Key Points
- French warplane downs Russian drone in Latvia violating Nato airspace, says official
- Zelensky says he will freeze the Ukraine war frontline, but explains why that will not end Putin's war
- Russian attack kills five and injures 14 in Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia region
- Drone attack causes fire at loading complex in Russia's Novorossiysk
- Starmer, Merz and Macron have five conditions for Putin to end Ukraine war
- Europe to ramp up defence against Putin’s hypersonic missiles after Ukraine strike
French warplane downs Russian drone violating Nato airspace, says official
09:23 , Arpan Rai
A Russian drone that had violated Latvia’s airspace has been shot down by a French military aircraft based in Lithuania for Baltic Nato air policing mission, a Lithuanian army spokesperson said this morning.
The Baltic nation saw a confirmed Russian drone enter its airspace in the early hours today, prompting authorities to sound air raid alert.
"Allied fighter jets successfully shoot down a drone flying into Latvian airspace!," Latvia's army said in a post on social media X. Authorities earlier on Monday warned people in the eastern Latvian regions to seek shelter indoors due to the threat. The alert ended when the drone was shot down, the army said.
The air raid alert has now stopped, officials said.
Zelensky thanks Starmer after Downing Street meeting on Ukraine's 'urgent needs'
11:30 , Arpan Rai
I discussed with Prime Minister of the United Kingdom @Keir_Starmer the steps needed to reinvigorate diplomacy and Ukraine’s current needs.
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) June 7, 2026
I informed Keir about the need for additional missiles for air defense systems and the things that are important for protecting energy… pic.twitter.com/N27MY35iAq
Ukraine's military says it has hit oil depots in Russia-occupied Crimea
11:10 , Arpan Rai
Ukraine's military struck two oil depots in Russia-occupied Crimea overnight on Sunday, the General Staff of Ukraine's military said this morning.
Russian officials reported early morning attacks in Russia and Russia-occupied regions of Crimea and Mariupol with strikes on oil depots and electrical substations under attack.
Another oil depot in Simferopol in Crimea was reported on fire by residents, the report added citing Telegram channels in Russia-occupied territory.
Nato shoots down drone in Latvian airspace, army says
10:50 , Arpan Rai
Nato fighter jets shot down a drone that entered Latvian airspace from Russia in the early hours today, the Baltic nation's army said, the latest in a series of such security incidents along Europe's eastern border regions.
"Allied fighter jets successfully shoot down a drone flying into Latvian airspace!," Latvia's army said in a post on social media X.
Authorities earlier on Monday warned people in the eastern Latvian regions to seek shelter indoors due to the threat. The alert ended when the drone was shot down, the army said.
Military drones straying into the airspace of Russia's neighbours have been stoking concerns that the war in Ukraine is spilling over into Nato's northern borders.
Last month a Nato military jet shot down a suspected Ukrainian drone over Estonia.
Zelensky is an indispensable ally in Britain’s new security partnership with Europe
10:30 , Arpan Rai
It tells us more about the UK than it does about Ukraine that Volodymyr Zelensky is on his fourth British prime minister since the Russians launched their full-scale invasion of his country in 2022. But at any rate, as he comes to London for talks with Sir Keir Starmer, Emmanuel Macron and Friedrich Merz – a group known as the “E3” – Ukraine’s special relationship with Britain remains strong.
The 10th anniversary of Brexit, which is being covered extensively by The Independent, may remind us of the epochal disaster that marked Boris Johnson’s time at the top of British politics. But Mr Johnson should at least be given some credit for getting it right when, in 2022, he became the first Western leader to offer the then apparently doomed Ukrainians whatever support our country could provide. That commitment has been steadfast, as has been the case among virtually all of the European nations.
Zelensky is an indispensable ally in Britain’s new security partnership with Europe
Over 1,000 without power in Odesa after Russian attack
10:10 , Arpan Rai
Russian attacks on energy infrastructure in Ukraine's Odesa region caused power outages for over 1,000 customers, regional governor Oleh Kiper said on the Telegram messaging app this morning.
Both sides, Ukraine and Russia, have exchanged heavy attacks in the early hours today with damage reported in Crimea, Mariupol, Zaporizhzhia and Russia’s Novorossiysk and Volgograd regions.
Ukrainian drone kills one in Russia-annexed Crimea
09:50 , Arpan Rai
A Ukrainian drone struck a train in Crimea, killing its assistant driver and injuring the driver, the peninsula's Russian-installed governor Sergei Aksyonov said in a Telegram post early on Monday.
