At least 17 people have been killed as Russia launched a major aerial attack on Kyiv overnight, with several residential buildings set ablaze across the Ukrainian capital.
Another 86 people were injured in the Russian drone and missile barrage. A hotel in Kyiv’s central boulevard was also on fire, officials said.
Moscow said it had hit military and energy facilities around Kyiv, as well as military airports in several other regions, in retaliation for Ukraine's attack on civil infrastructure.
The attack comes hours after president Volodymyr Zelensky warned Russia was planning a massive night-time attack and said he was cutting short his visit to Dublin for the start of Ireland's six-month term in the rotating presidency of the EU.
Ukraine’s commander-in-chief Oleksandr Syrskyi had also said Russian president Vladimir Putin has ordered his military to find ways in which Russia can launch new offensive operations on Ukraine to capture Kyiv.
These include Russian offensives launched from Belarusian territory to capture the Ukrainian capital and its surrounding areas, Syrskyi said.
Key Points
- Death toll in Russian attack on Kyiv rises to 13, with 86 injured
- In pictures: Kyiv in ruins after Russia launches 'furious' missile attack
- 'Night of horror' in Ukraine as foreign minister calls for air defence support
- Russian military losses surge to 8:1 against Ukraine, says think tank
- Putin's hometown Leningrad comes under Ukrainian drone attack
Germany charges Ukrainian for Nord Stream attacks in 2022
12:31 , Alex Croft
German federal prosecutors has said that a Ukrainian national tied to the Nord Stream pipeline blasts has been charged with being an accomplice to a war crime, disruption of public services, causing an explosion and destroying structures.
Serhii K, as the suspect is known under German privacy rules, is suspected of acting on behalf of Ukrainian government entities, along with other military personnel, to destroy the pipelines in 2022.
Watch: Birds in Ukraine build nests with fibre optic cable
12:09 , Alex Croft
Poland detains two men suspected of spying for Belarus
11:46 , Alex Croft
Polish security services have detained a Belarusian citizen and a Polish citizen suspected of spying on Belarusian exiles on behalf of the Belarusian intelligence services, Polish security services said on Thursday.
"Men paid by Belarusian intelligence participated in events organized in Warsaw by the Belarusian minority, where they recorded and photographed participants," the spokesperson, Jacek Dobrzynski, wrote on X.
"The collected materials – passed across the eastern border – were used by (President Alexander) Lukashenko's services and regime propaganda."
The two arrests were part of an ongoing case in which three Belarusians and two Ukrainians were already detained last November.
A court ordered the 19-year-old Belarusian citizen to be held for three months, while the Polish citizen, 44, was barred from leaving the country and placed under police supervision.
The Belarusian embassy in Warsaw did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Putin briefed on Kyiv attack as Kremlin vows to keep pressure on Ukraine
11:25 , Alex Croft
President Vladimir Putin has been briefed by his top military commander about a massive overnight Russian strike on Kyiv, the Kremlin said on Thursday.
Peskov added that Moscow would continue to increase pressure on Ukraine in order to achieve its goals.
At least 17 people were killed in the attack, and scores wounded.
In a call with reporters, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov accused Europe of escalating tensions, and said Russia was unable to turn a blind eye to such moves.
Ukraine, Putin or call centre fraud: The theories behind assassination attempt on Ukrainian tycoon in Monaco
11:02 , Alex Croft
Vadym Iermolaiev was returning to his apartment in Monaco on a warm summer night last Monday with a woman and child when the bomb exploded.
Within seconds, the Ukrainian oligarch and the woman and child were lying covered in blood on the floor outside the building on the Rue Révérend-Père-Louis-Frolla.
The suspect, who dropped a suspected parcel bomb in the lobby, had already fled the scene. A manhunt to locate him is ongoing, while Iermolaiev and the other two victims are being treated for serious injuries at the Pasteur Hospital in Nice.
Two days since the attack, the case remains shrouded in mystery with sources offering various theories for why Iermolaiev, one of Ukraine’s richest men, was targeted.
