Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukrainian forces were preparing to launch pre-emptive attacks on Russia facilities linked to the war.
“I instructed our intelligence services and military to act pre-emptively against facilities Russia uses to expand its war effort," the president said.
Kyiv is currently on the offensive in the war, launching major attacks on Russian oil infrastructure in particular. A recent drone attack caused extensive damage at the Moscow oil refinery, according to industry sources, taking it offline for at least six months and complicating Russian efforts to tackle fuel shortages in the country.
In the wake of the renewed Ukrainian assault, Vladimir Putin said this week he was ready for peace talks.
Meanwhile, US president Donald Trump said Zelensky was “doing pretty well” in the war and called him “courageous”.
“He's doing pretty well, no matter how you look at it, he's holding his own at least. A lot of people dying on both sides, but I think he's doing pretty well," he said during a meeting with Nato secretary general Mark Rutte at the White House.
Key Points
- Putin says 'ready for peace talks' after Kyiv’s attacks on refinery
- Russia accuses US of not following through on Trump-Putin 'understandings'
- Ukraine submits updated bid for OECD membership, Zelensky says
- Recap: Nato must be ready for wars fought by AI-controlled drones, warns top general
- Ukraine says it hit a railway bridge to Crimea, seeking to isolate the Russian-held peninsula
Watch: Ukraine releases footage claiming to show destruction of key Crimean rail bridge
05:35 , Arpan Rai
Putin is asking for peace talks. It’s time to kick him while he’s down
05:20 , Arpan Rai
Russia is losing its war against Ukraine. Proof of this has come from Vladimir Putin himself, who has issued a desperate call for a return to peace talks while his oil refineries burn and his bridges to occupied territory are pounded by Kyiv’s missiles.
Russia’s president has been badly rattled; his airports are closed, his military logistics chain has dangerously snapped, and public support is waning for a war he started, and for which Russia’s national media can no longer generate artificial enthusiasm.
His minions have been whining that an agreement they believe was struck with Donald Trump at the Anchorage summit with Putin last year – giving Moscow colonial ownership of 20 per cent of Ukraine – has been abandoned by the US president as he prepares to meet Nato’s secretary general Mark Rutte.
Our world affairs editor Sam Kiley writes:
Why is Putin asking for Ukraine-Russia peace talks now?
Trump says 'courageous' Zelensky 'doing pretty well' in Ukraine war
04:42 , Arpan Rai
Donald Trump has said Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky was “doing pretty well” in the war against Russia, calling him “courageous”.
"He's doing pretty well, no matter how you look at it, he's holding his own at least. A lot of people dying on both sides, but I think he's doing pretty well," he said, in response to a question from Sky News during a meeting with Nato secretary general Mark Rutte.
"Look, you have to say he's courageous, he's got great equipment, but he's got great men, he's got fighters,” Trump said.
Belarusian drone-relay stations stop working, says Zelensky
04:30 , Arpan Rai
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said that signal relay stations in Belarus being used by Russian drones to attack Ukraine had stopped working, days after he warned the country's leader to disable them.
Zelensky had said on Friday that Ukraine would be forced to act if president Alexander Lukashenko did not remove the stations in two regions bordering Ukraine within a week.
"From 22 June, the relay stations have stopped working on the territory of Belarus," Zelensky said in an audio message to reporters.
"Whether they took them down or not, honestly, I don't know for now. But we are working on this,” he said.
It was not immediately clear how the stations had stopped working, if that was confirmed, or whether there had been an immediate effect of any shutdown.
Zelensky has warned in recent months that Moscow plans to draw Minsk more deeply into its war in Ukraine. Russian forces used Belarusian territory to stage their full-scale invasion in February 2022.
Zelensky says Ukraine will now carry out premptive attacks on Russian facilities involved in war
04:05 , Arpan Rai
Ukraine will carry out preemptive attacks on facilities Russia is using for its war, president Volodymyr Zelensky said in his evening address.
“I instructed our intelligence services and military to act preemptively against facilities Russia uses to expand its war effort," Zelensky said.
On Wednesday, Ukrainian drones knocked out power in the biggest city in Russian-held Crimea and targeted facilities in central and southern Russia, as a fuel crisis deepened with Kyiv continuing to strike refineries and energy assets.
The capital's Moscow oil refinery will be offline for at least six months after sustaining extensive damage in Ukrainian drone attacks, industry sources said, complicating Russian efforts to tackle fuel shortages across the world's largest country.
Poltavskaya oil depot on fire in Russia's Krasnodar region from falling drone debris
03:58 , Arpan Rai
The Poltavskaya oil depot in Russia's southern Krasnodar region has caught fire from falling drone debris, TASS news agency quoted local officials as saying on Thursday.
