At least 140 flights have been cancelled and Moscow’s major airports were closed after Ukraine launched a drone strike on Russia.
The four major airports serving the capital were disrupted and more than 130 flights also had to be redirected, according to Russia’s Association of Tour Operators.
More than 230 Ukrainian drones were downed over Russia since Saturday morning, including 27 over the capital, according to the Russian defence ministry.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has offered Vladimir Putin fresh peace talks after weeks of relentless Russian missile attacks.
Mr Zelensky offered Moscow another round of ceasefire negotiations for next week, saying he wanted to speed up ending the conflict.
On Sunday, a Kremlin spokesperson said Vladimir Putin is ready to move toward a peace settlement, but added that Moscow's main objective is to achieve its goals.
It comes after weeks of relentless Russian strikes on Ukraine, including over 300 drones and 30 missiles launched on Friday night.
“Everything should be done to achieve a ceasefire,” Mr Zelensky said in his evening address to the nation. “The Russian side should stop hiding from decisions.”
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Key Points
- Up to 140 flights cancelled and Moscow airports closed after drone attacks
- Zelensky offers Russia fresh peace talks
- Kremlin says Putin is ready to discuss peace in Ukraine
- Russian forces capture another village in eastern Ukraine
- Flights suspended as Ukraine attacks Moscow
Putin ‘open to peace’ despite intensifying bombardment of Ukraine
Sunday 20 July 2025 23:53
,
Alexander Butler
Analysis: How Ukraine’s drone-infested front is slowing Russia’s advance
Sunday 20 July 2025 21:01
,
Athena Stavrou
Latest pictures from Ukraine
Sunday 20 July 2025 20:20
,
Athena Stavrou
Watch: Aftermath of Russia's deadly mass drone attack in Odesa
Sunday 20 July 2025 19:39
,
Athena Stavrou
ICYMI: The Independent UK sanctions Russian spies who ‘targeted Britain in sustained campaign’
Sunday 20 July 2025 18:51
,
Athena Stavrou
Pictured: Russian troops train in undisclosed location in Ukraine
Sunday 20 July 2025 18:02
,
Athena Stavrou
Up to 140 flights cancelled and Moscow airports closed after drone attacks
Sunday 20 July 2025 17:40
,
Alexander Butler
At least 140 flights have been cancelled and Moscow’s major airports were closed after Ukraine launched a drone strike on Russia.
The four major airports serving the capital were disrupted and more than 130 flights also had to be redirected, according to Russia’s Association of Tour Operators.
More than 230 Ukrainian drones were downed over Russia since Saturday morning, including 27 over the capital, according to the Russian defence ministry.
Tsunami warning lifted after two large earthquakes strike off coast of Russia
Sunday 20 July 2025 17:11
,
Athena Stavrou
A tsunami warning has been lifted for Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula after two earthquakes struck in the sea nearby on Sunday.
The earthquake struck off the east coast of Kamchatka at a depth of 10 km, shortly after a previous quake, according to the German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ) data.
Waves of up to 60 cm had been expected to reach several parts of the region, including the capital, Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky
But Russia's state-run TASS news agency later reported that a tsunami warning for Kamchatka was also lifted, citing local emergency services.
Zelensky shares military update
Sunday 20 July 2025 16:28
,
Athena Stavrou
In his latest post on social media, Volodymyr Zelensky shared an update from the Ukrainian military’s commander-in-chief Oleksandr Syrskyi.
He said Ukraine continues to target “Russian sabotage groups” in the Pokrovsk region.
He wrote: “Russia’s tactics remain the same — they are attempting to seize new positions using small groups. Ukrainian units are employing all necessary means to detect and neutralize such enemy activity.”
He also thanked forces in the border areas of the Sumy region and the effectiveness of Ukraine’s long-range strikes.
I received a report from Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi. Our forces continue to eliminate Russian sabotage groups in the Pokrovsk and other directions. Russia’s tactics remain the same — they are attempting to seize new positions using small groups. Ukrainian units are…
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) July 20, 2025
Putin meets top Iranian adviser
Sunday 20 July 2025 15:42
,
Athena Stavrou
Vladimir Putin held a meeting on Sunday with Ali Larijani, a senior adviser to Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
The meeting was reported by the Russian state-run RIA news agency, citing Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.
