Vladimir Putin said he was ready for peace talks with Ukraine days after Ukraine’s renewed assault on Russian oil infrastructure sparked fuel shortages.
Calling the Ukrainian strikes a ploy to "destabilise society", the president said: “Russia, however, as has been stated repeatedly, is ready for peace negotiations with Ukraine. It is ready to proceed on the basis of the agreements reached back in Istanbul, agreements which, I would remind you, were initiated at the time by the Ukrainian delegation.”
The remarks came after Ukraine’s UN envoy, Andrii Melnyk, warned that Kyiv could reconsider its current ceasefire proposal if there was no meaningful international push to end the war, saying “our patience is not endless”.
Meanwhile, a Trump cabinet member reportedly described Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky as “the special-needs child for the Europeans”, according to a new book released on Tuesday.
Regime Change: Inside the Imperial Presidency of Donald Trump recounts a meeting to discuss a proposed minerals deal with Ukraine where US Treasury secretary Scott Bessent is quoted as saying: “I’ve dealt with this little f*****. He’s tricky. He’s like the special-needs child for the Europeans. And he’s acting like Mr Bean on crack.”
Key Points
- Putin says 'ready for peace talks' after Kyiv’s attacks on refinery
- Sevastopol without power after Ukrainian strikes
- Russia accuses US of not following through on Trump-Putin 'understandings'
- Ukraine warns ceasefire offer may be withdrawn after deadly Russian attacks
‘You’re an idiot’: Trump enjoyed ‘sport’ of watching Bessent tear into Lutnick right in front of him, book reveals
05:12 , Arpan Rai
President Trump “enjoyed the sport” of watching Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick clash in front of him, a new book claims.
Regime Change: Inside the Imperial Presidency of Donald Trump recounts a meeting to discuss a proposed minerals deal with Ukraine, ultimately announced in May last year.
“I’m not a big fan of Ukraine,” Trump said, according to authors and New York Times reporters Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan. “Except their women. They keep winning Miss Universe.”
Lutnick reportedly went on to tell the president Bessent had “screwed up” the deal with the war-torn European ally.
In response, Bessent is said to have looked at Lutnick’s own proposal and told him: “This is a s****y deal. You’re an idiot”.
Trump enjoyed ‘sport’ of watching Bessent rebuke Lutnick, book reveals
Putin says 'ready for peace talks' after Kyiv’s attacks on refinery
04:44 , Arpan Rai
Russian president Vladimir Putin has said he is ready for peace talks with Ukraine, just days after strikes on its infrastructure led to fuel shortages.
Putin said the strikes from Ukraine are a ploy to "destabilise society" as Ukraine’s attacks on oil refineries have doubled since the start of this year, with one of the biggest attacks on Moscow’s oil refinery last week since the war began.
“Russia, however, as has been stated repeatedly, is ready for peace negotiations with Ukraine. It is ready to proceed on the basis of the agreements reached back in Istanbul, agreements which, I would remind you, were initiated at the time by the Ukrainian delegation,” Putin said yesterday.
“That means they were satisfied with them. And I see no grounds for us to depart from those agreements,” the Russian president said.
“Strikes against civilian infrastructure - what are they aimed at? To destabilise society, amid such a massive onslaught, when the entire West is working for them and these drones are coming in huge numbers, to create a sense of uncertainty about the actions of the Russian armed forces,” Putin said.
Ukraine submits updated bid for OECD membership, Zelensky says
04:42 , Arpan Rai
Ukraine has submitted a revised application to join the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), a club of mostly advanced economies, president Volodymyr Zelensky said as Kyiv pursues closer integration with Western institutions.
Ukraine has been working with the OECD on reforms and governance standards for several years and is now seeking candidate-country status as a step towards full membership.
Zelensky, after meeting with Mathias Cormann, OECD's Secretary-General, on his visit to Kyiv, said in a Telegram post that prime minister Yulia Svyrydenko has submitted the updated bid.
“We hope to obtain candidate country status as early as this autumn. The next stage will be a roadmap toward OECD membership. We discussed this during our meeting," Zelensky wrote.
Sevastopol without power after Ukrainian strikes
04:18 , Arpan Rai
Power was cut off in Sevastopol in Russia-annexed Crimea after Ukraine attacked energy facilities there, Mikhail Razvozhayev, the city's governor, said on Telegram this morning.
The defence systems downed nine drones over the city, Crimea's biggest, he said earlier on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, Russian shelling of the eastern Ukrainian city of Balakliia killed one person on Wednesday, local authorities said on Telegram.
Recap: Nato must be ready for wars fought by AI-controlled drones, warns top general
03:00 , Rebecca Whittaker
Nato is preparing for future wars fought by thousands of drones controlled by AI, according to a top Nato general.
Major-General Constantin-Adrian Ciolponea, who represents the Supreme Allied Commander Transformation (SACT) in Europe, told The Times that the military alliance must adapt to the new technology.
“The next stage of evolution for drones will be swarm-type attacks when you don't have one or two, ten or twenty — you have thousands of drones commanded from a single point, whether that is a human or just a ’mother’ drone,” the special forces officer told the outlet.
“Nations without this type of [swarm] technology will be forced to join a security organisation or to accept the conditions of an aggressor,” he warned.
Watch: Ukraine releases drone footage of attacks on Crimea
02:00 , Rebecca Whittaker
Ukraine says it hit a railway bridge to Crimea, seeking to isolate the Russian-held peninsula
01:00 , Rebecca Whittaker
Ukraine said Tuesday its forces struck a railway bridge, a power plant and other key infrastructure targets in Crimea as Kyiv’s military authorities seek to isolate the vital Russian-held peninsula in the latest stage of the 4-year-old war.
