Key Points
- Putin thanks 'Donald' as he hits back at Zelensky's 'rude' letter
- Ukraine says drone hit Romania after being jammed by Russia
- Major drone explosion in Romanian Black Sea port
- Zelensky asks for face-to-face meeting with Putin in letter
- Kremlin responds: Zelensky is welcome in Moscow
- Trump says would be great if Zelensky and Putin meet
Putin says he is 'grateful' to Trump but sees no reason to meet Zelensky
04:44 , Namita Singh
Russian president Vladimir Putin said on Friday he currently saw no reason to meet Volodymyr Zelensky after the Ukrainian president published an open letter proposing they hold face-to-face talks to agree an end to the war.
In his letter, which was sent to other countries, including the United States, Mr Zelensky said the majority of Russians had grown tired of Ukrainian missile and drone attacks, high inflation and fuel shortages, and were ready for peace.
He also suggested that continuing the war could threaten Mr Putin's own position, saying that history had shown that when Russia got tired change followed.
Speaking at an annual economic forum in St Petersburg, Mr Putin said the letter did not come across as a sincere offer to hold talks.
"This letter contains some rather rude remarks. Was it a way to create the conditions for a face-to-face meeting or a way not to set up a face-to-face meeting? I think it was the latter," said Mr Putin.
Asked whether he would meet Mr Zelensky, Mr Putin was blunt: "I don’t see the point in meeting; the only point is for the Ukrainian side to halt the advance of our armed forces.
But we need agreements – not for six months, not for three months, but for the long term.
"In the open letter, "he mentioned my age, but the main thing is not an age, but ability to work," said Mr Putin.
"I don't understand why Ukraine does not want to see the Trump administration as a guarantor of peace talks,” he added. "I am grateful to Donald, but there is some work to do."
Putin's response to meeting proposal shows he does not want to end war, says Zelensky
07:25 , Namita Singh
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said on Friday that Russian leader Vladimir Putin's rejection of his proposal for a meeting to end more than four years of conflict showed that the Kremlin had no wish to end the war.
"Unfortunately, the Russian side is once again choosing war – everyone hear the response. A weak response," Mr Zelensky said in his nightly video address. "I think this response will have disappointed many in the world."
Unfortunately, the Russian side once again chooses war – everyone heard the response today. Weak response. He simply does not want to end the war.
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) June 5, 2026
I think many around the world were disappointed by that response. He does not want to change anything, and he does not want to admit… pic.twitter.com/En6BySTKPP
“He does not want to change anything, and he does not want to admit that this war appeals only to him – and to those who are making money off him. They were all smiling very broadly today.
“That means Russia must have less money, and there must be more pressure on Russia,” he said.
Armenia prepares for an election that could reshape ties with Moscow and the West
07:06 , Namita Singh
Armenia's parliamentary elections on Sunday will be a vote on its geopolitical future as incumbent prime minister Nikol Pashinyan seeks closer relations with the European Union and the United States despite longstanding ties with Russia that have been championed by his critics.
Many analysts favour Mr Pashinyan's Civil Contract party to retain control of the parliament, but with many opposition parties running on pro-Russia platforms, the Caucasus nation's place on the international stage has been thrown into the spotlight.
In the months ahead of the election, Russian president Vladimir Putin and other Russian officials have warned Armenia that joining the EU could come at the expense of massive economic damage by disrupting Armenian trade ties with Moscow and its allies.
“These are the first elections in Armenia’s history where geopolitical orientation has become a decisive issue,” Mikayel Zolyan, an analyst and former member of the Armenian parliament, told the Associated Press from Yerevan.
“Until now, Armenia has remained within Russia’s sphere of influence, and this was taken for granted, but now, for the first time, this is being called into question.”Relations between Moscow and Armenia soured in 2023 after Azerbaijan took control of the entire Karabakh region.
The mountainous region had been controlled for decades by ethnic Armenian forces backed by Armenia, part of a long conflict between the neighbouring countries.
Armenian authorities accused Russian peacekeepers deployed to the region of failing to stop Azerbaijan’s onslaught. Moscow, busy with the conflict in Ukraine, has rejected the accusations, arguing its troops didn’t have a mandate to intervene.
“It turned out that Russia’s image as a guarantor of Armenian security was not based in reality, and it all collapsed after the Karabakh war,” said Alexander Iskandaryan, director of the Caucasus Institute in Yerevan.
Mr Pashinyan has begun cautiously weakening ties with Moscow, joining the International Criminal Court in 2023 and suspending its participation in the Moscow-dominated Collective Security Treaty Organisation in 2024.
Montenegro is ‘within reach’ of joining the EU by 2028, von der Leyen says after Balkans summit
06:40 , Namita Singh
Montenegro is on track to become a member of the European Union by 2028, the bloc's leaders and the Balkan country's president said on Friday following a summit focused on expanding the EU to include other countries in the region.
Ukraine and Moldova are also among about 10 countries aspiring to join the bloc, while Iceland will hold a referendum in August on whether to apply.
Leaders from across the EU were joined by their Western Balkan counterparts in Montenegro's Adriatic Sea coastal town of Tivat, where they discussed the bloc's enlargement into a region seen as a key area in countering security and economic threats posed by Russia and China.
The summit brought together leaders including president Emmanuel Macron of France and German chancellor Friedrich Merz, European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen as well as the heads of Balkan candidate countries.
High on the agenda was Montenegro's EU accession, a process that is approaching its final stages and which von der Leyen said Friday was “within reach."“If I had to sum up this summit in two words, they would be determination and confidence,” Ms von der Leyen told a news conference.
“Confidence that our union will grow in the years ahead.”
The EU has already formed a working group to draft an accession treaty for Montenegro, whose president, Jakov Milatovic, said the summit had given him “even greater confidence” that his country will fulfill its aim of joining the EU by 2028.
Romania deploys helicopters to search for more drones as 1,300 people evacuated
05:56 , Namita Singh
Raed Arafat, the head of Romania's Department for Emergency Situations, told a news conference on Friday morning that helicopters had been deployed to search for more drones and that the authorities had issued text message alerts to residents.
The measure came after a Ukrainian maritime drone used against Russia exploded at a black sea port in Romania.
“There is a possibility that there may be other drones,” he said.
“We are not panicking. These are preventive measures. If there are other drones, we want to make sure there is not another explosion in an area where people are not evacuated.”
After the port explosion, more than 1,300 people were evacuated from several Black Sea beaches and the routes leading to them were temporarily blocked. Just before 3pm, the emergency authorities announced they had suspended evacuation measures.
A Ukrainian maritime drone explodes at a Romanian Black Sea port
05:43 , Namita Singh
A Ukrainian maritime drone that was being used in the country's war against Russia exploded on Friday at a Black Sea port in Romania, while three other sea drones exploded outside the port, Romanian authorities said. No one was injured.
The drone that self-detonated in the port of Constanta exploded at around 10.30am, after the area had been secured and isolated by the Romanian intelligence service, coast guard and the defence ministry, authorities said.
“Immediately after identifying the drone, the Ministry of Defence contacted its Ukrainian counterparts, who confirmed that they had lost control of the operation of four drones,” the Romanian government said in a statement. “The other three drones self-detonated – two offshore and the third outside the port.”
“Confirmation of these events came from both the Ukrainian side and from data obtained by the Romanian authorities,” it added.
Romanian president Nicusor Dan said in a statement online that the Ukrainian forces “lost control of the assets as a result of electronic warfare actions by Russia," likely jamming, and that the drone's incursion into “Romanian sovereign space is a direct consequence of the war waged by Russia” against Ukraine.
The Ukrainian Navy confirmed in a statement that it had lost control of an unmanned naval boat “while performing tasks in the Black Sea operational zone,” and that its military was in contact with Romanian authorities “to prevent losses among the civilian population”.
Zelensky says Putin’s response to meeting proposal shows he does not want to end war
05:34 , Namita Singh
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said on Friday that Russian leader Vladimir Putin's rejection of his proposal for a meeting to end more than four years of conflict showed that the Kremlin had no wish to end the war.
