Key Points
- Ukraine military chief says Kyiv forces recovered 600sq-km land in 2026, an area around double the size of Birmingham
- Zelensky weighs in on Reform UK councils lowering Ukrainian flags and says 'small mistakes can break big friendship'
- Zelensky meets King Charles during visit to London and expresses gratitude for 'ironclad' support
- EU, US and China raise voices at UN to call for a ceasefire in Ukraine as 30 killed since Friday
- Zelensky says he had a 'positive conversation' with Trump's peace envoys Witkoff and Kushner
Ukraine military chief says Kyiv forces recovered 600sq-km land in 2026
05:31 , Arpan Rai
Ukrainian forces have recaptured more than 600 square km of territory so far this year, according to Ukraine's top military commander.
In May alone, Ukraine recaptured 100 square km more territory than it lost, Oleksandr Syrskyi said on Monday.
President Volodymyr Zelensky also said last month that Ukraine had recaptured around 600 square km in 2026, an area around double the size of Birmingham.
Independently determining lines of territorial control in Ukraine is difficult because of drone warfare that has created a wide no-man's land "kill zone" along the front.
But independent groups that map the battlefield have also reported Russia's total advances slowing or reversing in recent months, for the first time since a failed Ukrainian counter-offensive in 2023.
Syrskyi said Russian forces were still trying to advance in the country's east and south, noting that the number of daily battlefield clashes has substantially increased and describing the frontline situation as "difficult and dynamic".
Zelensky weighs in on Reform UK councils lowering Ukrainian flags
05:10 , Arpan Rai
Volodymyr Zelensky has said that “small mistakes can break big friendship” following the decision by Reform UK councils to take down Ukrainian flags from outside town halls.
Some Reform-run councils have lowered the Ukrainian flag from their civic buildings which were hoisted in response to Russia’s 2022 invasion, in favour of flying only local flags and the Union flag.
Ukraine’s president expressed his hope that they would change their course in an interview with the Guardian newspaper which took place in London after he met with Sir Keir Starmer, and the political leaders of France and Germany, Emmanuel Macron and Friedrich Merz.
“I hope they will put it back”, Mr Zelensky told the newspaper.
Zelensky weighs in on Reform UK councils lowering Ukrainian flags
Zelensky meets King Charles during visit to London
04:58 , Arpan Rai
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky ended his visit to the UK by meeting King Charles III as he thanked the country for supporting his war-hit nation.
“As always, a good audience with His Majesty King Charles III of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. I thank His Majesty, the people, and the entire United Kingdom for their ironclad support for our people,” he said, sharing a photo from his audience with King Charles in a post on X.
As always, a good audience with His Majesty King Charles III of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. I thank His Majesty, the people, and the entire United Kingdom for their ironclad support for our people.
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) June 8, 2026
Photo: The Royal Family.@RoyalFamily pic.twitter.com/XVTc1Uebfn
Calls made at UN to reach a ceasefire in Ukraine
04:43 , Arpan Rai
At a special session of the UN Security Council yesterday, the fifth held on the war in Ukraine in 20 days, representatives from the European Union, the US and China, among others, urged continued efforts to reach a ceasefire.
Indrika Ratwatte, acting assistant secretary-general for humanitarian affairs, told Security Council members that Russia was escalating the scale and intensity of its attacks on major Ukrainian population centers.
At least 30 civilians were reported killed and 200 injured since Friday, he said.
Seven humanitarian vehicles were also damaged in attacks in the southern Kherson region, Ratwatte said, injuring aid workers and volunteers in what he called "unacceptable attacks”.
Ukraine's permanent representative to the UN, Andriy Melnyk, told the debate that Russian leader Vladimir Putin had rejected outright Zelensky's proposal for a meeting of the two leaders in a letter he sent to the Kremlin leader last week.
Russian representative Vasily Nebenzya dismissed the Ukrainian leader's proposal as "rudeness and ultimatums" and said Moscow sought a real settlement not "imitation talks".
