Peace talks between Washington, Moscow and Kyiv are on a “situational pause, for obvious reasons” the Kremlin has said, as war in Iran continues.
President Donald Trump vowed to end the Ukraine war on his return to the White House but has said efforts to resolve the conflict have been one of his biggest disappointments.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters: "This is a situational pause, for obvious reasons," in response to a front page story in Izvestia about the halt in talks which suggested the war could push Kyiv towards compromise.
It comes as EU leaders are expected to call on Hungarian leader Viktor Orban to stop blocking a vital €90bn (£77bn) package of financial support for Ukraine at talks today.
Orban and other EU leaders agreed to provide Kyiv with the loan in December but Hungary later withdrew its support, citing damage to an oil pipeline providing his country with Russian energy.
The Hungarian leader, who has maintained close ties to Vladimir Putin and clashed with Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky, has shown no sign of backing down and said: "No oil deliveries? No money. It's that simple," in a post on X on Tuesday.
Key Points
- EU leaders to press Hungary's Orban to lift block on Ukraine loan
- Russia says no part of country safe from Ukraine’s long-range attacks
- Ukraine attacks Russian aircraft sites 800km from border
- Ukraine advances in 'kill zone' areas as forces strike Russian drone unit in Donetsk - watch
- Sean Penn gets Oscar made from blown-up Ukrainian train after skipping ceremony
Kremlin decries Ukrainian drone attacks on energy infrastructure
04:50 , Arpan RaiRussia has said Ukraine’s drone attacks on energy sites in southern Krasnodar region connected to the TurkStream and Blue Stream gas pipelines which carry natural gas to Turkey via the Black Sea will affect the already volatile market.
Gazprom said at least 26 Ukrainian drones targeted three compressor stations between Tuesday and Thursday.
Gazprom said the compressor stations “ensure” the flow of natural gas through the two pipelines, which are the only remaining routes for Russian pipeline gas exports to Europe.
“As global energy markets are feeling unease… such irresponsible and thoughtless actions by the Kyiv regime can further destabilize the situation in the region and the entire world,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said.
Russia loses 1,700 troops in deadliest day of war this year
04:29 , Arpan RaiRussia lost more than 1,700 troops this week on Tuesday, suffering its deadliest day of war against Ukraine, military officials said.
Ukraine’s general staff said it had killed or wounded 1,710 Russian troops on March 17 and destroyed 29 artillery systems as well as 230 vehicles and fuel tankers.
Russia’s average daily losses have been recorded between 700 to 900 troops per day in recent months, in data shared by the Ukrainian military.
The increased death and injured toll among Russian forces could indicate Moscow’s planned spring offensive to capture more territory of Ukraine.
Ukraine said its unmanned systems force, which oversees drone strikes, was responsible for killing or wounding 900 Russian soldiers in a day and a half, after Moscow’s forces attempted to surge forward on the Zaporizhzhia front.
The Russian troops were attempting to move in using infantry, motorcycles and horses under cover of fog before being wiped out, said Robert Brovdi, head of the Ukrainian drone unit “Magyar’s Birds”.
Zelenskiy says Ukrainian negotiators heading to US for Saturday talks
04:10 , Arpan RaiPresident Volodymyr Zelensky has said Ukrainian negotiators were headed to the United States for new talks this weekend on a resolution to the four-year-old war pitting Kyiv against Moscow.
"There has been a pause in the talks. It is time to end that and we will do everything so that the talks can be truly meaningful," Zelensky said in his nightly video address.
"The Ukrainian team... is already on the way and we expect a meeting on Saturday in the United States”, he said.
Orban's veto 'act of serious disloyalty', says Germany's Merz
03:50 , Arpan RaiGerman chancellor Friedrich Merz said the European Commission had been asked by leaders to find ways to pay out the loan, and called Viktor Orban's veto an unprecedented "act of serious disloyalty".
"This will leave its mark," he said. "This is a serious violation of the principle of loyalty of the member states amongst each other, and it damages the standing of the European Union."
EU will find ways to get loan to Ukraine, von der Leyen says
03:25 , Arpan RaiThe EU will find ways to pay out the promised €90bn (£77bn) loan to Ukraine despite Hungary's ongoing resistance, European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said.
"We will deliver one way or the other," von der Leyen told reporters after a summit in Brussels, where EU leaders failed to convince Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orban to lift his blockade on the vital EU loan to Ukraine.
EU leaders condemned the "unacceptable" resistance by Hungary during their meeting, EU Council president Antonio Costa said.
"A deal is a deal, we need to honour our word. And no one can blackmail the European Council," Costa said.
Watch: Kremlin says Ukraine peace talks on 'pause' as Iran war wages on
03:00 , Joe MiddletonUkraine counting on EU to unblock €90bn package, Zelensky says
02:53 , Arpan RaiA 90 billion-euro aid package from the European Union that is currently blocked by Hungary is critical for Kyiv as it faces a "very difficult" situation while fighting Russia, president Volodymyr Zelensky said on Thursday.
In comments to the European Council, he added that Ukraine was working productively with the EU on restoring the Druzhba oil pipeline damaged by Russia, and that he has received signals from the US that peace talks with Russia may resume soon.
Estonia summons Russian diplomat after Russian jet violates Estonian airspace
01:00 , Joe MiddletonEstonia has summoned the Russian charge d'affaires after a Russian fighter jet violated the Baltic country's airspace on March 18, Estonian foreign minister Margus Tsahkna said on Thursday.