Passengers on the train, commuting between Moscow and Simferopol, the main city of the Russia-annexed Black Sea Crimea peninsula, were not harmed, Aksyonov said.
Drone raid sirens were sounded in the early hours of Monday in the Black Sea port of Novorossiysk, a major export hub for oil and grains in Russia's Krasnodar region about a two-hour drive from the bridge Moscow built to connect to Crimea, local authorities said on Telegram.
The most recent Ukrainian drone strikes, attacking fuel infrastructure, have forced the Russian-controlled Crimea to tighten its rationing of fuel supplies.
Ukraine's military says it has hit oil depots in Russia-occupied Crimea
09:34 , Arpan Rai
Ukraine's military struck two oil depots in Russia-occupied Crimea overnight on Sunday, the General Staff of Ukraine's military said this morning.
Russian officials reported early morning attacks in Russia and Russia-occupied regions of Crimea and Mariupol with strikes on oil depots and electrical substations under attack.
Another oil depot in Simferopol in Crimea was reported on fire by residents, the report added citing Telegram channels in Russia-occupied territory.
Zelensky says he will freeze the Ukraine war frontline, but that will not end the war
09:30 , Arpan Rai
Volodymyr Zelensky said he can freeze the battlefield frontlines as they exist amid the warfare between the Ukrainian and Russian forces as he explained what a ceasefire can look like.
On being asked if would want the lines to be frozen where they are at the moment if a ceasefire was agreed tomorrow, Zelensky said: “Yes. It’s the quickest way”, he told Sky News in an interview yesterday.
"[But] We want to stop the war in a way where the war will not come back.
"It's not the idea just to freeze, but the quickest way to is to freeze and to move it to a diplomatic setting,” Zelensky said, explaining that freezing alone will not help.
The war-time president denied that it would not entail handing Russia what they want in this moment.
"No, it's not just to give. To stay where we are means to give the people of Ukraine more possibilities to save their children, and for soldiers to come back. I think this is important for us,” he said.
Ukraine recaptures more than 600sq km of territory in 2026, army chief says
09:29 , Arpan Rai
Ukrainian forces have recaptured more than 600sq km of territory since the start of 2026, Ukraine's top army commander Oleksandr Syrskyi said this morning.
In May alone, Ukraine recaptured 100 more square km of territory than it lost, he said on the Telegram messaging app.
Syrskyi did not specify where the gains took place, saying only that in separate areas of the frontline, Ukrainian forces continued to maintain the initiative.
Russian attack kills five and injures 14 in Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia region
09:10 , Arpan Rai
A Russian attack killed has killed five and injured fourteen in Ukraine's southeastern Zaporizhzhia region, the regional governor said this morning.
Ivan Fedorov said Russia attacked the region with air strikes, drones and shelling, damaging infrastructure, residential buildings and cars.
Nato jets scrambled to down Russian drone, says Latvia
08:56 , Arpan Rai
The Latvian army has scrambled Nato air jets to shoot down a drone in its airspace.
At least one drone was confirmed to have entered Latvian airspace from Russia, an army spokesperson said this morning.
Starmer, Merz and Macron have five conditions for Putin to end Ukraine war
08:45 , Arpan Rai
British PM Keir Starmer, French president Emmanuel Macron and German chancellor Friedrich Merz on Sunday set out five conditions for Russia to meet in any peace deal.
These are: including that Russia must agree to an immediate and complete ceasefire, that the “current line of contact” should be the starting point for negotiations and that there are robust guarantees on Ukraine’s safety. Russian assets will remain frozen until it compensates Ukraine for the war and Europe should get a say in any agreement, the leaders said.
The renewed pressure on Russia comes after it suffered a series of military setbacks in recent months.
Europe to ramp up defence against Putin’s hypersonic missiles after Ukraine strike
08:15 , Arpan Rai
Sir Keir Starmer and the leaders of France and Germany have warned of the “urgent need” to ramp up production of defensive weapons against Russia’s hypersonic Oreshnik missiles, after a late-night summit in Downing Street on Sunday.
Alongside Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky, the leaders also called on Vladimir Putin to agree “an immediate and complete ceasefire” and said the “current line of contact” between the two sides should be the starting point for any negotiations.
Ahead of the talks, President Zelensky had warned his country could maintain its recent attacks deep into Russia if the war continues, as he pledged Ukraine will not “silently die”.
