France claimed on Thursday to have intercepted another Russian ‘shadow fleet’ oil tanker, just days after British Royal Marines stormed a ship in the Channel.
French president Emmanuel Macron said that his country’s navy had intercepted an oil tanker as it transited near the coast of Sicily, accusing Russia of using the ship to skirt Western sanctions.
"This new action against the shadow fleet, conducted days after a similar operation by Britain, shows Europeans' determination," Macron said, adding that the interception took place on Tuesday.
“We will not let the shadow fleet evade sanctions and finance the Russian war effort,” he said, sharing a video showing Marines descending from helicopters onto the Deliver.
France has intercepted at least five tankers it says are part of Russia's shadow fleet, old vessels that Russia has relied on to ship oil and gas and to skirt Western sanctions.
Moscow has called such actions illegal.
Key Points
- Zelensky says Ukraine will now carry out premptive attacks on Russian facilities involved in war
- Putin is asking for peace talks. It’s time to kick him while he’s down
- Trump says 'courageous' Zelensky 'doing pretty well' in Ukraine war
- Russia eyes diesel export ban, fuel imports amid Ukrainian strikes
Ukraine's Fire Point aims to produce ballistic missile interceptor by year-end
19:00 , Reuters
Ukraine's Fire Point, maker of the Flamingo cruise missile, is accelerating plans to develop a European missile defence system after an agreement with German radar maker Hensoldt and hopes to have its first interceptors ready by the end of the year.
Fire Point, which is using its own FP-7X rocket as the interceptor missile, signed a memorandum of understanding with the Munich-based company last week, which will provide radar for the ballistic missile defence system, using its TRML-4D high-performance radar.
Denys Shtilierman, Fire Point's co-founder and chief designer, said the company was in the process of signing an agreement with a European defence firm to provide the imaging infrared (IIR) homing device for the interceptor missile.
Talks are also underway with another European firm to furnish a radio frequency (RF) seeker, which allows an interceptor missile to track targets using electromagnetic signals, Shtilierman said. He did not give the companies' names.
A global shortage of ballistic missile defences is one of Ukraine's most pressing challenges in its four-year war with Russia. Demand for missile defences has increased from the U.S. and its allies following the Iran war, while production of U.S.-made Patriot missiles — the most effective system — has not kept pace with Russia's output of ballistic missiles, which it uses to pound Ukrainian cities, infrastructure and military sites.
Recap: EU to send Ukraine first installment of €90bn loan
18:00 , James Reynolds
The European Union will transfer the first tranche of its promised €90 billion loan to Ukraine on Thursday, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said.
The first tranche consists of €3.2 billion, von der Leyen said at the Ukraine Recovery Conference in Gdansk, Poland, on Thursday.
Von der Leyen said a promised investment fund for the reconstruction of Ukraine, backed by the EU, France, Germany and Poland, was also "ready to go", and could mobilise around €500 million this year.
Russia considering legal options in case Britain sells seized oil
17:30 , James Reynolds
The Kremlin said on Thursday that it would look into its legal options and employ them to the fullest extent if Russian crude oil from a tanker seized by Britain this month is sold.
The Daily Telegraph newspaper said Britain could hold an auction to sell off the 100,000 tons of Russian crude oil on board the Smyrtos, a suspected Russian shadow fleet tanker intercepted by British forces in the Channel on June 14. The proceeds could be used to fund Ukraine, the paper added.
"There are certainly legal options for responding; they will be examined, and the situation will be analysed," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists on a conference call.
Security risks on NATO's eastern flank may escalate soon, says Poland's Tusk
17:00 , James Reynolds
The security situation on NATO's eastern flank is unstable and risks could escalate soon, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on Thursday after meeting leaders from the region.
"We also share, without exception, the opinion that the situation is very unstable and various types of escalation can be expected in the coming weeks and months," Tusk told a news conference.
More Russian energy targets hit by Ukraine
16:50 , James Reynolds
Volodymyr Zelensky said on social media on Thursday that Ukrainian forces targeted the Poltavska oil depot in the Krasnodar region overnight, hitting targets some 300km from the front line.
He said the Security Service of Ukraine then hit two oil refineries in Ufa – Bashneft-Ufaneftekhim and Bashneft-Novoil, some 1,500km from the front line.
Our long-range operations are consistent, precise responses to Russia dragging out the war and attacking Ukrainian cities and communities.
