Fighter jets on a Nato air defence mission shot down a drone that entered Latvian airspace early on Friday, Latvia’s armed forces said on X.
The armed forces later lifted an air threat alert in regions near Russia.
Finland, another Nato and EU member that shares a border with Russia, also temporarily restricted aviation and maritime traffic in parts of the eastern Gulf of Finland as a precaution against possible drones, its defence forces said on X.
Countries bordering Russia and Ukraine periodically issue air threat alerts and intercept drones as Moscow and Kyiv continue to exchange attacks more than four years after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Meanwhile, a Russian military official who defected from Ukraine has been killed in an explosion in Russian-annexed Crimea, according to reports in Russia.
The man has been identified in the reports as Robert Shageyev, according to Russian outlet Astra, although he is yet to be officially identified.
Key Points
- Nato jets shoot down drone after it enters Latvian airspace
- Putin’s visit to disputed island prompts strong reaction from Japan: ‘Absolutely unacceptabe’
- Russian military official killed in Crimea explosion - reports
- Oil refinery in Russia's Orsk shuts down for up to six months after Ukrainian strike
- Kyiv made significant battlefield gains ‘exactly as planned’, Zelensky says
Putin’s visit to disputed island prompts strong reaction from Japan: ‘Absolutely unacceptabe’
05:28 , Maroosha Muzaffar
Russian president Vladimir Putin visited Etorofu, one of the four Kuril Islands disputed between Russia and Japan, prompting a strong reaction from Tokyo.
Japan said the visit makes improving already strained relations with Moscow more difficult.
Prime minister Sanae Takaichi said it “hurts the feelings of the Japanese people and is absolutely unacceptable”, adding: “We hope that the Russian side will take the seriousness of this matter fully to heart.”
The island – known as Iturup in Russia and in Japan as Etorofu – was seized by Soviet forces in 1945 after Japan’s surrender in World War II.
Japan continues to claim the four islands and has made their return a condition for signing a formal peace treaty with Russia.
Relations have deteriorated further since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, with Japan joining Western sanctions against Moscow.
Putin’s visit also comes amid Russia’s broader efforts to assert historical territorial claims.
Ukrainian drones target Wildberries logistics hub and oil refinery in Bashkortostan
05:10 , Maroosha Muzaffar
Ukrainian drones targeted a logistics hub owned by Russia’s largest online retailer, Wildberries and sparked a fire at one of the country’s major oil refineries in Bashkortostan on Thursday, according to regional officials.
Bashkortostan head Radiy Khabirov said 16 drones were shot down over Salavat and another five over the nearby Chishminsky district, according to The Moscow Times.
The areas are about 1,200km east of Moscow and more than 1,300km from Ukraine.
“Two people were injured” in the attacks and were receiving treatment in hospital, Khabirov said on Telegram.
He said falling drone debris caused a fire in an “industrial area”.
Exiled outlet Astra identified the site as the Gazprom Neftekhim Salavat refinery, which accounts for about 2.7 per cent of Russia’s total refining capacity.
The refinery halted operations after being damaged in a drone attack last month.
Wildberries said a fire also broke out in an “industrial zone” housing one of its facilities.
The company said staff had been evacuated beforehand and that no retail goods were stored at the site.
Russia's Baltic Sea port damaged in drone attack, governor says
04:50 , Maroosha Muzaffar
Russia’s Baltic Sea port of Ust-Luga was damaged in a drone attack, the Leningrad region’s governor said, without immediately providing details on the extent of the damage or any casualties.
Two killed in Russian drone attack on passenger train, Zelensky says
04:30 , Maroosha Muzaffar
Two people were killed in Russia’s drone attack on a passenger train in Odesa region, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said yesterday.
“Today in the Odesa region, the Russians once again destroyed an ordinary passenger train locomotive with a jet-powered drone. There were 340 people on the train,” he said.
“Whoever was operating that drone certainly could not have been unaware that the target was entirely civilian,” he added.
The two dead were the train’s engineer and assistant engineer, according to officials.
Nato jets shoot down drone after it enters Latvian airspace
04:09 , Maroosha Muzaffar
Fighter jets on a Nato air defence mission shot down a drone that entered Latvian airspace early on Friday, Latvia’s armed forces said on X.
The armed forces later lifted an air threat alert in regions near Russia.
Finland, another Nato and EU member that shares a border with Russia, also temporarily restricted aviation and maritime traffic in parts of the eastern Gulf of Finland as a precaution against possible drones, its defence forces said on X.
❗️In Latvian airspace, in Balvi Municipality, NATO Baltic Air Policing fighter jets have successfully shot down a foreign unmanned aerial vehicle that had entered Latvia as a result of russian electromagnetic warfare.
— Ministry of Defence of Latvia 🇱🇻 (@MoD_Latvia) August 14, 2026
At the same time, the National Armed Forces informed that the… https://t.co/HWa1EHNy41
Latvia’s armed forces did not immediately provide details about the drone or where it came from.
Countries bordering Russia and Ukraine periodically issue air threat alerts and intercept drones as Moscow and Kyiv continue to exchange attacks more than four years after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Kyiv confirms strike on oil and petrochemical complex in Bashkortostan
03:00 , Alex Croft
Ukraine's military struck an oil refinery and petrochemical complex in the Russian republic of Bashkortostan, causing a fire, the Ukrainian General Staff said on Thursday.
We earlier reported that Russian authorities said Ukraine had attacked an industrial area in Russia’s Bashkortostan region.
It said on the Telegram app that the complex was located about 1,300 km (808 miles) from the Ukrainian border and was involved in supplying fuel to the Russian troops.
Wildberries, the online retailer that Kyiv has been targeted in a drone campaign which aims at “bringing the war home” to ordinary Russians, also confirmed that one if its facilities in the region was set on fire by the attack.
Russia reports young child dead in Ukrainian strike on naval base
01:30 , Alex Croft
Ukrainian forces launched a massive overnight attack on Russia's Novorossiysk naval base using drones, missiles, and unmanned boats, president Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed.
Here’s all you need to know in just five bullet points with The Independent’s Bulletin.
