Russia launched a major daytime assault on Ukraine on Wednesday, sending some 200 drones across the border shortly after 9am UK time, according to local media.
Air raid alerts sounded across Ukraine as trackers flagged dozens of Shahed-type unmanned drones moving southwest past Kyiv.
Explosions from air defences could be heard in the capital, according to the Kyiv Independent, as the country’s military intelligence said Russia had launched a combined air attack at Ukraine’s critical infrastructure facilities.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky warned of possible waves of drone attacks through Wednesday as Russia ramps up its daylight assaults.
“Russia continues its strikes and is doing so brazenly – deliberately targeting our railway infrastructure and civilian sites in our cities,” he said in a post on social media.
Since the beginning of the war more than four years ago, Russia has mainly carried out major drone and missile strikes at night. In recent weeks, however, it has repeatedly sent hundreds of drones and missiles during the daytime.
Russian ship that sank near Spain ‘was likely heading to North Korea with nuclear reactor parts’
Putin let his desperation show with unexpected claim his war with Ukraine is ending
Vladimir Putin ‘stages dressed-down encounter with public’ in bizarre video
How big is Ukraine’s corruption problem as Zelensky’s ex-chief of staff charged
Scottish man who spied on Ukraine military for Russia jailed for eight years
Key Points
- Trump says end of Ukraine war 'getting very close'
- Kyiv working with European allies to defend against ballistic missiles, says Zelensky
- Vladimir Putin ‘stages dressed-down encounter with public’ in bizarre video
- Six killed in Russian attacks on Ukraine after ceasefire expires
- Putin hails Russia's test launch of 'world's most powerful' new ballistic missile
- Russian ship that sank near Spain ‘was likely heading to North Korea with nuclear reactor parts’
Follow latest updates on Russia-Ukraine war
04:18 , Arpan Rai
Ukraine war latest: Kyiv under major attack as Putin continues deadly drone assault
Briefing: What we know on the 1,539th day of Ukraine war
Wednesday 13 May 2026 04:24 , Arpan Rai- The Kremlin repeats Russian president Vladimir Putin's assertion that the war in Ukraine was almost over
- At least six people were killed in Russian attacks on Ukraine after the US-mediated ceasefire expired. Russia launched more than 200 drones overnight and attacked Volodymyr Zelensky’s hometown
- US president Donald Trump also said the war's conclusion was "getting very close" even though Zelensky cautioned that “Moscow had no intention of ending it”
Trump says end of Ukraine war 'getting very close'
Wednesday 13 May 2026 04:41 , Arpan RaiUS president Donald Trump has said the Ukraine war's conclusion was "very close", even as the fighting continued to rage on the Russia-Ukraine border.
Speaking to journalists before departing on a state visit to China yesterday, Trump said a settlement between the two nations was approaching, but did not elaborate.
“The end of the war in Ukraine I really think it's getting very close," Trump said as he left the White House.
Trump has convened multiple rounds of talks with the warring sides to try to end the conflict, but no peace deal has emerged.
Russia, which now occupies around a fifth of Ukraine, wants Kyiv to cede additional territory – a condition Kyiv has rejected outright.
Kyiv wants Russian troops to withdraw from the illegally occupied Ukrainian territories.
Six killed in Russian attacks on Ukraine after ceasefire expires
Wednesday 13 May 2026 04:57 , Arpan RaiAt least six people were killed after Russian forces launched attacks in Ukraine's Dnipropetrovsk region yesterday, officials said.
Russia launched more than 200 drones overnight, putting an end to hopes that the three-day ceasefire that ended Monday would be extended.
A drone attack on an apartment building in Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky's hometown, the central Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih, killed two and injured four, including the dead couple's nine-month-old granddaughter, regional governor Oleksandr Hanzha and the head of the military administration Oleksandr Vilkul said on Telegram.
The child's leg was severed, they said.
Zelensky denounced the strike as "cynical and devoid of all military logic".
"After the end of the partial three-day ceasefire, Russia continues to kill and maim Ukrainians and pressure on it must therefore in no way be weakened," he said.
Northeast of Kryvyi Rih, an aerial bomb strike killed four and injured three, Hanzha said.
Putin let his desperation show with unexpected claim his war with Ukraine is ending
Wednesday 13 May 2026 05:07 , Arpan RaiPausing, turning and pointing, like hounds catching a new scent, Europe’s leaders are picking up a blood trail from the Kremlin. Vladimir Putin’s forces were once the hunters – now they are bleeding and Ukraine has the whiff of victory in its nose.