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) June 25, 2026
Last night, Defense Forces units struck the Poltavska oil depot in the Krasnodar region. The target was approximately 300 kilometers from… pic.twitter.com/jEixUzrWdY
In pics: Ukrainian rescuers work to extinguish a fire at the site of an air attack in Zaporizhzhia
16:00 , James Reynolds
Recap: French navy has intercepted another Russian 'shadow fleet' tanker, Macron says
15:30 , James Reynolds
Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday that his country's navy had intercepted an oil tanker as it transited near the coast of Sicily, in what he called his country's latest action against the 'shadow fleet' Russia uses to ship oil and gas and to skirt Western sanctions.
"This new action against the shadow fleet, conducted days after a similar operation by Britain, shows Europeans' determination," Macron said in a post on Instagram, adding that the interception took place on Tuesday.
"We will not let the shadow fleet evade sanctions and finance the Russian war effort," he added.
Macron posted a video showing Marines descending from helicopters onto the Deliver.
France has intercepted at least five tankers it says are part of Russia's shadow fleet, old vessels that Russia has relied on to ship oil and gas and to skirt Western sanctions.
Moscow has called such actions illegal.
Russia denies it is pushing Belarus to widen Ukraine conflict
14:58 , James Reynolds
The Kremlin on Thursday denied a Wall Street Journal report that it is pressuring Belarus to support an expansion of Russia's war in Ukraine.
Ukraine to sign agreements worth more than €10 billion recovery forum, PM says
14:30 , James Reynolds
Ukraine expects to sign more than 160 agreements worth more than €10 billion euros over the next two days during a major recovery conference in the Polish city of Gdansk, Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Syvyrdenko said on Thursday.
Svyrydenko also said that the first 3.2 billion euro tranche from the European Union's €90 billion loan would be announced today.
Watch: Putin says Russia is ready for peace talks with Ukraine
14:00 , James Reynolds
Recap: Russia only interested in Putin-Trump agreements made in Alaska, says Lavrov
13:35 , James Reynolds
Moscow has said it is only interested in the understandings to end the war reached between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump reached at a summit in Alaska last August.
Speaking on Wednesday, Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said Russia is not willing to take any other interim decisions, or to bend to any ultimatums from the Ukrainian side.
Russian officials regularly refer to the so-called "Spirit of Anchorage" - shorthand, say analysts, for what Moscow interpreted as a possible agreement that would see Ukraine's forces withdrawing from the remainder of Donbas they do not control in return for Moscow freezing the battle lines elsewhere. Kyiv has repeatedly made clear it will not hand over any of its territory to Russia without a fight.
"In August last year, the leaders of Russia and the United States reached a number of understandings regarding political ways out of the Ukrainian crisis. We remain committed to those understandings," said Lavrov.
Recap: EU to send Ukraine first installment of €90bn loan
13:00 , James Reynolds
The European Union will transfer the first tranche of its promised €90 billion loan to Ukraine on Thursday, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said.
The first tranche consists of €3.2 billion, von der Leyen said at the Ukraine Recovery Conference in Gdansk, Poland, on Thursday.
Von der Leyen said a promised investment fund for the reconstruction of Ukraine, backed by the EU, France, Germany and Poland, was also "ready to go", and could mobilise around €500 million this year.
Germany carries out raids in sabotage investigation related to former Gazprom unit
12:30 , James Reynolds
German prosecutors said they carried out raids Wednesday in an investigation of a suspected attempt to disrupt the country's gas supply, connected to an opaque maneuver in 2022 involving what was Russian energy giant Gazprom's German unit.
Federal prosecutors said police searched the premises in Berlin of a suspect and another person who isn't under investigation, along with those of an unidentified company in Frankfurt. They said that there were no arrests.
The suspect, a Russian citizen whose name wasn't released, is being investigated on suspicion of being an accessory to violating investment rules in Germany's foreign trade law and an accessory to attempted anticonstitutional sabotage, prosecutors said in a statement.
Germany carries out raids in sabotage investigation related to former Gazprom unit
Analysis: Putin is asking for peace talks. It’s time to kick him while he’s down
12:00 , James Reynolds
Putin is rattled and Trump needs a win – this is the chance for Ukraine and her allies to force the collapse of Russia’s army and push back against its land grab, writes world affairs editor Sam Kiley:
Why is Putin asking for Ukraine-Russia peace talks now?
In pictures: Ukrainians launch attacks against Russian forces in Dnipropetrovsk
11:29 , James Reynolds
Ukraine strikes more Russian energy infrastructure far from frontlines
11:00 , James Reynolds
Ukraine's military hit an oil depot in Russia's Krasnodar region and two oil refineries in the Ufa region, 1,500 km (932 miles) from the Ukrainian border, Volodymyr Zelensky said on Thursday.
