Ambassadors from the UK, France and Germany have attended a meeting at the Russian Foreign Ministry on Thursday as Europe pushes for fresh peace talks.
The ministry shared a video of the three diplomats arriving at the building in central Moscow to attend a meeting with Sergei Lavrov’s deputy. The foreign minister said on Wednesday Russia was open to hear what Europe had to say, according to reports.
The leaders of France, Germany and Britain - who head an informal security alliance called the E3 that is one of Ukraine's main sources of international support - met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in London last Sunday, where they said they supported his call for a ceasefire.
At the meeting in Downing Street, the four agreed that the current line of contact between Russian and Ukrainian forces should be the starting point for talks; that Ukraine should have legally binding security guarantees, including the deployment of a multinational force; and that frozen Russian financial assets would remain immobilised until Russia had compensated Ukraine for the damage caused by the war.
Talks between the E3 ambassadors and Russia’s senior diplomat come months after British and French diplomats were summoned to the Foreign Ministry after cruise missiles produced by MBDA were used in a Ukrainian strike on Bryansk.
Key Points
- Russian deputy foreign minister accuses E3 ambassadors of pursuing 'destructive policy' towards war
- Russia says French, German and British ambassadors attend meeting at foreign ministry
- Ukraine's Flamingo long-range missiles hit targets deep inside Russia
- John Healey resigns as UK defence secretary
- Multiple explosions across Crimea in large-scale attack
- Ukraine police chief says Russia recruits young women to kill Ukrainian servicemen
Ukraine says 50 Russian military vehicles destroyed in attack on Crimean bridge
05:07 , Arpan Rai
The Ukrainian military has claimed it has successfully destroyed 50 military vehicles in a strike on the Russia-occupied Armiansk bridge connecting Crimea to mainland Ukraine.
The attack was confirmed by Ukraine’s 1st Separate Assault Regiment Da Vinci which said that “the enemy’s important logistical route is completely paralysed”.
It added that the bridge is out of commission now and additional attacks are not needed.
Russian military vehicles hit in the attack were loaded with ammunition and fuel to be used near Zaporizhzhia oblast.
Ukraine can cut Crimea off from Russia 'in near future', says drone commander
04:51 , Arpan Rai
Robert Brovdi, commander of Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Forces, said the drone attack campaign has reduced the traffic using the Novorossiya highway – a critical Russian military supply route through occupied southern Ukraine to Crimea - by more than two thirds over the past month.
Within another month, Ukraine would have total control over the road, said Brovdi, who is best known by his call sign "Madyar", a nod to his ethnic Hungarian roots.
Ukraine's escalating drone strikes across Russian-occupied parts of the country have disrupted military logistics and fuel supplies, prompting authorities last month to introduce fuel rationing in Crimea.
"We will isolate Crimea in the near future," Brovdi told Reuters in his cramped cubicle inside the bunker, as he sipped black tea and smoked one cigarette after another.
Brovdi said striking vehicles on the exposed highway as "as easy as shooting partridges in an open field”.
He added that one of his strategic aims was to force Moscow to pull back troops rather than push forward.
Russia says it has taken two more east Ukrainian villages
04:35 , Arpan Rai
Russia has claimed its forces have captured two new settlements – Rozkishne village in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region, near the key town of Kostiantynivka, and Okhrimivka, in the neighbouring Kharkiv region.
Ukrainian reports gave no indication of either settlement changing hands, but the General Staff of the Ukrainian military said Russian forces had launched attacks around Okhrimivka.
A separate Ukrainian account described difficult conditions for Kyiv's forces around Kostiantynivka, which has long withstood Russian assaults.
The Russian defence ministry said its forces had taken control of Rozkishne after an intelligence operation and deployment of artillery and drones.
Rozkishne is about 30km (18 miles) west of Kostiantynivka, long a target of Moscow's military as part of its drive to advance through eastern Ukraine.
The Russian defence ministry said its forces had established control over eastern districts of the town on Thursday amid street fighting.
The Ukrainian news outlet Hromadske on Wednesday quoted the commander of Ukraine's 28th Separate Mechanised Brigade, Serhiy Yaryi, as saying the Ukrainian force defending the town was now "semi-encircled" because of Russian advances to the east.
In message to Putin, North Korea’s Kim voices full support for Russia
04:25 , Arpan Rai
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un sent a congratulatory message to Russian president Vladimir Putin on Russia’s National Day, voicing full support for Moscow’s domestic and foreign policies, state media KCNA said this morning.
Kim said ties between North Korea and Russia were strengthening into an alliance based on a comprehensive strategic partnership treaty, and pledged to always be with Russia, KCNA reported.
