A Russian ballistic missile strike on Friday in Ukraine's Kyiv region killed 10 people and injured close to 100 at the site of a defence industry event that president Volodymyr Zelensky said should never have taken place.
Ukraine's Emergency Services said its crews had completed rescue operations at the site north of the capital.
This comes as five people were killed and nine injured in the city of Sloviansk in eastern Ukraine in a Russian aerial bomb attack killed, regional governor Vadym Filashkin said on Friday.
Earlier Ukraine attacked Russian online retail giant Wildberries’ warehouses in St Petersburg on Friday, which Kyiv said is part of infrastructure supporting the Russian military.
Wildberries confirmed it had ceased operations at two regional logistics sites and evacuated staff from its Crimea warehouse and a Reuters video shows two vast plumes of black smoke rising over the area.
The strikes mark the fifth attack on Wildberries warehouses since 18 July, affecting around 10 per cent of its logistics capacity.It follows reports that Russian leader Vladimir Putin is losing a “staggering number” of troops – upwards of 5,000 to 6,000 in a week – in his war against Ukraine, US secretary of state Marco Rubio said.
Key Points
- Romania shoots down drone breaching its airspace, president says
- Ukraine attacks Russian Wildberries warehouse
- Laura Loomer meets Zelensky in Ukraine after U-turn on war
- Rubio says Putin losing over 5,000 troops each week in Ukraine
- US is ready to help end the 'senseless war' in Ukraine but no quick deal ahead, Rubio says
- Boris Johnson claims Ed Miliband is to blame for Putin’s invasion of Ukraine
White House says Trump, Zelensky to meet in Washington next week
06:30 , Namita Singh
A Ukrainian source said Zelenskiy was interested in travelling to the United States but his team was waiting for official confirmation of Trump's schedule from the White House.
The source added that Ukrainians and US officials had been discussing a proposal for an air ceasefire to take to Russian officials, as part of a new round of peace proposals to try to end the war that began in 2022 with Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
The source said Ukraine had approached Russian president Vladimir Putin in the past with offers of a ceasefire, which had been turned down. However, some officials believe that pressure on Russia's economy from ongoing Ukrainian drone and missile strikes may soften Putin's stance.
Zelensky spoke on Wednesday with US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner about the prospects for renewed peace talks with Russia, and said that Ukrainian and US officials could meet in the United States in the coming days.
Acting Ukrainian defence minister Yevhenii Khmara, writing on Telegram, said he and new Commander-in-Chief Mykhailo Drapatyi had met US ambassador to Nato Matthew Whitaker on Friday in Kyiv and discussed different factors in confronting Russia on the battlefield.
"We have a strong synergy and shared vision of the war with Commander Drapatyi: technological superiority, asymmetric solutions, and more opportunities to destroy the enemy," Khmara said.
"We informed our partners about the situation on the front and Ukraine's steps to force Russia into a fair peace."
Earlier on Friday, right-wing activist and Trump ally Laura Loomer interviewed Zelensky and said he had told her he would likely be in the United States next week for a trip that would include a meeting with Trump.
Loomer, in a post on X, added that Zelensky said he would attend the funeral for US Senator Lindsey Graham, who died earlier this month.
Ukrainians back ousted defence minister as political crisis brews
06:00 , Namita Singh
Protesters in Kyiv on Friday announced an open-ended rally demanding that pesident Volodymyr Zelensky reappoint ousted defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov after a badly explained government reshuffle escalated into a political crisis.
The protest peaked last week, when thousands of angry Ukrainians took to the streets to insist on Fedorov's reinstatement and dismissal of then commander-in-chief Oleksandr Syrskyi, whom some accused of disregarding servicemen's lives and stalling army modernisation.
But even as Zelensky replaced Syrskyi with respected commander Mykhailo Drapatyi, hundreds of people returned outside the presidential office on Friday to press on.
"We stood, `we stand, and we will stand," they chanted. Protest organiser Dmytro Koziatynskyi, a military veteran, told Reuters he believed people were ready to keep it on "as long as it takes".
Zelensky, who previously argued Fedorov's dismissal was due to irreparable conflict with Syrskyi, presented him with a choice of several roles, including vice prime minister for defence innovation. But a 35-year-old credited with cleaning up the defence ministry publicly dismissed the offer. Fedorov said none of the posts had actual authority to proceed with necessary reforms.
"We don't need Fedorov just as a figurehead. We need Fedorov as a young reformer. And unfortunately, the posts offered by the president do not carry sufficient influence or provide the necessary tools to press on with reform," Koziatynskyi added.
Zelensky says US and Ukraine moving forward on joint drone production
05:30 , Namita Singh
President Volodymyr Zelensky said in an interview broadcast on Friday that cooperation between Kyiv and Washington on drones would include a US factory to produce the unmanned aerial vehicles using Ukraine's advanced technology.
Zelensky, interviewed by US right-wing blogger Laura Loomer, said Ukraine wanted to build quickly on an initial agreement on drones clinched with Washington.
The Ukrainian president said drone technology was undergoing constant change, with Ukrainian drones now able to operate over 3,000km with the prospect of even longer distances.
Ukraine has excelled at drone innovation as it has pursued asymmetrical warfare against Russia during their four-year-old conflict, and Kyiv has shared its advances with some allies.
"Important technology. This is what we have. And America has great technology. Our drone deal is win-win," he said in the interview made available on X.
"We will build a great factory in the United States. We want to (have) lines of production," he said.
