserve our personnel,” he said.
Zelensky says Russia has deployed 170,000 troops in push for Pokrovsk
Belgium investigating new drone sightings over military base
Monday 3 November 2025 06:25 , Arpan RaiPolice in Belgium are investigating drone sightings over a military air base, defence minister Theo Francken said, following other recent drone sightings at military areas in the country.
The government received reports on Saturday of drones flying over the Kleine Brogel air base in north-east Belgium, Francken said in a post on X. A helicopter and police vehicles pursued but failed to capture the drone, and a drone jammer was unable to intercept it, he said.
"It was not a simple overflight, but a clear command targeting Kleine Brogel," Francken said.
It is illegal to fly drones over military areas in Belgium.
A spokesperson for Francken's office told Reuters police were investigating the incident. Government ministers will discuss the sightings this week.
Nato countries have been on high alert in recent weeks after drone sightings and other air incursions, including at airports in Copenhagen, Munich and in the Baltic region. Some 20 Russian drones entered Polish airspace in September.
Investigations are already underway in Belgium into multiple drone sightings over a military base in the country's south-east, and another military base at Elsenborn, on the German border last month.
North Korean PoWs in Ukraine plead to be deported to South Korea
Monday 3 November 2025 06:10 , Arpan RaiTwo North Korean prisoners of war detained in Ukraine have pled to go to South Korea, according to a human rights organisation that interviewed them.
Nearly 10,000 of Pyongyang's troops were sent in 2024 to fight for Russia in its war against Ukraine.
Around 2,000 North Korean soldiers are estimated to have been killed in combat and several captured.
During an interview for a documentary last week, the two PoWs asked the producer "to take them to the South,” Jang Se-yul, head of the rights group said.
Watch: Trump says won’t sell Tomahawks to Kyiv for now after Putin threats
Monday 3 November 2025 06:05 , Arpan RaiAt least one vessel hit as Ukrainian drone strike hits key Russian oil port
Monday 3 November 2025 05:50 , Arpan RaiA Ukrainian drone attack struck one of Russia's main Black Sea oil ports, causing a fire and damaging at least one ship.
Footage on Russian and Ukrainian Telegram news channels appeared to show a terminal and one tanker ablaze at night.
The Independent has not verified the timing or location of the images.
Russian authorities said two foreign vessels had been damaged in the attack on Tuapse, one of the biggest oil terminals on the Black Sea, sparking a fire.
“As a result of the drone attack on the port of Tuapse on the night of 2 November, two foreign civilian ships were damaged,” the emergency operational headquarters of the Krasnodar region said in a statement.
Ukraine has for several months been striking Russian oil refineries, depots and pipelines in a bid to undermine the Russian economy.
Kyiv's General Staff said in a statement that its forces had struck infrastructure of the Tuapse oil refinery. An official from Ukraine's SBU domestic security service said five recorded drone strikes on an oil terminal had damaged an oil tanker, loading infrastructure and nearby port buildings.
The port is home to the Tuapse Black Sea oil terminal and an oil refinery controlled by Russia's biggest oil company Rosneft . Ukraine has targeted the refinery with several drone strikes this year.
At least one vessel hit as Ukrainian drone strike hits key Russian oil port
Monday 3 November 2025 05:49 , Arpan RaiA Ukrainian drone attack struck one of Russia's main Black Sea oil ports, causing a fire and damaging at least one ship.
Footage on Russian and Ukrainian Telegram news channels appeared to show a terminal and one tanker ablaze at night.
The Independent has not verified the timing or location of the images.
Russian authorities said two foreign vessels had been damaged in the attack on Tuapse, one of the biggest oil terminals on the Black Sea, sparking a fire.
"As a result of the drone attack on the port of Tuapse on the night of 2 November, two foreign civilian ships were damaged," the emergency operational headquarters of the Krasnodar region said in a statement.
Ukraine has for several months been striking Russian oil refineries, depots and pipelines in a bid to undermine the Russian economy.
Kyiv's General Staff said in a statement that its forces had struck infrastructure of the Tuapse oil refinery. An official from Ukraine's SBU domestic security service said five recorded drone strikes on an oil terminal had damaged an oil tanker, loading infrastructure and nearby port buildings.
The port is home to the Tuapse Black Sea oil terminal and an oil refinery controlled by Russia's biggest oil company Rosneft . Ukraine has targeted the refinery with several drone strikes this year.
Moscow says PM Mishustin's visit to China is 'very important'
Monday 3 November 2025 05:18 , Arpan RaiRussian prime minister Mikhail Mishustin’s two-day visit to China is being hailed by Moscow as important, just days after Donald Trump met with Chinese president Xi Jinping.
