The discovery of an explosive-laden drone near a runway at Germany’s Leipzig/Halle airport reflects a "new threat" spilling over from the Ukraine war, German interior minister Alexander Dobrindt said.
Germany has opened a counterterrorism investigation after the drone was discovered by airport workers in a restricted cargo area near the southern runway.
While Dobrindt did not directly blame Russia for the incident, according to Bild the drone was found close to a Ukrainian Antonov cargo plane.
Flights were suspended and several aircraft, including some owned by German logistics firm DHL, were diverted.
After the drone sparked the part closure of one of Europe’s biggest cargo hubs, Dobrindt said: “Drone sightings and drone threats in a hybrid context are something we have known from the past, but a drone armed with explosives being present on airport grounds is a new threat scenario."
This comes as Volodymyr Zelensky issued a fresh plea for help, telling allies that ballistic missile interceptors “could have saved the lives” of 17 people killed in Kyiv on Tuesday night.
The president has urged Donald Trump and other partners to step up their support, as Russia looks to “significantly ramp up its ballistic missile production”.
Key Points
- Explosive drone at German airport raises new danger, minister says
- Russian soldier opens fire killing three civilians and one colleague in Crimea
- Ballistic missile interceptors 'could have saved lives', Zelensky says
- Death toll in attacks on Kyiv rises to 17 - Zelensky
- Putin names new chief of Russia's drone force
Rubio and Miliband discuss Ukraine war, boosting Europe's role in its own security
04:42 , Arpan Rai
US secretary of state Marco Rubio and foreign secretary Ed Miliband discussed the importance of Europe taking a greater role in its security during a meeting in Washington yesterday, the State Department said in a statement.
A British official said they also reaffirmed the strength of the relationship between the two allies, including their shared commitment to the Nato security alliance.
Rubio told reporters before the meeting that Ukraine would also be on the agenda.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has ratcheted up appeals to allies for more air defence missiles as Russia escalates ballistic missile strikes.
Miliband had planned to underline that Ukraine's security is inseparable from European and transatlantic security, and to reiterate the UK's commitment to stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes, his ministry said.
Watch: Ukrainian forest covered in fibre optic cables left by Russian drones
04:33 , Arpan Rai
Explosive drone at German airport raises new danger, minister says
04:05 , Arpan Rai
German interior minister Alexander Dobrindt said the explosive-laden drone found near a runway at Leipzig/Halle airport overnight was a hybrid attack which opened a new level of danger.
Germany opened a counterterrorism investigation on Wednesday after the drone prompted the closure of parts of one of Europe's biggest cargo hubs.
“Drone sightings and drone threats in a hybrid context are something we have known from the past, but a drone armed with explosives being present on airport grounds is a new threat scenario," Dobrindt said, after an emergency meeting with the heads of Germany's security services on Wednesday night.
Airport workers discovered the drone in a restricted cargo area near the southern runway overnight. Flights were suspended and several aircraft, including some owned by German logistics firm DHL, were diverted. Authorities said there had been no danger to passengers or airport staff and most operations resumed by morning after one runway was reopened.
All speculation about the explosives, the drone, its origin, and who is behind it, is now part of the investigation, the interior minister said. "It is part of the nature of hybrid threats that it is not always immediately clear where they originate," Dobrindt said.
Putin names new chief of Russia's drone force
03:00 , Alex Croft
Russian president Vladimir Putin has named Denis Lyamin to head Russia's Unmanned Systems Forces, a newly established branch of the military that will be responsible for drone warfare.
Lyamin was previously chief of staff for the "Centre" group of the Russian armed forces.
The 47-year-old, who graduated from Chelyabinsk Higher Tank Command School in 2001, commanded the 58th Combined Arms army in 2023.
He also served as the commander of the 22nd Army Corps in Crimea after November 2020.
Russian forces claim control of two more Ukrainian villages, claims defence ministry
01:30 , Alex Croft
Russian forces have taken control of two more Ukrainian villages, the Russian defence ministry claimed on Wednesday.
Moscow named the villages as Ryzhivka in the Sumy region and Zirnytsia in the Zaporizhzhia region.
EU to use £1.2 billion of interest generated by frozen Russian assets to help Ukraine
Thursday 6 August 2026 00:01 , Alex Croft
As we reported earlier, the European Commission has said the EU will use £1.2 billion taken from interest generated by frozen Russian assets to help Ukraine.
The money was transferred to the blog on 3 August and comes from interest on cash balances, part of Russian central bank assets frozen by the EU in the wake of Moscow's invasion, the Commission added.
"Russia must pay for the destruction it has caused. And we are using the proceeds from the immobilised Russian assets to make sure it does," European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said in the statement.
"We are making a further €1.4 billion of them available to Ukraine. This will support Ukraine's continued resistance against Russia's illegal war," she added.
Zelensky says air defence missile supplies down threefold from 2025
Wednesday 5 August 2026 23:01 , Alex Croft
Supplies of air defence missiles to Ukraine are three times less than in 2025, Volodymyr Zelensky said on Wednesday.