"The Russians should be thinking about real diplomacy instead of once again trying to trick others or buy time. The war must be brought to an end," the Ukrainian president said on X.
French navy has intercepted another Russian 'shadow fleet' tanker, Macron says
10:52 , James Reynolds
Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday that his country's navy had intercepted an oil tanker as it transited near the coast of Sicily, in what he called his country's latest action against the 'shadow fleet' Russia uses to ship oil and gas and to skirt Western sanctions.
"This new action against the shadow fleet, conducted days after a similar operation by Britain, shows Europeans' determination," Macron said in a post on Instagram, adding that the interception took place on Tuesday.
"We will not let the shadow fleet evade sanctions and finance the Russian war effort," he added.
Macron posted a video showing Marines descending from helicopters onto the Deliver.
France has intercepted at least five tankers it says are part of Russia's shadow fleet, old vessels that Russia has relied on to ship oil and gas and to skirt Western sanctions.
Moscow has called such actions illegal.
Russia says US understands you can't mediate in war while supporting one side
10:44 , James Reynolds
The Kremlin said on Thursday it valued U.S. President Donald Trump's efforts to mediate in the war in Ukraine and believed the U.S. understood that it could not play that role while supporting one of the opposing sides.
EU to send Ukraine first installment of €90bn loan
10:30 , James Reynolds
The European Union will transfer the first tranche of its promised €90 billion loan to Ukraine on Thursday, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said.
The first tranche consists of €3.2 billion, von der Leyen said at the Ukraine Recovery Conference in Gdansk, Poland, on Thursday.
Von der Leyen said a promised investment fund for the reconstruction of Ukraine, backed by the EU, France, Germany and Poland, was also "ready to go", and could mobilise around €500 million this year.
Russia withdrawing air defences closer to Moscow to guard Putin, says Zelensky
10:00 , Arpan Rai
Russian officials are pulling back air defences from Crimea and near Ukraine towards Moscow and Valdai in order to protect president Vladimir Putin, Volodymyr Zelensky said.
“The Russian leadership is now pulling more air defence assets to Moscow, Valdai, and Putin’s bridge across the Kerch Strait – at the expense of air defence elsewhere,” Zelensky said, adding that in Moscow alone, Russian officials have amassed hundreds of launchers for S-400, S-500, and Pantsir systems.
“Nearly 90 launchers have been redeployed to Valdai from other regions of Russia, and a special air defense division is also being formed there to safeguard the peace and quiet of the Russian chief,” he said.
“There are many difficulties – all because Putin refuses to end his war and to hear our proposals for a meeting, genuine negotiations, and a dignified peace,” the Ukrainian president said, adding that Russia is not sure of how the situation will unfold in the next 90-100 days.
The Russian leadership is now pulling more air defense assets to Moscow, Valdai, and Putin’s bridge across the Kerch Strait – at the expense of air defense elsewhere.
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) June 24, 2026
In the Moscow region alone, they have amassed hundreds of launchers for S-400, S-500, and Pantsir systems.… pic.twitter.com/fumwbfp4GJ
Russian politician who favours Ukraine ceasefire jailed for seven years
09:40 , Arpan Rai
The deputy leader of Russia's liberal Yabloko party, which opposes the war in Ukraine, was convicted of spreading lies about the Russian army yesterday and jailed for seven years just over two months before a parliamentary election.
Maxim Kruglov, a former lawmaker in Moscow's city legislature, was arrested in October last year and charged over the content of two posts he had made on the Telegram social media network in 2022, the year Russia sent tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine.
Kruglov pleaded innocent at his trial and said he believed that the war in Ukraine was a tragedy that must stop as soon as possible.
Russia holds elections for the State Duma, the lower house of parliament, in September.
One of his two posts had referred to UN data about the number of people killed in the conflict and another to events in Bucha, a town north of Kyiv, in March 2022.
Yabloko, one of Russia's main liberal groups in the early post-Soviet years, now has only a handful of seats in regional parliaments and no seats in the national parliament.
Watch: Zelensky threatens Kyiv will attack Putin’s facilities linked to war
09:20 , Arpan Rai
UK announces £290m support package for Ukraine
09:07 , Arpan Rai
Foreign secretary Yvette Cooper has said the UK is committing nearly £290m ($382m) to support Ukraine in areas of energy infrastructure and anti-corruption work.
