A Ukrainian drone strike ignited fires at one of Russia's Black Sea ports, officials said on Sunday, ahead of fresh talks next week in Geneva aimed at ending the war.
The two sides have resumed strikes on each other's energy infrastructure in recent days, after a US-brokered moratorium on such strikes expired.
On Saturday, drone strikes killed one person in Ukraine and another in Russia, Ukrainian officials said.
An elderly woman died when a Russian drone hit a residential building in the Black Sea port city of Odesa, Ukraine's state emergency service said.
Two people were injured in the attack on the port of Taman in the Krasnodar region, which damaged an oil storage tank, warehouse and terminals, according to regional governor Veniamin Kondratyev.
The attacks came ahead of another round of US-brokered talks on Tuesday and Wednesday in Geneva, just before the fourth anniversary of the all-out Russian invasion.
Earlier on Sunday, UK foreign secretary Yvette Cooper said the UK and its allies had exposed a “barbaric Kremlin plot” to poison opposition leader Alexei Navalny as she suggested new sanctions against Moscow could follow.
The Russian embassy in London has denied Moscow was involved in Mr Navalny’s death.
Key Points
- Rubio says US does not dispute Navalny poisoning assessment by UK and allies
- Odesa hit with further drone strikes
- 'Barbaric Kremlin plot' exposed, Cooper says
- Zelensky says US too often asks Ukraine, not Russia, for concessions
- Navalny died ‘after being poisoned with dart frog toxin by Kremlin’
Ukraine attacks several Russian oblasts, causing power outage and airport shutdown
04:26 , Arpan RaiUkraine has attacked several Russian oblasts with drone strikes, targeting regions including Moscow, Bryansk and Belgorod.
Sergei Sobhyanin, Moscow’s mayor, said Russian air defence units shot down at least 13 drones heading toward the capital and emergency services are responding to debris at impact sites.
The attack took place late last night.
The drone attacks caused temporary flight restrictions at Domodedovo airport in Moscow but these were later lifted, state media reported.
Bryansk oblast governor Alexander Bogomaz said the region had been under sustained drone attack since early morning, claiming that 120 drones were destroyed there.
At least five municipalities and parts of Bryansk city were left without heat and electricity, he said.
Earlier yesterday, Russia’s defence ministry said at least 102 Ukrainian drones were intercepted between 9am and 1pm across Bryansk, Kaluga, and Tula oblasts, as well as near Moscow.
Another attack was reported on Belgorod city on Russian telegram channels.
Belgorod governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said preliminary information indicated significant damage to energy infrastructure and emergency services are assessing the extent of the damage.
Rubio says US does not dispute Navalny poisoning assessment by Europeans
03:59 , Arpan RaiUS secretary of state Marco Rubio has called a report by five European allies blaming Russia for killing late Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny “troubling”, adding that Washington had no reason to question it.
The joint statement from the UK, France, Germany, Sweden and the Netherlands said lab analysis of samples from Navalny's body "conclusively" confirmed the presence of epibatidine, a toxin found in poison dart frogs in South America and not found naturally in Russia.
"We obviously are aware of the report. It's a troubling report. We're aware of that case of Mr Navalny and certainly... we don't have any reason to question it," Rubio told reporters at a news conference in Bratislava during a visit to Slovakia.
Kyiv mayor says Ukraine's future 'still open question'
03:45 , Arpan RaiKyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko says whether or not Ukraine will survive as a country is still an open question, four years after Russia's full-scale invasion.
“Right now, the question of the future of our country – whether we will survive as an independent country or not – is still open," he said, speaking to the Financial Times.
Russia’s main goal, he said, is not just limited to Donetsk but Kyiv and the whole of Ukraine, in order to “destroy our independence”.
"If you want to kill someone, you shoot at the heart," he said.
The mayor of the Ukrainian capital, which has seen the worst attacks from Russia away from the frontline, said Kyiv has been on the brink of catastrophe in the past two months.
Klitschko said the city has suffered severe damage to critical infrastructure from Russian attacks over the past two months.
Ukraine's ex-energy minister arrested after he tries to leave country
03:12 , Arpan RaiUkraine’s National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) said it has arrested the country’s former energy minister, German Galushchenko, as he tried to cross the border out of Ukraine.
The former minister resigned in November amid a massive corruption scandal, a damning incident that led to criticism from the war-hit nation's allies.
“Today, while crossing the state border, NABU detectives have detained the former Minister of Energy as part of the ‘Midas’ case,” the NABU said in a statement yesterday.