The Ukrainian president urged politicians in allied countries to approve more deliveries.
"This concerns not only this summer period, but every period of the first half of 2026," Mr Zelensky said on X following a deadly Russian strike on Kyiv, during which Ukraine did not manage to intercept any incoming missiles.
“Our partners do have the missiles. It is important that the necessary political decisions on supplies and the acceleration of production processes are ultimately made – including decisions on localization in Ukraine.”
I held a meeting with our military, the Ministry of Defense, and the teams of the Security Service of Ukraine, the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine, and the Office. First, the report from Mykhailo Drapatyi, Ihor Skybiuk, and Yevhenii Khmara on the situation at the front and key… pic.twitter.com/HUiXvXVbHg
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) August 5, 2026
North Korea sends missile unit to Russia as Putin tries to exploit Ukraine weakness
Wednesday 5 August 2026 22:01 , Alex Croft
A North Korean missile unit has been sent to Russia, set to be equipped with 120 ballistic missiles and six launchers for strikes against Ukraine.
Russia has fired scores of North Korean ballistic missiles at Ukraine since late 2023, but the deployment of North Korean missile forces would be an expansion of the already extensive military cooperation between Moscow and Pyongyang.
Andrii Cherniak of Ukraine's Main Directorate of Intelligence said Russia planned to base the missile unit of around 90 North Korean personnel in the western Russian region of Voronezh, within its 112th Missile Brigade.
Ukraine is very short of high-end air defences and Russia has tried to exploit this by using more ballistic missiles, which are particularly hard to shoot down.
Read more here:
North Korea sends missile unit to Russia as Putin tries to exploit Ukraine weakness
War of attrition hits new phase, says Zelensky’s aide
Wednesday 5 August 2026 21:00 , Alex Croft
Serhii Beskrestnov, an adviser to Ukraine’s president on defence technology development, said the war of attrition has entered a new phase.
“The enemy is attacking everything indiscriminately — retail warehouses, food storage facilities, logistics hubs, enterprises, building materials warehouses,” he said on Facebook.
One of the companies that came under heavy fire overnight was the Epicentr, one of Ukraine’s largest retail and construction chains.
It said in a statement on Facebook that “in minutes, Russian missiles destroyed what the company had built over decades.”
One employee was killed and three others were wounded. Russia hit two of the company’s key logistics hubs.
A direct hit also destroyed the production floor of its ceramic tile factory, forcing the company to halt manufacturing there and shift production abroad, with full recovery expected to take up to two years, the company said.
Epicentr also voiced support for other Ukrainian businesses damaged in the attack, saying it understood “how many years of work, effort, faith and daily responsibility stand behind every enterprise.”
Watch: Ukraine shares video of Russian drone 'hunting down' market vendor
Wednesday 5 August 2026 20:00 , Alex Croft
Zelensky says he spoke to NATO head Rutte about securing interceptors
Wednesday 5 August 2026 19:57 , Harriette Boucher
Volodymyr Zelensky has spoken with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte about the possibility of securing more air defence interceptors.
“Mark is well-informed about the threats, and we have coordinated our efforts regarding countries that possess the necessary missiles and the capability to help,” the Ukrainian president wrote on X.
“It is crucial to eliminate all bureaucracy and make the required political decisions.”
After speaking with the Ukrainian leader, Rutte said in a post on X that he is “discussing with Allies how we can continue to get Ukraine the air defences they urgently need”.
Russia launches 28 missiles and 115 drones overnight
Wednesday 5 August 2026 19:01 , Alex Croft
Russian forces have attacked Ukraine with 28 missiles and 115 drones of overnight, the Ukrainian Air Force said.
Anti-ship missiles were launched from the Kursk and Rostov regions, with other types of missiles fire from Bryansk and Kursk, it said in an update on Facebook.
"As of 08:30, [Ukrainian] air defence forces had destroyed or jammed 98 Shahed, Gerbera, Italmas and other types of drones in the country's north, south and east,” the Air Force said.
“Hits by missiles and 17 UAVs have been recorded at 26 locations and the fall of downed aerial assets (debris) at six locations."
“The attack is ongoing, as several enemy drones are still in Ukrainian airspace. Please observe safety measures."
Ballistic missile interceptors 'could have saved lives', Zelensky says
Wednesday 5 August 2026 18:54 , Harriette Boucher
Ballistic missile interceptors “could have saved the lives” of Ukrainians killed on Wednesday, Volodymyr Zelensky said, as he pleaded partners to help.
“It is very important that our partners understand that delays in supplying them, or an unwillingness to provide anti-ballistic systems, lead directly to such horrific casualties and destruction.
“Partners who are not yet ready to play a more active role in supplying interceptors can help by implementing new sanctions.”
Overnight, at least 17 people were killed and 42 others wounded in Kyiv in one of Russia’s deadliest attacks of the year.
