Key Points
- Ukraine targets St Petersburg again after Putin rejects Zelensky's offer for direct talks
- 'It is time to end this war. But Russia’s ruler wants to keep fighting' - Zelensky
- Putin says he is 'grateful' to Trump but sees no reason to meet Zelensky
- Fire at Russian oil refinery caused by falling drone debris
- Russia threats to UK at highest level since the Cold War, military chief warns
PM to host Zelensky and leaders of France and Germany for No 10 talks
05:41 , Namita Singh
Sir Keir Starmer will host Volodymyr Zelensky, Emmanuel Macron and Friedrich Merz in No 10 to discuss ongoing support for Ukraine.
The Ukrainian leader will visit the UK with the French president and German chancellor on Sunday, Downing Street said.
It comes after a large-scale Ukrainian drone attack targeted St Petersburg, Russia’s second-largest city, on Saturday, underscoring Kyiv’s growing ability to hit deep inside Russia.
No casualties were immediately reported.
In Ukraine, one person was killed and three wounded overnight into Saturday in the Dnipropetrovsk region, as Russian forces struck three districts nearly 30 times with drones and artillery, regional head Oleksandr Hanzha said.
Vladimir Putin on Friday rejected a proposal by Mr Zelensky for face-to-face talks on the four-year-old war, claiming he saw “no point” in a meeting.
The so-called E3 group of nations meeting the Ukrainian leader are some of Kyiv’s staunchest allies, with the UK and France leading the so-called “coalition of the willing” initiative to provide security guarantees for Ukraine as part of a peace process.
Russian anti-aircraft units intercepted 339 Ukrainian drones over 13-hour period, says defence ministry
07:00 , Namita Singh
Russia's anti-aircraft units intercepted and destroyed 339 Ukrainian drones over a 13-hour period in various Russian regions, including Moscow, claimed its defence ministry.
The ministry, posting on Telegram, listed 13 regions where the interceptions took place, plus areas over the Black Sea, between 7am and 8pm.
Several regions in central Russia were included in the defence ministry list of affected areas, which also extended to Leningrad and Pskov regions in the northwest.
Moscow mayor Sergei Sobyanin issued a series of announcements on Telegram outlining anti-aircraft action against drones. An unofficial count showed that 14 had been downed throughout the day.
Russia's civil aviation authority periodically announced the suspension of flights to different airports. Russian news agencies said four suspension orders had been issued at different times of the day for the Black Sea city of Sochi.
Russia claims to have captured Shevchenko in Ukraine's Kharkiv region
06:40 , Namita Singh
The Russian defence ministry said on Saturday that it had captured the settlement of Shevchenko in Ukraine's Kharkiv region, Russian state news agency RIA Novosti reported. Reuters could not immediately verify the battlefield report.
Turkish-flagged fishing boat is attacked in the Black Sea, leaving a sailor dead
06:20 , Namita Singh
A Turkish-flagged fishing boat was attacked and sank off the northern Black Sea coast, leaving one sailor dead and four others wounded, the Turkish Coast Guard said late on Friday.
The Duru 67 was attacked west of Sevastopol in Crimea earlier in the day, according to a Coast Guard Command statement. The peninsula was illegally seized from Ukraine by Russia and annexed in March 2014. The statement did not provide further details of the attack.
Five injured sailors were rescued by another trawler, the Burak Kaya, but one died on the way back to Turkey.
A Coast Guard vessel carrying a medical team reached the Burak Kaya 115 nautical miles north of Turkey’s Inebolu port and the casualties were placed on board.
After a 15-hour return voyage, the injured were transferred to a hospital in the provincial capital Kastamonu, state-run Anadolu news agency reported. Provincial health director Fevzi Yavuzyılmaz said they were suffering shrapnel wounds and one had undergone minor surgery aboard the Coast Guard ship.
“Two of our patients have relatively minor injuries and two have slightly more serious injuries,” he said.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack. The waters off Ukraine have seen regular attacks on shipping since Russia launched a war on Ukraine in February 2022.
In November, the Turkish government condemned Ukrainian drone attacks on two oil tankers in the Black Sea as posing “serious risks to navigation, life, property and environmental safety in the region.”
Ukraine's military says it hit oil depot and oil terminal in Russia's Leningrad region
06:00 , Namita Singh
Ukraine's military said on Saturday it had hit an oil depot and an oil terminal in Russia's Leningrad region overnight.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky yesterday said the military had also hit another Russian oil deport in Krasnodar region.
Cycling-UCI lifts Belarus ban, eases restrictions for junior Russian riders
05:40 , Namita Singh
Cycling's world governing body (UCI) has lifted its blanket ban on Belarus and relaxed some restrictions on Russian junior riders, amending regulations it first adopted in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
The UCI said the changes follow updated recommendations from the International Olympic Committee (IOC), which lifted all restrictions on Belarusian athletes.
Belarusian national teams and athletes may enter UCI events, including UCI World Cups and UCI World Championships, with all restrictions on protocol matters, symbols and emblems lifted.
Russian junior riders and their support staff are now exempt from the requirement to apply for Individual Neutral Athlete (AIN) status to enter UCI International Calendar events.
Any reference to Russia is still prohibited on start lists, results sheets and television graphics. Russian national emblems and symbols on jerseys and equipment continue to be prohibited. Riders holding AIN status are now authorised to compete together in team events whose format requires collective participation.
Fire at oil refinery in Russia's Tyumen region extinguished, RIA reports
05:20 , Namita Singh
A fire that broke out at the Antipinsky oil refinery, Russia's largest independent oil-processing plant, in Tyumen region has been extinguished, the Russian state news agency RIA Novosti reported on Saturday, citing the emergency ministry.
Ukraine targets St Petersburg again after Putin rejects Zelensky's offer for direct talks
05:00 , Namita Singh
Residents of St Petersburg were told not to leave their homes after a large-scale Ukrainian drone attack targeted Russia’s second-largest city yesterday morning, underscoring Kyiv’s growing ability to hit deep inside Russia.