The NABU did not name Galushchenko in its statement, but he served as the country’s energy minister last year and resigned in November.
“Initial investigative proceedings are ongoing, carried out in accordance with the requirements of the law and court sanctions. Details to follow,” the NABU said.
Galushchenko was among a chain of ministers forced to tender their resignations after the NABU revealed an alleged money-laundering scheme in Ukraine’s energy sector.
Ukrainian drone strike sparks fires at Russian Black Sea port
03:06 , Arpan RaiA Ukrainian drone strike ignited fires at one of Russia's Black Sea ports, officials said Sunday, ahead of fresh talks aimed at ending the nearly four-year-old war.
Two people were wounded in the attack on the port of Taman in the Krasnodar region, which damaged an oil storage tank, warehouse and terminals, according to regional governor Veniamin Kondratyev.
Ukraine's long-range drone strikes on Russian energy sites aim to deprive Moscow of the oil export revenue it needs to pursue its full-scale invasion.
Meanwhile, falling debris from Russian drones damaged civilian and transport infrastructure in Ukraine's Odesa region, officials said, causing disruption to the power and water supply.
Russia wants to cripple the Ukrainian power grid, seeking to deny civilians access to heat, light and running water in what Kyiv officials say is an attempt to "weaponise winter."
The attacks came ahead of another round of US-brokered talks between envoys from Russia and Ukraine on Tuesday and Wednesday in Geneva, just before the fourth anniversary of the all-out Russian invasion of its neighbour on 24 February.
North Korea honours families of Ukraine war dead with new housing district
02:45 , Arpan RaiNorth Korea announced completion of a new housing district in Pyongyang for families of North Korean soldiers killed while fighting alongside Russian forces in Ukraine, the latest effort by leader Kim Jong Un to honour the war dead.
State media photos showed Kim Jong Un walking through the new street — called Saeppyol Street — and visiting the homes of some of the families with his increasingly prominent daughter, believed to be named Kim Ju Ae, as he pledged to repay the "young martyrs" who "sacrificed all to their motherland”.
In recent months, North Korea has intensified propaganda glorifying troops deployed to fight in Russia's war against Ukraine, such as establishing a memorial wall and building a museum. Analysts see it as an effort to bolster internal unity and curb potential public discontent.
Recap: Questions remain over Ukraine's future security guarantees
02:00 , Bryony GoochSpeaking at the Munich Security Conference in Germany on Saturday, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky suggested there are still questions remaining over future security guarantees for his country.
He also questioned how the concept of a free trade zone - proposed by the US - would work in the Donbas region, which Russia insists Kyiv must give up for peace.
He said the Americans want peace as quickly as possible and the US team wants to sign all the agreements on Ukraine at the same time, whereas Ukraine wants guarantees for the country's future security signed first.
Mr Zelensky's concerns were echoed by Senator Jeanne Shaheen, a ranking member of the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
"Unless we have real security guarantees on whatever peace agreement is ultimately determined, we are going to be here again, because one of the things we know is that Russia has geared up not just for Ukraine, but to go beyond Ukraine," she told reporters in Munich on Sunday.
Watch: Life growing up in a cold and dark Ukraine under constant Russian attack
01:00 , Bryony GoochInside the underground bunkers ready to protect Helsinki from Putin
00:00 , Bryony Gooch
Inside the vast underground bunkers ready to protect Helsinki from Putin
Russia hit back at Canada over Navalny condemnation
23:00 , Bryony GoochRussia has said Canada has “no right to comment on Russia’s internal affairs” as condemnation grows over allegations that Moscow killed opposition leader Alexei Navalny.
Canada’s foreign office posted on social media: “Russian authorities bear full responsibility for the death of Alexei Navalny while in their custody. The findings surrounding his death are deeply disturbing.”
Russia’s foreign ministry responded: “Canada has no right to comment on Russia’s internal affairs. Russia does not interfere in Canada’s domestic matters and calls on to adhere to the same principle.”
❗️ Canada has no right to comment on Russia’s internal affairs. Russia does not interfere in Canada’s domestic matters and calls on 🇨🇦 to adhere to the same principle.
— Russia in Canada (@RussianEmbassyC) February 15, 2026
More 👉 https://t.co/ahdvOVEQAW https://t.co/XMVCMkPoXK pic.twitter.com/FuRThnRzT7
The Independent View: A critical point for Ukraine – and for Europe
22:00 , Bryony Gooch
Recap: Ukrainian drone strike sparks fires at Russian Black Sea port ahead of US-brokered peace talks
21:01 , Bryony GoochA Ukrainian drone strike ignited fires at one of Russia's Black Sea ports, officials said Sunday, ahead of fresh talks aimed at ending the nearly four-year-old war.
