The CIA director floated a summit with Vladimir Putin, Volodymyr Zelensky, and Donald Trump during his mysterious meeting in Moscow, it is understood.
Two sources briefed on the matter told Axios that John Ratcliffe had spoken to Russian officials this week about a trilateral meeting.
Talks between Ukraine and Russia were paused in February when the US invaded Iran, and little progress has been made since.
Meanwhile, Russia has continued to strike Kyiv with drones overnight after at least 38 people were killed in the deadliest attack on Ukraine’s capital this year.
The Ukrainian president vowed to punish those responsible for the deadly attacks, which killed 34 people in a care home for the elderly.
The strikes hit an ammunition depot, sparking a fire in the Bucha district overnight that spread to surrounding areas.
Dozens were injured with nearby infrastructure including residential buildings and the care facility for the elderly and people with disabilities suffering “significant damage”.
President Zelensky said cases had already been opened on charges of official negligence.
Read MoreZelensky reveals retaliation plan to hit Russia with ‘1,000 drones’ a day
‘Where there were bombs, there are now sunflowers’: The woman ridding Ukraine of Russian mines
Putin thinks Trump is ‘weakened’ by Iran war, says report
What head of CIA told Russian counterpart on secretive visit to Moscow
A look at the deadliest Russian attacks on Ukraine this year
Key Points
- CIA director proposed Trump, Putin, Zelensky summit
- Russia continues strikes on Kyiv after dozens killed
- Moscow starts preparations for massive strikes against Ukraine's energy infrastructure
- Zelensky opens probe over stored explosives
- Moment Putin launches nuclear-capable missile in warning to West - watch
- Navy tracks Russian warships in English Channel during ‘intense’ operation
In pictures: Work underway after Kyiv's deadliest strike of year
11:30 , Harriette Boucher
Comment: What is the real reason the CIA boss John Ratcliffe made a secret trip to Moscow?
11:00 , Harriette BoucherPeter Frankopan writes:
Earlier this week, a C17 Globemaster descended into Moscow’s Vnukovo airport. Although it was hopping in from Riga, Latvia, the plane had originated at Andrews Air Force Base, close to Washington DC. On board was John Ratcliffe, the director of the CIA. After being whisked into the Russian capital in a motorcade, a few hours later, Ratcliffe was up in the air again and on his way home.
Who Ratcliffe met was not clear. The visit had not been announced in advance in the US, while Kremlin spokesman Dimitry Peskov claimed to have no knowledge or information about the arrival of a US Air Force plane.
Not surprisingly, there has been much speculation as to why the most senior figure in US intelligence had gone to Moscow in person. After all, if Ratcliffe had an important message to share or communicate, there were other, easier and safer ways to do so than spending hours in a plane travelling to Russia.
Some speculated that Ratcliffe’s mission involved Iran, perhaps a request for Moscow’s help in focusing Tehran’s mind about a workable settlement that might lead to the full re-opening of the Strait of Hormuz, or perhaps a warning that Putin’s government should be careful in its dealings with a country that is the focus not only of US military but economic pressure: ties between Russia and Iran have been strong for years, with the latter a source of prodigious numbers of Shahed drones that have been used in the war against Ukraine.
Read more here:
What is the real reason the CIA boss John Ratcliffe made a secret trip to Moscow?
Death toll rises to 38 from Russia's deadliest attack on Ukraine this year
10:20 , Harriette BoucherThe death toll from Russia’s deadly attack on Kyiv rose to 38 with four people still missing, Volodymyr Zelensky said on Sunday.
The strike on Friday night on the ammunition storage facility sparked massive explosions and fires that swept through dozens of nearby homes and buildings.
The Ukrainian president said twenty people were injured, including two children.
Meanwhile, Russia's defence ministry said on Sunday it is preparing to launch “massive strikes” against Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, following a Ukrainian drone campaign against a retailer dubbed “Russia's Amazon” as well as the country's oil and gas sector, which Kyiv says both funds and directly fuels Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.
CIA director proposed Trump, Putin, Zelensky summit - report
09:40 , Harriette BoucherThe director of the CIA had proposed a meeting between the leaders of Russia, Ukraine, and the US when he visited Moscow, sources say.
During his secret meeting with Russian officials, John Ratcliffe had floated a summit with Vladimir Putin, Volodymyr Zelensky, and Donald Trump, Axios reported.
It comes after talks between Ukraine and Russia were paused in February, when the US invaded Iran.