"The UK stands firmly with Ukraine, not only in its fight for freedom today, but in ensuring it has the strength to rebuild for the future - that is essential for the long-term deterrence of Russian aggression," she said.
The announcement from the foreign secretary comes ahead of the Ukraine Recovery Conference in Poland starting today in Gdansk.
"Ukraine needs long-term support both to get through the conflict and to rebuild in the future," she said.
"That is why at this year's Ukraine Recovery Conference, we are announcing a multi-million-pound package to power Ukraine's homes and critical infrastructure, back its businesses, and drive improvements in education and justice,” Cooper said.
Russia summons Romanian ambassador over closure of its Constanta consulate, Ifax reports
08:54 , Arpan Rai
Russia's foreign ministry said it had summoned the Romanian ambassador to Moscow today to protest against Bucharest's decision to close down Russia's consulate in Constanta, the Interfax news agency reported.
Romania said it would close the consulate after complaining that a Russian drone had fallen onto the roof of an apartment block.
Russia wants to know if Trump has shifted his stance on Ukraine war after G7, Lavrov says
08:30 , Arpan Rai
Russia wants to know if Donald Trump has really changed his stance on the Ukraine war after French president Emmanuel Macron suggested at this month's G7 summit that the US president had done so, foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said.
"As far as Ukraine is concerned, we want to understand what happened in Evian," Lavrov said at an event in Moscow.
"The Americans haven’t yet told us what they took away from the summit in Evian or what their future course of action will be," he said.
Lavrov also quoted Macron as saying that understandings reached last August between Trump and Russian president Vladimir Putin in Anchorage, Alaska, had been "buried" at Evian.
Macron, host of the G7 summit in the French town of Evian-les-Bains, said Trump had acknowledged during the talks there that Russia did not want peace in Ukraine and that this marked "a real change in approach" from the US.
Belarusian drone-relay stations stop working, says Zelensky
08:15 , Arpan Rai
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said that signal relay stations in Belarus being used by Russian drones to attack Ukraine had stopped working, days after he warned the country's leader to disable them.
Zelensky had said on Friday that Ukraine would be forced to act if president Alexander Lukashenko did not remove the stations in two regions bordering Ukraine within a week.
"From 22 June, the relay stations have stopped working on the territory of Belarus," Zelensky said in an audio message to reporters.
"Whether they took them down or not, honestly, I don't know for now. But we are working on this,” he said.
It was not immediately clear how the stations had stopped working, if that was confirmed, or whether there had been an immediate effect of any shutdown.
Zelensky has warned in recent months that Moscow plans to draw Minsk more deeply into its war in Ukraine. Russian forces used Belarusian territory to stage their full-scale invasion in February 2022.
Russia says 269 drones downed overnight
08:00 , Arpan Rai
The Russian defence ministry has said the country’s air defence units downed at least 269 drones overnight.
Russia typically reports only how many drones its air defences say they downed, not how many Ukraine launched, and rarely discloses the full extent of damage unless civilians are killed or civilian sites are hit.
Shortly before, officials in Russia’s southern Krasnodar reported a fire at the Poltavskaya oil depot after drone debris fell on the facility.
Trump says 'courageous' Zelensky 'doing pretty well' in Ukraine war
07:50 , Arpan Rai
Donald Trump has said Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky was “doing pretty well” in the war against Russia, calling him “courageous”.
"He's doing pretty well, no matter how you look at it, he's holding his own at least. A lot of people dying on both sides, but I think he's doing pretty well," he said, in response to a question from Sky News during a meeting with Nato secretary general Mark Rutte.
"Look, you have to say he's courageous, he's got great equipment, but he's got great men, he's got fighters,” Trump said.
Zelensky says Ukraine will now carry out premptive attacks on Russian facilities involved in war
07:35 , Arpan Rai
Ukraine will carry out preemptive attacks on facilities Russia is using for its war, president Volodymyr Zelensky said in his evening address.
“I instructed our intelligence services and military to act preemptively against facilities Russia uses to expand its war effort," Zelensky said.
On Wednesday, Ukrainian drones knocked out power in the biggest city in Russian-held Crimea and targeted facilities in central and southern Russia, as a fuel crisis deepened with Kyiv continuing to strike refineries and energy assets.
The capital's Moscow oil refinery will be offline for at least six months after sustaining extensive damage in Ukrainian drone attacks, industry sources said, complicating Russian efforts to tackle fuel shortages across the world's largest country.