The drone attacks added to the woes on the Black Sea peninsula, where Russian authorities have had to suspend gasoline sales to civilians as Ukraine has intensified its recent campaign to disrupt supply lines and the electrical grid at the height of the summer tourist season.
Read more here:
Ukraine says it hit a railway bridge to Crimea, seeking to isolate the Russian-held peninsula
Russia accuses US of not following through on Trump-Putin 'understandings'
Wednesday 24 June 2026 00:00 , Rebecca Whittaker
Russia has accused the United States of failing to deliver on "understandings" reached between presidents Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump at a summit in Alaska last August, a shift that suggests growing frustration in Moscow.
In the space of three days, three senior Russian officials have said, without providing specifics, that Washington has not followed through.
On Tuesday, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov suggested that the summit may have been a US "ploy to buy time to rearm the Kyiv regime".
Lavrov's deputy, Sergei Ryabkov, also accused the US of departing from the "fundamental understandings" reached in Alaska, according to Interfax. It quoted him as saying, however, that dialogue with the US would continue.
"We also see Washington’s line moving closer to the most rabid anti-Russian policies pursued by the US's closest European allies - namely, the UK and France," another agency, RIA, quoted Ryabkov as saying, referring to last week's G7 summit in France.
Watch: Huge plume of smoke billows from production plant in Russia’s Voronezh after strike
Tuesday 23 June 2026 23:00 , James Reynolds
Recap: Russian attack kills three in Ukraine's Kryvyi Rih
Tuesday 23 June 2026 22:00 , James Reynolds
A Russian missile attack killed three people in Kryvyi Rih, Ukrainian officials said on Tuesday, accusing Russia of hitting a civilian area with cluster munitions.
Oleksandr Vilkul, the head of the city's defence council, said that 25 people had also been injured in the attack by a ballistic missile with a cluster munition warhead.
"People died within 200 meters of each other because of this barbaric weapon," Vilkul said, adding the city would mark a day of mourning on Wednesday.
President Volodymyr Zelensky, who is a native of Kryvyi Rih, reacted to the strike by calling for more international pressure on Russia to end the war and quicker supplies of air defence munitions to Ukraine.
Russia eyes diesel export ban, fuel imports amid Ukrainian strikes
Tuesday 23 June 2026 21:00 , James Reynolds
Russia is considering a diesel export ban, Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said on Tuesday, amid reports on possible fuel imports to tackle shortages, as Ukraine steps up strikes.
Speaking at a televised government meeting headed by Putin on Tuesday, Novak said Russia was considering the introduction of a ban on diesel exports and changes to tax legislation to help the domestic fuel market.
Novak also said that oil companies had delayed maintenance work at refineries and were using fuel reserves to meet demand.
"We are using reserves that were not previously tapped, and are also encouraging increased supplies of additional volumes to the domestic market. Relevant amendments to tax legislation have been prepared in coordination with the government," he said.
The Vedomosti newspaper said imports were raised as an option at a meeting chaired by Novak on Monday.
Ukraine warns ceasefire offer may be withdrawn after deadly Russian attacks
Tuesday 23 June 2026 20:00 , James Reynolds
Ukraine’s UN envoy, Andrii Melnyk, warned that Kyiv could reconsider its current ceasefire proposal if there was no meaningful international push to end the war, saying “our patience is not endless”.
Melnyk said Ukraine remained open to direct negotiations with Russia but cautioned that its offer of a ceasefire along the current front lines was already a significant concession. “If the security council would further choose a wait-and-see approach, I cannot exclude that Ukraine may recalibrate and modify its offer. Ceasefire along the de facto front line is already a great compromise,” he said.
The warning comes as Ukraine projects growing confidence after a series of strikes on Russian oil facilities, supply routes and military infrastructure. Ukrainian attacks have disrupted fuel supplies in Russian-occupied Crimea, where authorities have restricted civilian gasoline sales.
Meanwhile, an Egyptian chef was killed when the Turkish dry cargo vessel Victress caught fire during Russian attacks in the Black Sea, according to Ukrainian officials. Eight crew members, including Turkish and Indian citizens, were evacuated.
Russian strikes overnight wounded six people in Sumy, Zaporizhzhia and Kharkiv, while Kyiv briefly issued an air raid alert. In Sumy, a drone strike killed three members of a family.
UK long-range strike weapons could be sent to Ukraine within a year
Tuesday 23 June 2026 19:00 , James Reynolds
Britain has tested new long-range strike weapons, with the government hoping for delivery to Ukraine within months.
The initiative aims to produce munitions more quickly and affordably than existing systems like Storm Shadow missiles.
New systems, capable of hitting targets at least 500km away and carrying a 225kg warhead, have been fired at a range in the Hebrides, with further UK trials planned.
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) challenged firms to develop weapons exceeding 600km per hour, costing around £400,000 per unit, and producing at least 20 a month within months of an order.
New UK long-range strike weapons could be sent to Ukraine within a year
Nato must be ready for wars fought by AI-controlled drones, warns top general
Tuesday 23 June 2026 18:00 , James Reynolds
Nato is preparing for future wars fought by thousands of drones controlled by AI, according to a top Nato general.
Major-General Constantin-Adrian Ciolponea, who represents the Supreme Allied Commander Transformation (SACT) in Europe, told The Times that the military alliance must adapt to the new technology.
