Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has accused the US of being unwilling to help Ukraine defend itself after a Russian bomb attack on two passenger buses killed at least 35 people.
The attack, which struck public buses in the embattled city of Kramatorsk, came amid a wave of Russian strikes across Ukraine that killed 78 people and injured 215 over two days, according to Zelensky.
Speaking to reporters in Pryluky, the Ukrainian leader criticised Washington for pursuing economic ties with Moscow while attempting to broker an end to the war, now in its fifth year.
He urged the US to expand Ukraine’s access to the Starlink satellite service to help its forces target Russian ballistic missile launchers.
“Open Starlink for Ukraine. You did open it when you were responding to Iran ... I’ve said quite openly – give it to us, help us defend our skies and dominate there. And then Putin will sit down at the negotiating table,” he said.
It comes as Ukrainian negotiators will travel to the US on Friday and Saturday for talks, Zelensky added, urging Donald Trump to increase sanction pressure on Russia.
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Key Points
- Zelensky calls for US to expand Starlink access after deadly bus strikes
- At least 33 dead in Russian glide bomb attack on two civilian buses
- Russia's largest search engine targeted in 'first major data centre strike by Kyiv'
- At least 25 killed in Ukraine as Zelensky condemns one of Russia's most 'vile strikes'
- People shelter overnight in Kyiv metro
- Russia says forces struck ship carrying cargo for Ukrainian military
- Bulgaria halts rescue operation for crew of sunken ship
Zelensky calls for US to expand Starlink access after deadly bus strikes
04:12 , Shweta SharmaVolodymyr Zelensky urged the US to accede to his request to expand Ukraine’s access to its Starlink satellite service in order to better target Russian ballistic missile launchers, after Moscow launched one of the deadliest single aerial attacks of the war so far.
Speaking to reporters in Pryluky in the east of Kyiv, he said: “Open Starlink for Ukraine. You did open it when you were responding to Iran ... I’ve said quite openly – give it to us, help us defend our skies and dominate there. And then Putin will sit down at the negotiating table.”
At least 30 people were killed in a Russian glide bomb attack on two civilian buses in the eastern Ukrainian city of Kramatorsk, rescue officials said.
Three others were killed in the nearby village of Bilenke, while 18 people were wounded, according to Donetsk regional governor Vadym Filashkin, who accused Russia of deliberately targeting passenger buses to maximise civilian casualties.
Two dead in drone strikes in Russia's Belgorod region, officials say
03:00 , Alex RossTwo people were killed in Ukrainian drone strikes on Thursday in Russia's border region of Belgorod, regional officials said.
The regional operational headquarters reported one person died when a drone struck a car.
A later evening strike killed one person and injured three.
Reuters could not independently verify the reports.
Belgorod region has been a frequent target of Ukraine's forces.
Indian imports of Russian oil sink to lowest level since 2022
02:00 , Daniel KeaneIndian imports of Russian oil have their lowest level since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in 2022, according to a report.
In the four weeks up to 4 October, shipments of Russian rude averaged just 310,000 barrels a day, Bloomberg data showed. This is the lowest level since March 2022.
India has gradually reduced its dependence on Russian oil since the US threatened punitive sanctions earlier this year.
Zelensky says Ukraine expects Europeans to join talks with US
01:00 , Alex RossVolodymyr Zelensky said that Ukraine expected Kyiv's European partners to join talks with the US in coming days.
Zelenskiy earlier said that Ukraine's negotiators would hold talks in the United States on Friday and Saturday as part of efforts led by the United States to seek a settlement of the war with Russia.
The president, speaking to reporters in Kyiv, said Ukrainian negotiators would raise the issue of air defences in light of near-constant Russian attacks on Ukrainian cities. More than 70 have been killed in strikes over the past two days.
Zelenskiy also said Ukraine had "mirrored" Russian attacks on data centres, referring to a strike on a centre operated by Russian technology company Yandex.
"We always respond in mirror-like fashion," Zelenskiy said. "You all know, they have been hitting and continue to hit our data centres. We are responding. I can't share all the details."
Russian technology and AI company Yandex said on Thursday it could not yet determine whether equipment at a data centre hit by a Ukrainian drone attack could be restored.
Russian drone strike on Kramatorsk kills two, local authorities say
Friday 9 October 2026 00:01 , Alex RossA new evening drone strike on the eastern Ukrainian city of Kramatorsk killed two people on Thursday, local authorities said.
The Kramatorsk city council, in a post on Telegram, said the drone struck a car, killing two people inside. It said a total of 35 people had been killed in the city after a bomb attack tore through two buses.