Russia eyes diesel export ban, fuel imports amid Ukrainian strikes
Thursday 25 June 2026 00:01 , James Reynolds
Russia is considering a diesel export ban, Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said on Tuesday, amid reports on possible fuel imports to tackle shortages, as Ukraine steps up strikes.
Speaking at a televised government meeting headed by Putin on Tuesday, Novak said Russia was considering the introduction of a ban on diesel exports and changes to tax legislation to help the domestic fuel market.
Novak also said that oil companies had delayed maintenance work at refineries and were using fuel reserves to meet demand.
"We are using reserves that were not previously tapped, and are also encouraging increased supplies of additional volumes to the domestic market. Relevant amendments to tax legislation have been prepared in coordination with the government," he said.
The Vedomosti newspaper said imports were raised as an option at a meeting chaired by Novak on Monday.
Ukrainian and Russian attacks kill several
Wednesday 24 June 2026 23:01 , Alex Croft
We can bring you more news of deaths both in Russia and Ukraine as a result of overnight drone attacks and shelling.
In the Russian-held Ukrainian city of Horlivka, three people were killed when the entrance of an apartment building collapsed after an overnight drone attack, Russia's TASS agency said, citing local emergency services.
In Russia's border Belgorod region, a man was killed and a woman was injured in a drone attack.
Meanwhile, in the eastern Ukrainian city of Balakliia Russian shelling killed one person on Wednesday, local authorities said.
Wednesday 24 June 2026 22:00 , Alex Croft
Ukrainian tennis star Marta Kostyuk says online abuse fuels her to keep speaking out against Russia’s invasion
Wednesday 24 June 2026 21:02 , Alex Croft
Ukrainian tennis star Marta Kostyuk has revealed that her unwavering stance against Russia’s invasion of her homeland has profoundly sharpened her sense of purpose on the professional tour.
Despite facing a barrage of online criticism, she claims that the backlash only deepens her resolve to continue speaking out.
Kostyuk has emerged as one of the most vocal athletes regarding the conflict, which began in 2022. She has consistently called for greater recognition of the war, firmly rejecting the notion of neutrality and stressing that players must uphold their values even while competing.
Her recent impressive run to the French Open semi-finals this month saw her bring the same intensity to her media appearances as she did to her tennis, addressing a sensitive topic with a directness that has resonated far beyond the sporting world.
"Well, I think at this point it has strengthened my sense of purpose, because what I find fascinating is how many bots always attack my social media," Kostyuk told Reuters news agency ahead of Wimbledon.
Recap: Two killed in Ukrainian drone attack on Russia's Nizhny Novgorod, says local governor
Wednesday 24 June 2026 20:01 , Alex Croft
Two people have been killed in a Ukrainian drone attack on the Russian region of Nizhny Novgorod, the local governor has said.
An industrial facility was damaged as a result of falling drone debris in the attack, Gleb Nikitin said on Telegram.
The unspecified facility was not damaged critically, he added.
‘You’re an idiot’: Trump enjoyed ‘sport’ of watching Bessent tear into Lutnick right in front of him, book reveals
Wednesday 24 June 2026 19:02 , Arpan Rai
President Trump “enjoyed the sport” of watching Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick clash in front of him, a new book claims.
Regime Change: Inside the Imperial Presidency of Donald Trump recounts a meeting to discuss a proposed minerals deal with Ukraine, ultimately announced in May last year.
“I’m not a big fan of Ukraine,” Trump said, according to authors and New York Times reporters Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan. “Except their women. They keep winning Miss Universe.”
Lutnick reportedly went on to tell the president Bessent had “screwed up” the deal with the war-torn European ally.
In response, Bessent is said to have looked at Lutnick’s own proposal and told him: “This is a s****y deal. You’re an idiot”.
Trump enjoyed ‘sport’ of watching Bessent rebuke Lutnick, book reveals
Russia eyes diesel export ban and fuel imports amid Ukrainian attacks
Wednesday 24 June 2026 19:00 , Arpan Rai
Russia is considering a diesel export ban, deputy prime minister Alexander Novak said, while a newspaper reported on possible fuel imports to tackle shortages, especially in Crimea, which tightened restrictions on public services and activities.
Speaking at a televised government meeting headed by Vladimir Putin yesterday, Novak said Russia was considering the introduction of a ban on diesel exports and changes to tax legislation to help the domestic fuel market.
The Vedomosti newspaper said imports were raised as an option at a meeting chaired by Novak on Monday.
Novak also said that oil companies had delayed maintenance work at refineries and were using fuel reserves to meet demand.
“We are using reserves that were not previously tapped, and are also encouraging increased supplies of additional volumes to the domestic market. Relevant amendments to tax legislation have been prepared in coordination with the government," he said.
