Volodymyr Zelensky has mocked Vladimir Putin for his reliance on ally North Korea, saying Russia is no longer capable of waging its war on Ukraine alone.
In his nightly video address, Zelensky said Russia was preparing to deploy an additional North Korean contingent on its territory and has also received additional ballistic missiles from North Korea.
“For the first time in its history, Russia cannot wage war without reinforcements from North Korea,” he said.
He also issued a warning to countries in Asia, saying North Korea will present a “greater danger” to Japan, South Korea and the Philippines as it gains military experience, correcting any shortcomings in the process.
On Monday, a Ukrainian drone attack hit targets over 600 miles deep inside Russia. The strikes hit both industrial and civilian infrastructure in the city of Nizhnekamsk and the Taneco oil refinery in the Tatarstan region.
At least 13 people, including seven Uzbek citizens and one child, were killed in the attacks.
A period of mourning has been declared in the region, according to the mayor of Nizhnekamsk, Radmir Belayev, in a post on Telegram.
Key Points
- Zelensky says Russia cannot wage war without North Korea's help
- Ukrainian MiG-29 aircraft lost after catching fire
- Zelensky says up to 50,000 North Korean troops to be deployed in Russia
- Russia blocks last anti-war party from upcoming parliamentary election
- Five killed and 20 injured in Russian attack in Zaporizhzhia and Kyiv
Zelensky says Russia cannot wage war without North Korea's help
05:42 , Shweta Sharma
Volodymyr Zelensky has mocked Vladimir Putin for his reliance on ally North Korea, saying that: "For the first time in its history, Russia cannot wage war without reinforcements from North Korea."
He said Russia was preparing to deploy an additional North Korean contingent on its territory and has also received additional ballistic missiles from North Korea.
“Everyone around the world must understand what this means. This is not only about the lives of people in Ukraine, and not only about the threats we face,” he said in his nightly address.
“North Korea’s ballistic missiles and other weapons are being improved through its collaboration with Russia.”
He also issued a warning to countries in Asia, saying North Korea will present a “greater danger” to Japan, South Korea and Philippines as it gains military experience, correcting any shortcomings in the process.
“That is why, when we speak about the need for joint action, for coordination and mutual support, when we speak about the need to help us strengthen our air defence, we are also, in fact, speaking about taking away North Korea’s appetite and any interest in coming here – to our land and into our skies – with its weapons in order to learn how to wage war,” he said.
Ukrainian MiG-29 aircraft lost after catching fire
05:30 , Shweta Sharma
A Ukrainian MiG-29 fighter jet caught fire and was lost during a combat mission, with the pilot ejecting safely, the Ukrainian Air Force said on Monday.
A statement on the Telegram messaging app said the pilot was targeting Russian positions while in the southern region of Odesa.
"According to preliminary data, during the launch of a missile, an emergency situation occurred, causing the plane to catch fire and the pilot to lose control, even though he tried to save the aircraft," the statement said.
The Air Force said the pilot ejected safely and was transported to a hospital. The cause of the crash was under investigation.
Russian attack on Kyiv triggers fires, officials say
05:12 , Shweta Sharma
Russian forces attacked the Ukrainian capital Kyiv with missiles early on Tuesday, triggering fires in the city centre, officials said.
The city's military administration said warehouses in a central district were ablaze. One person was reported injured.
The air raid alert was in effect for about 40 minutes before officials declared the all clear.
Mayor Vitali Klitschko said medical personnel had been dispatched to a central district.
Russian forces also deployed missiles and bombs in an attack on the southeastern city of Zaporizhzhia, regional Governor Ivan Fedorov said on Telegram.
Swedish security service says it broke up Russian spy plot
05:00 , James Reynolds
Sweden's security service says it shut down a Russian spying operation that had tried to influence decision-making there and discredit the Nordic country and its EU and NATO allies.
The operation had been planned and directed by Russia's SVR foreign intelligence service and involved three people working under the cover of diplomatic immunity, Sweden's SAPO service said on Monday.
"This is consistent with the threat we see Russia posing," a SAPO spokesperson told Reuters.
They said the individuals allegedly involved “are no longer in Sweden” and that they have “been able to break up this operation”.
The spokesperson declined to give any further information about the operation or the actions taken by the security service.
Russia blocks last anti-war party from upcoming parliamentary election
04:55 , Shweta Sharma
Russia has effectively shut down a key avenue for voting against the war in the upcoming elections, as most of Vladimir Putin’s opponents remain jailed or in exile.
The supreme court upheld a case brought by the small pro-Kremlin nationalist party Rodina to strip voters opposed to the war of their last chance to vote for Yabloko, the country’s last remaining anti-war party.
