At least 16 people were killed and more than 130 wounded yesterday when several Russian drones struck a shopping centre in central Ukraine, authorities said.
President Volodymyr Zelensky has promised a response to the attack, which he described as an "act of barbarism".
At least nine people, including two children, have been missing and believed to be trapped under the rubble of a shopping centre attack by Russia, said regional governor Oleksandr Hanzha.
"Attacks like these are nothing less than terrorist acts," Mr Zelensky said on Telegram, urging the world to hold Russia to account. "We will definitely respond."
Kaja Kallas, the EU’s foreign policy chief, condemned Russia’s attack on Kryvyi Rih as “terror by design” and said she was “putting forward the most far-reaching Russia sanctions listings since the start of the war” when ministers meet in Ireland next month.
Russia’s overnight attack killed two people, local authorities said on Saturday morning, a day after Moscow's attack on a Ukrainian mall
One person was killed in a warehouse fire in Kyiv following a ballistic missile strike, while another person was killed in a drone strike on the city of Zaporizhzhia.
Key Points
- Death toll in Russian attack on central Ukraine rises to 16
- Children among nine missing in Ukraine shopping centre attack
- Ukraine seeks approval to use Starlink-equipped drones against missile launchers
- Ukraine says it struck more Russian oil facilities
- Drone crashes in Romanian territory during Russian attack on Ukraine
Ukraine strikes key Russian oil refinery
06:20 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Ukraine has launched an attack on the Novokuybyshevsk refinery in Russia's Samara Oblast, according to Kyiv Independent.
Ukraine reportedly also targeted a commercial logistics center in its overnight attack in the same region.
Here’s why the UK-Ukraine drone partnership is worth risking Putin’s wrath
06:00 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Ukraine increasingly contributes battlefield-tested designs and operational knowledge, while Britain can provide engineering expertise, industrial capacity, certification, capital and access to international markets
More here.
I’m a conflict expert. Here’s why Ukraine is worth the UK risking Putin’s wrath
EU calls Russian attack on Ukraine mall 'terror by design'
05:45 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Kaja Kallas, the EU’s foreign policy chief, condemned Russia’s attack on Kryvyi Rih as “terror by design” and said she was “putting forward the most far-reaching Russia sanctions listings since the start of the war” when ministers meet in Ireland next month.
“Russia’s attack against a shopping centre in [Kryvyi Rih] shows the absolute and utter depravity of Moscow’s war,” Kallas said on X, claiming that Moscow “wants to make Ukrainian cities unliveable”.
Zelensky condemns Russia's 'terrorist attack' on shopping centre
05:30 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has called the Russian attack on a Ukrainian shopping centre "absolutely cynical and despicable".
He said a second Russian drone hit the shopping centre half an hour after the first in what he said was a deliberate attempt to target emergency services.
"Attacks like these are nothing less than terrorist acts," Zelensky said on Telegram, urging the world to hold Russia to account.
"We will definitely respond."
Children among nine missing in Ukraine shopping centre attack
05:00 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
At least nine people, including two children, have been missing and believed to be trapped under the rubble of a shopping centre attack by Russia, said regional governor Oleksandr Hanzha.
Hanzha said the nine were preliminarily considered missing as rescuers raced against time to clear the rubble of the shopping centre.
Death toll in Russian attack on central Ukraine rises to 16
04:40 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
At least 16 people were killed and more than 130 wounded yesterday when several Russian drones struck a shopping centre in central Ukraine, authorities said.
President Volodymyr Zelensky has promised a response to the attack, which he described as an "act of barbarism".
Regional governor Oleksandr Hanzha said that 22 children were among the wounded in the daytime attack on the city of Kryvyi Rih, which is Zelensky's hometown.
"There are 29 people in serious condition, including five children," Hanzha said.
Ukrainian drones hit Russian oil refinery
04:16 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
A Ukrainian drone attack killed one person and wounded four others when a car was struck Friday in Russia's Belgorod region near the village of Razumnoye, local officials said, adding that two of the injured were in serious condition.
Zelenskyy said a Ukrainian drone attack hit an oil refinery in Perm, more than 1,600km from his country's border. Also struck was the Marinovka military airfield in Russia's Volgograd region, he said.
The Russian online news outlet Astra reported that the Ukrainian drone had set ablaze a Lukoil-operated oil refinery in Perm. Local officials said damage was recorded at an unidentified "industrial facility."
Russia's Defence Ministry said its air defences overnight intercepted 325 Ukrainian drones over 15 Russian regions, as well as Crimea. The peninsula was illegally annexed by Moscow in 2014.
Russia exploits Ukraine's shortage of defensive systems
04:00 , Dan Haygarth
Moscow's forces have in recent months intensified their ballistic missile attacks on Kyiv, exploiting Ukraine's chronic shortage of US-made Patriot air defense interceptors, the sole weapon in its arsenal able to shoot down the missiles.
Large-scale Russian strikes have become a regular occurrence this summer. Just over two weeks ago, a Russian attack on Kyiv and its surrounding region killed 17 people, and nine were killed in the city two days before that.
The United Nations said last week that Kyiv was one of the hardest hit cities in July, with at least 54 civilians killed and 202 injured.
Earlier on Friday, a Russian drone attack on Ukraine's Kharkiv region killed two women, aged 73 and 66, and wounded two others, said regional head Oleh Syniehubov.
Ukraine shot down or suppressed 107 out of 135 drones launched by Russia overnight, according to a statement from Ukraine's air force on Telegram.
Comment - Putin’s empty threats to the UK are the last gasp of a dying Russia
03:00 , Dan Haygarth
Putin’s empty threats to the UK are the last gasp of a dying Russia
French, British, German leaders to co-chair meeting on Ukraine on Monday
02:00 , Dan Haygarth
French president Emmanuel Macron, Andy Burnham and German chancellor Friedrich Merz will co-chair a meeting of the so-called Coalition of the Willing group of pro-Ukrainian countries on Monday, the French president's office said on Friday.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy will be present in the meeting which will be attended in person and remotely, Macron's office said, without specifying who will be in person.
Russia test-fires missiles off disputed islands days after Putin’s visit angered Japan
01:00 , Dan Haygarth
Russia test-fired anti-ship missiles from an island which is also claimed by Japan, a week after Vladimir Putin angered Tokyo by becoming the first Russian president to visit the disputed archipelago.
The Pacific Fleet said on Thursday a unit equipped with the Bastion coastal missile system, which is stationed on Etorofu, simulated an attack on enemy warships and hit all its targets at a range of about 300km.
A guided missile cruiser and a nuclear-powered submarine took part, according to reports.
"We cannot tolerate moves to strengthen military power on the Four Northern Islands because they go against our country's stance on the territories," Japanese foreign minister, Toshimitsu Motegi, said during a visit to Oman.