In Washington, a source familiar with the matter said details of an agreement were still being worked out ahead of Zelensky's talks with US president Donald Trump, scheduled for Tuesday, according to a White House official.
Reuters, in a report from Kyiv quoting a source familiar with the matter, said Ukraine had agreed to export drones to the United States to participate in the Pentagon's Drone Dominance programme.
Six Ukrainian companies have received permission to export about 100 drones each, the source said,
Russian aerial bomb kills five in eastern Ukraine
05:00 , Namita Singh
In eastern Ukraine, a Russian aerial bomb attack killed five people and injured nine in the city of Sloviansk, Regional Governor Vadym Filashkin said on Friday.
He later said that a new Russian strike on the city in the evening injured 16 people and damaged residential buildings. In Sumy region, a frequent Russian target on Ukraine's northern border, a Russian drone strike killed two people, Regional governor Oleh Hryhorov said on Telegram.
And in the southeastern city of Zaporizhzhia, a Russian strike set fire to a shopping centre, injuring a number of people, the regional governor said. Both sides deny targeting civilians in the war launched by Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022.
Russian missile strike kills 10 at Ukrainian defence event
04:29 , Namita Singh
A Russian ballistic missile strike on Friday in Ukraine's Kyiv region killed 10 people and injured close to 100 at the site of a defence industry event that president Volodymyr Zelensky said should never have taken place.
Ukraine's Emergency Services said its crews had completed rescue operations at the site north of the capital.
Pictures posted online by the Emergency Services showed teams sifting through piles of rubble at the site, adjacent to several houses. "Of course, the cause of this attack is Russian missiles, nothing but Russian terror," Zelensky said in his nightly video address.
"However, we have said a thousand times that under these wartime conditions, with such an enemy, it is absolutely unacceptable to hold any weapons exhibitions with large crowds of people, especially near residential buildings."
The event, hosted by a drone manufacturers' association, was taking place in an area a short drive from the outskirts of the capital.
A spokesperson for the military's general staff said the event took place at a site not under its jurisdiction, but added that any such event required "maximum security measures". The acting governor of Kyiv region, Ruslan Oliynyk, said that a day of mourning would be observed on Saturday in the region.
Zelensky’s new military chief wins widespread approval after surprise sacking
02:00 , Holly Evans
After days of protests, Volodymyr Zelensky acquiesced to demands to sack his military’s commander-in-chief, General Oleksandr Syrskyi, and replaced him with the much younger Major General Mykhailo Drapatyi, who enjoys a formidable battlefield reputation.
Sirskyi, 60, appointed in 2023, was credited with forcing Russian forces to retreat from their attempt to capture the capital, Kyiv, at the start of Moscow’s February 2022 full scale invasion. Later that year, he masterminded a surprise offensive that routed Russians occupying large swathes of territory in Ukraine’s north eastern Kharkiv region.
But many Ukrainians disliked Sirskyi, saying he retained the rigid traits and strict hierarchical attitude from his Soviet-era military training and service. They also accused him of not caring enough about how many of his men lost their lives.
In contrast, 43-year-old Drapatyi’s appointment has met wide approval.
Read the full analysis here:
Zelensky’s new military chief wins widespread approval after surprise sacking
White House says Trump and Zelensky to meet in Washington next week
01:00 , Holly Evans
Donald Trump and Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky are scheduled to meet in Washington on Tuesday, a White House official said on Friday.
A Ukrainian source said Zelensky was interested in travelling to the United States but his team was waiting for official confirmation of Trump's schedule from the White House.
He is reportedly hoping to attend the funeral of US Senator Senator Lindsey Graham, who died earlier this month.
Earlier on Friday, right-wing activist and Trump ally Laura Loomer interviewed Zelensky and said he had told her he would likely be in the United States next week for a trip that would include a meeting with Trump.
Zelensky reveals Trump relationship was saved in 20-minute conversation
Saturday 25 July 2026 00:00 , Holly Evans
Zelensky reveals Trump relationship was saved in 20 minutes
Trump ally Laura Loomer meets Zelensky in striking reversal on Ukraine war
Friday 24 July 2026 23:00 , Holly Evans
Laura Loomer, a staunch ally of President Donald Trump known for her incendiary social media commentary, held a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday, following a significant shift in her stance on the conflict that could have political implications in Washington.
For years, Loomer had downplayed Russia's invasion of Ukraine and disseminated Russian propaganda to her nearly two million followers. However, this week marked a notable change of heart for the activist.
"Just experienced my first air raid in Ukraine. Sirens blaring. This is everyday for every Ukrainian," Loomer posted on X. "I often said I don’t care. Looking back, that wasn’t very nice of me to say."
Read the full article here:
Trump ally Laura Loomer meets Zelensky in striking reversal on Ukraine war
Zelensky meets with Ukraine's armed forces to discuss 'challenges and objectives'
Friday 24 July 2026 22:00 , Holly Evans
Volodymyr Zelensky has met with the leaders of his armed forces and his government to discuss the “defence, economic and diplomatic challenges and objectives” facing Ukraine.
It comes after weeks of turmoil after the Ukrainian president sacked his military’s commander-in-chief, General Oleksandr Syrskyi, and replaced him with the much younger Major General Mykhailo Drapatyi,
In a social media post, he said: “Russia is currently carrying out several deliberate terrorist operations against Ukraine and our infrastructure.