The attack came a day after Russian president Vladimir Putin refused an offer to meet his Ukrainian counterpart.
St Petersburg governor Alexander Beglov said three people sustained minor injuries in the attack. He advised residents not to go outside and warned of possible disruptions to mobile internet service, while regional governor Alexander Drozdenko said 141 drones were shot down over the surrounding Leningrad region in what he called an “unprecedented attack”.
Russia’s defence ministry said its air defences shot down 376 Ukrainian drones.
“Last night, our drones covered a distance of about 1,000 kilometers to the St. Petersburg region – to the enemy navy’s arsenals and a base in Kronstadt,” Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky wrote on X, adding that drones also hit an oil depot in Russia's southern Krasnodar region.
The renewed attack on St Petersburg is the latest embarrassing blow to Putin’s efforts to cast the conflict as a distant event that doesn’t affect Russian daily life.
A Ukrainian drone strike set ablaze an oil terminal in the city and hit a nearby naval base on Wednesday, hours before the opening of the St Petersburg International Economic Forum, Putin’s annual showcase for investment.
Russian-run Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant says power supply has been restored
04:40 , Namita Singh
The Russian-installed management of Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant said on Saturday that it had restored the Ferrosplavnaya-1 power line, which supplies electricity to the plant."All systems and equipment at the ZNPP are operating normally," the management said via its Telegram channel.
A temporary local ceasefire, brokered by the UN's nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), was declared on Friday to allow repairs to the power line.
A few hours after the incident was reported, the Russian state nuclear energy corporation Rosatom accused Ukraine of deliberately violating the ceasefire through a drone attack that left at least three people injured.
The Zaporizhzhia plant, Europe's largest with six reactors, was seized by Russian troops in the early weeks of Moscow's invasion of Ukraine. Each side has since accused the other of undertaking military actions to compromise nuclear safety. The plant generates no electricity, but needs external power to ensure that nuclear fuel at the site does not overheat.
The latest ceasefire was the sixth negotiated since late last year to carry out repairs to the power lines.
Russian forces attack rescue vessels in Ukrainian waters, causing injuries, deputy PM says
04:20 , Namita Singh
Russian forces have attacked two civilian search and rescue vessels in Ukrainian waters, causing injuries, Ukrainian deputy prime minister Oleksiy Kuleba said yesterday.
"The enemy launched strikes on two boats of the maritime search and rescue service which were carrying out a humanitarian mission within the Ukrainian sea corridor," he wrote on Telegram, referring to a Black Sea route used to take vessels to Romanian ports.
"Unfortunately, there are injured. Evacuation by boats of the Ukrainian navy is currently underway."
Russian anti-aircraft units intercepted 339 Ukrainian drones over 13-hour period, says defence ministry
03:57 , Namita Singh
Russia's anti-aircraft units intercepted and destroyed 339 Ukrainian drones over a 13-hour period in various Russian regions, including Moscow, claimed its defence ministry.
The ministry, posting on Telegram, listed 13 regions where the interceptions took place, plus areas over the Black Sea, between 7am and 8pm.
Several regions in central Russia were included in the defence ministry list of affected areas, which also extended to Leningrad and Pskov regions in the northwest.
Moscow mayor Sergei Sobyanin issued a series of announcements on Telegram outlining anti-aircraft action against drones. An unofficial count showed that 14 had been downed throughout the day.
Russia's civil aviation authority periodically announced the suspension of flights to different airports. Russian news agencies said four suspension orders had been issued at different times of the day for the Black Sea city of Sochi.
EU urged to tighten visa rules as Russians ‘enjoy sunshine while Ukrainians die on the battlefield’
03:00 , James Reynolds
Sweden's migration minister has branded it "insane" that Russian citizens are enjoying European holidays and shopping trips while Ukrainians face death on the battlefield, urging the European Commission to impose stricter rules on tourist visas for Russians.
The call comes after Sweden, alongside ten other nations, sent a letter on Wednesday to EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas and migration commissioner Magnus Brunner.
The letter highlighted a concerning rise in the number of tourist visas issued to Russians, despite Russia's ongoing war in Ukraine.
The signatory countries pressed the EU executive body to urgently tighten and harmonise these restrictions, warning that inconsistent regulations risk undermining both security and the sanctions policy implemented against Russia following its 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
EU urged to tighten visa rules as Russians ‘enjoy sunshine while Ukrainians die’
Britain's largest warship breaks down again
02:00 , James Reynolds
The UK’s largest warship, HMS Prince of Wales, has experienced a technical issue while docked at a port in Norway, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) has confirmed.
The £3.5 billion vessel had set sail earlier this month from Loch Long, Argyll and Bute, Scotland. Its deployment to Nordic waters was intended to provide security across the Atlantic and High North regions.
“A minor technical issue” was identified on the Royal Navy’s most powerful vessel during its latest stop in Stavanger, a port city in south-western Norway, the MoD said.
HMS Prince of Wales: UK’s largest warship breaks down again
Exclusive: Russia wants to cause UK harm – it’s time to take that seriously, ex-military chief warns
01:00 , James Reynolds
Lord Peach, the former chief of the defence staff, warns British households and businesses need to prepare:
Russia wants to harm the UK – it’s time to take it seriously, ex-military chief warns
Watch: Putin says he is grateful to 'Donald' but rejects Zelensky's call for face-to-face meeting
00:00 , James Reynolds
Where have peace talks been left?
23:00 , James Reynolds
Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday he currently sees no reason to meet Volodymyr Zelensky after the Ukrainian president published an open letter proposing they meet to agree an end to the war.
In the letter, Zelensky said the majority of Russians had grown tired of Ukrainian missile and drone attacks, inflation and fuel shortages, and were ready for peace.
Moscow and Kyiv walked away from talks in Geneva in February no closer to a deal, as Ukraine suggested the US was unfairly demanding Kyiv alone make concessions to end the war.
Zelensky said the last round of direct talks had been “difficult” and accused Russia of deliberately stalling, with the issue of territory still in dispute.
What does either side want?
Russia insists on its demands for Ukrainian territory and the withdrawal of forces from its borders.