The renewed pressure on Russia comes after it suffered a series of military setbacks in recent months.
But in a sign of the continued havoc the conflict is wreaking on Ukraine, the talks took place hours after a drone strike struck a storage facility for spent nuclear fuel near the Chernobyl power plant.
Latvia's military issues air threat alert
08:14 , Arpan Rai
Latvia's armed forces on Monday issued an air threat alert for its eastern regions bordering Russia and Belarus, asking people there to stay indoors.
At least one drone was confirmed to have entered Latvian airspace from Russia, an army spokesperson told Reuters.
Military drones straying into the airspace of Finland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania have been stoking concerns that the war in Ukraine is spilling over into Nato's northern borders with Russia.
As Ukraine steps up long-range attacks on Russian Baltic Sea oil shipping ports, some of its drones have missed their targets and led to security warnings in neighbouring countries.
European leaders ready to support ceasefire talks between Ukraine and Russia
07:45 , Arpan Rai
The leaders of Britain, Germany and France said they supported a proposal for talks between Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian president Vladimir Putin to try to secure a ceasefire, and Europe would play a role.
In a joint statement, British prime minister Keir Starmer, German chancellor Friedrich Merz and French president Emmanuel Macron commended Zelensky's call for an end to the war and the proposal for direct dialogue between Ukraine and Russia, with active US and European participation.
The three leaders, who head an informal security alliance called the E3 that is one of Ukraine's main sources of international support, were joined on Sunday by Zelensky in Downing Street.
"Leaders commended President Zelensky's call for an end to the war, negotiated by diplomatic means, as set out in his letter to the president," Sunday's joint statement said.
Zelensky said in a post on X that he also told Sir Keir that Ukraine needed more missiles for air defence systems, just days after he published an open letter to Putin proposing face-to-face talks about ending the war, now in its fifth year.
Zelenskiy's proposal was rebuffed by the Russian president.
Over 1,000 without power in Odesa after Russian attack
07:26 , Arpan Rai
Russian attacks on energy infrastructure in Ukraine's Odesa region caused power outages for over 1,000 customers, regional governor Oleh Kiper said on the Telegram messaging app this morning.
Both sides, Ukraine and Russia, have exchanged heavy attacks in the early hours today with damage reported in Crimea, Mariupol, Zaporizhzhia and Russia’s Novorossiysk and Volgograd regions.
Watch: Zelensky asked Roman Abramovich to send peace talks plea to Putin
07:21 , Arpan Rai
Drones hit pipeline pumping station in Russia's Volgograd region
07:08 , Arpan Rai
Russian air defence units repelled an overnight drone attack on energy infrastructure in the Volgograd region, with falling debris sparking a fire at a pipeline pumping station in the Zhirnovsky district, governor Andrei Bocharov said. An oil pipeline runs through the district.
The blaze at the dispatching facility was quickly extinguished and no casualties were reported, the governor added.
Ukrainian drone kills one in Russia-annexed Crimea
06:51 , Arpan Rai
A Ukrainian drone struck a train in Crimea, killing its assistant driver and injuring the driver, the peninsula's Russian-installed governor Sergei Aksyonov said in a Telegram post early on Monday.
Passengers on the train, commuting between Moscow and Simferopol, the main city of the Russia-annexed Black Sea Crimea peninsula, were not harmed, Aksyonov said.
Drone raid sirens were sounded in the early hours of Monday in the Black Sea port of Novorossiysk, a major export hub for oil and grains in Russia's Krasnodar region about a two-hour drive from the bridge Moscow built to connect to Crimea, local authorities said on Telegram.
The most recent Ukrainian drone strikes, attacking fuel infrastructure, have forced the Russian-controlled Crimea to tighten its rationing of fuel supplies.
Drone attack causes fire at loading complex in Russia's Novorossiysk
06:36 , Arpan Rai
A Russian Black Sea port has come under attack from Ukrainian drones overnight, local officials said.
A loading complex has caught fire at the port in Novorossiysk after a drone attack, local authorities said on Monday. They said no one was injured, while 130 firefighters have been battling the blaze.
Zelensky says he will freeze the Ukraine war frontline, but that will not end the war
06:10 , Arpan Rai
Volodymyr Zelensky said he can freeze the battlefield frontlines as they exist amid the warfare between the Ukrainian and Russian forces as he explained what a ceasefire can look like.