Mishustin departed for a two-day visit to China, with planned talks with president Xi and premier Li Qiang expected to centre on economic and technological cooperation despite pressure from the West.
The Kremlin attached "very great" importance to Mishustin's visit to China, spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on Friday, while declining to say whether president Vladimir Putin would send a message to Xi via the Russian prime minister, Interfax agency reported.
Mishustin is scheduled for a regular heads-of-government meeting with Li in the city of Hangzhou today, and will travel to Beijing tomorrow for talks with Xi, TASS agency reported, citing the Russian government's press service.
Mishustin's talks in China were expected to focus on trade and economic ties, transport and industrial cooperation, enhanced energy partnerships and expanded collaboration in advanced technology and agriculture, TASS reported.
The last heads-of-government meeting between China and Russia took place in Moscow in August 2024, where Li praised the "new vigor" and "vitality" in bilateral ties.
Watch: Ukrainians rescued from Sumy apartments after Russian strike
Monday 3 November 2025 05:03 , Arpan RaiNato will 'stand with Ukraine' to get long-lasting peace
Monday 3 November 2025 04:53 , Arpan RaiA senior Nato military official has said the alliance “will stand with Ukraine up to the day” they will sit around a table for “long-lasting peace”.
Admiral Giuseppe Cavo Dragone, chair of Nato's military committee, told the BBC that the Ukraine will not be ruled by a Moscow-friendly government and the Russian president will not win in his quest. "They will not get a friendly or puppet government like in Belarus. Putin will not succeed."
From an operational point of view, Admiral Dragone said he considered the Russia-Ukraine war was bogged down, and "it was almost time to sit and talk because it's a waste of lives”.
He also described the war as a strategic failure for Putin despite recent slow gains by the Russian forces on the battlefield.
The top official also said European nations were prepared to keep going ahead with supporting Ukraine’s defence.
Two dead as Russia continues to blast Ukraine’s power grids with drone attacks
Monday 3 November 2025 04:31 , Arpan RaiRussian air attacks on Ukraine killed two people overnight and left tens of thousands more - and the entire eastern Donetsk region - without power, Ukrainian officials said on Sunday.
Moscow has stepped up missile and drone strikes on Ukraine as winter approaches, triggering outages and forcing emergency crews to quickly repair damage and manage rolling blackouts.
The two deaths were reported in Ukraine's southern Odesa region, where officials said cargo trucks had come under attack, while nearly 60,000 residents in the southeastern Zaporizhzhia region lost power, local authorities said.
All of Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region, where Russia is pressing forward on the battlefield, was also facing emergency power outages after attacks on energy infrastructure, its governor Vadym Filashkin said.
Two dead as Russia continues to blast Ukraine’s power grids with drone attacks
Ukraine deploys elite forces in Pokrovsk as 'multi-thousand' Russian forces attack
Monday 3 November 2025 04:07 , Arpan RaiUkrainian military chief has said his troops were battling “multi-thousand" enemy forces in key frontline town Pokrovsk in the Donetsk oblast.
Oleksandr Syrskyi said elite special forces had been deployed to defend key supply lines facing Russian fire.
Russia has been trying to capture Pokrovsk, dubbed "the gateway to Donetsk", since mid-2024 in its campaign to control the entirety of Donetsk, a Ukrainian province it claims to have annexed.
The city, home to 70,000 people before the war, has been all but completely destroyed and depopulated.
Capturing Pokrovsk would be the most important Russian territorial gain inside Ukraine since Moscow took the ruined city of Avdiivka in early 2024 after one of the bloodiest battles of the war.
Kyiv said this week it had landed a helicopter with a team of special forces in Pokrovsk in a mission to halt the Russian advance. Russia's defence ministry said on Saturday its troops had killed all 11 members of that Ukrainian special forces team.
A Ukrainian military official, speaking on condition of anonymity, denied that the special forces had been killed and said the operation was continuing.
Trump warned Ukraine war is creating ‘significant risks’ for US economy
Monday 3 November 2025 03:07 , Arpan RaiThe ongoing war in Ukraine is creating “significant risks” to the US economy and is costing American firms billions in lost opportunities, a report by influential economists has warned.
The Center for Freedom and Prosperity paper by Daniel J. Mitchell and Robert O’Quinn also claims that the continuation of the conflict threatens the US dollar's status as the world’s reserve currency.
Russia and China want to end this so-called “exorbitant privilege” that sees most countries use the dollar for international trade and are using the war and trade tensions to undermine America’s position, the report argues.