"Unfortunately, the Russian side is once again choosing war – everyone hear the response. A weak response," Mr Zelensky said in his nightly video address.
"I think this response will have disappointed many in the world."
How significant is Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant
05:19 , Namita Singh
The Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant is Europe's largest with six reactors. Seized by Russian troops in the early weeks of Moscow's invasion of Ukraine, each side has since accused the other of undertaking military actions to compromise nuclear safety.
The plant's Russian-installed management accused Ukraine on Thursday of deploying more than 20 drones to attack a nearby thermal plant vital to supplying the facility with external power.
The plant generates no electricity, but needs external power to ensure that nuclear fuel at the site does not overheat.
The latest ceasefire was the sixth negotiated since late last year to carry out repairs to the power lines. In its statement, the IAEA said the plant's second external power line was also down following attacks on two electrical substations located on the opposite bank of the Dnipro River from the nuclear plant.
The facility was relying on diesel generators as it did for a month last year in similar circumstances.
Russia's Rosatom says Ukrainian drone hit engineers demining areas around Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant
05:05 , Namita Singh
Russia's nuclear energy corporation Rosatom yesterday said that a Ukrainian drone had deliberately struck engineers demining an area around the Russian-held Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station, injuring at least three people.
Rosatom said the incident occurred at the start of a ceasefire around the plant, brokered by the UN's nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, to restore the main external power line to the plant.
"The strike was clearly calculated," Rosatom head Alexei Likachev said in comments posted on social media. "Three of our engineers were injured. Two are in serious condition."
"The international community must know of the continuing attempts to inflict maximum damage on the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, on the personnel responsible for ensuring its safety... despite the agreements that have been reached."
In a separate statement, Rosatom said five people were hurt.
The IAEA said it had been informed of the incident by the plant's Russia-installed management, and its director general Rafael Grossi, writing on X, called for maximum military restraint and full adherence to the ceasefire.
There was no immediate comment from Ukraine.
Putin held 'friendly one-on-one meeting' with Germany's Schroeder, Kremlin says
04:15 , Namita Singh
Russian president Vladimir Putin held a one-on-one meeting with former German chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, which was "good and friendly," Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov was quoted as saying yesterday by Russian news agencies.
"The discussion was friendly. It was in the form of a tete-a-tete, one on one," the agencies quoted Mr Ushakov as saying.
"I honestly don't know any of the details. It took place in Moscow, in the Kremlin."In his comments to journalists, Mr Ushakov said Russian officials were engaged in numerous informal contacts.
"I can well imagine that there are a lot of informal contacts and we simply don't know about them," the agencies quoted him as saying. Mr Schroeder was the German Chancellor from 1998 to 2005, when his Social Democratic Party was voted out of office.
He subsequently worked for Russian state companies and cultivated a close relationship with Mr Putin. The Russian president last month suggested that he would be willing to negotiate new security arrangements for Europe, with Mr Schroeder as his preferred partner.
But EU foreign ministers at a meeting in Brussels rejected any role for Mr Schroeder, with the EU's foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas saying that would allow the former chancellor to "be sitting on both sides of the table".
Mr Ushakov said he made no public statements about his own informal contacts, including with the special US envoys dealing with the conflict in Ukraine – Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, president Donald Trump's son-in-law.
He noted that US diplomacy was focused on events in Iran, but said a forthcoming visit by Mr Witkoff and Mr Kushner to Moscow was "being prepared, but the dates have not been agreed”.
Five dead in Russian attacks in Ukraine’s southern Kherson region
04:04 , Namita Singh
At least five people were killed in Russian attacks on Ukraine's southern Kherson region in three separate incidents on Friday, the regional governor said.
Oleksandr Prokudin, writing on Telegram, said a strike on a district of the region's main city, also called Kherson, killed three people in their 70s and 80s whose bodies were found in damaged homes.
An attack on a petrol station north of the city killed one person and injured seven, Mr Prokudin said. A drone strike in the evening killed a man in a village, also north of Kherson. Kherson is one of four regions Russia claimed to have illegally annexed in its entirety six months after its 2022 invasion.
Russian forces overran much of the region in the early stages of the invasion, but Ukrainian forces recaptured stretches of territory, including the city of Kherson. Ukrainian-held areas come under frequent Russian attack.
Over the border in Russia's western Belgorod Region, a frequent Ukrainian target, a Ukrainian drone struck a car near the border, killing the driver, local officials said.
The reports could not be independently verified. Russia and Ukraine deny deliberately targeting civilians.
I have spent 26 years studying Vladimir Putin – this is why I think he’s about to crack
03:00 , Alex Croft
As his number one foreign enemy, I have spent 26 years studying Vladimir Putin, and in that time I have learned one thing about him above all others: whenever he is in trouble at home, he starts a war abroad. It has worked every time. It is not working now, and a frightened Putin is a far more dangerous creature than a confident one.
Look at the polling. Putin’s approval rating fell by 12.2 percentage points between late December and late April, reaching 65.6 per cent – the lowest level recorded since the start of Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine, according to Russia’s state-controlled polling agency VTsIOM. That was such a sharp decline that the Kremlin’s favourite pollster announced on 15 May that it was changing the methodology with which it conducted its polls. Naturally, they then rose slightly. But it shows his favourite trick is a busted flush.
Bill Browder writes:
I have spent 26 years studying Putin – and I think he’s about to crack
Watch: US House passes bill to aid Ukraine and impose new sanctions on Russia
02:01 , Alex Croft
Recap: US House backs Russia sanctions and Ukraine aid
01:00 , Alex Croft
The US House of Representatives passed legislation on Thursday to provide aid to Ukraine and impose new sanctions on Russia, the latest sign that some Republicans are willing to defy party leaders and push back against president Donald Trump.
The House voted 226 to 195 for the Ukraine Support Act, which reached the floor after languishing for months. A handful of Republicans joined Democrats in signing a discharge petition to force the vote.
On Thursday, 18 Republicans and one independent who normally votes with them joined Democrats to pass the bill. It was the latest sign of a crack in what had been virtually unanimous support among members of Trump's party for his policies.
Passage came a day after a smaller group of House Republicans joined Democrats to pass a resolution that would force the withdrawal of troops from hostilities with Iran unless Congress declares war or orders the use of military force.
EU considers limiting protection for Ukrainian men of fighting age
Saturday 6 June 2026 00:00 , Alex Croft
EU ministers have broadly supported a proposal to limit access to temporary protection for Ukrainian men of military age, Sweden's migration minister said.
The European Union activated the Temporary Protection Directive after Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine to manage large-scale arrivals of displaced people.
The scheme, which has been extended three times and is due to expire in March 2027, grants beneficiaries residence permits, access to the labour market and social welfare.
Swedish migration minister Johan Forssell said his country was in favour of the proposal which was discussed at a Justice and Home Affairs meeting in Luxembourg. Any restrictions should apply only to new arrivals seeking temporary protection status, not to those already covered by the scheme, he added.
“It is essential for us to provide Ukrainians with protection, but at the same time the war needs to be fought and won. For that to happen, it is essential that more men stay in Ukraine and fight," Forssell said ahead of the meeting.
The European Commission would need to propose any extension or modification of the scheme, which must then be approved by EU countries.
More than 4.33 million people who have fled Ukraine currently benefit from the directive, according to Eurostat data. Germany hosts the largest share of Ukrainians under the scheme, about 29 per cent of the EU total, followed by Poland and Czechia, Eurostat data showed.
Ukraine tells Romania that maritime drone in Black Sea was one of five - report
Friday 5 June 2026 23:00 , Alex Croft
Ukraine has told Romania that the maritime drone which exploded in the Black Sea port of Constata on Friday was part of group of five, Constanta county prefect Adrian Teodor Picoiu was quoted saying by news website www.g4media.ro.