On being asked if would want the lines to be frozen where they are at the moment if a ceasefire was agreed tomorrow, Zelensky said: “Yes. It’s the quickest way”, he told Sky News in an interview yesterday.
"[But] We want to stop the war in a way where the war will not come back.
"It's not the idea just to freeze, but the quickest way to is to freeze and to move it to a diplomatic setting,” Zelensky said, explaining that freezing alone will not help.
The war-time president denied that it would not entail handing Russia what they want in this moment.
"No, it's not just to give. To stay where we are means to give the people of Ukraine more possibilities to save their children, and for soldiers to come back. I think this is important for us,” he said.
Russian attack kills five and injures 14 in Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia region
05:56 , Arpan Rai
A Russian attack killed has killed five and injured fourteen in Ukraine's southeastern Zaporizhzhia region, the regional governor said this morning.
Ivan Fedorov said Russia attacked the region with air strikes, drones and shelling, damaging infrastructure, residential buildings and cars.
Watch: Zelensky willing to freeze battle for peace talks
05:50 , Arpan Rai
Starmer, Merz and Macron have five conditions for Putin to end Ukraine war
05:35 , Arpan Rai
British PM Keir Starmer, French president Emmanuel Macron and German chancellor Friedrich Merz on Sunday set out five conditions for Russia to meet in any peace deal.
These are: including that Russia must agree to an immediate and complete ceasefire, that the “current line of contact” should be the starting point for negotiations and that there are robust guarantees on Ukraine’s safety. Russian assets will remain frozen until it compensates Ukraine for the war and Europe should get a say in any agreement, the leaders said.
The renewed pressure on Russia comes after it suffered a series of military setbacks in recent months.
Europe to ramp up defence against Putin’s hypersonic missiles after Ukraine strike
05:20 , Arpan Rai
Sir Keir Starmer and the leaders of France and Germany have warned of the “urgent need” to ramp up production of defensive weapons against Russia’s hypersonic Oreshnik missiles, after a late-night summit in Downing Street on Sunday.
Alongside Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky, the leaders also called on Vladimir Putin to agree “an immediate and complete ceasefire” and said the “current line of contact” between the two sides should be the starting point for any negotiations.
Ahead of the talks, President Zelensky had warned his country could maintain its recent attacks deep into Russia if the war continues, as he pledged Ukraine will not “silently die”.
The renewed pressure on Russia comes after it suffered a series of military setbacks in recent months.
But in a sign of the continued havoc the conflict is wreaking on Ukraine, the talks took place hours after a drone strike struck a storage facility for spent nuclear fuel near the Chernobyl power plant.
Europe to ramp up defence against Putin’s hypersonic missiles after Ukraine strike
Zelensky asked Roman Abramovich to send peace talks plea to Putin, report says
05:00 , Arpan Rai
Volodymyr Zelensky invited former Chelsea FC owner Roman Abramovich to Kyiv in a bid to persuade him to pass pleas for direct peace talks to Vladimir Putin, according to reports.
The Ukrainian president hosted the Russian billionaire last month and asked him to tell Mr Putin he was prepared to meet, multiple sources told the Financial Times. Any direct meeting between the two would be the first since Russia’s full-scale invasion began in 2022.
It comes as Kyiv hopes to capitalise on a pivotal moment in the war, with Ukraine beginning to regain some leverage on the battlefield in part due to improved long-range strike capabilities.
Zelensky asked Roman Abramovich to send peace talks plea to Putin, report says
Starmer says support for Ukraine 'ironclad' after No 10 meeting
04:40 , Arpan Rai
Prime minister Keir Starmer has said Britain would stand with Ukraine as long as needed and support for the war-hit nation is “ironclad”.
"Our support for Ukraine is ironclad," Sir Keir wrote. "Ukraine's security is Europe's security.”
His remarks came after the PM hosted Volodymyr Zelensky, Emmanuel Macron and Friedrich Merz at Downing Street yesterday and said any European security interests must be safeguarded.
Zelensky said on X that the leaders discussed possible ways to reinvigorate diplomacy and Europe’s role in this process.
"For Ukraine, it has always been a priority that Europe’s position and voice in the negotiations be strong," he said.
Ukraine unleashes major overnight attack on Russia-occupied oil depots in Crimea
04:20 , Arpan Rai
Russian officials are reporting early morning attacks in Russia and Russia-occupied regions of Crimea and Mariupol with strikes on oil depots and electrical substations under attack.