In the latest sign that Ukraine’s systematic new policy of trying to kill at least 50,000 Russians a month is working, Putin has told his people that the end of the war he started is near.
And, in an act that was both desperate and doomed, he suggested that Gerhard Schröder, the former German chancellor, could act as Europe’s envoy in talks.
Putin let his desperation show with unexpected claim his war with Ukraine is ending
How big is Ukraine’s corruption problem as Zelensky’s ex-chief of staff charged
Wednesday 13 May 2026 05:11 , Arpan RaiVolodymyr Zelensky’s former chief of staff was charged with corruption and money laundering on Monday as Ukraine’s galvanised watchdog pressed on with its widening investigation.
Andriy Yermak, who was until late last year the president’s closest advisor, was accused of laundering some UAH 460 million (£7.73m) through luxury accommodation near Kyiv. He denies ownership in the project.
Ukraine’s top anti-corruption agencies announced today they had charged six suspects in connection to the probe, which they said was linked to Operation Midas, the growing crackdown on an alleged plot to skim $100m from the country’s energy sector.
How big is Ukraine’s corruption problem as Zelensky’s ex-chief of staff charged
Vladimir Putin ‘stages dressed-down encounter with public’ in bizarre video
Wednesday 13 May 2026 05:25 , Arpan RaiVladimir Putin appeared to stage a friendly encounter with a member of the public in a bizarre video shared by the Kremlin on Monday.
The Russian president was filmed making friendly small talk with a man in a hotel lobby during a planned meeting with an old schoolteacher in Moscow.
Putin, 73, cut a casual figure as he paraded the city, dressed down and with a small security detail in an apparent rebuttal of claims that security around him has been tightened amid fears of an assassination attempt or coup.
Vladimir Putin ‘stages meeting with the public’ in bizarre video
Kyiv working with European allies to defend against ballistic missiles, says Zelensky
Wednesday 13 May 2026 05:30 , Arpan RaiVolodymyr Zelensky has said Kyiv was working with its allies in Europe to develop technologies to defend against ballistic missiles, adding that 13 countries and Nato representatives had participated in talks on the issue on Tuesday.
“We are steadily advancing the issue of anti-ballistic capabilities production in Europe – we are forming an anti-ballistic coalition. This is something worth doing, and right now we are closer to a result than ever before,” he said in his nightly address.
Zelensky added that at least 13 countries and the Office of the Nato secretary general were represented at yesterday’s meeting at the level of NSAs on anti-ballistic solutions.
“Overall, Ukraine’s positions right now – on the frontline, in our long-range sanctions, and in our joint results with partners – are the strongest they have been in years,” he said.
We are steadily advancing the issue of anti-ballistic capabilities production in Europe – we are forming an anti-ballistic coalition. This is something worth doing, and right now we are closer to a result than ever before. Thirteen countries and the Office of the NATO Secretary… pic.twitter.com/HFA3GVV50U
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) May 12, 2026
Scottish man who spied on Ukraine military for Russia jailed for eight years
Wednesday 13 May 2026 05:45 , Arpan RaiA Scottish man who worked as a military instructor in Ukraine has been jailed for eight-and-a-half years after pleading guilty to spying for Russia.
Ross David Cutmore, from the city of Dunfermline in Fife, was recruited by a member of the Russian special services and transmitted information about the Ukrainian military in return for payment.
The Ukrainian prosecutor general’s office said that he had “acted out of selfish motives and with the intent to transmit this data to the aggressor country”.
Cutmore was jailed for eight years and six months after admitting his guilt in a plea deal at the Kyiv district court of Odesa on 30 April.
Cutmore arrived in the country in January 2024, according to prosecutors. He ran classes for Ukrainian service personnel in the city of Mykolaiv.
Scottish man who spied on Ukraine military for Russia jailed for eight years
Putin hails Russia's test launch of 'world's most powerful' new ballistic missile
Wednesday 13 May 2026 05:51 , Arpan RaiRussia has test-fired a new intercontinental ballistic missile as part of efforts to modernise the country's nuclear forces, a launch hailed by president Vladimir Putin just days after his claim that the fighting in Ukraine is nearing an end.