Read more here:
Everything we know about the Monaco attack on a Ukrainian oligarch
Kyrgyzstan asks neighbours to boost fuel supplies amid Russian shortages
10:39 , Alex Croft
Kyrgyzstan has asked Kazakhstan, Belarus, Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan to help ensure stable fuel supplies late on Wednesday, amid concerns over potential shortages linked to Ukraine's drone strikes against Russian oil refineries.
The Central Asian country of 7 million people imports more than 90 per cent of its gasoline from Russia, which is itself facing acute fuel shortages following Ukrainian strikes on energy infrastructure.
Russian president Vladimir Putin said last week that Moscow may ban diesel exports, acknowledging mounting domestic shortages.
"To ensure sustainable fuel supplies, official requests have been sent to the relevant government authorities of the Russian Federation, the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Republic of Belarus, the Republic of Azerbaijan, the Republic of Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan", Kyrgyzstan's energy ministry said in a statement.
The ministry said fuel stocks remain sufficient and supplies are proceeding as planned. In June, Kyrgyz authorities introduced price controls on some retail fuel sales.
Death toll in Russian attack on Kyiv rises to 17, with 86 injured
10:17 , Alex Croft
The death toll following a Russian drone and missile attack on Kyiv early on Thursday has risen to 17, Ukraine's emergency services said.
Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko earlier said 13 had been killed and another 86 injured.
Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said 20 residential buildings were damaged across the city.
The Emergency Service says it deployed nearly 500 personnel and 100 units of specialized vehicles, including a helicopter, to deal with the aftermath of the attack.
Taiwan turns to drones as it seeks to replicate Ukraine's stellar defence
09:55 , Alex Croft
Taiwan needs a "hornet's nest" of drones to help deter conflict and provide security, the top US diplomat to the democratically governed island said on Thursday.
Taiwan says it needs to bolster its defences in the face of a stepped-up threat from China, which claims the island as its own territory.
The US and Taiwan can anchor "democratic" drone production and strengthen the collective deterrence posture of the free world, said Raymond Greene, director of the American Institute in Taiwan and the de facto US ambassador.
"Fortunately for Taiwan, drones have significantly boosted defenders, even when facing overwhelming odds," he added, referring to the war in Ukraine.
"Nothing will deter conflict more effectively than turning Taiwan into a hornet's nest of air, surface, and subsurface drones."
Moscow: Kyiv attack was retaliation for Ukrainian attacks on our infrastructure
09:33 , Alex Croft
As we’ve been reporting, Russia has conducted a massive and deadly attack on Ukraine's capital of Kyiv.
The attack also targeted locations using long-range, high-precision air-, land-, sea-launched weapons and drones, the Russian Defence Ministry has now said in a Telegram post on Thursday.
The ministry added it hit military and energy facilities around Kyiv, as well as military airports in several regions including in Poltava and Dnipropetrovsk - adding that it was retaliation for Ukraine's attack on civil infrastructure.
Kallas: Words of condemnation will not stop Russia - we need more sanctions
09:11 , Alex Croft
We’ve just heard from European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, who has responded to Russia’s large scale attack on Kyiv.
She said on Thursday she would propose more sanctions against Russia following a new wave of Russian attacks on Ukraine.
“Words of condemnation alone will not stop attacks on Kyiv. Only sustained military support for Ukraine and increased pressure on Moscow can do that,” she wrote on X.
"Today, I will propose to sanction more entities supporting Russia's military-industrial complex in response to the strikes. The more Moscow attacks civilians, the more sanctions must be imposed.”
Words of condemnation alone will not stop attacks on Kyiv. Only sustained military support for Ukraine and increased pressure on Moscow can do that.
— Kaja Kallas (@kajakallas) July 2, 2026
This week, the EU has started disbursing €6 billion under the €90 billion support loan to strengthen Kyiv’s defences.
Today, I…
Russia says it hit 'key military plants' in Kyiv
08:51 , Alex Croft
Russia's Defence Ministry said that its forces had hit what it called key military plants during overnight strikes on Kyiv which left at least 13 dead and dozens injured.