Two people were wounded in the attack on the port of Taman in the Krasnodar region, which damaged an oil storage tank, warehouse and terminals, according to regional Gov. Veniamin Kondratyev.
Meanwhile, falling debris from Russian drones damaged civilian and transport infrastructure in Ukraine's Odesa region, officials said, causing disruption to the power and water supply.
Ukraine's long-range drone strikes on Russian energy sites aim to deprive Moscow of the oil export revenue it needs to pursue its full-scale invasion. Russia wants to cripple the Ukrainian power grid, seeking to deny civilians access to heat, light and running water in what Kyiv officials say is an attempt to "weaponize winter."
Navalny’s poisoning confirms that we cannot deal with Putin
20:00 , Bryony Gooch
Watch: Zelensky: 'Putin is a slave to war'
19:00 , Bryony GoochUK foreign secretary suggests more sanctions against Moscow amid Navalny accusations
18:00 , Bryony GoochNew sanctions against Moscow could follow from Britain and its allies blaming the Kremlin for poisoning Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, UK foreign secretary Yvette Cooper has suggested.
Speaking to the BBC’s Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg programme, Ms Cooper hit back at the Russians, insisting the accusation was “deeply serious”.
She added: “The statement that we made yesterday shows that we have the evidence.”
“We continue to look at co-ordinated action, including increasing sanctions on the Russian regime,” she added.
“As you know, we have been pursuing this as part of our response to the brutal invasion of Ukraine, where we are also coming up to the fourth anniversary of that invasion as well.”
UK hits back at Russia’s denial over Navalny’s death
17:00 , Bryony Gooch
‘Truth is a dangerous weapon’: UK hits back at Russia’s denial over Navalny’s death
Magnitude 6 earthquake strikes Kuril Islands region, GFZ says
16:35 , Bryony GoochA magnitude 6 earthquake struck in waters off Russia's Kuril Islands on Sunday, the German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ) said. The quake was at a depth of 10 km (6.21 miles), GFZ said.
Watch: Inside the vast underground bunkers ready to protect Helsinki from Putin
16:04 , Bryony GoochRubio says US does not dispute Navalny poisoning assessment by UK and allies
15:53 , Daniel HaygarthMarco Rubio said said a report by five European allies blaming Russia for killing late Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny using toxin from poison dart frogs was “troubling”, adding that Washington had no reason to question it.
"We obviously are aware of the report. It's a troubling report. We're aware of that case of Mr. Navalny and certainly... we don't have any reason to question it," the US secretary of state told reporters on Sunday at a news conference in Bratislava during a visit to Slovakia.
In a joint statement, the UK, France, Germany, Sweden and the Netherlands on Saturday said analyses of samples from Navalny's body "conclusively" confirmed the presence of epibatidine, a toxin found in poison dart frogs in South America and not found naturally in Russia.
After the findings were announced by Navalny’s widow Yulia Navalnaya, foreign secretary Yvette Cooper pinned the blame squarely on the Kremlin and said only Russia had the “means, motive and opportunity” to carry out such an attack. The Kremlin has rejected the claims
Drone strike sparks fires at port in Russia
15:45 , Dan HaygarthA Ukrainian drone strike ignited fires at one of Russia's Black Sea ports, officials said on Sunday, ahead of fresh talks aimed at ending the nearly four-year-old war.
Two people were injured in the attack on the port of Taman in the Krasnodar region, which damaged an oil storage tank, warehouse and terminals, according to regional governor Veniamin Kondratyev.
Meanwhile, falling debris from Russian drones damaged civilian and transport infrastructure in Ukraine's Odesa region, officials said, causing disruption to the power and water supply.
Ukraine's long-range drone strikes on Russian energy sites aim to deprive Moscow of the oil export revenue it needs to pursue its full-scale invasion.
Russia, meanwhile, wants to cripple the Ukrainian power grid, seeking to deny civilians access to heat, light and running water in what Kyiv officials say is an attempt to "weaponise winter".
The latest attacks came ahead of another round of US-brokered talks between envoys from Russia and Ukraine on Tuesday and Wednesday in Geneva, just before the fourth anniversary of the all-out Russian invasion of its neighbour on February 22.