The violation occurred near Vaindloo Island in the Gulf of Finland, off Estonia's northern coast, where a Russian SU-30 fighter aircraft entered Estonian airspace and remained for around one minute, Estonia's foreign ministry said.
"The violation was responded to by a unit of the Italian Air Force, and there was no threat to Estonia's security," Tsahkna said.
Peace talks on a 'situational pause' says Peskov
00:15 , Joe MiddletonThe Kremlin said on Thursday that trilateral peace talks on Ukraine with the United States were on a "situational pause".
Russia's Izvestia newspaper said the Iran war had temporarily halted negotiations between Moscow, Washington and Kyiv. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia hopes the pause will end and another round of negotiations can be held.
He added that the widening of the war in the Middle East was destabilising energy markets, with global consequences including for Russia.
Kremlin says it will try to assist Russian archaeologist facing extradition to Ukraine
Thursday 19 March 2026 23:12 , Joe MiddletonThe Kremlin said on Thursday that it would do everything possible to assist a Russian archaeologist who is facing extradition to Ukraine.
Alexander Butyagin is accused by Ukraine of involvement in unauthorised excavation and plundering historical artefacts in Crimea, which was annexed by Russia in 2014.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that it was obvious the Polish court harboured pro-Ukrainian sympathies.
EU leaders fail to convince Hungary's Orban to lift block on Ukraine loan
Thursday 19 March 2026 22:00 , Bryony GoochEuropean Union leaders failed to convince Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orban on Thursday to lift his blockade on a vital 90-billion-euro ($103 billion) EU loan to Ukraine, officials said.
"They tried. They failed," one European official said of the efforts by other EU leaders to convince Orban at a summit in Brussels.
EU leaders agreed to the loan in December but Orban, who has cordial ties with Russia and has clashed with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky, has blocked its implementation, citing a dispute over a war-damaged pipeline.
Orban's stance has angered other EU leaders as Kyiv could run short of money in weeks if it does not receive new funding and his U-turn has called into question the credibility of the European Council, the EU's highest decision-making body.
"It was intense, a lot of pressure on Orban that (EU summit) decisions are respected by all," another European official said after the leaders discussed the Ukraine loan.
A third European official, referring to Orban, said: "Discussion was tough and rough, but Viktor is still not budging." A fourth said: "Everyone is increasingly angry with Orban."
The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss confidential discussions between leaders.
Italy warns Russian tanker could explode in Mediterranean at any time
Thursday 19 March 2026 21:00 , Bryony Gooch
Italy warns abandoned Russian tanker could explode in Mediterranean at any time
Watch: Ukraine advances in 'kill zone' areas as forces strike Russian drone unit in Donetsk
Thursday 19 March 2026 20:00 , Bryony GoochIn pictures: Zelensky speaking from Kyiv to EU leaders via video link during a roundtable of the EU Summit
Thursday 19 March 2026 19:00 , Bryony Gooch
Russian blogger who denounced Putin ‘is in psychiatric facility’
Thursday 19 March 2026 18:00 , Bryony Gooch
Russian blogger who unexpectedly denounced Putin ‘put in psychiatric facility’
Ukraine counting on EU to unblock 90 billion euro package, Zelensky says
Thursday 19 March 2026 17:00 , Bryony GoochA 90 billion-euro aid package from the European Union that is currently blocked by Hungary is critical for Kyiv as it faces a "very difficult" situation while fighting Russia, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Thursday.
In comments to the European Council, he added that Ukraine was working productively with the EU on restoring the Druzhba oil pipeline damaged by Russia, and that he has received signals from the US that peace talks with Russia may resume soon.
Ukraine faces missile shortage due to war in Iran, says Zelensky
Thursday 19 March 2026 16:30 , Bryony Gooch
Ukraine faces missile shortage due to war in Iran, says Zelensky
Ukraine could boost rapeseed plantings if Iran conflict drags on
Thursday 19 March 2026 16:00 , Bryony GoochUkraine could boost rapeseed plantings by a third to 1.5 million hectares if the conflict in Iran drags on, its deputy economy minister told Reuters on Thursday, as soaring global fuel prices lift demand for biodiesel feedstocks.
Fuel prices have surged since US-Israeli strikes on Iran on 28 February sparked conflict in the Middle East, raising concerns of further increases if the war persists.
Ukraine is a major European producer and exporter of rapeseed, bought largely by EU countries for cooking oil and biodiesel.
"If this situation drags on, then yes, farmers will expand their rapeseed acreage and could reach 1.5 million hectares in autumn and that is 400,000 hectares more than today," Taras Vysotskiy said.
"It is simply difficult to increase the area under cultivation by that much in a single year," he added.
In pictures: A resident walks near an apartment building hit by a Russian drone strike in Odesa
Thursday 19 March 2026 15:30 , Bryony Gooch
Thousands in Moldova cut off from water after Russian strike
Thursday 19 March 2026 15:00 , Bryony Gooch
Thousands in Moldova cut off from water after Russian strike pollutes river
In pictures: Sean Penn speaks to Ukrainian officer of the National Guard 3rd Operational "Spartan" Brigade near the front line
Thursday 19 March 2026 14:30 , Bryony Gooch
Watch: Russia has already made $10bn on Iran war, says Zelensky
Thursday 19 March 2026 14:00 , Bryony GoochKremlin says it will try to assist Russian archaeologist facing extradition to Ukraine
Thursday 19 March 2026 13:30 , Bryony GoochThe Kremlin said on Thursday that it would do everything possible to assist a Russian archaeologist who is facing extradition to Ukraine.