Russia withdrawing air defences closer to Moscow to guard Putin, says Zelensky
07:15 , Arpan Rai
Russian officials are pulling back air defences from Crimea and near Ukraine towards Moscow and Valdai in order to protect president Vladimir Putin, Volodymyr Zelensky said.
“The Russian leadership is now pulling more air defence assets to Moscow, Valdai, and Putin’s bridge across the Kerch Strait – at the expense of air defence elsewhere,” Zelensky said, adding that in Moscow alone, Russian officials have amassed hundreds of launchers for S-400, S-500, and Pantsir systems.
“Nearly 90 launchers have been redeployed to Valdai from other regions of Russia, and a special air defense division is also being formed there to safeguard the peace and quiet of the Russian chief,” he said.
“There are many difficulties – all because Putin refuses to end his war and to hear our proposals for a meeting, genuine negotiations, and a dignified peace,” the Ukrainian president said, adding that Russia is not sure of how the situation will unfold in the next 90-100 days.
The Russian leadership is now pulling more air defense assets to Moscow, Valdai, and Putin’s bridge across the Kerch Strait – at the expense of air defense elsewhere.
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) June 24, 2026
In the Moscow region alone, they have amassed hundreds of launchers for S-400, S-500, and Pantsir systems.… pic.twitter.com/fumwbfp4GJ
Ukraine to get 15,000 long-range artillery rounds from Denmark
06:42 , Arpan Rai
Denmark has agreed to supply 15,000 long-range artillery rounds to Ukraine, the country’s defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov said.
The defence minister added that Kyiv has been working with partners to increase the volume of aid and deploy it for capabilities like air defence systems, long-range artillery and Ukrainian-made drones on the battlefield with most impact.
“We have three unchanged priorities: air defence, long-range artillery and Ukrainian drones,” Fedorov said.
Ukraine, he said, is “fighting for every dollar of international support”.
Denmark has already committed it will aid Ukraine with more than $11bn in military aid through 2028. The country has already sent F-16 fighter jets, tanks, air defence, artillery, and drones since 2022.
Russian politician who favours Ukraine ceasefire jailed for seven years
06:04 , Arpan Rai
The deputy leader of Russia's liberal Yabloko party, which opposes the war in Ukraine, was convicted of spreading lies about the Russian army yesterday and jailed for seven years just over two months before a parliamentary election.
Maxim Kruglov, a former lawmaker in Moscow's city legislature, was arrested in October last year and charged over the content of two posts he had made on the Telegram social media network in 2022, the year Russia sent tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine.
Kruglov pleaded innocent at his trial and said he believed that the war in Ukraine was a tragedy that must stop as soon as possible.
Russia holds elections for the State Duma, the lower house of parliament, in September.
One of his two posts had referred to UN data about the number of people killed in the conflict and another to events in Bucha, a town north of Kyiv, in March 2022.
Yabloko, one of Russia's main liberal groups in the early post-Soviet years, now has only a handful of seats in regional parliaments and no seats in the national parliament.
Watch: Ukraine releases footage claiming to show destruction of key Crimean rail bridge
05:35 , Arpan Rai
Putin is asking for peace talks. It’s time to kick him while he’s down
05:20 , Arpan Rai
Russia is losing its war against Ukraine. Proof of this has come from Vladimir Putin himself, who has issued a desperate call for a return to peace talks while his oil refineries burn and his bridges to occupied territory are pounded by Kyiv’s missiles.
Russia’s president has been badly rattled; his airports are closed, his military logistics chain has dangerously snapped, and public support is waning for a war he started, and for which Russia’s national media can no longer generate artificial enthusiasm.
His minions have been whining that an agreement they believe was struck with Donald Trump at the Anchorage summit with Putin last year – giving Moscow colonial ownership of 20 per cent of Ukraine – has been abandoned by the US president as he prepares to meet Nato’s secretary general Mark Rutte.
Our world affairs editor Sam Kiley writes:
Why is Putin asking for Ukraine-Russia peace talks now?
Trump says 'courageous' Zelensky 'doing pretty well' in Ukraine war
04:42 , Arpan Rai
Donald Trump has said Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky was “doing pretty well” in the war against Russia, calling him “courageous”.
"He's doing pretty well, no matter how you look at it, he's holding his own at least. A lot of people dying on both sides, but I think he's doing pretty well," he said, in response to a question from Sky News during a meeting with Nato secretary general Mark Rutte.
"Look, you have to say he's courageous, he's got great equipment, but he's got great men, he's got fighters,” Trump said.