“We are also facing challenges in the energy sector, the fuel market, agriculture, and our grain export capabilities. Protecting our skies requires more practical ideas and faster progress on the projects already underway.
“It is important that our partners clearly understand where their responsibility lies and how they can support us – support the protection of lives in Ukraine and our resilience. Missiles for the Patriot systems are the top priority, and our agreements must be implemented promptly.”
We discussed the defense, economic, and diplomatic challenges and objectives facing Ukraine in August and the months ahead. Russia is currently carrying out several deliberate terrorist operations against Ukraine and our infrastructure. We are also facing challenges in the energy… pic.twitter.com/tYxkIQTRGy
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) July 24, 2026
Ukraine's Zelenskyy says he's in talks with a US company to jointly produce Patriot air defenses
Friday 24 July 2026 21:00 , Holly Evans
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says he has met in Kyiv with senior representatives of Raytheon, the US company that makes the Patriot air defense systems Ukraine desperately needs to counter the ballistic missiles Russia uses to advance its invasion.
The meeting came less than three weeks after US President Donald Trump vowed to give Ukraine a license to produce Patriots. The pledge marked an important shift as Trump recently has adopted a more positive tone towards Zelensky.
In another sign that Ukraine is changing minds in Washington, ardent Trump ally Laura Loomer met with Zelenskyy in Kyiv on Thursday. After years of minimizing the invasion, she rebuked Russian President Vladimir Putin for missile attacks on Ukraine.
Read the full article here:
Ukraine's Zelenskyy says he's in talks with a US company to jointly produce Patriot air defenses
What happened in Romania?
Friday 24 July 2026 20:00 , Holly Evans
The Romanian Defence Ministry said the Russian drone was shot down near the town of Padina in Buzau county in the east of the country.
It said two Romanian F-16 jets and two Italian Eurofighter Typhoons based in Romania had been scrambled in response to the incursion, adding the drone was first detected by radars at 9:30 am (0639 GMT) around 20 km (12 miles) east of Sulina on the Black Sea coast.
Fragments of the drone fell on a wheat field but caused no damage or injuries, the Buzau county prefect told reporters.
Romania, which shares a 650-km (400-mile) land border with Ukraine, has reported multiple breaches of its airspace by Russian drones since Moscow began attacking Ukrainian ports across the Danube River following its full-scale invasion in 2022.
Ukraine is discussing response to Russian strikes on ports, Zelensky says
Friday 24 July 2026 19:00 , Holly Evans
President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Friday he discussed with the new top military commander and acting defence minister Ukraine's response to Russian strikes on port infrastructure.
Russia has stepped up attacks on the Black Sea ports in recent weeks. Shipowners have halted vessel calls meant to pick up agricultural products as a result, officials said on Thursday.
Estonian town wraps school windows in film to protect children from military drones
Friday 24 July 2026 18:00 , Holly Evans
Schools in Estonia's Tartu, where children have already experienced a drone heading towards them from the Russian border, are putting protective film on windows in case another comes their way.
Stray Ukrainian drones, carrying bombs intended for targets in Russia but diverted from their paths, have entered the NATO and European Union country several times this spring. Ukraine blames Russian electronic jamming for sending its drones off course.
In June, schools in Tartu, which is 45 km (28 miles) from the Russian border, were told to bring their children to shelters as one such drone was approaching.
"We didn't know what to do because we were not prepared. We were actually quite scared ourselves," the head of Tartu's Kivilinna secondary school, Karin Lukk, told Reuters.
They did not head to shelters as they had neither the training nor designated spaces for the children, said Lukk. So over the summer holidays, her school, as well as all other schools and kindergartens in Tartu are preparing premises for children to hide if danger reappears, such as school gyms and pools.
In Ukraine, more people have died from glass broken by explosions than from explosions themselves, Lukk said. So protective film is being applied to windows of the designated shelters to protect children from shards in case of a nearby exploding drone.
Wildberries seller threatens to sue over Ukraine warehouse attacks
Friday 24 July 2026 17:00 , Holly Evans
One clothes seller has vowed to sue over the losses he has sustained in Ukraine’s attacks on online retailer Wildberries.
Oleg Kondratyev, co-founder of the clothing brand Airbase that manufactures mostly women's tracksuits, said he had lost about 5 million roubles of stock in the warehouse attacks, several of which caused massive fires.
That has placed him in a dire financial position, he said.
"For today, we cannot pay our loans because sales through Wildberries have stopped. Tax payments are not due yet, but they will be soon, and most likely we will not be able to pay those either," Kondratyev told Reuters in the city of Kazan, where he is based.
"I am hoping for payment deferrals from either the government or the banks. If that does not happen, I could potentially become the next bankrupt business owner."
Kondratyev said he would "take legal action all the way to the highest court" to recover his losses from Wildberries.
Wildberries' press service said more than 88,000 sellers had started receiving initial compensation for damaged goods.
US to allow certain Lukoil-related transactions through August, Treasury says
Friday 24 July 2026 16:30 , Holly Evans
The United States will allow certain transactions involving Lukoil International GmBH to continue until 12:01am 22 August, according to a notice posted on the Department of Treasury's website on Friday.
Donald Trump imposed sanctions on Lukoil in October as part of an effort to pressure Moscow over its war in Ukraine, and Lukoil put its assets up for sale shortly after.
The US has since extended the related deadline multiple times.