Russia reports young child dead in Ukrainian strike on naval base
Ukraine needs 5% of US Patriot interceptors to survive winter, Zelensky says
Friday 14 August 2026 00:01 , Alex Croft
Ukraine needs five per cent of US Patriot interceptor stocks to get through the winter and 10 per cent to destroy all Russian ballistic missiles, Volodymyr Zelensky told CNN.
He said Ukraine had “two and a half times less interceptors than we had in 2025”, while Russia was firing twice as many ballistic missiles each month.
Zelensky said he was asking the US to sell Ukraine 5 per cent of its interceptor stocks.
Zelensky said Ukraine was currently receiving only “1 per cent” of what the US makes.
“From 1 per cent to 5 per cent... I have some months and millions [of] phone calls and anything else. I do some things which I can’t even share. It doesn’t mean that it’s out of the law. But I can’t speak about it
Russia cannot claim ‘victory’, Nobel laureate Dmitry Muratov says
Thursday 13 August 2026 23:00 , Alex Croft
Nobel laureate and former chief editor of newspaper Novaya Gazeta, Dmitry Muratov, said that Russia cannot claim victory in Ukraine because the war has devastated both countries, and that Ukraine may be destroyed but cannot be conquered.
He told the BBC: “There will never be ‘victory’. Because what has been going on for nearly five years – no matter how it ends – can no longer be considered a victory.
“It cannot be a victory when two Slavic nations have ripped a million people to shreds. Or more than a million.”
He said: “It seems to me that the situation with Ukraine now is this: you can destroy it, but you cannot conquer it. What do I mean by destroy? Continued escalation all the way to the use of a nuclear weapon.”
He continued: “All those political experts who say ‘Putin thinks this’ or ‘Putin is scared of that’…they’re all charlatans.
“It’s in the same league as astrology. Nobody knows what’s going on in Vladimir Putin’s head. And I don’t know.
“I see things only as a journalist. I study big data. And since the beginning of the year, the need to use nuclear weapons has been mentioned more than 500 times. When wackos say this, I pay no attention. But I’ve heard it discussed on state TV. And at the St Petersburg International Economic Forum, a state-run event, one of the speakers talked up the use of nuclear weapons as something favourable, something good.”
Russia's Wildberries says attack causes fire at industrial area
Thursday 13 August 2026 22:00 , Daniel Keane
An air attack caused a fire at an industrial area in Russia's Bashkortostan region where online retailer Wildberries has a facility, the company said on Thursday.
No goods were stored at the premises, the company said.
Wildberries warehouses have been targeted in a series of attacks by Ukrainian drones since July 18.
Ukrainian attack shuts Russia's Orsk refinery for months
Thursday 13 August 2026 21:00 , Daniel Keane
An oil refinery in the Russian city of Orsk that was hit by a Ukrainian drone strike two days ago has been forced to shut down completely, and repairs could take up to six months, the regional governor said on Thursday.
"Shrapnel damaged key infrastructure that cannot currently be repaired. The equipment is imported, and due to sanctions, repairs could take up to six months. The plant has completely shut down," Yevgeny Solntsev, governor of the surrounding Orenburg region, posted on social media.
"We are preparing for a worst-case scenario and will have to rely on fuel supplies brought in from outside the region."
Ukraine destroys missile system protecting Putin’s $1bn Black Sea palace
Thursday 13 August 2026 20:00 , Daniel Keane
Ukraine is destroying air defence systems near Russian president Vladimir Putin’s $1bn palace on the Black Sea coast, according to reports.
Two attacks over the last week have targeted military assets in Gelendzhik, around 12 miles from the Russian leader’s holiday home.
On 7 August, Ukrainian drone attacks struck Volna Kupol Garant, Russian electronic warfare equipment designed to jam Starlink communications over an area of 20 sq m, The Moscow Times reports.
On Sunday, a further strike was launched on an S-400 anti-aircraft missile system and launch pad just 500m away from the previous attack.
Pictured: Ukrainian firefighters run for their lives as Russian drones attack trucks
Thursday 13 August 2026 19:00 , Daniel Keane
Russia attacks Ukrainian port on Danube
Thursday 13 August 2026 18:00 , Daniel Keane
Russia struck Ukraine's largest grain export port on the Danube on Thursday, causing damage and starting a fire, authorities said.
The port of Izmail, near the Romanian border in Ukraine's southern region of Odesa, handles exports of grain and other commodities.
Izmail regional state administration said on Telegram the overnight strikes had damaged port infrastructure and taken out power in the southeast of the city.
Five killed while defusing bomb in Russia-controlled Crimea, say authorities
Thursday 13 August 2026 17:00 , Alex Croft
Five people were killed while trying to defuse an explosive device in Sevastopol, the largest city in Russian-controlled Crimea, regional governor Mikhail Razvozhayev said on Thursday.
He said four emergency service bomb disposal specialists and a security guard were carrying out clearance work following a Ukrainian drone attack on the city when the explosion occurred.
Both sides have stepped up air attacks in the fifth year of the full-scale war that Russia launched in 2022.
Russia's Defence Ministry said its air defence units shot down or intercepted 362 Ukrainian drones overnight across a number of Russian and Russian-controlled regions, including Crimea, which Moscow seized and annexed from Ukraine in 2014.
With Reuters
Russia hands over bodies of 261 Ukrainian soldiers
Thursday 13 August 2026 16:30 , Alex Croft
Russia has handed over the bodies of 261 Ukrainian soldiers and received 24 of its own war dead in return, Russian outlet RBC reported on Thursday, citing a senior Russian lawmaker.
The two sides have carried out such exchanges at intervals throughout the 4-and-a-half year war.
Moscow claims it has seized village in Donetsk
Thursday 13 August 2026 16:01 , Alex Croft
Moscow has claimed that its forces have seized control of the village of Petrivka in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region.
The Independent has not yet independently verified the report.
In pictures: Wildberries online retailer facility struck 1,300km deep inside Russia
Thursday 13 August 2026 15:30 , Alex Croft
Kyiv confirms strike on oil and petrochemical complex in Bashkortostan
Thursday 13 August 2026 15:00 , Alex Croft
Ukraine's military struck an oil refinery and petrochemical complex in the Russian republic of Bashkortostan, causing a fire, the Ukrainian General Staff said on Thursday.