The Ukrainian Air Force said Moscow launched 74 missiles and 496 drones in the attack, which has left at least 86 injured, with the possibility that the casualty toll may yet rise.
Watch: Explosions light up Kyiv skyline as Russian attacks rain down on Ukraine's capital
08:30 , Alex Croft
Ukraine strikes oil refinery in Russia's Nizhny Novgorod region, says Kyiv
08:11 , Alex Croft
Ukrainian forces struck the Lukoil-Nizhegorodnefteorgsintez oil refinery in the town of Kstovo in Russia's Nizhny Novgorod region overnight, the Ukrainian General Staff said on Thursday.
According to preliminary data, a primary crude oil processing unit was hit, the General Staff said on Telegram, adding that the extent of the damage was being clarified.
We’ll bring you more on the attack as we get it.
Russia launches 74 missiles and 496 drones at Ukraine overnight
07:55 , Alex Croft
Russia launched 74 missiles and 496 drones overnight at Ukraine, Ukraine's air force said on Thursday.
It said on Telegram that air defence units downed or neutralised 48 missiles and 476 drones, but 25 ballistics missiles and 12 drones hit 33 locations.
The capital Kyiv was the main target of the attack, it said.
Death toll rises to 13, with 86 injured
07:39 , Alex Croft
The death toll in Russia’s huge attack on Kyiv has increased to 13, Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko has said.
Another 86 were injured, he added.
Damage was recorded in 30 locations across the city, mainly residential buildings and civilian infrastructure, said Tymur Tkachenko, head of the Kyiv City Military Administration.
Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said 20 residential buildings were damaged across the city.
The Emergency Service says it deployed nearly 500 personnel and 100 units of specialized vehicles, including a helicopter, to deal with the aftermath of the attack.
In pictures: Kyiv in ruins after Russia launches 'furious' attack
07:32 , Alex Croft
'Night of horror' in Ukraine as foreign minister calls for air defence support
07:15 , Arpan Rai
Ukraine’s foreign minister Andrii Sybiha has called on Ukraine’s allies to strengthen the country’s air defences following what he described as a “night of horror” in Kyiv, urging partners not to delay decisions on supplying air defence systems and missiles.
"Do not delay decisions on air defence for Ukraine! This is our main request to our partners after Kyiv suffered a night of horror," he said.
Writing on X, Sybiha said the death toll after the attack may rise as the rescue teams continued their work.
Russia has intensified its attacks on Kyiv in recent weeks, even as Ukraine’s own long-range drone campaign against Russian military sites and energy facilities has caused fuel shortages and disrupted supply lines.
Sybiha rejected any attempts to justify Russian strikes as retaliation for Ukraine’s long-range attacks, saying Ukraine was exercising its right to self-defence under Article 51 of the UN Charter while Russia remained the aggressor.
Russian military losses surge to 8:1 against Ukraine, says think tank
07:00 , Arpan Rai
Russia has suffered significant military losses in recent months, with casualties occurring at a significantly higher rate than earlier in the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, said Washington-based think tank Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS).
In a new report published on Wednesday, CSIS said Russia has suffered an estimated 1.4 million military casualties, including troops killed, wounded or missing since the start of its full-scale invasion in February 2022.
The toll is significantly higher than what Kyiv has seen, about 600,000 on the Ukrainian side, the think tank said.
Around 400,000 and 450,000 Russian troops have been killed, compared with 125,000 to 150,000 Ukrainian military deaths, the CSIS said.
Russian military losses were recorded to be around 325,000 in January this year and its monthly losses are now exceeding what it manages to recruit in the armed forces, the CSIS said.
The ratio of Russian to Ukrainian casualties has risen to 8:1 in the first half of this year, up from 2:1 and 3:1 seen initially during the war, it added.
11 killed in Russian missiles and drones attacks across Ukraine
06:46 , Arpan Rai
At least 11 people have been killed so far after Russia launched a large-scale attack on Ukraine's capital overnight into Thursday.
The attack with ballistic and cruise missiles and drones damaged buildings and civilian infrastructure across the city.
