At least seven people, including two children, were killed and 10 injured in Kharkiv after Russia attacked Ukraine with ballistic missiles and drones overnight, officials said.
A countrywide air raid alert was issued at around 3am local time to warn people against incoming Russian projectiles.
Kharkiv oblast governor Oleh Syniehubov said fires were reported as a result of a ballistic missile attack, which killed four civilians and injured 10, including two children.
Explosions were first reported in Kyiv at around 1.30am local time, the Kyiv Independent reported, followed by more blasts at around 1.40am local time.
The attack came hours after Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said he had visited the eastern front on Friday.
Zelensky said he gave awards to soldiers defending positions near Druzhkivka and Kostiantynivka in the eastern Donetsk region where Russian forces were concentrated in preparation for a spring offensive.
Ukraine's foreign ministry, meanwhile, said it had summoned Hungary's acting charge d'affaires in Kyiv following the detention of Ukrainian nationals transporting a cash-and-gold haul in Budapest.
Key Points
- Russian ballistic missiles and drones attack kills seven in Ukraine overnight
- Kyiv summons Hungarian envoy over detention of Ukrainians
- Oil, railway stations and grain warehouse among targets of Russian air attack overnight
- US to send anti-drone system to the Mideast after successful use in Ukraine
- Zelensky visits war frontline in the east to meet Ukrainian troops
Russia says it struck Ukrainian military and energy sites overnight, Ifax reports
13:00 , Daniel KeaneRussian forces carried out massive overnight strikes on Ukrainian military-industrial complexes, military airfields and energy facilities, the Interfax news agency reported on Saturday, citing the Russian Defence Ministry.
Reuters could not independently verify the battlefield report.
Zelensky says Russia's 'savage strikes' killed seven overnight
12:00 , Arpan RaiVolodymyr Zelensky has accused Russia of carrying out “savage strikes” by using ballistic missiles and nearly 500 drones overnight on Ukrainian cities.
“Russia used 29 missiles, nearly half of them ballistic, and 480 drones, most of them “shaheds,” against Ukraine. They targeted energy infrastructure in Kyiv, the Khmelnytskyi and Chernivtsi regions, and the railway in the Zhytomyr region,” he said.
There must be a response from partners to these savage strikes against life, Zelensky said.
He also accused Russia of continuing to attack Ukrainian cities. “Russia has not abandoned its attempts to destroy Ukraine’s residential and critical infrastructure, and therefore support must continue,” he said.
Russian energy demand seeing 'significant' bump from Iran war, Kremlin says
11:00 , Arpan RaiThe war in Iran has fuelled a significant bump in demand for Russian oil and gas, the Kremlin said on Friday, boosting exports which have been battered in recent years by sanctions linked to Russia's war in Ukraine.
The Iran conflict, now in its seventh day, has left the Strait of Hormuz, a critical shipping chokepoint, all but shut, cutting countries off from a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas supplies.
"We are seeing a significant increase in demand for Russian energy resources in connection with the war in Iran," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Friday, saying Russia "remains a reliable supplier" of both oil and gas, including LNG. On Thursday, the U.S. Treasury issued a 30-day waiver allowing India to buy Russian oil currently stuck at sea, following months of US pressure on New Delhi not to purchase Russian barrels.
Peskov declined to disclose possible volumes that could be shipped to India under the waiver.
Ukraine foreign ministry advises against travel to Hungary
10:30 , Arpan RaiUkraine's Foreign Ministry said it advises Ukrainians against travel to Hungary due to the inability to guarantee their safety amid arbitrary actions by the Hungarian authorities.
The ministry also called on Ukrainian and European businesses to take into account the risks of any business activity in Hungary after Kyiv accused Budapest of "taking hostage" seven state bank employees who were shipping around $82 million in cash and gold.
Hungary's Orban stakes election on anti-Ukraine campaign
10:10 , Arpan RaiHungarian prime minister Viktor Orban, who has maintained close relations with the Kremlin while escalating an aggressive anti-Ukraine campaign ahead of crucial elections next month, has called Ukraine Hungary's "enemy," and accused Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky of seeking to provoke an energy crisis in order to sway the 12 April vote.
"The best way for the Ukrainians to achieve their demands on Hungary is if they get rid of the national government and the prime minister who is standing in their way," Orban said in statements to state radio on Friday.
While he did not directly mention the detention of the bank vehicles, Orban alluded to the incident, saying: "We will stop things that are important to Ukraine passing through Hungary until we get the approval of the Ukrainians for oil shipments."
"The Ukrainians will run out of money sooner than we will run out of oil," he added.
Trailing in most polls behind a popular center-right challenger, the populist Orban has staked the election on convincing voters that Ukraine poses an existential threat to Hungary's security.
In office since 2010, the EU's longest-serving leader has claimed that if he loses the election, the European Union will force Hungary into bankruptcy by cutting Russian energy imports, and that Hungarian youth will be sent to their deaths on the front lines in Ukraine.
Zelensky visits war frontline in the east to meet Ukrainian troops
09:50 , Arpan RaiUkrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said that he had visited the eastern front line on Friday.
Zelensky gave awards to troops defending the positions near Druzhkivka and Kostiantynivka, cities in the eastern Donetsk region where Russia has concentrated its forces. Moscow was preparing for a spring offensive there, he said.
"It is important not only from the point of view of defending our state on the battlefield, but it is also very important geopolitically," Zelensky told soldiers from the 28th separate mechanised brigade in a video posted on his Telegram channel.
"The stronger we are in the eastern direction, the stronger we are in the talks process,” he said.
Under pressure from US president Donald Trump's administration, Ukraine and Russia held several rounds of talks trying to find a diplomatic solution on how to end the war, now in its fifth year.