He added that one drone exploded in Constanta, another in Ukraine, and a search was ongoing for remaining the remaining three, the website said.
Watch: Ukraine strikes Russian patrol boat in Crimea
Friday 5 June 2026 22:01 , Alex Croft
IAEA brokers local ceasefire for repairs at Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant - ICYMI
Friday 5 June 2026 21:01 , Alex Croft
The International Atomic Energy Agency has announced it has negotiated a temporary local ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia, the sixth since late last year, allowing repairs to a power supply line to Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.
"A localised ceasefire brokered by the IAEA took effect on the frontline near the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) today, paving the way for crucial power line repairs to prevent the threat of a nuclear accident," the IAEA said in a post on X.
In the coming days, technicians from both sides will begin repairing war-related damage to the 750-kilovolt Dniprovska power line after extensive demining of the area, it said.
The power line was disconnected more than two months ago, leaving Europe's largest nuclear power plant reliant on a single 330 kV line to supply the electricity needed to cool its six shutdown reactors, the post said.
The ZNPP had lost access to this line several times in recent weeks, the IAEA said, forcing it to operate its emergency diesel generators.
In full: Zelensky’s letter to Putin as he calls for face-to-face meeting
Friday 5 June 2026 20:00 , Alex Croft
Volodymyr Zelensky has published a letter appealing to Russian president Vladimir Putin for a meeting, while launching a blistering verdict on his 26-year tenure in Moscow.
The message warned it would be misguided to simply await the Trump administration’s renewed focus on ending the conflict in Ukraine while its attention remains heavily directed towards the war in Iran, proposing that Moscow and Kyiv alone take the next steps.
Kyiv is looking to seize the initiative in what is a pivotal moment in the war, with Ukraine beginning to regain some leverage on the battlefield in part due to improved long-range strike capabilities.
Read more:
In full: Zelensky’s letter to Putin as he calls for face-to-face meeting
Ukraine and Russia swap 185 prisoners of war each
Friday 5 June 2026 19:01 , Alex Croft
Ukraine brought home 185 servicemen in the latest prisoner of war swap with Russia on Friday, President Volodymyr Zelensky said.
"Among them are those returning after years in Russian captivity, where they had been held since 2022," he said on X.
Russian state-run RIA news agency also reported the prisoner swap.
Swedish court rules cargo vessel in Baltic Sea was lawfully seized
Friday 5 June 2026 17:59 , Alex Croft
A Swedish court has ruled that a cargo vessel in the Baltic Sea was lawfully seized and that the ship can be handed over to Ukraine.
Kyiv suspects it of illegally transporting grain from Russian-occupied territory.
Swedish police and the coast guard seized the vessel, the Caffa, off southern Sweden in March, alleging it was sailing under a false flag and violated maritime and ship safety laws due to a lack of seaworthiness.
A lawyer for the owner, Caffa Shipping Limited, had challenged the seizure and sought the vessel's release, according to the June 4 ruling.
Ukraine is seeking the ship as part of an investigation into suspected war crimes involving the appropriation and removal of property from Russian-occupied territory, the court said.
Russian amusement park names ride 'Oreshnik' after nuclear-capable missile
Friday 5 June 2026 17:20 , Alex Croft
A Russian amusement park in St Petersburg has named one of its rides the "Oreshnik", after a nuclear-capable hypersonic missile that Moscow has fired three times at Ukraine.
Visitors to the rocket-shaped attraction are repeatedly lifted into the air and plunged into sudden stomach-churning drops.
Not everyone is pleased with the name, however.
"I don't think it fits. The best name for it would be 'Rocket'... I don't understand what it's got to do with the Oreshnik - who came up with that name?" one woman said.
A man visiting the park on Friday told Reuters: "A children's attraction should have a children's name, that's my personal opinion."
Putin thanks 'Donald' as he hits back at Zelensky's 'rude' letter
Friday 5 June 2026 17:20 , Alex Croft
In his speech earlier, Vladimir Putin said he is “grateful to Donald” but added that there is “still some work to do”.
Speaking at an economic summit in St Petersburg, he said he sees no reason to meet Volodymyr Zelensky after the Ukrainian president published an open letter proposing they meet to agree an end to the war.
The Kremlin chief said Zelenskiy's letter was rude in parts and did not come across as sincere offer to hold talks.
"This letter contains some rather rude remarks. Was it a way to create the conditions for a face-to-face meeting or a way not to set up a face-to-face meeting? I think it was the second," said Putin.
Asked on stage at Russia's annual economic forum whether he would meet the Ukrainian leader, Putin said: "I don't see any point for now."
Friday 5 June 2026 16:47 , Alex Croft
As we earlier reported, five Azerbaijani citizens were killed and three others injured in attacks on two cargo vessels in the Sea of Azov, Azerbaijan's foreign ministry said on Friday.
Russia has now accused Ukraine on Friday of killing Azerbaijani crew on board two cargo vessels headed for a Russian port.
Ukraine said earlier on Friday that its drones had struck five ships in the ports of Mariupol and Berdyansk on the Sea of Azov, as well as in the coastal waters of Russian-controlled territories.
Robert Brovdi, the commander of Ukrainian drone forces, said in a statement that his drones had hit dry cargo ships and a tanker that were involved in "stealing" Ukrainian grain and transferring military cargo and fuel, with the names of the vessels painted over and their radars turned off.
Russia's Foreign Ministry said two ships - the Natra and Zircon - had been sailing from Turkey to Rostov-on-Don in southern Russia when they came under attack from Ukrainian drones.
"The circumstances of the incident are being investigated. According to available information, the vessels were attacked by Ukrainian drones, which once again confirms the terrorist nature of the Kyiv regime, which is increasingly targeting civilians and civilian infrastructure," the ministry said in a statement.
Three injured in Ukrainian attack on Zaporizhzhia power plant, Moscow claims
Friday 5 June 2026 16:16 , Alex Croft
Three people were injured in a Ukrainian attack on the area of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant on Friday, Russian state nuclear corporation head Alexei Likhachev said, according to Interfax news agency.
The International Atomic Energy Agency said it has negotiated a temporary local ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia, the sixth since late last year, allowing repairs to a power supply line to Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia plant.
Russia not expecting visit by US negotiators in near future - Kremlin
Friday 5 June 2026 15:43 , Alex Croft
Russia is not expecting a visit by U.S. negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner in the near future, Interfax reported on Friday, citing Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.
The two had previously been involved in mediation efforts between Russia and Ukraine, which stalled in February after the United States and Israel began military action against Iran.
EU must show it is willing to accept new members, says Merz
Friday 5 June 2026 15:29 , Alex Croft
The European Union must show it is willing and able to take in new members, German chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Friday.
The bloc’s leaders were gathering with Western Balkan counterparts hoping to join in the coming years.
Enlargement has risen up the EU agenda due to Russia's war against Ukraine, with Kyiv keen to join the bloc.
But the process of joining is usually long and complex, involving years of negotiations and legal reforms, with approval of all 27 current EU members required to complete each step.
"The European Union has to show that it is capable of enlarging and willing to enlarge and we want to discuss that here," Merz told reporters at the summit in the Montenegrin coastal town of Tivat.
"There are, of course, a whole range of questions that we must answer, that we must answer together, but above all else, it must be clear that this part of Europe belongs within the European Union’s future," Merz added.
In pictures: Russia strikes dairy farm in Kyiv region, killing four
Friday 5 June 2026 15:16 , Alex Croft
Putin says inflation has significantly slowed to 5.2% in 2026
Friday 5 June 2026 15:05 , Alex Croft
Putin has now said that inflation in Russia had slowed significantly and would be close to 5.2 per cent in 2026.
The Kremlin chief was speaking at Russia's annual economic forum.
He adds that around 65 per cent of Russia's export operations are now rouble-denominated.
Putin also warned that Russia's budget deficit could increase over the course of the year, as we reported earlier.
Putin speaks at Russian economic forum
Friday 5 June 2026 14:47 , Alex Croft
We’re hearing from Russian president Vladimir Putin, who is speaking at an economic forum in St Petersburg.