Watch: Aftermath of Russian strike on postal terminal in Kharkiv's district
04:25 , Arpan Rai
Zelensky says he had a 'positive conversation' with Trump's peace envoys
04:14 , Arpan Rai
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said he had a "positive" conversation with US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner and praised what he called their readiness to work on a settlement of the Ukraine war in the coming weeks.
"A very positive conversation," Zelensky said on Telegram during a stopover in the Moldovan capital Chisinau.
"Grateful for the readiness to work as actively as possible already in the weeks to come to give a boost to diplomacy for ending Russia's war against Ukraine," he wrote.
Zelensky was returning to Kyiv from talks in London with the leaders of Britain, France and Germany on how to move forward with a settlement of the more than four-year-old war.
Four killed in Russian attacks on Ukraine
03:59 , Arpan Rai
At least four people were killed and more than were 20 injured after Russia hit Ukraine's Kharkiv region with missiles and drones, according to officials.
The latest strikes on Ukraine resulted in the deaths of two men, one 70 and the other 56, as well as two women, a 22-year-old and a 70-year-old in the town of Chuhuiv in northeastern Kharkiv, regional governor Oleh Syniehubov said on Telegram, posting a photo of a destroyed apartment building on fire.
He also noted that an overnight drone attack on the regional capital of Kharkiv had caused 15 people, including three children, to seek medical assistance.
A separate post from Chuhuiv's mayor, Galina Minaeva, said six people in the town were injured.
Russia and Belarus ready to use nuclear weapons 'to ensure security', says official
03:49 , Arpan Rai
Russia and Belarus are constantly ready to use all available means, including nuclear weapons, "to ensure security", Russian deputy foreign minister Mikhail Galuzin told the Izvestia newspaper.
In remarks published this morning, Galuzin said Russia has a military presence in Belarus and that the countries regularly conduct joint readiness checks.
"We remain in a constant state of readiness to employ all means, including nuclear ones, to ensure the security of the Union State," he said, referring to the political, security and economic alliance between Russia and Belarus.
Pictured: The aftermath of a Russian drone attack in Zaporizhzhia on Monday
02:00 , James Reynolds
France and Germany scrap next-gen fighter project, officials say
01:00 , James Reynolds
France and Germany have agreed to scrap a landmark project to develop and build a new-generation fighter jet, two German officials said on Monday.
Friedrich Merz and Emmanuel Macron discussed the troubled project on the sidelines of the EU-Western Balkans summit in Montenegro last week and concluded there was no prospect of breaking months of deadlock, the officials said.
The project, which centres on a core fighter jet supported by drones and linked by a classified "combat cloud", had been in doubt for months as the two sides have wrangled over specifications and control.
A European source briefed on the matter said the two sides were moving towards a face-saving solution in which the remaining systems outside the core fighter, such as the "combat cloud" of highly secure links, would maintain the same name: Future Combat Air System or FCAS.
Zelensky says ‘small mistake can break a big friendship’ after Reform councils pulled down Ukraine flags
Tuesday 9 June 2026 00:03 , James Reynolds
Volodymyr Zelensky said the decision by some Reform councils to pull down Ukrainian flags was the kind of “small mistake that can break a big friendship”.
He told The Guardian that both countries “need each other”, as the threat posed by Russia to Ukraine poses one to Britain, too.
“British people helped us from the very beginning of this war, it’s true. It’s because of security, not only values … But it’s about security in Europe. It’s in the interests of the UK,” he told the newspaper after meeting with Keir Starmer, France’s Emmanuel Macron and Germany’s Friedrich Merz in London.
Asked whether Reform should put back up flags taken down from council buildings, the Ukrainian said: “I hope they will put it back. I don’t want to be involved in any political things, but you know, the world is so sensitive today. Sometimes little, small mistakes can break big friendship or huge contacts.”
Ukraine claims to have recovered 600sq-km land in 2026
Tuesday 9 June 2026 00:00 , James Reynolds
Ukrainian forces have recaptured more than 600 square km of territory so far this year, according to Ukraine's top military commander.
