Key Points
- Russia accused Ukraine of carrying out a drone strike on the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, while Kyiv denied responsibility and the IAEA sought access to inspect the site.
- Ukrainian drone strikes triggered fires at oil infrastructure in Taganrog, claim Russian officials
- Vladimir Putin has questioned whether Romania drone strike was of Russian origin
- Polish PM Donald Tusk has called on Nato to take Russian provocations seriously
- Russia has recalled an envoy to Armenia over EU ties ahead of upcoming election
- Nato chief: Alliance ready to defend “every inch” of its territory amid strike on Romania
Kyiv denies Russian claim of attacking Zaporizhzhia reactor
07:32 , Shahana Yasmin
Russia has accused Ukraine of carrying out a drone strike on the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, Europe’s largest.
Rosatom, Russia’s state nuclear company, said a drone struck part of reactor 6 on Saturday, damaging a turbine hall wall but causing no radiation leak.
The International Atomic Energy Agency said it had been informed of the reported strike and was seeking access to inspect the damage directly. It said in its statement that “attacking nuclear sites is like playing with fire”.
Ukraine denied responsibility for the strike, accusing Moscow of spreading “propaganda” and using the occupied plant for “nuclear blackmail”. The Zaporizhzhia facility has repeatedly been at the centre of safety concerns since Russian forces seized it in the early weeks of the war.
500,000 Russian soldiers killed in Putin’s war on Ukraine, says GCHQ
03:00 , Bryony Gooch
500,000 Russian soldiers killed in Putin’s war on Ukraine, says GCHQ
Russia's Rosatom says Ukrainian drone struck Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant
02:00 , Bryony Gooch
Russia's state-owned nuclear energy company Rosatom said on Saturday that a Ukrainian drone struck the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.
There was no damage to key equipment, but the attack left a hole in the wall of a turbine hall, Rosatom CEO Alexei Likhachev said. He was quoted as saying by Russian state media that the fact that the drone was controlled via fiber optics "completely rules out the possibility of an accidental impact."
Ukraine did not immediately comment on the incident.
The plant is in an area under Russian control since early in Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine and is not in service, but it needs reliable power to cool its six shutdown reactors and spent fuel to avoid any catastrophic nuclear incidents.
The International Atomic Energy Agency has repeatedly expressed alarm about the nuclear plant, Europe's biggest.
Watch: Russian drone strikes apartment building in Nato member Romania
01:00 , Bryony Gooch
Russia’s war spending to exceed budget by $28bn this year
Sunday 31 May 2026 00:00 , Bryony Gooch
Russia’s ballooning $28bn Ukraine war bill forces Putin to make spending cuts
Recap: Putin claims remarks about ending war were based on analysis of Russia's advances on battlefield
Saturday 30 May 2026 23:00 , Bryony Gooch
Russian president Vladimir Putin said on Friday his remarks on 9 May about the Ukraine war coming to an end were based on an analysis of Russian advances on the battlefield. Putin, though, refused to give any specific timeline for an end to the war.
He said Western claims that Russia was preparing for war with Europe were lies. He added that Western media should feel ashamed of themselves for their coverage of what Moscow said was a Ukrainian drone attack on a student dormitory in Russian-controlled Luhansk which left 21 people dead.
Recap: Putin pushes Nato to the brink with drone attack in Romania
Saturday 30 May 2026 22:00 , Bryony Gooch
What happens next as Putin pushes Nato to the brink with drone attack in Romania?
Analysis: Putin has adopted a 'reckless policy' as Russian drones increasingly enter Nato airspace
Saturday 30 May 2026 21:00 , Bryony Gooch
As more Russian drones enter Nato airspace, analysis from the Institute of War suggests that president Vladimir Putin has adopted a new “reckless policy” towards the West.
“Increasingly frequent Russian drone incursions into Nato airspace indicate that Russian President Vladimir Putin has adopted a reckless policy that accepts the risk of Russian drones entering Nato airspace as an acceptable consequence of Russia's strikes in Ukraine.
“Putin now appears to accept the risk of inflicting civilian casualties in Nato states as an acceptable consequence of Russia’s strike campaign.
“Given the restrictions on Romania’s air defense operations, Nato may need to consider negotiating possible air defense agreements with Ukraine and Moldova as a matter of self-defense against Russian drone strikes against Nato countries, regardless of whether the Russian drone incursions are accidental or intentional.”