Russia test-fires missiles off disputed islands days after Putin’s visit
Russia designates independent Mediazona news outlet as 'foreign agent'
Friday 21 August 2026 23:59 , Dan Haygarth
Russia's Justice Ministry on Friday declared the independent Mediazona news outlet a "foreign agent", a designation used to label foreign-funded organisations that it says are engaged in political activity.
Mediazona "disseminated false information about Russia's law enforcement system" and a number of its staff have already been labelled as foreign agents, the ministry said.
The term "foreign agent" carries negative Soviet-era connotations and subjects those designated to extra government scrutiny.
Mediazona said via its channel on the Telegram messaging app that this was the second time that Russian authorities had declared it to be a "foreign agent".
Separately, its editor Yegor Skovoroda — who like the outlet's other journalists now works outside Russia — described the ministry's statement as "incredibly crazy".
The news outlet was first designated as a "foreign agent" in 2021, and the Justice Ministry removed it from the register of authorised media organisations in Russia.
Russian state communications regulator Roskomnadzor blocked Mediazona's website within Russia in March 2022, shortly after Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Russian general Lyamin formally takes charge of new drone warfare branch
Friday 21 August 2026 23:00 , Dan Haygarth
Colonel-general Denis Lyamin has assumed the duties of head of Russia's Unmanned Systems Forces, the Russian Defence Ministry said on Friday.
President Vladimir Putin on 5 August appointed Lyamin to lead the newly established branch of the military responsible for drone warfare.
The Defence Ministry said on Friday that Defence Minister Andrei Belousov had signed the relevant order, formally installing Lyamin in the post.
Zelensky condemns 'cowardly' Russian attack on shopping centre
Friday 21 August 2026 22:31 , Dan Haygarth
Russian drones struck a shopping centre in the city of Kryvyi Rih in central Ukraine on Friday, killing 14 people and wounding scores of others, authorities said.
The city is the hometown of Volodymyr Zelensky, who described the attack as a double-tap strike, in which an initial wave of drones hit the area, followed by a second wave as rescue workers responded.
"Attacks like these are nothing less than terrorist acts," Zelensky wrote on social media.
Russian 'double-tap' strike on shopping centre in Ukraine kills 15 and wounds 130
Friday 21 August 2026 21:59 , Dan Haygarth
At least 15 people were killed and more than 130 wounded on Friday when several Russian drones struck a shopping centre in central Ukraine, authorities said, with president Volodymyr Zelensky promising a response to what he called an "act of barbarism."
Regional governor Oleksandr Hanzha said that 22 children were among the wounded in the daytime attack on the city of Kryvyi Rih, which is Zelenskiy's hometown.
"There are 29 people in serious condition, including five children," Hanzha said.
Zelensky slams Russian attack on shopping centre in his home town
Friday 21 August 2026 21:00 , Jessie Williams
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called out Russia for a "cynical and despicable" attack on a shopping centre in his home town, Kryvyi Rig, on Friday that killed at least five people and injured more than 50.
"An absolutely cynical and despicable strike was carried out by the Russians against an ordinary shopping center in Kryvyi Rig," he said on X, adding: "Five deaths have been reported".
Russian fuel crisis worsens as 7 in 10 stations run out of petrol
Friday 21 August 2026 20:00 , Jessie Williams
There were queues of cars at petrol stations across Russia this week as the fuel crisis worsens due to Ukraine’s drone attacks on energy infrastructure inside the country.
Petrol was available at fewer than three in 10 petrol stations across Russia on Wednesday.
The monitoring app Gdebenz put nationwide petrol availability at 28% of filling stations, down from 41% a week earlier.
The shortage is leading to fights at the pumps, rationing, and even the arrests of people complaining publicly.
Tate brothers referred to counter terror police over alleged Russia propaganda trip
Friday 21 August 2026 19:00 , Jessie Williams
The manosphere influencer Andrew Tate and his brother, Tristan, have been referred to counter-terror police in the UK over an alleged trip to Russia to train with Russian soldiers, LBC reports.
The MP Alicia Kearns has written to the Home Office and referred the matter to Counter Terrorism Policing.
She argues that there are grounds to examine whether the brothers were required to register under the Foreign Influence Registration Scheme (FIRS), part of the National Security Act, which requires individuals to register certain arrangements where they carry out activities in the UK under the direction of, or for, specified foreign powers.
In video footage from their trip the brothers are seen riding on and inside what has been identified as a Soviet-era T-80BV main battle tank, a gas-turbine powered vehicle still used by Russian forces in Ukraine and armed in military service with a 125mm smoothbore main gun.
They are also seen firing weapons on a range and throwing hand grenades from the cover of a trench.
It was posted in June during their visit to Russia and was presented as military training, with the brothers pictured surrounded by men in military-style uniform.
Both of them deny the allegations made by Kearns.
Russian envoy plays down mobilisation fears
Friday 21 August 2026 18:45 , Jessie Williams
The Russian Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Vasily Nebenzya, has said military mobilisation is neither planned nor expected in Russia following the September elections.
Nebenzya made the remarks at a UN press briefing on Thursday when asked about reports of thousands of military-aged Russian men fleeing across the border into Georgia to avoid a potential draft.
It’s been reported that around 20,000 have fled across the Upper Lars border checkpoint between Russia and Georgia within a single 24-hour period.
"Don't worry about mobilisation in Russia,” Nebenzya said.
“I believe official statements have repeatedly made this clear: we do not need a mass mobilisation right now, and it is neither planned nor expected, as far as I know."
Earlier this month, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Russia is preparing an autumn mobilisation expected to launch immediately following the parliamentary elections on 20 September.
Russia says its ready for "new ideas" for ending Ukraine war
Friday 21 August 2026 18:30 , Jessie Williams
Russia’s deputy foreign minister Sergey Ryabkov said that Russia is open to proposals that are in line with “realities on the ground,” in an interview published by News.ru on Friday.
He said that Russia was ready for “new ideas” for ending the Ukraine war, provided they were in line with President Vladimir Putin’s position.
“The Russian Federation is ready to listen to any reasonable proposals and ideas that are in line with the goals set by the Russian president and meet the ‘realities on the ground’,” the senior Russian diplomat said.
His remarks suggested he wanted the US to try to help with Russia’s agenda. Putin has previously said Ukraine must hand over the whole of the eastern Donbas region, demilitarise, and pledge it will not seek to join NATO.
“At this stage, it is more important to what extent Washington is able to influence the decisions of the Kyiv regime and its European sponsors, who still dream of a ‘strategic defeat’ of Russia,” Ryabkov said.
Finland summons Russian ambassador over spy plane
Friday 21 August 2026 18:15 , Jessie Williams
Finland's foreign ministry has summoned the Russian ambassador and requested an explanation regarding a violation of its airspace by a Russian spy plane.
The ministry wrote on X that it had "requested an explanation regarding a suspected violation of airspace.”
Reuters reported that the Finnish Border Guard said on Friday that it was a Russian reconnaissance aircraft model IL-20 that was suspected of violating Finnish airspace on Thursday afternoon for around three minutes in the Western Gulf, south of the island Uto.