Ukraine insists it needs clear security guarantees from allies to stop Russia reopening the conflict and says it cannot and will not give up territory sought by Russia.
The lands in the east include industry heavy regions and Ukraine’s belt of ‘fortress cities’ to protect against invasion.
Will talks start again?
Volodymyr Zelensky said late in April that he was keen to meet with Vladimir Putin, his Russian counterpart, in an effort to restart negotiations.
While Ukraine claimed a string of wins on the ground, Zelensky warned that US attention on the war with Iran was soaking up resources and leaving Ukraine with critical shortages of air defences.
Putin has expressed willingness to speak - if Zelensky comes to Moscow.
Turkey said it was making efforts to restart talks and bring together the leaders, after hosting delegations in July 2025.
Recap: House approves Ukraine aid package despite Republican objections
22:00 , James Reynolds
The House of Representatives has approved legislation aimed at bolstering aid to Ukraine and imposing sanctions on key sectors of the Russian economy, despite objections from Republican leaders. These leaders warned that the bill could undermine ongoing negotiations for a more robust outcome.
The measure, sponsored by Democratic Representative Gregory Meeks of New York, seeks to solidify U.S. support for Ukraine, allocating $1 billion in security and reconstruction aid, alongside an additional $8 billion in defense loans.
The 226-195 vote signals growing impatience with President Donald Trump's approach to the conflict.
House approves Ukraine aid package despite Republican objections
Recap: Russia says it shot down 339 Ukrainian drones in 13 hours
21:20 , James Reynolds
Russia's defence ministry said on Saturday its anti-aircraft units had intercepted and destroyed 339 Ukrainian drones over a 13-hour period in various Russian regions, including Moscow.
In a post on Telegram, the ministry listed 13 regions where the interceptions took place, plus areas over the Black Sea, between 7am and 8pm.
Several regions in central Russia were included in the list of affected areas, which extended to Leningrad and Pskov regions in the northwest.
Moscow mayor Sergei Sobyanin issued a series of announcements outlining anti-aircraft action against drones. An unofficial count showed that 14 had been downed throughout the day.
Russia's civil aviation authority periodically announced the suspension of flights to different airports. Russian news agencies said four suspension orders had been issued at different times of the day for the Black Sea city of Sochi.
The Independent View: It’s advantage Zelensky in Ukraine’s push for peace with Putin
21:00 , James Reynolds
Editorial: The Russian leader has now been shown up by Kyiv on the battlefield, in the skies, and in the sphere of diplomacy – and Moscow’s rejection of face-to-face peace talks will look more like weakness than strength to Washington:
It’s advantage Zelensky in Ukraine’s push for peace with Putin
Russia claims interception of over 300 Ukrainian drones within 13 hours
20:14 , James Reynolds
Russia’s defence ministry says its anti-aircraft units intercepted 339 Ukrainian drones over 13-hour period in various regions, including Moscow.
In pictures: Ukrainian POWs return home after a swap on Friday
20:00 , James Reynolds
Ukraine and Russia each exchanged 185 service personnel in the latest prisoner of war swap on Friday, officials in both countries said.
Most of the Ukrainians brought back were in Russian captivity since 2022, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on X. Russia also returned one civilian, he added.
The oldest Ukrainian being brought back is 62, according to Kyiv's general staff.
Friday's swap was the second one under an agreement between the countries to swap 1,000 prisoners of war each, as part of a three-day ceasefire agreement brokered by the U.S. in early May.
Russia accused of attacking search and rescue boats
19:55 , James Reynolds
Ukrainian deputy PM Oleksiy Kuleba writes on Telegram that Russia attacked two search and rescue boats while they were carrying out a humanitarian mission within the Ukrainian sea corridor.
“Unfortunately, there are casualties. Evacuation by boats of the Ukrainian Navy is underway,” he says.
“This attack is yet another proof of the Russian Federation's deliberate disregard for the norms of international law and the creation of a direct threat to the safe functioning of humanitarian sea corridors in the Black Sea.”
In full: Zelensky’s letter to Putin as he calls for face-to-face meeting
19:00 , James Reynolds
Volodymyr Zelensky has published a letter appealing to Russian president Vladimir Putin for a meeting, while launching a blistering verdict on his 26-year tenure in Moscow.
The message warned it would be misguided to simply await the Trump administration’s renewed focus on ending the conflict in Ukraine while its attention remains heavily directed towards the war in Iran, proposing that Moscow and Kyiv alone take the next steps.
Here’s the open letter in full:
In full: Zelensky’s letter to Putin as he calls for face-to-face meeting
Starmer to host Zelensky, Macron and Merz in London
18:31 , James Reynolds
Sir Keir Starmer will host Volodymyr Zelensky, Emmanuel Macron and Friedrich Merz for a summit in No 10 tomorrow, Downing Street said.
France’s Elysee Palace said the leaders will gather for high-level talks aimed at boosting support for Ukraine and increasing pressure on Russia.
“This meeting will allow them to continue their close coordination on our shared agenda of continuing support for Ukraine and increasing pressure on Russia’s war effort,” the statement said.
“Russia is facing military, economic, and strategic failure — and persists, unsuccessfully, on the front lines in a deadly war.”
The meeting comes after Zelensky urged Russian president Vladimir Putin in an open letter to meet him to agree an end to the war.
UCI lifts Belarus ban, eases restrictions for junior Russian riders
18:15 , Reuters
Cycling's world governing body (UCI) has lifted its blanket ban on Belarus and relaxed some restrictions on Russian junior riders, amending regulations it first adopted in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
The UCI said the changes follow updated recommendations from the International Olympic Committee (IOC), which lifted all restrictions on Belarusian athletes.
- Belarusian national teams and athletes may enter UCI events, including UCI World Cups and UCI World Championships, with all restrictions on protocol matters, symbols and emblems lifted.
- Russian junior riders and their support staff are now exempt from the requirement to apply for Individual Neutral Athlete (AIN) status to enter UCI International Calendar events.