China slaps export controls on 14 EU entities in retaliation for Russia-related sanctions
Friday 24 July 2026 16:00 , Maira Butt
China announced on Friday it was adding 14 European entities to an export control list in retaliation for the European Union penalizing 14 Chinese enterprises as part of its latest round of sanctions against Russia.
Chinese companies will not be allowed to export dual-use items, which can be used for both civilian and military purposes, to the 14 European organizations, China’s Commerce Ministry said in a statement.
Additionally, foreign companies are barred from providing to the 14 entities dual-use items made in China.
The European companies affected include Czech vehicle manufacturer Tatra Trucks, Italian electric motor maker Lafert SpA, German manufacturer Sindlhauser Materials GmbH and French drone manufacturer Cavok UAS.
China slaps export controls on 14 EU entities in retaliation for Russia-related sanctions
Wildberries: Russian entrepreneurs watch stock burn as Ukraine targets answer to Amazon
Friday 24 July 2026 15:40 , Maira Butt
Viktoria Terekhova shipped virtually her entire summer collection of children's clothes last week to the giant warehouse of online retailer Wildberries at Elektrostal, east of Moscow.
Within a couple of days, it was destroyed in a Ukrainian drone strike.
Fashion designer Terekhova says she lost 12,000 items, amounting to about 45% of her company's total inventory, and another 4,000 items in attacks on Wildberries hubs in southern Russia.
Eight Wildberries warehouses accounting for more than 10% of the company's storage capacity have been attacked since July 18 in a wave of strikes against Russia's leading online retail company.
They appear to be part of a wider Ukrainian campaign to make ordinary Russians feel the impact of a war which has raged on Ukrainian territory for more than four years.
Read the full story below:
Wildberries: Russia entrepreneurs watch stock burn as Ukraine hits answer to Amazon
In pictures: Aftermath of a Russian missile attack in Kyiv region
Friday 24 July 2026 15:20 , Maira Butt
Friday 24 July 2026 15:00 , Maira Butt
In the span of a single week, the dismissal of a Ukrainian defense minister set in motion a transformation of the country’s armed forces that replaced the old guard with a new generation of leadership.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s decision to fire his popular defense minister, Mykhailo Fedorov, triggered days of public protest that quickly shifted toward the country's commander-in-chief and highlighted the growing rift over the future of Ukraine’s military.
Demonstrators denounced the commander, Oleksandr Syrskyi, and overwhelmingly rallied behind the departed defense minister, who has emerged as one of the country’s most influential wartime reformers with support from Ukrainians hungry for change. Protesters demanded his reinstatement. Fedorov's dismissal followed months of increasingly bitter disagreements between the two men.
Dismissal of Ukraine's defense minister started a sudden transformation of the military
Watch: Firefighters tackle blaze after Russian troops strike petrol station in Ukraine's Sumy region
Friday 24 July 2026 14:40 , Maira Butt
Europe will pay price of one crisis after another if EU cuts foreign aid, UN official warns
Friday 24 July 2026 14:20 , Maira Butt
The European Union would be making the “biggest mistake” if it continues to cut foreign aid, the United Nations development chief has said, leaving it dealing with “one crisis after another”.
Alexander De Croo told Euractiv that shrinking aid programmes will undermine strategic priorities and that the EU must remain globally “engaged” rather than rely on “reactive” policies introduced only after disaster has struck, he said. Otherwise, “you will really face the high cost of dealing with one crisis after another,” Mr De Croo added.
“The biggest mistake you can make as Europeans is to say: ‘We are going to turn our back on the rest of the world’,” he said.
Mr De Croo, former prime minister of Belgium and administrator for the UN Development Programme (UNDP) since December, urged Europe to instead address increasingly frequent global crises through “proactive” development schemes that help reduce levels of armed conflict and mass migration.
EU cutting foreign aid will leave Europe paying price of ‘one crisis after another’
Russian missile strike kills 10 at Ukraine defence event
Friday 24 July 2026 14:00 , Maira Butt
A Russian ballistic missile strike on Friday in Ukraine's Kyiv region killed 10 people and injured close to 100 others at a site where a defence industry event was being held, Ukrainian officials and industry representatives said.
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, who did not name exact target, said that efforts to determine what happened were underway.
"A rescue operation is currently underway in the Kyiv region following a Russian missile strike," Zelenskiy said on Telegram.
Acting governor of Kyiv region Ruslan Oliynyk said that according to preliminary information, a ballistic missile strike hit a private training ground where events were taking place.
The Ukrainian Council of Defence Industry said that a missile strike hit a site where representatives of the Ukraine's defence industry were present.
It said it was not an organiser of the event. Information regarding the exact whereabouts of the participants was not made public, it added.
Kremlin says Russia will wait for new US proposals on ending Ukraine war
Friday 24 July 2026 13:40 , Maira Butt
The Kremlin said on Friday that Moscow would wait for the United States to propose new ideas on ending the Ukraine war, and these proposals needed to be acceptable to Russia.
Romania says it has not yet identified origin of drone involved in airspace incursion
Friday 24 July 2026 13:20 , Maira Butt
Romania has not yet identified the origin or purpose of a drone shot down by a fighter jet over its airspace on Friday, but it appeared to be a Shahed, the army's chief of staff said.
"Visually, the pilots reported the drone looked to be a Shahed type," the Army's Chief of Staff Gheorghita Vlad told reporters, adding it was too soon to draw conclusions.
Rubio says no change in US military support for Ukraine
Friday 24 July 2026 13:00 , Maira Butt
Secretary of state Marco Rubio has said the US continues its work to provide Ukraine with military support via Nato allies.
