G7 leaders were in an upbeat mood after Tuesday's talks after Donald Trump said he had a “very good” meeting with president Volodymyr Zelensky and called on Russia to make peace with Ukraine.
“Look, Russia should make a deal," Trump said, adding that too many young men were dying on the battlefield on both sides.
“I'm gonna do whatever I can,” he said.
Photos from the high-level summit showed Zelensky and Trump seated closely as secretary of state Marco Rubio observed the talks. Zelensky said G7 leaders agreed that Russia was not winning the war.
“It is important to coordinate positions,” Zelensky said on X, sharing the photos.
German chancellor Friedrich Merz said Trump's statement that Russia should end the war was cause for cheer.“I found him to be very cooperative, and I also saw him listening very attentively," Merz said.
“The tide is turning for Ukraine," European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen posted on X. "Russia's fatigue is openly showing. That's the time to double down on our support,” she said.
Key Points
- Trump's 'very good' meeting with Zelensky leaves G7 leaders optimistic
- Russian warship fires warning shot at yacht that came near it in English Channel
- Russia bans use of motorcycles in Crimea, saying they sound like drones
- Drones attack Russia's Black Sea city of Novorossiysk
Watch: Starmer 'ramps up pressure' on Russia with new sanctions
05:46 , Arpan Rai
Russian artist who mocked Vladimir Putin shot dead in Poland
05:01 , Arpan Rai
A Russian artist who openly mocked president Vladimir Putin has been shot dead in Poland.
The 44-year-old exiled critic Robert Kuzovkov, also known as Semyon Skrepetsky, was killed in the city of Biala Podlaska, around 25 miles from the Belarusian border, on Monday morning.
Authorities said he was shot five times, including to his head, chest and back, in a car park near the Belarusian consulate.
Polish prosecutors said he was approached by a lone gunman and killed at close range. The gunman is said to have shot the artist twice before Kuzovkov fell to the ground, with three more shots as he lay on the ground.
Russian artist who mocked Vladimir Putin shot dead in Poland
Trump fails to promise new sanctions on Russia
05:00 , Jane Dalton
President Trump has been non-committal on imposing further US sanctions on Moscow, as European leaders want, diplomats say.
Mr Trump said Washington was now in a position to let Russian oil waivers lapse after an interim accord to end the Iran war soothed markets, but he did not mention broader punitive measures.
European leaders want to convince him that previous US positions on the possible terms of a deal were overly favourable towards Moscow, particularly now that Ukraine's drone incursions into Russia have improved its fortunes.
Trump's 'very good' meeting with Zelensky leaves G7 leaders optimistic
04:53 , Arpan Rai
US president Donald Trump said Russia should make peace with Ukraine after a "very good" meeting with president Volodymyr Zelensky on Tuesday, in comments that sparked cautious optimism among G7 leaders that a peace deal could be struck.
Trump, who arrived at the summit brandishing a preliminary deal to end his war with Iran, said he would do what he could do to end the conflict in Ukraine, but there were few details of any concrete steps to raise the pressure on Moscow.
“Look, Russia should make a deal," Trump told reporters, adding that too many young men were dying on the battlefield on both sides.
"I'm gonna do whatever I can,” he said, leaving the G7 leaders in an upbeat mood.
German chancellor Friedrich Merz said Trump's statement that Russia should end the war was cause for cheer.
“I found him to be very cooperative, and I also saw him listening very attentively," Merz told reporters.
"And in that respect, once again, it gives me a certain degree of optimism that we here, as Europeans and as Americans, are now doing everything we can, together, to end the war."
"The tide is turning for Ukraine," European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen posted on X.
"Russia's fatigue is openly showing. That's the time to double down on our support."
Drones attack Russia's Black Sea city of Novorossiysk
04:37 , Arpan Rai
Russia's Black Sea city of Novorossiysk, a major export port, is under drone attack, mayor Andrei Kravchenko said on Telegram this morning.
He said that the drone alert sirens were switched on, without providing further details.
Novorossiysk has been coming under repeated attacks in recent months as Ukraine looks to damage Russia’s infrastructure and war economy.
Russian warship fires warning shot at UK-registered yacht that came near it in English Channel
04:31 , Arpan Rai
A Russian warship fired warning shots at a UK-registered yacht being sailed by a retired couple in the English Channel on Tuesday to prevent a possible collision, authorities said.
The Kremlin frigate Admiral Grigorovich fired several shots while sailing near the 40ft yacht, Bright Future, as it sailed around 20 nautical miles south of the Isle of Wight. There were no injuries or damage caused during the incident.
Jane Kelvey, 68, and her husband Alan, 70, who were travelling on the Bright Future, described the incident as “a bit scary” on Tuesday night.
“I crouched down. I didn’t think our safety was in danger. But it was certainly unusual. As we sailed away, we said to each other, what the hell just happened?” they told The i.
Russian warship fires warning shot at UK boat in English Channel
Four killed in Russian attacks on eastern Ukrainian cities
04:11 , Arpan Rai
Russian attacks on cities in Ukraine's east and southeast killed four people and set ablaze a residence and a shopping centre, officials and prosecutors said late on Tuesday.
Prosecutors in the Donetsk region, the focal point of Ukraine's front line, said three people died in two bomb attacks in the city of Sloviansk. Five people were injured.
Sloviansk is part of the country's "fortress belt," heavily defended by the military and seen as key to containing a slow-moving Russian offensive in Donetsk.
In the southeastern Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia, national police said a wave of dozens of drones killed one person in his car and injured seven others.
Pictures posted online showed flames inside a building and on a rooftop and at least one facade reduced to rubble.
Regional governor Ivan Fedorov said there had been five strikes on the city. He said fire broke out in a residence and a shopping centre, and an educational institution sustained damage.