Many residents took shelter at metro stations after Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky and other authorities issued the first warnings of the attack.
The attack killed 11 people in Kyiv and damaged 20 residential buildings, according to interior minister Ihor Klymenko.
Tymur Tkachenko, head of the Kyiv City Military Administration, said 54 people were injured, including two children. Damage was recorded in 30 locations across the city, mainly residential buildings and civilian infrastructure, he added.
One killed in Ukraine drone attack on Russia's Novgorod
06:34 , Arpan Rai
One person was killed and an industrial facility damaged in a Ukrainian drone attack on Russia's Nizhny Novgorod region, the local governor Gleb Nikitin said this morning.
Four people were also injured in the attack, the governor added.
The region is home to NORSI oil refinery, one of Russia's largest.
Gasoline prices up 30 per cent in Crimea's Sevastopol after Ukraine's strikes
06:22 , Arpan Rai
Gasoline prices in Sevastopol, the largest city in the Russian-controlled Crimea peninsula, have jumped by 30 per cent in the last week, state statistical agency Rosstat said on Wednesday, as the region grapples with fuel shortages.
Ukraine has attacked supply lines in occupied Crimea in what it says is a campaign to hurt Russia's war effort. To deal with the resulting fuel shortages, authorities there have suspended fuel sales to private motorists and reduced the time that public transport and cafes operate.
In some Russian regions, retail gasoline prices have risen to some of the highest levels in Europe and to twice those of the United States, according to Reuters calculations.
Rosstat said that average gasoline prices in Russia rose by 1.6 per cent last week, slowing from a record-high weekly rise of 3 per cent in the week before.
Prices declined by 1.6 per cent and 0.7 per cent in the wider Moscow region and the city of Moscow respectively, it said.
In Sevastopol, where prices jumped by 30 per cent, the price of popular AI-95 gasoline reached 129.68 roubles per litre.
The Russian central bank said it would take into account the impact of rising domestic fuel prices and their secondary effects at its next rate-setting meetings.
Ukraine announces framework for wartime arms exports
06:07 , Arpan Rai
Ukrainian arms manufacturers will be able to export products and components under a new framework that channels a percentage of revenues into a state defence fund, prime minister Yulia Svyrydenko said.
Ukraine announced it was permitting wartime arms exports in February, but manufacturers have since complained of regulatory barriers as the government has retained tight control and threshed out a framework to regulate deals.
However, the country also needs funding for its defence industry, which has swelled since Russia's 2022 invasion, to further expand capacity and invest into research and development.
Svyrydenko said the scheme would levy 20 per cent of proceeds from finished defence goods and 30 per cent from components.
She said manufacturers would have to prove their capability to fulfill Ukrainian defence orders and export contracts simultaneously, and restrictions would apply to items placed on a list of critical goods.
"Every export contract must serve one strategic goal: strengthening Ukraine’s defence industrial base and delivering more weapons for our Armed Forces," Svyrydenko wrote.
The system would operate throughout the period of martial law, which has been in effect in Ukraine since Russia's invasion in February 2022.
Russia claims it strikes Ukraine in retaliation for recent attacks
05:39 , Arpan Rai
Russia said it has conducted a massive attack on Ukraine's capital of Kyiv and other locations using long-range, high-precision air, land, sea-launched weapons and drones.
The Russian defence ministry said it hit military and energy facilities around Kyiv, as well as military airports in several regions including in Poltava and Dnipropetrovsk, in what it said was retaliation for Ukraine's attack on civil infrastructure.
It did not acknowledge reports of Russian attacks on civilian buildings and hotel in Kyiv.
Officials in Kyiv said eight have been killed, including children, and more than three dozen injured in the deadly overnight attacks.
Widespread damage reported in Kyiv after overnight attacks
05:30 , Arpan Rai
Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko has urged residents to remain in shelters, describing an ongoing “furious enemy attack” on the capital.
He said five people were injured in the Shevchenkivskyi district and one of the injured, a paramedic, was in extremely critical condition.