Growing up in a cold and dark Ukraine under constant Russian attack
15:35 , Dan HaygarthAs world leaders wring their hands over Ukraine, Sam Kiley in Kyiv meets a leading politician whose daughter Sophia was born just before the invasion and – alongside her parents and sister – is battling to survive as Putin’s latest strategy targets power supplies
Read the special dispatch - Growing up in a cold and dark Ukraine under constant Russian attack: ‘My 4-year-old can tell the bombs apart’
Moscow mayor says five drones downed on approaches to Russian capital
15:14 , Dan HaygarthRussian air defences downed five drones on Sunday on approaches to Moscow, the Russian capital's mayor, Sergei Sobyanin, said in statements published on his social media channels.
The city of Moscow has been a regular target of Ukrainian drones since Russia ordered tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine in 2022.
The two sides have resumed strikes on each other's energy infrastructure in recent days.
Recap: Zelensky accuses Orban of being more concerned with 'growing his belly' than curbing Russian threat
14:49 , Dan HaygarthRecap: Cooper says new sanctions on Russia could follow
14:27 , Dan HaygarthNew sanctions against the Russian regime could follow from Britain and its allies blaming the Kremlin for poisoning opposition leader Alexei Navalny, the foreign secretary has suggested.
Asked on the BBC’s Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg programme what the consequences of the accusation would be, Yvette Cooper said: “We continue to look at co-ordinated action, including increasing sanctions on the Russian regime.
“As you know, we have been pursuing this as part of our response to the brutal invasion of Ukraine, where we are also coming up to the fourth anniversary of that invasion as well.
“We believe that it is the partnerships that we build abroad that make us stronger at home. It is by acting alongside our European allies, alongside allies across the world, that we do maintain that pressure on the Russian regime.”
She added: “The other thing that I would say specifically about Alexei Navalny is one of the things he said was ‘tell the truth, spread the truth’, because that is the most dangerous weapon of all.
“That was his comment about the Russian regime. He is no longer able to do that, but that is why we are continuing to do that for him, and for his widow as well.”
Fico suggests 'political blackmail' stopping pipeline supplies resuming
14:15 , Dan HaygarthThe Druzhba pipeline carrying Russian oil through Ukraine to Hungary and Slovakia may have been fixed after recent damage but Ukraine may be holding up restarting supplies to pressure Hungary to drop opposition to Ukraine's future membership in the European Union, Slovak prime minister Robert Fico said on Sunday.
"I perceive what is happening around oil today as political blackmail toward Hungary due to the uncompromising stance of Hungary on Ukraine's EU membership," Fico said after meeting US secretary of state Marco Rubio in Bratislava.
Zelensky says allies to provide new energy and military aid within 10 days
13:42 , Dan HaygarthVolodymyr Zelensky has announced that Ukraine has agreed new energy and military support packages with European allies ahead of the fourth anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion.
Kyiv is aiming to rally support among partners as it struggles to fend off Russian advances and air attacks on its energy system, while under American pressure to negotiate peace.
Zelensky wrote on X on Sunday: "In Munich, we agreed with the leaders of the Berlin Format on specific packages of energy and military aid for Ukraine by February 24."
He had said on Friday after a meeting of the so-called Berlin Format of about a dozen European leaders in Munich that he had hoped for new support, including air-defence missiles.
"I am grateful to our partners for their readiness to help, and we count on all deliveries arriving promptly," he added.
Russian attacks on major cities such as Kyiv have battered Ukraine's energy infrastructure, plunging millions of residents into power outages of varying periods in freezing cold weather.
Zelensky added that Russia had launched around 1,300 attack drones, 1,200 guided aerial bombs and dozens of ballistic missiles at Ukraine over the past week alone.
On Saturday, drone strikes killed one person in Ukraine and another in Russia, Ukrainian officials said, ahead of fresh talks next week in Geneva aimed at ending the war.
An elderly woman died when a Russian drone hit a residential building in the Black Sea port city of Odesa, Ukraine's State Emergency Service said.
In Russia, a civilian was killed in a Ukrainian drone strike on a car in the border region of Bryansk, regional govenor Alexander Bogomaz said.
Ukrainian authorities detain ex-minister in major case
13:35 , Dan HaygarthUkrainian anti-corruption detectives have detained a former energy minister as part of a wide-ranging probe that sparked a political crisis last November, the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine said on Sunday.
The so-called "Midas" case centres on an alleged $100 million kickback scheme at the state atomic agency that ensnared a number of senior officials and business elites, including a former associate of President Volodymyr Zelensky's.
