Key Points
- Russian envoy to the UK admits war has 'cost us a lot' and claims Moscow cannot afford to lose
- Ukraine embarrasses Putin with strikes across St Petersburg at start of 'Russian Davos'
- Nato chief tells Russian men ‘very high chance you’ll die’ if they fight Ukraine war as Moscow loses more than 30,000 troops every month
- US secretary of state Rubio promises news on Ukraine aid funds soon as $400m held with Hegseth's department
- Germany, France and UK draw up plan to engage Putin in Ukraine talks as Europe seeks to end war
- EU members greenlight first step in accession talks for Ukraine and Moldova
Ukraine war cost us a lot, says Russian envoy to the UK
04:41 , Arpan Rai
The Russian ambassador to the UK has said the war in Ukraine is taking a toll on Moscow and the stakes are now too high for Russian forces to “lose this war”.
“We cannot lose this war,” Andrey Kelin told Sky News. “We simply have to win it. That is the way we still continue to do it,” he said.
"I cannot deny that the war cost a lot. And this year we have a certain very low percentage of growth. Yes, Ukraine has struck our refineries quite a lot, [including] on our exportation facilities in St Petersburg. But we learned how to re-establish it,” he said, discussing the toll the war has taken on Russia’s economy.
Kelin did admit Ukraine’s gain of “some square kilometres” on the battlefield but claimed that the threat from Ukrainian forces is now being repelled back.
Ukraine embarasses Putin with strikes across St Petersburg
05:57 , Arpan Rai
Ukrainian drones hit an oil terminal in St Petersburg and a warship in dry-dock at anearby naval base, hours before Vladimir Putin's showcase economic forum got under way in the city, in a clear attempt to embarrass the Kremlin chief.
The attack on Putin's home city, location of his own 'Davos' comes as both sides dial up strikes against each other in their more than four-year-old war with no imminent end in sight. Russia unleashed a huge wave of missile and drone attacks across Ukraine on Tuesday.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed his drones had struck a fuel terminal in St Petersburg on Wednesday and said they had also targeted a military facility in Kronstadt on an island near the city where elements of Russia's Baltic Fleet and major shipbuilding and repair facilities are located.
Ukraine released a video which showed a drone striking a Russian warship, the corvette Boiky, in what it said was a dry dock at Kronstadt.
A plume of grey smoke was visible from St Petersburg's historic city centre and witnesses heard loud explosions on Wednesday morning.
Germany, France, UK draw up plan to engage Putin in Ukraine talks – report
05:16 , Arpan Rai
A group of Ukraine’s key European allies are working on plans with Kyiv to engage Russia in negotiations to end the war, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the matter.
Officials from Germany, France and the UK, Europe's three biggest economies, have been discussing the possibility of holding talks and have discussed the matter with their Ukrainian counterparts, the report added.
Trump’s ballroom chief, conspiracy theorists and Steven Seagal: The surprise US guests attending Putin’s own ‘Davos’
05:08 , Arpan Rai
Russia’s answer to the Davos economic summit kicked off on Wednesday, days after Vladimir Putin was warned that he can no longer afford to fight his war with Ukraine at the current pace.
Formally known as the St Petersburg Economic Forum, the meeting has attracted an eclectic crowd, including famous Americans attracted to Moscow’s claims of “anti-wokery” and support for “traditional values”.
Moscow will be looking to strengthen its economic footing after top finance officials and Russia’s central bank are said to have urged the Kremlin to rein in spiralling defence spending, with Russia and Ukraine ramping up costly aerial attacks on vital infrastructure.
Trump’s ballroom chief and Steven Seagal: The surprise US guests at Russia’s ‘Davos’
Nato chief tells Russian men ‘very high chance you’ll die’ if they fight Ukraine war
04:48 , Arpan Rai
Nato secretary general Mark Rutte has issued words of caution for Russian nationals being asked to fight in the war in Ukraine, warning them that they are likely to be killed in action.
Speaking to reporters after holding talks with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv, Rutte directly addressed young Russians who could be asked to join the war.
“You are being sold a raw deal," he said. "Men like you who join the fight - you won't be trained. Equipment they'll provide you with is substandard,” Rutte said.
“There is a very high chance you'll die or be wounded while you're out there. And odds are, that if you are wounded, you will be left to suffer in the mud and die,” the top Nato official said.
He added that Russian forces are suffering “absolutely staggering” losses of more than 30,000 of its soldiers dying every month.
US secretary of state Rubio promises news on Ukraine aid funds soon
04:23 , Arpan Rai
US secretary of state Marco Rubio told a Senate subcommittee on Wednesday there will be news "pretty soon" on $400m (£297.9m) Congress approved for its war in Ukraine but delayed at the Department of Defence.
A bipartisan group of senators has pushed back on delays by the Department of Defence in sending $600m (£446m) in security aid to Ukraine and other allies in eastern Europe, asking the defence secretary Pete Hegseth for the funding to be disbursed.
The tranche includes $400m in Ukraine aid and $200m (£148.9m) more for defence programs in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.
EU members greenlight first step in accession talks, Ukraine PM says
04:02 , Arpan Rai
All members of the European Union have agreed to open talks with Ukraine and Moldova on the first cluster of issues in their accession talks, Ukrainian prime minister Yulia Svyrydenko announced today.
Both Ukraine and Moldova are pressing for membership of the 27-member EU after more than four years of war pitting Kyiv against Moscow.
“Fantastic news,” she wrote on X. "We are one step closer to the EU membership: steadily moving towards our goal."
Cyprus, which holds the rotating presidency of the EU, said on X it had starting preparing to formally open talks on the first group of negotiating chapters, which cover rule-of-law and democratic standards, with both countries.
“This marks a significant milestone in their European integration path, and sends a strong message of EU unity and determination," it said.