We earlier reported that Russian authorities said Ukraine had attacked an industrial area in Russia’s Bashkortostan region.
It said on the Telegram app that the complex was located about 1,300 km (808 miles) from the Ukrainian border and was involved in supplying fuel to the Russian troops.
Wildberries, the online retailer that Kyiv has been targeted in a drone campaign which aims at “bringing the war home” to ordinary Russians, also confirmed that one if its facilities in the region was set on fire by the attack.
Ukraine’s Izmail port infrastructure on fire after Russian attack, local authorities say
Thursday 13 August 2026 14:31 , Alex Croft
Russia launched an overnight attack on Ukraine’s Danube port city of Izmail in the southern Odesa region, sparking fires and damaging port infrastructure, local authorities said on Thursday.
The strike hit the port area, according to officials posting on Telegram.
Located near Ukraine’s border with Romania, Izmail is home to the country’s largest Danube River port and serves as a key export hub for grain and other commodities.
What are Patriot missiles – and why are supplies dwindling worldwide?
Thursday 13 August 2026 14:00 , Alex Croft
Demand for the US Patriot air defence system has increased this year as Ukraine’s war against the Russian invasion and the ongoing conflict in the Middle East has depleted supplies of interceptor missiles.
Ukraine is seeking further Patriot interceptors to defend itself against Russian ballistic missile attacks, while the Iran war has drained stores in the US and the Gulf.
Meanwhile, some European countries are hanging onto missiles that they may require for their own defence.
Here, The Independent takes a look at what Patriot missiles are, and why they are important to Ukraine.
Read more here:
What are Patriot missiles – and why are supplies dwindling worldwide?
Russia cannot claim ‘victory’, Nobel laureate Dmitry Muratov says
Thursday 13 August 2026 13:31 , Alex Croft
Nobel laureate and former chief editor of newspaper Novaya Gazeta, Dmitry Muratov, said that Russia cannot claim victory in Ukraine because the war has devastated both countries, and that Ukraine may be destroyed but cannot be conquered.
He told the BBC: “There will never be ‘victory’. Because what has been going on for nearly five years – no matter how it ends – can no longer be considered a victory.
“It cannot be a victory when two Slavic nations have ripped a million people to shreds. Or more than a million.”
He said: “It seems to me that the situation with Ukraine now is this: you can destroy it, but you cannot conquer it. What do I mean by destroy? Continued escalation all the way to the use of a nuclear weapon.”
He continued: “All those political experts who say ‘Putin thinks this’ or ‘Putin is scared of that’…they’re all charlatans.
“It’s in the same league as astrology. Nobody knows what’s going on in Vladimir Putin’s head. And I don’t know.
“I see things only as a journalist. I study big data. And since the beginning of the year, the need to use nuclear weapons has been mentioned more than 500 times. When wackos say this, I pay no attention. But I’ve heard it discussed on state TV. And at the St Petersburg International Economic Forum, a state-run event, one of the speakers talked up the use of nuclear weapons as something favourable, something good.”
Thursday 13 August 2026 13:00 , Alex Croft
Russian military official who defected from Ukraine killed in Crimea bomb
Thursday 13 August 2026 12:03 , Alex Croft
A Russian military official was killed in an explosion in Russian-annexed Crimea, Russian news agencies reported on Thursday, citing the Federal Security Service (FSB).
The man has been identified as Robert Shageyev, according to Russian outlet Astra.
Shageyev was once a Ukrainian naval officer who defected to Russia, having been in command of the only submarine operated by Ukraine during Russia’s occupation of Crimea in 2014.
His identity has not been independently confirmed.
According to a post by Astra on Telegram, local media is indicating that the device was planted in a rubbish bin next to a bench on Stoletovsky Prospekt.
The man was reportedly walking down the stairs with a friend, and died instantly from his injuries.
Mash, a pro-Kremlin news outlet, says the explosions as caused by a nearby woman standing with a backpack who was watching a man, according to Astra.
The stated details have not been independently confirmed.
-c43158eeb8145f2aa04250e28b449d03-copy-b4be2514.jpeg)
Oil refinery in Russia's Orsk shuts down for up to six months after Ukrainian strike
Thursday 13 August 2026 11:58 , Alex Croft
An oil refinery in the Russian city of Orsk has been forced to shutdown for up to six months following a Ukrainian drone strike two days ago, the regional governor said.
"Shrapnel damaged key infrastructure that cannot currently be repaired. The equipment is imported, and due to sanctions, repairs could take up to six months. The plant has completely shut down," Yevgeny Solntsev, governor of the surrounding Orenburg region, posted on social media.
"We are preparing for a worst-case scenario and will have to rely on fuel supplies brought in from outside the region."
He warned of disruption for motorists in the region due to declining oil supplies as a result.
Ukraine has intensified strikes on Russian oil refineries this year, triggering widespread fuel shortages, in a campaign to raise the cost to Moscow of continuing the full-scale war that Russia launched in 2022.
Ukraine needs 5% of US Patriot interceptors to survive winter, Zelensky says
Thursday 13 August 2026 11:31 , Alex Croft
Ukraine needs five per cent of US Patriot interceptor stocks to get through the winter and 10 per cent to destroy all Russian ballistic missiles, Volodymyr Zelensky told CNN.
He said Ukraine had “two and a half times less interceptors than we had in 2025”, while Russia was firing twice as many ballistic missiles each month.
Zelensky said he was asking the US to sell Ukraine 5 per cent of its interceptor stocks.
Zelensky said Ukraine was currently receiving only “1 per cent” of what the US makes.
“From 1 per cent to 5 per cent... I have some months and millions [of] phone calls and anything else. I do some things which I can’t even share. It doesn’t mean that it’s out of the law. But I can’t speak about it.”
Ukrainian grain exports drop 76 per cent amid Black Sea blockade
Thursday 13 August 2026 11:01 , Alex Croft
Ukraine's grain export shipments have plummeted 76 per cent from a year earlier to 201,700 metric tons so far in August, state railway operator Ukrzaliznytsia has said.