"Today NABU detectives detained a former minister of energy while crossing the state border, within the framework of the 'Midas' case," NABU said in its statement.
"Priority investigative actions are ongoing, which are being carried out in accordance with the requirements of the law."
The agency said more details would come but it did not name the individual.
Ukraine's previous two energy ministers had resigned amid the fallout from the scandal, which also claimed the job of Zelensky's chief of staff.
The two ministers and the chief of staff have all denied wrongdoing.
Recap: US won’t be ‘caretakers’ of West’s ‘managed decline’, Rubio warns
13:15 , Dan Haygarth'Woke, decadent Europe is not facing civilisational erasure', Kallas says
13:00 , Dan HaygarthA top European Union official on Sunday rejected the notion that Europe faces "civilisational erasure," pushing back at criticism of the continent by the Trump administration.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas addressed the Munich Security Conference a day after U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio offered a somewhat reassuring message to European allies.
He struck a less aggressive tone than Vice President JD Vance did in lecturing them at the same gathering last year but maintained a firm tone on Washington's intent to reshape the trans-Atlantic alliance and push its policy priorities.
Ms Kallas alluded to criticism in the U.S. national security strategy released in December, which asserted that economic stagnation in Europe "is eclipsed by the real and more stark prospect of civilisational erasure."
It suggested that Europe is being enfeebled by its immigration policies, declining birth rates, "censorship of free speech and suppression of political opposition" and a "loss of national identities and self-confidence."
"Contrary to what some may say, woke, decadent Europe is not facing civilisational erasure," Ms Kallas told the conference.
"In fact, people still want to join our club and not just fellow Europeans," she added, saying she was told when visiting Canada last year that many people there have an interest in joining the EU.
The life of Alexei Navalny and his opposition to Vladimir Putin
12:45 , Dan HaygarthNavalny, a fierce critic of Russian president Vladimir Putin, died while serving a 19-year jail term in a penal colony around 40 miles of the Arctic Circle in charges widely thought to be politically motivated.
He died in February 2024 after going for a walk at the jail and losing consciousness.
The political agitator has been behind bars since January 2021, when he returned to Moscow after recuperating in Germany from nerve agent poisoning that he blamed on the Kremlin.
Before his arrest, he campaigned against official corruption, organized major anti-Kremlin protests and ran for public office.
Read more: Protests, poisoning and prison: The life of Alexei Navalny and his opposition to Vladimir Putin
Latest attacks come before another round of talks
12:30 , Dan HaygarthA Ukrainian drone strike ignited fires at one of Russia's Black Sea ports, officials said on Sunday, ahead of fresh talks aimed at ending the nearly four-year-old war.
Two people were injured in the attack on the port of Taman in the Krasnodar region, which damaged an oil storage tank, warehouse and terminals, according to regional governor Veniamin Kondratyev.
Meanwhile, falling debris from Russian drones damaged civilian and transport infrastructure in Ukraine's Odesa region, officials said, causing disruption to the power and water supply.
The latest attacks came ahead of another round of US-brokered talks between envoys from Russia and Ukraine on Tuesday and Wednesday in Geneva, just before the fourth anniversary of the all-out Russian invasion of its neighbour on February 22.
Speaking at the Munich Security Conference in Germany on Saturday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky suggested there are still questions remaining over future security guarantees for his country.
He also questioned how the concept of a free trade zone - proposed by the US - would work in the Donbas region, which Russia insists Kyiv must give up for peace.
Recap: Cooper says new sanctions against the Russian regime could follow
12:17 , Dan HaygarthNew sanctions against the Russian regime could follow from Britain and its allies blaming the Kremlin for poisoning opposition leader Alexei Navalny, the Foreign Secretary has suggested.
Asked on the BBC’s Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg programme what the consequences of the accusation would be, Yvette Cooper said: “We continue to look at co-ordinated action, including increasing sanctions on the Russian regime.
“As you know, we have been pursuing this as part of our response to the brutal invasion of Ukraine, where we are also coming up to the fourth anniversary of that invasion as well.
“We believe that it is the partnerships that we build abroad that make us stronger at home. It is by acting alongside our European allies, alongside allies across the world, that we do maintain that pressure on the Russian regime.”
She added: “The other thing that I would say specifically about Alexei Navalny is one of the things he said was ‘tell the truth, spread the truth’, because that is the most dangerous weapon of all.
“That was his comment about the Russian regime. He is no longer able to do that, but that is why we are continuing to do that for him, and for his widow as well.”