Putin is asking for peace talks. It’s time to kick him while he’s down
Wednesday 24 June 2026 18:00 , Alex Croft
Russia is losing its war against Ukraine. Proof of this has come from Vladimir Putin himself, who has issued a desperate call for a return to peace talks while his oil refineries burn and his bridges to occupied territory are pounded by Kyiv’s missiles.
Russia’s president has been badly rattled; his airports are closed, his military logistics chain has dangerously snapped, and public support is waning for a war he started, and for which Russia’s national media can no longer generate artificial enthusiasm.
His minions have been whining that an agreement they believe was struck with Donald Trump at the Anchorage summit with Putin last year – giving Moscow colonial ownership of 20 per cent of Ukraine – has been abandoned by the US president as he prepares to meet Nato’s secretary general Mark Rutte.
Our world affairs editor Sam Kiley writes:
Putin is asking for peace talks. It’s time to kick him while he’s down
Watch: Huge plume of smoke billows from production plant in Russia’s Voronezh after strike
Wednesday 24 June 2026 17:00 , Alex Croft
Moscow seeks to stabilise domestic fuel market
Wednesday 24 June 2026 16:31 , Alex Croft
Ukraine has said its strategy of targeting Russian energy facilities with long-range drones is aimed at sapping a key source of Russia's war funds and showing Russians the four-year conflict launched by Moscow is no longer distant.
Seeking to stabilise the domestic fuel market by boosting supply, Russian lawmakers on Wednesday approved amendments to the Tax Code that included allowing lower-quality fuel to be used in gasoline production and delaying certain equipment modernisation at refineries.
Both sides say they do not target civilians but thousands of civilians have been killed in Russian attacks in Ukraine and fatalities have also occurred in Russia.
Moscow introduces new measures to combat fuel shortages - report
Wednesday 24 June 2026 16:01 , Alex Croft
Russian deputy prime minister Alexander Novak has ordered priority fuel deliveries to regions where logistics depend on seasonal factors, the Interfax news agency reported on Wednesday, citing the Russian government.
The move comes as many Russian regions face shortages of gasoline and diesel - something which has led to some fuel price increases and long queues at filling stations - after Ukrainian drone strikes on oil refineries.
In pictures: Russia launches drone attack on village in Donetsk
Wednesday 24 June 2026 15:29 , Alex Croft
Russia wants to know if Trump has changed stance on Ukraine war
Wednesday 24 June 2026 14:58 , Alex Croft
Russia wants to know if Donald Trump has really changed his stance on the Ukraine war after French president Emmanuel Macron suggested at this month's G7 summit that the US president had done so.
This is according to foreign minister Sergei Lavrov, who said on Wednesday: "As far as Ukraine is concerned, we want to understand what happened in Evian.”
Macron, host of the G7 summit in the French town of Evian-les-Bains, said Trump had acknowledged during the talks there that Russia did not want peace in Ukraine and that this marked "a real change in approach" from the U.S.
Trump himself urged Russia to make peace with Ukraine after having what he described as a "very good" meeting with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky, comments that sparked cautious optimism among G7 leaders that a peace deal could be struck.
"As far as Ukraine is concerned, we want to understand what happened in Evian," Lavrov said at an event in Moscow.
"The Americans haven’t yet told us what they took away from the summit in Evian or what their future course of action will be," he said.
What to expect from Trump's summit with Nato chief today
Wednesday 24 June 2026 14:33 , Alex Croft
Nato secretary general Mark Rutte is visiting Washington DC today as part of the final preparations for the 7-8 July summit in Ankara, Nato spokesperson Allison Hart said.
The summit "will focus on how Allies are delivering on the commitments made last year at the Nato Summit in The Hague, including on increasing defence investment, expanding defence industrial production, and continuing support for Ukraine," Hart said.
The Nato alliance is under unprecedented strain, with some European countries concerned that Washington may withdraw outright, which would be an extraordinary move that would throw into question the future of the alliance.
Trump has in the past threatened to do that.
Rutte is also expected to meet with members of Congress. His visit comes amid claims from the US that there is an "unhealthy co-dependence" by Europe on American forces.
Still, Rutte has maintained strong ties with Pentagon officials, and Hegseth spoke warmly of his leadership at the Brussels event last week.
Ukraine’s latest long-range strikes on Russia hit a major natural gas plant and satellite centers
Wednesday 24 June 2026 14:11 , Alex Croft
Ukrainian forces struck a major natural gas processing plant and two key satellite communications centers in their latest nighttime attack on Russia, Ukraine’s General Staff said Wednesday.
The operation was part of Ukraine’s aerial campaign targeting energy facilities and military industries that has intensified as Kyiv builds bigger and better long-range weapons to defeat Russia’s all-out invasion, now in its fifth year.
The overnight attack hit the Orenburg Gas Processing Plant, which is part of a complex that also houses the only helium plant in Russia, the General Staff said in a statement on the Telegram messaging app. The attack set the complex on fire, it said.