Putin said that the nuclear-armed Sarmat missile would enter combat service at the end of the year. It was built to replace the aging Soviet-built Voyevoda.
The Sarmat — designated “Satan II” in the West — is meant to replace about 40 Soviet-built Voyevoda missiles. Its development began in 2011 and before Tuesday, the missile had only one known successful test and reportedly suffered a massive explosion during an abortive test in 2024.
“This is the most powerful missile in the world,” Putin declared, adding that the combined power of the Sarmat’s individually targeted warheads is more than four times higher than that of any Western counterpart.
The Russian leader has repeatedly brandished the nuclear sword after sending troops into Ukraine in February 2022 to try to deter the West from ramping up support for Ukraine.
Russia says it has downed 286 Ukrainian drones overnight
Wednesday 13 May 2026 06:30 , Arpan RaiRussian forces have intercepted and downed at least 286 Ukrainian drones overnight, the Russian defence ministry said this morning.
It did not detail the damage caused by the massive swarm of Ukrainian drones.
Russia typically reports only how many drones its air defences say they downed, not how many Ukraine launched, and rarely discloses the full extent of damage unless civilians are killed or civilian sites are hit.
However, damage was reported by local officials.
In the southern Krasnodar region, drone fragments fell on the territory of an industrial facility, causing a fire, local authorities said on their Telegram channel.
Fighting rages on Ukraine-Russia borders as 170 clashes reported
Wednesday 13 May 2026 06:53 , Arpan RaiThe General Staff of the Ukrainian military, in a late evening bulletin, said 170 combat clashes had been recorded over the past 24 hours along the 1,250-km (775-mile) front.
The report said the heaviest fighting had occurred near two key points in Ukrainian defences in the east of the country - the towns of Kostiantynivka and Pokrovsk.
Russian forces, it said, had conducted 25 and 24 combat operations respectively.
Although neither side reported large-scale airstrikes during the weekend ceasefire, both said fighting continued along the front line, accusing each other of drone and artillery attacks.
Watch: Russia will deploy new Sarmat nuclear missile this year, says Putin
Wednesday 13 May 2026 07:20 , Arpan RaiStudent recruited into Russian drone unit dies in combat – ISW
Wednesday 13 May 2026 07:29 , Arpan RaiA Russian university student who was recruited into the Russian Unmanned Systems Forces (RSF) died in combat, potentially in an assault unit, said a US-based think tank the Institute for the Study of War, citing open-source reporting.
The student, Valery Averin, signed a contract with the Russian defence ministry earlier this year in January to serve in the drones unit of Russia.
He completed his drone operator training on 24 March and contacted his mother for the last time on 2 April, and was killed in action by 8 April, only two weeks after completing his training, reported ISW, citing the BBC Russian service.
The student’s mother said Russian forces “threw him [Averin] into an assault, right into the meat grinder” and that a Ukrainian “mortar strike” killed Averin.
The BBC report indicated that this was the first known death of a Russian university student recruited into the drone unit.
Russia's Lavrov says 'nothing is happening' with US-Russia relations
Wednesday 13 May 2026 07:44 , Arpan RaiRussian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said that many positive things were being said about the enormous potential of US-Russia relations, but that in reality "nothing is happening".
"The sanctions imposed under him have remained in force. Moreover, the Trump administration has adopted its own initiatives in order to punish Russia’s economy,” he said this morning.
Lavrov said that "good words" about cooperation on technology, energy and other projects had so far come to nothing, but that Moscow appreciated Trump's initiation of dialogue with Moscow.
“However, nothing is happening in real life," said Lavrov.
Lavrov added that the dialogue with Moscow that did occur was in the same vein as that under former US president Joe Biden.
"Aside from this regular dialogue - which is normal in relations between people and countries - everything else follows the pattern initiated by President Biden," Lavrov said.
Russian gas plant, more than 1,000 miles away from Ukraine, set ablaze in drone attack
Wednesday 13 May 2026 08:03 , Arpan RaiDebris from a Ukrainian drone attack caused a fire this morning at a gas processing plant in Russia's southern Astrakhan region, the local governor said.
"All enemy aircraft were either shot down or neutralised by electronic warfare systems," Igor Babushkin wrote on Telegram.
"The debris caused a fire,” he said.
Babushkin said there were no casualties or injuries and that the fire was expected to be extinguished within a few hours.