The “theft” of Russian assets has had an impact on the US dollar and Euro, he says, referring to international sanctions imposed on Russian assets abroad.
Putin adds that Russia’s budget deficit - when expenses exceed income - may increase over the year.
But he tells the room of delegates that the BRICS alliance - Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa - is performing better than the G7.
Russia was formerly part of the G7, when it was known as the G8, before it was expelled following Moscow’s 2014 annexation of Crimea.
No more risks detected after Russian drone hits Romania: Bucharest
Friday 5 June 2026 14:44 , Alex Croft
No other risks were detected for now after a maritime drone exploded in Black Sea port of Constanta earlier in the day and restrictions are now being lifted, Romanian deputy interior minister Raed Arafat has said.
Some parts of Constanta and several beaches on the Black Sea and in the Danube Delta were evacuated earlier as Romanian authorities were surveying the area for more drones, local media reported earlier.
Russian drone attack on Kyiv region kills four
Friday 5 June 2026 14:20 , Alex Croft
A Russian drone attack on a dairy factory in a region surrounding the Ukrainian capital Kyiv has killed four people and injured seven more, Ukrainian officials said on Friday.
The attack destroyed an administrative building and damaged two cars at the site, the regional governor Mykola Kalashnyk said on Telegram.
He added that the factory produced dairy products, including yogurt, and baby food.
"The list of Russia's latest 'victories' over the past few days has grown to include the Yagotynske for Children plant, which produced food products for children," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on X.
Mr Zelensky said Russian forces had also attacked food warehouses and a postal facility in the Dnipropetrovsk region, an ambulance in the southern Ukrainian city of Kherson, and a school building in the northern Sumy region.
EU commission chief offers solidarity to Romania
Friday 5 June 2026 13:55 , Alex Croft
Russia's war against Ukraine is becoming a threat for all the countries on the EU's eastern border, European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said after a drone hit Romania's Black Sea port of Constanta on Friday.
"Our solidarity with every member state exposed to these threats is absolute," von der Leyen said in a post on X.
A marine drone of the type used in the war in neighbouring Ukraine self-detonated on Friday in Constanta near an oil terminal, without causing any casualties, the Romanian defence ministry said.
Solidaritate cu România!
— Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) June 5, 2026
One week after a drone crashed into an apartment building in Galați, a maritime drone today reached the port of Constanța.
This is a direct consequence of Russia’s war against Ukraine.
It is increasingly becoming a direct threat to countries on our…
Ukraine says drone hit Romania after being jammed by Russia
Friday 5 June 2026 13:45 , Alex Croft
We’re hearing more on the incident of a Ukrainian drone striking Romania.
The naval drone while on a mission in the Black Sea lost control as a result of Russian electronic warfare and drifted towards the Romanian coast, Ukraine's navy said on Friday.
Ukraine contacted the Romanian side to warn them and prevent casualties, it added on Facebook.
Ukraine tells Romania that maritime drone in Black Sea was one of five - report
Friday 5 June 2026 13:29 , Alex Croft
Ukraine has notified Romania that the maritime drone which exploded in the Black Sea port of Constata on Friday was part of group of five, Constanta county prefect Adrian Teodor Picoiu was quoted saying by news website www.g4media.ro.
He added that one drone exploded in Constanta, another in Ukraine, and a search was ongoing for remaining the remaining three, the website said.
Five Azerbaijani citizens killed in attacks on cargo vessels, says foreign ministry
Friday 5 June 2026 13:05 , Alex Croft
Five Azerbaijani citizens were killed and three others injured in attacks on two cargo vessels in the Sea of Azov, Azerbaijan's foreign ministry said on Friday.
Responding to a question about the vessels hit in Taganrog Bay, the ministry said the crews included 25 Azerbaijani citizens in total, but that the ships do not belong to Azerbaijan.
Earlier on Friday, Ukraine said that its drones had struck five ships in the ports of Mariupol and Berdyansk, as well as in the coastal waters of Russian-controlled territories.
Robert Brovdi, the commander of Ukrainian drone forces, said in a statement that his drones had hit dry cargo ships and a tanker that were involved in "stealing" Ukrainian grain and transferring military cargo and fuel, with the names of the vessels painted over and their radars turned off.
Ukrainian drones strike five ships in Mariupol and Berdyansk
Friday 5 June 2026 12:43 , Alex Croft
Ukrainian drones struck five ships in the ports of Mariupol and Berdyansk and in coastal waters of Russian-occupied territories overnight, the Ukrainian drone forces commander said on Friday.
Robert Brovdi said on the Telegram app that the drone forces hit dry cargo ships and a tanker that were involved in "stealing" Ukrainian grain and transferring military cargo and fuel.
The names of the vessels painted over and their radars had been turned off to allow this, he said.
Watch: US House passes bill to aid Ukraine and impose new sanctions on Russia
Friday 5 June 2026 12:21 , Alex Croft
Three more maritime drones found on Romanian coast
Friday 5 June 2026 12:01 , Alex Croft
Three more maritime drones were found on the Romanian coast after an explosion in Constanta port, news website Digi24 said on Friday, citing unnamed sources.
A marine drone of the type used in the war in neighbouring Ukraine self-detonated on Friday in Romania's Black Sea port of Constanta near an oil terminal, without causing any casualties, the defence ministry said earlier.
Helicopters surveying Romanian Black Sea port after explosion
Friday 5 June 2026 11:41 , Alex Croft
Two helicopters are surveying the Constata port and Black Sea coast searching for more drones after a maritime drone exploded in the port earlier on Friday, Romanian deputy interior minister Raed Arafat said.
"We now know there is the risk of self-detonation, we have ... evacuated in case there are more drones," Arafat told reporters.
"We are not panicking, the measures are purely preventative.”
Stay with us for all the latest on the incident.
Putin has received Zelensky's letter - Kremlin
Friday 5 June 2026 11:24 , Alex Croft
We’re getting more in from the Kremlin, who have given an update on Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky’s letter to Vladimir Putin.
Putin has been informed about the open letter, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Friday, according to state news agency TASS.
Mr Zelensky published the open letter to Putin on Thursday in which he proposed the two leaders meet to agree on an end to the war, warning that Kyiv stood ready to fight on otherwise.
He also taunted Putin, saying Russians were getting tired of both him and the war.
Major drone explosion in Romanian Black Sea port
Friday 5 June 2026 10:59 , Alex Croft
A marine drone explosion was reported in the Romanian Black Sea port of Constanta on Friday, local media reported.
The drone self-detonated at around 10:30am local time (8:30am BST), without causing any casualties, the Romanian defence ministry said on Friday.
The maritime drone is of the type used in the war in Ukraine and it is not part of Romanian army's equipment, it added in a statement.
IAEA brokers local ceasefire for repairs at Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant
Friday 5 June 2026 10:30 , Arpan Rai
The International Atomic Energy Agency has announced it has negotiated a temporary local ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia, the sixth since late last year, allowing repairs to a power supply line to Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.
"A localised ceasefire brokered by the IAEA took effect on the frontline near the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) today, paving the way for crucial power line repairs to prevent the threat of a nuclear accident," the IAEA said in a post on X.
In the coming days, technicians from both sides will begin repairing war-related damage to the 750-kilovolt Dniprovska power line after extensive demining of the area, it said.
The power line was disconnected more than two months ago, leaving Europe's largest nuclear power plant reliant on a single 330 kV line to supply the electricity needed to cool its six shutdown reactors, the post said.
The ZNPP had lost access to this line several times in recent weeks, the IAEA said, forcing it to operate its emergency diesel generators.
Putin says Russia used Oreshnik missile to attack Ukraine to 'observe' results for future use
Friday 5 June 2026 10:15 , Arpan Rai
Russian president Vladimir Putin said that his forces fired the medium-range Oreshnik ballistic missile on Kyiv last month as a test to observe the impact of the deadly missile.