Command post of the 81st Separate Airmobile Slobozhanska Brigade. The warriors are currently defending Slovyansk from the north – the Yampil and Siversk directions. I spoke with the defenders and presented them with state awards. I thank the fighters for their service. The… pic.twitter.com/xACvfvfbw0
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) March 6, 2026
Kyiv summons Hungarian envoy over detention of Ukrainians
09:30 , Arpan RaiUkraine's foreign ministry said it summoned Hungary's acting charge d'affaires in Kyiv over the detention of Ukrainian nationals in Budapest.
A ministry statement said Ukraine reserves the right to respond, including via sanctions and other restrictive measures against those involved in "unlawful" actions.
Russia providing Iran intelligence to target US forces – report
09:15 , Arpan RaiRussia is providing Iran with targeting information that includes locations of US warships and aircraft in the Middle East, the Washington Post reported, citing three officials familiar with the intelligence.
The extent of Russia's support to Iran was not entirely clear but the Iranian military's own ability to locate US forces has been degraded since the US and Israel launched strikes against Tehran last week, the Post reported.
The war has since escalated, triggering retaliatory strikes by Iran, and ensnared its neighbours as it seeks to impose a high cost on the US, Israel and their allies.
The US military has identified six reserve soldiers killed in Kuwait when a drone slammed into a US military facility in Port Shuaiba. Trump and other senior officials have warned the conflict will likely result in more US military deaths.
A White House spokesperson did not directly comment on the alleged Russian support to Iran.
"The Iranian regime is being absolutely crushed. Their ballistic missile retaliation is decreasing every day, their navy is being wiped out, their production capacity is being demolished, and proxies are hardly putting up a fight," White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said.
Russia was in dialogue with representatives of Iran's leadership, the Kremlin said on Friday. It declined to provide details when asked by reporters whether Moscow was helping Tehran.
Watch: Zelensky plans to expand 'security 'cooperation' from partners as Ukraine provides support in US-Iran war
08:45 , Arpan RaiUK discloses four maintenance facilities operating in Ukraine
08:25 , Arpan RaiThe UK is operating four facilities in Ukraine to carry out repair and maintenance work for armoured vehicles and other military equipment being used in the war with Russia, the British ministry of defence said this morning.
The facilities, which had not previously been divulged, were set up using both British and Ukrainian workers, operated under contracts issued by Britain's defence ministry.
"From the factory floor to the frontline, the UK is standing with Ukraine," Luke Pollard, defence readiness and industry minister said in a statement.
"Our pioneering facilities are helping keep Ukraine's defiant armed forces in the fight against (Russian president Vladimir) Putin's brutal attacks, and British firms are boosting long-term industrial production in Ukraine and partnering with Ukrainian companies to benefit both our nations,” he said.
“Britain has been one of Ukraine's closest allies since Russia invaded its neighbour in February 2022, having committed more than £21.8bn ($29.2bn) of support to Kyiv,” he said.
The British defence ministry said that as part of their work the four facilities in Ukraine were repairing CVR-T armoured vehicles, Husky support vehicles, L119 light guns and AS-90 artillery systems, which Britain had donated.
A fifth facility was also being planned, it said.
Oil, railway stations and grain warehouse among targets of Russian air attack overnight
08:04 , Arpan RaiIn Kharkiv, seven residential apartment houses, commercial and administrative buildings, electricity distribution lines, and cars were damaged by the Russian attacks, Syniehubov said.
Ukrainian officials said that Russia attacked four railway stations and other railway infrastructure in central Ukraine and port infrastructure in the southern Odesa region, setting on fire containers with vegetable oil and damaging a grain warehouse.
In photos: Russia attacks Ukraine with nearly 500 drones and a dozen ballistic missiles
07:56 , Arpan Rai
The Paralympics are welcoming Russia back to the Winter Games – and this is just the start
07:56 , Arpan RaiIn the days after Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) arranged a call involving all of its eclectic membership. The 100 or so IOC members include a Mongolian banker, a Cape Verdean schoolteacher, a Fijian doctor, the Grand Duke of Luxembourg and HRH Princess Anne, and they jumped on a Zoom to discuss what to do about Russia.
The point was made by IOC president Thomas Bach that the invasion of another sovereign nation deserved strong sanctions, but his proposal to ban Russia from global sporting events was met with plenty of opposition. One south Asian member spoke up to ask why, if that was the IOC’s policy on war, Britain wasn’t banished for invading Iraq.
The tension in that meeting spoke to a wider geopolitical reality – that Europe’s fury at Russia’s invasion wasn’t, and still isn’t, replicated around the world. Over the past 12 months, Russia has begun a slow creep back into the sporting fold. The International Judo Federation announced full reinstatement last year, and Fifa president Gianni Infantino has made clear that football is heading in the same direction under his watch.
Russia is back at the Paralympic Games – and this is just the start
Zelensky says Russia's 'savage strikes' killed seven overnight
07:31 , Arpan RaiVolodymyr Zelensky has accused Russia of carrying out “savage strikes” by using ballistic missiles and nearly 500 drones overnight on Ukrainian cities.
“Russia used 29 missiles, nearly half of them ballistic, and 480 drones, most of them “shaheds,” against Ukraine. They targeted energy infrastructure in Kyiv, the Khmelnytskyi and Chernivtsi regions, and the railway in the Zhytomyr region,” he said.
There must be a response from partners to these savage strikes against life, Zelensky said.
He also accused Russia of continuing to attack Ukrainian cities. “Russia has not abandoned its attempts to destroy Ukraine’s residential and critical infrastructure, and therefore support must continue,” he said.
Since last night, work has been ongoing to clear the rubble of a residential building in Kharkiv following a Russian ballistic missile strike. A whole section was destroyed, and the upper floors of a neighboring building were damaged. Unfortunately, as of now, it is known that 7… pic.twitter.com/f3Jr8mPCWN
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) March 7, 2026
Why Ukraine's homegrown defence is answer to Iran's Shahed drones
07:25 , Arpan RaiThe homegrown Ukrainian munitions have transformed Kyiv's air defence as it faces hundreds of Shahed-type drones launched by Russia every night.