WATCH: Inside the vast underground bunkers ready to protect Helsinki from Putin
11:44 , Dan HaygarthSome sanctions on Russia are being 'busted and circumvented', Patel says
11:19 , Dan HaygarthShadow foreign secretary Dame Priti Patel said some sanctions on Russia are being “busted and circumvented”.
The Witham MP told the BBC’s Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg programme: “We need to do much more, I think, when it comes to action against Russia.
“Sanctions are actually being busted and circumvented by some of the Russian state-sponsored individuals; we know that when it comes to the war in Ukraine.
“We’ve actually got to start cutting off their financial funds that are fuelling the war in Ukraine.
“We really need to take direct action against some of the individuals in the UK. The ambassador, again, needs to be called in.
“We need to see the Government really step up in terms of its own actions when it comes to Russia.”
Dame Priti added: “There are oil refineries around the world white-labelling Russian oil. We’ve got to target those businesses and go after them.
“Those refineries are in China, they are in Turkey and they are in India. Those businesses and refineries that are taking Russian oil, white-labelling them and re-exporting them around the world, they need to be shut down.”
Truth is the most ‘dangerous weapon’ against Russia, UK says as it hits back at denial over Navalny’s death
11:07 , Dan HaygarthYvette Cooper has said truth is the most “dangerous weapon” against Russia as she hit back at Moscow’s denials that it was involved in the death of Putin’s arch-rival Alexei Navalny.
Britain and its European allies said on Saturday that the opposition leader had died after being poisoned with a lethal toxin found in poison dart frogs in South America.
After the findings were announced by Navalny’s widow Yulia Navalnaya, the foreign secretary pinned the blame squarely on the Kremlin and said only Russia had the “means, motive and opportunity” to carry out such an attack.
Hillary Clinton calls Trump's position on Ukraine 'disgraceful'
10:56 , Dan HaygarthInside the vast underground bunkers ready to protect Helsinki from Putin
10:45 , Dan Haygarth
Carved into the bedrock deep below Helsinki is a series of underground bunkers where the entire city’s population can shelter in the case of an attack.
Annabel Grossman explores this vast network and learns how Finns plans to protect their citizens in the face of a hostile neighbour to the east.
Read the article: Inside the vast underground bunkers ready to protect Helsinki from Putin
'Barbaric Kremlin plot' exposed, Cooper says
10:25 , Dan HaygarthAbout the UK and its Allies blaming the Kremlin for poisoning opposition leader Alexei Navalny, Yvette Cooper told Sky News this morning: “Only the Russian regime had the motive, the means and the opportunity to administer this lethal poison while he was in prison in Russia.
“They wanted to silence him because he was a critic of their regime and that is why we have exposed this barbaric Kremlin plot to do so and made sure that we have done so with evidence as well.
“The reason as well that we have done this is was one of the things that Alexei Navalny himself said that. He said ‘tell the truth, spread the truth, that is the most dangerous weapon of all’.
“The Russian regime tried to stop him doing so, so we have done so instead.”
Rubio to begin two day trip today
10:20 , Dan HaygarthUS Secretary of State Marco Rubio is set to begin a two-day trip on Sunday, to bolster ties with Slovakia and Hungary.
Rubio will use the trip to discuss energy cooperation and bilateral issues, including NATO commitments, the State Department said in an announcement last week.
"These are countries that are very strong with us, very cooperative with the United States, work very closely with us, and it's a good opportunity to go see them and two countries I've never been in," Rubio told reporters before departing for Europe on Thursday.
Rubio, who in his dual role also serves as Trump’s national security adviser, will meet in Bratislava on Sunday with Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, who visited Trump in Florida last month. The U.S. diplomat's trip follows his participation in the Munich Security Conference over the last few days.
EU countries 'not ready to give Ukraine a concrete date for membership', says Kallis
10:10 , Dan Haygarth
The European Union's foreign policy chief said on Sunday that she did not feel that countries within the bloc were ready to give Ukraine a concrete date for membership.
"My feeling is that the member states are not ready to give a concrete date," Kaja Kallas told a panel at the Munich Security Conference.
"There's a lot of work to be done and then (the) priority and the urgent need is to move, and show that Ukraine is part of Europe."
'Russia is a threat to our country', Patel says
09:55 , Dan HaygarthShadow foreign secretary Dame Priti Patel said the UK faces an “axis of authoritarianism”.
The Witham MP told Sky News’s Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips programmed that the United States was a “natural ally” and a “partner”.