Separately, Russian and North Korean officials visited a monument and cemetery of fallen Soviet Army fighters to mark Russia’s National Day, while Russia's embassy hosted a reception for North Korean senior officials, KCNA said.
Ties between the two countries have been deepening amid North Korea’s deployment of thousands of troops to support Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Watch: Senior Russian diplomat meets UK, French and German ambassadors in Moscow
04:20 , Arpan Rai
Fuel stations in Crimea run dry after fresh night of Ukrainian drone strikes
04:13 , Arpan Rai
Fuel stations on the Russian-held Crimean peninsula were out of petrol yesterday, Reuters witnesses said, as a Ukrainian campaign against supply lines to the peninsula escalates.
A Reuters witness in Sevastopol, the peninsula's largest city, said that there was no fuel at most local petrol stations, with supplies struggling even to keep up with a rationing regime imposed in recent weeks.
Another, in the resort town of Yevpatoriya, said that there was a long queue outside the single working petrol station there. Ukraine has been intensifying drone strikes on supply lines to the peninsula, which Russia seized from Kyiv in 2014.
Local authorities have imposed fuel rationing regimes, with some foodstuffs also running short.
Fuel shortages in Russia have been reported by the media and on social media in around a dozen regions, according to data compiled by Reuters. Besides Russian-held Crimea, only two regions in Siberia have officially confirmed the shortages.
Most other regions have said that the situation is under control and some disruptions were caused by panic buying. Moscow has denied there were any problems with fuel supplies.
Russia's Togliatti city under drone attack, regional governor says
03:55 , Arpan Rai
Russia's city of Togliatti, home to the country's biggest carmaker Avtovaz, has come under drone attack, Samara region governor Vyacheslav Fedorishchev said on Telegram.
"Attention! Drone attack regime for Togliatti," he wrote. Togliatti is a city on the Volga River some 800km (500 miles) southeast of Moscow.
Watch: Downed Russian drone hits passenger train at Ukrainian station, sparking fire
03:00 , Bryony Gooch
Residents in Crimea forced to ration gas after Ukrainian drone attacks
02:00 , Bryony Gooch
Residents in Crimea forced to ration fuel after Ukrainian drone attacks
Merz: Peace for Ukraine must be just and lasting and take German security interests into account
01:00 , Bryony Gooch
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Thursday that he envisioned a “just and lasting peace” for Ukraine that “also takes Germany security interests into account.”
It comes as the leader discussed Ukraine’s application for European Union membership.
He explained: “Out goal for Ukraine remains a just and lasting peace that also takes German security interests into account.”
Ukraine is pressing for membership of the 27-member EU after more than four years of war pitting Kyiv against Moscow.
Merz explained that proposed associated European Union membership for Ukraine would mean the country would be able to participate in the EU council meetings and have an EU commissioner without voting rights.
Recap: Bridges between Russian-held Ukraine and Crimea damaged in strikes
Friday 12 June 2026 00:00 , Bryony Gooch
Ukraine has attacked bridges linking Russia-occupied Crimea with Ukraine's southern Kherson region, according to Russian officials.
The Russian-installed governor of occupied Kherson, Vladimir Saldo, said the strikes had caused damage, but that more information was awaited.
Earlier, Telegram channels said all bridges linking Crimea with the Ukrainian mainland were rendered unusable by the strikes, part of a major wave of Ukrainian attacks across the peninsula.
Who is Putin’s ammunition chief killed in car bombing outside Moscow
Thursday 11 June 2026 23:00 , Bryony Gooch
Who is Damir Davydov? Putin’s ammunition chief killed in car bombing outside Moscow
Watch: UK's enemies 'will be glad to see Healey go', warns former Nato assembly chair
Thursday 11 June 2026 22:00 , Bryony Gooch
Analysis: Moscow’s latest car bombing shows Putin’s generals who the real target is
Thursday 11 June 2026 21:00 , Bryony Gooch
Moscow’s latest car bombing shows Putin’s generals who the real target is
Watch: The moment British, French and German ambassadors attend the embassy in Moscow to meet Russia's deputy foreign minister
Thursday 11 June 2026 20:00 , Bryony Gooch
⚡️ On June 11, Russia's DFM Mikhail #Galuzin received Ambassadors of Britain, France & Germany to Russia at their request.
— MFA Russia 🇷🇺 (@mfa_russia) June 11, 2026
The Ambassadors were presented with Russia’s objective assessment of their governments’ destructive policy on the Ukrainian crisis.https://t.co/ibZLGGXavf pic.twitter.com/cxDqHCFq3D
Trump hails Pashinyan for winning re-election despite Russian pressure
Thursday 11 June 2026 19:00 , Bryony Gooch
Trump hails Armenian leader for winning re-election despite Russian pressure
Russia’s actions in Ukraine continue to undermine the prospects for peace, claims UK's OSCE ambassador
Thursday 11 June 2026 18:00 , Bryony Gooch
Neil Holland, the UK ambassador for the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe, has said there is a growing gap between Russia’s rhetoric and actions, highlighting intensified attacks and rising civilian casualties.