On the sidelines of his meetings in Manila, Rubio said there had been no change in Washington’s military support for Ukraine, with weapons being purchased by Nato allies and transferred to the war-ravaged country.
On the lack of progress with peace talks involving Russia, he said “we’ll have to find new suggestions and new ideas” that are acceptable to both sides.
“That’s been the challenge — an end that both sides can accept," Rubio told reporters.
“We’ve tried and we’ll continue to try to see if we can, you know, find a middle ground that brings this about. And we’re prepared to play that role if the opportunity presents itself.”
A sailor dies after a Ukraine-bound tanker catches fire off Romania as officials probe war link
Friday 24 July 2026 12:40 , Maira Butt
A sailor injured when a Ukraine-bound tanker ship caught fire off Romania’s Black Sea coast has died, Romanian media reported on Thursday, as authorities investigate a possible link to Russia’s war against Ukraine.
The ship, a Liberian-flagged vessel named Gas Lisbon, was sailing across the Black Sea toward a Ukrainian port when it was “struck” late Monday around 20 nautical miles off Romania's coast, Romanian President Nicusor Dan said on Tuesday.
Romanian authorities approached the vessel and evacuated the entire 17-member crew, including three injured sailors. Two of those injured had burns on approximately 10-15% of their bodies while the third suffered multiple wounds, according to Romania’s Department for Emergency Situations.
On Thursday, Romanian news outlet news.ro reported that one of the injured sailors, a 45-year-old Philippine national, had died.
The outlet quoted the director of the Tulcea County Hospital, Tudor-Ion Nastasescu, as saying the sailor “had a burn of the airways and a pulmonary complication related to this burn that caused his death.”
A sailor dies after a Ukraine-bound tanker catches fire off Romania as officials probe war link
Zelensky says he's in talks with a US company to jointly produce Patriot air defences
Friday 24 July 2026 12:20 , Maira Butt
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says he has met in Kyiv with senior representatives of Raytheon, the U.S. company that makes the Patriot air defense systems Ukraine desperately needs to counter the ballistic missiles Russia uses to advance its invasion.
The meeting came less than three weeks after U.S. President Donald Trump vowed to give Ukraine a license to produce Patriots. The pledge marked an important shift as Trump recently has adopted a more positive tone towards Zelenskyy.
In another sign that Ukraine is changing minds in Washington, ardent Trump ally Laura Loomer met with Zelenskyy in Kyiv on Thursday. After years of minimizing the invasion, she rebuked Russian President Vladimir Putin for missile attacks on Ukraine.
The Ukrainian leader said late Thursday he met with a Raytheon delegation, adding that the company was ready to jointly produce Patriot interceptors with Ukraine. The system is made up of radars, command-and-control systems and different types of interceptor missiles.
The company made no immediate comment about the meeting on its website or social media accounts.
Watch: Zelensky reveals relationship with Trump was saved in 20 minute conversation at Vatican
Friday 24 July 2026 12:00 , Maira Butt
Russia says six people were killed in Ukrainian missile attack on Kirov factory
Friday 24 July 2026 11:40 , Maira Butt
Six people were killed and 26 injured in a Ukrainian missile attack on a factory in Russia's Kirov region, the regional governor, Alexander Sokolov, said on Friday.
He said that some of those wounded were being treated in hospital and that a fire sparked by the attack had been put out.
Laura Loomer will ask Trump to ship signed MAGA hats ‘via delivery drone’ to Zelensky’s palace in Ukraine
Friday 24 July 2026 11:20 , Maira Butt
Hardline right-wing activist Laura Loomer has said she will personally ask President Donald Trump to send a shipment of signed “Make America Great Again” (MAGA) hats to President Volodymyr Zelensky’s presidential palace via a “high-tech delivery drone”.
Loomer has backtracked on her position as one of Ukraine’s biggest critics, who has pushed a string of Kremlin-friendly narratives, and declared her support for the country’s cause against invasion by Russia – having conducted an interview with Zelensky for her social media channels that is yet to be released.
In snippets shared on X, Loomer noted that Mr Zelensky was wearing a suit and “looks good” in one.
Laura Loomer to ask Trump to ship signed MAGA hats ‘via high-tech drone’ to Zelensky
In pictures: Aftermath of Ukrainian strikes on St Petersburg
Friday 24 July 2026 11:00 , Maira Butt
Why is Ukraine attacking Russia’s Wildberries warehouses?
Friday 24 July 2026 10:30 , Maira Butt
A significant warehouse operated by Russian online retail giant Wildberries in the Leningrad region, near St. Petersburg, caught fire on Friday following what Governor Alexander Drozdenko attributed to a Ukrainian drone attack. Three people sustained injuries in the incident.
Wildberries confirmed it had ceased operations at two regional logistics sites and evacuated staff from its Crimea warehouse. A Reuters video from the scene depicted two vast plumes of black smoke rising over the area. This marks the fifth attack on Wildberries warehouses since 18 July, affecting around 10 per cent of its logistics capacity.
While Wildberries reported no staff injuries in this latest strike, eight people were killed in the 18 July attacks on logistics hubs in Kotovsk and Elektrostal. On 22 July, 10 people were injured in attacks on Wildberries warehouses in Krasnodar and Nevinnomyssk.
Kyiv maintains that the company is part of infrastructure supporting the Russian military, a claim Moscow denies, stating Wildberries is central to the consumer economy and handles no military supplies.