Alexander Butyagin is accused by Ukraine of involvement in unauthorised excavation and plundering historical artefacts in Crimea, which was annexed by Russia in 2014.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that it was obvious the Polish court harboured pro-Ukrainian sympathies.
Peace talks on a 'situational pause' says Peskov
Thursday 19 March 2026 13:00 , Bryony GoochThe Kremlin said on Thursday that trilateral peace talks on Ukraine with the United States were on a "situational pause".
Russia's Izvestia newspaper said the Iran war had temporarily halted negotiations between Moscow, Washington and Kyiv. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia hopes the pause will end and another round of negotiations can be held.
He added that the widening of the war in the Middle East was destabilising energy markets, with global consequences including for Russia.
Kremlin says increased Ukrainian attacks on gas infrastructure threaten energy routes
Thursday 19 March 2026 12:30 , Bryony GoochThe Kremlin on Thursday condemned what it called an intensification of Ukrainian attacks on Gazprom gas compressor stations, saying such incidents threatened critical infrastructure and international energy routes. Gazprom said such attacks had increased in frequency this week, but all of them had been repelled.
Watch: Ukraine advances in 'kill zone' areas as forces strike Russian drone unit in Donetsk
Thursday 19 March 2026 12:00 , Bryony GoochEstonia summons Russian diplomat after Russian jet violates Estonian airspace
Thursday 19 March 2026 11:30 , Bryony GoochEstonia has summoned the Russian charge d'affaires after a Russian fighter jet violated the Baltic country's airspace on March 18, Estonian foreign minister Margus Tsahkna said on Thursday.
The violation occurred near Vaindloo Island in the Gulf of Finland, off Estonia's northern coast, where a Russian SU-30 fighter aircraft entered Estonian airspace and remained for around one minute, Estonia's foreign ministry said.
"The violation was responded to by a unit of the Italian Air Force, and there was no threat to Estonia's security," Tsahkna said.
Ukraine asks India to release citizens over alleged Myanmar drone activity
Thursday 19 March 2026 11:00 , Arpan RaiUkraine has formally urged India to release six of its citizens, who were arrested last week alongside one US national on allegations of illegally entering a restricted border state without permits and crossing into neighbouring Myanmar to train anti-junta ethnic groups in drone warfare.
Indian authorities arrested the six Ukrainians as well as the US citizen on the night of 13 March at three separate airports.
According to a court order issued on Monday, which remanded the seven in police custody until a hearing on 27 March, they are accused of illicitly travelling to India’s northeastern state of Mizoram.
From there, they allegedly crossed into Myanmar to provide drone warfare training to ethnic armed groups opposing the military junta, and illegally imported large consignments of drones from Europe into Myanmar via India.
Ukraine asks India to release citizens over alleged drone activity
Russia says no part of country safe from Ukraine’s long-range attacks
Thursday 19 March 2026 10:45 , Arpan RaiTop Russian leaders have been informed that no part of its country is now safe from Ukraine’s long-range drone strikes that threaten far-off regions in Russia.
Sergei Shoigu, former defence minister and secretary of Russia’s security council told a council meeting on Tuesday that long-range attacks now threaten the Ural region, situated more than 1,500km (930 miles) from the country’s border.
Shoigu said Ukraine’s development of drones has advanced to a level that “no Russian region can feel safe” and the Ural region is already “in the immediate danger zone”.
He added that Ukraine’s aerial strikes on Russian infrastructure surged nearly fourfold in 2025, with more than 23,000 attacks recorded.
“The pace of weapons systems development, primarily that of unmanned drone systems, and the sophistication of the methods used to deploy them are such that no region of Russia can feel safe,” Shoigu told officials in the city of Yekaterinburg.
Russia says Ukraine peace talks paused amid Iran war
Thursday 19 March 2026 10:15 , Arpan RaiPeace talks between the United States, Russia and Ukraine are on pause amid the Iran war, Izvestia reported this morning, citing Russian officials.
Izvestia said the Kremlin had confirmed the pause and believes that the Iran war could push Kyiv towards reaching a compromise.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Russian presidential envoy Kirill Dmitriev would continue working on investment and economic cooperation but that "the trilateral group is on pause".
Kremlin says Ukraine peace talks on 'situational pause'
Thursday 19 March 2026 09:50 , Arpan RaiThe trilateral peace talks on Ukraine with the United States are on a "situational pause", the Kremlin said this morning.
Russia's Izvestia newspaper said the Iran war had temporarily halted negotiations between Moscow, Washington and Kyiv.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Russia hopes the pause will end and another round of negotiations can be held.
EU leaders to press Hungary's Orban to lift block on Ukraine loan
Thursday 19 March 2026 09:45 , Arpan RaiEuropean Union leaders are expected to put heavy pressure on Hungarian leader Viktor Orban today to lift his blockade on a vital €90bn (£77bn) EU loan to Ukraine to keep up its fight against Russia's invasion.
EU leaders agreed to the loan in December but Orban, who has maintained cordial ties to Russia and repeatedly clashed with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky, blocked its implementation last month, citing a dispute over a war-damaged pipeline.
At a summit in Brussels on Thursday, other leaders of the 27-nation bloc are expected to point to an agreement by Zelensky this week to fix the pipeline with EU technical help and funding, and press Orban to drop his opposition to the loan, diplomats say.