Ukraine's Emergency Service says a hotel and two five-story residential buildings were damaged in the district.
In the Desnianskyi district, people were trapped inside a damaged nine-story residential building and rescuers headed to the scene, Klitschko said.
In the Holosiivskyi district, a fire broke out on the roof of a 16-story building, according to the Emergency Service.
In the Sviatoshynskyi district, fire broke out in two private residencies, the Emergency Service said. Debris trapped people in one of them, according to the mayor.
In the Darnytskyi district, six levels of a nine-story building collapsed after a Russian strike and another five-story residential building was damaged, Klitschko said.
The Emergency Service said a 16-story building and private residencies were damaged in the area.
Tkachenko said the attack partially destroyed a residential building in the Desnianskyi district, sparked fires near residential buildings at two locations in the Pecherskyi district, and ignited a fire near an administrative building in the Solomianskyi district.
He said authorities were also recording damage in the Obolonskyi and Podilskyi districts. The head of the Kyiv Regional Administration, Mykola Kalashnyk, said damage occurred in five regional districts. There were no immediate reports of casualties in the region.
Watch: Crew rescues survivors after Putin's latest attack on Kyiv
05:18 , Arpan Rai
Putin's hometown Leningrad comes under Ukrainian drone attack
05:00 , Arpan Rai
Ukrainian drones have targeted Russia’s Leningrad region, where Vladimir Putin’s home is situated, as Russian forces brought down seven drones, governor Alexander Drozdenkoof said this morning.
Leningrad is also home to large export and oil refining facilities.
Ukraine has recently intensified strikes deeper into the Russian territory, triggering a widespread fuel crisis in the world's third-biggest oil producer and forcing it to import gasoline from as far away as India.
Casualties rise in Kyiv as overnight attack leaves buildings on fire
04:49 , Arpan Rai
At least eight people were killed and over three dozen were wounded as Russian forces attacked the Ukrainian capital Kyiv overnight, officials said.
Russian drones and missiles struck residential buildings and started a fire in a hotel on a central boulevard.
Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko said 34 more were injured, adding that among the damages, the first to sixth floors of an apartment building collapsed after a direct hit.
Reuters video footage showed emergency services working through the rubble of that used to be a nine-storey building as the sun started to rise over Kyiv.
In an earlier post, Klitschko said the injured included paramedics and drivers at an ambulance station, and that some people were still trapped inside damaged residential buildings.
Pictures posted online showed a fire burning out of control at the top of a building on the central Shevchenko Boulevard, while elsewhere in the city, windows blew out and cars were destroyed. Multiple explosions were heard in Kyiv, a Reuters witness said.
In photos: Kyiv bombed with ballistic missiles overnight
04:45 , Arpan Rai
Poland scrambles jets as Ukraine bombed overnight
04:24 , Arpan Rai
Ukraine’s neighbour Poland, a Nato and European Union member, scrambled fighter jets on Thursday as a preventive measure.
Shortly after, the Polish Armed Forces said the fighter jets flights have been ended as no airspace violation was recorded.
Two killed and 16 injured as Russia launches overnight drone and missile attack on Kyiv
03:57 , Arpan Rai
Russian forces attacked the Ukrainian capital Kyiv overnight killing at least two people and injuring more than a dozen, as drones and missiles struck residential buildings and started a fire in a hotel on a central boulevard.
President Volodymyr Zelensky had earlier warned of a possible overnight attack and said he was cutting short his visit to Dublin for the start of Ireland's six-month term in the rotating presidency of the EU.
Tymur Tkachenko, head of the capital's military administration, said two people had been killed and 16 injured. He did not elaborate.
Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko, writing on Telegram, said the first to sixth floors of an apartment building collapsed after a direct hit.
In an earlier post, he said the injured included paramedics and drivers at an ambulance station, and that some people were still trapped inside damaged residential buildings.
Pictures posted online showed a fire burning out of control at the top of a building on the central Shevchenko Boulevard. Multiple explosions were heard in Kyiv, a Reuters witness said.