The US has held talks with negotiators from both sides in recent months, but little progress has been made.
Kyrylo Budanov, Ukraine’s head of office, said this week that talks with Russia could resume in September.
Ratcliffe’s visit to Moscow on Tuesday, which was not announced in advance, has sparked much speculation.
President Trump played down the visit, saying it was “semi-routine”.
Drone attack on Russia's Leningrad region hits residential buildings, sparks fire
09:10 , Harriette BoucherSeveral residential buildings in Russia's Leningrad region were damaged after an attack, governor Alexander Drozdenko has said.
He added that 62 drones had been downed and a fire broke out in an industrial area of the town of Kirishi, but has now been put out.
“The consequences of the fire are currently being assessed,” Mr Drozdenko wrote on Telegram.
Russia starts preparations for massive strikes against Ukraine's energy infrastructure, defence ministry says
08:38 , Harriette BoucherMoscow has declared it is launching massive strikes on Ukraine’s energy facilities in response to attacks on Russian civilian and energy infrastructure.
The Russian defence ministry said on Sunday that preparations for the attacks had begun.
It added that forces had continued overnight to carry out coordinated strikes against Ukraine's defence industry facilities.
Russia continues strikes on Kyiv after dozens killed
07:35 , Harriette BoucherRussia has continued its strikes on Ukraine’s capital overnight following its deadliest attack on Kyiv this year.
Authorities sent several air-raid alerts as fires were reported across the city, Kyiv Independent reported.
A residential building in Kyiv's Obolonskyi district was reportedly struck by a drone on Saturday night, causing a fire to break out.
Another downed drone was reported in Klitschko, where a fire also broke out.
Two killed, 27 wounded in Russian strikes on Ukraine's Kherson region
06:15 , Stuti MishraRussian strikes hit homes and apartment blocks in the southern Ukrainian region of Kherson on Saturday, killing two people and wounding 27 others, including a child, regional head Oleksandr Prokudin said in a statement.
Mr Prokudin had said earlier in the week that Russia had intensified its attacks on critical infrastructure in the region, about 70 per cent of which is under Russian control.
He urged tens of thousands of residents to move to safer regions, citing the possibility of prolonged power and heating outages this winter.
Russia claims Myla warehouse held drone components
05:45 , Stuti MishraRussia's defence ministry said it struck a warehouse in Myla, a village in Ukraine's Bucha district near Kyiv, that was storing components and launch boosters for long-range drones, conflicting with Ukraine's description of the site as holding shells, mines and other ammunition.
The warehouse was hit in a Russian drone strike on Friday night that sparked explosions and fires, killing 37 people, most of them residents of a nearby care home, in the deadliest attack of the war this year.
Ukrainian officials have said the site was a Defence Forces storage facility and have opened criminal proceedings on charges of official negligence over the storage of ammunition near homes.
The ministry also said it had attacked the ports of Mykolaiv and Izmail, along with a logistics centre and warehouse facilities in the Kyiv region that it said stored parts for Ukraine's Flamingo cruise missiles
Myla residents recall panic as drone strike sparked fires that raced through homes
05:15 , Stuti MishraResidents of Myla described scenes of panic as a Russian drone strike hit a warehouse in the village on Friday night, sparking massive explosions and fires that swept through dozens of nearby homes and buildings and killed 37 people.
The Friday night attack on the warehouse in Myla, a village in the Bucha district, was the war's deadliest attack this year and came on the second of three days of nearly round-the-clock Russian strikes that have severely disrupted life in and around the Ukrainian capital.
The warehouse strike sparked fires that raced through homes and damaged at least 50 residential buildings, said Tymur Tkachenko, who heads the local regional military administration. He was later cited by local media as saying 34 of the people killed were residents of a care home for elderly and disabled people. More than 370 people were evacuated.
The blasts rocked Myla, causing people to frantically seek cover.
"At about 8pm, the drone hit a warehouse somewhere and then the detonation began," Oleksandr Vodolaz, a village resident, told the Associated Press. "No one knew that weapons were stored there."
Another local, Zhanna Kravchuk, said she had so many questions about what happened.
"Why are weapons like this ... in warehouses and not on the front lines where they would help?" she said.
Ukraine PM says Myla warehouse tragedy repeats 'criminal negligence' seen in July's Vyshneve strike
04:40 , Stuti MishraUkrainian prime minister Serhii Koretskyi said the Myla warehouse strike echoed a July attack on an ammunition depot in the Kyiv suburb of Vyshneve, which killed 22 people and set off similar detonations and fires in nearby homes.