The presidency said it would work "towards finalising the discussions" for the formal opening.
Earlier, Hungarian prime minister Peter Magyar said his country and Ukraine had reached an agreement on the rights of the 100,000-strong Hungarian minority in Ukraine.
Magyar had previously said that agreement on the long-running dispute was essential if Budapest were to agree to Ukraine joining the EU.
Ukraine strikes kill three in Russia-annexed Crimea
03:59 , Arpan Rai
At least three people have been killed in drone attacks after Ukraine launched strikes on the two main centres in the Russia-annexed Crimea peninsula, Kremlin-installed officials in the region said early on Thursday.
Sergei Aksyonov, the Russia-appointed head of Crimea, said Ukrainian forces had hit a non-residential part of Simferopol, the peninsula's main administrative town.
The strike killed three people and injured seven, he said.
In the Crimean port of Sevastopol, the local Russia-installed governor, Mikhail Razvozhayev, said air defence units had intercepted more than 20 Ukrainian drones.
Razvozhayev made no mention of casualties, but said drone debris had damaged some buildings. The air raid alert remained in effect in the city for nearly five hours.
Germany says Russia stirred up opposition to UN Security Council bid
03:00 , Daniel Keane
Germany's leading role in rallying support for Ukraine and its close relations with Israel may have cost Berlin the chance of a seat on the UN Security Council, Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said.
The Council vote, which elected Austria and Portugal to a two-year term along with Zimbabwe and Trinidad and Tobago, was another blow to Chancellor Friedrich Merz's struggling government.
"We have always taken a clear stance on certain issues, and these are positions that not all member states share," Wadephul told reporters, calling it "no secret" that Russia had stirred up sentiment against Germany.
"There is our firm support for Ukraine; the fact that Russia does not want such a voice at the Security Council," he said.
Putin warned by his own officials that mounting cost of Ukraine war is ‘unsustainable’
02:00 , Daniel Keane
Vladimir Putin has been warned that he cannot afford to sustain his war in Ukraine at the current pace, as Kyiv continues to tally frontline wins and devastate energy infrastructure deep inside Russia.
Top finance officials and Russia’s central bank are said to have urged the Kremlin to rein in spiralling defence spending, as both sides ramp up costly aerial attacks on vital infrastructure.
Ukrainian foreign minister Andrii Sybiha said on Tuesday that Moscow is “losing on the battlefield” and “has no cards except terror”, despite a major blitz of cities across Ukraine overnight that killed at least 22 people.
Read our full story below.
Putin warned by his own officials that cost of Ukraine war is ‘unsustainable’
The surprise US guests attending Putin’s own ‘Davos’
01:00 , Daniel Keane
Russia’s version of the international economic forum comes after Moscow’s top finance officials reportedly urged the Kremlin to rein in defence spending. Alex Croft reports on some of the more unexpected attendees.
Trump’s ballroom chief and Steven Seagal: The surprise US guests at Russia’s ‘Davos’
Russian attack kills at least three in Ukraine's Kramatorsk, governor says
Thursday 4 June 2026 00:01 , Daniel Keane
Russian shelling killed at least three civilians in Ukraine's frontline city of Kramatorsk in the east, officials said on Wednesday.
Vadym Filashkin, governor of Donetsk region, said on the Telegram app that 11 people had been injured in the daytime Russian attack on residential buildings in Kramatorsk.
European leaders 'draw up plan to engage Putin in Ukraine talks'
Wednesday 3 June 2026 23:00 , Daniel Keane
A group of Ukraine’s key European allies are working on plans with Kyiv to engage Russia in negotiations to end the war, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the matter.
Officials from Germany, France and the UK, Europe's three biggest economies, have been discussing the possibility of holding talks and have discussed the matter with their Ukrainian counterparts, the report added.
Hungary and Ukraine reach crucial agreement on minority rights
Wednesday 3 June 2026 22:00 , Daniel Keane
Prime Minister Peter Magyar said on Wednesday that Hungary and Ukraine reached a key agreement on the rights of the Hungarian minority in Ukraine, which could open the way to approving the opening of the first chapter in Ukraine's EU accession talks.
Magyar also said in a Facebook post his government does not support accelerated European Union accession talks for Ukraine.
Nato chief warns young Russians they would die in Ukraine war
Wednesday 3 June 2026 21:00 , Daniel Keane
Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte warned young Russians that they would probably die if they sign up to join Russia's war in Ukraine.
"You are being sold a raw deal," Rutte said during a press conference in Kyiv, in remarks he directly addressed to "young Russians and their families".
"Men like you who join the fight - you won't be trained. Equipment they'll provide you with is substandard. There is a very high chance you'll die or be wounded while you're out there," he said.
"And odds are, that if you are wounded, you will be left to suffer in the mud and die." Rutte said Russia was incurring "absolutely staggering" losses in Ukraine, where he said more than 30,000 Russian soldiers died every month - matching figures he has cited before.
Watch: Zelensky warns Russian forces could again launch a massive attack on Ukraine
Wednesday 3 June 2026 20:00 , Daniel Keane
Trump will attend Nato summit, says Rubio
Wednesday 3 June 2026 19:00 , Jane Dalton
President Donald Trump will attend the Nato meeting of heads of state that is taking place in Turkey in July, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said .
"I think the next meeting of NATO and Turkey in July is probably the most important meeting in NATO's history, because there are some things here that need to be cleared up and fixed," Rubio told lawmakers adding that "The president himself will be attending."
The surprise US guests attending Putin’s own ‘Davos’
Wednesday 3 June 2026 18:30 , Daniel Keane
Russia’s version of the international economic forum comes after Moscow’s top finance officials reportedly urged the Kremlin to rein in defence spending. Alex Croft reports on some of the more unexpected attendees.