It comes as the blockade of key Black Sea ports continues to curb exports.
"The pace of export shipments is extremely low because of the blockade of seaports," it said in a report.
Russia reports young child dead in Ukrainian strike on naval base
Thursday 13 August 2026 10:29 , Alex Croft
Ukrainian forces launched a massive overnight attack on Russia's Novorossiysk naval base using drones, missiles, and unmanned boats, president Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed.
Here’s all you need to know in just five bullet points with The Independent’s Bulletin.
Russia reports young child dead in Ukrainian strike on naval base
In pictures: Satellite images show damage at Russian naval base
Thursday 13 August 2026 10:00 , Alex Croft
Wildberries site struck on Bashkortostan attack
Thursday 13 August 2026 09:31 , Alex Croft
As we reported earlier, Russian authorities said Ukraine had attacked an industrial area in Russia’s Bashkortostan region.
Wildberries, the online retailer that Kyiv has been targeted in a drone campaign which aims at “bringing the war home” to ordinary Russians, has confirmed that one if its facilities was set on fire by the attack.
No goods were stored at the premises, said the company, which has been targeted since 18 July.
As we earlier reported, the site is also home to a large oil refinery and petrochemical complex, according to Reuters.
Ukrainian drone attack triggers industrial fire more than 1,300km inside Russia
Thursday 13 August 2026 09:00 , Alex Croft
A drone attack triggered a fire in an industrial area in Salavat in the Russian republic of Bashkortostan, according to the republic's head Radiy Khabirov said on messaging app Telegram.
The site is home to a large oil refinery and petrochemical complex, and is situated more than 1,300 kilometres (830 miles) from the Ukrainian border.
We’ll bring you more on the attack as it comes in.
Watch: Putin releases former US Marine Robert Gilman after four years in Russia prison
Thursday 13 August 2026 08:29 , Alex Croft
Russian air defences shoot down 362 Ukrainian drones, says Moscow
Thursday 13 August 2026 08:01 , Alex Croft
We’ve heard from Moscow’s Defence Ministry, which said Russia came under a large Ukrainian drone attack.
Russia’s air defences intercepted and destroyed 362 drones overnight across several regions, it said.
Moscow does not usually share the full number of drones which crossed into its territory.
Ukrainian soldiers ‘were semi-conscious for several days’ due to shortage of food and water
Thursday 13 August 2026 07:30 , Maroosha Muzaffar
Ukrainian soldiers from the 121st Brigade say they spent four months on the frontline without rotation and suffered severe shortages of food and water, with some reportedly drinking urine during a 12-day period when drone-dropped supplies failed to arrive.
Platoon commander Anatoliy Saichuk accused senior officers of misleading soldiers’ families about their conditions, saying: “Some of my servicemen were semi-conscious for several days due to lack of water and food.”
He said he eventually ordered the men to abandon their positions when they had the opportunity.
The brigade confirmed the video was authentic but said it was taking measures to ensure soldiers were properly supplied.
The South joint forces group acknowledged the unit was operating in a “difficult and dynamic sector” but described the video as “an isolated fragment of a complex operational environment”.
Russia cannot claim ‘victory’, Nobel laureate Dmitry Muratov says
Thursday 13 August 2026 07:10 , Maroosha Muzaffar
Nobel laureate and former chief editor of newspaper Novaya Gazeta, Dmitry Muratov, said that Russia cannot claim victory in Ukraine because the war has devastated both countries, and that Ukraine may be destroyed but cannot be conquered.
He told the BBC: “There will never be ‘victory’. Because what has been going on for nearly five years – no matter how it ends – can no longer be considered a victory.
“It cannot be a victory when two Slavic nations have ripped a million people to shreds. Or more than a million.”
He said: “It seems to me that the situation with Ukraine now is this: you can destroy it, but you cannot conquer it. What do I mean by destroy? Continued escalation all the way to the use of a nuclear weapon.”
He continued: “All those political experts who say ‘Putin thinks this’ or ‘Putin is scared of that’…they’re all charlatans.
“It’s in the same league as astrology. Nobody knows what’s going on in Vladimir Putin’s head. And I don’t know.
“I see things only as a journalist. I study big data. And since the beginning of the year, the need to use nuclear weapons has been mentioned more than 500 times. When wackos say this, I pay no attention. But I’ve heard it discussed on state TV. And at the St Petersburg International Economic Forum, a state-run event, one of the speakers talked up the use of nuclear weapons as something favourable, something good.”
Putin renews threat to European countries over seizure of Russian ships
Thursday 13 August 2026 06:32 , Maroosha Muzaffar
Russian president Vladimir Putin has threatened tit-for-tat seizures of European vessels if European countries seize Russian commercial ships or cargo.
He called such moves “piracy and robbery” and said Russia’s defence ministry and Pacific Fleet had already received instructions to prepare a response.
The warning follows European seizures of vessels suspected of belonging to Russia’s “shadow fleet”, which transports Russian oil in breach of sanctions.
New EU sanctions allow member states to sell seized oil or other cargo.
He said Russia would be ready to carry out its own seizures “wherever we deem it necessary and appropriate,” according to Russia’s TASS news agency.
Ukraine destroys missile system protecting Putin’s $1bn Black Sea palace
Thursday 13 August 2026 06:15 , Maroosha Muzaffar
Ukraine is destroying air defence systems near Russian president Vladimir Putin’s $1bn palace on the Black Sea coast, according to reports.
Two attacks over the last week have targeted military assets in Gelendzhik, around 12 miles from the Russian leader’s holiday home.
On 7 August, Ukrainian drone attacks struck Volna Kupol Garant, Russian electronic warfare equipment designed to jam Starlink communications over an area of 20 sq m, The Moscow Times reports.
On Sunday, a further strike was launched on an S-400 anti-aircraft missile system and launch pad just 500m away from the previous attack.
Major Robert Brovdi, commander of Ukraine’s unmanned systems forces said the S-400 had fired six missiles on Sunday night before it was left “ablaze and sputtering for three hours”.