Belarusian drone-relay stations stop working, says Zelensky
04:30 , Arpan Rai
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said that signal relay stations in Belarus being used by Russian drones to attack Ukraine had stopped working, days after he warned the country's leader to disable them.
Zelensky had said on Friday that Ukraine would be forced to act if president Alexander Lukashenko did not remove the stations in two regions bordering Ukraine within a week.
"From 22 June, the relay stations have stopped working on the territory of Belarus," Zelensky said in an audio message to reporters.
"Whether they took them down or not, honestly, I don't know for now. But we are working on this,” he said.
It was not immediately clear how the stations had stopped working, if that was confirmed, or whether there had been an immediate effect of any shutdown.
Zelensky has warned in recent months that Moscow plans to draw Minsk more deeply into its war in Ukraine. Russian forces used Belarusian territory to stage their full-scale invasion in February 2022.
Zelensky says Ukraine will now carry out premptive attacks on Russian facilities involved in war
04:05 , Arpan Rai
Ukraine will carry out preemptive attacks on facilities Russia is using for its war, president Volodymyr Zelensky said in his evening address.
“I instructed our intelligence services and military to act preemptively against facilities Russia uses to expand its war effort," Zelensky said.
On Wednesday, Ukrainian drones knocked out power in the biggest city in Russian-held Crimea and targeted facilities in central and southern Russia, as a fuel crisis deepened with Kyiv continuing to strike refineries and energy assets.
The capital's Moscow oil refinery will be offline for at least six months after sustaining extensive damage in Ukrainian drone attacks, industry sources said, complicating Russian efforts to tackle fuel shortages across the world's largest country.
Poltavskaya oil depot on fire in Russia's Krasnodar region from falling drone debris
03:58 , Arpan Rai
The Poltavskaya oil depot in Russia's southern Krasnodar region has caught fire from falling drone debris, TASS news agency quoted local officials as saying on Thursday.
Russia eyes diesel export ban, fuel imports amid Ukrainian strikes
Thursday 25 June 2026 00:01 , James Reynolds
Russia is considering a diesel export ban, Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said on Tuesday, amid reports on possible fuel imports to tackle shortages, as Ukraine steps up strikes.
Speaking at a televised government meeting headed by Putin on Tuesday, Novak said Russia was considering the introduction of a ban on diesel exports and changes to tax legislation to help the domestic fuel market.
Novak also said that oil companies had delayed maintenance work at refineries and were using fuel reserves to meet demand.
"We are using reserves that were not previously tapped, and are also encouraging increased supplies of additional volumes to the domestic market. Relevant amendments to tax legislation have been prepared in coordination with the government," he said.
The Vedomosti newspaper said imports were raised as an option at a meeting chaired by Novak on Monday.
Ukrainian and Russian attacks kill several
Wednesday 24 June 2026 23:01 , Alex Croft
We can bring you more news of deaths both in Russia and Ukraine as a result of overnight drone attacks and shelling.
In the Russian-held Ukrainian city of Horlivka, three people were killed when the entrance of an apartment building collapsed after an overnight drone attack, Russia's TASS agency said, citing local emergency services.
In Russia's border Belgorod region, a man was killed and a woman was injured in a drone attack.
Meanwhile, in the eastern Ukrainian city of Balakliia Russian shelling killed one person on Wednesday, local authorities said.
Wednesday 24 June 2026 22:00 , Alex Croft
Ukrainian tennis star Marta Kostyuk says online abuse fuels her to keep speaking out against Russia’s invasion
Wednesday 24 June 2026 21:02 , Alex Croft
Ukrainian tennis star Marta Kostyuk has revealed that her unwavering stance against Russia’s invasion of her homeland has profoundly sharpened her sense of purpose on the professional tour.
Despite facing a barrage of online criticism, she claims that the backlash only deepens her resolve to continue speaking out.
Kostyuk has emerged as one of the most vocal athletes regarding the conflict, which began in 2022. She has consistently called for greater recognition of the war, firmly rejecting the notion of neutrality and stressing that players must uphold their values even while competing.
Her recent impressive run to the French Open semi-finals this month saw her bring the same intensity to her media appearances as she did to her tennis, addressing a sensitive topic with a directness that has resonated far beyond the sporting world.
"Well, I think at this point it has strengthened my sense of purpose, because what I find fascinating is how many bots always attack my social media," Kostyuk told Reuters news agency ahead of Wimbledon.