The plant is located near the Caspian Sea, some 1,675km (1,040 miles) from the Ukrainian border.
Kremlin says ready for more US mediation efforts and Putin-Zelensky meeting
Wednesday 13 May 2026 08:21 , Arpan RaiKremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov has said Russia would welcome further US mediation efforts and claimed that the Russian president Vladimir Putin was prepared to meet his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky in person once the peace process was finalised.
"And for that finalisation, in order to put a full stop to it, a great deal of preparatory work still needs to be done," he said, adding that the conflict could end as soon as Kyiv and Zelensky "take the necessary decision".
Peskov also repeated claims from Putin on the war coming to an end and said a certain amount of trilateral work with Ukraine and the United States had been done towards winding down the war, now in its fifth year.
"This accumulated groundwork in terms of the peace process allows us to say that the completion is indeed approaching," Peskov told reporters, though he added it was difficult to provide specific details at the current time.
Russian ship that sank near Spain ‘was likely heading to North Korea with nuclear reactor parts’
Wednesday 13 May 2026 08:33 , Arpan RaiA Russian cargo ship that sank after a series of explosions 17 months ago was likely headed to North Korea carrying nuclear submarine reactors, according to a report.
The Ursa Major sank in the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Spain on 23 December 2024, shortly before midnight. The explosions and sinking of the vessel sparked concerns and curiosity due to its long voyage and Russia taking over operations as soon as another warship arrived.
The 142-metre-long vessel, also known as Sparta 3 and owned by the Russian state-linked Oboronlogistics, departed from St Petersburg and was bound for Vladivostok in Russia’s Far East, carrying two large manhole covers, 129 empty shipping containers, and two large Liebherr cranes.
Two crew members were killed, and 14 were evacuated on a lifeboat. They later said that three explosions had occurred near the ship’s engine room.
Russian ship that sank off Spain ‘was taking nuclear reactor parts to North Korea’
Trump says end of Ukraine war 'getting very close'
Wednesday 13 May 2026 08:45 , Arpan RaiUS president Donald Trump has said the Ukraine war's conclusion was "very close", even as the fighting continued to rage on the Russia-Ukraine border.
Speaking to journalists before departing on a state visit to China yesterday, Trump said a settlement between the two nations was approaching, but did not elaborate.
“The end of the war in Ukraine I really think it's getting very close," Trump said as he left the White House.
Trump has convened multiple rounds of talks with the warring sides to try to end the conflict, but no peace deal has emerged.
Russia, which now occupies around a fifth of Ukraine, wants Kyiv to cede additional territory – a condition Kyiv has rejected outright.
Kyiv wants Russian troops to withdraw from the illegally occupied Ukrainian territories.
Six killed in Russian attacks on Ukraine after ceasefire expires
Wednesday 13 May 2026 09:05 , Arpan RaiAt least six people were killed after Russian forces launched attacks in Ukraine's Dnipropetrovsk region yesterday, officials said.
Russia launched more than 200 drones overnight, putting an end to hopes that the three-day ceasefire that ended Monday would be extended.
A drone attack on an apartment building in Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky's hometown, the central Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih, killed two and injured four, including the dead couple's nine-month-old granddaughter, regional governor Oleksandr Hanzha and the head of the military administration Oleksandr Vilkul said on Telegram.
The child's leg was severed, they said.
Zelensky denounced the strike as "cynical and devoid of all military logic".
"After the end of the partial three-day ceasefire, Russia continues to kill and maim Ukrainians and pressure on it must therefore in no way be weakened," he said.
Northeast of Kryvyi Rih, an aerial bomb strike killed four and injured three, Hanzha said.
Kyiv working with European allies to defend against ballistic missiles, says Zelensky
Wednesday 13 May 2026 09:25 , Arpan RaiVolodymyr Zelensky has said Kyiv was working with its allies in Europe to develop technologies to defend against ballistic missiles, adding that 13 countries and Nato representatives had participated in talks on the issue on Tuesday.
“We are steadily advancing the issue of anti-ballistic capabilities production in Europe – we are forming an anti-ballistic coalition. This is something worth doing, and right now we are closer to a result than ever before,” he said in his nightly address.
Zelensky added that at least 13 countries and the Office of the Nato secretary general were represented at yesterday’s meeting at the level of NSAs on anti-ballistic solutions.