“The next stage of evolution for drones will be swarm-type attacks when you don't have one or two, ten or twenty — you have thousands of drones commanded from a single point, whether that is a human or just a ’mother’ drone,” the special forces officer told the outlet.
“Nations without this type of [swarm] technology will be forced to join a security organisation or to accept the conditions of an aggressor,” he warned.
Treasury Secretary quoted saying Zelenskiy is “the special-needs child for the Europeans"
Tuesday 23 June 2026 17:47 , Rebecca Whittaker
United States Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is quoted saying that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy is “the special-needs child for the Europeans,” in a new book released today.
Regime Change: Inside the Imperial Presidency of Donald Trump recountsa meeting to discuss a proposed minerals deal with Ukraine.
In the book Bessent is quoted saying: “I’ve dealt with this little f***er. He’s tricky. He’s like the special-needs child for the Europeans. And he’s acting like Mr Bean on crack.”
Read more here:
Trump enjoyed ‘sport’ of watching Bessent rebuke Lutnick, book reveals
The bitter historical feud between Ukraine and Poland amid Russia war
Tuesday 23 June 2026 17:00 , James Reynolds
A deep historical rift is now challenging the strong alliance between Poland and Ukraine, despite their shared war against Russia.
The dispute centres on Kyiv's renaming of an army unit after a nationalist force, responsible for Second World War massacres of Poles, which has soured relations and exposed rival historical interpretations.
Here's how their rival interpretations of history have soured relations:
The bitter historical feud between Ukraine and Poland amid Russia war
Ukraine warns ceasefire offer may be withdrawn after deadly Russian attacks
Tuesday 23 June 2026 16:30 , James Reynolds
Ukraine’s UN envoy, Andrii Melnyk, warned that Kyiv could reconsider its current ceasefire proposal if there was no meaningful international push to end the war, saying “our patience is not endless”.
Melnyk said Ukraine remained open to direct negotiations with Russia but cautioned that its offer of a ceasefire along the current front lines was already a significant concession. “If the security council would further choose a wait-and-see approach, I cannot exclude that Ukraine may recalibrate and modify its offer. Ceasefire along the de facto front line is already a great compromise,” he said.
The warning comes as Ukraine projects growing confidence after a series of strikes on Russian oil facilities, supply routes and military infrastructure. Ukrainian attacks have disrupted fuel supplies in Russian-occupied Crimea, where authorities have restricted civilian gasoline sales.
Meanwhile, an Egyptian chef was killed when the Turkish dry cargo vessel Victress caught fire during Russian attacks in the Black Sea, according to Ukrainian officials. Eight crew members, including Turkish and Indian citizens, were evacuated.
Russian strikes overnight wounded six people in Sumy, Zaporizhzhia and Kharkiv, while Kyiv briefly issued an air raid alert. In Sumy, a drone strike killed three members of a family.
Watch: Ukraine releases drone footage of attacks on Crimea
Tuesday 23 June 2026 16:00 , James Reynolds
UK long-range strike weapons could be sent to Ukraine within a year
Tuesday 23 June 2026 15:30 , James Reynolds
Britain has tested new long-range strike weapons, with the government hoping for delivery to Ukraine within months.
The initiative aims to produce munitions more quickly and affordably than existing systems like Storm Shadow missiles.
New systems, capable of hitting targets at least 500km away and carrying a 225kg warhead, have been fired at a range in the Hebrides, with further UK trials planned.
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) challenged firms to develop weapons exceeding 600km per hour, costing around £400,000 per unit, and producing at least 20 a month within months of an order.
New UK long-range strike weapons could be sent to Ukraine within a year
Recap: Ukraine considered revised ceasefire offer as Russia accused of stalling
Tuesday 23 June 2026 15:00 , James Reynolds
Ukraine may revise its offer to Russia of a ceasefire along the de facto frontline if the United Nations Security Council fails to pass a resolution urging a full and unconditional end to the hostilities, a top Ukrainian official said on Monday.
Ukraine's envoy to the UN, Andrii Melnyk, spoke during a lengthy session of the UN Security Council, the sixth such meeting called to address the war in recent months.
"Ukraine stands ready to engage in direct negotiations with Russia to secure a just and lasting peace in accordance with the UN Charter, but our patience is not endless," he said, noting Ukraine had repeatedly urged the Security Council to adopt a resolution for a full and unconditional ceasefire.
"If the Security Council would further choose a wait-and-see approach, I cannot exclude that Ukraine may recalibrate and modify its offer. Ceasefire along the de facto front line is already a great compromise," he said. He gave no further details.
Melynk insisted that Ukraine had changed the dynamic in the war, now in its fifth year, with recent strikes, adding that some 40% of Russia's oil refineries had been damaged.
Recap: Zelensky tells Belarus to dismantle tech used by Russia
Tuesday 23 June 2026 14:30 , James Reynolds
In full: Russian strikes injure six in Ukraine as fuel crisis deepens into Siberia
Tuesday 23 June 2026 14:00 , Reuters
Six people were wounded in Russian air strikes on Ukraine overnight on Tuesday, local authorities said, while Russia's ongoing fuel crisis deepened into parts of Siberia.
The strikes came in the wake of a Ukrainian attack on a plant producing electronics for missiles in Russia's border Voronezh region on Monday that killed five people and injured dozens, according to the local governor.
Russia and Ukraine have continued to exchange strikes as the war has dragged into a fifth year. Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has sought support from Western allies for a peace deal while also pushing for fast-track admission to the European Union.