The drones, which come in both winged and copter forms, are piloted by humans who steer them towards their targets. They are equipped with advanced communications systems, allowing them to reach a high altitude, and can reach a speed of around 330km per hour before striking their target, officials say.
“It needs to be faster than Shahed, which flies 200km per hour, and this drone has to find, catch and destroy it,” Serhii Beskrestnov, a consultant to the Ukrainian military, told Politico last August.
Volodymyr Zelensky has been in contact with the emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, and the UAE president Mohamed bin Zayed al-Nahyan, about the use of Ukraine’s anti-drone technology.
Russian strike kills seven, including two children, in Kharkiv, governor says
07:16 , Arpan RaiA Russian missile strike killed at least seven people, including two children, in Ukraine's city of Kharkiv, regional governor Oleh Syniehubov said this morning.
Syniehubov said the missile damaged a five-storey residential building in one of the districts of Kharkiv. Rescue workers are on site to clear
Russia providing Iran intelligence to target US forces – report
06:55 , Arpan RaiRussia is providing Iran with targeting information that includes locations of US warships and aircraft in the Middle East, the Washington Post reported, citing three officials familiar with the intelligence.
The extent of Russia's support to Iran was not entirely clear but the Iranian military's own ability to locate US forces has been degraded since the US and Israel launched strikes against Tehran last week, the Post reported.
The war has since escalated, triggering retaliatory strikes by Iran, and ensnared its neighbours as it seeks to impose a high cost on the US, Israel and their allies.
The US military has identified six reserve soldiers killed in Kuwait when a drone slammed into a US military facility in Port Shuaiba. Trump and other senior officials have warned the conflict will likely result in more US military deaths.
A White House spokesperson did not directly comment on the alleged Russian support to Iran.
"The Iranian regime is being absolutely crushed. Their ballistic missile retaliation is decreasing every day, their navy is being wiped out, their production capacity is being demolished, and proxies are hardly putting up a fight," White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said.
Russia was in dialogue with representatives of Iran's leadership, the Kremlin said on Friday. It declined to provide details when asked by reporters whether Moscow was helping Tehran.
Zelensky offers Trump technology to shoot down Iran Shahed drones that could save US millions
06:25 , Arpan RaiAs Iran launches Shahed suicide drones across the Middle East in retaliation for ongoing US-Israeli attacks, countries are spending millions of dollars intercepting them.
The UAE, Kuwait, Bahrain and Qatar are among the nations in the region that use sophisticated US-made air defences to intercept the relatively cheaply made, mass-produced drones fired by Iran.
With the conflict now in its seventh day, the US has turned to Ukraine, a country that shoots down Shahed-type drones fired by Russia every night, for assistance in defending its assets in the Middle East.
Zelensky offers technology to shoot down Iran Shahed drones saving US millions
US to send anti-drone system to the Mideast after successful use in Ukraine
05:55 , Arpan RaiAn American anti-drone system proven to work against Russian drones in Ukraine will soon be sent to the Middle East to bolster US defences against Iranian drones, two US officials said.
The system that is being sent, known as Merops, flies drones against drones. It is small enough to fit in the back of a midsize pickup truck, can identify drones and close in on them, using artificial intelligence to navigate when satellite and electronic communications are jammed.
Drones are hard to pinpoint on radar systems calibrated for spotting high-speed missiles and can be mistaken for birds or planes. The Merops system is designed to spot them and take them down. Crucially, the system also is cheaper than firing a missile that costs hundreds of thousands of dollars at a drone that costs less than $50,000.
While the US has used Patriot and THAAD missile systems to take down Iranian missiles successfully, there are limited effective anti-drone defences now in the Middle East, according to a US defense official, one of two officials who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive military matters.
The US response to countering Iran's Shahed drones has been “disappointing,” the other US official said, particularly because the drones fired by Iran are a much more basic version of the same drone that Russia is continuously refining and updating in its war in Ukraine.
Russian ballistic missiles and drones kill four in Ukraine overnight
05:51 , Arpan RaiAt least four people were killed and 10 others were injured in Ukraine’s Kharkiv after Russia attacked Ukrainian cities with ballistic missiles and drones overnight, officials said.
Ukrainian officials also sounded a countrywide air raid alert in the early hours around 3am local time to caution locals across Ukraine against incoming Russian projectiles.
Kharkiv oblast governor Oleh Syniehubov said the region was targeted overnight and fires were reported as a result of a ballistic missile attack.
The attack killed four civilians and injured 10, including two children, the State Emergency Service said.
Kharkiv mayor Ihor Terekhov said the victims were found by the rescue services after a ballistic missile struck a multi-story residential building in Kharkiv’s Kyivskyi district, causing heavy destruction and a fire.
"A direct hit by a ballistic missile on a multi-story building in the Kyivskyi district has been confirmed. There is significant damage, a fire, and people may be trapped under the rubble," Terekhov said.
Explosions were first reported in Kyiv around 1.30am local time, reported the Kyiv Independent, followed by more blasts reported around 1.40am local time.
Kyiv mayor Vitalii Klitschko asked people in Kyiv to take cover. “Air defence forces are operating in the capital. Stay in shelters,” he said.
Russian ballistic missiles and drones kill four in Ukraine overnight
05:38 , Arpan RaiAt least four people were killed and 10 others were injured in Ukraine’s Kharkiv after Russia attacked Ukrainian cities with ballistic missiles and drones overnight, officials said.
Ukrainian officials also sounded a countrywide air raid alert in the early hours around 3am local time to caution locals across Ukraine against incoming Russian projectiles.
Kharkiv oblast governor Oleh Syniehubov said the region was targeted overnight and fires were reported as a result of a ballistic missile attack.
The attack killed four civilians and injured 10, including two children, the State Emergency Service said.
Kharkiv mayor Ihor Terekhov said the victims were found by the rescue services after a ballistic missile struck a multi-story residential building in Kharkiv’s Kyivskyi district, causing heavy destruction and a fire.