Trump’s ballroom chief and Steven Segal: The surprise US guests at Russia’s ‘Davos’
The surprise US guests attending Putin’s own ‘Davos’
Wednesday 3 June 2026 18:30 , Daniel Keane
Russia’s version of the international economic forum comes after Moscow’s top finance officials reportedly urged the Kremlin to rein in defence spending. Alex Croft reports on some of the more unexpected attendees.
Trump’s ballroom chief and Steven Segal: The surprise US guests at Russia’s ‘Davos’
Kremlin says former German chancellor Gerhard Schroeder is visiting Russia
Wednesday 3 June 2026 18:00 , Daniel Keane
The Kremlin has confirmed that former German chancellor Gerhard Schroeder is visiting Russia, state-run news agencies reported.
State media had previously reported that Schroeder had been spotted in Moscow. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia welcomed his visit. It was not clear if Schroeder was still in Russia.
President Vladimir Putin has previously named Schroeder as someone who could represent Europe in possible future talks with Moscow on the continent's security, an idea that European governments rejected.
Romania defuses stray mine found on its Black Sea shore
Wednesday 3 June 2026 17:30 , Jane Dalton
Romania's navy has detonated an anti-landing mine that had drifted to its Black Sea shore, the defence ministry said.
The ministry said the mine was a Russian YaRM-type that had been reported on the beach between the seaside towns Vama Veche and 2 Mai.
Romania, Bulgaria and Turkey have a joint task force to defuse the stray mines in the Black Sea.
Romanian soldiers have neutralised nine of the 156 drifting mines that have been discovered and destroyed in the Black Sea since Russia attacked Ukraine four years ago, the Romanian navy has said.
Ukraine embarasses Putin with strikes across St Petersburg
Wednesday 3 June 2026 17:00 , James Reynolds
Ukrainian drones hit an oil terminal in St Petersburg and a warship in dry-dock at anearby naval base, hours before Vladimir Putin's showcase economic forum got under way in the city, in a clear attempt to embarrass the Kremlin chief.
The attack on Putin's home city, location of his own 'Davos' comes as both sides dial up strikes against each other in their more than four-year-old war with no imminent end in sight. Russia unleashed a huge wave of missile and drone attacks across Ukraine on Tuesday.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed his drones had struck a fuel terminal in St Petersburg on Wednesday and said they had also targeted a military facility in Kronstadt on an island near the city where elements of Russia's Baltic Fleet and major shipbuilding and repair facilities are located.
Ukraine released a video which showed a drone striking a Russian warship, the corvette Boiky, in what it said was a dry dock at Kronstadt.
A plume of grey smoke was visible from St Petersburg's historic city centre and witnesses heard loud explosions on Wednesday morning.
Recap: Almost 500,000 Russians killed in Putin's war in Ukraine, says GCHQ
Wednesday 3 June 2026 16:00 , James Reynolds
Russia has lost 500,000 soldiers since it began its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the UK’s intelligence chief said in London.
GCHQ director Anne Keast-Butler gave the latest figure for Russian casualties in Ukraine during her first public speech at Bletchley Park, saying it proved Vladimir Putin was “going backwards in the battlefield”.
Ms Keast-Butler warned Russia was risking a wider conflict in Europe by targeting critical infrastructure and supply chains across the continent.
500,000 Russian soldiers killed in Putin’s war on Ukraine, says GCHQ
Russian attack kills three people in Kramatorsk
Wednesday 3 June 2026 15:50 , Jane Dalton
A Russian attack killed at least three civilians in Ukraine's frontline city of Kramatorsk in the east, the Donetsk regional governor says.
Vadym Filashkin said on the Telegram app that Russian troops hit residential buildings during daytime attacks.
He said rescuers were working on the site.
Injuring civilians on Nato territory unacceptable, says Cooper
Wednesday 3 June 2026 15:35 , Jane Dalton
Foreign secretary Yvette Cooper has condemned Russia’s violation of Romanian airspace, which occurred during a Russian attack on Ukraine and injured two people in the Romanian city of Galati.
She said Britain stood united with allies to defend Nato territory.
"Russia’s latest brutal bombardment of civilians in Ukraine comes afters its violation of Nato airspace last week, hitting a residential building in Romania," the Foreign Office said.
"Injuring innocent civilians on Nato territory is unacceptable and a stark reminder of the threat that Ukrainian civilians are having to endure on a daily basis."
Zelensky says he's ready to talk to Putin about ending war
Wednesday 3 June 2026 15:24 , Jane Dalton
President Volodymyr Zelensky has said he is ready to hold direct talks with Russia’s Vladimir Putin over ending the war.
Ukraine's stepping up of strikes on targets in Russia allow Kyiv to negotiate the end of the war on an equal footing, he said.
Speaking alongside Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte in Kyiv, Zelensky added that it was only a question of time for Ukraine to increase the scale of such strikes.
Foreign Office condemns 'grave escalation' of violation of Nato airspace
Wednesday 3 June 2026 15:13 , Jane Dalton
A spokesperson for the Foreign Office said: “Russia’s later brutal bombardment of civilians in Ukraine comes afters its violation of Nato airspace last week, hitting a residential building in Romania.
“Injuring innocent civilians on Nato territory is unacceptable and a stark reminder of the threat that Ukrainian civilians are having to endure on a daily basis.”
A senior FCDO official strongly condemned the “grave escalation”.
“Russia continues to show blatant disregard for civilian life, firing hundreds of drones and missiles into Ukraine and threatening its near neighbours,” the spokesperson said.
“Recent warnings for diplomats to leave Kyiv were irresponsible and unjustified.
“The UK stands firmly with Ukraine, Romania and all of our Nato Allies and we will defend every inch of Nato territory.”
Russian ambassador summoned over Nato airspace breach
Wednesday 3 June 2026 15:06 , Jane Dalton
Breaking news: Russia’s ambassador to the UK Andrei Kelin has been summoned to the Foreign Office after a drone violated Nato airspace and struck a building in Romania last week.