Two people sought medical help after Russian forces struck the southeastern region of Zaporizhzhia, Governor Ivan Fedorov said on Telegram, and three more people were wounded in Sumy, in the north, late on Monday, emergency services said.
One woman was injured in a drone attack on Ukraine's second-largest city of Kharkiv, Mayor Ihor Terekhov said on Telegram on Monday evening. Early on Tuesday, Kyiv authorities briefly issued an air raid alert before withdrawing it.
Zelenskiy warned last week that Russia was preparing a massive attack — something Moscow has said it would conduct regularly. Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine started in February 2022.
Nato must be ready for wars fought by AI-controlled drones, warns top general
Tuesday 23 June 2026 13:30 , James Reynolds
Nato is preparing for future wars fought by thousands of drones controlled by AI, according to a top Nato general.
Major-General Constantin-Adrian Ciolponea, who represents the Supreme Allied Commander Transformation (SACT) in Europe, told The Times that the military alliance must adapt to the new technology.
“The next stage of evolution for drones will be swarm-type attacks when you don't have one or two, ten or twenty — you have thousands of drones commanded from a single point, whether that is a human or just a ’mother’ drone,” the special forces officer told the outlet.
“Nations without this type of [swarm] technology will be forced to join a security organisation or to accept the conditions of an aggressor,” he warned.
Russia stages 'nuclear bomber' drills north of the UK
Tuesday 23 June 2026 13:00 , James Reynolds
Russian strategic Tu-160 missile-carrying bombers conducted a 16-hour flight including an air-to-air refueling test in the neutral zone over the Barents Sea and the Norwegian Sea, the defense ministry said on Telegram.
The flight, which the ministry said was a routine one, was accompanied by Russian MiG-31 fighter jets and was escorted by foreign fighter jets at certain points, the post, issued in the early hours of Tuesday, said, without specifying the countries involved.
In the north, Russia borders NATO members Norway and Finland.
South Korea offers to take all North Korean prisoners captured by Ukraine
Tuesday 23 June 2026 12:30 , James Reynolds
South Korea will accept all North Korean prisoners of war who fought for Russia and were captured by Ukraine if they choose to go to South Korea, Seoul's foreign ministry said on Tuesday.
South Korea opposes any repatriation of North Korean prisoners of war to Russia or to North Korea against their wishes, the ministry said.
South Korean and Ukrainian ministers are set to hold talks in Seoul on June 30.
Recap: Zelensky leads tributes to Starmer as world reacts to PM’s resignation
Tuesday 23 June 2026 12:00 , James Reynolds
Volodymyr Zelensky has said that Sir Keir Starmer will always be a welcome guest in Ukraine, as the Ukrainian president extended his gratitude to the outgoing Prime Minister for his steadfast support during the war against Russia.
Mr Zelensky lauded the Labour leader for "always striving to do what is needed and what will truly help."
The UK has stood as one of Kyiv’s most resolute allies since the Russian invasion, and the Ukrainian leader conveyed his wishes for "every success" to the British people moving forward.
Zelensky leads tributes to Starmer as world reacts to PM’s resignation
Germany plans to take 40% in Leopard tank maker KNDS
Tuesday 23 June 2026 11:30 , James Reynolds
The German government said that it intends to take a 40% stake in defense contractor KNDS, whose products include Leopard and Leclerc tanks, as it tries to strengthen European production along with Nato ally France.
The French state already has a 50% stake in KNDS, which was formed in 2015 with the merger of Germany's Krauss-Maffei Wegmann and France's Nexter. The other half is held by the German family behind Krauss-Maffei Wegmann.
Headquartered in Amsterdam, KNDS had 4.4 billion euros ($5 billion) in revenue last year and more than 11,000 employees.
Germany plans to take 40% in Leopard tank maker KNDS, joining France as stakeholder
Watch: Huge plume of smoke billows from production plant in Russia’s Voronezh after strike
Tuesday 23 June 2026 11:00 , James Reynolds
The bitter historical feud between Ukraine and Poland amid Russia war
Tuesday 23 June 2026 10:30 , James Reynolds
A deep historical rift is now challenging the strong alliance between Poland and Ukraine, despite their shared war against Russia.
The dispute centres on Kyiv's renaming of an army unit after a nationalist force, responsible for Second World War massacres of Poles, which has soured relations and exposed rival historical interpretations.
Here's how their rival interpretations of history have soured relations:
The bitter historical feud between Ukraine and Poland amid Russia war
South Korea to accept all North Korean POWs in Ukraine if they desire, foreign ministry says
Tuesday 23 June 2026 10:00 , Maroosha Muzaffar
South Korea has said it is willing to accept all North Korean prisoners of war captured in Ukraine if they choose to resettle in the South.
Seoul stated that it opposes any attempt to send the captured soldiers back to either North Korea or Russia against their wishes.
The announcement comes as reports continue to highlight North Korea’s military support for Russia in the war against Ukraine, and ahead of talks between South Korean and Ukrainian officials in Seoul on 30 June.
Russian attack on Sumy trolleybus leaves driver fighting for life
Tuesday 23 June 2026 09:30 , Maroosha Muzaffar
A Russian guided bomb strike in Ukraine’s Sumy Oblast destroyed an empty trolleybus on Monday, critically injuring its 57-year-old driver and wounding two other people, The Kyiv Independent reported.
According to regional governor Oleh Hryhorov, the driver was alone in the vehicle and was rushed to hospital, where doctors were fighting to save his life.
The attack came amid continued Russian strikes on civilian areas in the region, the outlet said.