"A direct hit by a ballistic missile on a multi-story building in the Kyivskyi district has been confirmed. There is significant damage, a fire, and people may be trapped under the rubble," Terekhov said.
Explosions were first reported in Kyiv around 1.30am local time, reported the Kyiv Independent, followed by more blasts reported around 1.40am local time.
Kyiv mayor Vitalii Klitschko asked people in Kyiv to take cover. “Air defence forces are operating in the capital. Stay in shelters,” he said.
Kyiv summons Hungarian envoy over detention of Ukrainians
05:25 , Arpan RaiUkraine's foreign ministry said it summoned Hungary's acting charge d'affaires in Kyiv over the detention of Ukrainian nationals in Budapest.
A ministry statement said Ukraine reserves the right to respond, including via sanctions and other restrictive measures against those involved in "unlawful" actions.
Zelensky visits war frontline in the east to meet Ukrainian troops
04:55 , Arpan RaiUkrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said that he had visited the eastern front line on Friday.
Zelensky gave awards to troops defending the positions near Druzhkivka and Kostiantynivka, cities in the eastern Donetsk region where Russia has concentrated its forces. Moscow was preparing for a spring offensive there, he said.
"It is important not only from the point of view of defending our state on the battlefield, but it is also very important geopolitically," Zelensky told soldiers from the 28th separate mechanised brigade in a video posted on his Telegram channel.
"The stronger we are in the eastern direction, the stronger we are in the talks process,” he said.
Under pressure from US president Donald Trump's administration, Ukraine and Russia held several rounds of talks trying to find a diplomatic solution on how to end the war, now in its fifth year.
Command post of the 81st Separate Airmobile Slobozhanska Brigade. The warriors are currently defending Slovyansk from the north – the Yampil and Siversk directions. I spoke with the defenders and presented them with state awards. I thank the fighters for their service. The… pic.twitter.com/xACvfvfbw0
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) March 6, 2026
Swedish coast guard boards suspected Ukraine-sanctioned stateless ship in the Baltic Sea
04:25 , Arpan RaiThe Swedish coast guard said it boarded and took control of a suspected stateless vessel in Swedish waters of the Baltic Sea on Friday, and it was carrying out investigations on the ship.
"At 3.50pm today, the Coast Guard took control of a vessel with unclear flag status and thus suspected of being a stateless vessel," it said in a statement, adding that the boarding had taken place off the coast of the southern Swedish town Trelleborg.
The ship Caffa was sailing under a Guinean flag, but the coast guard said it regarded the vessel to be stateless "based on national and international legislation". Swedish police said the ship was suspected of sailing under a false flag.
Sweden's minister for civil defence, Carl-Oskar Bohlin, said in a post on X that the ship was a freighter on Ukraine's sanctions list.
"The ownership structure is unclear and there are suspicions that the vessel is not insured. As recently as this summer, the ship is said to have changed from a Russian to a Guinean flag," Bohlin wrote.
According to ship-tracking service Marine Traffic, Caffa is a 96-meter general cargo ship.
The coast guard said it had launched a preliminary investigation into suspected violation of maritime law regarding lack of seaworthiness.
"The Coast Guard has personnel on board to gather information about the condition of the vessel and crew, conduct searches, and conduct interviews," it added.
Hungary's Orban stakes election on anti-Ukraine campaign
03:55 , Arpan RaiHungarian prime minister Viktor Orban, who has maintained close relations with the Kremlin while escalating an aggressive anti-Ukraine campaign ahead of crucial elections next month, has called Ukraine Hungary's "enemy," and accused Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky of seeking to provoke an energy crisis in order to sway the 12 April vote.
"The best way for the Ukrainians to achieve their demands on Hungary is if they get rid of the national government and the prime minister who is standing in their way," Orban said in statements to state radio on Friday.
While he did not directly mention the detention of the bank vehicles, Orban alluded to the incident, saying: "We will stop things that are important to Ukraine passing through Hungary until we get the approval of the Ukrainians for oil shipments."
"The Ukrainians will run out of money sooner than we will run out of oil," he added.
Trailing in most polls behind a popular center-right challenger, the populist Orban has staked the election on convincing voters that Ukraine poses an existential threat to Hungary's security.
In office since 2010, the EU's longest-serving leader has claimed that if he loses the election, the European Union will force Hungary into bankruptcy by cutting Russian energy imports, and that Hungarian youth will be sent to their deaths on the front lines in Ukraine.
Hungary temporarily detains 7 Ukrainians and seizes $80m cash shipment, angering Kyiv
03:25 , Arpan RaiHungarian authorities temporarily detained seven Ukrainian citizens and seized two armoured cars carrying tens of millions of euros (dollars) in cash across Hungary on suspicion of money laundering, officials said.
The Ukrainians were released on Friday, following their detention on Thursday, but Hungarian officials held onto the cash, prompting Ukraine to accuse Hungary's Russia-friendly government of illegally seizing the money.
The seven detained Ukrainians were employees of the Ukrainian state-owned Oschadbank, who were traveling in the two armoured cars that were carrying the money between Austria and Ukraine as part of regular services between state banks, Ukrainian foreign minister Andrii Sybiha said.
In a post on Facebook, Oschadbank board Chairman Yurii Katsion wrote that Hungary "groundlessly questions the source of the state bank's funds, transported in accordance with international agreements and supported by all necessary documentation."
The shipment seized by Hungary included $40m as well as €35m and 9kg (19.8 pounds) of gold — worth around $1.5m at current prices — according to a separate statement by Oschadbank.
After their detention, Hungary's government said it would expel the seven Ukrainians, but did not give details on why they would be released if they were suspected of money laundering.
Later on Friday, Ukraine's foreign minister announced on social media that the seven Ukrainians had been returned to Ukraine.