In May alone, Ukraine recaptured 100 square km more of territory than it lost, Oleksandr Syrskyi said on Monday.
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy also said last month that Ukraine had recaptured around 600 square km in 2026.
Independently determining lines of territorial control in Ukraine is difficult because of drone warfare that has created a wide no-man's land "kill zone" along the front. But independent groups that map the battlefield have also reported Russia's total advances slowing or reversing in recent months, for the first time since a failed Ukrainian counter-offensive in 2023.
Syrskyi said Russian forces were still trying to advance in the country's east and south, noting that the number of daily battlefield clashes has substantially increased and describing the frontline situation as "difficult and dynamic".
Three killed in Russian attack on Kharkiv, officials say
Monday 8 June 2026 23:52 , James Reynolds
Three people were killed in a Russian attack on the town of Chuhuiv in Ukraine's northeastern Kharkiv region, regional governor Oleh Syniehubov said on the Telegram messaging app on Tuesday, with emergency services working to extinguish a fire.
Recap: EU releases nearly €2.8 billion to help Ukraine
Monday 8 June 2026 23:00 , James Reynolds
The European Union released nearly €2.8 billion ($3.2 billion) to Ukraine on Monday as part of ongoing efforts to finance Ukraine as it deals with its war with Russia, the European Commission said.
"Ukraine's speed and commitment to delivering meaningful reforms has merited this payment, and we are now also paving the way for further progress in the accession negotiations," Marta Kos, European Commissioner for Enlargement, said in a statement.
Explained: Why are Poland and Ukraine at odds about their history?
Monday 8 June 2026 22:00 , James Reynolds
Poland is weighing whether to strip Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky of its top honour for renaming an army unit after Ukrainian nationalist insurgents who massacred Poles in World War Two.
The decision caused a chorus of outrage in Warsaw and led President Karol Nawrocki to call for Zelensky to be stripped of the Order of the White Eagle, which he was awarded in 2023.
Zelensky signed a decree recognising a Ukrainian combat unit's contribution to the fight against Russia by naming it after the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA).
During and after World War Two, when Ukraine belonged to the Soviet Union, the UPA fought against the Red Army, for a time allying itself with the Nazi German invaders, to seek Ukrainian independence.
Ukraine says the naming of the unit carries no "anti-Polish intent" and was chosen by soldiers who wanted to commemorate others who had fought against Moscow.
But the UPA was also involved in the Volhynia massacres carried out by Ukrainian nationalists from 1943 to 1945, in which Warsaw says around 100,000 ethnic Poles were killed. Thousands of Ukrainians also died in reprisal killings.
Polish historians view the massacres as a genocide intended to prevent a post-war Polish state claiming sovereignty over Ukrainian-majority areas that had been part of Poland between the two world wars.
Kyiv rejects the term, saying that thousands of Ukrainians were also killed in what was a complex conflict.
Zelensky holds 'positive' conversation with US envoys
Monday 8 June 2026 21:45 , James Reynolds
Volodymyr Zelensky said on Monday he had a "positive" conversation with US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner and praised what he called their readiness to work on a settlement of the Ukraine war in the coming weeks.
"A very positive conversation," the Ukrainian president said on the Telegram messaging app of the conversation during a stopover in the Moldovan capital Chisinau.
"Grateful for the readiness to work as actively as possible already in the weeks to come to give a boost to diplomacy for ending Russia's war against Ukraine," he wrote.
Zelensky was returning to Kyiv from talks in London with the leaders of Britain, France and Germany on how to move forward with a settlement of the more than four-year-old war.
Watch: NATO fighter jet shoots down Russian drone over Latvia
Monday 8 June 2026 21:00 , James Reynolds
Zelenskiy spoke with Witkoff and Kushner, presidential advisor says
Monday 8 June 2026 20:44 , James Reynolds
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky held a call with US envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, Donald Trump's son-in-law, on Monday, a presidential advisor said.
He did not provide further details of the conversation.