Here’s the latest:
Ukraine’s latest long-range strikes on Russia hit a major natural gas plant and satellite centers
Watch: Putin says Russia is ready for peace talks with Ukraine
Wednesday 24 June 2026 13:45 , Alex Croft
Peskov: Talks will continue with valuable US envoys
Wednesday 24 June 2026 13:19 , Alex Croft
We can now bring you more from Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, who earlier spoke about the willingness of US envoys to engage in peace talks.
Peskov said he understands “talks will continue” once Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff are less busy.
"Naturally, they are occupied with other matters right now, but at some point they will become available, and we are counting on further work."
He said Russia was grateful to the envoys for their efforts on Ukraine, which he described as "highly constructive. They are willing to listen to all sides — that is especially valuable right now."
The positive comments followed accusations from senior Russian officials earlier this week that the United States was failing to follow through on "understandings" reached between presidents Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump at a summit in Alaska last August.
Moscow oil refinery attacked by Ukraine unlikely to resume production in 2026
Wednesday 24 June 2026 12:53 , Alex Croft
Moscow's oil refinery will be offline for at least six months after suffering extensive damage in Ukrainian drone attacks, two industry sources said on Wednesday, complicating Russian efforts to tackle fuel shortages across the world's largest country.
The refinery, located on the southern outskirts of the Russian capital, is the largest fuel supplier to the Moscow region. It was hit twice this month by Ukrainian drones, forcing it to halt operations.
"It will take at least half a year to repair," one of the sources told Reuters news agency of the damage to the Moscow refinery.
Gazprom Neft, which operates the plant, did not reply to a request for comment.
Ukraine has stepped up attacks on Russian energy infrastructure with long-range drone strikes. Russia, meanwhile, has continued firing missiles at energy and defence-related targets in and around Ukrainian cities.
Russia only interested in Putin-Trump agreements made in Alaska, says Lavrov
Wednesday 24 June 2026 12:29 , Alex Croft
Moscow has said it is only interested in the understandings reached between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump reached at a summit in Alaska last August.
Speaking on Wednesday, Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said Russia is not willing to take any other interim decisions, or to bend to any ultimatums from the Ukrainian side.
Russian officials regularly refer to the so-called "Spirit of Anchorage" - shorthand, say analysts, for what Moscow interpreted as a possible agreement that would see Ukraine's forces withdrawing from the remainder of Donbas they do not control in return for Moscow freezing the battle lines elsewhere. Kyiv has repeatedly made clear it will not hand over any of its territory to Russia without a fight.
"In August last year, the leaders of Russia and the United States reached a number of understandings regarding political ways out of the Ukrainian crisis. We remain committed to those understandings," said Lavrov.
Ukraine strikes has processing plant and Russia's only helium plant in Orenburg
Wednesday 24 June 2026 12:05 , Alex Croft
The Ukrainian military has struck a gas processing plant and Russia's only helium plant, the general staff said on Wednesday.
Both facilities are in a complex in the Russian region of Orenburg overnight, it added.
A fire was recorded at the sites and the extent of the damage was being assessed, the General Staff said.
Leaders of four Central European countries meet in Hungary to reboot regional group
Wednesday 24 June 2026 11:41 , Alex Croft
The leaders of four Central European countries signaled the revival of their regional alliance on Tuesday as they met in Hungary to repair relations that had fractured over the pro-Russian stance of former Hungarian leader Viktor Orbán.
The prime ministers of the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia were meeting for the first summit of the Visegrád Four regional group in more than two years after Orbán’s approach to the war in Ukraine caused fault lines among the informal bloc's other members, particularly Poland.
Hosting Tuesday's summit at the Grassalkovich Castle in Gödöllő, a suburb of Budapest, was Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar, who since succeeding Orbán in May has spoken repeatedly about the importance of breathing new life into the group.
Read more here:
Leaders of four Central European countries meet in Hungary to reboot regional group
Russian forces seize village in Sumy region, defence ministry says
Wednesday 24 June 2026 11:19 , Alex Croft
Russian forces have taken control of the village of Ivolzhanske in Ukraine's Sumy region, the Defence Ministry said on Wednesday.
The Independent could not independently confirm the battlefield report, but we’ll bring you more when we have it.
Ukraine plans to sign €1.5bn development deal with Poland
Wednesday 24 June 2026 11:00 , Alex Croft
Ukraine's development ministry plans to sign deals for more than €1.5 billion (£1.29bn) at Ukraine Recovery Conference in the Polish city of Gdansk this week, deputy prime minister Oleksiy Kuleba has told Interfax-Ukraine.
"Regardless of any political considerations, we can speak of its success, as we are talking about the signing of various agreements, memoranda and other documents – totalling over €1.5 billion," Mr Kuleba was quoted as saying.