The court barred Yabloko’s entire slate of federal election candidates from running for seats in Russia’s State Duma.
Following the ruling, hundreds of Yabloko supporters gathered outside the courthouse to protest, as security forces prepared to disperse the crowd. Protesters chanted “Shame! Shame!” as about 500 people gathered outside the court.
Addressing the protesters, Yabloko leader Nikolay Rybakov said the party would appeal the decision.
Yabloko is the only liberal party still operating in Russia, while most of Putin’s opponents are jailed, exiled or dead.
Alternative voting options to Putin’s de facto party, the ruling United Russia, are tolerated only when they are too weak to win, support the Kremlin or act as “spoilers” by drawing votes away from candidates who could pose a threat to the regime.
The party told AFP over the weekend that 40 of its activists were facing prosecution for opposing the war.
Its deputy leader, Maxim Kruglov, was jailed for seven months in June over social media posts, while Rybakov was fined and barred from elections after posting a picture with Alexei Navalny.
Ukraine and Saudi Arabia discuss defence and food security
04:16 , Shweta Sharma
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said he discussed a drone deal and food security with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Monday.
"There are domains in which Ukraine and Saudi Arabia can strengthen each other's ability to protect lives and people," he said on X after the call.
Speaking later in his nightly video address, Zelensky said a team of Ukrainian officials was in the region "and there are already areas in which our relations are developing well. I am counting on reciprocity in our mutual support.
"Ukraine and Saudi Arabia signed an agreement on military cooperation in March when the president met the crown prince.
Ukraine has developed expertise in dealing with Iranian-designed drones over more than 4-1/2 years of war with Russia.
It has also signed deals on drone development with other countries in the Middle East and Gulf and elsewhere.
He said they also discussed Saudi Arabia’s recent defence agreements with Türkiye and Pakistan.
Russia to hand over control of two key Mediterranean bases to Syria
04:00 , Maira Butt
Russian forces will relinquish control of two strategically vital Mediterranean coastal bases, Syria's foreign ministry says, and they will be transformed into joint training centres under a new bilateral agreement.
The development signals a significant recalibration of Moscow's military footprint in the region.
The Hmeimem air base and the Tartus naval base served as crucial Russian military outposts in the eastern Mediterranean throughout Syria's civil war.
Russia was the primary political and military ally of former president Bashar al-Assad, who was ousted in December 2024 by Isis-affiliated insurgents led by now-leader Ahmad al-Sharaa, known by the nom de guerre Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, and subsequently sought exile in Russia.
Russia to hand over control of two key Mediterranean bases to Syria
Five killed and 20 injured in Russian attack in Zaporizhzhia and Kyiv
03:56 , Shweta Sharma
Five people were killed and 20 were injured after a Russian attack in the southeastern Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia early on Tuesday.
Zaporizhzhia regional governor Ivan Fedorov said Russian troops deployed missiles and aerial bombs on the city.
He posted pictures showing buildings and vehicles ablaze. Air raid alerts were sounded in both Zaporizhzhia and in Kyiv.
Missiles also struck Kyiv, sparking fires and injuring one person.
Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko said medical personnel had been dispatched to a central district. Kyiv's air raid alert was lifted after 40 minutes and then issued again later well after midnight.
Inside Putin’s aggressive army recruitment drive
03:00 , James Reynolds
Moscow appears to be adopting increasingly aggressive strategies to recruit fresh troops for its war of attrition in Ukraine, as Vladimir Putin looks to make up for heavy battlefield losses.
Men are reportedly being snatched off Russian streets and students offered significant financial incentives to join drone units as Moscow looks to avoid another forced mobilisation.
Local officials have been issued recruitment quotas by the Kremlin and Moscow’s defence ministry as it looks to meet this year’s 409,000 target, sources familiar with the matter told the Financial Times.
Read the full report:
Inside Putin’s aggressive army recruitment drive as Russians ‘snatched off streets’
Ukrainian attacks 'cut power' in Russian-held part of Zaporizhzhia
02:00 , James Reynolds
The Russian-held part of Zaporizhzhia region in south-east Ukraine was largely without electricity on Monday after Ukrainian attacks destroyed key power facilities, the Russian-appointed local authorities said.
On Russia's Black Sea coast, power outages were also recorded in parts of Novorossiysk, a major export port, and in the holiday resort of Gelendzhik, the regional authorities said on the Telegram messaging app.
Kyiv has stepped up attacks on Russian energy and power infrastructure this year, saying it wants to bring the price of Russia's war home to ordinary Russians. Ukraine's own cities have been under repeated attack since Russia sent tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine in 2022.
Russia's top court bars anti-war party from parliamentary vote
01:00 , James Reynolds
Russia's Supreme Court on Monday barred the liberal Yabloko party from contesting September's parliamentary elections, sidelining the only officially registered party that opposes Moscow's war in Ukraine.