"I'll reveal a major military state secret. We simply struck where it was convenient to observe the results," Putin told reporters yesterday in a press briefing.
"We haven't had a single combat use of the Oreshnik missile in the true sense of the word on Ukrainian territory," he added.
“It was important for making a decision on the future on the full-format use of the Oreshnik on designated targets, including those in populated areas,” Putin said.
Republican leaders tried to stop the bill for Ukraine aid
Friday 5 June 2026 09:55 , Arpan Rai
Republican leaders urged their members to oppose the legislation. House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., said there are good-faith negotiations between members of Congress and the White House to boost Ukraine.
He described the negotiations as complicated.
“I think they are going to yield positive results, but you set that back if you pass legislation that doesn't go as far as the negotiations are going,” Scalise said.
US-led peace efforts have fizzled out as the sides made no progress on key differences and after the war in Iran grabbed Washington’s attention.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky accepted an unconditional ceasefire demanded by Trump, but Vladimir Putin has refused.
Putin's forces could be at war for 'decades' says ex-KGB spy
Friday 5 June 2026 09:35 , Arpan Rai
A former spy has urged Russia to confront the possibility the country could be at war “for a couple of decades” amid mounting questions over the state of the economy.
"We have to admit that we will be at war in the next few years, maybe for a couple of decades," said Andrey Bezrukov at the glitzy St Petersburg International Economic Forum on Wednesday.
Bezrukov, a former spy arrested by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in 2010 while living under a false identity in the United States, spoke on the first day of the summit during a session called ‘Russia’s Main Threats in the Second Quarter of the 21st Century’.
"It may be a very hot war, it may be a creeping war. Even if it goes to other regions, we will have two generations that can be considered basically to be at war. And we need to learn how to live with this war," Bezrukov said to applause in a packed hall.
He argued that modern wars are no longer aimed at taking territory but wearing down the opponent, saying the West was trying to avoid a nuclear confrontation and was instead “slowly boiling the frog”.
Bezrukov pointed to the Ukrainian drone attacks on St Petersburg that morning, cautioning that “a drone using Starlink can fly into any region and hit a specific target.”
“This is a serious problem for us - we were not prepared for it.”
Kremlin has said Zelensky can come to Moscow, which Ukrainian leader will not agree to
Friday 5 June 2026 09:26 , Alex Croft
The Kremlin is aware of Volodymyr Zelensky's letter to president Vladimir Putin, Dmitry Peskov, Putin's spokesman, said on Thursday.
He said the Russian president would be informed about it later.
According to the BBC, the Kremlin added that the Ukrainian president is welcome to visit Moscow if he wishes.
But Mr Zelensky will never agree to this, and has repeatedly ruled out previous offers.
In full: Zelensky’s letter to Putin as he calls for face-to-face meeting
Friday 5 June 2026 09:22 , Alex Croft
As we earlier reported, the Ukrainian president has called for a direct meeting with Vladimir Putin in a long letter.
The message warned it would be misguided to simply await the Trump administration’s renewed focus on ending the conflict in Ukraine while its attention remains heavily directed towards the war in Iran, proposing that Moscow and Kyiv alone take the next steps.
Here is the letter in full:
In full: Zelensky’s letter to Putin as he calls for face-to-face meeting
Recap: Zelensky asks for face-to-face meeting with Putin in letter
Friday 5 June 2026 09:21 , Alex Croft
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has made a direct and public appeal to Russian President Vladimir Putin urging face-to-face negotiations in a letter that also delivered a scathing critique of the Russian leader's 26-year tenure.
This marks the first time Mr Zelensky has publicly addressed Mr Putin directly since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
The Ukrainian leader’s message underscored a recognition of shifting US priorities, stating it would be misguided to simply await the Trump administration’s renewed focus on ending the conflict in Ukraine while its attention remains heavily directed towards the war in Iran.
“I am proposing a meeting,” Zelensky wrote.
Zelensky appeared to be trying to seize a pivotal moment in the war, as Ukraine has begun to regain some battlefield leverage largely through improved long-range strike capabilities that have complicated Russia’s advances.
He said the talks could be hosted by a neutral third country, ruling out both Moscow and Kyiv as venues and suggested Switzerland, Turkey or Arab states as possible hosts for negotiations.
“It is leaders who resolve the key issues. That has always been the case, and it always will be,” he wrote. “I propose to set a clear date for such a meeting.”
Zelensky asks for face-to-face meeting with Putin in letter
Friday 5 June 2026 09:20 , Alex Croft
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has made a direct and public appeal to Russian President Vladimir Putin urging face-to-face negotiations in a letter that also delivered a scathing critique of the Russian leader's 26-year tenure.
This marks the first time Mr Zelensky has publicly addressed Mr Putin directly since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
The Ukrainian leader’s message underscored a recognition of shifting US priorities, stating it would be misguided to simply await the Trump administration’s renewed focus on ending the conflict in Ukraine while its attention remains heavily directed towards the war in Iran.
“I am proposing a meeting,” Zelensky wrote.
Zelensky appeared to be trying to seize a pivotal moment in the war, as Ukraine has begun to regain some battlefield leverage largely through improved long-range strike capabilities that have complicated Russia’s advances.
He said the talks could be hosted by a neutral third country, ruling out both Moscow and Kyiv as venues and suggested Switzerland, Turkey or Arab states as possible hosts for negotiations.
“It is leaders who resolve the key issues. That has always been the case, and it always will be,” he wrote. “I propose to set a clear date for such a meeting.”
EU considers limiting protection for Ukrainian men of fighting age
Friday 5 June 2026 09:15 , Arpan Rai
EU ministers have broadly supported a proposal to limit access to temporary protection for Ukrainian men of military age, Sweden's migration minister said.
The European Union activated the Temporary Protection Directive after Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine to manage large-scale arrivals of displaced people.
The scheme, which has been extended three times and is due to expire in March 2027, grants beneficiaries residence permits, access to the labour market and social welfare.
Swedish migration minister Johan Forssell said his country was in favour of the proposal which was discussed at a Justice and Home Affairs meeting in Luxembourg. Any restrictions should apply only to new arrivals seeking temporary protection status, not to those already covered by the scheme, he added.
“It is essential for us to provide Ukrainians with protection, but at the same time the war needs to be fought and won. For that to happen, it is essential that more men stay in Ukraine and fight," Forssell said ahead of the meeting.
The European Commission would need to propose any extension or modification of the scheme, which must then be approved by EU countries.
More than 4.33 million people who have fled Ukraine currently benefit from the directive, according to Eurostat data. Germany hosts the largest share of Ukrainians under the scheme, about 29 per cent of the EU total, followed by Poland and Czechia, Eurostat data showed.
'Biden's war' has become 'Trump's war', says Russia's Lavrov after Rubio comments
Friday 5 June 2026 08:55 , Arpan Rai
US secretary of state Marco Rubio's remarks in support of Ukraine demonstrate that what Russia used to call "Biden's war" had now become "Trump's war," Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said on Thursday, the RIA state news agency reported.
Lavrov was cited as saying that the fighting in Ukraine would have already been over if the US had been genuinely seeking a peace deal.
Rubio told a Senate subcommittee on Wednesday that there would be news “pretty soon” on $400 million that Congress had approved for Ukraine-related needs but which had been delayed at the Department of Defense.
Rubio’s comments in support of Ukraine demonstrated that there are no fundamental differences between the US and European approaches, Lavrov was quoted as saying.
Zelensky reveals major battlefield losses suffered by Putin's troops in letter
Friday 5 June 2026 08:35 , Arpan Rai
Volodymyr Zelensky has made an official submission of Russia’s deteriorating battlefield performance in his letter to his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin.
Zelensky said Russia suffered more than 30,000 soldiers killed or seriously wounded in May alone, saying Ukraine had “video confirmation” of the battlefield losses and that such casualty levels had been sustained month after month.
He added that Ukraine also continues to suffer painful losses despite what he described as a favorable casualty ratio.