Russian soldier opens fire killing three civilians and one colleague in Crimea
Wednesday 5 August 2026 18:01 , Alex Croft
A Russian soldier in Crimea opened fire and killed four people - one colleague and three civilians - in an apparent random gun rampage.
The soldier first opened fire on his colleagues, killing one and wounding another.
An official said the solider then turned his weapon on civilians, killing three, in the village of Khmelnytske.
According to the BBC, the victims were two men, aged 71 and 59, and a 64-year-old woman.
Three other people were wounded, said Mikhail Razvozhayev, the Russian-installed governor of the Sevastopol region. He said the attacker had been arrested.
Read more here:
Russian soldier opens fire killing three civilians and one colleague in Crimea
Analysis | The real worry for Ukraine’s allies as beach strike on Russian civilians marks a shift in the war
Wednesday 5 August 2026 17:00 , Alex Croft
The gentle splash of breaking waves on a resort beach and the laughter of children having innocent fun gives way to the screech and crack of an explosion. Seven people dead – three of them are children.
This was the scene on Monday in the Russian Black Sea town of Gelendzhik where, even if every adult killed and all 40 of those injured were wide-eyed fans of Vladimir Putin and part of his war machine, the children were innocent.
It was the sort of attack that, if carried out by Russia against Ukraine, would have sparked international outrage and allegations of war crimes by targeting civilian areas.
“What happened today was a deliberate attack by the Kyiv regime on the civilian population, which has no connection whatsoever to military infrastructure,” Veniamin Kondratyev, the governor of southern Krasnodar region, which includes the resort, said in a statement on Telegram.
Ukraine does not have a policy of attacking civilian targets.
Russia does.
But as Kyiv steps up its war inside the Russian Federation, there have been, and will be, more civilian deaths.
World affairs editor Sam Kiley writes.
Zelensky welcomes new UK defence secretary to Kyiv
Wednesday 5 August 2026 16:29 , Alex Croft
Volodymyr Zelensky has welcomed new UK defence secretary Wes Streeting to Kyiv for the first time.
Mr Streeting was chosen for the role by Britain’s new prime minister, Andy Burnham, replacing John Healey, who is now chancellor of the exchequer.
“It was a pleasure to welcome @wesstreeting to Kyiv for the first time,” he said. “We appreciate that his visit comes right after yet another Russian attack on our people. I briefed the Secretary on the consequences of this onslaught against life and on our needs, as Russia seeks to significantly ramp up its ballistic missile production ahead of winter.”
It was a pleasure to welcome @wesstreeting to Kyiv for the first time. We appreciate that his visit comes right after yet another Russian attack on our people. I briefed the Secretary on the consequences of this onslaught against life and on our needs, as Russia seeks to… pic.twitter.com/rX6LDd4Gts
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) August 5, 2026
Russian strike on Odesa transport facility injures 10 as firefighters battle blaze - ICYMI
Wednesday 5 August 2026 16:01 , Alex Croft
Russian space agency facility erupts in flames - state media
Wednesday 5 August 2026 15:30 , Alex Croft
A blazer has erupted at a research building belonging to Russian space agency Roscosmos in Korolyov outside Moscow, the state-run Tass news agency is reporting.
The Moscow space agency’s lead research institute is the Central Research Institute of Mechanical Engineering, situated in Korolyov.
The cause of the fire has not yet been confirmed - we’re working to bring you more.
How a day at the beach in Crimea turned to chaos after Ukrainian drone smashed into civilians and killed seven
Wednesday 5 August 2026 14:59 , Alex Croft
Russia has said that seven people, including three children, were killed and 40 injured on a Crimea beach after a Ukrainian drone smashed into a busy holiday resort.
Another 40 people were injured after a drone crashed into the beach near the Black Sea town of Gelendzhik on Monday, in what Moscow claimed was a deliberate attack. Ukraine has not claimed responsibility and there is currently no evidence to suggest civilians were targeted.
It comes as Kyiv drives up its long-range attacks in Moscow, seeking to ramp up the pressure on Vladimir Putin to bring an end to his four-and-a-half year war.
Read more here:
How a Ukrainian drone crashed into busy beach in occupied Crimea and killed 7
Macron condemns Russia's latest attacks on Kyiv
Wednesday 5 August 2026 14:34 , Alex Croft
French president Emmanuel Macron has condemned Russia’s latest attacks on Kyiv, vowing that the EU will step up their pressure on Moscow via sanctions.
“In Kyiv and its region, Russia has once again chosen to target civilians. This policy of terror, carried out with missiles and drones, is unacceptable,” he wrote on X.
At least 17 people were killed in Moscow’s latest overnight attack on the Ukrainian capital.
He added: “Each new attack reinforces an obvious truth: Russia must pay the price for its aggression and answer for its crimes. Alongside Ukraine, we will not yield to either fatigue or intimidation.”
Head of Russian drone factory wounded after car explodes - Russian reports
Wednesday 5 August 2026 14:10 , Alex Croft
We’re hearing reports from Russian news outlet Kommersant, which says that the head of a Russian drone factory was wounded and his driver killed when their car exploded in the Yekaterinburg region.