MORE: Increasingly frequent Russian drone incursions into NATO airspace indicate that Russian President Vladimir Putin has adopted a reckless policy that accepts the risk of Russian drones entering NATO airspace as an acceptable consequence of Russia's strikes in Ukraine. Putin… https://t.co/Z7q0VQFg7n pic.twitter.com/hcgNzx1Y94
— Institute for the Study of War (@TheStudyofWar) May 30, 2026
Bankers who helped Putin’s friend set up Swiss accounts lose appeal
Saturday 30 May 2026 20:00 , Bryony Gooch
Four bankers who helped Putin’s friend set up Swiss accounts lose appeal
Stalin’s secret wine cellar of 40,000 bottles unsealed for first time
Saturday 30 May 2026 19:00 , Bryony Gooch
Stalin’s secret wine cellar of 40,000 bottles unsealed for first time
Watch: UK intelligence suggests almost half a million Russian soldiers have died in Putin’s invasion
Saturday 30 May 2026 18:00 , Bryony Gooch
Russian oil facility in Armavir struck, Zelensky claims in new 'long-range sanctions'
Saturday 30 May 2026 17:00 , Bryony Gooch
Ukraine’s military has struck a Russian oil facility in Armavir, 500km from the border, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has said as part of “long-range sanctions”.
“We are rightfully bringing the war back to where it came from. Russia could have ended its aggression long ago, but instead chose to prolong and continue it.”
Our new long-range sanctions – and this is 500 kilometers from our state border. We are rightfully bringing the war back to where it came from. Russia could have ended its aggression long ago, but instead chose to prolong and continue it. So another facility of Russia’s oil… pic.twitter.com/YrrTsLDMqP
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) May 30, 2026
Recap: Zelensky warns a 'massive attack' from Russia is
Saturday 30 May 2026 16:31 , Bryony Gooch
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has warned that they have intel suggesting Russia is preparing a new attack Ukraine.
He told citizens: “Please pay attention to air raid alerts and stay safe. Air defense and the continued need to help Ukraine protect its skies are our key priorities. I am grateful to every partner, every leader, and every country that is ready to help and that implements our arrangements in full.
“The PURL initiative must work. This concerns both the United States and Europe. We are pooling funds from our European partners and other friends to purchase missiles, including for Patriot systems. Sufficient supplies depend on America, and we hope that Ukraine will be heard.”
We have intel indicating that Russia is preparing a new massive attack. Please pay attention to air raid alerts and stay safe.
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) May 29, 2026
Air defense and the continued need to help Ukraine protect its skies are our key priorities. I am grateful to every partner, every leader, and every… pic.twitter.com/sjXecyOjfW
Outrage as Zelensky names army unit after group that slaughtered Poles
Saturday 30 May 2026 16:00 , Bryony Gooch
Poland's president has called for a state body to discuss revoking the country's highest honour from Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky, following Kyiv's decision to rename an army unit after nationalist insurgents.
The move to consider stripping Mr Zelensky of the Order of the White Eagle, awarded in 2023 by Andrzej Duda, marks a significant point of tension despite Poland's staunch support for Ukraine during Russia's war.
Indignation arose after Mr Zelensky signed a decree recognising a Ukrainian special forces unit by naming it after the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA).
While many Ukrainians regard the UPA as heroes for their resistance against Soviet and Nazi Germany, symbolising their fight for independence, the group remains highly controversial in Poland.
The UPA was involved in the Volhynia massacres, a series of killings from 1943 to 1945, in which Poland says around 100,000 Poles were killed by Ukrainian nationalists.
Outrage as Zelensky names army unit after group that slaughtered Poles in WWII
Zelensky affirms Ukraine's 'next steps' after 'special meeting'
Saturday 30 May 2026 15:30 , Bryony Gooch
Ukrainian president Volodymr Zelensky affirmed that he had held a “special meeting” on Ukraine’s next steps amid intel of a “massive attack” from Russia.
“First – diplomacy. We are in contact almost every day with envoys of the President of the United States and our European partners. We noted how the situation with air defense supplies – and our arrangements more broadly – unfolds. We set priorities for the coming weeks: antiballistic capabilities, bilateral documents on drone production and supply – including a Drone Deal with the European Union – and preparations for meetings in several formats. We are preparing for important negotiations – for now, without public details.
“Second – we must continue the humanitarian track, the exchanges that had already been agreed upon. I instructed the team to contact partners who can now help step up the necessary mediation.
“Third – there will be new decisions in support of Ukraine, including for our energy sector. We are finalizing the details. Glory to Ukraine!”
We held a special meeting on our next steps.