The Independent View: Zelensky is an indispensable ally in Britain’s new security partnership with Europe
Monday 8 June 2026 20:00 , James Reynolds
It tells us more about the UK than it does about Ukraine that Volodymyr Zelensky is on his fourth British prime minister since the Russians launched their full-scale invasion of his country in 2022.
But at any rate, as he comes to London for talks with Sir Keir Starmer, Emmanuel Macron and Friedrich Merz – a group known as the “E3” – Ukraine’s special relationship with Britain remains strong.
Zelensky is an indispensable ally in Britain’s new security partnership with Europe
EU to release over £2 billion to help Ukraine
Monday 8 June 2026 19:15 , Rebecca Whittaker
The European Union has release almost €2.8bn (£2.4bn) to Ukraine to help with its recovery.
Under the Ukraine Facility support mechanism the country will be provided with up to €50bn in financial support between 2024 and 2027.
More than €28bn has been released so far.
Europe to ramp up defence against Putin’s hypersonic missiles after Ukraine strike
Monday 8 June 2026 18:15 , Rebecca Whittaker
Sir Keir Starmer and the leaders of France and Germany have warned of the “urgent need” to ramp up production of defensive weapons against Russia’s hypersonic Oreshnik missiles, after a late-night summit in Downing Street on Sunday.
Alongside Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky, the leaders also called on Vladimir Putin to agree “an immediate and complete ceasefire” and said the “current line of contact” between the two sides should be the starting point for any negotiations.
Read more here:
Europe to ramp up defence against Putin’s hypersonic missiles after Ukraine strike
Kremlin criticises leaders for helping Kyiv with new weapons to continue the war
Monday 8 June 2026 17:15 , Rebecca Whittaker
The Kremlin said on Monday that the leaders of Germany, France and Britain spoke of peace in Ukraine, but were helping Kyiv with new weapons to continue the war, a position it said was inconsistent.
The leaders of Britain, Germany and France said on Sunday they supported a proposal for talks between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin to try to secure a ceasefire, and that Europe would play a role.
French jet shot down drone in Latvian airspace
Monday 8 June 2026 16:15 , Rebecca Whittaker
A French military jet shot down a drone that entered NATO member Latvia's airspace from Russia on Monday.
The Latvian army said it entered from Russia "as a result of Russian electromagnetic warfare".
Latvian Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs, in a post on X, hailed "swift decision-making and professional action" over the incident.
A French army spokesperson confirmed French warplanes had shot down an unidentified drone, and a NATO official said: "It shows once again NATO’s determination and ability to deter and defend."
The final decision to shoot down the drone was taken by NATO command, Latvian defence minister Raivis Melnis told reporters.
Kremlin accuses Ukraine of undermining peace effort with strike on Crimean passenger train
Monday 8 June 2026 15:15 , Rebecca Whittaker
The Kremlin accused Ukraine of undermining efforts to find a peaceful resolution to the conflict following a drone strike on a passenger train in Russian-controlled Crimea.
Although Kyiv did say its forces had struck two oil depots in Crimea overnight, it has not responded to the Russian allegation it struck a train.
Volodymyr Zelensky could be stripped of Poland's highest honour
Monday 8 June 2026 14:14 , Rebecca Whittaker
Poland's prime minister has called for talks between Warsaw and Kyiv after a Ukrainian army unit was named after nationalist insurgents who massacred Poles in World War Two.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky caused outrage in Poland last month by renaming an army unit after the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA) that fought in the 1939-45 war.
A Polish advisory body met to discuss a proposal by Polish President Karol Nawrocki that Zelenskiy should be stripped of the Order of the White Eagle, Poland's highest honour.
Tusk called for direct talks between Nawrocki and Zelensky.
"Since diplomacy has yielded no results, I publicly appeal to Presidents @NawrockiKn and @ZelenskyyUa for a direct and honest conversation," Tusk, a political opponent of Nawrocki, wrote on X.
"Before emotions destroy our solidarity, which was born in the face of the Russian threat. Cooperation is in the interest of both our states and nations, and conflict is in the interest of Moscow."