The plane reached approximately 4.7 nautical miles (nine kilometres) into Finnish airspace, the border guard said, which has launched a preliminary investigation.
Finland shares a 1,340 kilometre (830 mile) border with Russia and has experienced a series of such incidents in recent years.
"Every suspected violation of air space is taken seriously," Defence Minister Antti Hakkanen said in a statement.
At least six killed in Russian strike on Kryvyi Rih
Friday 21 August 2026 18:00 , Jessie Williams
At least six people have been killed and 90 wounded in Russian strike on Ukraine's Kryvyi Rih, officials have said.
“Twenty-one people are in serious condition, including one child,” regional governor Oleksandr Hanzha said on the Telegram messaging app.
The industrial city in the centre of Ukraine came under attack on Friday afternoon, with Oleksandr Hanzha, a senior police general who heads the regional military administration in Dnipropetrovsk, sharing news of the attack on Telegram.
"There are casualties," he wrote. "A shopping centre has been severely damaged. A fire has broken out."
Photos show aftermath of one of the most intense Russian strikes on Kyiv
Friday 21 August 2026 17:45 , Jessie Williams
Photos show the destruction wrought by Russia’s missile and drone attack on Kyiv yesterday, which killed at least 16 people.
It was one of the most intense aerial attacks on Ukraine’s capital since the start of the war.
Vitali Klitschko, the city’s mayor, said homes, a school and a children’s medical centre were among the buildings damaged overnight in an attack that began at about midnight and was continuing into the early afternoon.
Hundreds of Ukrainian soldiers deserted during training in Germany, media reports
Friday 21 August 2026 17:30 , Jessie Williams
Hundreds of Ukrainian soldiers are estimated to have deserted while undergoing military training in Germany since 2022, the German magazine Die Zeit reported on 20 August.
80 Ukrainian soldiers have deserted while training in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt alone.
The soldiers left the training grounds unauthorised to avoid returning to Ukraine.
The magazine cites statistics that show at least 60,000 service members have deserted from the Ukrainian army since Russia’s full-scale invasion, while Ukraine’s Defence Ministry says more than 2 million men inside the country are currently evading conscription.
French, British, German leaders to co-chair meeting on Ukraine on Monday
Friday 21 August 2026 17:15 , Jessie Williams
A meeting between the ‘Coalition of the Willing’ is due to take place on Monday in Ukraine on the country’s independence day, according to the Kyiv Independent.
Over 30 countries are due to join the meeting in Kyiv, either in person or remotely.
The UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz will co-chair the meeting, the French president’s office said on Friday.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky will also attend in person.
NATO will be represented remotely via video link by Deputy Secretary General Radmila Shekerinska.
It will be the third time the group has met in Kyiv since it was established. They are expected to discuss further support for Ukraine.
Australia charges man with trying to pass Ukraine military intel to Russia
Friday 21 August 2026 17:00 , Jessie Williams
Australian police have charged a dual Russian-Australian citizen with foreign interference on Friday for allegedly trying to pass intelligence about Ukrainian military activities to Russia.
The 27-year-old man travelled to Russia for “military-style” training in October 2024, Australian Federal Police Commissioner Krissy Barrett told a news conference.
He returned to Australia but stayed in contact with individuals he believed were linked to Moscow’s intelligence services. In May 2025 he joined the Ukrainian armed forces, where he “gained access to information relating to their military personnel, units and locations”.
Barrett said he shared that information with “individuals he believed were acting on behalf of Russian intelligence services”, putting the safety of Ukrainian military staff at risk.
Ukraine sanctions Russia's hit 'Masha and the Bear' cartoon
Friday 21 August 2026 16:45 , Jessie Williams
Ukraine has sanctioned Russian popular animated children’s series "Masha and the Bear" and its creators, Kyiv’s culture minister said Friday, according to Agence France-Presse.
She slammed it as a Russian "propaganda" tool.
"Ukraine has imposed sanctions against the producers and distributors of the Russian animated series ’Masha and the Bear’," Ukrainian Culture Minister Tetyana Berezhna said on X.
"This creates legal grounds to block the content in Ukraine and engage international platforms to restrict its monetization and distribution," she said.
The cartoon about a mischievous little girl and a retired circus bear is a cult classic in Russia. The series has tens of billions of views on YouTube and is broadcast in 100 countries.
Earlier this summer, a group of British MPs sent an open letter to Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy urging streaming platforms to pull “Masha and the Bear.” They claimed certain episodes in the series contain Russian propaganda.
‘Putin has repeatedly threatened the UK and Nato over Ukraine – but he is too weak to follow through’
Friday 21 August 2026 16:30 , Arpan Rai
The Kremlin has often issued threats that Britain will “pay a higher price” for its role in Ukraine — as it did again this week following reports of British-made drones striking deep inside Russian territory — But Moscow’s sabre-rattling is rarely meant for Britain alone.
Here, Katia Glod, deputy head of foreign policy at the New Eurasia Strategies Centre (NEST) think tank, speaks to The Independent to break down the intended purpose of Vladimir Putin’s aggressive posturing.
‘Putin may threaten the UK and Nato over Ukraine – but is too weak to follow through’
Ukraine's ousted defence minister plans US trip to raise project funding
Friday 21 August 2026 16:15 , Arpan Rai
Ousted Ukrainian defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov will go to the United States to raise money for new defence technology projects as he seeks new ventures after losing his post, a source close to the former minister told Reuters.
The source denied earlier media reports that Fedorov was going to the US to seek political support for his election call, and said that the tech-savvy, reform-minded former minister would not be meeting US politicians or officials.
“Fedorov is planning to launch a range of projects related to the war and to Ukrainian startups,” the source said, without providing any dates.
One of the projects would be an investment fund, the source said.
Fedorov's dismissal from the defence ministry in July led to weeks of protests in Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities calling for his reinstatement although they have now died down.
A proponent of new military technologies and drone warfare since Russia's 2022 invasion, Fedorov has close ties to US companies such as SpaceX and Palantir.
US Army shuts down unit in Europe focused on drones
Friday 21 August 2026 15:45 , Arpan Rai
The US Army’s top general has directed a Europe-based unit specialising in drone warfare to revert to traditional infantry roles.
The 173rd Airborne Brigade has spent over a year experimenting with drones, influenced by tactics from the Ukraine-Russia conflict.
Last November, 600 soldiers formed a battalion that specialised in drone warfare and was set up to deploy anywhere drones were required.
General Christopher LaNeve, the Army’s acting chief of staff, has ordered the battalion to refocus on its core mission of being an airborne infantry unit, according to two US officials who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal Army deliberations.
The move is part of broader Army changes under LaNeve, who took over after defence secretary Pete Hegseth ousted his predecessor, General Randy George, in April.