Many EU officials are particularly exasperated by Orban's blockade as he secured an opt-out from paying for the costs of the loan, along with the Czech Republic and Slovakia.
Orban, however, has so far shown no sign of backing down. "No oil deliveries? No money. It's that simple," he posted on X on Tuesday.
European Union summit will focus on Iran war and a loan to Ukraine blocked by Hungary
Thursday 19 March 2026 09:15 , Arpan RaiEuropean Union leaders are holding a summit in Brussels today for talks on the Iran war, energy prices, migration and an enormous loan for war-ravaged Ukraine being held up by Hungary.
Many of those leaders have deflected entreaties by US president Donald Trump to send military assets to secure the Strait of Hormuz, a key waterway for the global flow of oil, gas and fertilizer.
Rising energy prices because of the war and fears in Europe of a new refugee crisis have pushed leaders to make the Middle East one of the top priorities at the summit.
The European Commission, the EU's executive branch, has floated the idea of a “toolbox” of measures to lower energy prices for leaders to discuss because no single policy will work across the myriad markets in the 27-nation bloc to blunt economic shocks from the war, according to a senior European diplomat who wasn't authorised to be publicly named so spoke on condition of anonymity.
The summit will also focus on a long-brewing standoff between Hungarian leader Viktor Orbán and most other EU nations.
South Korea considers importing Russian oil and naphtha amid shortage
Thursday 19 March 2026 08:45 , Arpan RaiSouth Korea's government is discussing with companies the possibility of importing Russian crude oil and naphtha, Seoul's industry ministry said, as authorities struggle to safeguard energy supplies amid the escalating conflict in the Middle East.
The issue is related to the easing of economic sanctions on Russia, the ministry said in a text message to Reuters.
South Korea stopped imports of Russian crude oil in December 2022 following Moscow's invasion of Ukraine, according to data from the Korea National Oil Corporation.
Russian crude oil accounted for 5.6 per cent of South Korea's shipments in 2021, a report from the state-run think tank Korea Institute for International Economic Policy said.
The country's energy exposure to the Middle East has increased because of the conflict in Ukraine, the report said. South Korea imports around 70 per cent of crude oil and half of naphtha through the Strait of Hormuz, according to South Korean lawmakers and the industry ministry.
It is also a big importer of naphtha, which is broken down into petrochemicals used in plastics for automobiles, electronics, clothing and construction.
Hungary's Orban says 'no oil, no money' on Druzbha oil pipeline standoff
Thursday 19 March 2026 08:15 , Arpan RaiHungarian prime minister Viktor Orban has said he will continue to block EU financing for Ukraine as long as oil shipments to Hungary remain interrupted.
Top European Union officials on Tuesday offered to pay Ukraine to repair a damaged pipeline meant to carry crude oil to Hungary, in a bid to persuade the government in Budapest to lift its veto on a massive aid package to the war-wracked country.
“If there’s no oil, there’s no money,” Orbán said in a video posted to social media on Monday. “If President Zelensky wants to get his money from Brussels, he needs to open the Druzhba oil pipeline,” he said.
EU leaders have lashed out at Orbán for agreeing to the loan to Ukraine at a summit in December and then reneging on that deal.
They accuse him of undermining the fundamental EU principle of “sincere cooperation” between the 27 member countries.
Orbán added that he believed Ukraine was deliberately holding up oil flows in order to tip the scales in favour of his political opponent ahead of Hungarian elections next month, but provided no evidence for his claim.
Ukraine and Hungary have been locked in a bitter feud since Russian oil deliveries to Hungary and Slovakia were halted in January due to damage to the Druzhba pipeline, which crosses Ukrainian territory. Ukrainian officials have blamed the damage on Russian drone attacks.
Ukraine attacks Russian aircraft sites 800km from border
Thursday 19 March 2026 07:45 , Arpan RaiUkraine has struck two aircraft repair facilities in Russia’s Novgorod, located about 800km from the Ukrainian border, its military said.
The attack hit plants producing and repairing military transport and cargo planes in the Ulyanovsk and Novgorod regions.
The General Staff of Ukraine’s Armed Forces said the attack on the Aviastar plant, part of Russia’s United Aircraft Corporation, in the city of Ulyanovsk, was carried out on 16 March.
This facility produces Ilyushin-76MD-90A military transport planes, Ilyushin-78M-90A refueling planes, and provides maintenance for “Ruslan” cargo planes.
The strikes damaged hangars, parking areas and some planes stationed at the facility, Ukraine said.
Explosions heard in occupied-Crimea as drone attack reported by Russian officials
Thursday 19 March 2026 07:15 , Arpan RaiExplosions were heard this morning in Crimea’s Sevastopol after Ukrainian forces reportedly launched a drone attack on the occupied territory.
The blast struck the city centre, with residents reporting that a building housing the Russian military's 3rd Radio-Technical Air Defence Regiment was targeted, reported the Kyiv Independent citing Telegram media channels.
Russian-installed interim governor Mikhail Razvozhaev claimed 27 drones were downed on approach to the city.
At least one person has been reported killed and two injured in the attack.
Sean Penn thanks Ukrainian Railways CEO for ‘treasure’ of custom Oscar
Thursday 19 March 2026 07:00 , Arpan RaiSean Penn may have missed the 2026 Oscars, where he won Best Supporting Actor, but he still had a worthy celebration of his own.