A source in the emergency service told state news agency Tass that Vladimir Tkachuk, the head of the Uraldronzavod company, was in intensive care and medics were fighting for his life.
Watch: Ukraine shares video of Russian drone 'hunting down' market vendor
Wednesday 5 August 2026 13:47 , Alex Croft
Zelensky says air defence missile supplies down threefold from 2025
Wednesday 5 August 2026 13:24 , Alex Croft
Supplies of air defence missiles to Ukraine are three times less than in 2025, Volodymyr Zelensky said on Wednesday.
The Ukrainian president urged politicians in allied countries to approve more deliveries.
"This concerns not only this summer period, but every period of the first half of 2026," Mr Zelensky said on X following a deadly Russian strike on Kyiv, during which Ukraine did not manage to intercept any incoming missiles.
“Our partners do have the missiles. It is important that the necessary political decisions on supplies and the acceleration of production processes are ultimately made – including decisions on localization in Ukraine.”
I held a meeting with our military, the Ministry of Defense, and the teams of the Security Service of Ukraine, the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine, and the Office. First, the report from Mykhailo Drapatyi, Ihor Skybiuk, and Yevhenii Khmara on the situation at the front and key… pic.twitter.com/HUiXvXVbHg
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) August 5, 2026
Wednesday 5 August 2026 13:01 , Alex Croft
Russian forces claim control of two more Ukrainian villages, claims defence ministry
Wednesday 5 August 2026 12:38 , Alex Croft
Russian forces have taken control of two more Ukrainian villages, the Russian defence ministry claimed on Wednesday.
Moscow named the villages as Ryzhivka in the Sumy region and Zirnytsia in the Zaporizhzhia region.
The Independent could not verify the battlefield reports from Moscow.
Putin names new chief of Russia's drone force
Wednesday 5 August 2026 12:16 , Alex Croft
Russian president Vladimir Putin has named Denis Lyamin to head Russia's Unmanned Systems Forces, a newly established branch of the military that will be responsible for drone warfare.
Lyamin was previously chief of staff for the "Centre" group of the Russian armed forces.
The 47-year-old, who graduated from Chelyabinsk Higher Tank Command School in 2001, commanded the 58th Combined Arms army in 2023.
He also served as the commander of the 22nd Army Corps in Crimea after November 2020.
Russia says it struck seven logistics centres in and around Kyiv
Wednesday 5 August 2026 11:53 , Alex Croft
Russia has shared more detail on its overnight strikes against Ukraine on Wednesday, saying that it had struck seven logistics centres in Kyiv and the surrounding region.
The warehouses it targeted are used to store or distribute dual-use goods and drone components, Moscow claimed, as it added its forces had hit three cargo ships in the Black Sea.
Four of the centres were in the Ukrainian capital, including the Nova Poshta innovation terminal and logistics centre which it called the largest automated sorting centre for dual-use components - items that have both civilian and potential military applications.
Ukrainian officials say Russia’s overnight strikes, which are part of an intensifying bombing campaign against what Russia says are targets related to Ukraine's drone forces, killed at least 17 people.
In retaliation, Ukrainian drones have attacked at least 20 warehouses belonging to Russia's biggest e-commerce retailer Wildberries since July 18, destroying a number of them, while also continuing to strike Russian oil refineries.
Kyiv says it is "bringing the war home" to ordinary Russians and seeking to raise the cost to Moscow of continuing the conflict.
Moscow claims it struck three Ukrainian military cargo vessels in Black Sea
Wednesday 5 August 2026 11:29 , Alex Croft
Russia's Defence Ministry has claimed that its forces had hit three vessels used to transport Ukrainian military cargo in the Black Sea, according to the Interfax news agency.
We are working to bring you more on the reports.
In pictures: Ukraine targets Russian online retailer Wildberries again
Wednesday 5 August 2026 11:05 , Alex Croft
EU to use £1.2 billion of interest generated by frozen Russian assets to help Ukraine
Wednesday 5 August 2026 10:41 , Alex Croft
The European Union us set to use €1.4 billion (£1.2 billion) taken from interest generated by frozen Russian assets to help Ukraine, the European Commission said on Wednesday.
The money was transferred to the blog on 3 August and comes from interest on cash balances, part of Russian central bank assets frozen by the EU in the wake of Moscow's invasion, the Commission added.
"Russia must pay for the destruction it has caused. And we are using the proceeds from the immobilised Russian assets to make sure it does," European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said in the statement.
"We are making a further €1.4 billion of them available to Ukraine. This will support Ukraine's continued resistance against Russia's illegal war," she added.
Analysis | The real worry for Ukraine’s allies as beach strike on Russian civilians marks a shift in the war
Wednesday 5 August 2026 10:03 , Alex Croft
The gentle splash of breaking waves on a resort beach and the laughter of children having innocent fun gives way to the screech and crack of an explosion. Seven people dead – three of them are children.