Preliminary visuals shared on social media by locals showed thick black smoke billowing from the area of the Grushevaya Balka oil depot in the Russian city of Novorossiysk, reported the Kyiv Independent.
The Russian depot is largest oil storage in the Caucasus region, with a reported capacity of 1.2 million tonnes of fuel.
Another oil depot in Simferopol in Crimea was reported on fire by residents, the report added citing Telegram channels in Russia-occupied territory.
Electrical substation fires were also reported in occupied Mariupol as well as the community of Hvardiiske near Simferopol amid the reported strikes, it added.
European leaders ready to support ceasefire talks between Ukraine and Russia
03:50 , Arpan Rai
The leaders of Britain, Germany and France said they supported a proposal for talks between Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian president Vladimir Putin to try to secure a ceasefire, and Europe would play a role.
In a joint statement, British prime minister Keir Starmer, German chancellor Friedrich Merz and French president Emmanuel Macron commended Zelensky's call for an end to the war and the proposal for direct dialogue between Ukraine and Russia, with active US and European participation.
The three leaders, who head an informal security alliance called the E3 that is one of Ukraine's main sources of international support, were joined on Sunday by Zelensky in Downing Street.
"Leaders commended President Zelensky's call for an end to the war, negotiated by diplomatic means, as set out in his letter to the president," Sunday's joint statement said.
Zelensky said in a post on X that he also told Sir Keir that Ukraine needed more missiles for air defence systems, just days after he published an open letter to Putin proposing face-to-face talks about ending the war, now in its fifth year.
Zelenskiy's proposal was rebuffed by the Russian president.
Armenia's Pashinyan declares victory in parliamentary election, vote counting continues
03:00 , James Reynolds
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan declared victory on Monday in a parliamentary election after results from just over one-fifth of polling sites showed his party with around 54% of the vote.
In a press conference in the early hours of Monday morning, Pashinyan said his Civil Contract party had prevailed, calling it a "historic victory".
Armenia's election commission had released early results from about 21% of polling stations by the time Pashinyan gave his press conference.
Sunday's vote, Armenia's first general election since a crushing military defeat by Azerbaijan in 2023, was viewed as a test of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's push to deepen ties with the West and secure a peace deal with Azerbaijan after years of conflict and political turbulence.
Pashinyan's Civil Contract, which has brought Armenia closer to the West since taking power in 2018, squared off against three main pro-Russian opposition parties.
Zelensky asked Roman Abramovich to send peace talks plea to Putin, report says
03:00 , James Reynolds
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky invited former Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich to Kyiv last month in a bid to encourage Russian president Vladimir Putin to sit down for direct talks to end the war, according to a report.
Four people with knowledge of the matter told the Financial Times that Zelensky asked the Russian businessman, also a former governor, to relay that he was ready to meet for what would have been the first bilateral talks since the invasion.
The sources said Ukraine wanted to show its seriousness in intent to settle the four-year conflict.
Zelensky asked Roman Abramovich to send peace talks plea to Putin, report says
Recap: Zelensky in London for talks with Starmer, Macron and Merz
01:00 , James Reynolds
Britain's Keir Starmer welcomed Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky and the leaders of Germany and France to Downing Street on Sunday for talks on European support for Ukraine and stepping up efforts to bring an end to the war.
“The main focus is our defence in the war, greater cooperation for the security of all of Europe in the area of air defence, and our shared view of diplomatic prospects,” Zelensky wrote on X when he arrived in Britain.
“Europe must be part of the negotiations and must be strong.”
Britain, France and Germany have an informal security alliance called the E3, which has become one of Ukraine's main international supporters.
Macron said on Friday the Europeans could help Ukraine and Russia build both a ceasefire and a peace plan. Both sides, however, have accused the other of refusing to compromise.
Comment: ‘Puffy-looking’ Putin is acting weirder than ever – and that should chill us to the bone
Monday 8 June 2026 00:00 , James Reynolds
The Russian leader’s alarmingly obvious mental and physical decline is what I suspect has triggered the warning from the head of UK armed forces that we are now in greater danger than at any other point in his lifetime, says Robert Fox:
Putin is acting weirder than ever – and that should chill us to the bone
Watch: Zelensky arrives at No. 10 for talks with Starmer, Macron and Merz
Sunday 7 June 2026 23:38 , James Reynolds
Russian drone hits nuclear-fuel storage facility near Chornobyl, Ukraine says
Sunday 7 June 2026 23:00 , James Reynolds
Russian forces deliberately struck a storage facility for spent nuclear fuel near Ukraine's Chornobyl power plant, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Sunday, in an "extremely vile" attack that did not lead to a spike in radiation.