Kremlin: US envoys busy but talks will resume when they are available
Wednesday 24 June 2026 10:38 , Alex Croft
We’ve just heard from Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, who says that US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are busy with other issues. but that it believed contacts with them over Ukraine will resume once they were available.
Peskov made the comment when asked if other envoys could be brought in for discussions on Ukraine while the pair were otherwise engaged. Witkoff and Kushner are part of the US team negotiating a peace deal with Iran.
Asked how Moscow would respond if Ukraine were to attack Belarus, Peskov said that Russia would always stand with Minsk against any threat.
In pictures: Ukrainians launch drones at Russian frontline
Wednesday 24 June 2026 10:16 , Alex Croft
Kazakh government says drone attacks on Russia have not disrupted gas supplies
Wednesday 24 June 2026 09:57 , Alex Croft
Drone attacks in Russia's Orenburg region have not disrupted gas supplies to domestic consumers in Kazakhstan, which borders the region, the Kazakh energy ministry said on Tuesday.
The ministry added that gas is being supplied via alternative routes.
Earlier, local authorities in Orenburg said a number of drones had been downed over an industrial facility, without providing details.
Recap: Russia accuses US of not following through on Trump-Putin 'understandings'
Wednesday 24 June 2026 09:45 , Alex Croft
Russia has accused the United States of failing to deliver on "understandings" reached between presidents Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump at a summit in Alaska last August, a shift that suggests growing frustration in Moscow.
In the space of three days, three senior Russian officials have said, without providing specifics, that Washington has not followed through.
On Tuesday, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov suggested that the summit may have been a US "ploy to buy time to rearm the Kyiv regime".
Lavrov's deputy, Sergei Ryabkov, also accused the US of departing from the "fundamental understandings" reached in Alaska, according to Interfax. It quoted him as saying, however, that dialogue with the US would continue.
"We also see Washington’s line moving closer to the most rabid anti-Russian policies pursued by the US's closest European allies - namely, the UK and France," another agency, RIA, quoted Ryabkov as saying, referring to last week's G7 summit in France.
Ukraine says it hit a railway bridge to Crimea, seeking to isolate the Russian-held peninsula
Wednesday 24 June 2026 09:12 , Alex Croft
Ukraine said Tuesday its forces struck a railway bridge, a power plant and other key infrastructure targets in Crimea as Kyiv’s military authorities seek to isolate the vital Russian-held peninsula in the latest stage of the 4-year-old war.
The drone attacks added to the woes on the Black Sea peninsula, where Russian authorities have had to suspend gasoline sales to civilians as Ukraine has intensified its recent campaign to disrupt supply lines and the electrical grid at the height of the summer tourist season.
The peninsula was seized by force and illegally annexed by Moscow in 2014. Ukrainian long-range strikes have highlighted its ability to inflict painful damage on Russia and put added pressure on the Kremlin while Moscow’s advances recently have ground to a near halt, Western analysts and officials say.
Here’s our full report:
Ukraine says it hit a railway bridge to Crimea, seeking to isolate the Russian-held peninsula
Two killed in Ukrainian drone attack on Russia's Nizhny Novgorod - local governor
Wednesday 24 June 2026 08:54 , Alex Croft
Two people have been killed in a Ukrainian drone attack on the Russian region of Nizhny Novgorod, the local governor has said.
An industrial facility was damaged as a result of falling drone debris in the attack, Gleb Nikitin said on Telegram.
The unspecified facility was not damaged critically, he added.
What to expect from Trump's summit with Nato chief today
Wednesday 24 June 2026 07:45 , Arpan Rai
Nato secretary general Mark Rutte is visiting Washington DC today as part of the final preparations for the 7-8 July summit in Ankara, Nato spokesperson Allison Hart said.
The summit "will focus on how Allies are delivering on the commitments made last year at the Nato Summit in The Hague, including on increasing defence investment, expanding defence industrial production, and continuing support for Ukraine," Hart said.
The Nato alliance is under unprecedented strain, with some European countries concerned that Washington may withdraw outright, which would be an extraordinary move that would throw into question the future of the alliance.
Trump has in the past threatened to do that.
Rutte is also expected to meet with members of Congress. His visit comes amid claims from the US that there is an "unhealthy co-dependence" by Europe on American forces.
Still, Rutte has maintained strong ties with Pentagon officials, and Hegseth spoke warmly of his leadership at the Brussels event last week.
Russia's Orenburg region downs drones over industrial facility
Wednesday 24 June 2026 07:38 , Arpan Rai
Russia's Orenburg region has downed down a number of drones over an industrial facility, governor Yevgeny Solntsev said on Telegram this morning.
It was not immediately clear whether any damages occurred in the region, over 1,000km (621 miles) southeast of Moscow, and home to a number of industrial facilities including a gas processing plant and an oil refinery.