Preview: Putin's 'Russian Davos' under attack from Ukrainian drones
Wednesday 3 June 2026 15:01 , James Reynolds
Growth will be in focus during the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum this week, which runs from June 3 to 6.
The investment forum has been described as Putin’s ‘Russian Davos’ and will bring together leaders from around the world as the Kremlin looks to stoke Russia’s war-weary economy.
Putin is to deliver his keynote speech on Friday at a session also to be attended by presidents of Uzbekistan and Tanzania, and China's vice president, the schedule shows.
Some of the most prominent guests this year are from Saudi Arabia, including energy minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman.
An eclectic group of Americans, including ex-Hollywood star Steven Seagal and right-wing influencer Candace Owens, are due to attend
Rodney Mims Cook Jr, named by President Donald Trump to head the Commission of Fine Arts overseeing his White House ballroom, is the first serving U.S. official to attend since 2018, according to the Kremlin.
Recap: Vladimir Putin warned that cost of Ukraine war is ‘unsustainable’
Wednesday 3 June 2026 14:00 , James Reynolds
Vladimir Putin has been warned that he cannot afford to sustain his war in Ukraine at the current pace, as Kyiv continues to tally frontline wins and devastate energy infrastructure deep inside Russia.
Top finance officials and Russia’s central bank are said to have urged the Kremlin to rein in spiralling defence spending, as both sides ramp up costly aerial attacks on vital infrastructure.
Ukrainian foreign minister Andrii Sybiha said on Tuesday that Moscow is “losing on the battlefield” and “has no cards except terror”, despite a major blitz of cities across Ukraine overnight that killed at least 22 people.
Putin warned by his own officials that cost of Ukraine war is ‘unsustainable’
Russia tells France to free detained tanker captain, RIA reports
Wednesday 3 June 2026 13:00 , James Reynolds
Russia is demanding that France release the captain of a tanker detained in France, the state-run RIA news agency reported on Wednesday, citing the Russian embassy in Paris.
France's navy said on Monday it had intercepted a sanctioned tanker linked to the Russian oil trade in the Atlantic Ocean and had ordered it to head to the French mainland, in a move Moscow said was illegal and amounted to "international piracy."
Pictured: Heavy smoke billows after drones hit infrastructure in St Petersburg
Wednesday 3 June 2026 12:28 , James Reynolds
Nato chief warns Russians: You'll die if you sign up
Wednesday 3 June 2026 12:04 , Jane Dalton
Nato Secretary-General Mark Rutte has warned young Russians that they will probably die if they sign up to join the war in Ukraine.
"You are being sold a raw deal," Rutte said during a press conference in Kyiv, in remarks he directly addressed to "young Russians and their families".
"Men like you who join the fight - you won't be trained. Equipment they'll provide you with is substandard. There is a very high chance you'll die or be wounded while you're out there," he said.
"And odds are, that if you are wounded, you will be left to suffer in the mud and die." Rutte said Russia was incurring "absolutely staggering" losses in Ukraine, where he said more than 30,000 Russian soldiers died every month - matching figures he has cited before.
"This means losing more men in one month than the Soviet Union did in 10 years in the 1980s in Afghanistan," the Nato chief said.
"That's not abstract," he said. "That will probably be you."
Russian spies are going after Western technology – they care less about being caught
Wednesday 3 June 2026 12:00 , James Reynolds
Russian intelligence agencies have grown more aggressive in their efforts to steal Western technology and defence secrets, as sanctions squeeze the country's wartime economy, three senior European intelligence officials have told The Associated Press.
Moscow's agents are reportedly establishing shell companies, recruiting intermediaries, and deploying cyber spies and hackers. They are gathering intelligence that could also be used to target critical infrastructure.
Four years of international sanctions have curtailed Moscow's procurement of machinery, technology, and research from Europe. The grinding war in Ukraine has simultaneously taxed key industries, pushing the country towards a potential financial crisis.
Russian spies are going after Western technology – they care less about being caught
Ukraine says it struck a warship at Russia's Baltic Fleet base
Wednesday 3 June 2026 11:39 , James Reynolds
Ukraine's military said it struck a warship at Russia's Baltic Fleet base overnight.
The strike caused a massive fire aboard the Boikiy corvette, it added in a post on the Telegram app.
Recap: Russia pounds Ukraine in one of the largest attacks of the war
Wednesday 3 June 2026 11:01 , James Reynolds
At least 22 people have been killed across Ukraine after Russia launched one of the largest aerial attacks of the four-year war overnight.
Russian forces launched 73 missiles and 656 attack drones at targets in Ukraine, according to Ukraine’s Air Force, which added that 40 missiles and 602 drones had been downed or intercepted.
But 30 ballistic missiles, three cruise missiles and 33 attack drones struck 38 locations nationwide, it added, with more than 500 emergency service workers drawn own to put out fires and rescue people trapped in flattened homes.
‘I’ve lost hope’: Ukraine reels after Russia launches one of war’s largest attacks
Watch: Zelensky warns Russian forces could again launch a massive attack on Ukraine
Wednesday 3 June 2026 10:27 , James Reynolds
Britain, France and Germany expected to fill US void in dialogue with Russia
Wednesday 3 June 2026 10:12 , James Reynolds
A German official said on Wednesday that a window for dialogue is slowly opening between Russia and Europe on Ukraine, with no progress on US-mediated talks.
The official added that there are strong indications the E3 Group - Germany, France and Britain - will continue to play an important role in this regard.
Advances by Russian forces have slowed this year, and Ukrainian troops are increasing pressure on the battlefield and through an intensified campaign of long-range strikes inside Russia.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's chief of staff has said that agreeing a deal to end the war by winter was a "realistic" outcome.