Separately, a Russian drone attack in Sumy Oblast killed three members of a family – a 13-year-old boy, his father and grandmother – and left three other relatives seriously injured.
Over the same 24-hour period, Russian attacks across Ukraine reportedly killed at least 10 people and injured 48 others, The Kyiv Independent reported.
Kyiv says ‘our patience is not endless’
Tuesday 23 June 2026 09:00 , Maroosha Muzaffar
Ukraine’s UN envoy, Andrii Melnyk, said Kyiv is still willing to negotiate directly with Russia and has already made a major concession by offering a full and unconditional ceasefire along the current front lines.
However, he warned that “our patience is not endless”.
“If the security council would further choose a wait-and-see approach, I cannot exclude that Ukraine may recalibrate and modify its offer. Ceasefire along the de facto front line is already a great compromise.”
His comments come as Ukraine feels increasingly confident militarily after striking Russian oil facilities, supply lines, and military infrastructure, putting pressure on Russia, experts say.
Russia revising school textbooks to mention North Korean troops in war against Ukraine
Tuesday 23 June 2026 08:30 , Maroosha Muzaffar
Russia is revising its high school history textbooks to include the role of North Korean troops in the war against Ukraine, reflecting Moscow's growing openness about its military partnership with Pyongyang, Kyiv Post reported.
The updated textbooks will cover battles involving North Korean soldiers in Russia's Kursk region, as well as the use of drones, new weapons, and battlefield tactics seen during the conflict.
After initially avoiding public acknowledgment, Russia officially confirmed in 2025 that North Korean forces had fought alongside its troops.
Reports suggest that around 14,000 North Korean soldiers were deployed to support Russia, with thousands estimated to have been killed.
North Korean troops reportedly helped repel a Ukrainian incursion into Kursk and later took part in mine-clearing operations.
Six injured in Russian strikes on Ukraine as Kyiv warns of major new attack
Tuesday 23 June 2026 07:47 , Maroosha Muzaffar
Russian strikes overnight wounded six people across Sumy, Zaporizhzhia and Kharkiv, while Kyiv briefly issued an air raid alert.
The attacks came a day after a Ukrainian strike on a missile electronics plant in Russia’s Voronezh region, which local authorities said killed five people and injured dozens.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy has warned that Russia is preparing another major attack even as Ukraine seeks Western support for a peace deal and closer integration with the EU.
Russian attack on Sumy trolleybus leaves driver fighting for life
Tuesday 23 June 2026 07:00 , Maroosha Muzaffar
A Russian guided bomb strike in Ukraine’s Sumy Oblast destroyed an empty trolleybus on Monday, critically injuring its 57-year-old driver and wounding two other people, The Kyiv Independent reported.
According to regional governor Oleh Hryhorov, the driver was alone in the vehicle and was rushed to hospital, where doctors were fighting to save his life.
The attack came amid continued Russian strikes on civilian areas in the region, the outlet said.
Separately, a Russian drone attack in Sumy Oblast killed three members of a family – a 13-year-old boy, his father and grandmother – and left three other relatives seriously injured.
Over the same 24-hour period, Russian attacks across Ukraine reportedly killed at least 10 people and injured 48 others, The Kyiv Independent reported.
Ukrainian attacks prompt Russian-held Crimea to halt civilian gasoline sales
Tuesday 23 June 2026 06:30 , Maroosha Muzaffar
Officials in Russia-occupied Crimea suspended civilian gasoline sales Sunday as Ukraine ramped up attacks on fuel supplies on the Black Sea peninsula.
The Russia-appointed Crimean governor Sergei Aksyonov said that overnight Ukrainian strikes killed four people and wounded 28. He later wrote on social media that local gas stations would halt all sales to non-state companies and individuals for an undefined period.
“Fuel will be sold only to government agencies that ensure the functioning and security of the Republic of Crimea,” Aksyonov said. “I ask everyone to remain calm and to only trust official sources of information.”
Read more here:
Ukrainian attacks prompt Russian-held Crimea to halt civilian gasoline sales
Huge plume of smoke billows from production plant in Russia’s Voronezh after strike
Tuesday 23 June 2026 06:00 , Maroosha Muzaffar
Ukraine strikes deepen fuel crisis in Russia, reaching Siberia
Tuesday 23 June 2026 05:30 , Maroosha Muzaffar
Ukrainian attacks on Russian energy infrastructure and supply routes are worsening fuel shortages across Russia, with the crisis now spreading from Russian-controlled Crimea to Omsk in southwestern Siberia, Reuters reported.
Authorities in Omsk have imposed fuel purchase limits “to avoid artificially creating panic buying at gas stations and speculation”, restricting gasoline and diesel sales and banning fuel can refills.
Six injured in Russian strikes on Ukraine as Kyiv warns of major new attack
Tuesday 23 June 2026 05:00 , Maroosha Muzaffar
Russian strikes overnight wounded six people across Sumy, Zaporizhzhia and Kharkiv, while Kyiv briefly issued an air raid alert.
The attacks came a day after a Ukrainian strike on a missile electronics plant in Russia’s Voronezh region, which local authorities said killed five people and injured dozens.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy has warned that Russia is preparing another major attack even as Ukraine seeks Western support for a peace deal and closer integration with the EU.
Kyiv says ‘our patience is not endless’
Tuesday 23 June 2026 04:26 , Maroosha Muzaffar
Ukraine’s UN envoy, Andrii Melnyk, said Kyiv is still willing to negotiate directly with Russia and has already made a major concession by offering a full and unconditional ceasefire along the current front lines.