“Overall, Ukraine’s positions right now – on the frontline, in our long-range sanctions, and in our joint results with partners – are the strongest they have been in years,” he said.
We are steadily advancing the issue of anti-ballistic capabilities production in Europe – we are forming an anti-ballistic coalition. This is something worth doing, and right now we are closer to a result than ever before. Thirteen countries and the Office of the NATO Secretary… pic.twitter.com/HFA3GVV50U
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) May 12, 2026
Scottish man who spied on Ukraine military for Russia jailed for eight years
Wednesday 13 May 2026 09:45 , Arpan RaiA Scottish man who worked as a military instructor in Ukraine has been jailed for eight-and-a-half years after pleading guilty to spying for Russia.
Ross David Cutmore, from the city of Dunfermline in Fife, was recruited by a member of the Russian special services and transmitted information about the Ukrainian military in return for payment.
The Ukrainian prosecutor general’s office said that he had “acted out of selfish motives and with the intent to transmit this data to the aggressor country”.
Cutmore was jailed for eight years and six months after admitting his guilt in a plea deal at the Kyiv district court of Odesa on 30 April.
Cutmore arrived in the country in January 2024, according to prosecutors. He ran classes for Ukrainian service personnel in the city of Mykolaiv.
Scottish man who spied on Ukraine military for Russia jailed for eight years
Putin hails Russia's test launch of 'world's most powerful' new ballistic missile
Wednesday 13 May 2026 10:05 , Arpan RaiRussia has test-fired a new intercontinental ballistic missile as part of efforts to modernise the country's nuclear forces, a launch hailed by president Vladimir Putin just days after his claim that the fighting in Ukraine is nearing an end.
Putin said that the nuclear-armed Sarmat missile would enter combat service at the end of the year. It was built to replace the aging Soviet-built Voyevoda.
The Sarmat — designated “Satan II” in the West — is meant to replace about 40 Soviet-built Voyevoda missiles. Its development began in 2011 and before Tuesday, the missile had only one known successful test and reportedly suffered a massive explosion during an abortive test in 2024.
“This is the most powerful missile in the world,” Putin declared, adding that the combined power of the Sarmat’s individually targeted warheads is more than four times higher than that of any Western counterpart.
The Russian leader has repeatedly brandished the nuclear sword after sending troops into Ukraine in February 2022 to try to deter the West from ramping up support for Ukraine.
Russia says it has downed 286 Ukrainian drones overnight
Wednesday 13 May 2026 10:25 , Arpan RaiRussian forces have intercepted and downed at least 286 Ukrainian drones overnight, the Russian defence ministry said this morning.
It did not detail the damage caused by the massive swarm of Ukrainian drones.
Russia typically reports only how many drones its air defences say they downed, not how many Ukraine launched, and rarely discloses the full extent of damage unless civilians are killed or civilian sites are hit.
However, damage was reported by local officials.
In the southern Krasnodar region, drone fragments fell on the territory of an industrial facility, causing a fire, local authorities said on their Telegram channel.
Fighting rages on Ukraine-Russia border as 170 clashes reported
Wednesday 13 May 2026 10:45 , Arpan RaiThe General Staff of the Ukrainian military, in a late evening bulletin, said 170 combat clashes had been recorded over the past 24 hours along the 1,250-km (775-mile) front.
The report said the heaviest fighting had occurred near two key points in Ukrainian defences in the east of the country - the towns of Kostiantynivka and Pokrovsk.
Russian forces, it said, had conducted 25 and 24 combat operations respectively.
Although neither side reported large-scale airstrikes during the weekend ceasefire, both said fighting continued along the front line, accusing each other of drone and artillery attacks.
Student recruited into Russian drone unit dies in combat – ISW
Wednesday 13 May 2026 11:05 , Arpan RaiA Russian university student who was recruited into the Russian Unmanned Systems Forces (RSF) died in combat, potentially in an assault unit, said a US-based think tank the Institute for the Study of War, citing open-source reporting.
The student, Valery Averin, signed a contract with the Russian defence ministry earlier this year in January to serve in the drones unit of Russia.
He completed his drone operator training on 24 March and contacted his mother for the last time on 2 April, and was killed in action by 8 April, only two weeks after completing his training, reported ISW, citing the BBC Russian service.
The student’s mother said Russian forces “threw him [Averin] into an assault, right into the meat grinder” and that a Ukrainian “mortar strike” killed Averin.