The German official said recent fighting indicates the dialogue process is likely to take months, rather than weeks, and that it was key to ensure they were conducted in full agreement with Ukraine.
Coordination - instead of competition - with the United States, whose brokered talks have stalled as Washington focuses on Iran, must also remain a guiding principle, said the official.
Vladimir Putin warned that cost of Ukraine war is ‘unsustainable’
Wednesday 3 June 2026 10:00 , James Reynolds
Vladimir Putin has been warned that he cannot afford to sustain his war in Ukraine at the current pace, as Kyiv continues to tally frontline wins and devastate energy infrastructure deep inside Russia.
Top finance officials and Russia’s central bank are said to have urged the Kremlin to rein in spiralling defence spending, as both sides ramp up costly aerial attacks on vital infrastructure.
Ukrainian foreign minister Andrii Sybiha said on Tuesday that Moscow is “losing on the battlefield” and “has no cards except terror”, despite a major blitz of cities across Ukraine overnight that killed at least 22 people.
Putin warned by his own officials that cost of Ukraine war is ‘unsustainable’
In pictures: Smoke billows over St. Petersburg following drone attack
Wednesday 3 June 2026 09:28 , James Reynolds
Smoke billows over St. Petersburg following Ukrainian drone attack
Wednesday 3 June 2026 09:00 , Reuters
Thick grey smoke was seen rising into the air on the outskirts of St. Petersburg on the first day of Russia's annual economic forum there after an overnight Ukrainian drone attack, according to Reuters witnesses on Wednesday.
Ukrainian President Volodymry Zelenskiy said his drones had struck an oil terminal in St. Petersburg and Alexander Beglov, the governor of St Petersburg, said that unspecified "infrastructure objects" had been hit in three districts of the city.
Preview: Putin's 'Russian Davos' under attack from Ukrainian drones
Wednesday 3 June 2026 08:54 , James Reynolds
Ukraine launched a major attack on a St Petersburg oil port on Wednesday ahead of a major economic forum hosted by Vladimir Putin in the city.
The investment forum has been described as Putin’s ‘Russian Davos’ and will bring together leaders from around the world as the Kremlin looks to stoke Russia’s war-weary economy.
Growth is the main theme at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, which runs from June 3 to 6.
Delegates are likely to discuss strategies including the redistribution of labour to faster-growing sectors and the promotion of AI-powered digital platforms in e-commerce and banking. Officials also hope that consumer demand will grow.
Putin is to deliver his keynote speech on Friday at a session also to be attended by presidents of Uzbekistan and Tanzania, as well as China's vice president and Saudi Arabia's energy minister, the schedule shows.
A prominent right-wing U.S. influencer, a serving US official and a German retail billionaire are also expected to attend the forum.
Nato chief Mark Rutte arrives in Kyiv
Wednesday 3 June 2026 08:48 , James Reynolds
Nato secretary general Mark Rutte has arrived in Kyiv, Reuters is reporting.
Ukraine hits St. Petersburg oil terminal, Zelensky says
Wednesday 3 June 2026 08:30 , James Reynolds
Ukraine's military struck Russia's St. Petersburg Oil Terminal overnight, around 1,100 km (682 miles) from Ukrainian border, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Wednesday.
Zelensky also said on Telegram that "purely" military targets were hit at the Kronstadt base, and that another target was an enterprise in Russia's Tambov region involved in the production of weapons, some 600 km from the frontline.
Zelensky asks Trump for more Patriot missiles to stop Putin's attacks
Wednesday 3 June 2026 07:54 , Arpan Rai
Volodymyr Zelensky has said that Ukraine was short of weapons to counter incoming Russian missiles and urged the US to provide more Patriot missiles to stop attacks from Russia.
"Unfortunately, the current level of supplies for our air defence does not enable us to intercept a significant portion of the missiles," he said.
He said more than 70 missiles and 650 drones had been deployed overnight and Russian forces had deployed 100 more drones throughout the day on Tuesday.
The Ukrainian president urged Washington to send additional Patriot missile interceptors.
"If Ukraine is not protected from ballistic and other missile strikes, these attacks will continue," Zelensky said on Telegram.
“Europe needs its own anti-ballistic missiles so that this war can finally end. And we definitely need the help of the United States in supplying missiles such as Patriots. We count on the support of our partners and effective responses to today’s strike,” Zelensky said.
Russia downs more than 350 drones ahead of Putin's crucial summit
Wednesday 3 June 2026 07:51 , Arpan Rai
Russian forces have downed at least 354 drones overnight, the country’s defence ministry said in an update this morning.
The massive barrage of Ukrainian drones has targeted Russia on a day president Vladimir Putin is set to host Davos-like economic investment forum in St Petersburg.
Russia bans entry to five UK nationals including Washington Post journalist
Wednesday 3 June 2026 07:34 , Arpan Rai
Russia has banned five British nationals, including The Washington Post journalist Catherine Belton and The i Paper correspondent Richard Holmes, from entering the country, the foreign ministry said on its website late on Tuesday.
Belton is an investigative correspondent focusing on Russia and previously reported about the country for the Financial Times and Reuters among other media.
Holmes, an award-winning investigative journalist and a Pulitzer Prize finalist, is a security correspondent at Britain's The i Paper.
The foreign ministry said the entry ban was an answer to the "provocative anti-Russian rhetoric of British officials, the spread of insinuations about Russia, and London's practical steps to supply the Kyiv regime with weapons".
Other Britons named under the ban were Alexander Browder, a contributor for the Henry Jackson Society policy think tank; Alice Laugher, chief executive of humanitarian staffing firm Committed to Good; and Richard Westbury, chairman of the Chelsea Group, parent company of Committed to Good.
The UK is among countries which imposed sanctions on Russia, including travel bans, after Moscow's annexation of Crimea from Ukraine in 2014.