However, he warned that “our patience is not endless”.
“If the security council would further choose a wait-and-see approach, I cannot exclude that Ukraine may recalibrate and modify its offer. Ceasefire along the de facto front line is already a great compromise.”
His comments come as Ukraine feels increasingly confident militarily after striking Russian oil facilities, supply lines, and military infrastructure, putting pressure on Russia, experts say.
Ukrainian attacks prompt Russian-held Crimea to halt civilian gasoline sales
Tuesday 23 June 2026 03:00 , Alex Croft
Officials in Russia-occupied Crimea suspended civilian gasoline sales Sunday as Ukraine ramped up attacks on fuel supplies on the Black Sea peninsula.
The Russia-appointed Crimean governor Sergei Aksyonov said that overnight Ukrainian strikes killed four people and wounded 28. He later wrote on social media that local gas stations would halt all sales to non-state companies and individuals for an undefined period.
“Fuel will be sold only to government agencies that ensure the functioning and security of the Republic of Crimea,” Aksyonov said. “I ask everyone to remain calm and to only trust official sources of information.”
Ukrainian forces have repeatedly targeted fuel supplies to Crimea in recent weeks, triggering the worst energy crisis in the region since it was illegally annexed by Russia in 2014.
Read our full report:
Ukrainian attacks prompt Russian-held Crimea to halt civilian gasoline sales
Tusk warns Poland-Ukraine political row will damage both countries
Tuesday 23 June 2026 02:00 , Alex Croft
Polish prime minister Donald Tusk has warned that a growing political dispute between Poland and Ukraine is a strategic error that risks damaging both countries, as he attempts to ease renewed tensions over events dating back to the Second World War.
The row escalated after Polish president Karol Nawrocki on Friday revoked Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky's highest Polish state honour. In response, three former Ukrainian presidents and several senior officials returned the awards they had previously received from Poland.
Nawrocki withdrew the Order of the White Eagle after Zelensky drew criticism in Poland for renaming a Ukrainian military unit in honour of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army, a nationalist force responsible for massacres of Poles during the Second World War.
“Wading into a conflict between politicians in Poland and Ukraine is a strategic mistake that will harm both sides: business-wise, geopolitically, and reputationally. And in politics, as we know, a mistake is worse than a crime,” Tusk wrote in a post on X.
The pro-European leader returned to power in 2023 after heading a coalition that defeated the nationalist Law and Justice party, with which Nawrocki is politically aligned.
In an interview published on X, Zelensky stressed that Ukraine and Poland could only remain “partners and friends”, warning that political tensions could lead to a “very dangerous escalation”.
“Our service members choose a heroic name for their unit themselves, and as president and supreme commander-in-chief, I must support them,” he said.“Without Ukraine, no one will be able to defend Poland. It is simply impossible.”
Watch: Zelensky tells Belarus to dismantle tech used by Russia
Tuesday 23 June 2026 01:00 , Alex Croft
Russian troops infiltrate key eastern Ukrainian city, report says
Tuesday 23 June 2026 00:01 , Alex Croft
Russian forces have entered the strategic eastern Ukrainian city of Kostyantynivka and are attempting to encircle it, according to a BBC report citing Ukrainian soldiers and military officials.
The city, regarded as a gateway to the wider Donbas region, has become a focal point of fighting as Moscow seeks to secure full control of eastern Ukraine.
Ukrainian troops told the BBC that Russian soldiers have established positions within parts of the city, making it increasingly difficult to remove them in urban combat.
While Russia has claimed rapid advances and the encirclement of Ukrainian units, Kyiv has rejected those assertions.
Brig Gen Oleksandr Bakulin, commander of Ukraine’s 19th Corps, said "the situation remains under control" and "the enemy has no success", though he acknowledged that 130 Russian troops were operating inside the city.
Ukrainian soldiers told the outlet that supply routes were under sustained pressure and described growing logistical challenges.
In pictures: Ukraine launches attack on production facility in Russia's Voronezh
Monday 22 June 2026 23:01 , Alex Croft
As we earlier reported, Ukraine's military said it had hit a plant producing electronics for missiles in Russia's Voronezh region on Monday.
It is the latest blow on Russia's military-industrial complex inflicted by Ukraine's growing long-range strikes.
We can now bring you images of the strike:
Moscow beginning 'intense' work to combat fuel shortage in Crimea
Monday 22 June 2026 22:01 , Alex Croft
The Kremlin has said it is beginning intense work to try and minimise the consequences of fuel disruption in Russian-held Crimea.
The peninsula is suffering a fuel crisis following Ukrainian drone attacks targeting energy infrastructure,
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov also said that there was a coordination mechanism between the government and oil companies when it came to fuel prices nationwide and that all necessary measures were being taken.
Full report: A Russian drone strike in Ukraine kills 3 from one family, including a 13-year-old boy
Monday 22 June 2026 21:00 , Alex Croft
A Russian drone strike on the city of Sumy in northeastern Ukraine killed three members of the same family, including a 13-year-old boy and his father, and wounded another two, a regional official said Monday.
Russia has pounded civilian areas of Ukraine with drones and missiles since it launched its all-out invasion of its neighbor more than four years ago, and a United Nations tally says more than 16,000 civilians have died in the war. U.S.-led peace efforts have failed to stop the fighting.
The Sumy attack hit a home and killed a 36-year-old man, his 13-year-old son and a 73-year-old woman who was the mother of the man’s partner, according to Oleh Hryhorov, the head of the regional military administration. The man’s partner and 10-year-old son were wounded, he said.