Zelensky repeats his appeals for more air defence
Friday 21 August 2026 15:30 , Arpan Rai
President Volodymyr Zelensky has pleaded for countries to send more Patriot interceptors for defence, but international stockpiles are low amid the Iran war and Kyiv's more than four-year fight against Russia.
“We need missiles for Patriots, and only our partners can provide them. We ain’t talking about gifts. Ukraine is ready to buy the weapons we need. What matters is that decisions be made, first and foremost in the US. I am grateful to everyone who is helping Ukraine save lives,” he said.
Explosions boomed across Kyiv in the dark, but the air force said hits were recorded at 28 locations across the country.
Emergency services said 15 people were killed in the capital, with another death in the wider Kyiv region. About 40 people were wounded, Zelensky said, as air raid warnings lasted until after dawn.
Russia is able to produce more than 200 cruise and ballistic missiles per month, Ukraine’s intelligence agency told news outlet Ukrainska Pravda.
It has stockpiled more than 1,100 cruise missiles and about 130 Iskander-M ballistic missiles, as well as hundreds of missiles of other types, the agency was quoted as saying.
Russia has hit 52 civilian vessels in past 90 days, says Ukraine
Friday 21 August 2026 15:15 , Arpan Rai
Russia attacked 52 civilian vessels in July and the first half of August, Ukraine’s infrastructure ministry said this morning.
These included vessels transporting food and other cargo to or from Ukrainian ports, as well as vessels that already were in the ports, the ministry said on the Telegram messaging app.
Ukraine's neighbours are on alert as Russia expands aerial attacks
Friday 21 August 2026 14:55 , Arpan Rai
Russia's relentless onslaught has spooked other European countries, especially those bordering Ukraine, which fear spreading attacks from Moscow.
Amid a major attack on Kyiv yesterday morning, the Polish Armed Forces Operational Command activated its military aviation operations, ground-based air defence systems and radar reconnaissance. Polish and other Nato military aircraft were deployed to monitor its airspace, Polish news agency PAP reported.
Romania's defence ministry later said an unidentified drone crashed and burned in an uninhabited area near the Ukrainian border.
Two Spanish F-18 jets, deployed on a policing mission in Romania, were scrambled overnight to monitor a group of "air targets" near the border, the ministry said.
In addition, two Romanian F-16 fighter jets were deployed to destroy a naval drone seen near a major Black Sea gas project, Romania's acting defence minister Radu Miruta said.
Moldova's defence ministry also said its airspace was breached by at least one drone.
Russia "is increasingly testing the resolve of Nato and its partners, violating the sovereignty of neighboring states and deliberately expanding the risks posed by its war far beyond Ukraine," Ukrainian foreign minister Andrii Sybiha said on social media.
European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen saw a broad threat to the European Union. "An escalating campaign of threats is underway, unsettling our citizens and seeking to divide our Union," she said on X.
German authorities uncover gun stash and see link to Russian intelligence operations – report
Friday 21 August 2026 14:30 , Arpan Rai
German security authorities discovered handguns stashed in a forest near Berlin last year and believe the weapons were to be used to carry out assassinations on behalf of Russian intelligence, Sueddeutsche Zeitung reported on Friday.
A suspect has been arrested in Romania and may have been responsible for setting up the weapons storage, the newspaper reported citing unspecified sources.
The Federal Public Prosecutor's Office is investigating the case on suspicion of planning of a serious act of violence posing a threat to the state, the report said.
The paper said that Germany's domestic intelligence service, which has been warning of a heightened risk of Russian sabotage or assassination attempts, is convinced that those setting up the cache were acting on orders from Russian services.
Potential targets include defence industry executives, exiled opposition figures and supporters of Ukraine, the report said. The Federal Public Prosecutor and Germany's domestic intelligence service have not issued a comment.
Russia ready for new ideas on Ukraine peace but with conditions, senior diplomat says
Friday 21 August 2026 14:15 , Arpan Rai
Russia is open to listening to new proposals on how to reach a settlement on the Ukraine conflict, a senior Russian diplomat said, but any proposals should reflect the "realities on the ground".
Deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov said in an interview with media outlet News.ru published this morning that the US demonstrated a readiness for “constructive dialogue” and an "understanding of Russia's position”.
“At this stage, it is more important to what extent Washington is able to influence the decisions of the Kyiv regime and its European sponsors, who still dream of a 'strategic defeat' of Russia,” he told the outlet.
Ryabkov said Russia was ready to listen to Rubio's new ideas and continue dialogue with Washington.
“The Russian Federation is ready to listen to any reasonable proposals and ideas that are in line with the goals set by the Russian president and meet the 'realities on the ground',” he said.
Ukraine says it struck more Russian oil facilities
Friday 21 August 2026 13:55 , Arpan Rai
Ukraine’s General Staff said its forces struck two key Russian oil facilities yesterday, with both attacks starting fires.
The facilities that were hit were an oil refinery in Nizhnekamsk, in Russia’s Tatarstan region, and the Tamanneftegaz oil terminal in Volna, Krasnodar.
Ukraine has previously hit both facilities in recent months as part of its campaign to disrupt Russia’s vital oil industry.
Tatarstan leader Rustam Minnikhanov confirmed there had been a “massive attack” in the region, state news agency Tass reported, citing his press service.
Many of the drones targeted Nizhnekamsk’s Zakamsk economic area, disrupting production at industrial sites and damaging residential buildings, Tass quoted him as saying.
The Russian defence ministry said air defences shot down 726 drones on Thursday overnight over a number of Russian regions, annexed Crimea and the Black and Azov seas, in one of Ukraine's biggest aerial attacks of the war.
Ukraine says Russian attacks damaged over 300 gas filling stations in Ukraine
Friday 21 August 2026 13:30 , Arpan Rai
Russian attacks have damaged or destroyed more than 300 gas filling stations in Ukraine in the past six months, energy minister Denys Shmyhal said today.
“These are, of course, significant losses for our economy,” Shmyhal said in Ukraine's parliament.
Large-scale Russian missile strikes have become a regular occurrence this summer.
Just over two weeks ago, a Russian attack on Kyiv and its surrounding region killed 17 people, and nine were killed in the city two days before that.
The United Nations said last week that Kyiv was one of the hardest hit cities in July, with at least 54 civilians killed and 202 injured.
Ukraine seeks approval to use Starlink-equipped drones against missile launchers
Friday 21 August 2026 13:15 , Arpan Rai
Ukrainian officials are seeking approval to use Starlink-equipped drones against ballistic missile launchers, people aware of the discussion told the FT.
The war-hit nation will need approval from Starlink chief Elon Musk, who has offered to help Ukraine but also made critical comments on the country.
Earlier this month, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky urged Donald Trump and other American officials to facilitate Ukraine's access to Elon Musk's Starlink satellite communications system for guiding strikes within Russian territory.
This push for expanded Starlink capabilities emerges as Kyiv seeks alternative strategies to reduce its reliance on US Patriot air defence systems, crucial for countering Russia's relentless missile and drone assaults.