Watch: Zelensky warns Russian forces could again launch a massive attack on Ukraine
Wednesday 3 June 2026 07:14 , Arpan Rai
'Russian Davos' begins with fire and drones to greet guests
Wednesday 3 June 2026 06:54 , Arpan Rai
A right-wing US influencer, a serving US official and a German retail billionaire are due to attend president Vladimir Putin's "Russian Davos” today as the Kremlin grapples with stalled growth and a confrontation with the West over the Ukraine war.
But just hours earlier, the St Petersburg Oil Terminal in Russia's Leningrad Oblast came under fire as with eyewitnesses reported large-scale explosions and fires at the site.
Russia's premier investment forum, the fifth since Russia sent troops into Ukraine in 2022, opens just hours after a deadly drone and missile attack on Kyiv which Russia said was in response to a deadly attack on a dormitory in Russian-controlled Luhansk.
Shunned by the West since the 2022 invasion, this year's forum will include Rodney Mims Cook Jr, chairman of the US Commission of Fine Arts, who oversees president Donald Trump’s White House ballroom extension, US right-wing influencer Candace Owens and, possibly, internet personality Andrew Tate.
The Kremlin said this would be the first such Russian investment conference with US participation since 2017-2018.
The war looms large even if Ukraine is not mentioned once in the official programme.
"The question is: does this war end or do we stare into a much tougher future?" one Russian participant told Reuters on condition of anonymity due to the matter's sensitivity.
Over 30 flights cancelled as Russia gears up to host forum
Wednesday 3 June 2026 06:26 , Arpan Rai
Russia downed 50 drones over the Leningrad region northwest of Moscow overnight and continues to repel suspected Ukrainian attacks, governor Alexander Drozdenko said this morning, as a major annual economic forum was about to start.
More than 30 flights were delayed or cancelled, local news outlets said. St Petersburg has put in place comprehensive safety measures ahead of the event, Alexander Beglov, the city's governor, told the RIA news agency.
"All new challenges have been fully taken into account. Law enforcement forces have allocated personnel and equipment to ensure public safety and order," he said.
Ukraine has recently stepped up attacks on Russian energy infrastructure as it tries to deprive Moscow of revenues.
At least 20 drones heading to Moscow were downed overnight, mayor Sergei Sobyanin said on Telegram. In Russia's central Tambov region, outbuildings at an industrial facility in the city of Michurinsk were damaged, the governor said on Telegram.
Seven killed and 11 injured after drone hits bus in Russia-held Donetsk
Wednesday 3 June 2026 05:33 , Arpan Rai
A drone attack has killed seven people and injured another 11 in a Russian-controlled part of Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region this morning, the Kremlin-installed head of the region said.
Denis Pushilin, posting on the Telegram messaging app, said the drone hit a passenger bus travelling between Moscow and Simferopol in Russian-occupied Crimea.
Former Irish rugby player delivers medical aid in Ukraine's Kherson
Wednesday 3 June 2026 05:26 , Arpan Rai
Former Irish rugby player Shane Leahy has travelled to the frontline city of Kherson to deliver medical supplies.
Leahy is chief executive of the telecoms company Oxygen8, which has co-ordinated the distribution of more than €200 million in medical aid since the war began in 2022, reported The Irish Times.
He set up a charity called One4Humanity which delivers the aid from US charity Heart to Heart International.
“We supply medicines to the Ukraine ministry of health, and they had a problem with a warehouse over here, so they asked us to deliver directly to the hospitals instead of bringing it to their distribution point... I loaded up the truck,” Leahy told the newspaper.
Putin being fed false battlefield information on Russian forces in war – ISW
Wednesday 3 June 2026 05:11 , Arpan Rai
Russian president Vladimir Putin is being fed false information from the battlefield, a Washington-based think tank monitoring the war said.
“ISW recently assessed that the Russian military command’s repeated exaggerations of the Russian military’s successes on the ground have likely given Putin a false perception of the battlefield situation,” the Institute for the Study of War said.
It added: “These exaggerations are likely leading Putin to believe his forces can achieve his goals in the near to medium term despite the fact that Russia’s battlefield performance has steadily declined in 2026.”
This perception is despite senior Russian officials warning Putin that spending on the war in Ukraine is currently unaffordable, according to a report.
Zelensky asks Trump for more Patriot missiles to stop Putin's attacks
Wednesday 3 June 2026 04:46 , Arpan Rai
Volodymyr Zelensky has said that Ukraine was short of weapons to counter incoming Russian missiles and urged the US to provide more Patriot missiles to stop attacks from Russia.
"Unfortunately, the current level of supplies for our air defence does not enable us to intercept a significant portion of the missiles," he said.
He said more than 70 missiles and 650 drones had been deployed overnight and Russian forces had deployed 100 more drones throughout the day on Tuesday.
The Ukrainian president urged Washington to send additional Patriot missile interceptors.
"If Ukraine is not protected from ballistic and other missile strikes, these attacks will continue," Zelensky said on Telegram.
“Europe needs its own anti-ballistic missiles so that this war can finally end. And we definitely need the help of the United States in supplying missiles such as Patriots. We count on the support of our partners and effective responses to today’s strike,” Zelensky said.
Zelensky warns new assault possible after 23 killed in major Russian attack
Wednesday 3 June 2026 04:36 , Arpan Rai
Volodymyr Zelensky said Moscow could launch a new assault for the second night in a row after a major attack yesterday left 23 dead and 130 wounded.
Zelensky said there was evidence Russian forces could strike again on Tuesday night.
"According to our intelligence, another large-scale attack may occur tonight," he said in his nightly video address. "Please, I strongly urge you to pay attention to air raid alerts."