Recap: Two killed in Ukrainian drone attack on Russia's Nizhny Novgorod, says local governor
Wednesday 24 June 2026 20:01 , Alex Croft
Two people have been killed in a Ukrainian drone attack on the Russian region of Nizhny Novgorod, the local governor has said.
An industrial facility was damaged as a result of falling drone debris in the attack, Gleb Nikitin said on Telegram.
The unspecified facility was not damaged critically, he added.
‘You’re an idiot’: Trump enjoyed ‘sport’ of watching Bessent tear into Lutnick right in front of him, book reveals
Wednesday 24 June 2026 19:02 , Arpan Rai
President Trump “enjoyed the sport” of watching Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick clash in front of him, a new book claims.
Regime Change: Inside the Imperial Presidency of Donald Trump recounts a meeting to discuss a proposed minerals deal with Ukraine, ultimately announced in May last year.
“I’m not a big fan of Ukraine,” Trump said, according to authors and New York Times reporters Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan. “Except their women. They keep winning Miss Universe.”
Lutnick reportedly went on to tell the president Bessent had “screwed up” the deal with the war-torn European ally.
In response, Bessent is said to have looked at Lutnick’s own proposal and told him: “This is a s****y deal. You’re an idiot”.
Trump enjoyed ‘sport’ of watching Bessent rebuke Lutnick, book reveals
Russia eyes diesel export ban and fuel imports amid Ukrainian attacks
Wednesday 24 June 2026 19:00 , Arpan Rai
Russia is considering a diesel export ban, deputy prime minister Alexander Novak said, while a newspaper reported on possible fuel imports to tackle shortages, especially in Crimea, which tightened restrictions on public services and activities.
Speaking at a televised government meeting headed by Vladimir Putin yesterday, Novak said Russia was considering the introduction of a ban on diesel exports and changes to tax legislation to help the domestic fuel market.
The Vedomosti newspaper said imports were raised as an option at a meeting chaired by Novak on Monday.
Novak also said that oil companies had delayed maintenance work at refineries and were using fuel reserves to meet demand.
“We are using reserves that were not previously tapped, and are also encouraging increased supplies of additional volumes to the domestic market. Relevant amendments to tax legislation have been prepared in coordination with the government," he said.
Putin is asking for peace talks. It’s time to kick him while he’s down
Wednesday 24 June 2026 18:00 , Alex Croft
Russia is losing its war against Ukraine. Proof of this has come from Vladimir Putin himself, who has issued a desperate call for a return to peace talks while his oil refineries burn and his bridges to occupied territory are pounded by Kyiv’s missiles.
Russia’s president has been badly rattled; his airports are closed, his military logistics chain has dangerously snapped, and public support is waning for a war he started, and for which Russia’s national media can no longer generate artificial enthusiasm.
His minions have been whining that an agreement they believe was struck with Donald Trump at the Anchorage summit with Putin last year – giving Moscow colonial ownership of 20 per cent of Ukraine – has been abandoned by the US president as he prepares to meet Nato’s secretary general Mark Rutte.
Our world affairs editor Sam Kiley writes:
Putin is asking for peace talks. It’s time to kick him while he’s down
Watch: Huge plume of smoke billows from production plant in Russia’s Voronezh after strike
Wednesday 24 June 2026 17:00 , Alex Croft
Moscow seeks to stabilise domestic fuel market
Wednesday 24 June 2026 16:31 , Alex Croft
Ukraine has said its strategy of targeting Russian energy facilities with long-range drones is aimed at sapping a key source of Russia's war funds and showing Russians the four-year conflict launched by Moscow is no longer distant.
Seeking to stabilise the domestic fuel market by boosting supply, Russian lawmakers on Wednesday approved amendments to the Tax Code that included allowing lower-quality fuel to be used in gasoline production and delaying certain equipment modernisation at refineries.
Both sides say they do not target civilians but thousands of civilians have been killed in Russian attacks in Ukraine and fatalities have also occurred in Russia.
Moscow introduces new measures to combat fuel shortages - report
Wednesday 24 June 2026 16:01 , Alex Croft
Russian deputy prime minister Alexander Novak has ordered priority fuel deliveries to regions where logistics depend on seasonal factors, the Interfax news agency reported on Wednesday, citing the Russian government.
The move comes as many Russian regions face shortages of gasoline and diesel - something which has led to some fuel price increases and long queues at filling stations - after Ukrainian drone strikes on oil refineries.