Dame Priti added: “We face major challenges on the axis of authoritarianism – that is Russia, China, North Korea and Iran.
“We can see that self-evidently in Russia’s illegal war in Ukraine. That’s a threat to our country.
“Russia is a threat to our country. We know that, we’ve experienced this over the last decade with state sponsored poisonings.”
Russia takes village in Zaporizhzhia region
09:54 , Dan HaygarthRussia's Defence Ministry said on Sunday that its troops have taken the village of Tsvitkove in Ukraine's southeastern Zaporizhzhia region, state news agency TASS reported.
Russia controls about 75 per cent of the Zaporizhzhia region, but battle lines had been largely static since 2022 until recent Russian advances
New sanctions for Russia could follow Britain blaming Kremlin for poisoning Navalny
09:47 , Dan HaygarthNew sanctions against the Russian regime could follow from Britain and its allies blaming the Kremlin for poisoning opposition leader Alexei Navalny, the Foreign Secretary has suggested.
Asked on the BBC’s Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg programme what the consequences of the accusation would be, Yvette Cooper said: “We continue to look at co-ordinated action, including increasing sanctions on the Russian regime.
“As you know, we have been pursuing this as part of our response to the brutal invasion of Ukraine, where we are also coming up to the fourth anniversary of that invasion as well.
“We believe that it is the partnerships that we build abroad that make us stronger at home. It is by acting alongside our European allies, alongside allies across the world, that we do maintain that pressure on the Russian regime.”
She added: “The other thing that I would say specifically about Alexei Navalny is one of the things he said was ‘tell the truth, spread the truth’, because that is the most dangerous weapon of all.
“That was his comment about the Russian regime. He is no longer able to do that, but that is why we are continuing to do that for him, and for his widow as well.”
'European bashing is very in fashion', Kallis says
09:31 , Dan HaygarthKaja Kallis, the EU’s high representative for foreign affairs and security policy, has responded to Marco Rubio’s speech yesterday.
At the Munich Security Conference, Rubio suggested that the West’s victory in the Cold War had fostered complacency in Europe and said the US needed the continent to be strong.
Kallis said on stage today: “Every time I hear this European bashing, it’s very in fashion right now, I’m thinking of what is the alternative.
“I mean, all the best or good things that we got from Europe, and all the good things that Europe actually represents.”
However she welcomed Rubio’s comments that the US and Europe “will always be intertwined”.
He said on Saturday that Donald Trump “demands seriousness and reciprocity from our friends here in Europe” because “we care deeply about your future and ours”.
Kallis said: “The message that we heard from there is that America and Europe are intertwined; have been in the past and will be in the future.
“I think this is important. It is also clear that we don’t see eye to eye in all the issues and that this will remain the case as well, but I think we can work from there.”
Poison Russia used to kill Navalny can be produced synthetically, says Cooper
09:30 , Dan HaygarthUkraine seeks 20-year US security guarantee before signing peace deal
09:15 , Stuti MishraVolodymyr Zelensky has said Ukraine wants a legally binding US security guarantee lasting at least 20 years before signing any peace deal with Russia.
Speaking in Munich ahead of fresh talks next week, the Ukrainian president said Washington had so far offered a 15-year commitment, but Kyiv was seeking a minimum 20-year agreement setting out the specific help the US would provide to a planned European reassurance force inside Ukraine.
“We want a minimum 20-year, legally water-tight agreement,” Zelensky said, warning that any deal must include clear and enforceable guarantees.
He added that US officials had suggested peace could come more quickly if Ukraine withdrew from the Donbas region, but said such a concession was not possible because Ukrainians live there.
Zelensky also called for a clear date for Ukraine’s accession to the European Union, saying membership would provide additional long-term stability.
The comments come ahead of US-brokered talks between Ukraine and Russia expected in Geneva next week, where territorial concessions and security arrangements are likely to dominate discussions.
Cooper says Cold War peace dividend ‘has gone’ after Navalny announcement
09:15 , Dan HaygarthWhitehall editor Kate Devlin reports:
The foreign secretary told the BBC: “The Cold War peace dividend we had all believed in and hoped for has gone.”
She said the Russian threat to European and UK security “is back”.
Her comments came after the UK accused Russia of killing opposition leader Alexei Navalny with a poison developed from a dart frog toxin.