Unfortunately, the current level of supplies for our air defense does not allow us to intercept a significant share of missiles. Last night, there were hits. 130 people were injured. Tragically, 22 people were killed, including two children. My condolences to all those who have… pic.twitter.com/NeQpm6JOFV
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) June 2, 2026
Russia repels drone attack over Leningrad and Moscow ahead of major forum
Wednesday 3 June 2026 04:17 , Arpan Rai
Russia has downed three drones over the Leningrad region to the northwest of Moscow and continues to repel the attacks, regional governor Alexander Drozdenko said as a major annual economic forum was about to start.
The Leningrad region, home to crucial energy export infrastructure and a major oil refinery, is hosting its fifth wartime economic conference, president Vladimir Putin's "Russian Davos", in St Petersburg from today.
The investment forum, the fifth since Russia sent troops into Ukraine in 2022, opens just hours after a deadly drone and missile attack on Kyiv which Russia said was in response to a deadly attack on a dormitory in Russian-controlled Luhansk.
In St Petersburg, Russia's second-biggest city and Putin's hometown, the Pulkovo airport was temporarily restricting incoming and departing flights, Russian aviation watchdog, Rosaviatsia, said on Telegram.
Another 13 drones heading to Moscow were downed in the early hours of Wednesday, mayor Sergei Sobyanin said on Telegram.
Russia bans entry to five UK nationals including Washington Post journalist
Wednesday 3 June 2026 04:07 , Arpan Rai
Russia has banned five British nationals, including The Washington Post journalist Catherine Belton and The i Paper correspondent Richard Holmes, from entering the country, the foreign ministry said on its website late on Tuesday.
Belton is an investigative correspondent focusing on Russia and previously reported about the country for the Financial Times and Reuters among other media.
Holmes, an award-winning investigative journalist and a Pulitzer Prize finalist, is a security correspondent at Britain's The i Paper.
The foreign ministry said the entry ban was an answer to the "provocative anti-Russian rhetoric of British officials, the spread of insinuations about Russia, and London's practical steps to supply the Kyiv regime with weapons".
Other Britons named under the ban were Alexander Browder, a contributor for the Henry Jackson Society policy think tank; Alice Laugher, chief executive of humanitarian staffing firm Committed to Good; and Richard Westbury, chairman of the Chelsea Group, parent company of Committed to Good.
The UK is among countries which imposed sanctions on Russia, including travel bans, after Moscow's annexation of Crimea from Ukraine in 2014.
Drones damage outbuildings at industrial facility in Russia's Tambov
Wednesday 3 June 2026 03:55 , Arpan Rai
Drones hit the city of Michurinsk in the central Russian Tambov region, governor Yevgeny Pervyshov said on Telegram this morning.
He added that outbuildings at an industrial facility, an apartment building and a library were among sites damaged. There were no injuries, he said.
Putin warned by his own officials that mounting cost of Ukraine war is ‘unsustainable’
Wednesday 3 June 2026 22:52 , Daniel Keane
Vladimir Putin has been warned that he cannot afford to sustain his war in Ukraine at the current pace, as Kyiv continues to tally frontline wins and devastate energy infrastructure deep inside Russia.
Top finance officials and Russia’s central bank are said to have urged the Kremlin to rein in spiralling defence spending, as both sides ramp up costly aerial attacks on vital infrastructure.
Ukrainian foreign minister Andrii Sybiha said on Tuesday that Moscow is “losing on the battlefield” and “has no cards except terror”, despite a major blitz of cities across Ukraine overnight that killed at least 22 people.
Read our full story below.
Putin warned by his own officials that cost of Ukraine war is ‘unsustainable’
Where have peace talks been left?
Wednesday 3 June 2026 01:00 , James Reynolds
Peace talks between Russia and Ukraine have been on hold since February, when the United States shifted focus to its new war in the Middle East.
Moscow and Kyiv walked away from talks in Geneva no closer to a deal, as Ukraine suggested the US was unfairly demanding Kyiv alone make concessions to end the war.
Volodymyr Zelensky, the Ukrainian president, said the last round of direct talks had been “difficult” and accused Russia of deliberately stalling, with the issue of territory still in dispute.
What does either side want?
Russia insists on its demands for Ukrainian territory and the withdrawal of forces from its borders.
Ukraine insists it needs clear security guarantees from allies to stop Russia reopening the conflict and says it cannot and will not give up territory sought by Russia.
The lands in the east include industry heavy regions and Ukraine’s belt of ‘fortress cities’ to protect against invasion.
Will talks start again?
Volodymyr Zelensky said late in April that he was keen to meet with Vladimir Putin, his Russian counterpart, in an effort to restart negotiations.
While Ukraine claimed a string of wins on the ground, Zelensky warned that US attention on the war with Iran was soaking up resources and leaving Ukraine with critical shortages of air defences.
But the Kremlin said Putin would only meet Zelensky in Moscow for the purpose of finalising agreements on the conflict.
Turkey said it was making efforts to restart talks and bring together the leaders, after hosting delegations in July 2025.
Zelensky told CBS on Sunday he wants to press on with talks on securing peace with Russia before the onset of winter to take account of Kyiv’s improved strategic position.
Recap: Ukraine has evidence stolen children are being pushed onto battlefield, says Zelensky
Wednesday 3 June 2026 00:00 , James Reynolds
‘I’ve lost hope’: Ukraine reels after Russia launches one of the largest attacks of the war
Tuesday 2 June 2026 23:00 , James Reynolds
At least 18 people have been killed across Ukraine after Russia launched one of the largest aerial attacks of the four-year war overnight.
Russian forces launched 73 missiles and 656 attack drones at targets in Ukraine, according to Ukraine’s Air Force, which added that 40 missiles and 602 drones had been downed or intercepted.
But 30 ballistic missiles, three cruise missiles and 33 attack drones struck 38 locations nationwide, it added, with more than 500 emergency service workers drawn own to put out fires and rescue people trapped in flattened homes.