This was the scene on Monday in the Russian Black Sea town of Gelendzhik where, even if every adult killed and all 40 of those injured were wide-eyed fans of Vladimir Putin and part of his war machine, the children were innocent.
It was the sort of attack that, if carried out by Russia against Ukraine, would have sparked international outrage and allegations of war crimes by targeting civilian areas.
“What happened today was a deliberate attack by the Kyiv regime on the civilian population, which has no connection whatsoever to military infrastructure,” Veniamin Kondratyev, the governor of southern Krasnodar region, which includes the resort, said in a statement on Telegram.
Ukraine does not have a policy of attacking civilian targets.
Russia does.
But as Kyiv steps up its war inside the Russian Federation, there have been, and will be, more civilian deaths.
World affairs editor Sam Kiley writes.
Russian soldier opens fire killing three civilians and one colleague in Crimea
Wednesday 5 August 2026 09:25 , Alex Croft
A Russian soldier in Crimea opened fire and killed four people - one colleague and three civilians - in an apparent random gun rampage.
The soldier first opened fire on his colleagues, killing one and wounding another.
An official said the solider then turned his weapon on civilians, killing three, in the village of Khmelnytske.
According to the BBC, the victims were two men, aged 71 and 59, and a 64-year-old woman.
Three other people were wounded, said Mikhail Razvozhayev, the Russian-installed governor of the Sevastopol region. He said the attacker had been arrested.
Read more here:
Russian soldier opens fire killing three civilians and one colleague in Crimea
Death toll in attacks on Kyiv rises to 17 - Zelensky
Wednesday 5 August 2026 08:57 , Alex Croft
The death toll of Russia’s strikes on Kyiv has risen to 17, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has said in a post on social media.
Another 44 were injured after Moscow launched 24 ballistic missiles, 4 Zircon/Oniks missiles, and another 115 drones at Ukraine overnight.
“The main targets of the attack were warehouse facilities belonging to civilian businesses,” he said.
“There were also strikes on infrastructure and a railway station. These facilities had nothing to do with the war – a brewing company, construction materials warehouses, and civilian logistics facilities.”
As of now, 44 people have been reported injured in the massive Russian strike on Kyiv and the Kyiv region. Another 17 people, tragically, were killed. My condolences to their families and loved ones. It was a heavy strike – 24 ballistic missiles, 4 Zircon/Oniks missiles, and… pic.twitter.com/4LoHXXkt8R
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) August 5, 2026
Russia launches 28 missiles and 115 drones overnight
Wednesday 5 August 2026 08:40 , Alex Croft
Russian forces have attacked Ukraine with 28 missiles and 115 drones of overnight, the Ukrainian Air Force said.
Anti-ship missiles were launched from the Kursk and Rostov regions, with other types of missiles fire from Bryansk and Kursk, it said in an update on Facebook.
"As of 08:30, [Ukrainian] air defence forces had destroyed or jammed 98 Shahed, Gerbera, Italmas and other types of drones in the country's north, south and east,” the Air Force said.
“Hits by missiles and 17 UAVs have been recorded at 26 locations and the fall of downed aerial assets (debris) at six locations."
“The attack is ongoing, as several enemy drones are still in Ukrainian airspace. Please observe safety measures."
Watch: Russian strike on Odesa transport facility injures 10 as firefighters battle blaze
Wednesday 5 August 2026 08:21 , Alex Croft
War of attrition hits new phase, says Zelensky’s aide
Wednesday 5 August 2026 08:01 , Arpan Rai
Serhii Beskrestnov, an adviser to Ukraine’s president on defence technology development, said the war of attrition has entered a new phase.
“The enemy is attacking everything indiscriminately — retail warehouses, food storage facilities, logistics hubs, enterprises, building materials warehouses,” he said on Facebook.
One of the companies that came under heavy fire overnight was the Epicentr, one of Ukraine’s largest retail and construction chains.
It said in a statement on Facebook that “in minutes, Russian missiles destroyed what the company had built over decades.”
One employee was killed and three others were wounded. Russia hit two of the company’s key logistics hubs.
A direct hit also destroyed the production floor of its ceramic tile factory, forcing the company to halt manufacturing there and shift production abroad, with full recovery expected to take up to two years, the company said.
Epicentr also voiced support for other Ukrainian businesses damaged in the attack, saying it understood “how many years of work, effort, faith and daily responsibility stand behind every enterprise.”
North Korea sends missile unit to Russia as Putin tries to exploit Ukraine weakness
Wednesday 5 August 2026 07:38 , Arpan Rai
A North Korean missile unit has been sent to Russia, set to be equipped with 120 ballistic missiles and six launchers for strikes against Ukraine.
Russia has fired scores of North Korean ballistic missiles at Ukraine since late 2023, but the deployment of North Korean missile forces would be an expansion of the already extensive military cooperation between Moscow and Pyongyang.
Andrii Cherniak of Ukraine's Main Directorate of Intelligence said Russia planned to base the missile unit of around 90 North Korean personnel in the western Russian region of Voronezh, within its 112th Missile Brigade.