Carrying children, belongings, tents and pets, people crowded into underground stations, as air raid alerts were issued for most of Ukraine's territory on Thursday in Russia's worst attack on the country since mid-June.
Russia buys gasoline from India to tackle shortages – report
03:49 , Arpan Rai
Russia has started seaborne imports of gasoline from India, two industry sources said, in an effort to mitigate fuel shortages triggered by Ukrainian attacks on its energy infrastructure.
Fuel shortages are being felt across Russia's 11 time zones with rationing, long queues at filling stations and a record gasoline price increase.
The Kremlin said on Tuesday that Russia was in contact with other countries and discussing imports of fuel at acceptable prices.
An industry source told Reuters that at least 60,000 metric tons of gasoline have been dispatched from India to Russia.
Another source said that two tankers, with parcels of 30,000 to 40,000 tons each, have been sent.
A third source said that in total, Russia plans to import 400,000 tons of gasoline from various countries each month, including from neighbouring Belarus, which has already been exporting fuel to Russia.
Gasoline consumption in Russia is at least 110,000 tons per day in summer, when demand for fuel is high.
It is not clear which Indian refiner will be supplying gasoline to Russia.
President Vladimir Putin acknowledged on Sunday at a meeting with government ministers and other officials that Ukrainian drone strikes on oil refineries had triggered fuel shortages in some regions, but said that Russia was dealing with them.
Russia approved secret China military training at top level, sources say
03:00 , Alex Croft
China's covert military training of Russian forces last year was personally approved by president Vladimir Putin's defence minister and directly involved at least four Russian and Chinese generals, according to two European officials and documents seen by Reuters.
The officials said the involvement of such high-ranking individuals in training linked to the Ukraine war signalled the importance for Russia and China of such cooperation, which has caused alarm in Europe even as Beijing has denied it took place.
A classified Russian document seen by Reuters directly referred to an internal decree issued by defence minister Andrei Belousov in August, 2025.
It said that, in accordance with a decision by Belousov, a delegation from Russia's armed forces travelled to China to participate in training exercises at People's Liberation Army (PLA) facilities.
The report and a second one described and displayed images of Russian soldiers being lectured by a Chinese instructor, looking at a model nuclear reactor, and being taught about "chemical reconnaissance", "radiation reconnaissance" and protecting ventilation systems from contamination.
The inclusion of radiological, biological and chemical warfare training underlined the strategic nature of the exchanges, one of the European officials said, noting that the topic was particularly sensitive for militaries in general.
Why Ukraine wants £5.56bn of EU peace funds to be directed towards military aid
02:01 , Alex Croft
As we earlier reported, Ukraine is asking the EU to direct €6.6 billion (£5.68bn) available under the European Peace Facility to military aid, to take advantage of what it sees as a six-to-nine-month "window of opportunity" on the battlefield.
Ukraine is set to receive about €28.3 billion for defence purposes this year from the €90-billion EU loan, but even with that and Kyiv's own funding, "substantial" defence financing needs remain unmet, Fedorov said in the letter, dated June 26.
The funds under the EPF could become "one of the most impactful European contributions to Ukraine's defence effort this year, but only if those resources are directed where they can generate the greatest and most immediate military effect," he said.
Ukraine's total defence need is estimated at around €136 billion this year, with the Ukrainian budget covering around €53 billion of that amount, defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov said in a letter.
Russia's advances have slowed this year, with Ukraine staging successful counterattacks on some parts of the frontline and leveraging its mid- and long-range attacks on Russian territory to disrupt Moscow's logistics and curb its oil revenue.
Separately, Fedorov told a news conference on June 17 that he was seeking an additional $20 billion in military funding from the Ukraine Defence Contact Group — an alliance of 50 nations, also known as the Ramstein group, that provides aid to Ukraine — on top of $40 billion already committed.
In pictures: Russia launches attack on Kramatorsk, Donetsk region
Thursday 2 July 2026 00:30 , Alex Croft
Poland concerned Russia may seek to exploit Ukraine tensions with attack
Wednesday 1 July 2026 23:30 , Alex Croft
Polish special services are preparing for possible Russian sabotage operations aimed at inflaming tensions between Poles and Ukrainians, Tomasz Siemoniak, minister in charge of special services, told RMF FM Radio on Wednesday.