Russia agrees with Rubio that Ukraine conflict is in a stalemate
Thursday 8 October 2026 22:55 , Alex RossKremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov was quoted as saying on Thursday that Russia agreed with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio that the Ukraine conflict was in a stalemate.
"Yes, we agree with him," Russian news agencies quoted Peskov as saying on the sidelines of a meeting of leaders of ex-Soviet states in Turkmenistan.
State news agency RIA quoted Peskov as saying it was up to diplomats to find ways of moving towards peace.
"The art of diplomacy precisely involves finding some way out that would allow moving onto a peaceful track," Peskov was quoted as saying.
US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner will meet Ukrainian representatives on Friday in Miami to discuss new ideas and try to produce a unified proposal for resolving the war, an American source familiar with the plan said on Thursday.
Peskov was quoted as saying he saw no immediate prospect for a three-way summit between Putin, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky and US President Donald Trump.
He restated the Kremlin's position that Russia wanted an overall solution to the conflict and was not interested in temporary measures, like a limited ceasefire.
"We are not for a fragmented solution, we are for a comprehensive solution that will allow for sustainable settlement for many, many years, for decades," the agencies quoted him as saying.
The crippling effect we’re all feeling from the deadlock in Ukraine’s war with Russia
Thursday 8 October 2026 22:00 , James C. ReynoldsTwo of the world’s largest exporters of grain, locked in war for more than four years, have seen exports plunge even further over the last year. Prolonged conflict around the Black Sea threatens both economies - and those most in need, writes James C. Reynolds.
The crippling effect we’re all feeling from the deadlock in Ukraine’s war with Russia
Rubio claims war in Ukraine is 'at dangerous stalemate'
Thursday 8 October 2026 21:00 , Daniel KeaneUS Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Thursday that Russia's war in Ukraine is at a dangerous stalemate and the United States will continue to try to facilitate a settlement to end the conflict.
"We'd love to see a negotiated settlement to this war that is permanent, enduring, and fair," Rubio told reporters during a visit to Portugal.
Pictured: Miliband visits Ukraine to meet Zelensky
Thursday 8 October 2026 20:00 , Daniel Keane
Why North Korea is at the heart of South Korea’s strange rift with Ukraine
Thursday 8 October 2026 19:00 , Shweta SharmaThe unusual public confrontation between Ukraine and South Korea has raised questions about how relations between two nations facing the consequences of growing Russian-North Korean military cooperation deteriorated so sharply, Shweta Sharma reports.
Why North Korea is at the heart of South Korea’s strange rift with Ukraine
Drone attacks industrial zone in Russia's Omsk region, governor says
Thursday 8 October 2026 18:00 , Daniel KeaneAn industrial zone was hit by a drone in Russia's Omsk region, Vitaly Khotsenko, the region's governor, said on Thursday, without providing details.
Ukraine, under heavy missile and drone attack from Russia, is waging its own campaign of long-distance drone strikes against military, energy and commercial targets in a bid to raise the cost to Moscow of continuing the war.
The Omsk region, which is in Siberia, hosts an oil refinery operated by Gazpromneft.
Full story: UK welcome to rejoin EU ‘anytime’, French finance minister says as Burnham visits Berlin
Thursday 8 October 2026 17:00 , Maira ButtFrance’s finance minister said the UK would be welcome to rejoin the EU “anytime”, as Andy Burnham visits Berlin after suggesting a return to the bloc could be possible.
Alongside his first face-to-face talks with German chancellor Friedrich Merz, the leaders have established a joint UK-Germany security framework aimed at countering cyber attacks, sabotage and other hybrid threats from hostile foreign actors, particularly Russia.
The strategic agreement will see both countries share intelligence and coordinate action to monitor, deter and disrupt potential dangers, while building greater resilience around critical national infrastructure.
UK welcome to rejoin EU ‘anytime’, French minister says as Burnham visits Berlin
Ukraine grapples with a shortage of troops at the front after over 4 years of war
Thursday 8 October 2026 16:30 , Maira ButtUkraine’s advances in drone technology and tactics have captured the world’s attention. Despite those innovations, one problem has plagued the country since the start of Russia’s invasion: a shortage of combat-ready troops.
Ukraine always has been outmanned by Russia, but as the war drags through its fifth year, the need for personnel is increasingly acute, commanders and analysts say, with some units at only half strength. There just aren't enough forces to fully exploit the battlefield advantages resulting from the drone innovations.