More than four years after Russia launched its full-scale war in Ukraine, the decision highlights the authorities' intolerance of anti-war views and further narrows the already limited space for dissent in Russian politics.
"Excluding Yabloko from the election means refusing dialogue with people who ask questions that are uncomfortable for the authorities," Nikolai Rybakov, the party's leader, said, vowing to appeal the decision.
The court ruled in favour of a lawsuit filed by the small pro-Kremlin nationalist party Rodina, which sought Yabloko's exclusion from the election. Rodina alleged that Yabloko had received undeclared campaign support, including from Western sources, among other accusations.
During a day-long hearing, Rybakov said there was no evidence to support the allegations and described the case as an unconstitutional attack on freedom of thought by political opponents seeking to clear the field of rivals.
Where have peace talks been left?
Tuesday 11 August 2026 00:00 , James Reynolds
Peace talks between Russia and Ukraine have been on hold since February, when the United States shifted focus to its new war in the Middle East.
Moscow and Kyiv walked away from talks in Geneva no closer to a deal, as Ukraine suggested the US was unfairly demanding Kyiv alone make concessions to end the war.
Volodymyr Zelensky, the Ukrainian president, said the last round of direct talks had been “difficult” and accused Russia of deliberately stalling, with the issue of territory still in dispute.
What does either side want?
Russia insists on its demands for Ukrainian territory and the withdrawal of forces from its borders.
Ukraine insists it needs clear security guarantees from allies to stop Russia reopening the conflict and says it cannot and will not give up territory sought by Russia.
The lands in the east include industry heavy regions and Ukraine’s belt of ‘fortress cities’ to protect against invasion.
Will talks start again?
Volodymyr Zelensky said late in April that he was keen to meet with Vladimir Putin, his Russian counterpart, in an effort to restart negotiations.
While Ukraine claimed a string of wins on the ground, Zelensky warned that US attention on the war with Iran was soaking up resources and leaving Ukraine with critical shortages of air defences.
But the Kremlin said Putin would only meet Zelensky in Moscow for the purpose of finalising agreements on the conflict.
Turkey said it was making efforts to restart talks and bring together the leaders, after hosting delegations in July 2025.
Moment Ukraine’s Black Forest Brigade destroys Russian air defence command centre
Monday 10 August 2026 23:04 , James Reynolds
Explosive video footage purportedly shows the moment a Ukrainian drone destroyed a Russian military vehicle used to coordinate vital air defences.
Ukraine’s ‘Black Forest’ Reconnaissance Brigade claimed to have struck what it said was the command-and-staff vehicle for a Soviet-era S-300 surface-to-air missile system.
Video published on Sunday showed the moment of impact from above as a loitering drone hit the side of the truck with devastating effect, sending smoke billowing from the wreckage.
Moment Ukraine’s Black Forest Brigade destroys Russian air defence command centre
What are Patriot interceptors and why do they matter?
Monday 10 August 2026 23:00 , James Reynolds
Ukraine is urgently seeking more Patriot interceptors to defend against a nightly barrage of Russian ballistic missile strikes.
But the Iran war has drained arsenals in the US and the Gulf, and some European countries are holding onto missiles they may need for their own defense.
So what are the Patriot interceptor missiles?
Patriot, short for Phased Array Tracking Radar for Intercept on Target, is a mobile surface-to-air missile defense system built by US weapons maker Raytheon Technologies that can be used in all kinds of weather and at long range.
A typical battery includes radar and control systems, a power unit, launchers, and support vehicles. The system can intercept aircraft, tactical ballistic missiles and cruise missiles, depending on the interceptor used.
Why do they matter?
Kyiv has repeatedly asked Western allies for more air defences to protect critical infrastructure and civilian areas from frequent Russian missile and drone attacks.
While effective at intercepting missiles and aircraft, Patriots are a costly way to shoot down low-budget drones. Patriot interceptors are estimated at around $4 million per missile, CSIS says, while Russia can send hundreds of cheap drones a day.
Although not originally designed to intercept hypersonic weapons, in May 2023 the US confirmed Ukraine had used the Patriot system to shoot down a Russian Kinzhal missile, which Moscow claims is hypersonic.
What are the obstacles?
Russia has long said that giving Ukraine interceptors would amount to a direct escalation. They said it would delay the chance of peace.
But Donald Trump’s main line of argument is that the US needs its weapons and cannot afford to give them away to Ukraine. Indeed, the Patriots have been in short supply since the US went to war with Iran in February.
Trump in July offered Ukraine the right to make its own Patriot interceptors, but later reneged, saying the US has “not agreed” to such an arrangement.