Read more here:
Ukraine destroys missile system protecting Putin’s $1 billion Black Sea palace
Moldova to give Ukraine a 50% discount on rail cargo shipments
Thursday 13 August 2026 05:58 , Maroosha Muzaffar
Moldova has agreed to give Ukraine a 50 per cent discount on rail transit charges for Ukrainian cargo until the end of 2026, helping exporters use alternative routes through Moldova to Moldovan and Romanian ports.
The move comes as Russian attacks have disrupted Ukraine’s Black Sea ports and shipping.
Russia also struck Ukraine’s Izmail port area in Odesa region, damaging infrastructure and causing fires.
Izmail is a key Danube port for Ukrainian grain and other exports.
Meanwhile, Russia said it was seeking alternative routes for its own exports after Ukrainian attacks disrupted operations at the Black Sea port of Novorossiysk.
Ukraine needs 5% of US Patriot interceptors to survive winter, Zelensky says
Thursday 13 August 2026 05:20 , Maroosha Muzaffar
Ukraine needs five per cent of US Patriot interceptor stocks to get through the winter and 10 per cent to destroy all Russian ballistic missiles, Volodymyr Zelensky told CNN.
He said Ukraine had “two and a half times less interceptors than we had in 2025”, while Russia was firing twice as many ballistic missiles each month.
Zelensky said he was asking the US to sell Ukraine 5 per cent of its interceptor stocks.
Zelensky said Ukraine was currently receiving only “1 per cent” of what the US makes.
“From 1 per cent to 5 per cent... I have some months and millions [of] phone calls and anything else. I do some things which I can’t even share. It doesn’t mean that it’s out of the law. But I can’t speak about it.”
Kyiv made significant battlefield gains ‘exactly as planned’, Zelensky says
Thursday 13 August 2026 04:47 , Maroosha Muzaffar
Ukrainian forces have recaptured 745 sq km of territory in the southeastern Oleksandrivka sector since the start of the year, Volodymyr Zelensky said on Wednesday.
The operation, which Ukraine says began in January, has brought 26 settlements back under Ukrainian control across the Dnipropetrovsk, Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia regions.
Zelensky said the offensive was carried out “with precision – exactly as planned”.
The gains broadly align with assessments by Ukrainian open-source monitoring group DeepState, which has confirmed the recapture of 19 settlements and Ukrainian advances in six other areas.
The reported territorial gains refer specifically to the Oleksandrivka sector, rather than Ukraine’s overall battlefield position.
Russia continues to make advances elsewhere along the front, particularly in Donetsk, although analysts say its overall rate of territorial gains has slowed this year.
Relations with Armenia ‘even more constructive’, Zelensky says
Thursday 13 August 2026 04:29 , Maroosha Muzaffar
After speaking with Armenian prime minister Nikol Pashinyan on Wednesday, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said the relationship between the two countries was becoming “more constructive”.
He wrote on Facebook: “Relations between Ukraine and Armenia are now becoming even more constructive, and it is important that we maintain a continuous dialogue.”
The leaders discussed Zelensky’s recent visit to Armenia and identified priority areas for further cooperation, according to The Kyiv Independent.
Zelensky also thanked Pashinyan for congratulating him on the 975th anniversary of the founding of the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra – one of Ukraine’s most prominent Orthodox Christian sites.
“It is an important date for Christians throughout our region,” Zelensky said.
Armenia has increasingly distanced itself from traditional ally Russia under Pashinyan’s government, seeking closer ties with the West.
Relations between Moscow and Yerevan have deteriorated since Russia failed to prevent Azerbaijan’s September 2023 offensive in Nagorno-Karabakh.
Ukraine’s Izmail port infrastructure on fire after Russian attack, local authorities say
Thursday 13 August 2026 04:03 , Maroosha Muzaffar
Russia launched an overnight attack on Ukraine’s Danube port city of Izmail in the southern Odesa region, sparking fires and damaging port infrastructure, local authorities said on Thursday.
The strike hit the port area, according to officials posting on Telegram.
Located near Ukraine’s border with Romania, Izmail is home to the country’s largest Danube River port and serves as a key export hub for grain and other commodities.
Russian city's water supply suspended after Ukrainian drone strike
Thursday 13 August 2026 03:00 , Alex Croft
Andrei Kravchenko, mayor of the Russian city of Novorossiysk, has said that the Black Sea port's water supply had been suspended after damage caused by Ukrainian drones overnight.
An emergency situation had been declared, Kravchenko said according to Reuters, adding that officials were working to assess the damage.
He said in the same statement, which was posted on the Max messenger, that several educational facilities had been damaged in the strikes.
Ukraine bombs Russia's Black Sea naval base with drones and missiles, Zelensky says
Thursday 13 August 2026 01:29 , Alex Croft
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has said on Telegram that his forces struck Russia's Novorossiysk naval base overnight with drones, missiles and unmanned boats.
Earlier, two of Russia's biggest grain terminals at the southern Black Sea port city suspended operations as a result of the overnight Ukrainian drone strikes, industry sources told Reuters.
Russia is the world's largest wheat exporter and most of those exports are shipped via its Black Sea ports like Novorossiysk. Russia's main grain lobby group warned last month that Ukrainian drone attacks could shut down grain exports via the Black Sea in the near future, pushing up prices and causing hunger in Africa and the Middle East.
Veniamin Kondratyev, the governor of the Krasnodar region where the port city is located, said a "massive" wave of Ukrainian attacks had targeted the area and killed at least two people, including an eight-year-old child.
Ukraine destroys missile system protecting Putin’s $1bn Black Sea palace
Thursday 13 August 2026 00:00 , Alex Croft
Ukraine is destroying air defence systems near Russian president Vladimir Putin’s $1bn palace on the Black Sea coast, according to reports.
Two attacks over the last week have targeted military assets in Gelendzhik, around 12 miles from the Russian leader’s holiday home.
On 7 August, Ukrainian drone attacks struck Volna Kupol Garant, Russian electronic warfare equipment designed to jam Starlink communications over an area of 20 sq m, The Moscow Times reports.
On Sunday, a further strike was launched on an S-400 anti-aircraft missile system and launch pad just 500m away from the previous attack.