- Any reference to Russia is still prohibited on start lists, results sheets, television graphics. Russian national emblems and symbols on jerseys and equipment continue to be prohibited.
- Riders holding AIN status are now authorised to compete together in team events whose format requires collective participation.
Watch: Emergency crews extinguish fires after Russian strikes in Ukraine’s Sumy region
18:00 , James Reynolds
Ukrainian drones 'take control of part of land route to Crimea'
17:42 , James Reynolds
Ukraine’s military reports that drone operators from Ukraine's 3rd Special Operations Forces Regiment have managed to take control of part of the land route to occupied Crimea.
A statement claims the operators are able to target Russian equipment and logistics along the Melitopol-Chonhar route, which leads to Crimea.
“As a result, logistics in terms of supplying the Russian army and fuel to the peninsula have already been complicated,” it said. “This is just the beginning. More to come!”
Recap: Ukrainian maritime drone explodes at Black Sea port in Romania
17:00 , James Reynolds
A sea drone self-destructed near an oil terminal in Romania's Black Sea port of Constanta on Friday, without causing casualties, as Ukraine said Russia jammed the vessel causing it to driftoff course.
The explosion was the second major incident in a populated area in Romania on NATO's eastern flank within a week as the spillover threat from the war in Ukraine increases.
Ukraine's navy said one of its drones lost control in the Black Sea as a result of Russian electronic warfare. It contacted Romania to warn them and prevent casualties, it said.
Romanian defence minister Radu Miruta said that warning allowed a timely evacuation.
In full: Ukraine targets St. Petersburg again after Putin rejects offer for direct talks
16:30 , James Reynolds
Residents of St. Petersburg, Russia’s second-largest city, were told not to leave their homes after a “large-scale” Ukrainian drone attack targeted the city Saturday morning, local officials said, underscoring Kyiv’s growing ability to hit deep inside Russia.
St. Petersburg Governor Alexander Beglov advised St. Petersburg residents not to go outside and warned of possible disruptions to mobile internet service.
Regional Gov. Alexander Drozdenko said 141 drones were shot down over the surrounding Leningrad region. Russia’s Defense Ministry said its air defenses shot down 376 Ukrainian drones.
Ukraine targets St. Petersburg again after Putin rejects Zelenskyy's offer for direct talks
Power line restored at occupied Zaporizhzhia plant
16:00 , James Reynolds
The Russian-installed management of Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant said that it had restored the Ferrosplavnaya-1 power line, which supplies electricity to the plant.
“All systems and equipment at the ZNPP are operating normally,” the management said via its Telegram channel.
A temporary local ceasefire, brokered by the UN's nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), was declared on Friday to allow repairs to the power line.
A few hours after the incident was reported, the Russian state nuclear energy corporation Rosatom accused Ukraine of deliberately violating the ceasefire through a drone attack that left at least three people injured.
The Zaporizhzhia plant, Europe's largest with six reactors, was seized by Russian troops in the early weeks of Moscow's invasion of Ukraine. Each side has since accused the other of undertaking military actions to compromise nuclear safety.
The plant generates no electricity, but needs external power to ensure that nuclear fuel at the site does not overheat.
Watch: Emergency crews extinguish fires after Russian strikes in Ukraine’s Sumy region
15:30 , Dan Haygarth
Ukraine's military says it hit oil depot and oil terminal in Russia's Leningrad region
15:15 , Dan Haygarth
Ukraine's military said on Saturday it had hit an oil depot and an oil terminal in Russia's Leningrad region overnight.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky earlier on Saturday said the military had also hit another Russian oil deport in Krasnodar region.
Ukraine launches 'unprecedented' attack on St Petersburg, says Russia
15:13 , James Reynolds
Russian authorities have accused Ukraine of launching an ‘unprecedented’ attack on St Petersburg on the final day of the ‘Russian Davos’ major economic forum in the city.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said his forces had targeted a naval base and Russian arsenals with drones, travelling 620 miles to the region.
Regional governor Aleksandr Drozdenko said more than 140 drones were shot down over the surrounding Leningrad region.
Zelensky also said that an oil depot in the southern Krasnodar region, 310 miles away, was also struck as part of what he called Ukraine’s “long-range sanctions” on Russia.
Russian president Vladimir Putin had earlier told the forum there was no point in meeting with Zelensky, who had suggested reopening talks to end the war.
EU urged to tighten visa rules as Russians ‘enjoy sunshine while Ukrainians die on the battlefield’
15:00 , Dan Haygarth
Sweden's migration minister has branded it "insane" that Russian citizens are enjoying European holidays and shopping trips while Ukrainians face death on the battlefield, urging the European Commission to impose stricter rules on tourist visas for Russians.
The call comes after Sweden, alongside ten other nations, sent a letter on Wednesday to EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas and migration commissioner Magnus Brunner.
Read more:
EU urged to tighten visa rules as Russians ‘enjoy sunshine while Ukrainians die’
Recap: Ukraine targets St. Petersburg again after Putin rejects Zelenskyy's offer for direct talks
14:45 , Dan Haygarth
Residents of St. Petersburg, Russia's second-largest city, were told not to leave their homes after a "large-scale" Ukrainian drone attack targeted the city Saturday morning, underscoring Kyiv's growing ability to hit deep inside Russia, a day after the Russian president refused an offer to meet his Ukrainian counterpart.
St. Petersburg Gov. Alexander Beglov advised the residents not to go outside and warned of possible disruptions to mobile internet service, while Regional Gov. Alexander Drozdenko said 141 drones were shot down over the surrounding Leningrad region.
Russia's Defense Ministry said its air defences shot down 376 Ukrainian drones.
"Last night, our drones covered a distance of about 1,000 kilometers to the St. Petersburg region - to the enemy navy's arsenals and a base in Kronstadt," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wrote of the attack on X.
Although no casualties were immediately reported, the renewed attack on St. Petersburg is the latest embarrassing blow to Russian President Vladimir Putin's efforts to cast the conflict as a distant event that doesn't affect Russian daily life.