On Sunday night, the 65-year-old One Battle After Another star became the fourth male actor to win his third Oscar. However, he was notably absent from the ceremony, instead choosing to visit the war-torn Ukraine.
Penn has been a longtime activist in the country, becoming President Volodymyr Zelensky’s closest high-profile ally during the country’s war with Russia.
In a new clip shared to X by Ukrainian Railways CEO Oleksandr Pertsovskyi, he presented Penn with a custom Oscar statuette made of salvaged metal from a railcar destroyed by Russia.
“You’re missing the Oscars, and plus you gave the last one to the president,” Pertsovskyi said. During one of Penn’s early visits to Ukraine following the 2022 Russian invasion, he gifted Zelensky one of his Oscar trophies.
Sean Penn thanks Ukrainian Railways CEO for custom Oscar after skipping ceremony
Ukraine faces missile shortage due to war in Iran, says Zelensky
Thursday 19 March 2026 06:40 , Arpan RaiUkraine will soon face a shortage of missiles to fight against Russia as a result of the Iran war, Volodymyr Zelensky has warned.
The conflict in the Middle East has entered a third week, with shockwaves felt by the Gulf as Tehran attacks US bases and assets in the region.
On Tuesday, Iran confirmed their chief security, Ali Larijani, had been killed in an Israeli airstrike, as they vowed a “decisive and regrettable” revenge for his death.
With no end to the war in sight, the Ukrainian president has stressed that his country risks facing a deficit in missiles to fight against Russia.
“For Putin, a long war in Iran is a plus,” Mr Zelensky told the BBC. “In addition to energy prices, it means the depletion of US reserves, and the depletion of air defence manufacturers. So we [Ukraine] have a depletion of resources.”
He added that he has a “very bad feeling” about the consequences of the Iran war for Ukraine, saying negotiations towards peace are being “constantly postponed. There is one reason: war in Iran”.
Ukraine faces missile shortage due to war in Iran, says Zelensky
Sean Penn gets Oscar made from blown-up Ukrainian train after skipping ceremony to visit Kyiv
Thursday 19 March 2026 06:24 , Arpan RaiSean Penn was given an “Oscar” constructed from pieces of a Ukrainian train destroyed by the Russians, after he skipped the ceremony to visit Kyiv.
On Sunday, the 65-year-old was awarded Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of Steven J Lockjaw in One Battle After Another.
However, he was noticeably absent from the star-studded event and instead chose to visit Ukraine and meet with Volodymyr Zelensky, with whom he has struck up a friendship.
In a video posted by Oleksandr Pertsovskyi, the CEO of Ukrainian Railways, Penn looks emotional as he receives the make-shift statuette. "You're missing the Oscars... So we made this one,” Pertsovskyi told Penn.
Sean Penn awarded Oscar made from blown-up Ukrainian train after visiting Kyiv
Russia says Ukraine peace talks paused amid Iran war
Thursday 19 March 2026 06:06 , Arpan RaiPeace talks between the United States, Russia and Ukraine are on pause amid the Iran war, Izvestia reported this morning, citing Russian officials.
Izvestia said the Kremlin had confirmed the pause and believes that the Iran war could push Kyiv towards reaching a compromise.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Russian presidential envoy Kirill Dmitriev would continue working on investment and economic cooperation but that "the trilateral group is on pause".
Watch: Ukraine advances in 'kill zone' areas as forces strike Russian drone unit in Donetsk
Thursday 19 March 2026 05:32 , Arpan RaiRussia says no part of country safe from Ukraine’s long-range attacks
Thursday 19 March 2026 04:50 , Arpan RaiTop Russian leaders have been informed that no part of its country is now safe from Ukraine’s long-range drone strikes that threaten far-off regions in Russia.
Sergei Shoigu, former defence minister and secretary of Russia’s security council told a council meeting on Tuesday that long-range attacks now threaten the Ural region, situated more than 1,500km (930 miles) from the country’s border.
Shoigu said Ukraine’s development of drones has advanced to a level that “no Russian region can feel safe” and the Ural region is already “in the immediate danger zone”.
He added that Ukraine’s aerial strikes on Russian infrastructure surged nearly fourfold in 2025, with more than 23,000 attacks recorded.
“The pace of weapons systems development, primarily that of unmanned drone systems, and the sophistication of the methods used to deploy them are such that no region of Russia can feel safe,” Shoigu told officials in the city of Yekaterinburg.
South Korea considers importing Russian oil and naphtha amid shortage
Thursday 19 March 2026 04:48 , Arpan RaiSouth Korea's government is discussing with companies the possibility of importing Russian crude oil and naphtha, Seoul's industry ministry said, as authorities struggle to safeguard energy supplies amid the escalating conflict in the Middle East.
The issue is related to the easing of economic sanctions on Russia, the ministry said in a text message to Reuters.
South Korea stopped imports of Russian crude oil in December 2022 following Moscow's invasion of Ukraine, according to data from the Korea National Oil Corporation.
Russian crude oil accounted for 5.6 per cent of South Korea's shipments in 2021, a report from the state-run think tank Korea Institute for International Economic Policy said.
The country's energy exposure to the Middle East has increased because of the conflict in Ukraine, the report said. South Korea imports around 70 per cent of crude oil and half of naphtha through the Strait of Hormuz, according to South Korean lawmakers and the industry ministry.
It is also a big importer of naphtha, which is broken down into petrochemicals used in plastics for automobiles, electronics, clothing and construction.