He said: “We continue to hear claims from Russia that it is open to a peaceful resolution to its war of aggression against Ukraine. But words about peace matter only if they are matched by actions. And there remains a clear and widening gap between Russia’s rhetoric and the reality of its conduct.
“While speaking of negotiations, Russia continues to reject meaningful opportunities for dialogue and instead intensifies its attacks, with Ukrainian cities and civilian infrastructure continuing to be impacted.”
G7 summit at Swiss-French border brings tight security in case violent protests occur
Thursday 11 June 2026 17:00 , Bryony Gooch
G7 summit at Swiss-French border brings tight security in case violent protests occur
Watch: Downed Russian drone hits passenger train at Ukrainian station, sparking fire
Thursday 11 June 2026 16:00 , Bryony Gooch
Ukrainian commander reveals plans to cut Crimea off from Russia
Thursday 11 June 2026 15:00 , Bryony Gooch
Ukraine’s drone commander has expressed plans to cut Crimea off from Russia as part of a fresh campaign.
Ukraine has escalated drone strikes across Russian-occupied parts of the country, disrupting military logistics and fuel supplies, as well as prompting authorities last month to introduce fuel rationing in Crimea.
Robert Brovdi, commander of Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Forces, said the campaign has reduced the traffic using the Novorossiya highway - a critical Russian military supply route through occupied southern Ukraine to Crimea - by more than two thirds over the past month.
Within another month, Ukraine would have total control over the road, he said.
"We will isolate Crimea in the near future," Brovdi told Reuters.
Russia seized the Crimea peninsula and swathes of eastern Ukraine in 2014.
Brovdi described striking vehicles on the exposed highway as "as easy as shooting partridges in an open field."
Brovdi said one of his strategic aims was to force Moscow to pull back troops rather than push forward.
"We will create conditions that will make it extremely difficult for any military personnel or those working in the defence industry to remain in Crimea, in the temporarily occupied territories, or use the access routes to them."
Russia's war in Ukraine exceeds timescale of the First World War
Thursday 11 June 2026 14:30 , Bryony Gooch
Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine has entered its 1569th day, meaning it has now lasted longer than the First World War did at 1568 days.
Peace between the two nations still appears to be far off, with Russian president Vladimir Putin sticking to his hardline stance on the war. But just last week he suggested that US president Donald Trump's proposals for peace could help end the fighting.
Watch: Downed Russian drone hits passenger train at Ukrainian station, sparking fire
Thursday 11 June 2026 14:00 , Bryony Gooch
In pictures: Crimea faces fuel shortages as war rages on
Thursday 11 June 2026 13:30 , Bryony Gooch
Russian deputy foreign minister accuses E3 ambassadors of pursuing 'destructive policy' towards war
Thursday 11 June 2026 13:02 , Bryony Gooch
Russian deputy foreign minister Mikhail Galuzin met the ambassadors of France, Germany and Britain in Moscow on Thursday and told them their countries were pursuing a "destructive policy" towards the Ukraine war.
The French ambassador, Nicolas de Riviere, told reporters outside the Foreign Ministry building the trio had had a "good discussion" with Galuzin and would release a statement later.
The meeting in Moscow took place after the leaders of France, Germany and Britain -- who head an informal security alliance called the E3 that is one of Ukraine's main sources of international support -- met Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky in London last Sunday where they said they supported his call for a ceasefire.
In a statement, the Russian foreign ministry said Galuzin presented the diplomats with "an objective assessment of the destructive policy pursued by their countries' leaderships regarding the Ukrainian crisis, which is aimed at maximally encouraging the Kyiv regime to continue the war against Russia on behalf of, at the expense of, and with the direct assistance of the Western 'coalition of the willing'."
"The Russian side's fundamental approaches to seeking a political and diplomatic settlement of the conflict based on addressing its root causes were explained" by Galuzin, it said.
Kremlin shrugs off planned new EU sanctions on Russian banks
Thursday 11 June 2026 13:00 , Bryony Gooch
The Kremlin shrugged off the prospect of new European Union sanctions against its banks on Thursday, saying they had already been operating under sanctions for a long time and this had not stopped them from making a profit.
The EU has proposed a new package of sanctions against Russia for its war in Ukraine, heavily targeting the country's banks and crypto networks in an effort to weaken its financial system.
"Our largest banks have long been under sanctions. This does not prevent the banks from earning large profits, developing, maintaining absolute stability," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists, when asked about the sector's ability to weather new restrictions.