Cooper: 'We do know that the Russian regime has had possession of this particular chemical'
09:13 , Dan HaygarthYvette Cooper told Sky News’ Trevor Phillips that the lethal toxin Epibatidine which Britain and its allies said was used by Russia against opposition leader Alexei Navalny can be produced synthetically.
Epibatidine is produced by wild dart frogs in South America.
Ms Cooper would not be drawn on whether the toxin the UK says was used on Navalny was produced synthetically.
The foreign secretary told Sky News: “I can’t tell you the details of that, but as you say, this is a particular chemical.
“It can be produced synthetically, it can also be found in this particular frog in Ecuador.
“We do know that the Russian regime has had possession of this particular chemical. It is obviously not one which is found naturally in Russia.”
Cooper: UK 'strengthening defence in partnership with Europe'
09:01 , Dan HaygarthAsked by Sky News’ Trevor Phillips about transatlantic security ties and Sir Keir Starmer’s comments in Munich about the UK’s relationship with Europe, Yvette Cooper said the UK “had to do more”.
The foreign secretary said: “That transatlantic partnership remains very important but we have to do more ourselves as well.
“One of the things for example, the UK is doing with Norway is developing a new fleet of joint frigates that can strengthen our maritime security - that means recognising the threats from the Russian northern fleet that is to the north of Norway and through the arctic as well.
“We’re doing that direct with Norway and we’re going to need to go further - strengthening our defence in partnership with European countries because that is where some of the threats, particularly from Russia, are most felt.”
Odesa hit with further drone strikes
08:57 , Dan HaygarthOn Saturday, drone strikes killed one person in Ukraine and another in Russia, Ukrainian officials said, ahead of fresh talks next week in Geneva aimed at ending the war.
An elderly woman died when a Russian drone hit a residential building in the Black Sea port city of Odesa, Ukraine's State Emergency Service said.
In Russia, a civilian was killed in a Ukrainian drone strike on a car in the border region of Bryansk, regional Gov. Alexander Bogomaz said.
Russia-installed authorities said a Ukrainian airstrike on a village Saturday wounded 15 people in Ukraine's partially occupied Luhansk region.
The attacks came a day after a Ukrainian missile strike on the Russian border city of Belgorod killed two people and wounded five, according to regional Gov. Vyacheslav Gladkov.
On Sunday, Reuters also reported that firefighters were working to extinguish a huge fire at the site of a railway infrastructure facility hit during overnight Russian drone strikes in Odesa
Zelensky says it is “crucial” Geneva talks are productive
08:45 , Stuti MishraVolodymyr Zelensky has said it is “crucial” that upcoming talks in Geneva deliver results, as diplomatic efforts to end the war intensify.
In a post on X after meeting US secretary of state Marco Rubio, the Ukrainian president said: “It is crucial that the talks planned in Geneva be productive, and I thank the United States for their constructive approach.”
Zelensky said he briefed Rubio on the situation at the front, ongoing Russian strikes and the impact of attacks on Ukraine’s energy system. The two also discussed “how to help Ukraine protect lives during the winter cold and strengthen our resilience”.
He added that they had held a “detailed discussion about the diplomatic process and trilateral meetings”, including the sequencing of steps in negotiations. “It is important to make progress on the issues of security guarantees and economic recovery,” Zelensky said.
Fresh US-brokered talks between Ukraine and Russia are expected in Geneva next week.
During the meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio @SecRubio, I briefed him on the situation at the front, Russian strikes, and the impact of attacks on Ukraine’s energy system. We discussed how to help Ukraine protect lives during the winter cold and strengthen our… pic.twitter.com/WMuAvJ5yiS
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) February 14, 2026
Yvette Cooper rejects Russian attack over Navalny
08:40 , Dan HaygarthForeign Secretary Yvette Cooper is facing questions from broadcasters after Britain blamed the Kremlin for killing Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny.
The Kremlin has rejected the claims.
Whitehall editor Kate Devlin reports:
The foreign secretary told Sky: “We have worked with our European partners on pursuing the evidence and pursuing the truth, and that's why we have together found the evidence of this lethal toxin that was found in Alexei Navalny's body at the time he died.
“And only the Russian regime had the motive, the means and the opportunity to administer this lethal poison, while he was in prison in Russia.”
Rubio and Zelensky met in Munich
08:30 , Dan HaygarthMet with Ukrainian President @ZelenskyyUa on Ukraine's security and deepening defense and economic partnerships. President Trump wants a solution that ends the bloodshed once and for all. pic.twitter.com/DUAbiAMkhd
— Secretary Marco Rubio (@SecRubio) February 14, 2026