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) May 30, 2026
First – diplomacy. We are in contact almost every day with envoys of the President of the United States and our European partners. We noted how the situation with air defense supplies – and our arrangements more broadly – unfolds. We… pic.twitter.com/4jBB9aTyWS
Recap: Putin says Russia has the means to destroy anyone who attacks its Baltic exclave of Kaliningrad
Saturday 30 May 2026 15:00 , Bryony Gooch
Russia has all the means necessary at its disposal to destroy anyone who attempts to attack the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad, president Vladimir Putin said on Friday.
Putin was responding to a question about remarks made by Lithuanian foreign minister Kestutis Budrys earlier this month who said that NATO had to show Moscow it was capable of penetrating Kaliningrad.
Separately, responding to question about Russian intelligence reports alleging that Ukraine had sent drone operators to Latvia, Putin reiterated that any location which posed a threat against Russia was considered a legitimate target by Moscow.
Russia remained ready to continue talks on a peaceful resolution to the Ukrainian conflict however, Putin said.
The Independent View: Nato must be more willing to push back when the Kremlin goes too far
Saturday 30 May 2026 14:30 , Bryony Gooch
Nato must be more willing to push back when the Kremlin goes too far
In pictures: National Guard of Ukraine members attend an exercise between combat missions
Saturday 30 May 2026 14:00 , Bryony Gooch
Russia recalls envoy to Armenia over EU ties ahead of vote
Saturday 30 May 2026 13:30 , Bryony Gooch
Russia said on Saturday it had recalled its ambassador to Armenia for consultations in protest at its rapprochement with the European Union as a June 7 election nears.
Formally allied to Russia, the Caucasus nation of around three million people has been deepening ties with the West in recent years despite its economic dependence on Moscow.
"The Ambassador of the Russian Federation to the Republic of Armenia, S.P. Kopyrkin, has been recalled to Moscow for consultations in connection with steps taken by the Armenian leadership toward rapprochement with the European Union," Russia's foreign ministry said in a statement about envoy Sergei Kopyrkin. A Russian-led economic union of former Soviet republics also said on Friday it would consider suspending Armenia for seeking EU membership and called on Yerevan to hold a referendum.
Opinion polls for the June election show pro-Western prime minister Nikol Pashinyan's party running ahead of the pro-Russian opposition.
US president Donald Trump has endorsed Pashinyan, who swept to power in a 2018 revolution and was re-elected in 2021.
Armenia says Russia failed to protect it during fighting with neighbouring Azerbaijan, with which it was long at odds over Nagorno-Karabakh, a formerly breakaway region that had an ethnic Armenian population which Azerbaijan retook in 2023.
Russia says Western countries are meddling in Armenia in order to weaken Russian influence in the former Soviet Union.
There was no immediate response from Armenia to the Russian envoy's recall.
Almost 500,000 Russian soldiers have been killed in Putin’s war on Ukraine, says GCHQ
Saturday 30 May 2026 13:00 , Bryony Gooch
500,000 Russian soldiers killed in Putin’s war on Ukraine, says GCHQ
Tusk calls on Nato to take Russian provocations seriously
Saturday 30 May 2026 12:30 , Bryony Gooch
Polish prime minister Donald Tusk responded to a Russia’s drone strike over Romania on Friday.
In a post on social media on Saturday, he called on Nato to take the words of deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council seriously when he implied that the EU countries could face provocation.
“Poland, Baltic states, now Romania. More and more Russian provocations. Yesterday the former president @MedvedevRussiaE said that the peaceful sleep of the EU citizens is over.
“Everyone in NATO should finally start taking these facts and words seriously”
Poland, Baltic states, now Romania. More and more Russian provocations. Yesterday the former president @MedvedevRussiaE said that the peaceful sleep of the EU citizens is over. Everyone in NATO should finally start taking these facts and words seriously.
— Donald Tusk (@donaldtusk) May 30, 2026
Watch: Putin denies Russian drone struck Romania
Saturday 30 May 2026 12:00 , Bryony Gooch
Ukrainian drones strike port, oil depot in southern Russia, authorities say
Saturday 30 May 2026 11:32 , Bryony Gooch
Ukrainian drones struck a tanker at Russia's port of Taganrog overnight and hit an oil depot in the city of Armavir, authorities in the southern regions of Rostov and Krasnodar said on Saturday.
Rostov region Governor Yury Slyusar said on Telegram that fires on the tanker and in the port of Taganrog - a city of about 240,000 - had been extinguished, with no oil spill reported. Two people were injured, he said.
The city's mayor, Svetlana Kambulova, said a local state of emergency, introduced on May 27, had been extended. Russia's Defence Ministry said that its forces had downed 127 drones overnight.