Russia arrests nine for planned attacks and espionage on behalf of Ukraine – report
Friday 21 August 2026 12:50 , Arpan Rai
Russian authorities arrested eight people for planning an attack on an enterprise in the Moscow region and separately detained one foreign national for scouting out government buildings and strategic infrastructure, state news agencies reported this morning.
The first arrests concerned eight people who were found to have been using 35 drones equipped with explosives smuggled from the European Union to attack a strategic defence enterprise in the Moscow region, the TASS state news agency said, citing Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB).
Separately, the RIA state news agency said a foreign national from an unspecified country was detained in the northwest Murmansk region, where he was planning to cross the border into Norway.
The FSB said the individual was suspected of having scouted trains carrying petroleum products at a Moscow railway station, as well as administrative buildings in the Russian capital, according to the RIA state news agency.
State agencies said all the people were working for Ukrainian special services. Russia regularly announces detentions of suspected Ukrainian agents. Ukraine has not yet commented on the recent detentions.
Ukrainian arrested over Nord Stream blast ‘detained on Hollywood movie set’
Friday 21 August 2026 12:25 , Arpan Rai
One of the main suspects in the 2022 Nord Stream explosions was arrested while reportedly acting as a consultant on a Hollywood film which dramatises the gas pipeline attack, according to German media.
Volodymyr Zhuravlev was arrested by police in Pula, Croatia, under a European arrest warrant put out by Germany, which is seeking his extradition.
German prosecutors accuse him of being a member of a team of Ukrainian divers that allegedly planted explosives on the Baltic Sea energy link between Russia and Germany which destroyed three of the four pipelines in 2022. They describe Zhuravlev as a professional and experienced scuba diver.
Ukrainian arrested over Nord Stream blast ‘detained on Hollywood movie set’
Ukraine's ousted defence minister plans US trip to raise project funding
Friday 21 August 2026 12:04 , Arpan Rai
Ousted Ukrainian defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov will go to the United States to raise money for new defence technology projects as he seeks new ventures after losing his post, a source close to the former minister told Reuters.
The source denied earlier media reports that Fedorov was going to the US to seek political support for his election call, and said that the tech-savvy, reform-minded former minister would not be meeting US politicians or officials.
“Fedorov is planning to launch a range of projects related to the war and to Ukrainian startups,” the source said, without providing any dates.
One of the projects would be an investment fund, the source said.
Fedorov's dismissal from the defence ministry in July led to weeks of protests in Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities calling for his reinstatement although they have now died down.
A proponent of new military technologies and drone warfare since Russia's 2022 invasion, Fedorov has close ties to US companies such as SpaceX and Palantir.
Ukraine's neighbours are on alert as Russia expands aerial attacks
Friday 21 August 2026 12:00 , Arpan Rai
Russia's relentless onslaught has spooked other European countries, especially those bordering Ukraine, which fear spreading attacks from Moscow.
Amid a major attack on Kyiv yesterday morning, the Polish Armed Forces Operational Command activated its military aviation operations, ground-based air defence systems and radar reconnaissance. Polish and other Nato military aircraft were deployed to monitor its airspace, Polish news agency PAP reported.
Romania's defence ministry later said an unidentified drone crashed and burned in an uninhabited area near the Ukrainian border.
Two Spanish F-18 jets, deployed on a policing mission in Romania, were scrambled overnight to monitor a group of "air targets" near the border, the ministry said.
In addition, two Romanian F-16 fighter jets were deployed to destroy a naval drone seen near a major Black Sea gas project, Romania's acting defence minister Radu Miruta said.
Moldova's defence ministry also said its airspace was breached by at least one drone.
Russia "is increasingly testing the resolve of Nato and its partners, violating the sovereignty of neighboring states and deliberately expanding the risks posed by its war far beyond Ukraine," Ukrainian foreign minister Andrii Sybiha said on social media.
European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen saw a broad threat to the European Union. "An escalating campaign of threats is underway, unsettling our citizens and seeking to divide our Union," she said on X.
German authorities uncover gun stash and see link to Russian intelligence operations – report
Friday 21 August 2026 11:40 , Arpan Rai
German security authorities discovered handguns stashed in a forest near Berlin last year and believe the weapons were to be used to carry out assassinations on behalf of Russian intelligence, Sueddeutsche Zeitung reported on Friday.
A suspect has been arrested in Romania and may have been responsible for setting up the weapons storage, the newspaper reported citing unspecified sources.
The Federal Public Prosecutor's Office is investigating the case on suspicion of planning of a serious act of violence posing a threat to the state, the report said.
The paper said that Germany's domestic intelligence service, which has been warning of a heightened risk of Russian sabotage or assassination attempts, is convinced that those setting up the cache were acting on orders from Russian services.
Potential targets include defence industry executives, exiled opposition figures and supporters of Ukraine, the report said. The Federal Public Prosecutor and Germany's domestic intelligence service have not issued a comment.
Russia ready for new ideas on Ukraine peace but with conditions, senior diplomat says
Friday 21 August 2026 11:30 , Arpan Rai
Russia is open to listening to new proposals on how to reach a settlement on the Ukraine conflict, a senior Russian diplomat said, but any proposals should reflect the "realities on the ground".
Deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov said in an interview with media outlet News.ru published this morning that the US demonstrated a readiness for “constructive dialogue” and an "understanding of Russia's position”.
“At this stage, it is more important to what extent Washington is able to influence the decisions of the Kyiv regime and its European sponsors, who still dream of a 'strategic defeat' of Russia,” he told the outlet.
Ryabkov said Russia was ready to listen to Rubio's new ideas and continue dialogue with Washington.
“The Russian Federation is ready to listen to any reasonable proposals and ideas that are in line with the goals set by the Russian president and meet the 'realities on the ground',” he said.
Russia has hit 52 civilian vessels in past 90 days, says Ukraine
Friday 21 August 2026 11:29 , Arpan Rai
Russia attacked 52 civilian vessels in July and the first half of August, Ukraine’s infrastructure ministry said this morning.
These included vessels transporting food and other cargo to or from Ukrainian ports, as well as vessels that already were in the ports, the ministry said on the Telegram messaging app.
Watch: Romanian F-16 destroys suspected Russian drone near Black Sea gas project
Friday 21 August 2026 11:00 , Arpan Rai
Putin arrests Russians for complaining about fuel shortages as fighting breaks out at petrol stations
Friday 21 August 2026 10:30 , Arpan Rai
Russian police have arrested citizens complaining of fuel shortages at the pump, as Ukraine’s drone campaign sparked fighting at petrol stations and rationing.
Moscow and its surrounding regions have been forced to reimpose purchase limits on fuel, capping sales at between 50 and 60 litres per vehicle.
As Ukraine intensifies its “deep strike” campaign, hitting another major oil refinery on Wednesday, the strain on Russia’s domestic energy grid continues to grow. Across at least 12 regions, miles of gridlocked traffic now stall forecourts, with motorists waiting up to 30 hours only to find the pumps empty.