Relations between Poland and Ukraine have deteriorated after President Karol Nawrocki's decision to strip Volodymyr Zelensky of Poland's highest state honour due to a dispute over the naming of a Ukrainian army unit after insurgents blamed for massacring Poles during World War Two.
Siemoniak said Russian information warfare against Poland had intensified in recent weeks, with trolls and bots seeking to amplify disputes and influence Poland's online space.
"Russia's dream, the dream of the Russian services, was and is the greatest possible tension between Poland and Ukraine," Siemoniak said.
Asked about the possibility of a Russian provocation, including an attack targeting Ukrainians in Poland that could further inflame public sentiment, Siemoniak said such scenarios were entirely plausible.
He said authorities were not suggesting any specific plot was imminent but had to anticipate attempts by Russia to exploit current tensions.
Opening of Russia-North Korea bridge likely delayed, says US think tank
Wednesday 1 July 2026 22:31 , Alex Croft
Russia and North Korea are unlikely to open a road bridge connecting their countries soon, despite an earlier target of mid-June, US think tank 38 North said.
Satellite imagery has showed Russian-side facilities unfinished.
The 850-metre (2,789-ft) bridge, which will connect to Russia's highway system, was agreed during Russian president Vladimir Putin's visit to Pyongyang in June 2024, and will be a first road link between the two. The Russian embassy in Pyongyang had said in April that it would open on June 19.
Analysts say the bridge could eventually increase logistics activity by more than 40 per cent and help North Korea reduce its heavy reliance on China by deepening economic ties with Russia.
38 North, citing satellite imagery, said on Tuesday that the bridge over the Tumen River appears complete and North Korean border facilities are largely finished, but much more work is needed on the Russian side before the crossing can become operational.
The North Korean side has a large warehouse, parking lot, paved access roads and what appears to be a completed frontier post, while Russia's probable customs complex is far less advanced and is likely to be at least three times larger, the think tank said.
Russia's transport ministry declined to comment. The North Korean embassy in Moscow did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Watch: Zelensky mocks Putin’s 15 failed deadlines to capture Donbas
Wednesday 1 July 2026 21:29 , Alex Croft
Ukraine, Putin or call centre fraud: The theories behind assassination attempt on Ukrainian tycoon in Monaco
Wednesday 1 July 2026 20:31 , Alex Croft
Vadym Iermolaiev was returning to his apartment in Monaco on a warm summer night last Monday with a woman and child when the bomb exploded.
Within seconds, the Ukrainian oligarch and the woman and child were lying covered in blood on the floor outside the building on the Rue Révérend-Père-Louis-Frolla.
The suspect, who dropped a suspected parcel bomb in the lobby, had already fled the scene. A manhunt to locate him is ongoing, while Iermolaiev and the other two victims are being treated for serious injuries at the Pasteur Hospital in Nice.
Two days since the attack, the case remains shrouded in mystery with sources offering various theories for why Iermolaiev, one of Ukraine’s richest men, was targeted.
Read more:
Everything we know about the Monaco attack on a Ukrainian oligarch
Russia starts imports of gasoline from India
Wednesday 1 July 2026 19:30 , Alex Croft
Russia has started seaborne imports of gasoline from India, two industry sources said on Wednesday, in an effort to mitigate fuel shortages triggered by Ukrainian attacks on its energy infrastructure.
Fuel shortages are being felt across Russia's 11 time zones with rationing, long queues at filling stations and a record gasoline price increase.
The Kremlin said on Tuesday that Russia was in contact with other countries and discussing imports of fuel at acceptable prices.
Russia's energy ministry and India's oil ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
An industry source said at least 60,000 metric tons of gasoline have been dispatched from India to Russia. Another source said that two tankers, with parcels of 30,000 to 40,000 tons each, have been sent.