UK discloses four maintenance facilities operating in Ukraine
02:49 , Arpan RaiThe UK is operating four facilities in Ukraine to carry out repair and maintenance work for armoured vehicles and other military equipment being used in the war with Russia, the British ministry of defence said this morning.
The facilities, which had not previously been divulged, were set up using both British and Ukrainian workers, operated under contracts issued by Britain's defence ministry.
"From the factory floor to the frontline, the UK is standing with Ukraine," Luke Pollard, defence readiness and industry minister said in a statement.
"Our pioneering facilities are helping keep Ukraine's defiant armed forces in the fight against (Russian president Vladimir) Putin's brutal attacks, and British firms are boosting long-term industrial production in Ukraine and partnering with Ukrainian companies to benefit both our nations,” he said.
“Britain has been one of Ukraine's closest allies since Russia invaded its neighbour in February 2022, having committed more than £21.8bn ($29.2bn) of support to Kyiv,” he said.
The British defence ministry said that as part of their work the four facilities in Ukraine were repairing CVR-T armoured vehicles, Husky support vehicles, L119 light guns and AS-90 artillery systems, which Britain had donated.
A fifth facility was also being planned, it said.
Watch: A Ukrainian soldier of the 48th separate brigade launches a reconnaissance drone in Kharkiv region
02:00 , Bryony Gooch
Ukraine's foreign ministry advises against travel to Hungary
01:00 , Bryony GoochUkraine's Foreign Ministry said on Friday it advises Ukrainians against travel to Hungary due to the inability to guarantee their safety amid arbitrary actions by the Hungarian authorities.
The ministry also called on Ukrainian and European businesses to take into account the risks of any business activity in Hungary after Kyiv accused Budapest of "taking hostage" seven state bank employees who were shipping around $82 million in cash and gold.
Zelensky: Trump using US missiles on Iran risks leaving Ukraine short
00:00 , Bryony Gooch
Zelensky: Trump using up all his missiles on Iran risks leaving Ukraine short
Watch: Five injured in Ukrainian drone attack on major Russian oil terminal
Friday 6 March 2026 23:00 , Bryony GoochUS offers India 30-day waiver to buy Russian oil amid Iran war
Friday 6 March 2026 22:00 , Bryony Gooch
US offers India 30-day waiver to buy Russian oil amid Strait of Hormuz disruption
Seven Ukrainian nations held in Budapest safely cross the border
Friday 6 March 2026 21:53 , Shaheena UddinSeven Ukrainian nationals who were held in Budapest have been released and have safely crossed the border into Ukraine, according to the Ukrainian foreign minister.
I have already briefed President @ZelenskyyUa that we were able to secure the release of seven Ukrainian nationals who were held in Budapest.
— Andrii Sybiha 🇺🇦 (@andrii_sybiha) March 6, 2026
They are already safe and they have crossed the Ukrainian border. Our consuls have provided necessary assistance.
I thank our team at… pic.twitter.com/74zA9Yin8v
Russian energy demand seeing 'significant' bump from Iran war, Kremlin says
Friday 6 March 2026 21:00 , Bryony GoochThe war in Iran has fuelled a significant bump in demand for Russian oil and gas, the Kremlin said on Friday, boosting exports which have been battered in recent years by sanctions linked to Russia's war in Ukraine.
The Iran conflict, now in its seventh day, has left the Strait of Hormuz, a critical shipping chokepoint, all but shut, cutting countries off from a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas supplies.
"We are seeing a significant increase in demand for Russian energy resources in connection with the war in Iran," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Friday, saying Russia "remains a reliable supplier" of both oil and gas, including LNG. On Thursday, the U.S. Treasury issued a 30-day waiver allowing India to buy Russian oil currently stuck at sea, following months of US pressure on New Delhi not to purchase Russian barrels.
Peskov declined to disclose possible volumes that could be shipped to India under the waiver.
It’s too dangerous to see my own children, admits Ukraine’s Zelensky
Friday 6 March 2026 20:00 , Bryony Gooch
It’s too dangerous to see my own children, Ukraine’s Zelensky admits
Lithuania prosecutes five people over 2024 parcel blasts
Friday 6 March 2026 19:00 , Bryony GoochLithuania's deputy general prosecutor said on Friday he has initiated court proceedings against five persons over detonations of parcels carried by DHL and DPD in Europe in 2024.
The suspects, citizens of Lithuania, Ukraine and Russia, are accused of terrorism.
Watch: Zelensky plans to expand 'security 'cooperation' from partners as Ukraine provides support in US-Iran war
Friday 6 March 2026 18:00 , Bryony GoochHungary to expel seven Ukrainian nationals, government spokesperson says
Friday 6 March 2026 17:00 , Bryony GoochHungary is going to expel all seven Ukrainian nationals who were detained while they were transporting cash and gold from Austria to Ukraine, government spokesman Zoltan Kovacs wrote on X on Friday.
Kovacs also said that the team transporting cash and gold was "supervised by a former general of the Ukrainian Security Service, with a former major of the Ukrainian Air Force acting as deputy and assisted by individuals with military experience.”
Russian oil and gas surges in demand due to Iran war
Friday 6 March 2026 16:46 , Shaheena UddinThe war in Iran has fuelled a significant surge in demand for Russian oil and gas, the Kremlin said on Friday, boosting exports which have been damaged by sanctions linked to Russia's war in Ukraine.
A week on since the conflict in Iran began, the Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping chokepoint, remains shut, blocking a fifth of the world’s oil and gas from passing through.
"We are seeing a significant increase in demand for Russian energy resources in connection with the war in Iran," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Friday, saying Russia "remains a reliable supplier" of both oil and gas, including liquefied natural gas (LNG).
Berlin warns against losing sight of Ukraine's needs amid Iran war
Friday 6 March 2026 16:00 , Bryony GoochGerman defence minister Boris Pistorius on Friday warned against neglecting Ukraine's need for air defence supplies against the backdrop of the war in the Middle East, where demand has skyrocketed since Iran started mounting counter-attacks.