“Based on the equipment and the number of people we have today, we barely have enough to hold the sector we currently have," said a deputy commander of the Da Vinci Wolves battalion in eastern Ukraine's Pokrovsk area, a focus of Russia’s offensive.
South Korea to recall its ambassador to Ukraine over North Korean POW dispute
Thursday 8 October 2026 16:00 , Maira ButtSouth Korea said Thursday it will recall its ambassador to Ukraine, stepping up its protest against Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s recent revelation of a supposedly secret transfer of two North Korean prisoners of war to South Korea.
The South Korean announcement came days after its President Lee Jae Myung threatened to take unspecified punitive steps if Ukraine refuses to apologise over the revelation.
South Korea’s foreign ministry didn’t say when the ambassador, Park Hee-chang, will be brought back home. A ministry statement said that South Korea will continue consultations with Ukraine, adding it hopes the dispute between the two countries would be resolved smoothly.
South Korea to recall its ambassador to Ukraine over North Korean POW dispute
In pictures: UK foreign secretary Miliband meets Zelensky in Ukraine
Thursday 8 October 2026 15:30 , Maira ButtBritish foreign secretary Ed Miliband is visiting Ukraine where has met President Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday.
He has completed a visit to the site of a Russian missile strike which hit a residential area in Pryluky, northern Ukraine, where 22 people, including five children, were killed on 6 October.
Burnham and Merz set to confirm security pact to counter hybrid Russian threats
Thursday 8 October 2026 15:00 , Maira ButtThe prime minister has met Germany’s chancellor Friedrich Merz for the first time in Berlin for the launch of a new security partnership.
Andy Burnham arrived in the capital on Thursday morning where he was greeted at the Federal Chancellery with military honours ahead of his meeting with Mr Merz.
The two leaders are expected to confirm a joint UK-Germany security partnership to counter sabotage, cyber attacks and other hybrid threats from adversaries, especially Russia.
Burnham and Merz set to confirm security pact to counter hybrid Russian threats
Watch: At least 25 killed across Ukraine in ‘vile strikes’ on Putin’s birthday
Thursday 8 October 2026 14:30 , Maira ButtSyria calls for independent probe into sinking of ship in Black Sea
Thursday 8 October 2026 14:01 , Maira ButtSyria has called on the International Maritime Organisation and Bulgarian authorities to conduct an independent investigation into the sinking of a cargo ship in the Black Sea, whose 10 crew members including nine Syrians were missing.
It said that the investigation should look into why search and rescue operations stopped before the fate of the crew was determined, in a statement by Mazen Aloush, director for international relations of the Syrian General Authority for Ports and Customs on Thursday.
The ship, the Alfa Watan, was attacked early Tuesday in Bulgaria's exclusive economic zone, Aloush said and had carried 10 crew members, including nine Syrians and one Egyptian.
One killed in Ukrainian attack on Russia's Kursk region, governor says
Thursday 8 October 2026 13:30 , Maira ButtOne person was killed in Ukrainian drone attack on Russia's Kursk region, the regional governor Alexander Khinshtein said on Thursday.
EU envoys approve new Russia sanctions listings, diplomats say
Thursday 8 October 2026 13:00 , Namita SinghEuropean Union envoys approved on Wednesday 1,646 new designations under the bloc's sanctions regime for Russia, with the majority focused on the country's military industrial complex, three EU diplomats said.
More than half of the newly added entities and individuals are involved in the chain of production of Russia's ballistic missiles, such as the 9M723 Iskander-M, which can only be intercepted by US-made Patriot air defence systems.
Ukraine has virtually run out of these interceptors as the US military diverts resources to the Gulf, and Russia has seized on this vulnerability to ramp up ballistic missile strikes.
The designations include a range of entities involved in missile testing and research as well as the production of solid fuels and rocket engines for Russia's Iskander system.
The EU is also targeting producers of specialised textiles and synthetic and carbon fibres used across a range of different missile systems, one of the sources specified.
In addition, the list has drone manufacturers, shipyards that service submarines and 77 Russian politicians who ran for parliamentary seats in Russian-occupied Ukrainian territories. The sanctions will be formally adopted when EU foreign ministers meet on Monday.
Russian president Vladimir Putin said last week Moscow would not resume diesel exports - currently banned until the end of October - to global markets until sanctions are lifted. The global diesel market has tightened due to the Iran war, which, combined with the loss of Russian diesel after Ukrainian strikes on Russian refineries, triggered shortages in Russia.
The EU, concerned about strengthening links between Russia and North Korea, also added seven North Korean entities and individuals linked to Moscow's war effort. In July, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia struck Ukraine with North Korean missiles for the first time in nearly a year after an apparent stock replenishment.