Peskov highlighted Wednesday's comments by President Vladimir Putin about the overall economic situation being under control. "The same can be said about the banking sector. Our central bank has repeatedly spoken about this; it is monitoring the situation quite closely and taking the necessary measures to maintain this stability," he said.
Sanctions, high interest rates, and war spending have taken a toll on Russia's $3 trillion economy, which contracted by 0.3 per cent in the first quarter, marking its first quarterly decline since early 2023.
Russia says it has taken another east Ukrainian village, RIA reports
Thursday 11 June 2026 12:30 , Bryony Gooch
Russia's Defence Ministry said on Thursday that its forced have captured the village of Okhrimivka, in Ukraine's eastern Kharkiv region, state news agency RIA reported.
The Independent could not verify reports.
Healey claims resignation is over disagreement with Starmer over Defence Investment Plan
Thursday 11 June 2026 12:25 , Bryony Gooch
John Healey told Sir Keir Starmer in a letter of resignation that he was left with “no other option” after disagreement over the Defence Investment Plan.
The former defence secretary explained: “I am certain that a headmark date for 3% of GDP on defence in 2030 is what Britain must set. This commitment would have strong cross-party support. Other European allies are stepping up in this way.”
He continued: “However, your DIP financial settlement - which I was first given in full on Monday afternoon this week - falls well short of what is required for defence and the country at this dangerous time.”
It comes after Sir Keir said last week: “it is our intelligence assessment, and the assessment of other countries in NATO, that there could be an attack by Russia on NATO as soon as 2030.”
Breaking: John Healey resigns as UK defence secretary
Thursday 11 June 2026 12:20 , Bryony Gooch
John Healey has resigned as the UK’s defence secretary. During his tenure in the position, he has played a key role in strengthening the UK’s defensive support for Ukraine and raising defence investment to 2.5 per cent of GDP.
He said in his resignation letter: “We've stepped up to lead internationally for Ukraine with the Coalition of the Willing and Ukraine Defence Contact Group, established Britain as a leading voice for Europe in NATO,” and “raised defence investment to 2.5 per cent of GDP three years earlier than anyone expected.”
Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant loses all off-site power, IAEA says
Thursday 11 June 2026 11:30 , Bryony Gooch
The International Atomic Energy Agency said on Thursday that the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in southeastern Ukraine lost all off-site power following an overnight attack on an electrical substation.
The outage was the 19th since the start of Russia's war in Ukraine in 2022.
Wagner mercenaries ‘guarding Russian tankers in English Channel’
Thursday 11 June 2026 11:00 , Bryony Gooch
Wagner group members guard Russia’s shadow fleet through the English Channel – report
Russia says French, German and British ambassadors attend meeting at foreign ministry
Thursday 11 June 2026 10:40 , Bryony Gooch
The ambassadors of France, Germany and Britain arrived for a meeting at the Russian Foreign Ministry on Thursday, the ministry said in a statement that did not provide a reason or any further detail.
The ministry published video of the three diplomats arriving and entering the building in central Moscow.
The leaders of France, Germany and Britain - who head an informal security alliance called the E3 that is one of Ukraine's main sources of international support - met with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky in London last Sunday, where they said they supported his call for a ceasefire.
At the meeting in Downing Street, the four agreed that the current line of contact between Russian and Ukrainian forces should be the starting point for talks; that Ukraine should have legally binding security guarantees, including the deployment of a multinational force; and that frozen Russian financial assets would remain immobilised until Russia had compensated Ukraine for the damage caused by the war.
Russian president Vladimir Putin has stuck to his hardline stance on the war, but he also suggested last week that US president Donald Trump's proposals for peace could help end the fighting.
International Chess Federation suspends Russia over activities in Russian-controlled parts of Ukraine
Thursday 11 June 2026 10:35 , Bryony Gooch
The International Chess Federation (FIDE) has suspended Russia's membership for up to three years for its failure to comply with a ruling that it should cease holding events in Russian-controlled parts of Ukraine.
The decision, announced in a FIDE statement, is a victory for Ukraine and allied chess federations that have campaigned for the sport's governing bodies to take a harder line against Russia in the wake of its 2022 full-scale invasion.
FIDE said Russia's chess federation had not stopped organising events in Russian-controlled parts of Ukraine's Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk and Zaporizhzhia regions and on the annexed Crimean peninsula, in violation of a March order by the Court of Arbitration for Sport. "The (FIDE) Council resolves to impose the sanction of temporary suspension of membership of the respective Member Federation (Russia) with immediate effect," it said in the statement on Wednesday.
Russian individuals retain the right to participate in FIDE tournaments but Russian teams will not be allowed to compete in team events, it said.