"Everyone knows that air defences and air defence missiles are a rare commodity globally. The ongoing war in the Middle East must not cause us to lose focus on the war in Europe, the war against Ukraine," Pistorius told reporters in Berlin.
"We must continue doing everything to support Ukraine while not leaving the Gulf countries alone, maybe (helping them out) here and there with equipment or logistics."
Watch: Ukraine brings back 200 prisoners of war in swap with Russia
Friday 6 March 2026 15:30 , Bryony GoochRussia warns Finland it will be more vulnerable if its hosts nuclear weapons
Friday 6 March 2026 15:00 , Bryony GoochRussia said on Friday it would respond if Finland placed nuclear weapons on its territory, saying such a move would make the Nordic country more vulnerable.
The Kremlin reacted sharply after NATO member Finland said on Thursday it was planning to lift a longstanding ban on hosting such weapons, in a move that could open the door to placing them there during times of war.
"This is a statement that leads to an escalation of tensions on the European continent," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.
"This statement adds to Finland's vulnerability, a vulnerability provoked by the actions of the Finnish authorities. The fact is that by deploying nuclear weapons on its territory, Finland is beginning to threaten us. And if Finland threatens us, we take appropriate measures."
The Finnish shift is part of a wider rethink of European deterrence that has prompted France to offer to extend the protection of its nuclear arsenal to other allies on the continent.
The changes are being driven by Russia's war in Ukraine and the unpredictable behaviour of US president Donald Trump - notably his threat to take over Greenland - which has unsettled his NATO allies.
Zelenskyy says he's reluctant to repair pipeline that brings Russian oil to Central Europe
Friday 6 March 2026 14:30 , Bryony GoochZelenskyy says he's reluctant to repair pipeline that brings Russian oil to Central Europe
Lithuania says Russia is expanding military units on NATO borders
Friday 6 March 2026 14:00 , Bryony GoochRussia is expanding military units at the border with NATO, giving them battle experience in Ukraine, and could use them as hubs in a conflict with NATO after the war, Lithuanian intelligence said on Friday in its annual assessment of security threats.
If sanctions are removed, Russia would be ready for a "wide-scale military conflict" with NATO in six years' time, the intelligence assessment said.
"Russia would likely create not only a 30-50 percent larger army than it had before the war but also a relatively modern one. Strategic reserves of weapons and ammunition would be fully restored. Russia would be ready for a conventional military conflict with NATO," the Lithuanian intelligence report said.
Tipping the balance of power in Europe in its favour, as well as a total subjugation of Ukraine, remain top Russian goals, said the report.
The Russian Defence Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Ukraine and Russia exchanging 1,000 prisoners this week, US says
Friday 6 March 2026 13:17 , Bryony GoochUkraine and Russia exchanged 1,000 individuals in a prisoner exchange this week, Trump special envoy Steve Witkoff said in an X post on Friday, adding that discussions remain ongoing with more progress expected in coming weeks.
This week, Ukraine and Russia carried out another prisoner exchange, with 1000 individuals returned following agreements reached during the recent trilateral negotiations in Geneva with the United States.
— Special Envoy Steve Witkoff (@SEPeaceMissions) March 6, 2026
This exchange was achieved thanks to sustained and detailed peace…
Orban says will stop Ukraine's critical transit shipments across Hungary
Friday 6 March 2026 12:30 , Arpan RaiHungary will stop transit shipments going across Hungary that are important for Ukraine as long as Ukraine halts Russian crude shipments via the Druzhba pipeline, Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orban told state radio this morning.
Orban again accused Kyiv of blackmail and said Hungary would use all means at its disposal until oil flows resume.
"We have stopped... diesel exports to Ukraine, we still maintain power exports, and we will stop transit shipments going through Hungary that are important for Ukraine... until we get Ukraine's approval for the oil shipments," Orban said.
Hungary's Orban blocks Ukraine's EU bid, says will not let it happen
Friday 6 March 2026 12:00 , Arpan RaiHungarian prime minister Viktor Orban has said he will not let Ukraine into the European Union after his public spat with Volodymyr Zelensky over several issues.
Orban has also threatened to stop transit shipments that are going across Hungary and deemed important for Ukraine, a state radio reported.
Tension has long been high between the two leaders during Russia's four-year war on Ukraine, with Orban maintaining a staunchly anti-interventionist stance.
The pro-Kremlin leader who has backed Putin’s military ambitions is currently sparring with Zelensky after detaining seven employees of Ukraine’s state savings bank.
Orban has also threatened Kyiv and said Budapest would force Ukraine with "political and financial tools" to reopen the Druzhba pipeline carrying Russian oil to Hungarian refineries.
The anti-Ukraine rhetoric, especially targeting Ukraine’s Nato ambitions, has also picked up ahead of Orban’s political test when Hungary goes to polls next month.
How war in the Middle East has delayed Russia-Ukraine talks
Friday 6 March 2026 11:30 , Arpan RaiThe Iran war, now in its sixth day, has drawn international attention away from Europe's biggest conflict since the Second World War, and forced the postponement of a new round of US-brokered talks between Russia and Ukraine planned for this week, Volodymyr Zelensky said.
Western governments and analysts say the Russia-Ukraine war has killed hundreds of thousands of people, while there is no sign that yearlong US-led peace efforts will stop the fighting any time soon.
“Right now, because of the situation around Iran, there are not yet the necessary signals for a trilateral meeting," Zelensky said.
"But as soon as the security situation and the overall political context allow us to resume that trilateral diplomatic work, it will be done,” he said.
Zelensky thanked the USfor the return from Russia yesteday of 200 Ukrainian prisoners of war. Russia's defence ministry also said it received the same number of prisoners from Ukraine and thanked the US and United Arab Emirates for mediating.
Prisoner swaps have been one of the few tangible results of the talks.
Vladimir Medinsky, a Russian negotiator, said on social media that a total of 500 prisoners from each side would be exchanged between Thursday and Friday.