Starmer, Merz and Macron have five conditions for Putin to end Ukraine war
Monday 8 June 2026 12:30 , Arpan Rai
British PM Keir Starmer, French president Emmanuel Macron and German chancellor Friedrich Merz on Sunday set out five conditions for Russia to meet in any peace deal.
These are: including that Russia must agree to an immediate and complete ceasefire, that the “current line of contact” should be the starting point for negotiations and that there are robust guarantees on Ukraine’s safety. Russian assets will remain frozen until it compensates Ukraine for the war and Europe should get a say in any agreement, the leaders said.
The renewed pressure on Russia comes after it suffered a series of military setbacks in recent months.
French warplane downs Russian drone violating Nato airspace, says official
Monday 8 June 2026 12:10 , Arpan Rai
A Russian drone that had violated Latvia’s airspace has been shot down by a French military aircraft based in Lithuania for Baltic Nato air policing mission, a Lithuanian army spokesperson said this morning.
The Baltic nation saw a confirmed Russian drone enter its airspace in the early hours today, prompting authorities to sound air raid alert.
"Allied fighter jets successfully shoot down a drone flying into Latvian airspace!," Latvia's army said in a post on social media X. Authorities earlier on Monday warned people in the eastern Latvian regions to seek shelter indoors due to the threat. The alert ended when the drone was shot down, the army said.
The air raid alert has now stopped, officials said.
Ukraine recaptures more than 600sq km of territory in 2026, army chief says
Monday 8 June 2026 11:50 , Arpan Rai
Ukrainian forces have recaptured more than 600sq km of territory since the start of 2026, Ukraine's top army commander Oleksandr Syrskyi said this morning.
In May alone, Ukraine recaptured 100 more square km of territory than it lost, he said on the Telegram messaging app.
Syrskyi did not specify where the gains took place, saying only that in separate areas of the frontline, Ukrainian forces continued to maintain the initiative.
Zelensky thanks Starmer after Downing Street meeting on Ukraine's 'urgent needs'
Monday 8 June 2026 11:30 , Arpan Rai
I discussed with Prime Minister of the United Kingdom @Keir_Starmer the steps needed to reinvigorate diplomacy and Ukraine’s current needs.
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) June 7, 2026
I informed Keir about the need for additional missiles for air defense systems and the things that are important for protecting energy… pic.twitter.com/N27MY35iAq
Ukraine's military says it has hit oil depots in Russia-occupied Crimea
Monday 8 June 2026 11:10 , Arpan Rai
Ukraine's military struck two oil depots in Russia-occupied Crimea overnight on Sunday, the General Staff of Ukraine's military said this morning.
Russian officials reported early morning attacks in Russia and Russia-occupied regions of Crimea and Mariupol with strikes on oil depots and electrical substations under attack.
Another oil depot in Simferopol in Crimea was reported on fire by residents, the report added citing Telegram channels in Russia-occupied territory.
Nato shoots down drone in Latvian airspace, army says
Monday 8 June 2026 10:50 , Arpan Rai
Nato fighter jets shot down a drone that entered Latvian airspace from Russia in the early hours today, the Baltic nation's army said, the latest in a series of such security incidents along Europe's eastern border regions.
"Allied fighter jets successfully shoot down a drone flying into Latvian airspace!," Latvia's army said in a post on social media X.
Authorities earlier on Monday warned people in the eastern Latvian regions to seek shelter indoors due to the threat. The alert ended when the drone was shot down, the army said.
Military drones straying into the airspace of Russia's neighbours have been stoking concerns that the war in Ukraine is spilling over into Nato's northern borders.
Last month a Nato military jet shot down a suspected Ukrainian drone over Estonia.
Zelensky is an indispensable ally in Britain’s new security partnership with Europe
Monday 8 June 2026 10:30 , Arpan Rai
It tells us more about the UK than it does about Ukraine that Volodymyr Zelensky is on his fourth British prime minister since the Russians launched their full-scale invasion of his country in 2022. But at any rate, as he comes to London for talks with Sir Keir Starmer, Emmanuel Macron and Friedrich Merz – a group known as the “E3” – Ukraine’s special relationship with Britain remains strong.