The prolonged waits have pushed the Russian public to breaking point, with footage showing fights erupting between drivers over fuel.
Putin arrests Russians complaining about fuel shortages amid petrol station fights
Ukraine seeks approval to use Starlink-equipped drones against missile launchers
Friday 21 August 2026 10:00 , Arpan Rai
Ukrainian officials are seeking approval to use Starlink-equipped drones against ballistic missile launchers, people aware of the discussion told the FT.
The war-hit nation will need approval from Starlink chief Elon Musk, who has offered to help Ukraine but also made critical comments on the country.
Earlier this month, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky urged Donald Trump and other American officials to facilitate Ukraine's access to Elon Musk's Starlink satellite communications system for guiding strikes within Russian territory.
This push for expanded Starlink capabilities emerges as Kyiv seeks alternative strategies to reduce its reliance on US Patriot air defence systems, crucial for countering Russia's relentless missile and drone assaults.
Ukraine says it struck more Russian oil facilities
Friday 21 August 2026 09:30 , Arpan Rai
Ukraine’s General Staff said its forces struck two key Russian oil facilities yesterday, with both attacks starting fires.
The facilities that were hit were an oil refinery in Nizhnekamsk, in Russia’s Tatarstan region, and the Tamanneftegaz oil terminal in Volna, Krasnodar.
Ukraine has previously hit both facilities in recent months as part of its campaign to disrupt Russia’s vital oil industry.
Tatarstan leader Rustam Minnikhanov confirmed there had been a “massive attack” in the region, state news agency Tass reported, citing his press service.
Many of the drones targeted Nizhnekamsk’s Zakamsk economic area, disrupting production at industrial sites and damaging residential buildings, Tass quoted him as saying.
The Russian defence ministry said air defences shot down 726 drones on Thursday overnight over a number of Russian regions, annexed Crimea and the Black and Azov seas, in one of Ukraine's biggest aerial attacks of the war.
Zelensky repeats his appeals for more air defence
Friday 21 August 2026 09:00 , Arpan Rai
President Volodymyr Zelensky has pleaded for countries to send more Patriot interceptors for defence, but international stockpiles are low amid the Iran war and Kyiv's more than four-year fight against Russia.
“We need missiles for Patriots, and only our partners can provide them. We ain’t talking about gifts. Ukraine is ready to buy the weapons we need. What matters is that decisions be made, first and foremost in the US. I am grateful to everyone who is helping Ukraine save lives,” he said.
Explosions boomed across Kyiv in the dark, but the air force said hits were recorded at 28 locations across the country.
Emergency services said 15 people were killed in the capital, with another death in the wider Kyiv region. About 40 people were wounded, Zelensky said, as air raid warnings lasted until after dawn.
Russia is able to produce more than 200 cruise and ballistic missiles per month, Ukraine’s intelligence agency told news outlet Ukrainska Pravda.
It has stockpiled more than 1,100 cruise missiles and about 130 Iskander-M ballistic missiles, as well as hundreds of missiles of other types, the agency was quoted as saying.
US Army shuts down unit in Europe focused on drones
Friday 21 August 2026 08:30 , Arpan Rai
The US Army’s top general has directed a Europe-based unit specialising in drone warfare to revert to traditional infantry roles.
The 173rd Airborne Brigade has spent over a year experimenting with drones, influenced by tactics from the Ukraine-Russia conflict.
Last November, 600 soldiers formed a battalion that specialised in drone warfare and was set up to deploy anywhere drones were required.
General Christopher LaNeve, the Army’s acting chief of staff, has ordered the battalion to refocus on its core mission of being an airborne infantry unit, according to two US officials who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal Army deliberations.
The move is part of broader Army changes under LaNeve, who took over after defence secretary Pete Hegseth ousted his predecessor, General Randy George, in April.
Ousted Ukrainian defence minister's gamble against Zelensky backfires as protests end
Friday 21 August 2026 08:00 , Arpan Rai
A bid by ousted Ukrainian defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov to broaden a political fight with president Volodymyr Zelensky by calling for wartime elections appears to have backfired, failing to win over protesters who had demanded his return.
Despite the protests, parliament on Wednesday approved a new defence minister chosen by Zelensky and later that day only a few dozen people remained in a central Kyiv square where thousands once joined rare wartime protests.
“When we came out to protest, we did not come with the idea that elections should be held,” 22-year-old Iryna Vasyliaka told Reuters on Wednesday. "That is not what we were here for."
Olena Prokopenko, a senior fellow at the German Marshall Fund, said Fedorov had been poised to cast himself as "a statesman, a politician of a new generation" after the war, but miscalculated.
“With this statement, he pretty much played on Ukrainians' most sensitive pain points," Prokopenko said.
Ukraine's neighbours are on alert as Russia expands aerial attacks
Friday 21 August 2026 07:38 , Arpan Rai
Russia's relentless onslaught has spooked other European countries, especially those bordering Ukraine, which fear spreading attacks from Moscow.
Amid a major attack on Kyiv yesterday morning, the Polish Armed Forces Operational Command activated its military aviation operations, ground-based air defence systems and radar reconnaissance. Polish and other Nato military aircraft were deployed to monitor its airspace, Polish news agency PAP reported.
Romania's defence ministry later said an unidentified drone crashed and burned in an uninhabited area near the Ukrainian border.
Two Spanish F-18 jets, deployed on a policing mission in Romania, were scrambled overnight to monitor a group of "air targets" near the border, the ministry said.
In addition, two Romanian F-16 fighter jets were deployed to destroy a naval drone seen near a major Black Sea gas project, Romania's acting defence minister Radu Miruta said.
Moldova's defence ministry also said its airspace was breached by at least one drone.
Russia "is increasingly testing the resolve of Nato and its partners, violating the sovereignty of neighboring states and deliberately expanding the risks posed by its war far beyond Ukraine," Ukrainian foreign minister Andrii Sybiha said on social media.
European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen saw a broad threat to the European Union. "An escalating campaign of threats is underway, unsettling our citizens and seeking to divide our Union," she said on X.
Russia ready for new ideas on Ukraine peace but with conditions, senior diplomat says
Friday 21 August 2026 07:25 , Arpan Rai
Russia is open to listening to new proposals on how to reach a settlement on the Ukraine conflict, a senior Russian diplomat said, but any proposals should reflect the "realities on the ground".
Deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov said in an interview with media outlet News.ru published this morning that the US demonstrated a readiness for “constructive dialogue” and an "understanding of Russia's position”.
“At this stage, it is more important to what extent Washington is able to influence the decisions of the Kyiv regime and its European sponsors, who still dream of a 'strategic defeat' of Russia,” he told the outlet.
Ryabkov said Russia was ready to listen to Rubio's new ideas and continue dialogue with Washington.
“The Russian Federation is ready to listen to any reasonable proposals and ideas that are in line with the goals set by the Russian president and meet the 'realities on the ground',” he said.