A Ukrainian drone strike set ablaze an oil terminal in the city and hit a nearby naval base Wednesday, hours before the opening of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, Putin's annual showcase for investment.
Fire at oil refinery in Russia's Tyumen region extinguished, RIA reports
14:23 , Daniel Haygarth
A fire that broke out at the Antipinsky oil refinery, Russia's largest independent oil-processing plant, in Tyumen region has been extinguished, the Russian state news agency RIA Novosti reported on Saturday, citing the regional emergency ministry.
The cause of the fire, which broke out at the refinery earlier on Saturday, was due to "process violations" at one of the purification units, local authorities said, refuting reports that a Ukrainian drone attack was responsible.
The governor of the Tyumen region, Alexander Moor, said via his channel on Telegram that there were no casualties.
In full: Zelensky’s letter to Putin as he calls for face-to-face meeting
14:10 , Dan Haygarth
Volodymyr Zelensky published a letter appealing to Russian president Vladimir Putin for a meeting, while launching a blistering verdict on his 26-year tenure in Moscow.
The message warned it would be misguided to simply await the Trump administration’s renewed focus on ending the conflict in Ukraine while its attention remains heavily directed towards the war in Iran, proposing that Moscow and Kyiv alone take the next steps.
Kyiv is looking to seize the initiative in what is a pivotal moment in the war, with Ukraine beginning to regain some leverage on the battlefield in part due to improved long-range strike capabilities.
Read more:
In full: Zelensky’s letter to Putin as he calls for face-to-face meeting
Zelensky channels spirit of D-Day
13:40 , Dan Haygarth
Today is the 82nd anniversary of D-Day – the Allied landings in Normandy, which significantly hastened the countdown to the Nazis' collapse in World War II. It is one of the most important moments of unity among the defenders of life in human history, and it was less than a year… pic.twitter.com/XGhkptdk1K
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) June 6, 2026
Emergency crews extinguish fires after Russian strikes in Ukraine’s Sumy region
13:19 , Daniel Haygarth
Russia says its troops captured Shevchenko in Ukraine's Kharkiv region, RIA reports
11:33 , Dan Haygarth
The Russian defence ministry said on Saturday that it had captured the settlement of Shevchenko in Ukraine's Kharkiv region, Russian state news agency RIA Novosti reported.
Reuters could not immediately verify the battlefield report, it said.
Full story: Russia threats to UK at highest level since the Cold War, military chief warns
11:12 , Dan Haygarth
The UK is facing the highest level of threat from Russia since the Cold War, the chief of defence staff has said in a chilling warning for the country.
Stressing that Britain faces its “most dangerous period” in decades, Sir Richard Knighton said the country needs to prepare for “longer conflicts” like in Ukraine.
The threat comes as Russia is “definitely raising the stakes and risks crossing a line,” through cyber attacks, assassination attempts, “or trying to smuggle technology and reckless sabotage,” he said.
Read more:
Russia threats to UK at highest level since the Cold War, military chief warns
'It is time to end this war. But Russia’s ruler wants to keep fighting' - Zelensky
09:56 , Dan Haygarth
The Ukrainian president wrote on X on Saturday morning: “It is time to end this war. But Russia’s ruler wants to keep fighting.
“That is why Ukrainian sanctions against this aggression are working. Last night, our drones covered a distance of about 1,000 kilometers to the St. Petersburg region – to the enemy navy’s arsenals and a base in Kronstadt.
“Our long-range sanctions also reached about 500 kilometers into the Krasnodar region – and hit an oil depot.
“These are important results of the joint efforts by warriors from the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the Security Service of Ukraine, and the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine. Russia must end its war and stop its attacks on life.
“Any manifestation of injustice against Ukraine will receive a just response. I thank our warriors for their precision.”
It is time to end this war. But Russia’s ruler wants to keep fighting. That is why Ukrainian sanctions against this aggression are working. Last night, our drones covered a distance of about 1,000 kilometers to the St. Petersburg region – to the enemy navy’s arsenals and a base… pic.twitter.com/IkdN8UE3QD
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) June 6, 2026
Cooper condemns ‘desperate’ Russian sanctions on UK schoolboy and journalists
09:45 , Dan Haygarth
Yvette Cooper condemned Russian sanctions on British media and a 17-year-old schoolboy as “desperate” and “appalling” and said the Government would be stepping up its own measures against Moscow.
Britons including Alexander Browder, a teenager who has conducted research into alleged Moscow-backed cryptocurrency laundering, and The i Paper journalist Richard Holmes have been banned from entering the country.
The foreign secretary said the UK government would “keep building” on its own sanctions targeting Russia as she hit out at the “assault on media freedom”.
She told the Press Association: “I think we’ve seen increasing reckless and desperate escalation from Russia because Ukraine is doing better on the battlefield and keeping them under pressure, but we’ve seen these appalling attacks on civilians by Russia.
“And to sanction journalists – this is an assault on media freedom and just tells you everything you need to know about the oppression of the Russian regime. I just think it is desperate and wrong to sanction a 17-year-old, I just think it is appalling.”
Turkish-flagged fishing boat is attacked in the Black Sea, leaving a sailor dead
09:30 , Namita Singh
A Turkish-flagged fishing boat was attacked and sank off the northern Black Sea coast, leaving one sailor dead and four others wounded, the Turkish Coast Guard said late on Friday.
The Duru 67 was attacked west of Sevastopol in Crimea earlier on Friday, according to a Coast Guard Command statement. The peninsula was illegally seized from Ukraine by Russia and annexed in March 2014. The statement did not provide further details of the attack.
Five injured sailors were rescued by another trawler, the Burak Kaya, but one died on the way back to Turkey.
A Coast Guard vessel carrying a medical team reached the Burak Kaya 115 nautical miles north of Turkey’s Inebolu port and the casualties were placed on board.
After a 15-hour return voyage, the injured were transferred to a hospital in the provincial capital Kastamonu, state-run Anadolu news agency reported. Provincial Health Director Fevzi Yavuzyılmaz said they were suffering shrapnel wounds and one had undergone minor surgery aboard the Coast Guard ship.