The two discussed the escalating situation in the Middle East and issues surrounding Iran's nuclear programme.
Putin reaffirmed Russia's position in favour of stabilising the region and pursuing a political resolution to matters related to Iran's nuclear activities, Peskov said.
Boris Johnson 'sad at lack of British interest' in Ukraine
Sunday 20 July 2025 15:02
,
Athena Stavrou
Boris Johnson has said he is “quite sad” about a lack of British interest in Ukraine.
The former prime minister made the comments at an event for Ukrainian veterans at Ukraine’s embassy in London embassy this week.
He told The Telegraph: “The interest in Ukraine and the appetite is so low nowadays. I find it quite sad.
“I mean, it sort of comes and goes, but it’s number one for me. Number one.”
He added: “Britain continues to be very important in this. But if you talk to some of my Ukrainian friends, they’ll say that perhaps we’re not in quite the leadership, the thought leadership, role that we were.
“There are a lot of domestic issues that are very difficult right now, and you can see why they’re distracted, but I think this is a big opportunity for Britain.”
Yulia Svyrydenko: Ukraine’s new prime minister who masterminded key Trump deal
Sunday 20 July 2025 14:18
,
Athena Stavrou
Video: Aftermath of Russia's deadly mass drone attack in Odesa
Sunday 20 July 2025 13:38
,
Athena Stavrou
What are Patriot missiles and why does Ukraine need them?
Sunday 20 July 2025 12:59
,
Athena Stavrou
Recap: We see what you are doing, Lammy warns Kremlin
Sunday 20 July 2025 12:17
,
Athena Stavrou
The UK has sanctioned a string of Russian spies and hackers, accusing them of carrying out a campaign to “destabilise Europe”.
Foreign Secretary David Lammy said: “GRU spies are running a campaign to destabilise Europe, undermine Ukraine’s sovereignty and threaten the safety of British citizens.
“The Kremlin should be in no doubt: we see what they are trying to do in the shadows and we won’t tolerate it. That’s why we’re taking decisive action with sanctions against Russian spies.”
Latest pictures from Ukraine
Sunday 20 July 2025 11:40
,
Athena Stavrou
Russian forces capture another village in eastern Ukraine - reports
Sunday 20 July 2025 10:59
,
Athena Stavrou
Russian forces have taken control of the village of Bila Hora in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region.
The state-run RIA news agency reported on Sunday citing the Russian defence ministry.
Reuters could not independently verify the battlefield report.
Over 100 flights redirected from Moscow airports
Sunday 20 July 2025 10:27
,
Athena Stavrou
Russia's defence ministry has said it had downed 142 drones overnight, including 27 over the Moscow region.
According to Russia's aviation watchdog Rosaviatsia, four major airports serving Moscow - Sheremetyevo, Vnukovo, Domodedovo and Zhukovskiy - were affected, resulting in 134 flights being redirected.
By 10am Moscow time, only two airports remained closed to air traffic - Vnukovo in the Moscow region and Grabtsevo in the Kaluga region.
Kremlin says Putin is ready to discuss peace in Ukraine
Sunday 20 July 2025 10:07
,
Athena Stavrou
Vladimir Putin is ready to move toward a peace settlement for Ukraine, a Kremlin spokesperson said on Sunday.
Dmitry Peskov told state television Putin’s position in a clip published on Sunday, a day after Volodymyr Zelensky sent Moscow an offer to hold another round of peace talks next week.
But Peskov added that Moscow's main objective is to achieve its goals.
He said that the world was now accustomed to US President Donald Trump's sometimes "harsh" rhetoric but pointed out that Trump had also underscored in comments on Russia that he would continue to search for a peace deal.
"President Putin has repeatedly spoken of his desire to bring the Ukrainian settlement to a peaceful conclusion as soon as possible. This is a long process, it requires effort, and it is not easy," Peskov said told state television reporter Pavel Zarubin.