In the neighbouring Krasnodar region, authorities in Armavir, which has a population of 185,000, said a fire at an oil depot in the city's industrial zone had been brought under control and that there were no injuries.
Rostov governor Slyusar said that almost 50 drones had been downed in the region, with attacks reported across the province, which borders Ukraine's Donbas, the focus of fighting between Russia and Ukraine.
Outside Taganrog, he said, only minor damage was reported.
The commander of Ukraine's drone forces said they had struck Taganrog, as well as an oil depot in Feodosiya in Russian-controlled Crimea. He made no mention of a strike on Armavir.
Russia says Ukrainian drone strike kills two in Belgorod
Saturday 30 May 2026 10:30 , Shahana Yasmin
Russian officials said a Ukrainian drone strike killed two people travelling in a car in the Belgorod border region early on Saturday.
Belgorod governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said the drone hit a vehicle in the village of Nikolskoye, south of the regional capital, killing two passengers instantly and injuring two others. Emergency services were dispatched to the scene.
The region, which borders northeastern Ukraine, has faced repeated shelling and drone strikes since the start of the war because of its proximity to the frontline.
Kyiv has not publicly commented on the reported attack.
Russia has repeatedly accused Ukraine of targeting civilian areas in the region, while Kyiv says strikes inside Russian territory are aimed at military and logistics infrastructure supporting Moscow’s invasion.
Zelensky warns Russia preparing ‘massive’ new strike on Ukraine
Saturday 30 May 2026 10:10 , Shahana Yasmin
Volodymyr Zelensky warned on Friday that Russia was preparing a “massive” new strike against Ukraine as Kyiv renewed calls for western allies to accelerate deliveries of Patriot air defence systems.
In a Telegram post and later video address, the Ukrainian president said intelligence assessments indicated Moscow was preparing intensified attacks in the coming days. “We understand what Russia is preparing for and what it is counting on,” Zelensky said, urging Ukrainians not to ignore air raid alerts.
Zelensky also defended Ukraine’s long-range strikes on Russian infrastructure, saying Kyiv would continue targeting Russia’s logistics networks and oil industry to weaken its war effort. “We are defending ourselves actively,” he said. “Everything that makes it harder for Russia to wage war helps bring peace closer.”
He added that Ukraine was working “with all partners” to strengthen air defences amid escalating Russian missile and drone attacks on Ukrainian cities.
Putin says it is ‘too early’ to blame Russia for Romania drone
Saturday 30 May 2026 09:50 , Shahana Yasmin
Vladimir Putin has questioned whether a drone that struck an apartment building in Romania was Russian, despite Romanian authorities and Nato attributing the incident to Moscow.
The strike hit a residential building in the border city of Galați on Thursday during a wider Russian attack near the Danube, injuring two people and prompting Bucharest to summon Russia’s ambassador.
Speaking on Friday, Putin said it was “too early” to determine the drone’s origin and suggested it could have been Ukrainian instead. “Who said this was a Russian drone? Has anyone conducted an examination?” he said, adding that Russia was willing to jointly analyse the debris with Romania.
Putin compared the incident to previous cases in Poland and the Baltic states where, he claimed: “The first reaction is always the same: ‘The Russians are coming.’”
Putin also criticised European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen for accusing Russia of crossing “another line” with the strike, while Nato chief Mark Rutte said the alliance would defend “every inch” of its territory.
Nato vows to defend ‘every inch’ after drone strike in Romania
Saturday 30 May 2026 09:10 , Shahana Yasmin
Romania summoned Russia’s ambassador after a drone identified by Nato as Russian struck an apartment building in the border city of Galați on Thursday night, injuring two people and starting a fire.
Nato secretary general Mark Rutte said the alliance was ready to defend “every inch” of its territory following the incident. “Russia’s reckless behaviour is a danger to us all,” Rutte said after speaking with Romanian president Nicușor Dan. “Nato stands ready to defend every inch of allied territory.”
Dan described the strike as the most serious security incident on Romanian territory since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine and said Bucharest would strengthen air defence measures along its eastern border.
Russian president Vladimir Putin disputed the attribution on Friday, saying it was “too early” to conclude the drone was Russian. “Who said this was a Russian drone? Has anyone conducted an examination?” Putin said, suggesting the drone could have been Ukrainian instead and calling for the wreckage to be handed over to Moscow for an independent investigation.