Russia bans use of motorcycles in Crimea, saying they sound like drones
04:01 , Arpan Rai
Crimea has banned the use of motorised vehicles such as scooters, quad bikes and motorcycles at nighttime, saying they sound like drone attacks, Moscow-installed authorities said.
Sergei Aksyonov, the peninsula's Russian-installed governor, said the ban, which he called a temporary measure to guard military and other important facilities, would be in place between 8pm and 6am from Wednesday onwards.
"The moped noise hampers the work of defence systems. Their engines sound similar (to drones)," Oleg Kryuchkov, Aksyonov's advisor, said separately on Telegram on Tuesday.
“The enemy is recruiting your children for nighttime rides."
The ban in Crimea, a popular summer tourist destination for Russians, does not apply to cars or larger vehicles.
Ukraine has recently intensified drone attacks on Crimea, home to Russia's Black Sea Fleet, targeting the peninsula's supply routes and triggering a fuel crisis, as the holiday season starts.
Zelensky says he hopes to meet Trump again within hours
04:00 , Jane Dalton
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has said he hopes to meet Donald Trump again.
Ukrainian public broadcaster Suspilne showed a clip of Mr Zelensky saying at the G7: "Our teams will be meeting over the course of the next 24 hours at various levels and will continue to meet.
"I think that tomorrow we will also meet separately with the president (Trump)."
Two European diplomats said that, during the meeting, Mr Zelensky showed Mr Trump images of the aftermath of a Russian strike on Monday on Kyiv's Pechersk Lavra monastery, which was badly damaged.
Mr Trump expressed disapproval of the strike, one of the European diplomats said, while the other said it had been psychologically a good move by Mr Zelensky to show him the images.
Pictured: Crime scene where Russian artist shot dead
03:00 , Jane Dalton
Police work at a crime scene covered with a tent in Biala Podlaska, eastern Poland, where Russian artist Semyon Skrepetsky, known for satirising Russian president Vladimir Putin was shot dead.
Watch: Starmer 'ramps up pressure' on Russia with new sanctions
01:45 , Jane Dalton
Russia 'has lost more than 1.3m troops' in Ukraine
Wednesday 17 June 2026 00:20 , Jane Dalton
Russia has lost around 1,385,420 troops in Ukraine since the start of its full-scale invasion on 24 February 2022, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine says, The Kyiv Independent reports.
Ukraine's General Staff has not revealed its own losses during the war, citing operational secrecy.
The Centre for Strategic and International Studies estimates the ratio of Russian to Ukrainian losses at around 2.5:1 or 2:1.
Throwback: One year since Trump lamented 'mistake’ of expelling Putin from G7
Tuesday 16 June 2026 23:05 , Jane Dalton
Donald Trump began his visit to last year’s G7 summit in Canada by saying Russia should never have been kicked out of the group:
Trump says ‘was mistake’ to boot Putin from G7 as he trashes Trudeau
Zelensky notes ‘shift in mood’ of G7 leaders after Ukraine war talks
Tuesday 16 June 2026 22:02 , Jane Dalton
Leaders have recognised that Russia is targeting civilian infrastructure, the Ukrainian president says: https://www.independent.co.uk/bulletin/news/zelensky-g7-countries-russia-ukraine-war-long-range-missiles-b2996849.html
Zelensky notes a ‘shift in mood’ among G7 leadership after Ukraine war talks
Military investigates after Russian warship fires warning shots at yacht
Tuesday 16 June 2026 21:00 , Jane Dalton
UK military investigates report that Russian warship fired warning shots at yacht in the Channel
G7 has 'collective resolve' to pressure Putin, Starmer says
Tuesday 16 June 2026 19:45 , Jane Dalton
Sir Keir Starmer met Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelensky at the G7 where they agreed there is a “collective resolve” to put pressure on Vladimir Putin, No 10 says.
A Downing Street spokeswoman said: “The Prime Minister began by updating President Zelensky on the UK’s latest package of support, including £210m of UK export finance support to power Ukraine’s nuclear power plants, and 70 new sanctions targeting Russia’s decrepit shadow fleet, military procurement supply chains and illicit finance networks.
“The leaders discussed Ukraine’s momentum on the battlefield and reflected on the session held by G7 leaders earlier in the day, which had underlined their unity on Ukraine.
“It was clear there was a collective resolve to put pressure on Putin, both leaders agreed.
“It was now vital G7 countries gave Ukraine the support it needed to continue its success in driving back Russian forces, the Prime Minister added.”
Animals killed as Russian drone hits Ukrainian zoo
Tuesday 16 June 2026 18:59 , Jane Dalton
A Russian drone struck enclosures at the zoo in Ukraine's second-largest city of Kharkiv, killing rabbits and inflicting stress on other animals, prosecutors said.
Prosecutors in Kharkiv region in Ukraine's northeast said the drone hit an area described as a vivarium in which hundreds of rabbits, guinea pigs, rats and mice were housed.
A statement on Telegram said 10 rabbits were killed and 15 injured.
An elephant was also suffering from stress after the strike damaged the outside of its adjacent enclosure. There were no casualties among staff or visitors.
An "eco park" outside Kharkiv came under a Russian attack earlier this year and staff said at the time that several birds had been killed.
Kharkiv, about 30km (18 miles) from the Russian border, has been a frequent target of Russian attacks.
Russian artist who mocked Vladimir Putin shot dead in Poland
Tuesday 16 June 2026 17:50 , Maira Butt
A Russian artist who openly mocked President Vladimir Putin has been shot dead in Poland.