The BBC report indicated that this was the first known death of a Russian university student recruited into the drone unit.
Russia's Lavrov says 'nothing is happening' with US-Russia relations
Wednesday 13 May 2026 11:25 , Arpan RaiRussian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said that many positive things were being said about the enormous potential of US-Russia relations, but that in reality "nothing is happening".
"The sanctions imposed under him have remained in force. Moreover, the Trump administration has adopted its own initiatives in order to punish Russia’s economy,” he said this morning.
Lavrov said that "good words" about cooperation on technology, energy and other projects had so far come to nothing, but that Moscow appreciated Trump's initiation of dialogue with Moscow.
“However, nothing is happening in real life," said Lavrov.
Lavrov added that the dialogue with Moscow that did occur was in the same vein as that under former US president Joe Biden.
"Aside from this regular dialogue - which is normal in relations between people and countries - everything else follows the pattern initiated by President Biden," Lavrov said.
Kremlin says ready for more US mediation efforts and Putin-Zelensky meeting
Wednesday 13 May 2026 11:45 , Arpan RaiKremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov has said Russia would welcome further US mediation efforts and claimed that the Russian president Vladimir Putin was prepared to meet his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky in person once the peace process was finalised.
"And for that finalisation, in order to put a full stop to it, a great deal of preparatory work still needs to be done," he said, adding that the conflict could end as soon as Kyiv and Zelensky "take the necessary decision".
Peskov also repeated claims from Putin on the war coming to an end and said a certain amount of trilateral work with Ukraine and the United States had been done towards winding down the war, now in its fifth year.
"This accumulated groundwork in terms of the peace process allows us to say that the completion is indeed approaching," Peskov told reporters, though he added it was difficult to provide specific details at the current time.
Russian gas plant, more than 1,000 miles away from Ukraine, set ablaze in drone attack
Wednesday 13 May 2026 12:00 , Arpan RaiDebris from a Ukrainian drone attack caused a fire this morning at a gas processing plant in Russia's southern Astrakhan region, the local governor said.
"All enemy aircraft were either shot down or neutralised by electronic warfare systems," Igor Babushkin wrote on Telegram.
"The debris caused a fire,” he said.
Babushkin said there were no casualties or injuries and that the fire was expected to be extinguished within a few hours.
The plant is located near the Caspian Sea, some 1,675km (1,040 miles) from the Ukrainian border.
Germany not worried by Russian presence in Baltic Sea, says defense ministry
Wednesday 13 May 2026 13:22 , Daniel KeaneThe German defense ministry is not concerned about the increased presence of Russian warships in the Baltic Sea, a spokesperson said.
This is "nothing out of the ordinary", said the spokesperson in Berlin, adding that nothing suggest that Russia's actions there are not in accordance with international maritime law.
Russian airspace breaches 'show need to strengthen Nato eastern flank air defence'
Wednesday 13 May 2026 14:00 , Daniel KeaneRussia's repeated airspace breaches of countries on the eastern flank underline the urgent need to consolidate Nato’s air defences against missiles and drones, eastern flank leaders said in a joint statement.
The statement also said that expanding the transatlantic defence industrial base by boosting production capacities, strengthening supply chains and efficient multinational procurement was necessary to address security challenges.
Pictured: Residents stand outside apartment destroyed by Russian strike in Odesa
Wednesday 13 May 2026 15:00 , Daniel Keane
Putin let his desperation show with unexpected claim his war with Ukraine is ending
Wednesday 13 May 2026 16:00 , Sam KileyRussia’s leader is showing increasing signs of weakness, while Ukraine is growing in confidence as the war turns Kyiv’s way, writes world affairs editor Sam Kiley.
Putin let his desperation show with unexpected claim his war with Ukraine is ending
Ukraine faces onslaught of 800 drones in one day, says Zelensky
Wednesday 13 May 2026 17:00 , James ReynoldsAt least 800 Russian drones have been launched towards Ukrainian territory since midnight, Volodymyr Zelensky said in a post on social media on Wednesday afternoon.
Zelensky said that Moscow was “clearly trying to disrupt the overall political atmosphere and draw attention to its evil” with the attacks to coincide with Donald Trump’s visit to China.
“Our warriors are defending Ukraine, but Russia’s obvious aim is to overload air defense systems and inflict as much grief and pain as possible specifically during these days,” he said.