The strike significantly damaged a fuel-reception building metres away from where "large amounts of nuclear material" are stored, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency, which said it had been briefed by Ukraine.
Kyiv's state atomic agency Energoatom said no spent fuel had been stored in the building at the time of the attack. A resulting fire was extinguished, and no injuries were reported.
Russia has not publicly commented on the alleged strike on the facility, which is located around 15 km from the decommissioned Chornobyl plant, the site of the world's worst nuclear disaster.
"An extremely critical infrastructure facility – and an extremely vile Russian strike," Zelensky wrote on X, adding Russia had used a Shahed attack drone.
"As of now, there are no readings exceeding normal background radiation levels. But there is certainly an increase in Russia's brazenness, which long ago went off the charts."
European leaders discuss 'urgent need' for defences against Oreshnik missiles
Sunday 7 June 2026 22:05 , Tom Barnes
The leaders of the UK, Ukraine, France and Germany have discussed the “urgent need” to ramp up production of defensive weapons and deep-strike capabilities after Russia fired Oreshnik missiles at Ukraine, Downing Street said.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer hosted Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky along with French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz – some of Kyiv’s staunchest allies – at No 10 on Sunday evening for talks on the war.
The leaders called on Russian President Vladimir Putin to agree “an immediate and complete ceasefire” with the current line of contact as a starting point for any negotiations, Downing Street said.
A readout said: “They condemned Russia’s large-scale missile and drone attacks – including the repeated use of the Oreshnik missiles – on Ukrainian cities with a tragic toll on civilians, as well as irresponsible and dangerous Russian drone incursions into Nato territory.
“They expressed their condolences to all the victims.
“They discussed how to use the upcoming G7 summit at Evian, the next meeting of the coalition of the willing, and the Nato summit at Ankara to best coordinate further support for Ukraine based on its prioritised needs, including further pressure on Russia’s war economy and an increased pledge of military and defence support for Ukraine at the Nato summit.
“The leaders underlined the urgent need to scale up the production of interceptors and co-develop anti-ballistic missile and deep strike capabilities, and to support the future sustainability of the Ukrainian armed forces.”
Zelensky asked Roman Abramovich to send peace talks plea to Putin, report says
Sunday 7 June 2026 22:00 , James Reynolds
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky invited former Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich to Kyiv last month in a bid to encourage Russian president Vladimir Putin to sit down for direct talks to end the war, according to a report.
Four people with knowledge of the matter told the Financial Times that Zelensky asked the Russian businessman, also a former governor, to relay that he was ready to meet for what would have been the first bilateral talks since the invasion.
The sources said Ukraine wanted to show its seriousness in intent to settle the four-year conflict.
Zelensky asked Roman Abramovich to send peace talks plea to Putin, report says
Zelensky, Starmer, Macron and Merz discuss defence from hypersonic missiles
Sunday 7 June 2026 21:50 , Tom Barnes
Leaders of Ukraine, the UK, France and Germany discussed “the urgent need to scale up the production of interceptors and co-develop anti-ballistic missile and deep strike capabilities” after Russia fired Oreshnik weapons at Ukraine, Downing Street said.
Volodymyr Zelensky has left Downing Street.
Sunday 7 June 2026 21:46 , James Reynolds
Keir Starmer and Volodymyr Zelensky shook hands and briefly posed for photographs outside No 10 this evening.
Mr Zelensky left just over half an hour after Macron and Merz.
Leaders leave No10 after meeting
Sunday 7 June 2026 21:24 , James Reynolds
Emmanuel Macron and Friedrich Merz have left Downing Street after a meeting with Sir Keir Starmer and Volodymyr Zelensky.
The four leaders shook hands warmly and posed for a group picture outside No 10.
The leaders smiled to reporters in Downing Street before the French president and German chancellor headed to their cars.
On his way to his car, Mr Macron greeted reporters in French saying “hello gentlemen and ladies”.
The Prime Minister and the Ukrainian leader then re-entered No 10.