US and mideast countries seek Kyiv's drone expertise
Friday 6 March 2026 11:00 , Arpan RaiThe US and its allies in the Middle East are seeking Ukraine's expertise in countering Iran's Shahed drones, according to Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky.
Various countries, including the US, have approached Ukraine for help in defending against the Iranian drones, Zelensky said late on Wednesday.
He said he has spoken in recent days with the leaders of the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Jordan and Kuwait about possible cooperation.
Russia has fired tens of thousands of Shaheds at Ukraine since it invaded its neighbor just over four years ago, launching a swarm of more than 800 drones and decoys in its biggest nighttime barrage. Iran has responded to joint US-Israeli strikes by launching the same type of drones at countries in the Middle East.
Ukrainian assistance in countering Iranian drones will be provided only if it does not weaken Ukraine's own defenses, and if it adds leverage to Kyiv's diplomatic efforts to stop the Russian invasion, according to the Ukrainian leader.
“We help to defend from war those who help us, Ukraine, bring a just end to the war" with Russia, Zelensky said.
Later Thursday, Zelensky said he had received a US request for support to defend against the drones in the Middle East and had given the order for equipment to be provided along with Ukrainian experts without providing further details.
“Ukraine helps partners who help our security and the protection of our people's lives," he added in a social media post.
Trump, in an interview on Thursday with Reuters, said, "Certainly I'll take, you know, any assistance from any country."
Repair crews restore line to Russian-held Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant in Ukraine
Friday 6 March 2026 10:30 , Arpan RaiRepair crews have restored an external line to the Russian-held Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in southeastern Ukraine nearly a month after it was taken out of operation, the head of Russia's nuclear energy corporation said yesterday.
Alexei Likhachev, director general of Rosatom, said in a statement made public by the company that repairs to the Ferosplavna-1 line connecting the plant to the power grid were completed late on Thursday afternoon.
The repair operation, he said, was completed one day ahead of schedule at the plant, Europe's largest nuclear plant with six reactors.
It was seized by Russia soon after Moscow's troops invaded Ukraine in February 2022.
The statement said Likhachev "wanted personally to thank our specialists, who completed the task ahead of schedule and did so while working round the clock in conditions of constant stress”.
A second external line had remained in operation throughout the work. Rafael Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the UN's nuclear watchdog, confirmed the line had been restored, saying its completion "strengthens nuclear safety and security".
The line went down on 10 February and Grossi said at the time that the incident was caused reportedly by "military activity".
Repairs were carried out under a ceasefire brokered by the IAEA.
The Zaporizhzhia plant is not producing electricity and relies on external power to keep its nuclear material cool and avoid a catastrophic accident.
Falling Ukrainian drone injures nine in Crimea, governor says
Friday 6 March 2026 10:00 , Arpan RaiA downed Ukrainian drone fell next to a five-storey apartment building in the port of Sevastopol in Russian-held Crimea, injuring nine people and causing considerable damage, the Russia-appointed governor said in the early hours today.
Mikhail Razvozhayev said the drone was filled with metal pieces and explosives fell next to the building, badly damaging it.
Nine people were injured, including six requiring hospital treatment, three of them children.
Trump pushes Zelensky to reach a deal with Putin: 'Even less cards'
Friday 6 March 2026 09:30 , Arpan RaiDonald Trump has once again pushed Volodymyr Zelensky to strike a deal with Russia and claimed that Vladimir Putin was ready to reach an agreement.
“Zelensky, he has to get on the ball, and he has to get a deal done,” Trump said in an interview with Politico.
The US president went back to his rhetoric from the tense White House showdown between him, Zelensky and vice-president JD Vance who publicly shot back at Zelensky to claim he was in a weak position.
“Now he’s got even less cards,” Trump said.
Trump has consistnely maintained his view that US support for Ukraine is wasteful to the US, berating his predecessor Joe Biden for assisting Ukraine with military aid against the Russian invasion.
At the same time, Trump has been reiterating the Kremlin’s stance that it is ready for peace, so long as Ukraine gives up its territory and security guarantees, along with Nato membership plans.
Zelensky and Orban exchange threats as Ukraine says its bank employees detained in Hungary
Friday 6 March 2026 09:00 , Arpan RaiUkrainian foreign minister Andrii Sybiha accused Hungary of detaining seven employees of Ukraine's state savings bank while they were transporting cash from Austria.
“In fact, we are talking about Hungary taking hostages and stealing money," Sybiha wrote on Friday on X after Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orban said Budapest would force Ukraine with "political and financial tools" to reopen the Druzhba pipeline carrying Russian oil to Hungarian refineries.
Sybiha said the employees were travelling in two cars through Hungary when they were detained. He said their whereabouts were unknown at the moment.
"If this is the 'force' announced earlier today by Mr Orban, then this is a force of a criminal gang. This is state terrorism and racketeering,” he said.
Tension has long been high between the two leaders during Russia's four-year war on Ukraine, with Orban maintaining a staunchly anti-interventionist stance.
EU member Hungary has maintained cordial ties with Moscow.
“We hope a certain person in the EU will not keep blocking the 90 billion... and Ukrainian soldiers will have weapons," Zelensky told reporters in Kyiv.
“Otherwise, we will give the address of this person to our armed forces, our guys. Let them call him, speak with him in their own language,” Zelensky said.
Hungary's Orban blocks Ukraine's EU bid, says will not let it happen
Friday 6 March 2026 08:30 , Arpan RaiHungarian prime minister Viktor Orban has said he will not let Ukraine into the European Union after his public spat with Volodymyr Zelensky over several issues.
Orban has also threatened to stop transit shipments that are going across Hungary and deemed important for Ukraine, a state radio reported.
Tension has long been high between the two leaders during Russia's four-year war on Ukraine, with Orban maintaining a staunchly anti-interventionist stance.