"The main thing for us is to achieve our goals. Our goals are clear," Peskov said
Russia downs 142 Ukrainian drones overnight
Sunday 20 July 2025 09:36
,
Athena Stavrou
Russia's defence ministry has said it had downed 142 drones overnight, including 27 over the Moscow region.
The drones were reportedly shot down over a number regions in the European part of Russia, as well as over the Black Sea.
The latest attacks included four drones headed toward the Russian capital, which were downed on Sunday morning, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said on Telegram.
Tsunami warning issued after two large earthquakes strike off coast of Russia
Sunday 20 July 2025 08:52
,
Athena Stavrou
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center has issued a warning for Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula after two quakes struck in the sea nearby on Sunday.
The larger quake with a magnitude of 7.4 was at a depth of 12 miles and was 89 miles east of the city of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, which has a population of 180,000.
A few minutes earlier, a quake with a magnitude of 6.7 was recorded nearby.
Analysis: How Ukraine’s drone-infested front is slowing Russia’s advance
Sunday 20 July 2025 08:17
,
Athena Stavrou
Zelensky offers Russia more talks next week - recap
Sunday 20 July 2025 07:47
,
Athena Stavrou
Volodymyr Zelensky has sent Moscow an offer to hold another round of peace talks next week.
The Ukrainian president has said that he wanted to speed up negotiations for a ceasefire.
Ukraine and Russia have held two rounds of talks in Istanbul over the past five months. They have agreed to swap prisoners but made no breakthroughs in ending almost three and a half years of conflict that started with Russia's 2022 invasion.
"Everything should be done to achieve a ceasefire," Zelenskiy said in his evening address to the nation. "The Russian side should stop hiding from decisions," he added.
The president said Rustem Umerov, who headed the Ukrainian delegation at both talks in Istanbul, had sent the Russian side the offer to hold the meeting next week, but gave no more details.
Person killed following Russian drone attack on Ukrainian city
Sunday 20 July 2025 06:46
,
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
In pics: Aftermath of recent shelling in Donetsk
Sunday 20 July 2025 06:01
,
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Two killed in Russian attack on Dnipropetrovsk
Sunday 20 July 2025 05:23
,
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
At least two people were killed in Russian attack on Ukraine's Dnipropetrovsk region.
Russia launched its biggest ever attack on the eastern Ukrainian city of Pavlohrad yesterday, regional governor Sergiy Lysak said.
The airstrike destroyed “an outpatient clinic, a school and a cultural institution” in the Vasylkivska township, he added.
Flights suspended as Ukraine attacks Moscow
Sunday 20 July 2025 04:54
,
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Russian air defence systems shot down three drones en route to Moscow last evening, city mayor Sergei Sobyanin said on Telegram.
Two Moscow airports - Vnukovo and Domodedovo - suspended arrivals and departures for safety reasons but later resumed operations, Russian aviation watchdog Rosaviatsia said.
The Russian defence ministry said its air defence systems intercepted and destroyed 27 Ukrainian drones in total from 3 pm to 7pm local time, including four over Moscow region, 15 over Bryansk region, six over Kaluga region and two over Tula.
Minister accuses Russia of deporting Ukrainians
Sunday 20 July 2025 04:32
,
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Ukraine's foreign minister has accused Russia of deporting Ukrainian citizens into Georgia and leaving them stranded without proper identification.
Andrii Sybiha said Moscow has escalated the practice of expelling Ukrainians — many of whom are former prisoners — across its southern border with Georgia, instead of returning them directly to Ukraine.
"Dozens of people, many of whom lack proper documentation, have been stuck in the transit zone," he wrote on X.
Russia pounds Ukraine with over 300 drones
Sunday 20 July 2025 04:10
,
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Russia launched a massive attack on Ukraine with hundreds of drones, killing at least one person, part of a stepped-up bombing campaign that has dashed hopes for a breakthrough in efforts to end the more than three-year-old war.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky posted on X that Russia fired over 300 drones, along with more than 30 cruise missiles.
One person died in the Black Sea port city of Odesa, which was hit with more than 20 drones and a missile, mayor Hennadii Trukhanov wrote on Telegram, while five people were rescued when a fire broke out in a residential high-rise building.