Watch: Romanian F-16 destroys suspected Russian drone near Black Sea gas project
Friday 21 August 2026 06:59 , Arpan Rai
Putin arrests Russians for complaining about fuel shortages as fighting breaks out at petrol stations
Friday 21 August 2026 06:49 , Arpan Rai
Russian police have arrested citizens complaining of fuel shortages at the pump, as Ukraine’s drone campaign sparked fighting at petrol stations and rationing.
Moscow and its surrounding regions have been forced to reimpose purchase limits on fuel, capping sales at between 50 and 60 litres per vehicle.
As Ukraine intensifies its “deep strike” campaign, hitting another major oil refinery on Wednesday, the strain on Russia’s domestic energy grid continues to grow. Across at least 12 regions, miles of gridlocked traffic now stall forecourts, with motorists waiting up to 30 hours only to find the pumps empty.
Putin arrests Russians complaining about fuel shortages amid petrol station fights
Ukraine seeks approval to use Starlink-equipped drones against missile launchers
Friday 21 August 2026 06:34 , Arpan Rai
Ukrainian officials are seeking approval to use Starlink-equipped drones against ballistic missile launchers, people aware of the discussion told the FT.
The war-hit nation will need approval from Starlink chief Elon Musk, who has offered to help Ukraine but also made critical comments on the country.
Earlier this month, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky urged Donald Trump and other American officials to facilitate Ukraine's access to Elon Musk's Starlink satellite communications system for guiding strikes within Russian territory.
This push for expanded Starlink capabilities emerges as Kyiv seeks alternative strategies to reduce its reliance on US Patriot air defence systems, crucial for countering Russia's relentless missile and drone assaults.
Ukraine says it struck more Russian oil facilities
Friday 21 August 2026 05:51 , Arpan Rai
Ukraine’s General Staff said its forces struck two key Russian oil facilities yesterday, with both attacks starting fires.
The facilities that were hit were an oil refinery in Nizhnekamsk, in Russia’s Tatarstan region, and the Tamanneftegaz oil terminal in Volna, Krasnodar.
Ukraine has previously hit both facilities in recent months as part of its campaign to disrupt Russia’s vital oil industry.
Tatarstan leader Rustam Minnikhanov confirmed there had been a “massive attack” in the region, state news agency Tass reported, citing his press service.
Many of the drones targeted Nizhnekamsk’s Zakamsk economic area, disrupting production at industrial sites and damaging residential buildings, Tass quoted him as saying.
The Russian defence ministry said air defences shot down 726 drones on Thursday overnight over a number of Russian regions, annexed Crimea and the Black and Azov seas, in one of Ukraine's biggest aerial attacks of the war.
Watch: Zelensky urges US and allies to supply Patriot missiles after deadly Russian strike
Friday 21 August 2026 05:27 , Arpan Rai
Zelensky repeats his appeals for more air defence
Friday 21 August 2026 04:57 , Arpan Rai
President Volodymyr Zelensky has pleaded for countries to send more Patriot interceptors for defence, but international stockpiles are low amid the Iran war and Kyiv's more than four-year fight against Russia.
“We need missiles for Patriots, and only our partners can provide them. We ain’t talking about gifts. Ukraine is ready to buy the weapons we need. What matters is that decisions be made, first and foremost in the US. I am grateful to everyone who is helping Ukraine save lives,” he said.
Explosions boomed across Kyiv in the dark, but the air force said hits were recorded at 28 locations across the country.
Emergency services said 15 people were killed in the capital, with another death in the wider Kyiv region. About 40 people were wounded, Zelensky said, as air raid warnings lasted until after dawn.
Russia is able to produce more than 200 cruise and ballistic missiles per month, Ukraine’s intelligence agency told news outlet Ukrainska Pravda.
It has stockpiled more than 1,100 cruise missiles and about 130 Iskander-M ballistic missiles, as well as hundreds of missiles of other types, the agency was quoted as saying.
US Army shuts down unit in Europe focused on drones
Friday 21 August 2026 04:36 , Arpan Rai
The US Army’s top general has directed a Europe-based unit specialising in drone warfare to revert to traditional infantry roles.
The 173rd Airborne Brigade has spent over a year experimenting with drones, influenced by tactics from the Ukraine-Russia conflict.
Last November, 600 soldiers formed a battalion that specialised in drone warfare and was set up to deploy anywhere drones were required.
General Christopher LaNeve, the Army’s acting chief of staff, has ordered the battalion to refocus on its core mission of being an airborne infantry unit, according to two US officials who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal Army deliberations.
The move is part of broader Army changes under LaNeve, who took over after defence secretary Pete Hegseth ousted his predecessor, General Randy George, in April.
Ousted Ukrainian defence minister's gamble against Zelensky backfires as protests end
Friday 21 August 2026 04:09 , Arpan Rai
A bid by ousted Ukrainian defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov to broaden a political fight with president Volodymyr Zelensky by calling for wartime elections appears to have backfired, failing to win over protesters who had demanded his return.
Despite the protests, parliament on Wednesday approved a new defence minister chosen by Zelensky and later that day only a few dozen people remained in a central Kyiv square where thousands once joined rare wartime protests.
“When we came out to protest, we did not come with the idea that elections should be held,” 22-year-old Iryna Vasyliaka told Reuters on Wednesday. "That is not what we were here for."
Olena Prokopenko, a senior fellow at the German Marshall Fund, said Fedorov had been poised to cast himself as "a statesman, a politician of a new generation" after the war, but miscalculated.
“With this statement, he pretty much played on Ukrainians' most sensitive pain points," Prokopenko said.
Vladimir Putin has pushed his people to breaking point
Friday 21 August 2026 22:10 , Dan Haygarth
Editorial: The Russian president appears determined to carry on with his bloody gamble in Ukraine, but ordinary citizens – facing deadly retaliation from Kyiv, and fighting each other for scarce fuel on petrol forecourts – are showing signs of having had enough. Read below:
Vladimir Putin has pushed his people to breaking point
Russia is losing the war it started, von der Leyen says
Friday 21 August 2026 03:00 , Dan Haygarth
Russia is losing the war it started.
— Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) August 20, 2026
And it is retaliating by targeting civilians and civilian infrastructure.
We are working with Member States and our partners to support Ukraine’s anti-ballistic capabilities.
So that Ukraine has the means to prevent the loss of lives.
The… https://t.co/w6xphtnwMm
Comment - Putin’s empty threats to the UK are the last gasp of a dying Russia
Friday 21 August 2026 02:00 , Dan Haygarth
Time and again, we see that Moscow’s red lines are drawn in disappearing ink – if anything, we should take a warning of ‘serious consequences’ only as a sign to push things further and faster, says Bill Browder. Read below:
Putin’s empty threats to the UK are the last gasp of a dying Russia
‘Putin has repeatedly threatened the UK and Nato over Ukraine – but he is too weak to follow through’
Friday 21 August 2026 01:00 , Dan Haygarth
Putin’s posturing is a poor attempt to scare off broader Western support for Kyiv, say experts. Suha Kidwai reports. Read below.