EU leaders to press Hungary's Orban to lift block on Ukraine loan
Thursday 19 March 2026 04:25 , Arpan RaiEuropean Union leaders are expected to put heavy pressure on Hungarian leader Viktor Orban today to lift his blockade on a vital €90bn (£77bn) EU loan to Ukraine to keep up its fight against Russia's invasion.
EU leaders agreed to the loan in December but Orban, who has maintained cordial ties to Russia and repeatedly clashed with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky, blocked its implementation last month, citing a dispute over a war-damaged pipeline.
At a summit in Brussels on Thursday, other leaders of the 27-nation bloc are expected to point to an agreement by Zelensky this week to fix the pipeline with EU technical help and funding, and press Orban to drop his opposition to the loan, diplomats say.
Many EU officials are particularly exasperated by Orban's blockade as he secured an opt-out from paying for the costs of the loan, along with the Czech Republic and Slovakia.
Orban, however, has so far shown no sign of backing down. "No oil deliveries? No money. It's that simple," he posted on X on Tuesday.
Russia says Polish court decision to extradite Russian archaeologist has no legal basis
Thursday 19 March 2026 03:59 , Arpan RaiRussia's foreign ministry said on Wednesday that a Polish court decision to extradite a Russian archaeologist had no legal basis and that Moscow would work for his swift return to Russia.
A Warsaw court ordered yesterday that Alexander Butyagin should be extradited to Ukraine, where he is accused of involvement in unauthorised excavation and plundering historical artefacts in Crimea, his lawyer said.
Butyagin is an employee of the renowned Hermitage museum in St Petersburg.
He was arrested by Polish authorities in December 2025 following a request from Ukraine.
Ukraine says it is defending not just its people and territory but also its cultural heritage in the war against Russia.
Hungary's Orban says 'no oil, no money' on Druzbha oil pipeline standoff
Thursday 19 March 2026 03:29 , Arpan RaiHungarian prime minister Viktor Orban has said he will continue to block EU financing for Ukraine as long as oil shipments to Hungary remain interrupted.
Top European Union officials on Tuesday offered to pay Ukraine to repair a damaged pipeline meant to carry crude oil to Hungary, in a bid to persuade the government in Budapest to lift its veto on a massive aid package to the war-wracked country.
“If there’s no oil, there’s no money,” Orbán said in a video posted to social media on Monday. “If President Zelensky wants to get his money from Brussels, he needs to open the Druzhba oil pipeline,” he said.
EU leaders have lashed out at Orbán for agreeing to the loan to Ukraine at a summit in December and then reneging on that deal.
They accuse him of undermining the fundamental EU principle of “sincere cooperation” between the 27 member countries.
Orbán added that he believed Ukraine was deliberately holding up oil flows in order to tip the scales in favour of his political opponent ahead of Hungarian elections next month, but provided no evidence for his claim.
Ukraine and Hungary have been locked in a bitter feud since Russian oil deliveries to Hungary and Slovakia were halted in January due to damage to the Druzhba pipeline, which crosses Ukrainian territory. Ukrainian officials have blamed the damage on Russian drone attacks.
Ukraine attacks Russian aircraft sites 800km from border
Thursday 19 March 2026 03:09 , Arpan RaiUkraine has struck two aircraft repair facilities in Russia’s Novgorod, located about 800km from the Ukrainian border, its military said.
The attack hit plants producing and repairing military transport and cargo planes in the Ulyanovsk and Novgorod regions.
The General Staff of Ukraine’s Armed Forces said the attack on the Aviastar plant, part of Russia’s United Aircraft Corporation, in the city of Ulyanovsk, was carried out on 16 March.
This facility produces Ilyushin-76MD-90A military transport planes, Ilyushin-78M-90A refueling planes, and provides maintenance for “Ruslan” cargo planes.
The strikes damaged hangars, parking areas and some planes stationed at the facility, Ukraine said.
Russia says Polish court decision to extradite Russian archaeologist has no legal basis
Thursday 19 March 2026 02:00 , Joe MiddletonRussia's foreign ministry said on Wednesday that a Polish court decision to extradite a Russian archaeologist had no legal basis and that Moscow would work for his swift return to Russia.
A Warsaw court decided on Wednesday that Alexander Butyagin should be extradited to Ukraine, where he is accused of involvement in unauthorised excavation and plundering historical artefacts in Crimea, his lawyer said.
Butyagin is an employee of the renowned Hermitage museum in St Petersburg.
Watch: A soldier fires a 155mm M-109 'Paladin' howitzer towards Russian forces on the frontline in the Zaporizhzhia region
Thursday 19 March 2026 01:00 , Bryony GoochWatch: 'We can walk and chew gum at the same time': CIA chief claims Iran war will not affect US policy in Ukraine - despite easing Russian oil sanctions
Thursday 19 March 2026 00:00 , Bryony GoochSean Penn gets Oscar made from blown-up Ukrainian train after skipping ceremony to visit Kyiv
Wednesday 18 March 2026 23:00 , Bryony GoochSean Penn awarded Oscar made from blown-up Ukrainian train after visiting Kyiv
Ukraine's military hits Russian military transport planes producer, Kyiv says
Wednesday 18 March 2026 22:00 , Bryony GoochUkraine's military struck a Russian plant producing military transport and cargo planes in Russia's Ulyanovsk region, the Ukrainian General Staff said on Wednesday.
It said in a statement that the attack took place on March 16 and targeted the Aviastar plant, part of Russia's United Aircraft Corporation. The plant produces Ilyushin-76MD-90A military transport planes, Ilyushin-78M-90A refueling planes and provides maintenance for “Ruslan” cargo planes.