The Russia-Ukraine war looms over the French Open – and tennis has no answers
Friday 5 June 2026 08:10 , Arpan Rai
For all the 128 players spanning the globe to have entered the French Open main draw this year, the women’s quarter-final line-up ended up concentrated in an incredibly small corner of eastern Europe. One Pole, one Romanian, two Ukrainians, and the remaining half of the competitors from either Russia or Belarus.
Those four are represented in official branding by a blank white rectangle, a flag that does not exist and tries to blend into obscurity, but which cannot be whitewashed out of the conversation.
This women’s Roland Garros has been dominated by the Russian war in Ukraine and the ever-widening chasm between players from the two nations, and between Ukrainians and Belarusians.
The Russia-Ukraine war looms over the French Open – and tennis has no answers
Trump wants Putin and Zelensky to make compromises to end war
Friday 5 June 2026 07:50 , Arpan Rai
US president Donald Trump said it “would be great” if Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky met.
“They should get it done,” Trump said.
Asked what concessions he had urged Putin to make to end the war, Trump declined to provide details but said both sides would need to compromise.
“They’re going to both make compromises,” he said. “I suggested those compromises.”
US House-approved bill for Ukraine could be blocked or vetoed. Here's how
Friday 5 June 2026 07:33 , Arpan Rai
The future of the Ukraine Support Act is uncertain and likely to face a final hurdle.
The US House of Representatives passed legislation to provide aid to Ukraine and impose new sanctions on Russia, the latest sign that some Republicans are willing to defy party leaders and push back against President Donald Trump.
The Ukraine Support Act includes measures to help Ukraine rebuild after the war, authorizes more than $1bn in assistance for Kyiv, and up to $8bn in support via direct loans.
It also imposes stiff sanctions and export controls on Russia, including on financial institutions, oil and mining and Russian officials.
The House voted 226 to 195 for the Ukraine Support Act, which reached the floor after languishing for months. A handful of Republicans joined Democrats in signing a discharge petition to force the vote.
To become law it must be passed in the Senate, whose Republican leaders have not allowed votes on Russia sanctions legislation that has broad bipartisan support, saying they would wait for Trump's guidance.
If it did pass the Senate, the bill would likely be vetoed by Trump. While many members of Congress from both parties strongly supported Ukraine in the first years after Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022, some of Trump's closest Republican allies – including House and Senate leadership - have grown cooler towards Kyiv since Trump returned to the White House in January 2025.
The president has also kept decisions on sanctions at the White House, not Congress, since starting his second term.
IAEA brokers local ceasefire for repairs at Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant
Friday 5 June 2026 07:11 , Arpan Rai
The International Atomic Energy Agency has announced it has negotiated a temporary local ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia, the sixth since late last year, allowing repairs to a power supply line to Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.
"A localised ceasefire brokered by the IAEA took effect on the frontline near the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) today, paving the way for crucial power line repairs to prevent the threat of a nuclear accident," the IAEA said in a post on X.
In the coming days, technicians from both sides will begin repairing war-related damage to the 750-kilovolt Dniprovska power line after extensive demining of the area, it said.
The power line was disconnected more than two months ago, leaving Europe's largest nuclear power plant reliant on a single 330 kV line to supply the electricity needed to cool its six shutdown reactors, the post said.
The ZNPP had lost access to this line several times in recent weeks, the IAEA said, forcing it to operate its emergency diesel generators.
One dead in Russian attack in Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia region
Friday 5 June 2026 06:46 , Arpan Rai
A Russian attack killed a woman in Ukraine's southeastern Zaporizhzhia region on Thursday, the regional governor said.
Ivan Fedorov, writing on Telegram, said 11 people had been injured in the incident involving glide bombs in the region and air alerts were intermittently imposed throughout the evening.
Earlier in the day, a Russian attack on the town of Yampil, in Sumy Region near the border with Russia, killed two people, regional governor Oleh Hryhorov said on Telegram.
Putin dismisses sabotage accusations of attacks on Europe
Friday 5 June 2026 06:19 , Arpan Rai
Asked about an AP investigation tracking 191 incidents across Europe, including sabotage, cyberattacks, attempted assassination and other activity that Western officials say are part of a Russian-masterminded campaign, Vladimir Putin said there was no detailed proof of Moscow’s involvement.
“What are the specific facts? What has been proven?” he said, adding that the accusations showed that Europe was not ready to talk to Russia as an equal partner.
“This only shows that certain political figures in the West are trying to carry out aggressive plans against the Russian Federation,” he said.
Asked whether Russia could contribute to a settlement of the war in Iran, Putin responded that Moscow’s proposal to take enriched uranium from Iran for storage remains on the table. He noted Russia did so as part of the 2015 deal between Iran and world powers, “and we are ready to do it now.”
Putin says Russia will bolster its air defenses in response to Ukrainian drone attacks
Friday 5 June 2026 06:02 , Arpan Rai
President Vladimir Putin has vowed that Russia will strengthen its air defences to counter recent Ukrainian drone attacks, which have reached deep inside his country and cast a cloud over his showcase economic forum in his hometown of St Petersburg.
Speaking in response to a question from The Associated Press during a meeting with heads of international news agencies, Putin acknowledged the damage from Ukrainian drone attacks.
“To our regret, some of them break through,” Putin said of the drone strikes. “Russia has an air defense system, we need to improve it, strengthen it, and we will do that.”
Putin says Russia used Oreshnik missile to attack Ukraine to 'observe' results for future use
Friday 5 June 2026 05:42 , Arpan Rai
Russian president Vladimir Putin said that his forces fired the medium-range Oreshnik ballistic missile on Kyiv last month as a test to observe the impact of the deadly missile.
"I'll reveal a major military state secret. We simply struck where it was convenient to observe the results," Putin told reporters yesterday in a press briefing.
"We haven't had a single combat use of the Oreshnik missile in the true sense of the word on Ukrainian territory," he added.
“It was important for making a decision on the future on the full-format use of the Oreshnik on designated targets, including those in populated areas,” Putin said.
Watch: Ukraine strikes Russian patrol boat in Crimea
Friday 5 June 2026 05:15 , Arpan Rai
Republican leaders tried to stop the bill for Ukraine aid
Friday 5 June 2026 04:52 , Arpan Rai
Republican leaders urged their members to oppose the legislation. House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., said there are good-faith negotiations between members of Congress and the White House to boost Ukraine.
He described the negotiations as complicated.
“I think they are going to yield positive results, but you set that back if you pass legislation that doesn't go as far as the negotiations are going,” Scalise said.
US-led peace efforts have fizzled out as the sides made no progress on key differences and after the war in Iran grabbed Washington’s attention.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky accepted an unconditional ceasefire demanded by Trump, but Vladimir Putin has refused.
Trump says would be great if Zelensky and Putin meet
Friday 5 June 2026 04:44 , Arpan Rai
President Donald Trump has welcomed Volodymyr Zelensky’s initiative to call for a direct meeting with Vladimir Putin.
The US president said it would be great if the leaders of Ukraine and Russia met to discuss ending the war in Ukraine.
EU considers limiting protection for Ukrainian men of fighting age
Friday 5 June 2026 04:25 , Arpan Rai
EU ministers have broadly supported a proposal to limit access to temporary protection for Ukrainian men of military age, Sweden's migration minister said.
The European Union activated the Temporary Protection Directive after Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine to manage large-scale arrivals of displaced people.
The scheme, which has been extended three times and is due to expire in March 2027, grants beneficiaries residence permits, access to the labour market and social welfare.
Swedish migration minister Johan Forssell said his country was in favour of the proposal which was discussed at a Justice and Home Affairs meeting in Luxembourg. Any restrictions should apply only to new arrivals seeking temporary protection status, not to those already covered by the scheme, he added.
“It is essential for us to provide Ukrainians with protection, but at the same time the war needs to be fought and won. For that to happen, it is essential that more men stay in Ukraine and fight," Forssell said ahead of the meeting.