Together with competitors, Wildberries and Ozon sell goods and services equivalent to 8.5 per cent of Russia's gross domestic product, employing four million people, or over 5 per cent of the country's workforce.
Romania shoots down drone breaching its airspace, president says
Friday 24 July 2026 10:29 , Maira Butt
A Romanian F-16 fighter jet shot down a drone breaching the country's airspace early on Friday, Romanian President Nicusor Dan said, the latest in a series of incursions into the NATO member's airspace.
"This morning, around 11:00, a Romanian pilot on an F-16 aircraft shot down a drone that entered our country's airspace," Dan wrote on social media platform X.
"The area was uninhabited, so the pilot was able to shoot without any risk. Currently, teams of the relevant institutions are investigating the area to come up with all the details about the incident."
Dan did not specify the origin of the drone.
The Romanian Defence Ministry said the drone was shot down near the town of Padina in Buzau County in the east of the country.
Russia says it hit three Ukrainian ports overnight striking infrastructure and fuel
Friday 24 July 2026 10:00 , Maira Butt
Russia said on Friday that its forces struck three Ukrainian ports in overnight attacks targeting infrastructure including loading and unloading facilities and fuel reserves, which support Kyiv's armed forces.
Russia's defence ministry said air-launched missiles and strike drones had struck the ports of Odesa, Izmail and Mykolaiv as part of a campaign of heavy strikes against Ukraine.
It said in a statement that storage tanks containing fuel and lubricants earmarked for the Ukrainian army had been hit in Odesa, and that unloading and storage facilities used for military cargo - including sea drones - had been struck in Izmail. A floating dry dock in Izmail had also been hit.
In Mykolaiv, the Defence Ministry said its forces had struck a cargo ship which had been unloading military shipment.
The Independent could not independently verify the ministry's assertions.
Trump ally Laura Loomer meets Zelensky in striking reversal on Ukraine war
Friday 24 July 2026 09:30 , Maira Butt
Laura Loomer, a staunch ally of President Donald Trump known for her incendiary social media commentary, held a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday, following a significant shift in her stance on the conflict that could have political implications in Washington.
For years, Loomer had downplayed Russia's invasion of Ukraine and disseminated Russian propaganda to her nearly two million followers. However, this week marked a notable change of heart for the activist.
"Just experienced my first air raid in Ukraine. Sirens blaring. This is everyday for every Ukrainian," Loomer posted on X. "I often said I don’t care. Looking back, that wasn’t very nice of me to say."
Trump ally Laura Loomer meets Zelensky in striking reversal on Ukraine war
Russia says it hit bulker loading military cargo at Ukrainian port
Friday 24 July 2026 09:00 , Maira Butt
Russian defence ministry said on Friday that Russian forces have struck a bulker at the Ukrainian Mykolaiv port during loading.
The vessel was carrying military cargo, the ministry said.
Zelensky and Trump 'likely' to meet next week, says Laura Loomer
Friday 24 July 2026 08:18 , Maira Butt
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told right-wing activist Laura Loomer that he would likely be in the United States next week for a meeting with President Donald Trump, Loomer said in a post on X on Friday.
President Zelenskyy @ZelenskyyUa told me he will likely be attending Senator Lindsey Graham’s funeral in DC next week and he will also be having another meeting with President Trump.
— Laura Loomer (@LauraLoomer) July 24, 2026
This comes as the renewed secondary Russian sanctions bill is making its way through Congress.… https://t.co/3mQ5ew4BXN
Rubio says no change in US military support for Ukraine
Friday 24 July 2026 07:59 , Arpan Rai
Secretary of state Marco Rubio has said the US continues its work to provide Ukraine with military support via Nato allies.
On the sidelines of his meetings in Manila, Rubio said there had been no change in Washington’s military support for Ukraine, with weapons being purchased by Nato allies and transferred to the war-ravaged country.
On the lack of progress with peace talks involving Russia, he said “we’ll have to find new suggestions and new ideas” that are acceptable to both sides.
“That’s been the challenge — an end that both sides can accept," Rubio told reporters.
“We’ve tried and we’ll continue to try to see if we can, you know, find a middle ground that brings this about. And we’re prepared to play that role if the opportunity presents itself.”
Ousted Ukrainian defence chief refuses Zelensky's job's offer
Friday 24 July 2026 07:40 , Arpan Rai
Ousted Ukrainian defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov said he would accept no other government position besides his former job, escalating a political crisis that has gripped Ukraine at a pivotal point in the war with Russia.
Fedorov's surprise dismissal this month had sparked rare wartime protests prompting president Volodymyr Zelensky to replace his unpopular top general with a respected younger commander.
Zelensky said on Thursday he had offered Fedorov several other roles, including vice prime minister for defence innovation, but has not indicated he would reappoint him to the defence ministry.
Fedorov said only the positions of president, military chief and defence minister could "actually shape the course of the war".
"No other role carries the actual authority to combat procurement corruption, complete the army's transformation, plan and execute asymmetric operations against the enemy," he said.
Discussions between Zelensky and Fedorov were still ongoing, according to a source familiar with the matter.
"I think they will talk more," the source said.
Rubio says Putin losing over 5,000 troops each week in Ukraine
Friday 24 July 2026 07:20 , Arpan Rai
Russia is losing upwards of 5,000 to 6,000 troops each week in its war on Ukraine, US secretary of state Marco Rubio said, called in a "staggering number".