A third source said that in total, Russia plans to import 400,000 tons of gasoline from various countries each month, including from neighbouring Belarus, which has already been exporting fuel to Russia.
Russia domestic fuel market well supplied with petrol, claims deputy PM
Wednesday 1 July 2026 18:29 , Alex Croft
Russia's domestic fuel market is well supplied with gasoline and diesel and problems are quickly being tackled, deputy prime minister Alexander Novak said on Wednesday, amid widespread reports of shortages.
He said there were shortages at some filling stations due to supply chain disruption, adding that oil majors were keeping retail prices in check.
Zelensky arrives in Ireland as Dublin takes over presidency of Council of EU
Wednesday 1 July 2026 17:31 , Alex Croft
Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in Ireland on Wednesday as Dublin takes over the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union.
"We hope that during Ireland’s presidency ... we will be able to achieve tangible progress on the path to membership and open all negotiating clusters," Zelensky said on X.
Arrived in Ireland to take part in the opening ceremony of Ireland’s presidency of the Council of the European Union. I will also meet with Taoiseach Micheál Martin and President of the European Council António Costa.
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) July 1, 2026
Every day, Ukraine proves that it deserves to be an equal… pic.twitter.com/3KunHP8pj8
US indispensible in Ukraine's defence, says Nato secretary general
Wednesday 1 July 2026 16:30 , Alex Croft
The US remains indispensible for the defence of Ukraine, said Nato secretary general Mark Rutte, at a news conference alongside German chancellor Friedrich Merz, and German defence minister Boris Pistorius.
"When it comes to the defence of Ukraine, the US is still indispensable," he said.
"Europe is massively supporting Ukraine in money, and in support and in defence industrial output.
Look at Germany, when it comes to what Germany is doing bilaterally, but also through the Czech ammunition initiative and other initiatives and also investing in the defence industrial base in Ukraine so that's Europe. But also the US. And we need both," he added.
Germany to continue purchasing US weapons, says defence minister
Wednesday 1 July 2026 15:29 , Alex Croft
Germany will continue to purchase US weapons even as it seeks to become less dependent on US military supplies, German defence minister Boris Pistorius said on Wednesday.
"Despite seeking to become more independent, nobody has ever said we'll refrain from buying American (weapons) systems. This is not the case and will not be the case in future," he told reporters in Berlin.
"We are working very closely together with the U.S. defence industry and aim to continue doing so."
Watch: Birds in Ukraine build nests with fibre optic cable
Wednesday 1 July 2026 15:01 , Alex Croft
Sweden’s Saab signs $2.54bn Gripen fighter jet deal with Ukraine
Wednesday 1 July 2026 13:45 , Alex Croft
Swedish defence equipment maker Saab signed a contract to deliver 16 Gripen E fighter aircraft to Ukraine in a deal worth about 24.6bn Swedish crowns.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky, writing on the Telegram messaging app, said the agreement reached with Swedish prime minister Ulf Kristersson involved the purchase of 16 Gripen E aircraft and included technical support.
Saab said deliveries of the aircraft were scheduled for 2029-2030.
In remarks on the Ukrainian presidential website, Zelensky said deliveries of Gripen C/D aircraft would begin early in 2027.
Zelensky said he had discussed implementation of the agreement and broader defence cooperation with Swedish defence minister Pal Jonson during a meeting in Kyiv on Tuesday, including drone and missile-defence projects.
Ukraine's forces strike oil refinery in Russian city of Ufa
Wednesday 1 July 2026 08:24 , Alex Croft
Ukraine's forces have struck an oil refinery in the Russian city of Ufa, more than 1,300 km (800 miles) from the frontline, for the second time, president Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Wednesday.
Mr Zelensky also reported a strike on what he said was a "strategic facility" in the Penza region, involved in making components for missile weaponry used by Moscow in attacks on Ukraine.
"The distance to the target is about 600 kilometers from the frontline," he said on X.
Watch: Emotional Putin pays respects at funeral of former defence minister Sergei Ivanov
Wednesday 1 July 2026 08:00 , Alex Croft