Iran and Ukraine loom over G7 as France accommodates Trump
Thursday 11 June 2026 10:30 , Bryony Gooch
Wars in the Middle East and Ukraine are set to dominate next week’s G7 summit, as host France crafts an agenda aimed at projecting unity and avoiding confrontation with US president Donald Trump.
The 15-17 June gathering in Evian-les-Bains, on the shore of Lake Geneva, brings together the leaders of France, Britain, Canada, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States, alongside the European Union.
With Trump struggling to end a war that has disrupted the global economy, and frustrated with European allies he deems to have failed him in the Gulf and grown over-reliant on the US for their security needs, diplomats say crisis management will be the focus.
No breakthrough decisions are thus expected on key issues, which also include tackling global economic imbalances and sourcing critical minerals outside China.
The grouping, founded half a century ago, has traditionally addressed economic and geopolitical challenges with broad consensus. But that cohesion has frayed since Trump returned to the White House in 2025.
Having already shifted the dates to accommodate Trump's birthday plans for cage fighting on the White House lawn, French officials, like other recent summit hosts, have set the bar low, suggesting it will be a success if Trump just stays for the whole event, having left the 2025 version early.
"Macron has gone out of his way to have an agenda that is designed to appeal to the sort of things President Trump wants," said Josh Lipsky, chair of international economics at the Atlantic Council.
What is an FP-5 Flamingo missile?
Thursday 11 June 2026 10:16 , Bryony Gooch
The Ukrainian military has used domestically- produced FP-5 Flamingo cruise missiles to strike targets deep within Russia.
These missiles entered service in 2025 with a 3,000km range that carry a tonne of explosives designed for low-altitude flight to avoid detection.
Watch: Russian ammunition chief killed in Moscow car bomb attack
Thursday 11 June 2026 10:00 , Bryony Gooch
Merz shares details of what EU membership would mean for Ukraine
Thursday 11 June 2026 09:30 , Bryony Gooch
Proposed associated European Union membership for Ukraine would mean the country would be able to participate in the EU council meetings and have an EU commissioner without voting rights, German chancellor Friedrich Merz has said.
It comes a day after German foreign minister Johann Wadephul said that he was optimistic European Union accession negotiations with Ukraine can start soon.
Ukraine is pressing for membership of the 27-member EU after more than four years of war pitting Kyiv against Moscow.
All EU members agreed to open talks with Ukraine and Moldova on the first cluster of issues in their accession talks, Ukrainian prime minister Yulia Svyrydenko announced last week.
Merz added: “Out goal for Ukraine remains a just and lasting peace that also takes German security interests into account.”
Damage inflicted after Ukraine hits bridges in Russian-controlled Kherson region
Thursday 11 June 2026 09:00 , Bryony Gooch
Ukraine has attacked bridges in the Russian-held part of Ukraine's southern Kherson region, causing damage, Russian-installed governor Vladimir Saldo said on Thursday.
Italy PM calls for single European representative in Russia war talks
Thursday 11 June 2026 08:43 , Bryony Gooch
Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni called on Thursday for European allies of Ukraine to name a single representative in talks with Russia aimed at ending the war.
"I support the need to name an authoritative figure ... to represent Europe," Meloni told parliament.
Russia launched two Iskander-M ballistic missiles and 221 drones
Thursday 11 June 2026 08:14 , Shweta Sharma
Russian forces have hit Ukraine with two Iskander-M ballistic missiles and 221 drones of various types overnight on Thursday.
Ukraine's air defence said it downed 195 UAVs.
"Early reports indicated that as of 07:30, [Ukrainian] air defence forces had destroyed or jammed 195 Shahed, Gerbera, Italmas and other types of drones in the country's north, south and east,” it said.
The military said that at least nine locations were targeted by missiles and 21 UAVs.
Bridges between Russian-held Ukraine and Crimea damaged in strikes
Thursday 11 June 2026 07:53 , Shweta Sharma
Ukraine has attacked bridges linking Russia-occupied Crimea with Ukraine's southern Kherson region, according to Russian officials.
The Russian-installed governor of occupied Kherson, Vladimir Saldo, said the strikes had caused damage, but that more information was awaited.
Earlier, Telegram channels said all bridges linking Crimea with the Ukrainian mainland were rendered unusable by the strikes, part of a major wave of Ukrainian attacks across the peninsula.
Tommy Robinson says Russia is not an enemy as he travels to meet Elon Musk’s father in Moscow
Thursday 11 June 2026 07:30 , Shweta Sharma
Far-right activist Tommy Robinson has claimed “Russia is not the enemy of Britain” after he travelled to Moscow and met with Elon Musk’s father, Errol.
Elon Musk has long been a supporter of Robinson, with both men calling for people to take to the streets in response to the knife attack in Belfast.