As it happened:
‘I’ve lost hope’: Ukraine reels after Russia launches one of war’s largest attacks
Nato to launch scaled-back drills in the Baltic
Tuesday 2 June 2026 22:00 , James Reynolds
The US and allies are set to launch this year’s largest operations in the Baltic next week, bringing together vessels from some 15 nations with around 6,000 personnel.
At a time of heightened tension with Russia in the north, the drills are expected to be around half the size of those last year, with ships drawn away by conflicts in other regions, a top German official said.
But officials say the smaller footprint reflects operational realities rather than waning commitment.
“In this period, it is a sign of the alliance's strength, that a major exercise is being conducted, under U.S. leadership, with broad NATO participation”, German Rear Admiral Stephan Haisch said.
“It is a sign of the alliance's unity and strength, and I am speaking of all allies here.”
The US BALTOPS naval exercise will run from 4 June until 20 June.
Russian-installed Crimea governor calls for calm amid fuel shortages
Tuesday 2 June 2026 21:00 , James Reynolds
Sergei Aksyonov, the Russian-installed head of the government of Crimea, said on Tuesday that people should be patient and calm amid gasoline shortages on the peninsula, which Russia annexed from Ukraine in 2014.
Crimea has been suffering from fuel shortages after Ukrainian drone attacks constricted supplies from adjoining Russian-controlled territory.
Russia claims strikes on 10 Ukrainian factories in Kyiv
Tuesday 2 June 2026 20:00 , James Reynolds
Russia's Defence Ministry said on Tuesday that its massive overnight strike on Ukraine which authorities there say killed at least 18 people had hit ten military production facilities in Kyiv, including some factories producing attack drones.
Russia had also struck three recruitment centres for the Ukrainian armed forces in Kyiv, the Defence Ministry said in a statement.
It said the attack was in response to a Ukrainian drone attack on a student dormitory in Russian-controlled Luhansk in eastern Ukraine last month which killed 21 people and injured a further 42 "as well as other terrorist attacks on civilian infrastructure."
Ukraine denies targeting the dorm and said it was targeting a drone command centre in the area.
In Focus: Inside Svalbard – the Arctic island that would put UK in the crosshairs of a Putin strike
Tuesday 2 June 2026 19:00 , James Reynolds
As Norway’s prime minister sounds the alarm over Putin possibly looking to exert force in the Arctic, Richard Williams, based in Norway, talks to locals living in fear and reports on the escalating tensions around the icy archipelago that would give Russia the power to ‘directly threaten’ the UK:
Inside Norway’s archipelago that can put the UK in Putin’s crosshairs
‘I’ve lost hope’: Ukraine reels after Russia launches one of the largest attacks of the war
Tuesday 2 June 2026 18:00 , James Reynolds
At least 18 people have been killed across Ukraine after Russia launched one of the largest aerial attacks of the four-year war overnight.
Russian forces launched 73 missiles and 656 attack drones at targets in Ukraine, according to Ukraine’s Air Force, which added that 40 missiles and 602 drones had been downed or intercepted.
But 30 ballistic missiles, three cruise missiles and 33 attack drones struck 38 locations nationwide, it added, with more than 500 emergency service workers drawn own to put out fires and rescue people trapped in flattened homes.
As it happened:
‘I’ve lost hope’: Ukraine reels after Russia launches one of war’s largest attacks
Recap: Putin unleashes major attack on Ukrainian cities
Tuesday 2 June 2026 17:00 , James Reynolds
In focus: Inside Svalbard – Russia’s Arctic prize that would put London in striking distance
Tuesday 2 June 2026 16:30 , James Reynolds
As Norway’s prime minister sounds the alarm over Putin possibly looking to exert force in the Arctic, Richard Williams, based in Norway, talks to locals living in fear and reports on the escalating tensions around the icy archipelago that would give Russia the power to ‘directly threaten’ the UK:
Inside Norway’s archipelago that can put the UK in Putin’s crosshairs
Update: At least 22 killed in Russian strikes across Ukraine
Tuesday 2 June 2026 16:28 , James Reynolds
At least 22 people have been killed and more than 100 injured in heavy Russian missile and drone strikes across Ukraine, according to local authorities.
Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia had fired 73 missiles and more than 600 drones in the overnight attack and urged Washington to send additional Patriot missile interceptors to replenish Kyiv's dwindling supplies.
Photographs on Tuesday showed large explosions and smoke billowing over high-rise buildings in Kyiv, where officials said six people were killed and over 80 wounded.
Sixteen people were killed overnight, including two young boys, in the southeastern city of Dnipro, local officials said. Russia attacked the city again later on Tuesday, and at least two more people were injured.
It was the third heavy assault on Kyiv in under a month, but Russia has been relentlessly attacking Ukrainian cities, including Kyiv, since it invaded its smaller neighbour in 2022.
‘I’ve lost hope’: Ukraine reels after Russia launches one of war’s largest attacks
'Russia is losing' insists Kyiv after major blitz of Ukrainian cities
Tuesday 2 June 2026 15:33 , James Reynolds
Ukraine’s foreign minister Andrii Sybiha says defiantly that Russia is still “losing on the battlefield”, following a major blitz on Ukrainian cities overnight.
At least 18 people have been killed after Russia launched one of the largest aerial attacks of the four-year war.
Writing on social media, Sybiha says the only reason for the attack “is that Putin is a war criminal and loser who has no cards except terror”.
“Moscow is losing on the battlefield. No number of missiles can change this. What we can change is Russia’s ability to continue terror. I urge partners to act, not only condemn. There are concrete steps that can be taken.”
He goes on to urge allies to help Ukraine buy American Patriot interceptor systems, and to ramp up pressure on Russia through sanctions, travel bans for combatants, the use of frozen assets, and isolation.