The 10th anniversary of Brexit, which is being covered extensively by The Independent, may remind us of the epochal disaster that marked Boris Johnson’s time at the top of British politics. But Mr Johnson should at least be given some credit for getting it right when, in 2022, he became the first Western leader to offer the then apparently doomed Ukrainians whatever support our country could provide. That commitment has been steadfast, as has been the case among virtually all of the European nations.
Zelensky is an indispensable ally in Britain’s new security partnership with Europe
Over 1,000 without power in Odesa after Russian attack
Monday 8 June 2026 10:10 , Arpan Rai
Russian attacks on energy infrastructure in Ukraine's Odesa region caused power outages for over 1,000 customers, regional governor Oleh Kiper said on the Telegram messaging app this morning.
Both sides, Ukraine and Russia, have exchanged heavy attacks in the early hours today with damage reported in Crimea, Mariupol, Zaporizhzhia and Russia’s Novorossiysk and Volgograd regions.
Ukrainian drone kills one in Russia-annexed Crimea
Monday 8 June 2026 09:50 , Arpan Rai
A Ukrainian drone struck a train in Crimea, killing its assistant driver and injuring the driver, the peninsula's Russian-installed governor Sergei Aksyonov said in a Telegram post early on Monday.
Passengers on the train, commuting between Moscow and Simferopol, the main city of the Russia-annexed Black Sea Crimea peninsula, were not harmed, Aksyonov said.
Drone raid sirens were sounded in the early hours of Monday in the Black Sea port of Novorossiysk, a major export hub for oil and grains in Russia's Krasnodar region about a two-hour drive from the bridge Moscow built to connect to Crimea, local authorities said on Telegram.
The most recent Ukrainian drone strikes, attacking fuel infrastructure, have forced the Russian-controlled Crimea to tighten its rationing of fuel supplies.
Ukraine's military says it has hit oil depots in Russia-occupied Crimea
Monday 8 June 2026 09:34 , Arpan Rai
Ukraine's military struck two oil depots in Russia-occupied Crimea overnight on Sunday, the General Staff of Ukraine's military said this morning.
Russian officials reported early morning attacks in Russia and Russia-occupied regions of Crimea and Mariupol with strikes on oil depots and electrical substations under attack.
Another oil depot in Simferopol in Crimea was reported on fire by residents, the report added citing Telegram channels in Russia-occupied territory.
Zelensky says he will freeze the Ukraine war frontline, but that will not end the war
Monday 8 June 2026 09:30 , Arpan Rai
Volodymyr Zelensky said he can freeze the battlefield frontlines as they exist amid the warfare between the Ukrainian and Russian forces as he explained what a ceasefire can look like.
On being asked if would want the lines to be frozen where they are at the moment if a ceasefire was agreed tomorrow, Zelensky said: “Yes. It’s the quickest way”, he told Sky News in an interview yesterday.
"[But] We want to stop the war in a way where the war will not come back.
"It's not the idea just to freeze, but the quickest way to is to freeze and to move it to a diplomatic setting,” Zelensky said, explaining that freezing alone will not help.
The war-time president denied that it would not entail handing Russia what they want in this moment.
"No, it's not just to give. To stay where we are means to give the people of Ukraine more possibilities to save their children, and for soldiers to come back. I think this is important for us,” he said.
Ukraine recaptures more than 600sq km of territory in 2026, army chief says
Monday 8 June 2026 09:29 , Arpan Rai
Ukrainian forces have recaptured more than 600sq km of territory since the start of 2026, Ukraine's top army commander Oleksandr Syrskyi said this morning.
In May alone, Ukraine recaptured 100 more square km of territory than it lost, he said on the Telegram messaging app.
Syrskyi did not specify where the gains took place, saying only that in separate areas of the frontline, Ukrainian forces continued to maintain the initiative.