The 44-year-old exiled critic, Robert Kuzovkov also known as Semyon Skrepetsky, was killed in the city of Biala Podlaska, around 25 miles from the Belarusian border Monday morning
Authorities said he was shot five times including to his head, chest, and back in a car park near the Belarusian consulate.
Polish prosecutors said he was approached by a lone gunman and killed at close range. The gunman is said to have shot the artist twice before Kuzovkov fell to the ground, with three more as he lay on the ground
Read the full story below.
Russian artist who mocked Vladimir Putin shot dead in Poland
Russian warship fires warning shot at yacht that came near it in English Channel
Tuesday 16 June 2026 17:23 , Maira Butt
Sailors on a Russian warship fired a warning shot at a yacht that came near it in the English Channel, marking the latest sign of rising tensions between the UK and Vladimir Putin’s country.
The incident, at around 11.40am on Tuesday, is understood to have involved the Russian frigate Admiral Grigorovich in the sea between the Isle of Wight and Normandy.
It comes just days after Royal Marine commandos and officers from the National Crime Agency (NCA) boarded the sanctioned Russian shadow fleet tanker Smyrtos in the channel.
Kate Devlin reports:
Russian warship fires warning shot at boat in English Channel
Watch: Starmer 'ramps up pressure' on Russia with new shadow fleet sanctions package
Tuesday 16 June 2026 16:45 , Maira Butt
Captain of Russian shadow fleet ship seized by British troops appears in court
Tuesday 16 June 2026 16:15 , Maira Butt
The captain of a Russian shadow fleet vessel which was intercepted by British troops in the English Channel has been remanded in custody after appearing in court charged with breaching sanctions.
Indian national Ajay Pant has been charged with directly or indirectly supplying or delivering by ship prohibited oil or oil products from Russia to a third country in June 2026, in contravention of Regulation 46Z9B of the Russia (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019.
The 38-year-old appeared at Southampton Magistrates’ Court by video link from Bournemouth police station on Tuesday for a preliminary hearing during which he spoke to confirm his name and date of birth and gave his address as being in India.
Captain of Russian shadow fleet ship seized by British troops appears in court
Starmer says there has been a 'mood change' in Ukraine
Tuesday 16 June 2026 15:45 , Maira Butt
The Independent's political correspondent Millie Cooke reports from Évian-les-Bains
There has been a "mood change" in Ukraine, Sir Keir Starmer has said, telling reporters that the conflict is a key focus of the G7 Summit.
Speaking to reporters on the fringes of the G7 Summit, the prime minister said there is now a "a real sense that things are changing, that Ukraine is not taking territory - which is has done in the last few months - rather than defending territory”.
It comes after the UK unveiled new sanctions on Russian shadow fleet vessels as part of an attempt to choke Vladimir Putin’s war effort, whilst bolstering Ukraine’s nuclear power infrastructure with a £210m export finance package.
The prime minister, who set out the plans as he arrived in France for the G7 summit, warned that Putin’s “aggression threatens not just Ukraine, but the security of all Europe”.
G7 leaders discussed further sanctions on Russia, says Zelensky
Tuesday 16 June 2026 15:15 , Maira Butt
Volodymyr Zelensky said on Tuesday that Group of Seven leaders had agreed that Russia was not winning its war in Ukraine and had discussed additional sanctions to bring Moscow to the negotiating table.
Speaking by video link in an interview at the Reuters NEXT Europe summit in London on Tuesday, Zelensky said Russia would face a very difficult winter - amid escalating Ukrainian attacks on its energy infrastructure - if a peace deal was not reached before then.
He added that US President Donald Trump had responded very positively to his request to increase supplies of air defence missiles to Ukraine.
What is the G7 and what’s on the agenda for the Evian-les-Bains summit?
Tuesday 16 June 2026 14:15 , Maira Butt
The Group of Seven wealthy nations are set to convene in the picturesque French lakeside resort of Evian-les-Bains to discuss wars in Ukraine and Iran, global economic imbalances that threaten financial stability, and the irrepressible rise of AI.
Throughout its five-decade history, the G7 has navigated significant geopolitical catastrophes, from the 1970s oil crisis to the global fallout from U.S. President Donald Trump's military strikes against Iran, as well as questions about its role as multilateralism falters and other countries' economic and political power grows.
What is the G7 and what’s on the agenda for the Evian-les-Bains summit?
Zelensky discusses air defence supplies for Ukraine at G7
Tuesday 16 June 2026 13:45 , Maira Butt
President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Tuesday that he discussed critical air defence supplies for Ukraine with the leaders of the G7 countries this week.
“We discussed what Ukraine needs,” the Ukrainian leader told reporters in Whatsapp media chat.
“Air defence – everyone recognises this, everyone will help, and the entire international community will work to strengthen our defences.”
Comment: Should Donald Trump use the G7 to say sorry?
Tuesday 16 June 2026 13:35 , Maira Butt
The Group of 7 – or G7 for short – is the oddest organisation. It comprises only some of the biggest economies in the world, but has no constitution, nor a permanent secretariat.
It doesn’t seem to agree on much these days, either, thanks to Donald Trump and his “America First” ideology tending to preclude consensus on what used to be common aims and values, most notably on free trade.
Once, they met to discuss common problems facing the world – inflation, currency crises, the Soviet threat… – in order to coordinate policy to ameliorate things. Now it is more the case that one of their own is causing the problems.
In the case of the latest summit, currently meeting in Evian, six of the seven leaders have had to cope with the calamitous effects on their economies of the war of choice on Iran launched by Trump.
Sean O’Grady reports:
Should Trump use the G7 to say sorry?
Canada imposes sanctions on Russia’s shadow fleet, energy revenues and other targets
Tuesday 16 June 2026 13:15 , Maira Butt
Canadian prime minister Mark Carney announced new sanctions on Russia as the G7 summit got underway in France on Tuesday.
