The Latest Breaking News from Kremlin

Vladimir Putin appears to confess to war crimes and blame Ukraine for strikes while guzzling champagne at a reception at the Kremlin in Moscow

Russia had expected to be victorious long before now. Its initial plan envisaged ground assaults across Ukraine in the first ten days and a rapid capitulation thereafter. But Kyiv did not fall – and Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky, refused to leave the capital, saying, “I need ammunition, not a ride,”…

While this week’s drone attacks on Russian airfields that the Kremlin blamed on Ukraine were of largely symbolic value, Kyiv’s apparent readiness to take the war to Vladimir Putin may be constrained by nervousness among its allies over his potential reaction.

The Kremlin says it’s up to Ukraine’s president to end the conflict in the country, suggesting terms that Kyiv has repeatedly rejected

Russia said on Thursday that it was still set on securing at least the bulk of the parts of east and south Ukraine that it has claimed as its own, but appeared to give up on seizing other areas in the west and northeast that Ukraine has recaptured.

The Kremlin said on Thursday that a proposed gas union including Uzbekistan did not involve imposing "political terms" on the Central Asian nation.

(This story has been refiled to fix typo in 'plans' in the headline)

Leaked internal Russian government polling recently indicated that as few as one in four Russians may be in favour of the war in Ukraine. Analysts believe that the forced mobilisation of over 300,000 civilians and the high level of casualties have all contributed to waning support for Russia’s war effort.

Exclusive: Analysts tell The Independent that India is now expected to overtake EU as largest importer of Russian crude following European ban

The President of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan, discussed in a telephone call on Wednesday with Russian President Vladimir Putin the relations between the two countries and ways to promote friendship and cooperation, WAM news agency reported. The two officials also discussed regional and international matters…

Ukraine’s state nuclear energy firm and Kyiv government both claim Russia is using the site as a de facto weapons depot