Robinson, real name Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, shared a list of places where protests were said to be taking place at 7pm on Tuesday following the Belfast attack, saying: “The whole of the United Kingdom is hitting the streets tonight at 7pm following yet another invader attack on our people.”
Tommy Robinson says Russia is not an enemy as he travels to Moscow
Ukraine police chief says Russia recruits young women to kill Ukrainian servicemen
Thursday 11 June 2026 06:54 , Shweta Sharma
Ukraine's police chief has accused Russia of recruiting teenage Ukrainian girls to kill Ukrainian military personnel, following the arrest of a 17-year-old suspected of murdering a serviceman on the instructions of a Russian operative.
In an interview published on Wednesday by Ukrainian media outlet Cenzor.NET, national police chief Ivan Vyhivskyi said there had this year been six cases of contract killings arranged via the Telegram messaging app, one of which was prevented.
"We are talking about planned murders organised by the special services of the aggressor state and carried out by Ukrainian citizens," he said.
Russia's FSB security service was not immediately available for comment.
Russian security services accuse Kyiv of recruiting Russians for bombings in Russia, and Ukrainian military intelligence has claimed responsibility for assassinating several senior Russian officers since Moscow's 2022 invasion.
Vyhivskyi said Russian recruiters found young women via messaging platforms, promising them easy money and coordinating their actions remotely.
The young women were instructed to search for Ukrainian military personnel on dating websites, and received money from their handlers to rent apartments to meet them, Vyhivskyi said.
They were told of places where they could obtain methadone, a synthetic opioid used as a painkiller that can be lethal in high doses, for lacing drinks, he said.
More than 1,100 Ukrainians have been accused of committing arson, terrorism or sabotage in betrayal of their country during the war, Ukraine's security service has said.
Police detained a 17-year-old woman in the western region of Zhytomyr last week following the poisoning of a serviceman and said she had been communicating via Telegram with a man who was likely a Russian security services agent.
China raises concerns over planned EU sanctions targeting firms over Russian war
Thursday 11 June 2026 06:49 , Shweta Sharma
China has criticised planned EU sanctions targeting Chinese firms accused of supporting Russia's war effort.
According to AFP, the European Union is preparing measures that would add 14 companies from mainland China and Hong Kong to a list of firms barred from purchasing EU goods.
Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said Beijing “has always firmly opposed illegal unilateral sanctions that lack a basis in international law” and warned that China would “closely follow” developments and “take necessary measures to resolutely safeguard its legitimate rights and interests.”
Multiple explosions across Crimea in large-scale attack
Thursday 11 June 2026 06:22 , Shweta Sharma
Multiple explosions have been reported across Russian-occupied Crimea overnight, the Kyiv Independent reported, citing local monitoring channels.
Telegram channels covering the war claimed that several sites linked to the Russian military were targeted in a Ukrainian drone and missile attack.
The pro-Ukrainian Crimean Wind Telegram channel reported strikes on bridges near Armiansk and Krasnoperekopsk in northern Crimea, key routes connecting the peninsula to mainland Ukraine.
"It appears there are no intact bridges left on the overland approaches to the peninsula," the channel wrote.
In Sevastopol, residents reported missile launches, repeated explosions, smoke over Omega Bay and a large fire near Striletska Bay.
The channel said several impacts were recorded near military facilities, including areas linked to Russia's Black Sea Fleet and local air defence systems.
The reports could not be independently verified.
Russian strike on Ukraine's Pavlohrad injures 12
Thursday 11 June 2026 05:57 , Shweta Sharma
A Russian strike on an apartment building in the southeastern city of Pavlohrad on Wednesday injured 12 people, including an elderly resident in a serious condition, the regional governor said.
Oleksandr Hanzha, writing on Telegram, said the strike triggered a fire and photos posted online showed rescuers using extension ladders to help residents of higher levels of the five-storey building billowing smoke.
The facade of the building in the city east of Dnipro had been blackened and windows smashed.
In pictures: Fire at Sevastopol museum after 'Ukrainian drone strike'
Thursday 11 June 2026 05:38 , Shweta Sharma
Firefighters extinguished a fire at the "Panorama of the Defence of Sevastopol" museum, which, according to local authorities, was damaged in a Ukrainian drone attack.
A fire broke out in occupied Sevastopol early on Wednesday morning when an air-raid warning was in effect.
Mikhail Razvozhayev, the Russian-appointed head of the city, said the roof of the Defence of Sevastopol 1854-1855 panorama building was on fire.
"The situation is really difficult: it is already clear that the Franz Roubaud Panorama has been virtually destroyed… Barbarians and inhumane people deliberately struck what is dear to us, trying to destroy our essence,” he said.