Watch: Starmer says ‘focus must remain’ on European conflict after meeting Zelensky
Wednesday 18 March 2026 21:00 , Bryony GoochMerz: Germany will be involved in negotiating security guarantees for Ukraine when time comes
Wednesday 18 March 2026 20:00 , Bryony GoochChancellor Friedrich Merz has said he’s told US president Donald Trump that Germany will be “directly involved” in negotiating security guarantees for Ukraine when the time comes.
UK 'in conversations' with Ukraine over Zelensky's offer to help defend Britain and allies from Iran missiles and drones
Wednesday 18 March 2026 19:23 , Joe MiddletonThe Independent’s world affairs editor Sam Kiley reports
The head of the Royal Navy, general Sir Gwyn Jenkyns, has said today that the UK was 'in conversations" with Ukraine over president Volodymyr Zelensky's offer to help defend British and allied interests in the Gulf from Iranian missile and drone attacks.
The offer, made this week in London, represented a shift in Ukraine's status as a victim of Russia's invasion to a nation that could help defend allies around the world as a result of years of pioneering drone warfare.
“We are in conversation with the Ukrainians. They’ve got a lot to teach us about this kind of scenario, and I think it's fantastic that despite the fact that they're suffering an egregious illegal invasion from Russia and losing 1000s of people in their conflict, that they're willing to step forward and try and help the rest of the world in the situation in the Gulf. That is something to be celebrated.”
“Whether or not it's actually the capability from Ukraine, or the lessons on how you rapidly develop capability in a high threat environment, it is definitely something that we're applying to this scenario already, and we've got the experience that Ukraine have given us to be thankful for that," Sir Gwyn, a former Royal Marine and Special Forces officer, said.
Ukraine faces missile shortage due to war in Iran, says Zelensky
Wednesday 18 March 2026 19:00 , Bryony GoochUkraine faces missile shortage due to war in Iran, says Zelensky
In pictures: A fire burns at an apartment building following an attack in Krasnodar, Russia
Wednesday 18 March 2026 18:00 , Bryony Gooch
Watch: Hundreds of Ukrainian military experts helping response in Middle East, says Zelensky
Wednesday 18 March 2026 17:00 , Bryony GoochRussia says Polish court decision to extradite Russian archaeologist has no legal basis
Wednesday 18 March 2026 16:00 , Bryony GoochRussia's foreign ministry said on Wednesday that a Polish court decision to extradite a Russian archaeologist had no legal basis and that Moscow would work for his swift return to Russia.
A Warsaw court decided on Wednesday that Alexander Butyagin should be extradited to Ukraine, where he is accused of involvement in unauthorised excavation and plundering historical artefacts in Crimea, his lawyer said.
Butyagin is an employee of the renowned Hermitage museum in St Petersburg.
Cattle disease spreads in Russia amid scepticism over diagnosis
Wednesday 18 March 2026 15:30 , Bryony GoochCattle diseases officially identified as pasteurellosis or rabies have spread across Russia, affecting at least 10 regions as of Wednesday, but some farmers and scientists are questioning the diagnosis and the sweeping culls ordered by authorities.
Officials on Wednesday imposed a cattle quarantine in part of the Chuvashia region in the Volga, more than 2,500 km (1,500 miles) west of Siberia's Novosibirsk region, where a state of emergency has been declared.
Farmers in Novosibirsk - who have been confronting police and officials in the biggest non-political protests since the start of the war in Ukraine - say pasteurellosis, a bacterial infection, can be treated with antibiotics.
Veterinary expert Svetlana Shchepyotkina said regulations require treating animals sick with pasteurellosis and vaccinating healthy herds. Animals with rabies can be removed only after the diagnosis is confirmed.
"Destroying livestock due to pasteurellosis is sheer unprofessionalism and, frankly, outright madness," she said.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said rapid action was needed in such cases, without commenting further. The agriculture ministry did not respond to a request for comment.
Poland decides to extradite Russian archaeologist to Ukraine
Wednesday 18 March 2026 15:00 , Bryony GoochA Warsaw court decided on Wednesday that Russian archaeologist Alexander Butyagin should be extradited to Ukraine, where he is accused of involvement in unauthorised excavation and plundering historical artefacts in Crimea, his lawyer said.
Poland's decision to arrest the archaeologist at Ukraine's request in December provoked a furious reaction from Russia, with the Kremlin accusing Poland of "legal tyranny". In January, Russia summoned the Polish ambassador to demand his release.
Alexander Butyagin, who allowed his family name to be published, beyond Poland's usual privacy laws, was an employee of the State Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, the Russian Foreign Ministry said last month.
The Prosecutor's Office of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, now located in the Ukrainian city of Kherson following Russia's seizure and annexation of the peninsula from Ukraine, has previously said Butyagin's team conducted unauthorised excavations in the ancient city of Myrmekion in the Kerch area, causing damage of over 200 million hryvnias ($4.55 million).
Ukraine also says Butyagin’s team seized 30 gold coins, of which 26 were inscribed with the name of Alexander the Great and four were minted during the reign of his brother Philip III Arrhidaeus.
Moscow says the charges against Alexander Butyagin are "absurd" as in its view Crimea is Russian territory, while it has called Warsaw's decision to detain the archaeologist politically motivated.