‘Putin may threaten the UK and Nato over Ukraine – but is too weak to follow through’
Zelensky calls for missiles for Patriot interceptors
Thursday 20 August 2026 23:59 , Daniel Haygarth
We need missiles for Patriots, and only our partners can provide them. We ain’t talking about gifts. Ukraine is ready to buy the weapons we need. What matters is that decisions be made, first and foremost in the U.S. I am grateful to everyone who is helping Ukraine save lives. pic.twitter.com/OImT18CGwM
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) August 20, 2026
Ukraine's neighbors are on alert
Thursday 20 August 2026 23:00 , Dan Haygarth
Russia's relentless onslaught has spooked other European countries, especially those bordering Ukraine, which fear spreading attacks from Moscow.
Amid the attack on Kyiv, the Polish Armed Forces Operational Command activated its military aviation operations, ground-based air defence systems and radar reconnaissance. Polish and other NATO military aircraft were deployed to monitor its airspace, Polish news agency PAP reported.
Romania's Defence Ministry said an unidentified drone crashed and burned in an uninhabited area near the Ukrainian border.
Two Spanish F-18 jets, deployed on a policing mission in Romania, were scrambled overnight to monitor a group of "air targets" near the border, the ministry said.
In addition, two Romanian F-16 fighter jets were deployed to destroy a naval drone seen near a major Black Sea gas project, Romania's acting defence minister Radu Miruta said.
Moldova's Defence Ministry also said its airspace was breached by at least one drone.
Russia "is increasingly testing the resolve of NATO and its partners, violating the sovereignty of neighboring states and deliberately expanding the risks posed by its war far beyond Ukraine," Ukrainian foreign minister Andrii Sybiha said on social media.
European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen saw a broad threat to the European Union. "An escalating campaign of threats is underway, unsettling our citizens and seeking to divide our Union," she said on X.
Ukraine says it struck more Russian oil facilities
Thursday 20 August 2026 22:12 , Dan Haygarth
Ukraine's general staff said on Thursday its forces struck an oil refinery in Nizhnekamsk, in Russia's Tatarstan region, starting a fire, and the Tamanneftegaz oil terminal in Volna, in Russia's Krasnodar region, where there was also a blaze.
Ukraine has hit both facilities in recent months as part of its campaign to disrupt Russia's vital oil industry.
Tatarstan leader Rustam Minnikhanov confirmed there had been a "massive attack" in the region, state news agency Tass reported, citing his press service.
Many of the drones targeted Nizhnekamsk's Zakamsk economic area, disrupting production at industrial sites and damaging residential buildings, Tass quoted him as saying.
The Russian Defence Ministry said air defences shot down 726 drones overnight over a number of Russian regions, annexed Crimea and the Black and Azov seas, in one of Ukraine's biggest aerial attacks of the war.
Editorial: Vladimir Putin has pushed his people to breaking point
Thursday 20 August 2026 20:45 , Dan Haygarth
Read in full below
Vladimir Putin has pushed his people to breaking point
Norway boosts defence footprint with expansion of Arctic brigade
Thursday 20 August 2026 20:15 , Dan Haygarth
Norway on Thursday expanded a recently created military brigade headquartered in the Arctic, the latest move by a NATO nation to boost its defence footprint in the wake of the Ukraine war.
The NATO member established the Finnmark Brigade last year, forming the country's second brigade and the first one set up since the end of the Cold War.
Both brigades have their headquarters in the Arctic. Norway, like the other Nordic countries, has steeply increased its military budget in response to the Ukraine war and Donald Trump's push to get European allies to contribute more to defence.
The Nordic country is now in the top ranks of NATO defence spending when measured as a proportion of a country's GDP, spending an estimated 3.17 per cent this year on defence, up from 1.5 per cent in 2014, according to NATO figures.
One of the Finnmark Brigade's main duties until now was to surveil and patrol the 198-km (123-mile) border Norway shares with Russia.
It is being expanded to include an artillery battalion, air defence battery and communications company that will enable it to carry out certain actions, such as firing at targets on land some 40 km away or coordinating firing with planes and ships from both Norwegian and NATO forces.
"This is a completely different level of firepower than what has been used before," the head of the brigade, Brigadier John Olav Fuglem, told Reuters in a phone interview from Porsangmoen, where the brigade is headquartered.
Porsangmoen lies some 180 km from Norway's border with Russia in a straight line.
The Russian region on the other side is a major military hosting area, including for Russia's Northern Fleet.
"We will answer every threat and attack on Norway and NATO. We will defend every centimetre," defence minister Tore Sandvik said in the same phone interview with Reuters.
The Russian embassy in Oslo did not reply to a request for comment, Reuters said.
Moscow has previously dismissed allegations that it poses a threat to NATO.
Comment: Putin’s empty threats to the UK are the last gasp of a dying Russia
Thursday 20 August 2026 19:45 , Dan Haygarth
Time and again, we see that Moscow’s red lines are drawn in disappearing ink – if anything, we should take a warning of ‘serious consequences’ only as a sign to push things further and faster, says Bill Browder. Read below.
Putin’s empty threats to the UK are the last gasp of a dying Russia
Russian strikes kill 16 in Ukraine, Zelenskiy says lack of interceptors costs lives
Thursday 20 August 2026 18:45 , Dan Haygarth
A major Russian airstrike killed 16 people and injured more than 40 in Kyiv and the surrounding region on Thursday as president Volodymyr Zelensky said a failure by Ukraine's allies to replenish its stock of air defence missiles was costing lives.
Ukraine's air force said Russia launched dozens of cruise missiles, as well as ballistic and hypersonic ones, and 168 drones, in the massive overnight attack.
The air force said that nearly 90 per cent of the drones and most of the cruise missiles were downed. It did not specify how many ballistic missiles were launched and whether any were intercepted.
Zelensky called Thursday's strike one of the most "cynical, calculated, and large-scale" of the four-and-a-half-year-long war.
The upper floors of a nine-storey residential block were destroyed in Kyiv's Solomianskyi district, mayor Vitali Klitschko said.
He called for Friday to be observed as a day of mourning. Overall, 30 residential buildings, a school, a children's hospital, and a kindergarten were damaged in the capital and the surrounding areas, Zelenskiy said.
Private energy company DTEK said it had restored power to some 90,000 households that lost the supply after the attack.
The Russian defence ministry said Moscow attacked Kyiv and the surrounding region with airstrikes and drones, hitting facilities producing drone components, a military depot and a logistics hub, as well as other targets.
As Russia has escalated its ballistic strikes in recent months, Zelenskiy has pleaded with allies to replenish Ukraine's stock of Patriot interceptors - the only weapon in its arsenal capable of downing a ballistic missile.