Watch: Emergency crews extinguish fires after Russian strikes in Ukraine’s Sumy region
Sunday 7 June 2026 21:00 , James Reynolds
Russian drone hits nuclear-fuel storage facility near Chornobyl, Ukraine says
Sunday 7 June 2026 20:00 , James Reynolds
Russian forces deliberately struck a storage facility for spent nuclear fuel near Ukraine's Chornobyl power plant, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Sunday, in an "extremely vile" attack that did not lead to a spike in radiation.
The strike significantly damaged a fuel-reception building metres away from where "large amounts of nuclear material" are stored, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency, which said it had been briefed by Ukraine.
Kyiv's state atomic agency Energoatom said no spent fuel had been stored in the building at the time of the attack. A resulting fire was extinguished, and no injuries were reported.
Russia has not publicly commented on the alleged strike on the facility, which is located around 15 km from the decommissioned Chornobyl plant, the site of the world's worst nuclear disaster.
"An extremely critical infrastructure facility – and an extremely vile Russian strike," Zelensky wrote on X, adding Russia had used a Shahed attack drone.
"As of now, there are no readings exceeding normal background radiation levels. But there is certainly an increase in Russia's brazenness, which long ago went off the charts."
Pictured: Starmer greets Zelensky at the door
Sunday 7 June 2026 19:20 , James Reynolds
Breaking: Zelensky arrives at No 10 for talks with Starmer
Sunday 7 June 2026 19:19 , James Reynolds
Volodymyr Zelensky has arrived at Downing Street for talks with Keir Starmer, French president Emmanuel Macron and German chancellor Friedrich Merz.
Zelensky said earlier today the focus of the summit would be greater cooperation for the security of “all of Europe” in air defence, and the prospects for diplomatic efforts to end the war with Russia.
“Europe must be part of the negotiations and must be strong. A meeting with His Majesty King Charles III is also scheduled for tomorrow,” he said.
Zelensky said last week he was preparing meetings with key European partners to discuss “air defense for Ukraine, sanctions against Russia for the war, our joint weapons production with partners, political coordination, and real support for Ukrainians who are going through this full-scale war”.
The Ukrainian president has urged the importance of air defences for Ukraine and wider Europe in recent weeks.
Merz arrives at Downing Street
Sunday 7 June 2026 18:46 , James Reynolds
German chancellor Friedrich Merz has also arrived at No10 for the E3 summit with Ukraine.
Macron arrives at No10
Sunday 7 June 2026 18:42 , James Reynolds
French president Emmanuel Macron has just entered Downing Street, greeted at the door by Sir Keir Starmer.
Zelensky in UK for talks with Starmer, Macron and Merz
Sunday 7 June 2026 17:58 , Dan Haygarth
Volodymyr Zelensky is in the UK for bilateral talks with Sir Keir Starmer, as well as an E3-plus-Ukraine format with French president Emmanuel Macron, German chancellor Friedrich Merz and Sir Keir.
"The main focus is our defence in the war, greater cooperation for the security of all of Europe in the area of air defence, and our shared view of diplomatic prospects," he wrote on X.
"Europe must be part of the negotiations and must be strong."
Today I am in Britain. We will have our bilateral talks with Keir and a meeting in the E3 plus Ukraine format: President of France Emmanuel Macron, Chancellor of Germany Friedrich Merz, and Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Keir Starmer. Our teams have already done substantive… pic.twitter.com/tZrdxqh4Pp
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) June 7, 2026
Video: Starmer to host Zelensky and leaders of France and Germany for No 10 talks
Sunday 7 June 2026 17:42 , Dan Haygarth
Downing Street prepares to host Volodymyr Zelensky, Emmanuel Macron and Friedrich Merz
Sunday 7 June 2026 17:28 , Dan Haygarth
Full story: Zelensky asked Roman Abramovich to send peace talks plea to Putin, report says
Sunday 7 June 2026 16:50 , Dan Haygarth
Volodymyr Zelensky invited former Chelsea FC owner Roman Abramovich to Kyiv in a bid to persuade him to pass pleas for direct peace talks to Vladimir Putin, according to reports.
The Ukrainian president hosted the Russian billionaire last month and asked him to tell Mr Putin he was prepared to meet, multiple sources told the Financial Times. Any direct meeting between the two would be the first since Russia’s full-scale invasion began in 2022.
It comes as Kyiv hopes to capitalise on a pivotal moment in the war, with Ukraine beginning to regain some leverage on the battlefield in part due to improved long-range strike capabilities.
Read more:
Zelensky asked Roman Abramovich to send peace talks plea to Putin, report says