Ukraine is very short of high-end air defences and Russia has tried to exploit this by using more ballistic missiles, which are particularly hard to shoot down.
North Korea sends missile unit to Russia as Putin tries to exploit Ukraine weakness
14 killed as Russia strikes Kyiv region to avenge attacks on warehouses
Wednesday 5 August 2026 06:57 , Arpan Rai
Russian strikes around Ukraine's capital of Kyiv killed fourteen people, injured 27 and damaged warehouses overnight, emergency service officials said on the Telegram messaging app.
Air raid alerts lasted for more than an hour across the capital of 3 million, where the military administration said seven sites were pummelled in an assault that began after midnight.
Authorities said one person died, 24 were injured and buildings damaged in several areas of Kyiv.
“There may still be people under the rubble,” mayor Vitali Klitschko wrote on Telegram after rescuers pulled two people from the ruins of a warehouse near the city centre that was destroyed in the attack.
“Search and rescue operations are proceeding." An ambulance driver was among the 24 injured, four of them still in critical condition, he added.
US presses on with Ukraine Patriot missile talks, sources say, despite Trump's doubts
Wednesday 5 August 2026 06:41 , Arpan Rai
The US is pressing ahead with talks on allowing Ukraine to make Patriot interceptor missiles, which Kyiv urgently wants to defend against Russian attacks, even after president Donald Trump cast doubt on such a deal, four sources familiar with the discussions said.
The discussions include an option for Ukraine to build some components for final assembly elsewhere in Europe, the sources added. Kyiv has been seeking more PAC-3s, the newest type of Patriot missile and one of the few weapons capable of downing the ballistic missiles Russia has been launching into Ukraine in growing numbers.
During a meeting with Zelenskiy in Ankara, Turkey, last month, Trump said the US would grant Ukraine a license to manufacture PAC-3s in a boost for Kyiv.
But last week, Trump appeared to reverse course after what two of the sources described as a challenging meeting with Zelensky at the White House.
He told reporters that the US had not agreed to letting Ukraine build Patriot missiles and the US must be “very careful about letting somebody build them.”
Washington's envoy to Nato, Matthew Whitaker, is now leading the push to reach an agreement and traveled to Kyiv last month to discuss the issue and assess options with Ukrainian officials and weapons industry executives, the four sources said.
“No order was given to halt the discussions,” one of the sources said, adding that talks continued with US arms makers, military officials and others.
Russia says it hit logistic hubs in Kyiv and nearby region
Wednesday 5 August 2026 06:10 , Arpan Rai
Russia has hit logistic hubs and supply centres in Ukraine's capital of Kyiv and the surrounding region, the Russian defence ministry said on Telegram, claiming that those were used for military purposes.
It has also hit three cargo vessels near the Black Sea port of Odesa, it said.
North Korean missile unit deploys in Russia for Ukraine war, Kyiv says
Wednesday 5 August 2026 06:00 , Arpan Rai
A North Korean missile unit has begun deploying to western Russia and could be equipped with 120 ballistic missiles and six launchers for strikes against Ukraine, an official at Ukraine's military intelligence agency said.
Andrii Cherniak of Ukraine's Main Directorate of Intelligence said Russia planned to base the missile unit of around 90 North Korean personnel in the western Russian region of Voronezh, within its 112th Missile Brigade.
Pyongyang has already sent a new batch of 40 KN-23 and KN-24 missiles and personnel to Russia, but the configuration of the deployment and total number of missiles will be finalised at top-level talks next month, he said.
Russia expects the deployment to involve 120 North Korean ballistic missiles and six launchers, he said. It is not clear what precise role the North Koreans would play in Russian missile operations.
The deployment described by Cherniak appears to coincide with Russia last week firing its first two North Korean missiles at Ukraine since last August.
Rob Lee, a senior fellow at the Foreign Policy Research Institute, a Philadelphia-based think tank, said the North Korean resources were a significant threat for Kyiv.
In photos: Smoke shrouds Kyiv as major attack rips through Ukraine capital
Wednesday 5 August 2026 05:47 , Arpan Rai
Death toll rises in Kyiv as 14 killed in Russian ballistic missiles attack
Wednesday 5 August 2026 05:36 , Arpan Rai
Russian strikes killed fourteen people, injured another 27 and damaged a number of warehouses in the region surrounding Ukraine's capital of Kyiv overnight, the emergency service said in a Telegram post.
Russian forces attacked the Ukrainian capital Kyiv with waves of ballistic missiles in the early hours today, triggering fires in a 20-storey apartment block and other buildings, the city's mayor said.
Mayor says 184 drones targeted Moscow area yesterday
Wednesday 5 August 2026 05:09 , Arpan Rai
A total of 184 Ukrainian drones targeted Moscow and the surrounding area throughout the day on Tuesday, the city's mayor said.
Sergei Sobyanin, writing on the Telegram messaging app, said that count was registered between 8.30am to 10pm.