Zelensky hails Ukrainian military's 'mid-strikes' reaching Russian military logistics
Thursday 11 June 2026 05:26 , Shweta Sharma
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said Kyiv's expanding drone campaign is now capable of reaching Russian military logistics across occupied Ukrainian territory.
“In recent months, we are especially grateful for the mid-strikes: Russian military logistics throughout the entire depth of the temporarily occupied territory are now within reach of Ukrainian drones,” Zelensky said.
His remarks came after Ukraine said it had struck the Russian-occupied port of Mariupol, the latest in a series of attacks targeting supply routes linking Russian-held southern Ukraine to Crimea.
The attack on the port, which Ukraine's military said plunged the site into a blackout, followed two strikes earlier this week on a bridge linking the Russian-occupied Kherson region to the Black Sea peninsula of Crimea.
On Thursday, authorities in Russia's southern Krasnodar region, just across from Crimea, said a fire broke out in the area surrounding the Afipsky refinery as a result of falling drone debris as defence systems were repelling an air attack.
Three people were injured after falling drone debris caused fire in an apartment building in the city of Krasnodar and a drone attack on the nearby Seversky district, regional governor Veniamin Kondratyev said on Telegram, without providing further details.
Another oil refinery, the Ilsky plant, is located in the area. That followed a massive Wednesday drone attack on Russia's Volga region of Samara, more than 900km (550 miles) from the front line, which, according to sources, forced state oil giant Rosneft to halt processing at its Kuibyshev oil refinery.
Zelensky declares 11 June as the ‘Day of the Unmanned Systems Forces’
Thursday 11 June 2026 04:59 , Shweta Sharma
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday, 11 June 2026, declared the country's first-ever "Day of the Unmanned Systems Forces", which will be marked annually to honour the military branch responsible for drone operations.
“For the first time in the world, such a branch of the military was created, in Ukraine,” said Zelensky. “We are developing the USF to the max, and it is Ukrainians who have proved that through technology, ingenuity, and courage, we can change the nature of warfare.”
He said in just one year since the establishment of the USF Grouping, Russian targets of various levels worth nearly $40bn have been struck.
“Most importantly, these are different types of strikes, and each one expands our ability to save lives.”
Today, I signed a decree establishing a new special day – the Day of the Unmanned Systems Forces. From now on, it will be observed every year on June 11. A day of our respect and gratitude to the USF.
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) June 10, 2026
For the first time in the world, such a branch of the military was created –… pic.twitter.com/iXtCoONpSB
Macron invites Zelensky to G7 summit
Thursday 11 June 2026 04:49 , Shweta Sharma
French president Emmanuel Macron has confirmed that Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky will attend the G7 summit in Evian-les-Bains from 15–17 June, saying his participation is "very important" to help rebuild consensus among Kyiv's allies.
Speaking at the Elysee Palace, Macron said support for Ukraine would be a key focus of the summit, with leaders expected to discuss continued backing for Kyiv as well as efforts to advance peace negotiations with Russia.
The summit will bring together the leaders of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States. Macron also said discussions would address the conflict involving Iran, with Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates invited to a separate session focused on the Strait of Hormuz.
Zelensky's attendance comes as Ukraine reports successes on the battlefield and in long-range strikes against Russian targets, while continuing to face intensified Russian missile attacks and shortages of air defence systems.
Zelensky said preparations were underway in Ukraine for the G7 along with other high-profile diplomatic conferences in the coming weeks.
"We are also preparing for the crucial summer summits – the EU summit, the G7 summit, and the Nato summit. Each of these venues should be effective for Ukraine, and we are preparing solutions," the president said.
Major oil refinery in southern Russia on fire after Ukrainian attack, officials say
Thursday 11 June 2026 04:18 , Shweta Sharma
A huge fire broke out at Russia's Afipsky refinery in southern Krasnodar after Ukrainian drone strikes overnight.
The regional operational headquarters said the blaze was a result of falling drone debris as defence systems were repelling an air attack.
It is one of the largest oil processing facilities in southern Russia, producing gasoline, diesel fuel, gas condensate distillates, heavy petroleum residues, and sulfur.
A gas pipeline was also damaged after drone debris had fallen in the residential private sector, the regional governor said, adding there were no casualties.
Several residents said the refinery was on fire following a Ukrainian attack, according to Telegram monitoring channel Exilenova-Plus.
The Afipsky refinery, which accounts for about 2% of Russia's refining capacity, has previously been targeted by Ukrainian attacks.
Ukrainian strikes hit the Afipsky oil refinery located in Krasnodar Krai, southern Russia, tonight.