Rubio said the Russian war in Ukraine is one of the only wars in history where the number of troops killed in combat is exceeding the number of troops injured.
Reiterating president Donald Trump’s central objective, Rubio said the US wants “that people stop dying, that people stop being slaughtered.”
Trump, Rubio said, wants Ukraine to be able to “go on and live in peace,” allowing Ukrainians to return home and rebuild, while ensuring that “young Russians aren’t being killed at the tune of 5,000 a week in the battlefield.”
"We are prepared to play a constructive role in bringing about an end to a senseless war, we're ready to do that, and we of course expressed that,” Rubio said, referring to a meeting he held yesterday with his Russian counterpart.
US is ready to help end the 'senseless war' in Ukraine but no quick deal ahead, Rubio says
Friday 24 July 2026 07:02 , Arpan Rai
US secretary of state Marco Rubio said that the Trump administration is poised to help end the “senseless war” in Ukraine but acknowledged there is no quick path to a deal, saying diplomacy will require sustained effort and new ideas.
Rubio, who held talks with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov in the Philippine capital, alluded to how US-mediated talks have stalled.
He called them “unsuccessful or at least unfruitful” in the past but insisted that president Donald Trump was committed to the work “if conditions and factors have changed to make that possible.”
“That’s been the challenge — an end that both sides can accept," Rubio told reporters.
“We’ve tried and we’ll continue to try to see if we can, you know, find a middle ground that brings this about. And we’re prepared to play that role if the opportunity presents itself.”
Three injured in attack on Wildberries warehouse
Friday 24 July 2026 06:49 , Arpan Rai
A warehouse of the leading Russian online retailer Wildberries in the Leningrad region has caught fire after a Ukrainian drone attack, governor Alexander Drozdenko said on Friday.
Three people were injured, he added. Wildberries said that the work of two of its logistics sites in the region had been halted.
No 'definitive' evidence Irish alumina exports used in Russian weapons, Irish PM says
Friday 24 July 2026 06:44 , Arpan Rai
An Irish probe into a major alumina plant has found no "concrete or definitive" evidence its exports to Russia are used to make aluminium for weapons, but it has also been unable to rule it out, prime minister Micheal Martin said on Thursday.
Ireland is under mounting pressure over the Aughinish Alumina plant, Europe's largest refinery of the aluminium feedstock alumina, which the facility continues to export to Russia.
Dublin commissioned the investigation, even as it defends a European Union decision to leave the plant, which is owned by Russia's Rusal , off Russian sanctions packages. The government argues the refinery in southwest Ireland is strategically important to EU supply chains.
"The investigation has not found concrete or definitive evidence linking the alumina to a weapons manufacturer in Russia," Martin told a joint press conference with Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky during a visit to Kyiv.
"That said, neither has it found definitive evidence that alumina may not be going to weapons manufacturers."
Martin said the investigation is almost complete and would be shared with the European Commission once it is finalised.
EU sanctions aim to deprive Russia of financing for Ukraine war, says Kallas
Friday 24 July 2026 06:30 , Arpan Rai
European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas has said sanctions were having an effect on Russia's economy and have made it harder for Moscow to raise capital abroad.
“We also see that due to the sanctions, they can't raise capital outside,” she said.
“It is clear that if we put this in place, it has an effect together with other elements,” she said.
The European Union approved its 21st sanctions package against Russia over its war in Ukraine, imposing curbs on the country's banking sector and cryptocurrency networks, the Council of the EU said yesterday.
Kallas said sanctions were only one element of a broader European strategy to pressure Russia into serious negotiations with Ukraine.
"We have different elements of this approach. The sanctions are just one of them," she said. "We are looking at what more we can do to pressure Russia to actually sit around the negotiation table and negotiate with Ukraine."
Another Wildberries warehouse in Russia's Leningrad set ablaze
Friday 24 July 2026 06:07 , Arpan Rai
A warehouse of Russia’s online retailer Wildberries in the Leningrad region has been set on fire in a Ukrainian drone strike, the regional governor said this morning.
Kyiv has broadened its campaign against a company at the heart of Russia's consumer economy.
Kyiv has now struck four warehouses owned by the company beginning on the weekend on the grounds that they are part of infrastructure that supports the Russian military.
The Kremlin has denied that Wildberries handles military supplies. Russia has targeted Ukraine's logistics hubs as well as its energy system and power grid.
EU sanctions force Russian world chess chief to quit
Friday 24 July 2026 06:02 , Arpan Rai
Arkady Dvorkovich, the Russian president of the International Chess Federation (FIDE), announced today that he was suspending his activity with the organisation after being placed on the latest European Union sanctions list.
The EU's 21st sanctions package, issued in connection with Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine, imposes punitive measures against 170 entities and 48 individuals. Measures include asset freezes, travel and transaction bans.
Dvorkovich, in a statement on the FIDE website, denounced the EU move as "unlawful and unfair" and pledged to challenge it by all possible means.
“However, given that until a formal court decision is rendered and/or such decision is cancelled or amended, these sanctions could hinder the stable functioning of FIDE, I have decided to voluntarily suspend the exercise of my powers and duties as FIDE President with immediate effect..." he said.
Military activity hits water supply at Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant and nearby town
Friday 24 July 2026 05:53 , Arpan Rai
Military activity has hit water supplies to parts of the Russian-held Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station and nearby areas of southeastern Ukraine, the UN nuclear power watchdog said.