Major Robert Brovdi, commander of Ukraine’s unmanned systems forces said the S-400 had fired six missiles on Sunday night before it was left “ablaze and sputtering for three hours”.
Maira Butt reports:
Ukraine destroys missile system protecting Putin’s $1 billion Black Sea palace
Ukrainian strikes on Putin’s refineries force Russia to turn to India for gasoline
Wednesday 12 August 2026 23:00 , Alex Croft
Russian officials have resorted to importing gasoline from the likes of India amid a rise in Ukrainian drone strikes on its major refineries, a new report has revealed.
Kpler, a data and market intelligence provider, said new data showed Russia received its first shipment on 5 August and more was likely on the way.
India’s oil processor Nayara Energy Ltd, which is backed by Russia’s top oil producer Rosneft PJSC, has been identified as the source of the fuel.
The transfers were made to Russia-linked tankers via shipments off Egypt, Bloomberg reported.
“The emergence of Indian barrels is particularly notable,” said Sumit Ritolia, lead analyst at Kpler.
The cargoes, which complement continued imports from Belarus and other neighbouring markets, highlight “the severity of the current domestic gasoline imbalance, and the extent to which lower refinery runs are reshaping Russia’s traditional product trade flows,” he said.
Trump says Russia agreed to release American ex-Marine after discussions with Putin
Wednesday 12 August 2026 22:01 , Alex Croft
Russia released an American military veteran on Tuesday, allowing his return to the US after four years of what his family and US officials allege was wrongful incarceration and abusive treatment that left him near death.
Robert Gilman, a 32-year-old Massachusetts teacher and former Marine, was freed after president Donald Trump said he spoke with Russian president Vladimir Putin about his release, which Trump said was “very much on a Humanitarian Basis.”
“We appreciate this decision, and the fact that Russia asked for no one in return – No exchange took place,” Trump said on his Truth Social platform.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio posted a photo on social media of a gaunt-looking Gilman draped in an American flag and surrounded by his family aboard an airplane.
Today, after more than four years of detention in Russia, Robert Gilman is on his way home to be reunited with his family. Mr. Gilman joins over 100 Americans whom President Trump has freed during his second term in office.
— Secretary Marco Rubio (@SecRubio) August 11, 2026
We thank Russia for working with Special Envoy Steve… pic.twitter.com/tw9zDX6IMu
Zelensky says Moscow using more North Korean missiles on Kyiv
Wednesday 12 August 2026 21:00 , Alex Croft
Volodymyr Zelensky said Russian forces used ballistic missiles supplied by North Korea in an overnight attack which targeted the southeastern city of Zaporizhzhia.
A company said seven workers at its steel plant were killed and 21 injured.
In addition to the ballistic missiles, North Korea is preparing to deploy more of its troops to Russia, Zelensky said late Monday.
“Every step Russia takes – increasing ballistic missile production, bringing in North Korean equipment, preparing for mobilisation – all of this shows that Moscow is preparing not for peace, but for escalation,” Zelensky said on social media.
What are Patriot missiles – and why are supplies dwindling worldwide?
Wednesday 12 August 2026 20:02 , Alex Croft
Demand for the US Patriot air defence system has increased this year as Ukraine’s war against the Russian invasion and the ongoing conflict in the Middle East has depleted supplies of interceptor missiles.
Ukraine is seeking further Patriot interceptors to defend itself against Russian ballistic missile attacks, while the Iran war has drained stores in the US and the Gulf.
Meanwhile, some European countries are hanging onto missiles that they may require for their own defence.
Here, The Independent takes a look at what Patriot missiles are, and why they are important to Ukraine.
What are Patriot missiles – and why are supplies dwindling worldwide?
Child killed as drones hit enterprises in Russia's Black Sea port
Wednesday 12 August 2026 19:01 , Alex Croft
An overnight drone attack killed a child, damaged four enterprises and over two dozen residential buildings in the Russian Black Sea port city of Novorossiysk, mayor Andrei Kravchenko said on Telegram this morning.
At least eight people, including a child, were injured in the attacks which also saw another person killed and others wounded in the wider region, Veniamin Kondratyev, the governor of Russia's southern region of Krasnodar where Novorossiysk is located, said on Telegram separately.
There were a number of unverified social media posts on Telegram purporting to show photos of a tower of flames and smoke rising from somewhere in Novorossiysk, a major oil and grains export hub.
In Sevastopol in Russia-occupied Crimea, more than three dozen drones were downed, the city's governor, Mikhail Razvozhayev, said on Telegram.
A few houses were damaged in the attack, but there were no injuries, he added.
Watch: Ukraine drone commander says Crimea strikes could rise seven-fold if Western funds arrive faster
Wednesday 12 August 2026 18:01 , Alex Croft
Putin will use winter 2026 to break Kyiv’s resolve, says think tank
Wednesday 12 August 2026 17:00 , Alex Croft
There are indications from Russia that it will not end the war and will use production of ballistic missiles to deploy them in the upcoming winter to break Ukraine’s resolve to fight, a Washington-based think tank has said.
“The Kremlin will not enter serious negotiations or make meaningful compromises on its demands as long as Putin believes that he has a viable military path to achieving his full objectives,” the Institute for the Study of War, a Washington-based think tank, said in an analysis Monday.
“Ukraine’s Patriot shortages offer Russia an opportunity to cause very serious damage to Ukraine over the coming winter and will therefore contribute to delaying meaningful negotiations and protracting the war,” it said.
The ISW said: “Russia’s reprioritisation of production efforts toward ballistic missiles will support Russian efforts to use the upcoming winter to break Ukraine’s will to fight.”
Inside Putin’s aggressive army recruitment drive as Russians ‘snatched off streets’ to feed Ukraine war
Wednesday 12 August 2026 16:30 , Alex Croft
Moscow appears to be adopting increasingly aggressive strategies to recruit fresh troops for its war of attrition in Ukraine, as Vladimir Putin looks to make up for heavy battlefield losses.
Men are reportedly being snatched off Russian streets and students offered significant financial incentives to join drone units as Moscow looks to avoid another forced mobilisation.