The new penalties will target Russia’s shadow fleet, energy revenues, defence-industrial and disinformation actors, the Canadian government said in a statement after his meeting with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky.
Trump says Russia should make deal with Ukraine after 'very good' meeting with Zelensky
Tuesday 16 June 2026 12:43 , Maira Butt
President Donald Trump and Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky met on the sidelines of the G7 summit in France on Tuesday.
The US leader said the pair had a “very good”meeting and added: “Look, Russia should make a deal. I settled eight wars. This was the one I thought was going to be the easiest to settle.”
G7 leaders agree to support Ukraine and put more pressure on Russia, French diplomat says
Tuesday 16 June 2026 12:09 , Maira Butt
The leaders of the G7 agreed during “very productive” talks over Ukraine on Tuesday to be united in their support for Ukraine and to add more pressure against Russia, a French diplomatic source has told Reuters.
The G7 leaders agreed to increase pressure on Russia through sanctions on its oil and gas, the diplomat said.
In pictures: Zelensky meets Trump and Rubio at sidelines of G7 summit
Tuesday 16 June 2026 11:42 , Maira Butt
Trumps says he will 'do what he can' on Ukraine
Tuesday 16 June 2026 11:07 , Maira Butt
President Donald Trump has said that he will do what he can on Ukraine, as he took part in working sessions at the G7 summit in France on Tuesday.
He said that he would be meeting Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky later today and said that Russia should “make a deal”.
Zelensky joins G7 leaders for talks on Ukraine
Tuesday 16 June 2026 11:00 , Maira Butt
President Volodymyr Zelensky has joined G7 leaders in France for talks on Ukraine.
Zelensky will seek to convince the wealthy nations that Russia is now on the defensive and is being overpowered by Ukraine’s rapid development of drone technology.
He took part in the first session of the day dedicated to "Building peace in Ukraine" and may talk separately with Trump. He was also due to meet other G7 leaders individually.
Starmer to unveil fresh sanctions on Russian shadow fleet vessels
Tuesday 16 June 2026 10:15 , Arpan Rai
Sir Keir Starmer is set to unveil a fresh package of sanctions on Russian shadow fleet vessels as part of an attempt to choke Vladimir Putin’s war effort, whilst bolstering Ukraine’s nuclear power infrastructure with a £210m export finance package.
The prime minister, who set out the plans as he arrived in France for the G7 summit, warned that Putin’s “aggression threatens not just Ukraine, but the security of all Europe”.
It comes after the British armed forces intercepted a Russian shadow fleet vessel in the Channel early on Sunday during a six-hour operation – the first UK-led operation of its kind.
Speaking on Tuesday, Sir Keir said: “The UK is stepping up – choking off the revenues that fuel Putin's war and powering Ukraine through the winters ahead.
Starmer unveils new sanctions on Russian vessels and support for Ukrainian energy
Drone debris causes fire at oil depot in Russia's Krasnodar region near Crimea
Tuesday 16 June 2026 10:00 , Arpan Rai
Drone debris caused a fire at an oil depot in Russia's southern Krasnodar region, authorities said this morning, as they closed a local road connecting the damaged area to the Crimean peninsula.
The bridge is one of the supply routes to the Black Sea peninsula in addition to a few other roads from the nearby Russia-held areas of Ukraine.
There were no casualties following the fire at the oil depot, located in the Poltavskaya area of the region of Krasnodar, just across from Crimea, regional officials said.
Authorities said they closed a local road connecting the area with a regional route leading to the bridge across the Kerch Strait linking Crimea to the Krasnodar region, built by Moscow after illegally annexing the peninsula.
The attack could deal a serious blow to the population in Crimea which is already facing a massive fuel shortage amid rising drone attacks on fuel and oil facilities.
Animals killed as Russian drone hits zoo in Ukraine's Kharkiv
Tuesday 16 June 2026 09:45 , Arpan Rai
A Russian drone struck enclosures at the zoo in Ukraine's second-largest city of Kharkiv, killing rabbits and inflicting stress on other animals, prosecutors said.
Prosecutors in Kharkiv region in Ukraine's northeast said the drone hit an area described as a vivarium in which hundreds of rabbits, Guinea pigs, rats and mice were housed.
A statement on Telegram said 10 rabbits were killed and 15 injured.
The statement said an elephant was suffering from stress after the strike damaged the outside of its adjacent enclosure. There were no casualties among staff or visitors.
An "eco park" outside Kharkiv came under a Russian attack earlier this year and staff said at the time that several birds had been killed. Kharkiv, about 30km (18 miles) from the Russian border, has been a frequent target of Russian attacks in the more than four-year-long war.
Watch: Macron welcomes world leaders for the G7 summit in France
Tuesday 16 June 2026 09:32 , Arpan Rai
Zelensky joins world leaders at G7 summit talks in France
Tuesday 16 June 2026 09:18 , Arpan Rai
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky joined world leaders at the Group of Seven summit of major industrialised nations for talks on ending the war in Ukraine.
Zelensky was welcomed by French president Emmanuel Macron ahead of a morning working session with G7 leaders to discuss the war.
He was also seen at a table with Trump and Macron as the three huddled for a working session.
Macron said he’ll seek to persuade Trump to continue supporting Ukraine and increase pressure on Russia to help reach a peace agreement.
Hours before the start of the G7 summit yesterday, Russia fired hundreds of drones and dozens of missiles at Ukraine’s biggest cities in a barrage that killed 11 people and set fire to a religious landmark.
Zelensky celebrates attack on Moscow oil refinery from 500km away
Tuesday 16 June 2026 09:03 , Arpan Rai
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has lauded an attack on major oil facilities in Moscow, saying it was a response to Russian attacks.