Most of the drones had been intercepted some distance from the capital, he said, with 18 destroyed on approach to the city.
Ukrainian drones targeting Moscow have become a common occurrence in recent months. On rare occasions, drones have damaged buildings in the city.
Why Ukraine is targeting Russia’s ‘Amazon’ Wildberries with major strikes
Wednesday 5 August 2026 05:02 , Arpan Rai
Ukraine launched a wave of drone strikes deep into Russia this week, hitting a major logistics hub belonging to e-commerce Wildberries in the Ryazan region.
Ukrainian drones struck two more warehouses belonging to Russian online retailer Wildberries overnight on Thursday, sparking fires at both sites, the company and a regional official said.
Ukraine has attacked about a dozen Wildberries sites since July 18 in a bid to disrupt the operations of the company, a linchpin of the consumer economy that is often described as Russia's answer to Amazon. Kyiv accused the firm of helping to bolster Vladimir Putin’s war machine.
According to Data Insight analyst Sergei Semko, goods destroyed by strikes on Wildberries warehouses in Moscow and Tambov regions alone were worth up to an estimated $2.9bn.
Why Ukraine is targeting Russia’s ‘Amazon’ Wildberries with major strikes
Russian shipping firm suspends Black Sea orders after Ukrainian drone attack
Wednesday 5 August 2026 04:51 , Arpan Rai
Russian logistics and shipping group FESCO has suspended accepting new shipment requests via the Black Sea after a Ukrainian drone attack on one of its vessels, the company said on Tuesday.
Russia's state nuclear corporation Rosatom, which owns FESCO, said earlier that the vessel Yanina was damaged by Ukrainian seaborne drones and sank in the Black Sea overnight from Friday to Saturday.
Putin lifts recent deposit restrictions from foreign national and firms' Russia-based branches
Wednesday 5 August 2026 04:43 , Arpan Rai
Russian president Vladimir Putin has signed a decree exempting bank deposits held by foreign citizens and Russian-registered branches of overseas companies from recently imposed restrictions that had effectively frozen the funds.
Moscow introduced special "Type C" bank accounts in 2022 that serve as a financial blockade against what Russia deems "unfriendly countries" – nations that imposed sanctions on the Kremlin over its military operation in Ukraine.
Funds belonging to foreign investors, major Western corporations, and institutional funds are directed into these accounts and effectively frozen.
From 1 June, 2026, bank deposits of foreigners from unfriendly countries were also frozen in the special Type C accounts.
However, according to the new amendments, those restrictions on bank deposit withdrawals will no longer apply to foreign individuals, or to deposits made by branches, permanent representative offices, and other structural units of foreign companies, provided they are registered within the Russian Federation.
Under the decree, these categories of foreign depositors are permitted to freely manage their funds and withdraw ruble equivalents that were credited to Type-C accounts between 1 June, 2026, and the document’s effective date on 4 August, 2026.
One killed and 22 injured in Russian attacks on Kyiv
Wednesday 5 August 2026 04:15 , Arpan Rai
Russian forces attacked the Ukrainian capital Kyiv with waves of ballistic missiles in the early hours today, killing one person, injuring 22 and severely damaging buildings in several districts of the city of 3 million people.
The city's military administration said seven sites had come under attack in the assault that began after midnight. Air raid alerts for Kyiv remained in place for more than an hour.
Mayor Vitali Klitschko said one warehouse building had been destroyed near the city centre and rescue teams had pulled two people from the ruins.
"There may still be people under the rubble," he wrote. "Search and rescue operations are proceeding." He said an ambulance driver was among the injured.
Klitschko said the attack triggered fires in warehouses and storage areas, but initial reports that a 20-storey apartment building was ablaze proved to be inaccurate. A large fire broke out on the city's outskirts, he said, and debris from a fallen missile had landed next to a residential building.
The city's military administration also said the attack triggered an ammonia leak, which was being tackled by emergency crews. Reuters witnesses said explosions had been heard throughout the city.
Klitschko said air defence units had gone into action to repel the assault. In the surrounding Kyiv region, another person was killed and 21 other people injured, local authorities said on Telegram.
Wildberries warehouse in Russia's Tula region on fire after drone attack
Wednesday 5 August 2026 04:11 , Arpan Rai
A warehouse of top online Russian retailer Wildberries in Russia's Tula region caught fire after a Ukraine drone attack that injured one person, regional governor Dmitry Milyayev said on Telegram this morning.
He said two industrial facilities in the Novomoskovsk and Uzlovaya areas and two apartment buildings in another part of the Tula region were also damaged.
Russian soldier opens fire killing three civilians and one colleague in Crimea
Wednesday 5 August 2026 03:59 , Arpan Rai
A Russian soldier in Crimea opened fire and killed four people - one colleague and three civilians - in an apparent random gun rampage.
The solider first opened fire on his colleagues, killing one and wounding another.
An official said the solider then turned his weapon on civilians, killing three, in the village of Khmelnytske.