“It is important that the world does not remain silent about this. It is important that Russia’s true intentions are made clear to leaders and countries. It is important to apply real pressure on the Russian aggressor so that this terror is brought to an end.”
Pictured: Zelensky meets European foreign ministers in Budapest
Wednesday 13 May 2026 18:00 , Daniel Keane
What is Putin’s powerful ‘Satan II’ nuclear missile?
Wednesday 13 May 2026 19:00 , Daniel KeaneThe Sarmat — designated “Satan II” in the West — is meant to replace about 40 Soviet-built Voyevoda missiles.
Its development began in 2011 and before Tuesday, the missile had only one known successful test and reportedly suffered a massive explosion during an abortive test in 2024.
Putin said Tuesday that the Sarmat — part of a slew of new weapons that Putin revealed in 2018, claiming they would render any prospective U.S. missile defenses useless — is as powerful as the Voyevoda but with a higher precision.
Read our full story below.
What is Putin’s Satan II missile Russia claims could strike as far as South America?
Watch: Trump says Ukraine war could soon come to an end
Wednesday 13 May 2026 20:00 , Daniel KeaneUkraine says it struck Russian oil and gas infrastructure
Wednesday 13 May 2026 21:00 , Daniel KeaneUkraine's military said it had struck a Russian oil terminal, a refinery and a gas processing plant as Kyiv renews attacks on energy infrastructure after a short-lived ceasefire.
The Tamanneftegas terminal in the Krasnodar region and gas plant in Astrakhan have been attacked, Ukraine's General Staff and drone forces commander Robert Brovdi said on the Telegram app. Both facilities are in southern Russia.
The strikes caused fires at reservoirs, they added.
A refinery in Yaroslavl, located northeast of Moscow, was also struck, the General Staff added. Primary oil refinery units were hit, according to the statement.
In pictures: Firefighters battle a blaze in Smila, Ukraine, following a Russian attack
Wednesday 13 May 2026 22:00 , James Reynolds
New Hungarian government condemns Russian strikes on western ukraine
Wednesday 13 May 2026 23:00 , James ReynoldsHungary "deeply condemns" Russian drone strikes on ethnic Hungarian regions in western Ukraine, Foreign Minister Anita Orban said in a Facebook video on Wednesday.
She said the strikes would be on the agenda of Prime Minister Peter Magyar's inaugural government meeting later in the day.
Russia launches huge drone attack on western Ukraine by Nato's border, killing six
Wednesday 13 May 2026 23:43 , Maira ButtRussia unleashed a massive daytime drone attack on Ukraine on Wednesday, targeting critical infrastructure in the west, killing at least six people and prompting Nato-member Poland to scramble fighter jets, officials said.
Hungary, now led by a government more in line with the European mainstream, condemned the strikes on areas of Ukraine with ethnic Hungarian communities and summoned the Russian ambassador. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky praised the Hungarian action as an “important message”.
“It certainly cannot be called a coincidence that one of the longest massive Russian attacks against Ukraine takes place precisely at the time when the President of the United States arrived for a visit to China,” Zelensky said on Telegram.
Watch: Trump says Ukraine war could soon come to an end
Wednesday 13 May 2026 23:59 , James ReynoldsNato allies' war game tests response to Russia and to US support
01:00 , Maira ButtThe war game scenario was this: One of Nato ’s newest members, Sweden, was under threat by an unnamed country that was building up troops along the military alliance’s eastern border. And in an unusual twist, non-Nato member Ukraine was there to advise on drone warfare.
The Associated Press was allowed to witness the Swedish-led military exercise this week as Europe faces not only the threat of Russia but the wavering of Nato’s most powerful member, the United States.
Read the full story below.
NATO allies' war game tests response to Russia and to US support
Vladimir Putin ‘stages dressed-down encounter with public’ in bizarre video
02:00 , Maira ButtVladimir Putin appeared to stage a friendly encounter with a member of the public in a bizarre video shared by the Kremlin on Monday.
The Russian president was filmed making friendly small talk with a man in a hotel lobby during a planned meeting with an old schoolteacher in Moscow.
Putin, 73, cut a casual figure as he paraded the city, dressed down and with a small security detail in an apparent rebuttal of claims that security around him has been tightened amid fears of an assassination attempt or coup.
James C Reynolds reports:
Vladimir Putin ‘stages meeting with the public’ in bizarre video