In pictures: Russia launches drone attack on village in Donetsk
Wednesday 24 June 2026 15:29 , Alex Croft
Russia wants to know if Trump has changed stance on Ukraine war
Wednesday 24 June 2026 14:58 , Alex Croft
Russia wants to know if Donald Trump has really changed his stance on the Ukraine war after French president Emmanuel Macron suggested at this month's G7 summit that the US president had done so.
This is according to foreign minister Sergei Lavrov, who said on Wednesday: "As far as Ukraine is concerned, we want to understand what happened in Evian.”
Macron, host of the G7 summit in the French town of Evian-les-Bains, said Trump had acknowledged during the talks there that Russia did not want peace in Ukraine and that this marked "a real change in approach" from the U.S.
Trump himself urged Russia to make peace with Ukraine after having what he described as a "very good" meeting with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky, comments that sparked cautious optimism among G7 leaders that a peace deal could be struck.
"As far as Ukraine is concerned, we want to understand what happened in Evian," Lavrov said at an event in Moscow.
"The Americans haven’t yet told us what they took away from the summit in Evian or what their future course of action will be," he said.
What to expect from Trump's summit with Nato chief today
Wednesday 24 June 2026 14:33 , Alex Croft
Nato secretary general Mark Rutte is visiting Washington DC today as part of the final preparations for the 7-8 July summit in Ankara, Nato spokesperson Allison Hart said.
The summit "will focus on how Allies are delivering on the commitments made last year at the Nato Summit in The Hague, including on increasing defence investment, expanding defence industrial production, and continuing support for Ukraine," Hart said.
The Nato alliance is under unprecedented strain, with some European countries concerned that Washington may withdraw outright, which would be an extraordinary move that would throw into question the future of the alliance.
Trump has in the past threatened to do that.
Rutte is also expected to meet with members of Congress. His visit comes amid claims from the US that there is an "unhealthy co-dependence" by Europe on American forces.
Still, Rutte has maintained strong ties with Pentagon officials, and Hegseth spoke warmly of his leadership at the Brussels event last week.
Ukraine’s latest long-range strikes on Russia hit a major natural gas plant and satellite centers
Wednesday 24 June 2026 14:11 , Alex Croft
Ukrainian forces struck a major natural gas processing plant and two key satellite communications centers in their latest nighttime attack on Russia, Ukraine’s General Staff said Wednesday.
The operation was part of Ukraine’s aerial campaign targeting energy facilities and military industries that has intensified as Kyiv builds bigger and better long-range weapons to defeat Russia’s all-out invasion, now in its fifth year.
The overnight attack hit the Orenburg Gas Processing Plant, which is part of a complex that also houses the only helium plant in Russia, the General Staff said in a statement on the Telegram messaging app. The attack set the complex on fire, it said.
Here’s the latest:
Ukraine’s latest long-range strikes on Russia hit a major natural gas plant and satellite centers
Watch: Putin says Russia is ready for peace talks with Ukraine
Wednesday 24 June 2026 13:45 , Alex Croft
Peskov: Talks will continue with valuable US envoys
Wednesday 24 June 2026 13:19 , Alex Croft
We can now bring you more from Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, who earlier spoke about the willingness of US envoys to engage in peace talks.
Peskov said he understands “talks will continue” once Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff are less busy.
"Naturally, they are occupied with other matters right now, but at some point they will become available, and we are counting on further work."
He said Russia was grateful to the envoys for their efforts on Ukraine, which he described as "highly constructive. They are willing to listen to all sides — that is especially valuable right now."
The positive comments followed accusations from senior Russian officials earlier this week that the United States was failing to follow through on "understandings" reached between presidents Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump at a summit in Alaska last August.
Moscow oil refinery attacked by Ukraine unlikely to resume production in 2026
Wednesday 24 June 2026 12:53 , Alex Croft
Moscow's oil refinery will be offline for at least six months after suffering extensive damage in Ukrainian drone attacks, two industry sources said on Wednesday, complicating Russian efforts to tackle fuel shortages across the world's largest country.
The refinery, located on the southern outskirts of the Russian capital, is the largest fuel supplier to the Moscow region. It was hit twice this month by Ukrainian drones, forcing it to halt operations.
"It will take at least half a year to repair," one of the sources told Reuters news agency of the damage to the Moscow refinery.
Gazprom Neft, which operates the plant, did not reply to a request for comment.
Ukraine has stepped up attacks on Russian energy infrastructure with long-range drone strikes. Russia, meanwhile, has continued firing missiles at energy and defence-related targets in and around Ukrainian cities.