“This time, the Moscow region felt the reach of Ukraine’s long-range capabilities. An oil refinery was hit at a distance of 500 kilometres,” he said in a post on X this morning.
“Russia must be forced to end its war against our people. And Ukraine’s long-range weapons are one of the important components of such pressure. This is a just response to Russian strikes – and to the dragging out of a war that must be ended. Glory to Ukraine!” Zelensky said, sharing a video of the strike.
The 35-second-long clip showed a facility reported to be operated by Gazpromneft, Russia’s third biggest oil producer, on fire after a purported drone attack. A drone is also seen flying freely in the skies of Moscow in the video.
This time, the Moscow region felt the reach of Ukraine’s long-range capabilities. An oil refinery was hit at a distance of 500 kilometers. I thank the warriors of the Security Service of Ukraine, the Unmanned Systems Forces, the Special Operations Forces, the Defense Intelligence… pic.twitter.com/TayWYZYjEI
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) June 16, 2026
Trump says he can now focus on ending Ukraine war after peace deal struck with Iran
Tuesday 16 June 2026 08:54 , Arpan Rai
Donald Trump has suggested that after reaching a deal to end the war with Iran, he will now have greater bandwidth to focus on the Russia-Ukraine war.
“Now that this [Iran] is finished, we’re going to be focusing on that [Ukraine],” he said, referring to diplomatic efforts to stop the fighting that has followed Moscow’s full-scale invasion of its neighbour in February 2022.
His remarks were quickly followed by Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky’s offer to meet Vladimir Putin at a G7 summit in France this week or even in the United States.
Zelensky said the US had agreed to invite Putin to the gathering, which started yesterday in Evian-les-Bains.
“We gave message that we are ready to meet with Putin during (the) G7, because Trump is there and Macron is there, so Europeans plus America. This is a good, I think, very good opportunity to meet all together," Zelensky told reporters.
Maybe we can do something on Ukraine. I think both Putin and Zelensky are open to it. Now that Iran is finished, we're going to be focusing on that — Trump on Ukraine
— KyivPost (@KyivPost) June 15, 2026
Video: Clash report pic.twitter.com/GMVco0OCos
In photos: Zelensky reaches France for G7 summit
Tuesday 16 June 2026 08:40 , Arpan Rai
‘Like bombing Notre-Dame’: The 1,000-year-old Ukraine monastery damaged in Russia’s latest strike
Tuesday 16 June 2026 08:17 , Arpan Rai
A 1,000-year-old monastery that symbolises Ukraine’s spiritual and cultural heritage was badly damaged in the heaviest Russian aerial attack on Kyiv in two weeks, authorities said on Monday, while 10 people were killed nationwide in the overnight strikes.
France’s foreign minister said the attack on the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra, a Unesco world heritage site founded in 1051, was akin to bombing Notre-Dame cathedral in Paris.
The Russian strikes came after Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky said on Sunday he had discussed with US president Donald Trump efforts to secure an end to the conflict, ahead of a G7 meeting in France this week.
“A Russian strike on the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra set the Dormition Cathedral on fire – a church whose history dates back to the 11th century. And this is one of Russia’s most serious crimes against Christian culture to date,” Mr Zelensky said on X.
‘Like bombing Notre-Dame’: The Ukraine monastery damaged in Russia’s latest strike
Moscow oil refinery damaged in Ukrainian drone attack, mayor says
Tuesday 16 June 2026 07:46 , Arpan Rai
A Ukrainian drone attack has damaged a Moscow oil refinery owned by Russia's Gazpromneft, Moscow mayor Sergei Sobyanin said this morning.
The Gazpromneft refinery serves the Moscow region, which has not so far been among the dozen or so Russian regions where there have been supply disruptions.
“There were no casualties. Emergency services are working at the scene," Sobyanin wrote on Telegram.
Sobyanin did not say whether the refinery's operations have been affected.
The plant, the biggest in the Moscow region, processed 11.6 million tonnes of oil, producing 2.9 million tonnes of petrol and 3.2 million tonnes of diesel in 2024, the latest available data.
The number of drone strikes on Russian refineries has doubled since the start of 2026, leading to full or partial shutdowns of oil processing and a decline in the production of gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel, according to official data, social media, and Reuters calculations.
New EU sanctions target Russian shadow fleet, judges and a bishop
Tuesday 16 June 2026 07:36 , Arpan Rai
The European Union has issued new sanctions targeting Russia, including those accused of involvement in Russia's shadow fleet and linked to the murder of opposition leader Alexei Navalny.
In total, 34 individuals and 47 entities linked to Russia's military and industrial complex, its shadow fleet of oil and gas tankers and others involved in political interference activities were added to the list, the European Council said.
Among them were Tahir Garayev – founder of Coral Energy, which later became 2Rivers Group – and Konstantin Rogach.
Garayev had enabled the shipment and export of Russian crude, in particular from sanctioned energy giant Rosneft, through a network of companies by concealing the oil's true origin, the EU said.
Rogach had "facilitated insurance coverage and provided administrative consultancy for the benefit of vessels transporting crude oil or petroleum products originating in Russia or exported from Russia," the EU said.
The EU also targeted 15 individuals, including Russian judges and prosecutors, related to the 2024 poisoning death of Alexei Navalny, a leading opponent of Russian president Vladimir Putin.
A number of people "responsible for spreading disinformation aimed at justifying, promoting or legitimising Russia's war of aggression" were also targeted with sanctions, including journalists, a Russian social media influencer and Georgiy Shevkunov, a bishop in the Russian Orthodox Church.
Lukashenko says Ukraine has nothing to fear from Belarus
Tuesday 16 June 2026 07:34 , Arpan Rai
Belarusian president Alexander Lukashenko has claimed Ukraine has nothing to fear from his country.