“Two of our patients have relatively minor injuries and two have slightly more serious injuries,” he said.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack. The waters off Ukraine have seen regular attacks on shipping since Russia launched a war on Ukraine in February 2022.
In November, the Turkish government condemned Ukrainian drone attacks on two oil tankers in the Black Sea as posing “serious risks to navigation, life, property and environmental safety in the region".
Ukraine targets St Petersburg again after Putin rejects Zelensky's offer for direct talks
09:09 , Namita Singh
Residents of St Petersburg, Russia’s second-largest city, were told not to leave their homes after a “large-scale” Ukrainian drone attack targeted the city on Saturday morning, local officials said, underscoring Kyiv’s growing ability to hit deep inside Russia.
St Petersburg governor Alexander Beglov advised the residents not to go outside and warned of possible disruptions to mobile internet service.
Regional governor Alexander Drozdenko said 141 drones were shot down over the surrounding Leningrad region. Russia’s defence ministry said its air defences shot down 376 Ukrainian drones.
Although no casualties were immediately reported, the renewed attack on St Petersburg strikes a further embarrassing blow to Russian president Vladimir Putin’s efforts to cast the conflict as a distant event that doesn’t affect Russian daily life.
Saturday’s attack follows a Ukrainian drone strike that set ablaze an oil terminal in the city and hit a nearby naval base on Wednesday, hours before the opening of the St Petersburg International Economic Forum, Putin’s annual showcase for investment.
Russia says a drone attack caused fire at oil depot in Krasnodar region
09:00 , Namita Singh
A drone attack caused a fire at an oil depot in the town of Ust-Labinsk in Russia's southern Krasnodar region, local authorities said on Saturday via their Telegram channel.
According to preliminary information, there were no casualties, the authorities said.
Finland says four people suspected in subsea cable breach
08:27 , Namita Singh
Finnish police investigating last year's damage to two subsea telecommunication cables in the Baltic Sea said on Friday that four people are suspected of a crime, and that prosecutors will decide on any charges.
Finland seized the Fitburg cargo ship on 31 December en route from Russia to Israel on suspicion of damaging cables running from Helsinki across the Gulf of Finland to Estonia, one of a string of such incidents in recent years.
Police on Friday said they had investigated suspected aggravated criminal damage, attempted aggravated criminal damage and aggravated interference with telecommunications, and that the case was being referred to prosecutors for possible charges.
"The investigation concluded with four suspects, three of whom remain subject to a travel ban," the police said in a statement.
The Baltic Sea region is on high alert after a string of power cable, telecom link and gas pipeline outages since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, and Nato has boosted its military presence with frigates, aircraft and naval drones.
Fire at Russian oil refinery caused by falling drone debris
08:15 , Adam Withnall
Local authorities in Russia’s Krasnodar region have reported a fire at an oil refinery due to falling drone debris.
Videos circulating online purported to show a major blaze at the Afipsky facility, located about 15km outside Krasnodar city.
Putin's response to meeting proposal shows he does not want to end war, says Zelensky
07:25 , Namita Singh
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said on Friday that Russian leader Vladimir Putin's rejection of his proposal for a meeting to end more than four years of conflict showed that the Kremlin had no wish to end the war.
"Unfortunately, the Russian side is once again choosing war – everyone hear the response. A weak response," Mr Zelensky said in his nightly video address. "I think this response will have disappointed many in the world."
Unfortunately, the Russian side once again chooses war – everyone heard the response today. Weak response. He simply does not want to end the war.
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) June 5, 2026
I think many around the world were disappointed by that response. He does not want to change anything, and he does not want to admit… pic.twitter.com/En6BySTKPP
“He does not want to change anything, and he does not want to admit that this war appeals only to him – and to those who are making money off him. They were all smiling very broadly today.
“That means Russia must have less money, and there must be more pressure on Russia,” he said.
Armenia prepares for an election that could reshape ties with Moscow and the West
07:06 , Namita Singh
Armenia's parliamentary elections on Sunday will be a vote on its geopolitical future as incumbent prime minister Nikol Pashinyan seeks closer relations with the European Union and the United States despite longstanding ties with Russia that have been championed by his critics.
Many analysts favour Mr Pashinyan's Civil Contract party to retain control of the parliament, but with many opposition parties running on pro-Russia platforms, the Caucasus nation's place on the international stage has been thrown into the spotlight.
In the months ahead of the election, Russian president Vladimir Putin and other Russian officials have warned Armenia that joining the EU could come at the expense of massive economic damage by disrupting Armenian trade ties with Moscow and its allies.
“These are the first elections in Armenia’s history where geopolitical orientation has become a decisive issue,” Mikayel Zolyan, an analyst and former member of the Armenian parliament, told the Associated Press from Yerevan.
“Until now, Armenia has remained within Russia’s sphere of influence, and this was taken for granted, but now, for the first time, this is being called into question.”Relations between Moscow and Armenia soured in 2023 after Azerbaijan took control of the entire Karabakh region.
The mountainous region had been controlled for decades by ethnic Armenian forces backed by Armenia, part of a long conflict between the neighbouring countries.
Armenian authorities accused Russian peacekeepers deployed to the region of failing to stop Azerbaijan’s onslaught. Moscow, busy with the conflict in Ukraine, has rejected the accusations, arguing its troops didn’t have a mandate to intervene.
“It turned out that Russia’s image as a guarantor of Armenian security was not based in reality, and it all collapsed after the Karabakh war,” said Alexander Iskandaryan, director of the Caucasus Institute in Yerevan.
Mr Pashinyan has begun cautiously weakening ties with Moscow, joining the International Criminal Court in 2023 and suspending its participation in the Moscow-dominated Collective Security Treaty Organisation in 2024.
Montenegro is ‘within reach’ of joining the EU by 2028, von der Leyen says after Balkans summit
06:40 , Namita Singh
Montenegro is on track to become a member of the European Union by 2028, the bloc's leaders and the Balkan country's president said on Friday following a summit focused on expanding the EU to include other countries in the region.