Local officials have been issued recruitment quotas by the Kremlin and Moscow’s defence ministry as it looks to meet this year’s 409,000 target, sources familiar with the matter told the Financial Times.
Russians are given referral bonuses for encouraging others to sign up while officials exploit knowledge of potential recruits’ debts and legal problems to pressure them into signing up, the FT adds.
Read more here:
Inside Putin’s aggressive army recruitment drive as Russians ‘snatched off streets’
Romania destroys drones drifting near major offshore gas project in the Black Sea
Wednesday 12 August 2026 16:01 , Alex Croft
Romanian army divers destroyed two Gerbera-type drones drifting in the country's Black Sea exclusive economic zone near the offshore gas project Neptun Deep, defence minister Radu Miruta said on Tuesday.
The Nato state shares a 614km (382 mile) land border with Ukraine and has seen Russian drones repeatedly breach its airspace over the last four years, as well as mines floating in the Black Sea across key trade and energy routes.
A civilian vessel working near the Neptun Deep offshore gas project spotted the drones yesterday, Miruta said. The minister did not specify the origin of the drones, but said Ukraine had confirmed they did not belong to its forces.
“For the safety of the shipping lane and the works being carried out around the platform, the decision was made to carry out a controlled destruction by detonation,” Miruta said.
“The defence ministry contacted Ukrainian partners, who confirmed that the systems do not belong to them.”
Nato states Romania, Bulgaria and Turkey, which share the Black Sea with Georgia, Russia and Ukraine, have neutralised more than 150 mines drifting across crucial trade lanes.
Ukraine has liberated 745 square kilometres since January - Zelensky
Wednesday 12 August 2026 15:45 , Alex Croft
Ukraine liberated 745 square kilometres in its offensive operations across the frontline since January, president Volodymyr Zelensky said on Wednesday.
Some 26 settlements in the Dnipropetrovsk, Donetsk, and Zaporizhzhia regions have been brought back under Kyiv's control, he added on X.
From January through August of this year, our warriors of the Airborne Assault Forces and other units carried out an effective offensive operation in the Oleksandrivskyi sector. Thanks to the active operations of our troops, significant losses were inflicted on the occupation… pic.twitter.com/0mctprNaI7
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) August 12, 2026
Watch: Ukrainian forces in France help extinguish forest fire
Wednesday 12 August 2026 15:30 , Alex Croft
Ukrainian strikes on Russian grain driving up food prices
Wednesday 12 August 2026 15:14 , Alex Croft
Moscow has claimed hat Ukrainian strikes on Russian grain and agricultural infrastructure are driving up global food prices.
The attacks are exacerbating grain shortages, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has said on Wednesday, something she said served the interests of some Western countries.
Zakharova made her comments in a statement issued after a wave of Ukrainian strikes on Russia's Black Sea port of Novorossiysk forced major grain terminals in the city to stop working.
"All this exacerbates the shortage of grain and fertilisers, fuels the rise in global food prices, and increases the burden on the countries of the Global South and East, which are being held hostage by the irresponsible policies of the aforementioned ‘players’," she added.
Russian city's water supply suspended after Ukrainian drone strike
Wednesday 12 August 2026 15:00 , Alex Croft
Andrei Kravchenko, mayor of the Russian city of Novorossiysk, has said that the Black Sea port's water supply had been suspended after damage caused by Ukrainian drones overnight.
An emergency situation had been declared, Kravchenko said, adding that officials were working to assess the damage.
He said in the same statement, which was posted on the Max messenger, that several educational facilities had been damaged in the strikes.
Ukraine and Moldova agree 50% cargo rail discount until end of year
Wednesday 12 August 2026 14:31 , Alex Croft
Ukraine and Moldova have agreed to a 50 per cent rail cargo shipments until the end of the year, Kyiv's prime minister said on Telegram on Wednesday.
It comes as Russian attacks on Black Sea port infrastructure block traditional grain export routes.
Putin threatens to ‘retaliate’ in kind if EU seizes shadow fleet vessels
Wednesday 12 August 2026 13:57 , Alex Croft
Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned that Moscow will retaliate in kind should European nations begin seizing Russian commercial ships, while the commander of Russia's Pacific Fleet stated his personnel stand prepared to "inspect and detain" foreign boats.
Speaking while supervising naval exercises in eastern Russia, Putin issued the warning as the European Union steps up action against Moscow's covert shadow fleet, broadening sanctions to encompass hundreds of vessels and stopping individual vessels alongside their crews.
A number of European states have confirmed they are considering stricter maritime intervention protocols to target vessels believed to be circumventing trade sanctions.
Read more here:
Putin threatens to ‘retaliate’ in kind if EU seizes shadow fleet vessels
Russian drone attacks kill two and destroy shopping mall
Wednesday 12 August 2026 12:30 , Adam Withnall
Ukraine’s air force says Russia fired 138 long-range strike drones as well as an unspecified number of missiles at Ukraine overnight into Wednesday morning.
Damage was recorded at 16 locations across the country, the air force said.
In the southern Kherson region of Ukraine, a large-scale Russian drone attack overnight killed two people and wounded two others, regional head Oleksandr Prokudin said Wednesday.
The attacks also destroyed a shopping mall in the southern Ukraine city of Zaporizhzhia, according to authorities.
Zelensky hails strike on Russian fleet's 'last major stronghold in Black Sea'
Wednesday 12 August 2026 11:36 , Adam Withnall
Ukrainian anti-ship missiles, jet-powered aerial drones and sea drones blitzed a major Russian naval base on the Black Sea coast in a “unique” nighttime operation, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky wrote on Telegram today.
Zelensky called the Novorossiysk naval base "the last major stronghold of the Russian fleet in the Black Sea".
The attack struck air defences, piers and other port infrastructure in the city, which sits in the region of Krasnodar.
Krasnodar's governor Veniamin Kondratyev said that hundreds of Ukrainian drones attacked Novorossiysk, Anapa and Gelendzhik and the Temryuk district of the region overnight.
In Novorossiysk, an eight-year old child was killed in the attack, and a person wounded when his house in the Temryuk region was hit later died in hospital, Kondratyev said. He added that 12 other people in the region were wounded.