"Unfortunately, we can already see that the terrible tragedy in Vyshneve did not become a lesson," Mr Koretskyi said. "In the fifth year of a full-scale invasion, making the same mistakes is criminal negligence."
"And all those guilty, without exception, must be severely punished so that such situations do not happen again," he said.
The 37 killed in Friday's strike surpassed the 31 who died in a 2 July attack on Kyiv, which had been the deadliest single attack of the war so far this year.
Zelensky opens probe over stored explosives
04:15 , Stuti MishraPresident Volodymyr Zelensky said criminal proceedings had been opened on charges of official negligence, suggesting local officials may have been responsible for storing explosives near homes in the Kyiv region village of Myla.
"There are regulations in place - ammunition cannot be stored near homes or other residential areas," Mr Zelensky said in an online post.
"Those who allowed this to happen must be held accountable for their decisions," he said, adding that "all those guilty, without exception, must be severely punished so that such situations do not happen again."
A drone strike on the warehouse, which officials say may have illegally stored munitions, sparked explosions and fires that damaged dozens of nearby homes and buildings in Myla, a village in the Bucha district.
Since yesterday evening and throughout the day today, I have been receiving reports on the situation in the village of Myla, Kyiv region, where detonation began following a Russian strike. A terrible situation and terrible negligence on the part of those who stored explosives… pic.twitter.com/YyRpBxQ8Kz
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) August 29, 2026
Watch: Moment Putin launches nuclear-capable missile in warning to West
03:00 , Harriette BoucherNavy tracks Russian warships in English Channel during ‘intense’ operation
02:00 , Harriette BoucherRussian warships have been tracked by the Navy through UK waters in an “intense” 72-hour operation.
A task group was shadowed by Type 45 destroyer HMS Duncan, Type 23 frigate HMS St Albans and patrol vessel HMS Severn as it made its way from the North Sea through the English Channel.
Russian destroyer Admiral Levchenko was watched escorting sanctioned cargo vessels General Skobelev and Sparta, with a Merlin helicopter extending the UK’s surveillance as the ships approached the Strait of Dover.
In response to the tracking, Russia deployed other military resources including the Neustrashimy frigate to guard the illegal shipment, UK officials said.
First Sea Lord General Sir Gwyn Jenkins said there was “no room for complacency” as shadow fleet vessels continue to pose “an unacceptable risk” to maritime security and the environment.
“Alongside our allies, this approach is forcing Moscow to divert Russian warships away from their core purpose. That is because Russia knows we stand ready to act again, should it be required,” he said.
Navy tracks Russian warships in UK waters for three days during ‘intense’ operation
ICYMI: Putin thinks Trump is ‘weakened’ by Iran war, says report
01:00 , Harriette BoucherVladimir Putin believes Donald Trump has been “weakened” by the war in Iran and this could allow the Russian president to ramp up aggression in Europe, US intelligence has indicated.
While the details of CIA director John Ratcliffe’s trip to Moscow this week remain elusive, The Washington Post has reported that the meeting cautioned Moscow against banking on the US president being distracted by conflict with Tehran to escalate action against Ukraine.
For Putin, the ground war in Ukraine has not proved to be the quick victory he presented to the Russian public, where in 2014, he claimed he could, if he chose to take Kiev, do so “in two weeks.”
Instead, as the war drags into its fifth year, Moscow has faced growing levels of internal division, putting pressure on the Russian president.
Putin thinks Trump is ‘weakened’ by Iran war, says report
Watch: The woman making Ukraine safe from landmines amid a brutal war
Sunday 30 August 2026 00:30 , Harriette BoucherRussia hits Kyiv with deadly strike as dozens killed in care home
Saturday 29 August 2026 23:57 , Maira ButtRussian strikes have killed at least 37 people in Kyiv, most of them from a care home for the elderly, according to local Ukrainian officials.
At least 27 of those killed are reported to have been in the facility.
It marks the deadliest attack on Ukraine’s capital this year, the Associated Press reports.
The strikes hit an ammunition depot, sparking a fire in the Bucha district overnight.
Dozens were injured with nearby infrastructure including residential buildings and the care facility for the elderly and people with disabilities suffering “significant damage”.
Volodymyr Zelensky has vowed to punish those responsible and said criminal cases had already been opened on charges of official negligence.