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A Russian drone strike in Ukraine kills 3 from one family, including a 13-year-old boy
Russian-held Crimea suspends summer camps amid fuel crisis due to Ukrainian attacks
Monday 22 June 2026 20:02 , Alex Croft
Russian-held Crimea, a popular tourism destination, has suspended children's summer camps and tourist activities until September 1, its governor said on Monday.
It comes as the peninsula reels from a fuel crisis due to Ukrainian attacks on its supply routes.
Supplies of fuel and other products to Crimea have become strained as Ukraine has targeted both sea routes and supply roads from the north.
Availability of gasoline and diesel in Russia, the world's third-largest oil producer, has also been undermined by Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian oil refineries, including in Moscow.
Fuel stations in Crimea halted all fuel sales to individuals and businesses from Sunday, including cash, non-cash and voucher purchases.
Governor Sergei Aksyonov said on Monday that the closing of children's camps was in the interests of public security.
So far, there has been no public outrage over the fuel shortages in Russia, where protests are largely restricted during what Moscow calls its special military operation in Ukraine.
Production facilities damaged in Ukrainian attack on Voronezh
Monday 22 June 2026 19:00 , Alex Croft
Ukraine's military said it had hit a plant producing electronics for missiles in Russia's Voronezh region on Monday.
It is the latest blow on Russia's military-industrial complex inflicted by Ukraine's growing long-range strikes.
In a statement on Telegram, the Ukrainian General Staff said it had used air-launched cruise missiles to hit the facility, which it described as a "critical component" in Russia's defence production.
Alexander Gusev, local governor of the Voronezh region, said on Monday that production facilities had been damaged and three people injured in the attack.
Gusev did not specify what the damaged facility typically produces.
He said in a post on Telegram, that air defence forces had destroyed several high-speed targets in the skies over Voronezh and warned residents of the danger of missile attacks.
Zelensky says Ukraine will decide who represents Europe in negotiations with Russia
Monday 22 June 2026 18:01 , Alex Croft
Ukraine will decide who represents Europe in any negotiations with Russia, Volodymyr Zelensky has said.
Kyiv has been trying to reinvigorate the diplomatic push to end Russia's more than four-year-old war by including Europeans, as US-backed negotiations stalled amid the Iran war and Ukraine refused Russian demands to cede its territory.
The Ukrainian president said that Ukraine was discussed "at greater length than ever before" at a European Council meeting last week.
"We discussed Europe's role in the dialogue with the Russians and what that role should be," he said, relaying his comments to the Ukrainian media on social media platform X.
"Europe will consider the format and propose several options, but Ukraine will decide who represents Europe in the negotiations. That is fair."
Inside the bitter historical feud between Ukraine and Poland amid war against Russia
Monday 22 June 2026 16:15 , Alex Croft
A deep historical rift is now challenging the strong alliance between Poland and Ukraine, despite their shared war against Russia.
The dispute centres on Kyiv's renaming of an army unit after a nationalist force, responsible for Second World War massacres of Poles, which has soured relations and exposed rival historical interpretations.
Here's how their rival interpretations of history have soured relations:
The bitter historical feud between Ukraine and Poland amid Russia war
Kremlin accuses Ukraine of threatening sovereignty of ally Belarus
Monday 22 June 2026 15:28 , Alex Croft
The Kremlin has accused Ukraine of threatening the sovereignty of close Russian ally Belarus - but said it had no doubts that Minsk was in a position to defend itself.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday threatened to take action against Belarus if it did not quickly remove equipment which Mr Zelensky said was being used by Russia to help coordinate its own attacks on Ukraine.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russian president Vladimir Putin and Belarusian president Alexander Lukashenko would discuss Zelensky's remarks.
Ukraine strikes satellite communications centre in Russia
Monday 22 June 2026 14:45 , Alex Croft
We’re hearing that Ukraine's military has struck Russia's Dubna satellite communications centre, as reported by the Ukrainian military's General Staff.
The centre is in Russia’s western Moscow region.
Heavy smoke was observed at the site and the extent of damage was being assessed, it added.
Russia downs 301 drones, 60 of which were headed for Moscow
Monday 22 June 2026 14:01 , Alex Croft
Russia downed 301 drones overnight, Russian news agencies are saying, quoting the defence ministry.
Nearly 60 of these downed drones were headed for Moscow, Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said on Telegram.
He said emergency services had been dispatched to the areas where drones were downed but gave no further information.
In pictures: Blaze in Sumy after Russian drone strike kills family
Monday 22 June 2026 13:16 , Alex Croft
Starmer's exit unlikely to change UK's hostile approach to Russia - Kremlin
Monday 22 June 2026 12:39 , Alex Croft
The departure of British prime minister Keir Starmer, a strong supporter of Ukraine, is unlikely to change London's hostile attitude towards Russia, the Kremlin said on Monday.
Starmer announced his resignation on Monday, promising to ensure an orderly transfer of power to a new leader by September at the latest to try to avoid political instability as Britain prepares for its seventh leader in 10 years.
"Starmer has not done anything to distinguish himself on the issue of British-Russian relations," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.
"He has always been in favour of keeping relations at a zero level. It is unlikely that anyone on the British political scene will hold a position on our country that differs from Starmer’s," said Peskov.
Ukraine's battlefield shift has not solved its humanitarian crisis, IRC says
Monday 22 June 2026 12:29 , Namita Singh
Ukraine's stronger position in the war with Russia has yet to relieve the humanitarian crisis felt by millions of displaced Ukrainians and worsened by a plunge in aid spending, the head of the International Rescue Committee said.