People in Russian-occupied Ukrainian town risk 'road of death' to get food
Thursday 8 October 2026 12:00 , Namita SinghTrapped and facing starvation, residents of the Russian-occupied town of Oleshky in southern Ukraine risk their lives to travel for hours by foot and bicycle along mine-strewn roads to get food and water.
The main route out of the town, lying near the front line east of the Dnipro River, heads deeper into Russian-controlled areas. It is littered with burned-out cars and charred by blasts, according to witnesses, relatives, humanitarian groups and video footage verified by Reuters. Attack drones prowl overhead.
Residents say the last food deliveries to a local store took place in May.
"What on earth could possibly be left in your house when you haven't been to the shop for half a year?" a woman living in the town told Reuters, asking not to be identified for fear of reprisals from Russian occupying forces.
She had recently attempted the trip to Radensk, some 20 km (12.5 miles) to the southeast. On her way back, she was injured by a landmine.
"There is no safe way out," she said afterwards, adding that a few days earlier three people had been killed on the same route, which some locals call "the road of death".
Reuters was not able to verify the woman's account independently, although it chimes with those from other witnesses, officials and aid workers familiar with the humanitarian crisis in Oleshky.
Ukraine spoofs two Russian ballistic missiles mid-flight: report
Wednesday 7 October 2026 15:00 , Daniel KeaneUkraine diverted two Russian ballistic missiles targeting a key government site in Kyiv earlier this year using an electronic warfare system, according to a report.
The Wall Street Journal reported that the two missiles were travelling at hypersonic speed when they were brought down and crashed into the Dnipro river.
They were diverted using radio signals generated by the Lima system, which spoofs satellite navigation signals. It was operated by Ukraine’s electronic warfare unit, named Night Watch.
The signals caused navigation apps on phones in the city to briefly switch to Peru, WSJ said.
Watch: Rescuers extinguish blaze at warehouse hit by Russian strike
Wednesday 7 October 2026 14:30 , Daniel KeaneSouth Korea denies Ukrainian report that it eased Russia's fuel crisis
Wednesday 7 October 2026 14:00 , Daniel KeaneSouth Korea's presidential office has denied a Ukrainian report that Russia has imported petroleum products from South Korean ports, calling the accusation inappropriate.
Ukraine's top sanctions official, Vladyslav Vlasiuk, said on Tuesday the shipments had eased the impact of a fuel crisis caused by Ukrainian drone strikes on Russian oil refineries.
Estonia moves troops to Russian border as fears grow of Putin attack on Nato: report
Wednesday 7 October 2026 13:30 , Shweta SharmaEstonia is moving troops closer to the Russian border and scaling up its weaponry over fears of future attacks on its territory, according to a report.
The move comes as part of a shift towards an “active defence” strategy after weeks of warnings by European heads of state and Nato leaders about an impending attack by Russian designed to test the alliance’s mutual defence clause.
As the country lacks its own air force it would be entirely dependent on the Nato alliance to secure the safety of its skies.
Estonia moves troops to Russian border as fears grow of Putin attack on Nato: report
Trump to speak to Putin on call 'very soon'
Wednesday 7 October 2026 12:30 , Shweta SharmaUS president Donald Trump said he expects to speak by phone with Russian president Vladimir Putin over a call very soon.
"I have a call scheduled [with the Russian president]," Trump said when asked whether he had spoken with Putin.
Asked when the conversation would take place, he replied: "Very soon."
Planned Moldova-Romania power line to be named after Trump
Wednesday 7 October 2026 11:30 , Shweta SharmaA planned high-voltage power line linking Romania and Moldova will be named the "Trump Liberty Line," the US embassy in Chisinau said on Monday, making it the latest infrastructure project to bear the name of US president Donald Trump.
The embassy said in a post on X that the project, "backed by a $130m US government investment", would strengthen Moldova's energy security and independence.
"The Government of the Republic of Moldova supports initiatives that benefit the citizens of the Republic of Moldova, especially those that ensure the country's security and energy infrastructure," government spokesperson Dumitru Ciorici told Reuters.
Moldova, one of Europe's poorest countries and a candidate for European Union membership, imports most of its electricity via existing links with Romania and Ukraine. Russian attacks on Ukraine's power infrastructure have disrupted those supplies in the past.
Trump's name has been attached to a growing number of projects around the world, including a proposed transport corridor through Armenia and a planned military base in Poland, as governments seek to win favour with the US president.