French warplane downs Russian drone violating Nato airspace, says official
Monday 8 June 2026 09:23 , Arpan Rai
A Russian drone that had violated Latvia’s airspace has been shot down by a French military aircraft based in Lithuania for Baltic Nato air policing mission, a Lithuanian army spokesperson said this morning.
The Baltic nation saw a confirmed Russian drone enter its airspace in the early hours today, prompting authorities to sound air raid alert.
"Allied fighter jets successfully shoot down a drone flying into Latvian airspace!," Latvia's army said in a post on social media X. Authorities earlier on Monday warned people in the eastern Latvian regions to seek shelter indoors due to the threat. The alert ended when the drone was shot down, the army said.
The air raid alert has now stopped, officials said.
Russian attack kills five and injures 14 in Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia region
Monday 8 June 2026 09:10 , Arpan Rai
A Russian attack killed has killed five and injured fourteen in Ukraine's southeastern Zaporizhzhia region, the regional governor said this morning.
Ivan Fedorov said Russia attacked the region with air strikes, drones and shelling, damaging infrastructure, residential buildings and cars.
Nato jets scrambled to down Russian drone, says Latvia
Monday 8 June 2026 08:56 , Arpan Rai
The Latvian army has scrambled Nato air jets to shoot down a drone in its airspace.
At least one drone was confirmed to have entered Latvian airspace from Russia, an army spokesperson said this morning.
Starmer, Merz and Macron have five conditions for Putin to end Ukraine war
Monday 8 June 2026 08:45 , Arpan Rai
British PM Keir Starmer, French president Emmanuel Macron and German chancellor Friedrich Merz on Sunday set out five conditions for Russia to meet in any peace deal.
These are: including that Russia must agree to an immediate and complete ceasefire, that the “current line of contact” should be the starting point for negotiations and that there are robust guarantees on Ukraine’s safety. Russian assets will remain frozen until it compensates Ukraine for the war and Europe should get a say in any agreement, the leaders said.
The renewed pressure on Russia comes after it suffered a series of military setbacks in recent months.
Europe to ramp up defence against Putin’s hypersonic missiles after Ukraine strike
Monday 8 June 2026 08:15 , Arpan Rai
Sir Keir Starmer and the leaders of France and Germany have warned of the “urgent need” to ramp up production of defensive weapons against Russia’s hypersonic Oreshnik missiles, after a late-night summit in Downing Street on Sunday.
Alongside Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky, the leaders also called on Vladimir Putin to agree “an immediate and complete ceasefire” and said the “current line of contact” between the two sides should be the starting point for any negotiations.
Ahead of the talks, President Zelensky had warned his country could maintain its recent attacks deep into Russia if the war continues, as he pledged Ukraine will not “silently die”.
The renewed pressure on Russia comes after it suffered a series of military setbacks in recent months.
But in a sign of the continued havoc the conflict is wreaking on Ukraine, the talks took place hours after a drone strike struck a storage facility for spent nuclear fuel near the Chernobyl power plant.
Latvia's military issues air threat alert
Monday 8 June 2026 08:14 , Arpan Rai
Latvia's armed forces on Monday issued an air threat alert for its eastern regions bordering Russia and Belarus, asking people there to stay indoors.
At least one drone was confirmed to have entered Latvian airspace from Russia, an army spokesperson told Reuters.
Military drones straying into the airspace of Finland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania have been stoking concerns that the war in Ukraine is spilling over into Nato's northern borders with Russia.
As Ukraine steps up long-range attacks on Russian Baltic Sea oil shipping ports, some of its drones have missed their targets and led to security warnings in neighbouring countries.
European leaders ready to support ceasefire talks between Ukraine and Russia
Monday 8 June 2026 07:45 , Arpan Rai
The leaders of Britain, Germany and France said they supported a proposal for talks between Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian president Vladimir Putin to try to secure a ceasefire, and Europe would play a role.