The European Commission would need to propose any extension or modification of the scheme, which must then be approved by EU countries.
More than 4.33 million people who have fled Ukraine currently benefit from the directive, according to Eurostat data. Germany hosts the largest share of Ukrainians under the scheme, about 29 per cent of the EU total, followed by Poland and Czechia, Eurostat data showed.
Putin sticks to hardline stance on war in Ukraine, says will end war if Kyiv compromises
Friday 5 June 2026 04:17 , Arpan Rai
President Vladimir Putin stuck to his hardline stance on the war in Ukraine and said his troops were advancing on the battlefield every day, but added that US president Donald Trump's proposals for peace could end the fighting if Kyiv was ready to compromise.
He made his comments to foreign media editors, including Reuters, on the sidelines of Russia's showcase annual economic forum
Putin's spokesperson said the Kremlin chief was aware of the message, but had not yet had a chance to familiarise himself with its contents in detail. Trump said it would be great if the two leaders met.
Speaking in what is the fifth year of Europe's deadliest land war since the Second World War, Putin said that manpower, industrial resources and will power were on Russia's side.
His army had "recently" pushed Ukrainian forces out of nearly 2,500km (1,553 miles) of territory, he said, though he conceded that Moscow had to and would improve its air defences to contend with a growing threat from Ukrainian drones.
Some Western and Ukrainian military analysts say Russia's advance has slowed significantly, however, and argue that Russia is still a long way from achieving its own stated military goals.
Striking a bullish note, Putin said: "The offensive is ongoing on a daily basis. At present, the Russian Federation has taken full control of the Luhansk People’s Republic – 100 per cent. And Russia has brought over 85 per cent of the territory of the Donetsk People’s Republic under its control. (And) 80 per cent of the territory of the Zaporizhzhia region," he said, referring to three of the four regions in Ukraine which Moscow claimed as its own in 2022 in a move Kyiv and most Western countries rejected as an illegal land grab.
"Naturally, under these circumstances, the Ukrainian side would like us to halt the advance. But rather than stopping that, it would be better to bring the war to an end altogether by agreeing to the compromises that were discussed in Anchorage," he said, referring to a summit he held in Alaska with Trump in August last year.
'Biden's war' has become 'Trump's war', says Russia's Lavrov after Rubio comments
Friday 5 June 2026 04:00 , James Reynolds
US secretary of state Marco Rubio's remarks in support of Ukraine demonstrate that what Russia used to call "Biden's war" had now become "Trump's war," Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said on Thursday, the RIA state news agency reported.
Lavrov was cited as saying that the fighting in Ukraine would have already been over if the US had been genuinely seeking a peace deal.
Rubio told a Senate subcommittee on Wednesday that there would be news “pretty soon” on $400 million that Congress had approved for Ukraine-related needs but which had been delayed at the Department of Defense.
Rubio’s comments in support of Ukraine demonstrated that there are no fundamental differences between the US and European approaches, Lavrov was quoted as saying.
US House backs Russia sanctions and Ukraine aid
Friday 5 June 2026 03:58 , Arpan Rai
The US House of Representatives passed legislation on Thursday to provide aid to Ukraine and impose new sanctions on Russia, the latest sign that some Republicans are willing to defy party leaders and push back against president Donald Trump.
The House voted 226 to 195 for the Ukraine Support Act, which reached the floor after languishing for months. A handful of Republicans joined Democrats in signing a discharge petition to force the vote.
On Thursday, 18 Republicans and one independent who normally votes with them joined Democrats to pass the bill. It was the latest sign of a crack in what had been virtually unanimous support among members of Trump's party for his policies.
Passage came a day after a smaller group of House Republicans joined Democrats to pass a resolution that would force the withdrawal of troops from hostilities with Iran unless Congress declares war or orders the use of military force.
Occupied Crimea tightens fuel rationing following Ukrainian strikes
Friday 5 June 2026 03:00 , James Reynolds
Russian-controlled Crimea tightened its rationing of fuel supplies on Thursday, suspending all cash sales of gasoline and the issuance of new coupons to buy it as the peninsula grapples with a shortage linked to Ukrainian drone strikes.
Drivers in the region, annexed by Russia from Ukraine in 2014, have faced long lines at filling stations in recent days after attacks by Kyiv constricted supplies from adjoining Russian-controlled territory in southeast Ukraine.
Sergei Aksyonov, the Kremlin-installed head of Crimea, announced the new measures in a statement, tightening restrictions on petrol sales that were first imposed on May 31.
"Starting today, for several days, the sale of gasoline for cash will be completely suspended," he said, adding that no new coupons would be issued for the purchase of fuel either. Transactions with existing coupons will be capped at 20 litre. He blamed "difficult circumstances" for the rationing, without providing further details.
Ukraine has for months been attacking fuel infrastructure close to Crimea, and elsewhere in an effort to limit Moscow's ability to finance its more than four-year war in Ukraine at a time of high global oil prices.
Recap: All EU members greenlight first step for Ukrainian accession talks
Friday 5 June 2026 02:00 , James Reynolds
All members of the European Union gave a green light to open Cluster 1 in accession talks with Ukraine and Moldova, Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko said on X.
"Fantastic news," she wrote. "We are one step closer to the EU membership: steadily moving towards our goal."
Cyprus, which holds the rotating presidency of the EU, said on X it had starting preparing to formally open negotiation on the first group of negotiating chapters, which cover rule-of-law and democratic standards, with both countries.
Earlier, Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Magyar said his country and Ukraine had reached an agreement on the rights of the 100,000-strong Hungarian minority in Ukraine.
Magyar had previously said that agreement on the long-running dispute was essential if Budapest were to agree to Ukraine joining the EU.
Both Ukraine and Moldova are pressing for membership of the 27-member EU after more than four years of war pitting Kyiv against Moscow.
Recap: Putin's forces could be at war for 'decades' says ex-KGB spy
Friday 5 June 2026 01:00 , James Reynolds
A former spy has urged Russia to confront the possibility the country could be at war “for a couple of decades” amid mounting questions over the state of the economy.
"We have to admit that we will be at war in the next few years, maybe for a couple of decades," said Andrey Bezrukov at the glitzy St Petersburg International Economic Forum on Wednesday.
Bezrukov, a former spy arrested by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in 2010 while living under a false identity in the United States, spoke on the first day of the summit during a session called ‘Russia’s Main Threats in the Second Quarter of the 21st Century’.
"It may be a very hot war, it may be a creeping war. Even if it goes to other regions, we will have two generations that can be considered basically to be at war. And we need to learn how to live with this war," Bezrukov said to applause in a packed hall.
He argued that modern wars are no longer aimed at taking territory but wearing down the opponent, saying the West was trying to avoid a nuclear confrontation and was instead “slowly boiling the frog”.
Bezrukov pointed to the Ukrainian drone attacks on St Petersburg that morning, cautioning that “a drone using Starlink can fly into any region and hit a specific target.”
“This is a serious problem for us - we were not prepared for it.”
Germany and France float wider benefits for aspiring EU members: report
Friday 5 June 2026 00:00 , Reuters
Germany and France have proposed giving aspiring European Union members more opportunities to join EU programmes and access the single market before joining the bloc, according to a discussion paper seen by Reuters on Thursday.
The paper says it is intended to inject new momentum into discussions on enlarging the 27-member bloc ahead of a summit between EU and Western Balkan leaders on Friday and another summit with Moldova later this month.
Enlargement has risen up the EU agenda due to Russia's war against Ukraine, with Kyiv keen to join the bloc to anchor itself in Europe's political mainstream.
But the process for joining the bloc is usually long and bureaucratic, involving years of negotiations and legal reforms, which has prompted EU officials to look for ways to offer more tangible benefits to candidate countries before that journey is complete.
"We must provide additional incentives as part of a merit-based, gradual integration process and streamline the current process to make it more efficient and to allow for faster and deeper integration," the Franco-German paper says.