Debris from downed drones fell on the territory of four industrial plants and 21 residential buildings, according to Kondratyev, but officials gave no details of any damage.
Zelensky says Moscow using more North Korean missiles on Kyiv
Wednesday 12 August 2026 11:00 , Arpan Rai
Volodymyr Zelensky said Russian forces used ballistic missiles supplied by North Korea in an overnight attack which targeted the southeastern city of Zaporizhzhia.
A company said seven workers at its steel plant were killed and 21 injured.
In addition to the ballistic missiles, North Korea is preparing to deploy more of its troops to Russia, Zelensky said late Monday.
“Every step Russia takes – increasing ballistic missile production, bringing in North Korean equipment, preparing for mobilisation – all of this shows that Moscow is preparing not for peace, but for escalation,” Zelensky said on social media.
Over 16,000 civilians detained by Russia during the war in Ukraine are still held, UN estimates
Wednesday 12 August 2026 10:45 , Arpan Rai
The United Nations estimates that more than 16,000 civilians detained by Russia during its war in Ukraine are still being “deprived of their liberty,” many held incommunicado and on grounds that don't comply with international law.
“Widespread and systematic torture and ill-treatment" of both Ukrainian civilian detainees and prisoners of war by Russia are continuing, including sexual violence, said Claudia Fuentes Julio, the UN assistant secretary-general for human rights.
Since the full-scale invasion in 2022, Julio said, UN human rights staff have interviewed 910 Ukrainian prisoners of war and 403 civilian detainees following their release.
The UN has not been able to visit detention facilities in Russia, and its estimated figure of those held does not break down how many are adults or children.
Trump says Russia agreed to release American ex-Marine after discussions with Putin
Wednesday 12 August 2026 10:30 , Arpan Rai
Russia released an American military veteran on Tuesday, allowing his return to the US after four years of what his family and US officials allege was wrongful incarceration and abusive treatment that left him near death.
Robert Gilman, a 32-year-old Massachusetts teacher and former Marine, was freed after president Donald Trump said he spoke with Russian president Vladimir Putin about his release, which Trump said was “very much on a Humanitarian Basis.”
“We appreciate this decision, and the fact that Russia asked for no one in return – No exchange took place,” Trump said on his Truth Social platform.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio posted a photo on social media of a gaunt-looking Gilman draped in an American flag and surrounded by his family aboard an airplane.
Today, after more than four years of detention in Russia, Robert Gilman is on his way home to be reunited with his family. Mr. Gilman joins over 100 Americans whom President Trump has freed during his second term in office.
— Secretary Marco Rubio (@SecRubio) August 11, 2026
We thank Russia for working with Special Envoy Steve… pic.twitter.com/tw9zDX6IMu
Russia says it downs 502 Ukrainian drones overnight
Wednesday 12 August 2026 10:10 , Arpan Rai
Russian forces have intercepted and destroyed at least 502 Ukrainian drones overnight over various regions, its defence ministry said this morning.
Ukrainian strikes on Putin’s refineries force Russia to turn to India for gasoline
Wednesday 12 August 2026 10:00 , Arpan Rai
Russian officials have resorted to importing gasoline from the likes of India amid a rise in Ukrainian drone strikes on its major refineries, a new report has revealed.
Kpler, a data and market intelligence provider, said new data showed Russia received its first shipment on 5 August and more was likely on the way.
India’s oil processor Nayara Energy Ltd, which is backed by Russia’s top oil producer Rosneft PJSC, has been identified as the source of the fuel.
The transfers were made to Russia-linked tankers via shipments off Egypt, Bloomberg reported.
“The emergence of Indian barrels is particularly notable,” said Sumit Ritolia, lead analyst at Kpler.
The cargoes, which complement continued imports from Belarus and other neighbouring markets, highlight “the severity of the current domestic gasoline imbalance, and the extent to which lower refinery runs are reshaping Russia’s traditional product trade flows,” he said.
Ukraine bombs Russia's Black Sea naval base with drones and missiles, Zelensky says
Wednesday 12 August 2026 09:46 , Adam Withnall
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has said on Telegram that his forces struck Russia's Novorossiysk naval base overnight with drones, missiles and unmanned boats.
Earlier, two of Russia's biggest grain terminals at the southern Black Sea port city suspended operations as a result of the overnight Ukrainian drone strikes, industry sources told Reuters.
Russia is the world's largest wheat exporter and most of those exports are shipped via its Black Sea ports like Novorossiysk. Russia's main grain lobby group warned last month that Ukrainian drone attacks could shut down grain exports via the Black Sea in the near future, pushing up prices and causing hunger in Africa and the Middle East.
Veniamin Kondratyev, the governor of the Krasnodar region where the port city is located, said a "massive" wave of Ukrainian attacks had targeted the area and killed at least two people, including an eight-year-old child.
Kyiv stops attacks on tankers using Russian port at US request – report
Wednesday 12 August 2026 09:40 , Arpan Rai
Ukraine has paused drone strikes on oil tankers using Russia's Black Sea port of Novorossiysk after a request from the US vice president JD Vance, the Financial Times reports today, citing Ukrainian officials.
The paper said last month's request followed US alarm that Ukraine was destabilising oil markets and harming US firms by targeting tankers carrying crude piped from Kazakhstan to a Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) terminal at the port.
A US official confirmed to the FT that the administration had warned Ukraine to stop attacking non-Russian vessels in the Black Sea.
Ukraine agreed not to target CPC infrastructure or non-Russian vessels as long as the latter were not under Ukrainian sanctions and were not carrying Russian oil or cargo, the report added.
Ukrainian forces recently stepped up strikes on Russian energy infrastructure and other sites in an effort Kyiv says aims at depriving Russia of resources to fund its military.
Black Sea drone attacks took out as much as a fifth of CPC oil loadings in July, four sources familiar with the data said, as the Russia-Ukraine war spilled over to hit sales by Kazakhstan and western oil majors.
Kazakhstan, which relies on the CPC route for crude exports, suffered a drop of 14 per cent in oil production in July versus June, the sources said.
Chevron and Exxon Mobil are among the major Western oil companies operating there.