In a joint statement, British prime minister Keir Starmer, German chancellor Friedrich Merz and French president Emmanuel Macron commended Zelensky's call for an end to the war and the proposal for direct dialogue between Ukraine and Russia, with active US and European participation.
The three leaders, who head an informal security alliance called the E3 that is one of Ukraine's main sources of international support, were joined on Sunday by Zelensky in Downing Street.
"Leaders commended President Zelensky's call for an end to the war, negotiated by diplomatic means, as set out in his letter to the president," Sunday's joint statement said.
Zelensky said in a post on X that he also told Sir Keir that Ukraine needed more missiles for air defence systems, just days after he published an open letter to Putin proposing face-to-face talks about ending the war, now in its fifth year.
Zelenskiy's proposal was rebuffed by the Russian president.
Over 1,000 without power in Odesa after Russian attack
Monday 8 June 2026 07:26 , Arpan Rai
Russian attacks on energy infrastructure in Ukraine's Odesa region caused power outages for over 1,000 customers, regional governor Oleh Kiper said on the Telegram messaging app this morning.
Both sides, Ukraine and Russia, have exchanged heavy attacks in the early hours today with damage reported in Crimea, Mariupol, Zaporizhzhia and Russia’s Novorossiysk and Volgograd regions.
Watch: Zelensky asked Roman Abramovich to send peace talks plea to Putin
Monday 8 June 2026 07:21 , Arpan Rai
Drones hit pipeline pumping station in Russia's Volgograd region
Monday 8 June 2026 07:08 , Arpan Rai
Russian air defence units repelled an overnight drone attack on energy infrastructure in the Volgograd region, with falling debris sparking a fire at a pipeline pumping station in the Zhirnovsky district, governor Andrei Bocharov said. An oil pipeline runs through the district.
The blaze at the dispatching facility was quickly extinguished and no casualties were reported, the governor added.
Ukrainian drone kills one in Russia-annexed Crimea
Monday 8 June 2026 06:51 , Arpan Rai
A Ukrainian drone struck a train in Crimea, killing its assistant driver and injuring the driver, the peninsula's Russian-installed governor Sergei Aksyonov said in a Telegram post early on Monday.
Passengers on the train, commuting between Moscow and Simferopol, the main city of the Russia-annexed Black Sea Crimea peninsula, were not harmed, Aksyonov said.
Drone raid sirens were sounded in the early hours of Monday in the Black Sea port of Novorossiysk, a major export hub for oil and grains in Russia's Krasnodar region about a two-hour drive from the bridge Moscow built to connect to Crimea, local authorities said on Telegram.
The most recent Ukrainian drone strikes, attacking fuel infrastructure, have forced the Russian-controlled Crimea to tighten its rationing of fuel supplies.
Drone attack causes fire at loading complex in Russia's Novorossiysk
Monday 8 June 2026 06:36 , Arpan Rai
A Russian Black Sea port has come under attack from Ukrainian drones overnight, local officials said.
A loading complex has caught fire at the port in Novorossiysk after a drone attack, local authorities said on Monday. They said no one was injured, while 130 firefighters have been battling the blaze.
Zelensky says he will freeze the Ukraine war frontline, but that will not end the war
Monday 8 June 2026 06:10 , Arpan Rai
Volodymyr Zelensky said he can freeze the battlefield frontlines as they exist amid the warfare between the Ukrainian and Russian forces as he explained what a ceasefire can look like.
On being asked if would want the lines to be frozen where they are at the moment if a ceasefire was agreed tomorrow, Zelensky said: “Yes. It’s the quickest way”, he told Sky News in an interview yesterday.
"[But] We want to stop the war in a way where the war will not come back.
"It's not the idea just to freeze, but the quickest way to is to freeze and to move it to a diplomatic setting,” Zelensky said, explaining that freezing alone will not help.
The war-time president denied that it would not entail handing Russia what they want in this moment.
"No, it's not just to give. To stay where we are means to give the people of Ukraine more possibilities to save their children, and for soldiers to come back. I think this is important for us,” he said.