The paper proposes possible participation in EU student exchange and research programmes, as well as potential integration in areas such as energy, industry and the bloc’s Emissions Trading System – if the candidate country meets specific standards.
It also raises the possibility of allowing representatives of Western Balkan countries and Moldova to participate in parts of EU ministerial meetings and summits, although without the right to vote in them.
Sweden's Gripen faces moment of truth in Ukraine's air war with Russia
Thursday 4 June 2026 23:00 , Reuters
After Ukraine said it will make the Gripen the backbone of its air force, the Swedish fighter jet is finally set to be tested in the role it was designed for: confronting Russia.
Ukraine has allocated €2.5 billion of a €90 billion European Union loan to buy 20 new Gripen E fighters and is also set to receive 16 older models donated by Sweden, a potent new asset to protect Ukrainian cities.
"We need these jets and for us this is really a new page for Ukraine," President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said as he signed the deal with Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson at Uppsala airbase last week.
The deal, which may rise to 150 new planes, could see the Gripen face Russian opponents within a year, offering a first real combat test for a jet long praised for its capabilities but never proven in high-intensity warfare.
The Gripen first flew in 1988 and has been sold to countries including Brazil and South Africa. It has carried out surveillance missions and air policing while Thai Gripens skirmished with Cambodian forces.
"This will be something completely different, it will be a test against the systems that this aircraft is actually designed to face: Russia," Lieutenant Colonel and Swedish Defence University lecturer Johan Huovinen said.
"It will be a test of Swedish technology in the end."
Putin faces rival visions of peace or war for decades during Russia’s answer to ‘Davos’
Thursday 4 June 2026 22:00 , James Reynolds
President Vladimir Putin hosted Russia's premier annual investment conference in St Petersburg, where two rival visions for the nation's future clashed amidst the ongoing war in Ukraine.
At the glitzy St Petersburg International Economic Forum, some participants advocated for Russia to continue its fight and prepare for global confrontation with the West.
In contrast, others highlighted the economic benefits of ending a conflict that recently saw Ukrainian drones strike a St Petersburg oil terminal and naval base, sending smoke billowing over parts of the city and bringing the war almost to the forum's doorstep.
Read the full story:
Putin faces rival visions of peace or war for decades at Russia’s answer to ‘Davos’
The surprise US guests at Putin's version of Davos
Thursday 4 June 2026 21:00 , James Reynolds
Russia’s version of the international economic forum comes after Moscow’s top finance officials reportedly urged the Kremlin to rein in defence spending.
Alex Croft reports on some of the more unexpected attendees:
The weird and wacky US guests attending Putin’s ‘Russian Davos’
Zelensky offers to meet Putin for peace talks
Thursday 4 June 2026 20:05 , Daniel Keane
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky published an open letter to President Vladimir Putin on Thursday in which he proposed the two leaders meet to agree an end to the war.
In his letter, Zelensky said the majority of Russians had grown tired of Ukrainian missile and drones attacks, inflation and fuel shortages, and were ready for peace.
"If you do not personally come to the conclusion that it is time to end this war, Ukraine will continue fighting for its existence," Zelensky said, warning that this could threaten Putin's personal position.
"It is a fact of Russian history that you know well: when Russia grows tired, change comes."
Recap: Zelensky warns Russian forces could again launch a massive attack on Ukraine
Thursday 4 June 2026 20:00 , James Reynolds
Putin refuses to rule out signing peace deal with Zelensky
Thursday 4 June 2026 19:44 , Jane Dalton
Speaking to reporters in St Petersburg, Putin said he did not rule out signing a peace deal with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, if an agreement could be reached.
Putin has previously said that Zelensky is not a legitimate leader because he has remained in office beyond the end of his elected term.
Ukrainian law forbids the holding of new elections under martial law, which was imposed after Russia's 2022 invasion.
Putin told foreign journalists in St Petersburg that if it came to a peace deal, Russia would sign an agreement with legitimate Ukrainian representatives, perhaps "even with Zelensky".
Putin says Russia is ready to make some compromises for Ukraine peace deal
Thursday 4 June 2026 19:31 , Jane Dalton
Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that he is willing to make some compromises to end the war in Ukraine and strike a peace deal, following a request by President Donald Trump.
Putin told reporters in St Petersburg that Russia had all the resources to achieve its military goals and its troops were advancing in Ukraine, but it was prepared to make a deal with Ukraine peacefully.
Recent analysis suggests that Ukraine is succeeding in minimising Russian gains amid growing domestic pressure on Putin.
There are also signs that the war is beginning to impact Russia’s economy following years of western sanctions.
French jets intercepted Russian aircraft 11 times over a week in Baltics
Thursday 4 June 2026 19:00 , Reuters
French warplanes were scrambled 11 times over the last week as part of NATO's Baltic Air Policing Mission, France's armed forces spokesperson said on Thursday, describing the incursions as a higher-than-usual number of "provocations".
The mission protects the airspace of the three Baltic states - Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania - through rotating deployments of NATO fighter jets, filling gaps in their own capabilities. Aircraft are scrambled to intercept unidentified or non-compliant aircraft.
Guillaume Vernet told a weekly news briefing that the unusually high number of interceptions could signal that Moscow was seeking to flex its muscles in the same week it hosted its annual St Petersburg International Economic Forum.
"The French detachment deployed on the Baltic Air Policing mission carried out multiple interceptions of Russian military aircraft flying without flight plans or radio contact," Vernet said, adding that the intercepted aircraft included armed fighter jets, intelligence and transport planes.
Baltic states on edge as stray Ukrainian drones cause airspace chaos and political turmoil
Thursday 4 June 2026 18:00 , James Reynolds
Concerns are escalating that the war in Ukraine is spilling over into NATO's northern borders, as military drones increasingly violate the airspace of Finland, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania.
These incursions are directly linked to Ukraine's intensified long-range attacks targeting Russian Baltic Sea oil shipping ports.
Reports indicate that some of these unmanned aerial vehicles have missed their intended targets, prompting urgent security warnings across the neighbouring nations.
Baltic states on edge as drones spark chaos and political tensions
Top AfD official meets with Putin advisor and calls for reopening of Nord Stream
Thursday 4 June 2026 17:00 , James Reynolds
A senior member of Germany's far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) met one of Vladimir Putin's top advisers and the head of Gazprom and called for a reopening of the Nord Stream gas pipeline.
Markus Frohnmaier, the AfD's parliamentary foreign policy spokesperson, is attending Putin's showpiece economic conference in St Petersburg, against warnings from Germany's foreign ministry, which "explicitly advised the AfD against these trips".
Frohnmaier said on social media he had met Gazprom CEO Alexei Miller and Kirill Dmitriev, Putin's special envoy for investment and economic cooperation, on Wednesday. Dmitriev, Miller and Gazprom are all subject to Western sanctions imposed over Russia's war in Ukraine.
Frohnmaier, who has called repeatedly for Germany to engage with Russia to resume energy supplies, said the meeting with Miller focused on the pipeline and a full resumption of Russian gas deliveries to Germany.
“Germany is caught in a severe economic downward spiral, and a key driver of this is the high cost of energy,” Frohnmaier said.
“That is why all options must be put back on the table, including the recommissioning of Nord Stream and the resumption of trade relations with Russia.”
'Biden's war' has become 'Trump's war', says Russia's Lavrov after Rubio comments
Thursday 4 June 2026 16:56 , James Reynolds
US secretary of state Marco Rubio's remarks in support of Ukraine demonstrate that what Russia used to call "Biden's war" had now become "Trump's war," Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said on Thursday, the RIA state news agency reported.
Lavrov was cited as saying that the fighting in Ukraine would have already been over if the US had been genuinely seeking a peace deal.
Rubio told a Senate subcommittee on Wednesday that there would be news “pretty soon” on $400 million that Congress had approved for Ukraine-related needs but which had been delayed at the Department of Defense.
Rubio’s comments in support of Ukraine demonstrated that there are no fundamental differences between the US and European approaches, Lavrov was quoted as saying.