Ukraine has slowed Russia's advances on the battlefield to a virtual halt in recent months, prompting G7 leaders to recognise at a summit last week that momentum in the war has shifted.
Speaking during a visit to Ukraine, David Miliband, the IRC's president and CEO, said it was still vital to recognise the impact of aid cuts, led by the US, that have halved the IRC's budget in the country to a current estimate of $20m in 2027 from $40m last year.
"It feels particularly important at a time when there is this new sense of a different geopolitical narrative to recognise the brutality and strain that's being faced by millions of Ukrainians," Miliband said on Saturday, World Refugee Day.
The UN calculates roughly 118 million people are displaced globally, often as a result of conflict, violence and persecution. Ukraine accounts for around 10 million, with nearly four million of those internally displaced inside the country.
Russian drone attack kills three members of family including boy, 13
Monday 22 June 2026 11:00 , Alex Croft
A Russian drone attack has killed three members of one family, including a 13-year-old boy, in Ukraine's northern Sumy region, regional prosecutors have said.
The boy's 36-year-old father and 73-year-old grandmother were killed, while his mother and two siblings were injured in the attack, which occurred close to 4:50 a.m. (0150 GMT) local time, the prosecutors said.
We’re working to bring you more on this attack.
Egyptian sailor killed in Russian attack on Turkish-owned cargo vessel
Monday 22 June 2026 10:38 , Alex Croft
We’re hearing news that a Turkish dry cargo vessel, called Victress, has been struck in a Russian drone attack, causing a major fire aboard.
An Egyptian cook was killed in the attack, deputy prime minister Oleksii Kuleba said.
The ship was sailing under the Panamanian flag, the Ukrainian navy said in a Telegram post on Monday.
There were casualties among the nine crew members who are nationals of Egypt, Turkey and India, it said.
The post did not provide details on the casualties.
Pictures: Aftermath of Russian missile strike in Odesa region
Monday 22 June 2026 10:15 , Namita Singh
One killed, three injured as Russia hits Odesa region with Iskander missile, governor says
Monday 22 June 2026 09:30 , Namita Singh
One person was killed and three were injured after Russia hit Ukraine's southern Odesa region with an Iskander ballistic missile on Sunday evening, Oleh Kiper, the regional governor, said on Telegram.
He said vehicles and fuel storage tanks caught fire after the strike hit an agricultural facility in the Odesa district.
The details could not be independently verified.
Russian forces launch missile and drone attacks as fighting continues across eastern U
Monday 22 June 2026 09:00 , Namita Singh
Russian forces carried out three missile strikes, 84 air strikes and dropped 275 guided aerial bombs across Ukraine over the past day, according to the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
In its operational update released on Sunday morning, the military said Russian troops also deployed 9,629 kamikaze drones and launched 2,932 attacks, including 55 using multiple-launch rocket systems.
Ukraine said its Air Force, rocket forces and artillery struck four Russian command posts, five areas where troops and equipment were concentrated, six artillery systems, two drone command posts and two other military targets.
Fighting continued along several sections of the front line. In the North Slobozhansky and Kursk directions, four combat engagements were recorded, while Russian forces carried out 54 shelling attacks.
The General Staff reported 13 Russian assaults in the South Slobozhansky direction, including near Izbytske, Lyman, Starytsia and Vovchansk. In the Kupiansk sector, Russian troops launched eight attacks towards Glushkivka, Kurylivka, Shykivka and Mala Shapkivka.
Russian troops infiltrate key eastern Ukrainian city, report says
Monday 22 June 2026 08:15 , Namita Singh
Russian forces have entered the strategic eastern Ukrainian city of Kostyantynivka and are attempting to encircle it, according to a BBC report citing Ukrainian soldiers and military officials.
The city, regarded as a gateway to the wider Donbas region, has become a focal point of fighting as Moscow seeks to secure full control of eastern Ukraine.
Ukrainian troops told the BBC that Russian soldiers have established positions within parts of the city, making it increasingly difficult to remove them in urban combat.
While Russia has claimed rapid advances and the encirclement of Ukrainian units, Kyiv has rejected those assertions.
Brig Gen Oleksandr Bakulin, commander of Ukraine’s 19th Corps, said "the situation remains under control" and "the enemy has no success", though he acknowledged that 130 Russian troops were operating inside the city.
Ukrainian soldiers told the outlet that supply routes were under sustained pressure and described growing logistical challenges.
Pictures: Firefighters attempt to put out blaze in Odesa after Russian strike
Monday 22 June 2026 07:30 , Namita Singh
Russian-held Crimea to halts civilian gasoline sales amid Ukraine attacks
Monday 22 June 2026 07:00 , Namita Singh
Authorities in Russian-controlled Crimea on Sunday suspended civilian petrol sales after Ukraine intensified its attacks on fuel infrastructure across the Black Sea peninsula.
Sergei Aksyonov, the Moscow-installed governor of Crimea, said overnight Ukrainian strikes left four people dead and 28 others injured. In a subsequent post on social media, he announced that petrol stations across the region would temporarily stop selling fuel to private individuals and non-governmental organisations, although no timeline was given for the restriction.
“Fuel will be sold only to government agencies that ensure the functioning and security of the Republic of Crimea,” Aksyonov said. “I ask everyone to remain calm and to only trust official sources of information.”
Report:
Ukrainian attacks prompt Russian-held Crimea to halt civilian gasoline sales