Ukraine and Moldova are also among about 10 countries aspiring to join the bloc, while Iceland will hold a referendum in August on whether to apply.
Leaders from across the EU were joined by their Western Balkan counterparts in Montenegro's Adriatic Sea coastal town of Tivat, where they discussed the bloc's enlargement into a region seen as a key area in countering security and economic threats posed by Russia and China.
The summit brought together leaders including president Emmanuel Macron of France and German chancellor Friedrich Merz, European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen as well as the heads of Balkan candidate countries.
High on the agenda was Montenegro's EU accession, a process that is approaching its final stages and which von der Leyen said Friday was “within reach."“If I had to sum up this summit in two words, they would be determination and confidence,” Ms von der Leyen told a news conference.
“Confidence that our union will grow in the years ahead.”
The EU has already formed a working group to draft an accession treaty for Montenegro, whose president, Jakov Milatovic, said the summit had given him “even greater confidence” that his country will fulfill its aim of joining the EU by 2028.
Romania deploys helicopters to search for more drones as 1,300 people evacuated
05:56 , Namita Singh
Raed Arafat, the head of Romania's Department for Emergency Situations, told a news conference on Friday morning that helicopters had been deployed to search for more drones and that the authorities had issued text message alerts to residents.
The measure came after a Ukrainian maritime drone used against Russia exploded at a black sea port in Romania.
“There is a possibility that there may be other drones,” he said.
“We are not panicking. These are preventive measures. If there are other drones, we want to make sure there is not another explosion in an area where people are not evacuated.”
After the port explosion, more than 1,300 people were evacuated from several Black Sea beaches and the routes leading to them were temporarily blocked. Just before 3pm, the emergency authorities announced they had suspended evacuation measures.
A Ukrainian maritime drone explodes at a Romanian Black Sea port
05:43 , Namita Singh
A Ukrainian maritime drone that was being used in the country's war against Russia exploded on Friday at a Black Sea port in Romania, while three other sea drones exploded outside the port, Romanian authorities said. No one was injured.
The drone that self-detonated in the port of Constanta exploded at around 10.30am, after the area had been secured and isolated by the Romanian intelligence service, coast guard and the defence ministry, authorities said.
“Immediately after identifying the drone, the Ministry of Defence contacted its Ukrainian counterparts, who confirmed that they had lost control of the operation of four drones,” the Romanian government said in a statement. “The other three drones self-detonated – two offshore and the third outside the port.”
“Confirmation of these events came from both the Ukrainian side and from data obtained by the Romanian authorities,” it added.
Romanian president Nicusor Dan said in a statement online that the Ukrainian forces “lost control of the assets as a result of electronic warfare actions by Russia," likely jamming, and that the drone's incursion into “Romanian sovereign space is a direct consequence of the war waged by Russia” against Ukraine.
The Ukrainian Navy confirmed in a statement that it had lost control of an unmanned naval boat “while performing tasks in the Black Sea operational zone,” and that its military was in contact with Romanian authorities “to prevent losses among the civilian population”.
Zelensky says Putin’s response to meeting proposal shows he does not want to end war
05:34 , Namita Singh
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said on Friday that Russian leader Vladimir Putin's rejection of his proposal for a meeting to end more than four years of conflict showed that the Kremlin had no wish to end the war.
"Unfortunately, the Russian side is once again choosing war – everyone hear the response. A weak response," Mr Zelensky said in his nightly video address.
"I think this response will have disappointed many in the world."
How significant is Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant
05:19 , Namita Singh
The Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant is Europe's largest with six reactors. Seized by Russian troops in the early weeks of Moscow's invasion of Ukraine, each side has since accused the other of undertaking military actions to compromise nuclear safety.
The plant's Russian-installed management accused Ukraine on Thursday of deploying more than 20 drones to attack a nearby thermal plant vital to supplying the facility with external power.
The plant generates no electricity, but needs external power to ensure that nuclear fuel at the site does not overheat.
The latest ceasefire was the sixth negotiated since late last year to carry out repairs to the power lines. In its statement, the IAEA said the plant's second external power line was also down following attacks on two electrical substations located on the opposite bank of the Dnipro River from the nuclear plant.
The facility was relying on diesel generators as it did for a month last year in similar circumstances.
Russia's Rosatom says Ukrainian drone hit engineers demining areas around Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant
05:05 , Namita Singh
Russia's nuclear energy corporation Rosatom yesterday said that a Ukrainian drone had deliberately struck engineers demining an area around the Russian-held Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station, injuring at least three people.
Rosatom said the incident occurred at the start of a ceasefire around the plant, brokered by the UN's nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, to restore the main external power line to the plant.
"The strike was clearly calculated," Rosatom head Alexei Likachev said in comments posted on social media. "Three of our engineers were injured. Two are in serious condition."
"The international community must know of the continuing attempts to inflict maximum damage on the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, on the personnel responsible for ensuring its safety... despite the agreements that have been reached."
In a separate statement, Rosatom said five people were hurt.
The IAEA said it had been informed of the incident by the plant's Russia-installed management, and its director general Rafael Grossi, writing on X, called for maximum military restraint and full adherence to the ceasefire.
There was no immediate comment from Ukraine.
Putin says he is 'grateful' to Trump but sees no reason to meet Zelensky
04:44 , Namita Singh
Russian president Vladimir Putin said on Friday he currently saw no reason to meet Volodymyr Zelensky after the Ukrainian president published an open letter proposing they hold face-to-face talks to agree an end to the war.
In his letter, which was sent to other countries, including the United States, Mr Zelensky said the majority of Russians had grown tired of Ukrainian missile and drone attacks, high inflation and fuel shortages, and were ready for peace.
He also suggested that continuing the war could threaten Mr Putin's own position, saying that history had shown that when Russia got tired change followed.
Speaking at an annual economic forum in St Petersburg, Mr Putin said the letter did not come across as a sincere offer to hold talks.
"This letter contains some rather rude remarks. Was it a way to create the conditions for a face-to-face meeting or a way not to set up a face-to-face meeting? I think it was the latter," said Mr Putin.