Japan pledges $14.7m to Ukraine support scheme amid air defence shortages
Saturday 30 May 2026 07:15 , Shahana Yasmin
Japan has committed around $14.7m (£10.8m) to a Nato-backed programme that helps purchase US-made military equipment for Ukraine, according to Japan’s foreign ministry.
The funding will go towards the Prioritised Ukraine Requirements List (PURL), a Nato-US initiative launched last year to speed up deliveries of equipment requested by Kyiv.
Japan said its contribution would be restricted to non-lethal items, in line with the country’s post-war constitutional limits on exporting lethal military aid.
Ukraine’s foreign minister Andrii Sybiha welcomed the move, calling Japan’s support a “powerful message of solidarity”.
Nato must be more willing to push back when the Kremlin goes too far
Saturday 30 May 2026 03:00 , Bryony Gooch
Nato must be more willing to push back when the Kremlin goes too far
UN places Israel and Russia on sexual violence blacklist
Saturday 30 May 2026 02:00 , Bryony Gooch
The United Nations on Friday added Israel and Russia to a UN blacklist of countries suspected of committing sexual violence in conflict zones, a move that prompted Israel's foreign ministry to say it would sever all ties with UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres.
Guterres' annual report to the UN security council on conflict-related sexual violence goes a step further than last year, when he put Israel and Russia "on notice" that they could be added to the list of parties "credibly suspected of committing or being responsible for patterns of rape or other forms of sexual violence."
Being added to the list does not automatically carry specific punitive measures such as sanctions, although public naming and shaming can cause significant reputational damage for the states involved, and those repeatedly listed are barred from UN peacekeeping operations.
In pictures: Putin speaks in press conference
Saturday 30 May 2026 01:00 , Bryony Gooch
Watch: Putin denies Russian drone struck Romania
Saturday 30 May 2026 00:00 , Bryony Gooch
Ukrainian drone attack kills two in border Belgorod region, officials say
Friday 29 May 2026 23:19 , Nicole Wootton-Cane
A Ukrainian drone attack killed two people in a car in Russia's border region of Belgorod, officials said early on Saturday.
The region's Operational Headquarters, in a post on Telegram, added that two people were injured. The region has been a frequent target of Ukrainian attacks in the more than four-year-old war between the two countries.
Every time Russia has tested the airspace of Ukraine’s allies
Friday 29 May 2026 23:00 , Bryony Gooch
The Ukrainian allies tested by Russian incursions after drone hits flat in Romania
Mapped: Which European countries have been affected by Russian drones and interference?
Friday 29 May 2026 22:00 , Alex Croft
Turkey concerned over Black Sea incident - foreign ministry
Friday 29 May 2026 21:00 , Alex Croft
Turkey has conveyed concerns over a recent escalation in the Black Sea to all the relevant parties, the foreign ministry said on Friday.
It was responding to a Turkish-owned cargo vessel was hit by drones on Thursday night.
Ukraine said on Thursday that Russian drones attacked three foreign-flagged merchant vessels, one of them on the Turkish-owned, Vanuatu-flagged, cargo vessel, as they sailed along Ukraine's maritime export corridor in the Black Sea.
In a statement, the Turkish foreign ministry said Ankara reiterates a warning to all parties to refrain from taking steps that could lead to an uncontrolled escalation of war, without mentioning who carried out the attack to the Turkish-owned vessel.
Putin claims war in Ukraine is 'near end'
Friday 29 May 2026 20:08 , Bryony Gooch
Russian president Vladimir Putin has said that his analysis on the battlefield leads him to believe the war is nearing its end.
"The situation on the battlefield is developing in such a way that it gives us the right to say that the situation is nearing its end," he said according to RIA NOVOSTI.
He gave no specific timeframe, but insisted Russia was open to continuing dialogue.
"We held talks in Minsk and signed the Minsk agreements. But now we're learning that they were signed to buy time and arm Ukraine, not to resolve all emerging issues peacefully. This is what we've always strived for. And we're ready for it now," he added.
Putin claims war in Ukraine is 'near end'
Friday 29 May 2026 20:08 , Bryony Gooch
Russian president Vladimir Putin has said that his analysis on the battlefield leads him to believe the war is nearing its end.
"The situation on the battlefield is developing in such a way that it gives us the right to say that the situation is nearing its end," he said according to RIA NOVOSTI.
He gave no specific timeframe, but insisted Russia was open to continuing dialogue.
"We held talks in Minsk and signed the Minsk agreements. But now we're learning that they were signed to buy time and arm Ukraine, not to resolve all emerging issues peacefully. This is what we've always strived for. And we're ready for it now," he added.