The pro-Kremlin leader who has backed Putin’s military ambitions is currently sparring with Zelensky after detaining seven employees of Ukraine’s state savings bank.
Orban has also threatened Kyiv and said Budapest would force Ukraine with "political and financial tools" to reopen the Druzhba pipeline carrying Russian oil to Hungarian refineries.
The anti-Ukraine rhetoric, especially targeting Ukraine’s Nato ambitions, has also picked up ahead of Orban’s political test when Hungary goes to polls next month.
It’s too dangerous to see my own children, Zelensky admits
Friday 6 March 2026 08:00 , Arpan RaiHow often does the man who is the prime target of his neighbour’s assassins, has survived numerous plots to kill him, and lives under bombardment, see his family.
The answer for Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky is “not much”.
But that is also the lot of hundreds of thousands of soldiers in his country and the millions of children who, like his own, go to school, or take courses at home because Vladimir Putin wants them dead too.
“Our children at school, they study and they have to run very quickly to shelters,” Zelensky told The Independent’s World of Trouble podcast in an exclusive interview.
“They have to do it. It doesn’t matter where they study, in the capital or, closer to the front line, because the missile is not choosing where to go. They just bring destruction… So that’s why all our children are in danger.”
It’s too dangerous to see my own children, Ukraine’s Zelensky admits
Orban says will stop Ukraine's critical transit shipments across Hungary
Friday 6 March 2026 07:50 , Arpan RaiHungary will stop transit shipments going across Hungary that are important for Ukraine as long as Ukraine halts Russian crude shipments via the Druzhba pipeline, Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orban told state radio this morning.
Orban again accused Kyiv of blackmail and said Hungary would use all means at its disposal until oil flows resume.
"We have stopped... diesel exports to Ukraine, we still maintain power exports, and we will stop transit shipments going through Hungary that are important for Ukraine... until we get Ukraine's approval for the oil shipments," Orban said.
Zelensky: Trump using up all his missiles on Iran risks leaving Ukraine short against Putin
Friday 6 March 2026 07:30 , Arpan RaiUkraine could now face a shortage of air defence missiles to protect its cities from attacks, Volodymyr Zelensky said, as the US and its allies use hundreds to defend against Iran’s waves of drones and rockets.
“The focus will shift to the Middle East, to the Iranian war, now, and to the United States and also to Israel,” Zelensky told the World of Trouble podcast. “This is very understandable. And to the countries in the Middle East, who are now under attacks, massive attacks of drones and missiles from the Iranian side.
“Our estimation, of course, is that air defence [for Ukraine] could decrease.”
Zelensky, who has been a vocal supporter of the latest US-Israeli air campaigns in Iran, and called for more support for the popular uprising earlier this year, said he has prepared his commanders to cope with the predicted shortfall in their own defences.
Zelensky: Trump using up all his missiles on Iran risks leaving Ukraine short
Zelensky warns of Russia's misuse of oil crisis due to war on Iran
Friday 6 March 2026 07:29 , Arpan RaiVolodymyr Zelensky has warned of the impact of the Iran war on oil prices, as Tehran has strangled shipping routes through the Arabian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz.
“How Russia uses [the price boom] or not will depend on how our partners will work with the biggest importers,” Zelensky told The Independent, without naming any countries.
The European Union remains Russia’s biggest gas client, and many maritime nations have been reluctant to stop and seize shadow oil tankers passing their territory.
Crude oil prices have surged by almost a fifth since Iran was attacked by Israel and the US.
China buys 48 per cent of Russia’s oil, and India buys 38 per cent of it, according to data published this month by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air. Much of this is delivered to them by a shadow fleet of tankers, in an effort to avoid international sanctions.
“So that’s why we have to work on it,” Zelensky continued.
“And we have to continue to work on sanctions, on shadow fleets, to stop tankers [carrying] Russian oil.”
He said that he did not expect Russian attacks using drones and other missiles to be affected by the US-Israeli offensive against Iran, which has been a major supplier of Shahed drones for the last four years, because Russia had moved much of its production of the Iranian weapons to its own territory.
Trump pushes Zelensky to reach a deal with Putin: 'Even less cards'
Friday 6 March 2026 07:00 , Arpan RaiDonald Trump has once again pushed Volodymyr Zelensky to strike a deal with Russia and claimed that Vladimir Putin was ready to reach an agreement.
“Zelensky, he has to get on the ball, and he has to get a deal done,” Trump said in an interview with Politico.
The US president went back to his rhetoric from the tense White House showdown between him, Zelensky and vice-president JD Vance who publicly shot back at Zelensky to claim he was in a weak position.
“Now he’s got even less cards,” Trump said.
Trump has consistnely maintained his view that US support for Ukraine is wasteful to the US, berating his predecessor Joe Biden for assisting Ukraine with military aid against the Russian invasion.
At the same time, Trump has been reiterating the Kremlin’s stance that it is ready for peace, so long as Ukraine gives up its territory and security guarantees, along with Nato membership plans.
Hungary's Orban blocks Ukraine's EU bid, says will not let it happen
Friday 6 March 2026 06:57 , Arpan RaiHungarian prime minister Viktor Orban has said he will not let Ukraine into the European Union after his public spat with Volodymyr Zelensky over several issues.
Orban has also threatened to stop transit shipments that are going across Hungary and deemed important for Ukraine, a state radio reported.
Tension has long been high between the two leaders during Russia's four-year war on Ukraine, with Orban maintaining a staunchly anti-interventionist stance.
The pro-Kremlin leader who has backed Putin’s military ambitions is currently sparring with Zelensky after detaining seven employees of Ukraine’s state savings bank.
Orban has also threatened Kyiv and said Budapest would force Ukraine with "political and financial tools" to reopen the Druzhba pipeline carrying Russian oil to Hungarian refineries.
The anti-Ukraine rhetoric, especially targeting Ukraine’s Nato ambitions, has also picked up ahead of Orban’s political test when Hungary goes to polls next month.