Putin aide says attack on LNG tanker in Mediterranean was an act of terrorism
Wednesday 18 March 2026 14:30 , Bryony GoochNikolai Patrushev, an aide to President Vladimir Putin, said on Wednesday that Russia considers the attack on a Russian LNG tanker in the Mediterranean Sea to be "an act of international terrorism", the Interfax news agency reported.
Russia's Transport Ministry earlier this month said the Arctic Metagaz, carrying LNG from the Arctic port of Murmansk, was attacked by Ukrainian naval drones and said the weapons had been launched from the Libyan coast.
In pictures: Workers install anti-drone netting to protect against drone attacks in Kharkiv
Wednesday 18 March 2026 14:00 , Bryony Gooch
Russia, China and Iran are main threats to Sweden, security service says
Wednesday 18 March 2026 13:30 , Bryony GoochRussia, China and Iran are the biggest threats to Sweden, the Swedish Security Service (SAPO) said on Wednesday in its annual report on threats facing the country.
The security police has warned in recent years of rising threats, above all from a Russian state increasingly prone to risky ventures in support of its war in Ukraine, including through destabilising hybrid attacks across Europe.
Iran has also long been labelled a serious threat and authorities have noted how criminal networks in Sweden, which has spent the past decade dealing with a wave of gang-related crime, have been used by state actors to carry out violent acts.
"The US-Israeli military operation against Iran, and the countermeasures carried out by Iran, have increased the threat against American, Israeli and Jewish targets in Sweden," Security Service Chief Charlotte von Essen said in the report.
Watch: Russia's launches devastating attack on Ukraine's reserves in Zaporizhzhia region
Wednesday 18 March 2026 13:00 , Bryony GoochIn pictures: Spain's PM Pedro Sanchez shakes hands with Zelensky as they meet in Madrid
Wednesday 18 March 2026 12:30 , Bryony Gooch
NATO general pushes for pipeline extension eastwards to boost defence against Russia
Wednesday 18 March 2026 12:30 , Bryony GoochA senior NATO military officer has called on the alliance to extend its Cold War-era fuel pipeline network hundreds of kilometres eastwards to ensure sufficient supplies for NATO troops in case of a future conflict with Russia.
"From a military operational point of view, it would make a lot of sense to extend the pipeline system further to the east," Lieutenant General Kai Rohrschneider, head of NATO's Allied Joint Support and Enabling Command, told Reuters in an interview.
The 10,000-kilometre (6,215-mile) NATO pipeline network, buried 80 centimetres underground (31 inches), was built during the Cold War to primarily serve western air forces in a conflict with the then Soviet Union.
In wartime, the air forces are expected to account for as much as 85 per cent of total military fuel consumption, according to a study by the Polish Centre for Eastern Studies think tank.
The jet fuel running through the NATO pipelines can also be used by ground vehicles, as mixing it with additives makes it digestible for trucks and tanks that normally run on diesel.
The pipeline network currently spans 12 countries but ends in western Germany, where it serves military bases such as the US Ramstein Air Base, but also major civilian hubs such as Germany's biggest airport in Frankfurt.
Countries on NATO's eastern flank, including Poland, have long pushed for an expansion of the pipeline system.
Spain's PM: 'Nothing will make us forget Ukraine'
Wednesday 18 March 2026 12:18 , Bryony GoochSpanish prime minister Pedro Sanchez has affirmed that “nothing will make us forget what is happening in Ukraine” while conflict in the Middle East continues for a third week.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky is visiting Spain today following a trip to the United Kingdom on Tuesday where he met with Sir Keir Starmer.
Prime minister Sanchez added that Spain was “fully in favour” of Ukraine joining the European Union.
Ukraine seeks release of citizens arrested in India over alleged Myanmar drone activity
Wednesday 18 March 2026 12:00 , Bryony GoochUkraine has asked New Delhi to release six of its citizens arrested in India last week for allegedly entering a restricted border state without permits, and crossing into neighbouring Myanmar to train anti-junta ethnic groups in drone warfare. Indian authorities arrested the six Ukrainians as well as one US citizen on the night of March 13 at three different airports.
According to a court order from Monday remanding the seven in police custody until a hearing on 27 March, they are accused of travelling illegally to ‹India’s northeastern state of Mizoram, crossing into Myanmar, and training anti-junta ethnic armed groups in drone warfare, as well as illegally importing large consignments of drones from Europe to Myanmar via India.
Mizoram borders Myanmar's Chin State and the country has been engulfed in civil war and a humanitarian crisis since its military overthrew the elected government of Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi in a 2021 coup.
The probe of the six Ukrainians and the American is being led by the National Investigation Agency, India's main counter-terrorism body.
Turkey offers mediation venue for peace talks between Russia and Ukraine
Wednesday 18 March 2026 11:30 , Arpan RaiTurkey has offered to host the next round of peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, its foreign ministry has announced.
Turkish foreign minister Hakan Fidan has proposed a venue to Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavov during a phone call yesterday.
Fidan underlined the risks posed by the prolonged war for both regional countries and the international order, while the ministers also addressed issues related to energy security, the ministry said.
Russia's foreign ministry said the conversation between Fidan and Lavrov covered Russian-Turkish energy cooperation, with particular emphasis on securing the Blue Stream and TurkStream gas pipelines amid what Moscow described as Ukraine's attempts to damage their infrastructure.
Last week Russia said that it had foiled Ukrainian attacks on its gas pumping stations, operated by Gazprom, that form part of the network delivering gas to Europe through TurkStream and Blue Stream.