Nato chief to meet Trump in bid to ease tensions ahead of July summit
Wednesday 24 June 2026 07:00 , Arpan Rai
Nato secretary-general Mark Rutte will meet President Donald Trump at the White House today, seeking to ease tensions over the Iran war and US threats to draw down troops in Europe ahead of a pivotal Nato leaders summit in July in Ankara.
Trump, a longtime Nato critic who has called the alliance a "paper tiger," has been angered by its reluctance to support the US in the Middle East conflict or help reopen the Strait of Hormuz after a US-Israeli attack on Iran on February 28 disrupted the major oil shipping route.
Wednesday's meeting is likely to see Rutte continue to manage Trump’s hostility towards the alliance and thaw out tense moments.
“I expect he is trying to get on the same page with Trump to make sure that the Nato summit is a success or not a wipeout," said Stephen Wertheim, senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, a Washington-based think tank.
"The Nato summit carries a potential for significant risk because Trump is upset and erratic, and even if Rutte comes and thinks he has an understanding with Trump, who knows what two weeks later will bring," Wertheim said.
Zelensky won't attend Ukraine's postwar conference hosted by Poland
Wednesday 24 June 2026 06:49 , Arpan Rai
Volodymyr Zelensky will not be attending a high-level conference on the postwar reconstruction of Ukraine to be held in Poland.
Ukraine and Poland are currently engaged in a diplomatic spat after Kyiv renamed named a military unit after one that killed tens of thousands of Poles during the Second World War.
The Ukrainian delegation will now be led by the war-hit nation’s prime minister Yulia Svyrydenko. Earlier, Zelensky was expected to co-host the Ukraine recovery conference to be held in the Polish coastal city of Gdańsk from tomorrow.
The latest rupture came after Polish president Karol Nawrocki stripped Zelensky of the Order of the White Eagle, Poland's highest state honour.
The move triggered a diplomatic backlash, with several top Ukrainian officials, including Zelensky and three former Ukrainian presidents, relinquishing their own Polish awards.
Crimean city tightens limits on public life and orders early shutdown
Wednesday 24 June 2026 06:11 , Arpan Rai
The city of Sevastopol in Russian-controlled Crimea said it had restricted the operating hours of public transport, shops, cafes and street lights, and had also banned mass outdoor activities, in addition to previously announced fuel sale limits.
Mikhail Razvozhayev, the Russian-installed governor of Sevastopol, home to Russia's Black Sea Fleet, announced on Monday evening "enforced temporary measures", including the closure of public transport at 10pm, and of large shops and cafes at 8pm.
Street lighting was dimmed. Anzhelika, a resident of Crimea's largest city who gave only her first name, told Reuters the measures were good for public safety.
"On the street lights, I think that's the right thing to do, the protection of the city comes first," she said.
Russia's gasoline output last week was down about 25 per cent from the daily average in June 2025, industry sources said.
According to LSEG data and market sources, its seaborne oil product exports were down about 15 per cent in the first half of June compared to the first half of May, due to unplanned refinery maintenance after repeated drone attacks.
Last week, four industry sources said Russia was set to import fuel by sea in June as it seeks to manage the gasoline shortage.
Watch: Putin says Russia is ready for peace talks with Ukraine
Wednesday 24 June 2026 05:59 , Arpan Rai
Russia says US hasn't followed through on Trump-Putin 'understandings'
Wednesday 24 June 2026 05:32 , Arpan Rai
Russia has accused the United States of failing to deliver on "understandings" reached between presidents Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump at a summit in Alaska last August, a shift that suggests growing frustration in Moscow.
In the space of three days, three senior Russian officials have said, without providing specifics, that Washington has not followed through.
On Tuesday, foreign minister Sergei Lavrov suggested that the summit may have been a US "ploy to buy time to rearm the Kyiv regime".
Lavrov's deputy, Sergei Ryabkov, also accused the US of departing from the "fundamental understandings" reached in Alaska, according to Interfax.
It quoted him as saying, however, that dialogue with the US would continue.
“We also see Washington’s line moving closer to the most rabid anti-Russian policies pursued by the US’s closest European allies namely, the – UK and France," another agency, RIA, quoted Ryabkov as saying, referring to last week's G7 summit in France.
Putin says 'ready for peace talks' after Kyiv’s attacks on refinery
Wednesday 24 June 2026 04:44 , Arpan Rai
Russian president Vladimir Putin has said he is ready for peace talks with Ukraine, just days after strikes on its infrastructure led to fuel shortages.
Putin said the strikes from Ukraine are a ploy to "destabilise society" as Ukraine’s attacks on oil refineries have doubled since the start of this year, with one of the biggest attacks on Moscow’s oil refinery last week since the war began.