According to the BBC, the victims were two men, aged 71 and 59, and a 64-year-old woman.
Three other people were wounded, said Mikhail Razvozhayev, the Russian-installed governor of the Sevastopol region. He said the attacker had been arrested.
There was no information on the motive for the attacks.
Russian soldier opens fire killing three civilians and one colleague in Crimea
The real worry for Ukraine’s allies as beach strike on Russian civilians marks a shift in the war
Wednesday 5 August 2026 02:00 , Holly Evans
The gentle splash of breaking waves on a resort beach and the laughter of children having innocent fun gives way to the screech and crack of an explosion. Seven people dead – three of them are children.
This was the scene on Monday in the Russian Black Sea town of Gelendzhik where, even if every adult killed and all 40 of those injured were wide-eyed fans of Vladimir Putin and part of his war machine, the children were innocent.
It was the sort of attack that, if carried out by Russia against Ukraine, would have sparked international outrage and allegations of war crimes by targeting civilian areas.
Read the full analysis here:
The real worry for Ukraine’s allies as beach strike on civilians marks shift in war
Russian forces attack Ukrainian capital Kyiv with ballistic missiles, officials say
Wednesday 5 August 2026 01:00 , Holly Evans
Russian forces attacked the Ukrainian capital Kyiv with waves of ballistic missiles early on Wednesday, officials said.
The city's military administration, writing on Telegram, said warehouse buildings had been set ablaze in two districts.
"The danger remains high," the administration's post said.
Mayor Vitali Klitschko said on Telegram that emergency crews had been dispatched to the scene of one strike in a northern suburb. He said air defence units were in action to repel the assault.
Russian fuel tanker convoy hit by Ukrainian forces travelling to Crimea
Wednesday 5 August 2026 00:00 , James Reynolds
The US army has used up “virually all” of its stockpile of highly accurate long-range missiles during its five-month war with Iran, according to three people familiar with the data, raising concerns about the military's readiness for future conflicts.
The missiles are principally the Army's surface-to-surface weapons, known as Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) and Precision Strike Missiles (PrSM). Two sources told Reuters the pre-war stockpiled were almost entirely depleted.
The long-range munitions – which cost more than $1 million each – are an important part of the military's arsenal, allowing accurate strikes from a safe distance.
US-supplied ATACMS have played a key role in the war in Ukraine, allowing Ukrainian forces to attack targets inside Russia. The PrSM is a newer, more advanced generation that will replace the ATACMS, which have a shorter range.
The dramatic rundown in precision, long-range missiles means US President Donald Trump may have to rely more on riskier, piloted bombing missions if he relaunches large-scale attacks on Iran.
Three people familiar with the matter expressed concerns that the falling missile supplies could limit the US ability to deter adversaries, including Russia and China.
Russian shipping firm suspends Black Sea orders after Ukrainian drone attack
Tuesday 4 August 2026 23:00 , James Reynolds
Russian logistics and shipping group FESCO has suspended accepting new shipment requests via the Black Sea after a Ukrainian drone attack on one of its vessels, the company said on Tuesday.
Russia's state nuclear corporation Rosatom, which owns FESCO, said earlier that the vessel Yanina was damaged by Ukrainian seaborne drones and sank in the Black Sea overnight from Friday to Saturday.
In pictures: Mourners attend funeral of young volunteer killed in Russian strike
Tuesday 4 August 2026 22:00 , James Reynolds
Recap: Putin accused of war crime after drone hunts down market vendor in grim ‘human safari’
Tuesday 4 August 2026 21:00 , James Reynolds
Ukraine accused Russia of committing a war crime on Tuesday after widely-shared footage appeared to show a drone chasing down and wounding a civilian market vendor in Kherson.
Footage released by Ukrainian police shows the drone pursuing an unidentified man around a van being used as a street stand before exploding after he dives for cover behind the vehicle. Police said the vendor, a man in his 50s, survived but suffered shock and shrapnel injuries.
Ukrainian foreign minister Andrii Sybiha said the “barbaric Russian war crime” demands international condemnation and justice. He claimed the pilot would have been aware they were targeting a civilian, branding them a “sadist”.
President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned what he called the ‘drone safari’, saying that that Russia had deliberately hunted down a man selling vegetables. He said “the world must see” the video and “every piece of evidence that Russia has gone mad and that its soldiers take pleasure in killing and abusing civilians”.
“Without pressure on Russia, the dismantling of its capacity for aggression, and real security guarantees, it is simply impossible to imagine the world being able to coexist with this evil,” he wrote in a post on X.
Ripped from home and sent to Russia: The story of Ukraine’s children
Tuesday 4 August 2026 20:00 , James Reynolds
Exclusive: An extraordinary new documentary gives Ukrainian children the chance to tell their own stories of war, forced deportation from their homes and survival.
Their testimony lays bare the devastating human cost of Russia’s invasion, reports Mark Hollingsworth:
Ripped from their families and sent to Russia: The tragic story of Ukraine’s children