The analysis also highlights a staggering $520bn opportunity for American firms in rebuilding Ukraine, alongside reclaiming $100bn in lost energy ventures like ExxonMobil’s Arctic projects.
Trump warned the ongoing Ukraine war is creating ‘significant risks’ for US economy
Watch: Why Russians are fighting against Russia: ‘Putin has not only ruined Ukraine, he’s ruined my country’
Monday 3 November 2025 03:00 , Rebecca WhittakerTrump says no Tomahawks for Ukraine, for now
Monday 3 November 2025 02:50 , Arpan RaiDonald Trump said for now, he is not considering a deal that would allow Ukraine to obtain long-range Tomahawk missiles for use against Russia.
Without promising, Trump has been okay with the US to sell Tomahawks to Nato nations that would transfer them to Ukraine, saying he does not want to escalate the war.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has long requested the missiles, but the Kremlin has warned against any provision of Tomahawks to Ukraine.
"No, not really," Trump told reporters as he flew to Washington from Palm Beach, Florida, when asked whether he was considering a deal to sell the missiles. He added, however, that he could change his mind.
His latest comments to reporters aboard Air Force One indicate that he remains reluctant.
Trump and Nato secretary general Mark Rutte discussed the Tomahawk idea when they met at the White House on 22 October. Rutte said on Friday that the issue was under review and that it was up to the United States to decide.
Tomahawk missiles have a range of 2,500km (1,550 miles), long enough to strike deep inside Russia, including Moscow.
Who is Europe’s ‘last dictator’ Alexander Lukashenko?
Monday 3 November 2025 02:00 , Rebecca Whittaker
Recap: Ukraine planning widespread blackouts across Russia
Monday 3 November 2025 01:00 , Rebecca WhittakerKyiv is preparing for new drone and long-range strikes on Russian energy infrastructure that could lead to widespread blackouts in Russia, Robert Brovdi, commander of Ukraine’s drone systems forces, said yesterday.
The attacks would force Russian regions to adapt to disruptions in power supply, Brovdi wrote on Facebook.
"Blackouts are not scary. They’re just a bit inconvenient… The birds of the drone systems forces, together with other components of Ukraine’s deep strike capabilities, promise you a rapid, if somewhat forced, adaptation," he said, referring to drones as "free Ukrainian birds".
The drone force commander said Russia would increasingly face fuel shortages as gas and oil reserves were "burning fast".
Two dead as Russia continues to blast Ukraine’s power grids with drone attacks
Monday 3 November 2025 00:00 , Rebecca WhittakerTwo dead as Russia continues to blast Ukraine’s power grids with drone attacks
Trump says he wasn't 'really' going to give Ukraine long-range Tomahawk missiles
Sunday 2 November 2025 23:42 , Rebecca WhittakerPresident Donald Trump said he was not really considering giving Ukraine long-range Tomahawk missiles.
Asked by a reporter aboard Air Force One if he was not considering providing the weapons to Ukraine, Trump responded: "No, not really."
In October, Trump said he would provide Kyiv with Tomahawks. He told reporters on Air Force One "We'll see... I may". The missiles would be "a new step of aggression" in Ukraine's war with Russia, he said.
'It is clear that Moscow aims to inflict harm primarily on our people,' Zelensky says
Sunday 2 November 2025 23:00 , Rebecca WhittakerRussia used nearly 1,500 attack drones, 1,170 guided aerial bombs, and more than 70 missiles of different types against Ukraine in the last week alone, President Zelensky has said.
He said in a post on X: “Almost every night, Russia strikes our people with various types of weapons.”
“It is clear that Moscow aims to inflict harm primarily on our people. That is why we are actively working to ensure reliable support for our energy sector this winter,” he added.
Almost every night, Russia strikes our people with various types of weapons. Since yesterday’s evening, there have been attacks on our communities – strikes on the Dnipro, Zaporizhzhia, Kharkiv, Chernihiv, and Odesa regions. Unfortunately, there are killed and wounded. My… pic.twitter.com/0Hy6pbEqj1
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) November 2, 2025
Most Americans disapprove of Trump on economy, immigration, crime and Ukraine and blame him for inflation, new poll suggests
Sunday 2 November 2025 22:00 , Rebecca WhittakerTrump seems to be losing ground with voters over the mixed results of his peacemaking efforts, which have so far yielded a shaky ceasefire in Gaza and have failed to resolve the war in Ukraine despite his promise to do so in a single day.
Read more here:
Most Americans disapprove of Trump on economy, crime and Ukraine, poll suggests