Asked whether he would meet Mr Zelensky, Mr Putin was blunt: "I don’t see the point in meeting; the only point is for the Ukrainian side to halt the advance of our armed forces.
But we need agreements – not for six months, not for three months, but for the long term.
"In the open letter, "he mentioned my age, but the main thing is not an age, but ability to work," said Mr Putin.
"I don't understand why Ukraine does not want to see the Trump administration as a guarantor of peace talks,” he added. "I am grateful to Donald, but there is some work to do."
Putin held 'friendly one-on-one meeting' with Germany's Schroeder, Kremlin says
04:15 , Namita Singh
Russian president Vladimir Putin held a one-on-one meeting with former German chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, which was "good and friendly," Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov was quoted as saying yesterday by Russian news agencies.
"The discussion was friendly. It was in the form of a tete-a-tete, one on one," the agencies quoted Mr Ushakov as saying.
"I honestly don't know any of the details. It took place in Moscow, in the Kremlin."In his comments to journalists, Mr Ushakov said Russian officials were engaged in numerous informal contacts.
"I can well imagine that there are a lot of informal contacts and we simply don't know about them," the agencies quoted him as saying. Mr Schroeder was the German Chancellor from 1998 to 2005, when his Social Democratic Party was voted out of office.
He subsequently worked for Russian state companies and cultivated a close relationship with Mr Putin. The Russian president last month suggested that he would be willing to negotiate new security arrangements for Europe, with Mr Schroeder as his preferred partner.
But EU foreign ministers at a meeting in Brussels rejected any role for Mr Schroeder, with the EU's foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas saying that would allow the former chancellor to "be sitting on both sides of the table".
Mr Ushakov said he made no public statements about his own informal contacts, including with the special US envoys dealing with the conflict in Ukraine – Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, president Donald Trump's son-in-law.
He noted that US diplomacy was focused on events in Iran, but said a forthcoming visit by Mr Witkoff and Mr Kushner to Moscow was "being prepared, but the dates have not been agreed”.
Five dead in Russian attacks in Ukraine’s southern Kherson region
04:04 , Namita Singh
At least five people were killed in Russian attacks on Ukraine's southern Kherson region in three separate incidents on Friday, the regional governor said.
Oleksandr Prokudin, writing on Telegram, said a strike on a district of the region's main city, also called Kherson, killed three people in their 70s and 80s whose bodies were found in damaged homes.
An attack on a petrol station north of the city killed one person and injured seven, Mr Prokudin said. A drone strike in the evening killed a man in a village, also north of Kherson. Kherson is one of four regions Russia claimed to have illegally annexed in its entirety six months after its 2022 invasion.
Russian forces overran much of the region in the early stages of the invasion, but Ukrainian forces recaptured stretches of territory, including the city of Kherson. Ukrainian-held areas come under frequent Russian attack.
Over the border in Russia's western Belgorod Region, a frequent Ukrainian target, a Ukrainian drone struck a car near the border, killing the driver, local officials said.
The reports could not be independently verified. Russia and Ukraine deny deliberately targeting civilians.
I have spent 26 years studying Vladimir Putin – this is why I think he’s about to crack
03:00 , Alex Croft
As his number one foreign enemy, I have spent 26 years studying Vladimir Putin, and in that time I have learned one thing about him above all others: whenever he is in trouble at home, he starts a war abroad. It has worked every time. It is not working now, and a frightened Putin is a far more dangerous creature than a confident one.
Look at the polling. Putin’s approval rating fell by 12.2 percentage points between late December and late April, reaching 65.6 per cent – the lowest level recorded since the start of Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine, according to Russia’s state-controlled polling agency VTsIOM. That was such a sharp decline that the Kremlin’s favourite pollster announced on 15 May that it was changing the methodology with which it conducted its polls. Naturally, they then rose slightly. But it shows his favourite trick is a busted flush.
Bill Browder writes:
I have spent 26 years studying Putin – and I think he’s about to crack
Watch: US House passes bill to aid Ukraine and impose new sanctions on Russia
02:01 , Alex Croft
Recap: US House backs Russia sanctions and Ukraine aid
01:00 , Alex Croft
The US House of Representatives passed legislation on Thursday to provide aid to Ukraine and impose new sanctions on Russia, the latest sign that some Republicans are willing to defy party leaders and push back against president Donald Trump.
The House voted 226 to 195 for the Ukraine Support Act, which reached the floor after languishing for months. A handful of Republicans joined Democrats in signing a discharge petition to force the vote.
On Thursday, 18 Republicans and one independent who normally votes with them joined Democrats to pass the bill. It was the latest sign of a crack in what had been virtually unanimous support among members of Trump's party for his policies.
Passage came a day after a smaller group of House Republicans joined Democrats to pass a resolution that would force the withdrawal of troops from hostilities with Iran unless Congress declares war or orders the use of military force.
EU considers limiting protection for Ukrainian men of fighting age
Saturday 6 June 2026 00:00 , Alex Croft
EU ministers have broadly supported a proposal to limit access to temporary protection for Ukrainian men of military age, Sweden's migration minister said.
The European Union activated the Temporary Protection Directive after Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine to manage large-scale arrivals of displaced people.
The scheme, which has been extended three times and is due to expire in March 2027, grants beneficiaries residence permits, access to the labour market and social welfare.
Swedish migration minister Johan Forssell said his country was in favour of the proposal which was discussed at a Justice and Home Affairs meeting in Luxembourg. Any restrictions should apply only to new arrivals seeking temporary protection status, not to those already covered by the scheme, he added.
“It is essential for us to provide Ukrainians with protection, but at the same time the war needs to be fought and won. For that to happen, it is essential that more men stay in Ukraine and fight," Forssell said ahead of the meeting.
The European Commission would need to propose any extension or modification of the scheme, which must then be approved by EU countries.
More than 4.33 million people who have fled Ukraine currently benefit from the directive, according to Eurostat data. Germany hosts the largest share of Ukrainians under the scheme, about 29 per cent of the EU total, followed by Poland and Czechia, Eurostat data showed.