Belarus offered a launch pad to Russia in February 2022 to station troops and artillery ahead of its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. It has continued to offer military and diplomatic support to Moscow and also stations nuclear weapons for Russian leader Vladimir Putin.
“Absolutely nothing to fear. Absolutely. They know it, the soldiers know it. The people of Ukraine know it," he said.
“This topic gets stirred up by political ambitions,” Lukashenko claimed.
Nearly two weeks ago, Lukashenko threatened to strike a “major” target in Ukraine if the two countries came to blows.
“They may have identified 500 targets. But we have one major target, with precise coordinates, and it is very close to Belarus. They understand that too,” Lukashenko said in late May, likely referring to Ukraine's capital Kyiv – located less than 200km from the Belarus border.
Ending Ukraine war on agenda as G7 leaders open summit talks
Tuesday 16 June 2026 06:59 , Arpan Rai
Leaders at the Group of Seven summit of major industrialised nations face a packed agenda on their first full day today, including challenging discussions on ending Russia's war in Ukraine and addressing the Middle East crisis.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky will be in attendance at the invitation of host France.
The Ukraine talks come on the heels of US president Donald Trump's announcement of an agreement to end the US war against Iran.
Trump said he had good conversations on Sunday with both Zelensky and Vladimir Putin.
“Now that this (Iran) is finished, we’re going to be focusing on that,” he said, speaking during a bilateral meeting Monday with French president Emmanuel Macron.
The exchange suggests Washington hasn’t given up on its diplomatic efforts to stop the fighting that followed Moscow’s all-out invasion of its neighbour in 2022.
“The right negotiation is one in which Ukraine and Russia are at the table, but with Europeans and Americans present as well,” Macron said on French television.
Macron said he’ll seek to persuade Trump to continue supporting Ukraine and increase pressure on Russia to help reach a peace agreement.
Hours before the start of the G7 summit, Russia fired hundreds of drones and dozens of missiles at Ukraine’s biggest cities in a barrage that killed 11 people and set fire to a religious landmark.
Belarus's Lukashenko says battlefield victory unrealistic for both Russia and Ukraine
Tuesday 16 June 2026 06:26 , Arpan Rai
Belarusian president Alexander Lukashenko has said it was clear that victory on the battlefield was unrealistic for both sides in the Russia-Ukraine war but claimed that Russian forces were still advancing.
Speaking to Al Arabiya newspaper, one of Vladimir Putin's closest allies said that both sides – Russia and Ukraine – must compromise to end the war that has raged for more than four years with no end in sight.
“Today, we need to use any steps to reach a peaceful agreement through compromises. For the long term," he said in the interview, which was republished by Belarus' Belta news agency.
“If they realise on both sides... you can't go further, otherwise there will be escalation and an even worse situation... If this sinks into the minds of the fighters and their supporters, it means a compromise can be reached," he said.
Belarus allowed Russia to use its territory for the 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine and has allowed Moscow to deploy nuclear weapons on its soil.
Lukashenko said that while Russian forces were "advancing step-by-step" in the face of stout Ukrainian defence, both sides faced a shortage of troops.
“Russians are experiencing this shortage. Maybe not like in Ukraine, but it's there. But that's the main issue of this conflict – they are running out of people," Lukashenko said.
Animals killed as Russian drone hits zoo in Ukraine's Kharkiv
Tuesday 16 June 2026 05:53 , Arpan Rai
A Russian drone struck enclosures at the zoo in Ukraine's second-largest city of Kharkiv, killing rabbits and inflicting stress on other animals, prosecutors said.
Prosecutors in Kharkiv region in Ukraine's northeast said the drone hit an area described as a vivarium in which hundreds of rabbits, Guinea pigs, rats and mice were housed.
A statement on Telegram said 10 rabbits were killed and 15 injured.
The statement said an elephant was suffering from stress after the strike damaged the outside of its adjacent enclosure. There were no casualties among staff or visitors.
An "eco park" outside Kharkiv came under a Russian attack earlier this year and staff said at the time that several birds had been killed. Kharkiv, about 30km (18 miles) from the Russian border, has been a frequent target of Russian attacks in the more than four-year-long war.
Drone debris causes fire at oil depot in Russia's Krasnodar region near Crimea
Tuesday 16 June 2026 05:17 , Arpan Rai
Drone debris caused a fire at an oil depot in Russia's southern Krasnodar region, authorities said this morning, as they closed a local road connecting the damaged area to the Crimean peninsula.
The bridge is one of the supply routes to the Black Sea peninsula in addition to a few other roads from the nearby Russia-held areas of Ukraine.
There were no casualties following the fire at the oil depot, located in the Poltavskaya area of the region of Krasnodar, just across from Crimea, regional officials said.
Authorities said they closed a local road connecting the area with a regional route leading to the bridge across the Kerch Strait linking Crimea to the Krasnodar region, built by Moscow after illegally annexing the peninsula.
The attack could deal a serious blow to the population in Crimea which is already facing a massive fuel shortage amid rising drone attacks on fuel and oil facilities.
Starmer to unveil fresh sanctions on Russian shadow fleet vessels
Tuesday 16 June 2026 04:55 , Arpan Rai
Sir Keir Starmer is set to unveil a fresh package of sanctions on Russian shadow fleet vessels as part of an attempt to choke Vladimir Putin’s war effort, whilst bolstering Ukraine’s nuclear power infrastructure with a £210m export finance package.
The prime minister, who set out the plans as he arrived in France for the G7 summit, warned that Putin’s “aggression threatens not just Ukraine, but the security of all Europe”.