He described it as a “terrible situation and terrible negligence on the part of those who stored explosives right next to people”.
Recap: Kremlin says it sees EU as hostile, no prospect of improved relations
Saturday 29 August 2026 23:00 , Harriette BoucherThe Kremlin has lashed out at EU nations for allegedly making statements suggesting that it regards Russia as an “adversary and even an enemy”.
Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Saturday he saw no prospect of improved relations between Russia and the European Union.
He said that the EU's current politicians are confrontational towards Russia, “not only in words but also in deeds”.
It is not clear which statements he was referring to.
“They are mobilising Europe's military capabilities and directing them against our country, whilst taking a direct part in hostilities against us,” he added.
Zelensky pays tribute to soldiers killed in war after Kyiv's deadliest strike of the year
Saturday 29 August 2026 22:00 , Harriette BoucherWatch: Zelensky orders Ukrainian military to hit Russia with ‘1,000 drones a day’
Saturday 29 August 2026 21:00 , Harriette BoucherKremlin says it sees EU as hostile, no prospect of improved relations
Saturday 29 August 2026 20:29 , Maira ButtThe Kremlin has accused Europe of being hostile for making statements suggesting it sees Russia as an “adversary and even an enemy”, Dmitry Peskov said on Saturday.
He added that Moscow sees no prospect of improved relations between Russia and the European Union.
Peskov did not specific which comments he was referring to but he said that EU politicians had been confrontational towards Russia “not only in words but also in deeds”.
“They are mobilising Europe's military capabilities and directing them against our country, whilst taking a direct part in hostilities against us,” Peskov said.
Gordon Brown warns Ukraine faces ‘worst winter’ of war as he urges Trump to act
Saturday 29 August 2026 20:00 , Harriette BoucherUkraine is facing its "worst winter" since the conflict with Russia began, Gordon Brown has warned, urging Britain and allies to press Donald Trump to bolster support for the nation.
The former prime minister said the US president should be urged to let Ukraine produce Patriot interceptor missiles, explaining these could help defend the country from Russian bombardment.
Brown said the war – which began when Vladimir Putin’s forces invaded Ukraine in February 2022 – is in a "critical moment", and recalled Trump previously "promised he would give the design for interceptors to Ukraine", but "hasn’t yet done so".
Speaking at the Edinburgh International Book Festival on Friday, the former Labour leader said: "We’re at a very critical moment in this Ukraine war."
Adding this "could be the worst winter" so far, he said: "Putin has realised he can bomb into populated areas and the infrastructure, put out the electricity, put out the power in Ukraine, by using his missiles and his bombs that cannot be intercepted because America is not providing the interceptors that are necessary."
In focus: ‘Where there were bombs, there are now sunflowers’: The woman ridding Ukraine of Russian mines
Saturday 29 August 2026 19:15 , Harriette BoucherThe Independent’s Maira Butt reports:
Every morning, Antonina Kulhava wakes up to the whirr of Russian drones.
After checking local alerts to ensure her family and friends are safe, she commutes to her job as a humanitarian deminer at one of Ukraine’s many fields littered with bombs. Her team face grave danger as they comb through craters of mud left by missiles, in fields once tilled by farmers.
Ukraine is one of the world’s most heavily mined countries with between 20 to 25 per cent of its surface covered with potentially dangerous weapons. This amounts to more than 139,000 square kilometres of land, a size larger than England and Wales combined.
The existence of these mines is devastating for civilians, contributing to one of the world’s highest rates of civilian casualties. Children are among those at risk if the mines are not safely cleared.
“It’s an interesting and challenging job,” she tells The Independent.
“It’s nothing like I’ve done before. It helps people in Ukraine because the more we clean our lands, the more people will come back to their homes, to their lands, and also just to make Ukraine safer.”
Read more here:
The woman making Ukraine safe from landmines amid a brutal war
Children among those killed in Russian strikes
Saturday 29 August 2026 18:30 , Harriette BoucherSeveral children have died in Russia’s bombardment of Ukraine overnight and on Saturday.
Kyiv Mayor Vitaliy Klitschko said a two year old had been killed after a Russian drone crashed in Obolonskyi.
A 14 year old was also killed in a Russian attack on the Boryspil district.
Further strikes on Saturday have injured dozens of people, including an 18 year old girl in Kyiv.
In pictures: Russia devastates Kyiv in overnight attack
Saturday 29 August 2026 17:45 , Harriette Boucher