“Russia, however, as has been stated repeatedly, is ready for peace negotiations with Ukraine. It is ready to proceed on the basis of the agreements reached back in Istanbul, agreements which, I would remind you, were initiated at the time by the Ukrainian delegation,” Putin said yesterday.
“That means they were satisfied with them. And I see no grounds for us to depart from those agreements,” the Russian president said.
“Strikes against civilian infrastructure - what are they aimed at? To destabilise society, amid such a massive onslaught, when the entire West is working for them and these drones are coming in huge numbers, to create a sense of uncertainty about the actions of the Russian armed forces,” Putin said.
Ukraine submits updated bid for OECD membership, Zelensky says
Wednesday 24 June 2026 04:42 , Arpan Rai
Ukraine has submitted a revised application to join the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), a club of mostly advanced economies, president Volodymyr Zelensky said as Kyiv pursues closer integration with Western institutions.
Ukraine has been working with the OECD on reforms and governance standards for several years and is now seeking candidate-country status as a step towards full membership.
Zelensky, after meeting with Mathias Cormann, OECD's Secretary-General, on his visit to Kyiv, said in a Telegram post that prime minister Yulia Svyrydenko has submitted the updated bid.
“We hope to obtain candidate country status as early as this autumn. The next stage will be a roadmap toward OECD membership. We discussed this during our meeting," Zelensky wrote.
Sevastopol without power after Ukrainian strikes
Wednesday 24 June 2026 04:18 , Arpan Rai
Power was cut off in Sevastopol in Russia-annexed Crimea after Ukraine attacked energy facilities there, Mikhail Razvozhayev, the city's governor, said on Telegram this morning.
The defence systems downed nine drones over the city, Crimea's biggest, he said earlier on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, Russian shelling of the eastern Ukrainian city of Balakliia killed one person on Wednesday, local authorities said on Telegram.
Recap: Nato must be ready for wars fought by AI-controlled drones, warns top general
Wednesday 24 June 2026 03:00 , Rebecca Whittaker
Nato is preparing for future wars fought by thousands of drones controlled by AI, according to a top Nato general.
Major-General Constantin-Adrian Ciolponea, who represents the Supreme Allied Commander Transformation (SACT) in Europe, told The Times that the military alliance must adapt to the new technology.
“The next stage of evolution for drones will be swarm-type attacks when you don't have one or two, ten or twenty — you have thousands of drones commanded from a single point, whether that is a human or just a ’mother’ drone,” the special forces officer told the outlet.
“Nations without this type of [swarm] technology will be forced to join a security organisation or to accept the conditions of an aggressor,” he warned.
Moscow introduces new measures to combat fuel shortages - report
Wednesday 24 June 2026 15:34 , Alex Croft
Russian deputy prime minister Alexander Novak has ordered priority fuel deliveries to regions where logistics depend on seasonal factors, the Interfax news agency reported on Wednesday, citing the Russian government.
The move comes as many Russian regions face shortages of gasoline and diesel - something which has led to some fuel price increases and long queues at filling stations - after Ukrainian drone strikes on oil refineries.
Watch: Ukraine releases drone footage of attacks on Crimea
Wednesday 24 June 2026 02:00 , Rebecca Whittaker
Recap: Kyiv launches attack on Sevastopol power plant
Wednesday 24 June 2026 08:36 , Alex Croft
Kyiv has launched yet another attack on Russian-controlled energy infrastructure, this time targeting on Sevastopol power plane in Russian-occupied Crimea.
The drones attacked the main substation, Robert Brovdi, commander of Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Forces, said on Wednesday.
Mr Brovdi said on Telegram that the drone forces "effectively" worked on 48 operational and planned military targets in Russia and occupied territory in Ukraine's south overnight.
Ukraine says it hit a railway bridge to Crimea, seeking to isolate the Russian-held peninsula
Wednesday 24 June 2026 01:00 , Rebecca Whittaker
Ukraine said Tuesday its forces struck a railway bridge, a power plant and other key infrastructure targets in Crimea as Kyiv’s military authorities seek to isolate the vital Russian-held peninsula in the latest stage of the 4-year-old war.
The drone attacks added to the woes on the Black Sea peninsula, where Russian authorities have had to suspend gasoline sales to civilians as Ukraine has intensified its recent campaign to disrupt supply lines and the electrical grid at the height of the summer tourist season.
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Ukraine says it hit a railway bridge to Crimea, seeking to isolate the Russian-held peninsula
Russia accuses US of not following through on Trump-Putin 'understandings'
Wednesday 24 June 2026 00:00 , Rebecca Whittaker
Russia has accused the United States of failing to deliver on "understandings" reached between presidents Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump at a summit in Alaska last August, a shift that suggests growing frustration in Moscow.
In the space of three days, three senior Russian officials have said, without providing specifics, that Washington has not followed through.