It comes after the British armed forces intercepted a Russian shadow fleet vessel in the Channel early on Sunday during a six-hour operation – the first UK-led operation of its kind.
Speaking on Tuesday, Sir Keir said: “The UK is stepping up – choking off the revenues that fuel Putin's war and powering Ukraine through the winters ahead.
Starmer to unveil new sanctions on Russian vessels and support for Ukrainian energy
UK announces more nuclear fuel for Ukraine at G7 talks
Tuesday 16 June 2026 04:45 , Arpan Rai
Britain is set to supply more nuclear fuel to Ukraine in renewed support for the war-hit nation and also ramp up sanctions against Russia, prime minister Keir Starmer will announce at a meeting with G7 leaders in France today.
As part of an effort to show support for Ukraine remains steadfast, the UK will now provide £210 million of UK Export Finance to power Ukraine's nuclear plants for the next two years as part of a package which will enable UK-based Urenco to supply enriched uranium to Ukraine's nuclear power producer, Energoatom – which provides more than half of the country's electricity.
It was agreed last week at a meeting in Downing Street between Sir Keir and Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky.
The agreement also supports UK jobs and exports, the government said, with more than a third of the uranium content originating from Urenco's processing plant in the North-West of England.
Zelensky says he is ready to meet Putin in the US
Tuesday 16 June 2026 04:42 , Arpan Rai
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has offered to meet with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin after he met with Donald Trump and European leaders at the G7 gathering in France yesterday.
“Yesterday (Sunday), we discussed with President Trump that such a meeting could be organised in the US, in a format where Putin would find it much harder to refuse,” Zelensky said in a video address posted on X.
“We will see what comes of it. If Russia refuses this chance as well, additional pressure will be needed.”
A Ukrainian official familiar with the matter said the Kremlin has not replied to Zelensky’s proposal. The Kremlin has said repeatedly that if Zelensky wants to meet Putin, he can come to Moscow.
Earlier, Zelensky said he offered to meet Putin during the G7, but that Moscow had “once again demonstrated that it is not ready to speak about this.”
Putin is wanted by the ICC on a warrant dating to March 2023 for alleged involvement in the abduction of children from Ukraine during the conflict. France would be obliged as an ICC member to arrest him. The United States and Russia both oppose the court.
Russian bank chief who threatened to quit over Ukraine war ‘vanishes’
Tuesday 16 June 2026 04:37 , Arpan Rai
The head of Russia’s central bank, Elvira Nabiullina, who warned president Vladimir Putin that she would exit the top role if he continues to escalate the war in Ukraine, has not been seen in public for almost three weeks.
Nabiullina had been tasked with protecting the Russian economy at a time when it has invaded Ukraine and poured much of its resources into the war.
The former Russian economy minister and a close adviser to the Kremlin has been in her position since 2013.
She was last seen in public at the end of May, and reportedly missed the key economic forum in St Petersburg where Putin attempted to project financial stability and strength in his bid to shore up investments.
Nabiullina also did not appear at a meeting chaired by Putin on inflation and interest rates.
However, the Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov rubbished reports of her being "missing" and said it is not a cause for “conspiracy theories”. “People get sick sometimes,” he added.
This was backed up by the central bank, which announced Nabiullina was on sick leave but will make an appearance at a press conference on 19 June following a Board of Directors meeting on Russia’s monetary policy.
UK charges captain of Russian shadow fleet tanker with sanctions breach
Tuesday 16 June 2026 04:33 , Arpan Rai
The captain of a Russian shadow fleet vessel intercepted by British commandos was charged with contravening sanctions, Britain's National Crime Agency announced.
Ajay Pant, an Indian national, was charged with "directly or indirectly supplying or delivering by ship prohibited oil/oil products from Russia to a third country...," the agency said.
Pant is set to appear at the Southampton Magistrates' Court on Tuesday, the agency added.
British commandos on Sunday boarded and intercepted Smyrtos, a sanctioned Russian oil tanker sailing under a Cameroonian flag, in the English Channel. The tanker has been detained.
The UK has sanctioned almost 600 Russian shadow fleet vessels. Russia's oil revenue helps fund its war in Ukraine.
‘Like bombing Notre-Dame’: The 1,000-year-old Ukraine monastery damaged in Russia’s latest strike
Tuesday 16 June 2026 04:00 , Alex Croft
A 1,000-year-old monastery that symbolises Ukraine’s spiritual and cultural heritage was badly damaged in the heaviest Russian aerial attack on Kyiv in two weeks, authorities said on Monday, while 10 people were killed nationwide in the overnight strikes.
France’s foreign minister said the attack on the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra, a Unesco world heritage site founded in 1051, was akin to bombing Notre-Dame cathedral in Paris.
The Russian strikes came after Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky said on Sunday he had discussed with US president Donald Trump efforts to secure an end to the conflict, ahead of a G7 meeting in France this week.
“A Russian strike on the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra set the Dormition Cathedral on fire – a church whose history dates back to the 11th century. And this is one of Russia’s most serious crimes against Christian culture to date,” Mr Zelensky said on X.
Read more here:
‘Like bombing Notre Dame’: The Ukraine monastery damaged in Russia’s latest strike
Trump's former Ukraine envoy says Putin's attack on monastery 'makes no sense'
Tuesday 16 June 2026 03:00 , Alex Croft
The former US special envoy for Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, has condemned the Russian attack on Kyiv’s monastery and said it is like the bombing of St Paul's Cathedral in 1940 by Nazi Germany.
“This attack tonight on the Monastery by the Russians in Kyiv makes no sense. It has a parallel with the bombing of London’s St. Paul’s in 1940 by the Germans. It won’t work,” Kellogg said on X.
He added: “Someone tell me the military necessity of the Russian attack. There is none.”