Rafael Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, said in a statement there was no shortage of well water needed to ensure fuel in the reactors remained cool.
But attacks in and around the city of Enerhodar, where many of the plant's staff live, had “targeted, among other locations, local electrical infrastructure, leading to a loss of water supply in the city and at the ZNPP site.”
“Reliable access to basic services and supplies is important for staff well-being and for the continuity of their essential work," Grossi said, adding that IAEA monitors stationed at the plant had had "only limited access to tap water since 18 July.”
Grossi, who has visited the plant several times since it came under Russian operation, made no reference to either Ukraine or Russia in terms of the military activity in the area.
He said the IAEA on-site team had not been able to visit a nearby emergency operations center since December because of security concerns.
Russia's state nuclear corporation Rosatom last week said a Ukrainian drone had killed the plant's chief engineer.
In his latest statement, Grossi repeated that nuclear power plant staff “must be protected at all times.”
Ousted Ukrainian defence chief refuses Zelensky's job's offer
Friday 24 July 2026 05:34 , Arpan Rai
Ousted Ukrainian defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov said he would accept no other government position besides his former job, escalating a political crisis that has gripped Ukraine at a pivotal point in the war with Russia.
Fedorov's surprise dismissal this month had sparked rare wartime protests prompting president Volodymyr Zelensky to replace his unpopular top general with a respected younger commander.
Zelensky said on Thursday he had offered Fedorov several other roles, including vice prime minister for defence innovation, but has not indicated he would reappoint him to the defence ministry.
Fedorov said only the positions of president, military chief and defence minister could "actually shape the course of the war".
"No other role carries the actual authority to combat procurement corruption, complete the army's transformation, plan and execute asymmetric operations against the enemy," he said.
Discussions between Zelensky and Fedorov were still ongoing, according to a source familiar with the matter.
"I think they will talk more," the source said.
Wary of drone attacks, shipowners halt calls at Ukraine's Black Sea ports
Friday 24 July 2026 05:15 , Arpan Rai
Shipowners have halted vessel arrivals at Ukraine's Black Sea ports due to intensified Russian strikes, Kyiv said, as president Volodymyr Zelensky warned Moscow might escalate attacks in order to block the country's main corridor for grain exports.
In recent weeks, Russia has pummelled logistics and port infrastructure in the southern Odesa region with missiles and drones.
On Sunday, a missile strike on a ship carrying corn killed 10 people, mostly foreigners, Ukrainian officials said. “Yesterday... not a single ship entered the port,” Zelensky told reporters on Thursday.
“They've been hitting all the ships. They're going to step this up.”
Russia struck 28 civilian vessels and killed 21 people from 20 June to 20 July, according to Odesa regional prosecutors cited by local media.
Shipowners wary of the attacks have temporarily suspended vessel arrivals meant to pick up agricultural products at the ports, Ukraine's agriculture minister Taras Vysotskyi said on Wednesday.
“Ukraine, as a state, has not imposed any restrictions," Vysotskyi was cited as saying by Interfax-Ukraine.
Laura Loomer meets Zelensky in Ukraine after U-turn on war
Friday 24 July 2026 04:48 , Arpan Rai
Laura Loomer, an ardent ally of president Donald Trump with a reputation for incendiary social media commentary, sat down with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday after a dramatic turnaround on the war that could have political reverberations back in Washington.
Loomer had spent years minimising Russia's invasion of Ukraine and amplifying Russian propaganda to her nearly 2 million followers. This week she had a change of heart.
“Just experienced my first air raid in Ukraine. Sirens blaring. This is everyday for every Ukrainian,” Loomer wrote on X during her visit to the country.
“I often said I don’t care. Looking back, that wasn’t very nice of me to say.”
“We need to have moral clarity,” she said.
Rubio says Putin losing over 5,000 troops each week in Ukraine
Friday 24 July 2026 04:15 , Arpan Rai
Russia is losing upwards of 5,000 to 6,000 troops each week in its war on Ukraine, US secretary of state Marco Rubio said, called in a "staggering number".
Rubio said the Russian war in Ukraine is one of the only wars in history where the number of troops killed in combat is exceeding the number of troops injured.
Reiterating president Donald Trump’s central objective, Rubio said the US wants “that people stop dying, that people stop being slaughtered.”
Trump, Rubio said, wants Ukraine to be able to “go on and live in peace,” allowing Ukrainians to return home and rebuild, while ensuring that “young Russians aren’t being killed at the tune of 5,000 a week in the battlefield.”
"We are prepared to play a constructive role in bringing about an end to a senseless war, we're ready to do that, and we of course expressed that,” Rubio said, referring to a meeting he held yesterday with his Russian counterpart.
US is ready to help end the 'senseless war' in Ukraine but no quick deal ahead, Rubio says
Friday 24 July 2026 04:08 , Arpan Rai
US secretary of state Marco Rubio said that the Trump administration is poised to help end the “senseless war” in Ukraine but acknowledged there is no quick path to a deal, saying diplomacy will require sustained effort and new ideas.
Rubio, who held talks with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov in the Philippine capital, alluded to how US-mediated talks have stalled.
He called them “unsuccessful or at least unfruitful” in the past but insisted that president Donald Trump was committed to the work “if conditions and factors have changed to make that possible.”
“That’s been the challenge — an end that both sides can accept," Rubio told reporters.
“We’ve tried and we’ll continue to try to see if we can, you know, find a middle ground that brings this about. And we’re prepared to play that role if the opportunity presents itself.”