— Status-6 (War & Military News) (@Archer83Able) June 10, 2026
A fire broke out at the facility. The attack reportedly carried out with cruise missiles. pic.twitter.com/ZMOx3mMgn0
Ukraine strikes disrupt fuel supplies in Russian-held Crimea
Thursday 11 June 2026 04:09 , Shweta Sharma
Ukraine's strikes on Russian logistics routes have disrupted fuel supplies in occupied Crimea, with authorities in Sevastopol suspending petrol rationing coupons after tanker trucks were unable to reach the city.
The governor of Sevastopol in Russian-held Crimea, Mikhail Razvozhayev, said that petrol rationing coupons could temporarily not be honoured.
It coincided with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky remarks that Kyiv's long-running campaign targeting energy assets in Russia and the lands it annexed had proved its worth.
Crimea, annexed by Russia in 2014, long before Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, introduced rationing for fuel last month because of shortages in the peninsula.
"Unfortunately, oil tanker trucks were unable to come to the city tonight," Razvozhayev wrote on Telegram, adding that priority for refuelling on Thursday would be given to public transport and utilities, emergency and government vehicles.
"I am addressing everyone: there is no point in lining up at... the gas stations tomorrow," he said late on Wednesday, adding that existing fuel rationing coupons would be cancelled and new ones issued on Thursday.
Over two dozen Ukrainian drones were downed in the early hours of Thursday in a fresh attack on Sevastopol, the peninsula's second-largest city and home to Russia's Black Sea fleet, Razvozhayev later said on Telegram.
Ukraine's Flamingo long-range missiles hit targets deep inside Russia
Thursday 11 June 2026 03:58 , Shweta Sharma
Ukrainian FP-5 Flamingo long-range missiles hit a major military factory in Russia, more than 900km from the front line, Volodymyr Zelensky said.
The factory in the city of Cheboksary, in the Chuvash Republic, used to supply components for Russian drones and missiles.
According to the Astra Online news outlet, the missile strike hit the VNIIR-Progress plant, which produces antennas for drones.
Oleg Nikolayev, the head of Chuvashiya, also confirmed the attack, reporting three injuries. He did not say whether the military plant was damaged.
Watch: Tommy Robinson posts video with Elon Musk’s father in Moscow hotel
Thursday 11 June 2026 03:00 , Bryony Gooch
Wagner mercenaries ‘guarding Russian tankers in English Channel’
Thursday 11 June 2026 02:00 , Bryony Gooch
Wagner group members guard Russia’s shadow fleet through the English Channel – report
In pictures: Panorama of the Defence of Sevastopol museum in Crimea ablaze
Thursday 11 June 2026 01:00 , Bryony Gooch
Firefighters extinguish a fire at the "Panorama of the Defence of Sevastopol" museum, which, according to local authorities, was damaged in a Ukrainian drone attack
Who is Putin’s ammunition chief killed in car bombing outside Moscow
Thursday 11 June 2026 00:00 , Bryony Gooch
Who is Damir Davydov? Putin’s ammunition chief killed in car bombing outside Moscow
Ukraine police chief says Russia recruits young women to kill Ukrainian servicemen
Wednesday 10 June 2026 19:00 , Bryony Gooch
Ukraine's police chief has accused Russia of recruiting teenage Ukrainian girls to kill Ukrainian military personnel, following the arrest of a 17-year-old suspected of murdering a serviceman on the instructions of a Russian operative.
In an interview published on Wednesday by Ukrainian media outlet Cenzor.NET, national police chief Ivan Vyhivskyi said there had this year been six cases of contract killings arranged via the Telegram messaging app, one of which was prevented.
"We are talking about planned murders organised by the special services of the aggressor state and carried out by Ukrainian citizens," he said.
Russia's FSB security service was not immediately available for comment. Russian security services accuse Kyiv of recruiting Russians for bombings in Russia, and Ukrainian military intelligence has claimed responsibility for assassinating several senior Russian officers since Moscow's 2022 invasion.
Vyhivskyi said Russian recruiters found young women via messaging platforms, promising them easy money and coordinating their actions remotely.
The young women were instructed to search for Ukrainian military personnel on dating websites, and received money from their handlers to rent apartments to meet them, Vyhivskyi said.
They were told of places where they could obtain methadone, a synthetic opioid used as a painkiller that can be lethal in high doses, for lacing drinks, he said.
More than 1,100 Ukrainians have been accused of committing arson, terrorism or sabotage in betrayal of their country during the war, Ukraine's security service has said.
Police detained a 17-year-old woman in the western region of Zhytomyr last week following the poisoning of a serviceman and said she had been communicating via Telegram with a man who was likely a Russian security services agent.
She had received a parcel containing a crystalline substance which investigators presumed was methadone, police said.
Members of Wagner mercenary group ‘guarding Russia’s shadow fleet through the English Channel’
Wednesday 10 June 2026 16:00 , Bryony Gooch
Wagner group members guard Russia’s shadow fleet through the English Channel – report