Metropolitan Epifaniy calls out 'anti-Christ' Putin after attack on Kyiv monastery
Tuesday 16 June 2026 02:00 , Alex Croft
The head of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine has condemned Russia's attack on a major cathedral in Kyiv, calling Vladimir Putin the "Kremlin Antichrist".
“Due to the Russian shelling that is currently taking place, on the night of 15 June, the roof of one of the holiest places in the Christian world – the Dormition Cathedral of the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra – is burning,” Metropolitan Epifaniy said on X, calling the attack “another Russian crime against humanity, against history and against Christianity”.
“What more must the Kremlin Antichrist do for the world to realize that decisive action must be taken so that the Russian terror against Ukraine and the very principles of peace comes to an end?” he asked.
Bridges connecting Russia-occupied Kherson region with Crimea hit by attack
Tuesday 16 June 2026 01:01 , Alex Croft
At least two bridges connecting the Russian-held part of Ukraine's Kherson region with Crimea were damaged and traffic suspended by an overnight drone attack by Ukraine, the Russian-installed governor Vladimir Saldo said on Telegram this morning.
The bridge was one of the few connectivity options for Russian forces to supply their troops with manpower and ammunition. It is not yet clear how badly Russia's military operations in Ukraine's east will be impacted due to the attack.
The illegally-annexed Crimea peninsula has faced a fuel supply crisis after intensifying attacks.
Zelensky accuses Russia of 'deliberately' hitting historic cathedral - ICYMI
Tuesday 16 June 2026 00:01 , Alex Croft
President Volodymyr Zelensky has accused Russia of “deliberately” targeting a historic cathedral, which is also a Unesco world heritage site.
“It has been confirmed that two Russian drones deliberately targeted the part of the city where the Lavra and the Mystetskyi Arsenal are located,” he wrote in a post on X on Monday.
“As of now, 35 people are reported injured in Kyiv. Across the country, 53 people have been wounded, and 11 people are known to have been killed in this massive Russian attack.”
EU imposes fresh sanctions on individuals and entities related to Russia
Monday 15 June 2026 23:00 , Alex Croft
The EU has approved a series of new sanctions against individuals and entities that support the Russian war effort.
The EU added a total of 34 individuals and 47 entities related to Russia's military and industrial complex, the shadow fleet of oil and gas tankers as well as others that are related to Russia's political interference activities, the EU council said on Monday.
The new restrictions were approved, while a 21st package of wider sanctions is being discussed by EU member states' ministers, EU's chief diplomat Kaja Kallas said in a statement.
Watch: Historic Kyiv cathedral catches fire after Russian strike
Monday 15 June 2026 22:00 , Alex Croft
Merz: Iran deal could open up window for Ukraine peace
Monday 15 June 2026 21:01 , Alex Croft
German chancellor Friedrich Merz has said that a peace deal in Iran could open a window of diplomacy for the Ukraine war.
He added that he wanted to discuss this with US president Donald Trump.
Speaking ahead of a Group of Seven (G7) meeting hosted by France this week, Merz also said that the deal could stabilise the global economy, adding that the agreement must also count for Lebanon.
Downtown Geneva boards up as drastic security tightens ahead of anti-G7 protests
Monday 15 June 2026 20:01 , Maira Butt
Scores of shops and businesses in downtown Geneva boarded up their storefronts with wooden panels ahead of planned anti-G7 protests on Sunday.
French and Swiss authorities have imposed extensive security measures as U.S. President Donald Trump and other leaders attend a G7 summit of leading industrialized nations starting on Monday. There are concerns the gathering could trigger violent unrest.
The June 15-17 summit of some of the world’s richest nations being held in the French town of Evian-les-Bains, on Lake Geneva, is meant to discuss the Middle East, Ukraine and global economic imbalances. Activist groups including environmentalists, feminists and foes of capitalism have called for a big demonstration later Sunday.
Downtown Geneva boards up as drastic security tightens ahead of anti-G7 protests
‘Like bombing Notre Dame’: The 1,000-year-old Ukraine monastery damaged in Russia’s latest strike
Monday 15 June 2026 19:00 , Maira Butt
A 1,000-year-old monastery that symbolises Ukraine's spiritual and cultural heritage was badly damaged in the heaviest Russian aerial attack on Kyiv in two weeks, authorities said on Monday, while 10 people were killed nationwide in the overnight strikes.
France's foreign minister said the attack on the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra monastery, a UNESCO World Heritage site founded in 1051, was akin to bombing Notre Dame cathedral in Paris.
The Russian strikes came after Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Sunday he had discussed with U.S. President Donald Trump efforts to secure an end to the more than four-year conflict, ahead of a G7 meeting in France this week.
‘Like bombing Notre Dame’: The Ukraine monastery damaged in Russia’s latest strike
Ukrainian man found guilty of setting property linked to UK PM Starmer on fire
Monday 15 June 2026 18:00 , Maira Butt
A Ukrainian man was found guilty on Monday of carrying out arson attacks on property connected to British Prime Minister Keir Starmer in May last year on behalf of a mystery figure he knew only as “El Money”.
Over five days last May, police were called to fires at a house in north London connected to Starmer, another at a property nearby where he had previously lived, and to a blaze involving a Toyota car that also once belonged to the British leader.
Roman Lavrynovych, 22, was found guilty at London's Old Bailey Court of two counts of committing arson being reckless as to whether life was endangered. He was acquitted of two counts of committing arson with intent to risk life.
Lavrynovych and Romanian national Stanislav Carpiuc, 27, who was born in Ukraine, were found guilty of conspiracy to commit arson. Fellow Ukrainian Petro Pochynok, 35, was acquitted of the same charge.
They will be sentenced on Friday.