According to Mr Zelensky, six other people were wounded in the attack on Odesa, including a child, and critical infrastructure was damaged in Ukraine's northeastern Sumy region.
Recap: We see what you are doing, Lammy warns Kremlin
Sunday 20 July 2025 03:00
,
Alexander Butler
The UK has sanctioned a string of Russian spies and hackers, accusing them of carrying out a campaign to “destabilise Europe”.
Foreign Secretary David Lammy said: “GRU spies are running a campaign to destabilise Europe, undermine Ukraine’s sovereignty and threaten the safety of British citizens.
“The Kremlin should be in no doubt: we see what they are trying to do in the shadows and we won’t tolerate it. That’s why we’re taking decisive action with sanctions against Russian spies.”
What are Patriot missiles and why does Ukraine need them?
Sunday 20 July 2025 02:00
,
Alexander Butler
Watch: Aftermath of Russia's deadly mass drone attack in Odesa
Sunday 20 July 2025 23:55
,
Alexander Butler
Yulia Svyrydenko: Ukraine’s new prime minister who masterminded key Trump deal
Sunday 20 July 2025 01:00
,
Alexander Butler
How the EU aims to put the squeeze on the Russian economy with new sanctions package
Sunday 20 July 2025 00:01
,
Alexander Butler
Recap: Russia launches 'hellish' six-hour bombardment on Ukrainian city
Saturday 19 July 2025 23:00
,
Alexander Butler
Russia launched a “hellish” aerial attack on the eastern Ukrainian city of Pavlohrad overnight.
The head of the Dnipropetrovsk region, Sergey Lysak, said the city had been bombarded for six-hours with a factory, fire station and five-storey residential building hit.
“A hellish night and morning for Pavlohrad. The most intense attack on the city. Explosion after explosion. Russian terrorists targeted it with missiles and drones,” he said.
It was one of a number of cities across the country that were targeted by Russian drones overnight. In the city of Odesa, one person was killed.
Analysis: How Ukraine’s drone-infested front is slowing Russia’s advance
Saturday 19 July 2025 22:00
,
Alexander Butler
Ukraine war veterans to be ringside for Usyk’s heavyweight fight at Wembley Stadium
Saturday 19 July 2025 21:00
,
Athena Stavrou
Zelensky offers Russia fresh peace talks
Saturday 19 July 2025 20:45
,
Alexander Butler
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Saturday that Kyiv has sent Moscow an offer to hold another round of peace talks next week, and that he wanted to speed up negotiations for a ceasefire.
Ukraine and Russia have held two rounds of talks in Istanbul over the past five months. They have agreed to swap prisoners but made no breakthroughs in ending almost three and a half years of conflict that started with Russia's 2022 invasion.
“Everything should be done to achieve a ceasefire,” Mr Zelensky said in his evening address to the nation. “The Russian side should stop hiding from decisions,” he added.
The president said Rustem Umerov, who headed the Ukrainian delegation at both talks in Istanbul, had sent the Russian side the offer to hold the meeting next week, but gave no more details.
Umerov, a former defence minister, was appointed last week as the head of the National Security and Defence Council and tasked with adding more momentum to the negotiations.
Russia has been pressing a grinding offensive along the eastern front in Ukraine's Donetsk region. It has repeatedly said it is ready for a new round of talks but has not backed down from what Kyiv and its allies describe as its maximalist war aims.
US President Donald Trump, who has sharpened his tone against Russia in recent weeks amid worsening air strikes on Ukrainian cities, threatened harsher sanctions on Russia earlier this month if a peace deal was not reached within 50 days.
In pics: People take shelter inside a metro station during a Russian drone strike
Saturday 19 July 2025 20:28
,
Athena Stavrou
Watch: Zelensky thanks Trump after US president threatens Putin with sanctions if no peace in Ukraine in 50 days
Saturday 19 July 2025 19:42
,
Athena Stavrou
Analysis: How Ukraine’s drone-infested front is slowing Russia’s advance
Saturday 19 July 2025 19:01
,
Athena Stavrou