On Tuesday, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov suggested that the summit may have been a US "ploy to buy time to rearm the Kyiv regime".
Lavrov's deputy, Sergei Ryabkov, also accused the US of departing from the "fundamental understandings" reached in Alaska, according to Interfax. It quoted him as saying, however, that dialogue with the US would continue.
"We also see Washington’s line moving closer to the most rabid anti-Russian policies pursued by the US's closest European allies - namely, the UK and France," another agency, RIA, quoted Ryabkov as saying, referring to last week's G7 summit in France.
Watch: Huge plume of smoke billows from production plant in Russia’s Voronezh after strike
Tuesday 23 June 2026 23:00 , James Reynolds
Recap: Russian attack kills three in Ukraine's Kryvyi Rih
Tuesday 23 June 2026 22:00 , James Reynolds
A Russian missile attack killed three people in Kryvyi Rih, Ukrainian officials said on Tuesday, accusing Russia of hitting a civilian area with cluster munitions.
Oleksandr Vilkul, the head of the city's defence council, said that 25 people had also been injured in the attack by a ballistic missile with a cluster munition warhead.
"People died within 200 meters of each other because of this barbaric weapon," Vilkul said, adding the city would mark a day of mourning on Wednesday.
President Volodymyr Zelensky, who is a native of Kryvyi Rih, reacted to the strike by calling for more international pressure on Russia to end the war and quicker supplies of air defence munitions to Ukraine.
Ukraine warns ceasefire offer may be withdrawn after deadly Russian attacks
Tuesday 23 June 2026 20:00 , James Reynolds
Ukraine’s UN envoy, Andrii Melnyk, warned that Kyiv could reconsider its current ceasefire proposal if there was no meaningful international push to end the war, saying “our patience is not endless”.
Melnyk said Ukraine remained open to direct negotiations with Russia but cautioned that its offer of a ceasefire along the current front lines was already a significant concession. “If the security council would further choose a wait-and-see approach, I cannot exclude that Ukraine may recalibrate and modify its offer. Ceasefire along the de facto front line is already a great compromise,” he said.
The warning comes as Ukraine projects growing confidence after a series of strikes on Russian oil facilities, supply routes and military infrastructure. Ukrainian attacks have disrupted fuel supplies in Russian-occupied Crimea, where authorities have restricted civilian gasoline sales.
Meanwhile, an Egyptian chef was killed when the Turkish dry cargo vessel Victress caught fire during Russian attacks in the Black Sea, according to Ukrainian officials. Eight crew members, including Turkish and Indian citizens, were evacuated.
Russian strikes overnight wounded six people in Sumy, Zaporizhzhia and Kharkiv, while Kyiv briefly issued an air raid alert. In Sumy, a drone strike killed three members of a family.
UK long-range strike weapons could be sent to Ukraine within a year
Tuesday 23 June 2026 19:00 , James Reynolds
Britain has tested new long-range strike weapons, with the government hoping for delivery to Ukraine within months.
The initiative aims to produce munitions more quickly and affordably than existing systems like Storm Shadow missiles.
New systems, capable of hitting targets at least 500km away and carrying a 225kg warhead, have been fired at a range in the Hebrides, with further UK trials planned.
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) challenged firms to develop weapons exceeding 600km per hour, costing around £400,000 per unit, and producing at least 20 a month within months of an order.
New UK long-range strike weapons could be sent to Ukraine within a year
Nato must be ready for wars fought by AI-controlled drones, warns top general
Tuesday 23 June 2026 18:00 , James Reynolds
Nato is preparing for future wars fought by thousands of drones controlled by AI, according to a top Nato general.
Major-General Constantin-Adrian Ciolponea, who represents the Supreme Allied Commander Transformation (SACT) in Europe, told The Times that the military alliance must adapt to the new technology.
“The next stage of evolution for drones will be swarm-type attacks when you don't have one or two, ten or twenty — you have thousands of drones commanded from a single point, whether that is a human or just a ’mother’ drone,” the special forces officer told the outlet.
“Nations without this type of [swarm] technology will be forced to join a security organisation or to accept the conditions of an aggressor,” he warned.
Treasury Secretary quoted saying Zelenskiy is “the special-needs child for the Europeans"
Tuesday 23 June 2026 17:47 , Rebecca Whittaker
United States Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is quoted saying that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy is “the special-needs child for the Europeans,” in a new book released today.
Regime Change: Inside the Imperial Presidency of Donald Trump recountsa meeting to discuss a proposed minerals deal with Ukraine.
In the book Bessent is quoted saying: “I’ve dealt with this little f***er. He’s tricky. He’s like the special-needs child for the Europeans. And he’s acting like Mr Bean on crack.”
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Trump enjoyed ‘sport’ of watching Bessent rebuke Lutnick, book reveals
