The head of the CIA told his Russian counterpart to make a deal with Ukraine as Moscow’s position deteriorates during a secretive visit this week, according to a report.
US officials told the New York Times that CIA director John Ratcliffe presented FSB chief Aleksandr Bortnikov with evidence of the enormous price Russia has paid for relatively small gains in Ukraine, attributed to Kyiv’s “mastery” of drone technology.
The CIA boss urged that Russia should enter serious negotiations with Ukraine to end the war given their difficulties on the ground and mounting economic woes, the sources claimed in comments to the newspaper.
Mr Ratcliffe flew to Russia on Tuesday to meet briefly with his intelligence counterparts in the first visit by a CIA director since 2021, when William Burns warned Russia against sending troops into Ukraine.
Two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters that Ratcliffe also brought up the possibility of a Russian operation against a Nato member and Russia’s continued support for Iran during the meeting.
Russia nonetheless on Thursday warned that British military installations and equipment in and outside of Ukraine could be targeted in response to Ukrainian strikes on Russian territory carried out using British weapons, after the UK offered Kyiv access to technology to make missiles.
Read MoreRussia threatens to bomb UK military bases over support for Ukraine
Mapped: The UK military bases threatened by Russia as Kremlin rages over missiles for Ukraine
Why did Trump’s CIA director make a mysterious short trip to Moscow?
Elon Musk awarded Ukraine’s Order of Freedom as Zelensky urges him to expand Starlink access
Key Points
- Trump dismisses concerns over possible Russian attack on Nato
- Drones hit oil depots and apartment building in Crimea
- Russia threatens retaliation after UK PM says he will help Ukraine start producing long-range missiles
- Kremlin dismisses reports of CIA warning
‘We do a big shop and stock up on dry goods’: Readers on how they’re preparing for food shortages
11:45 , James ReynoldsThe government is preparing to tell Britons to stock up on tinned food and bottled water, as ministers step up planning for extreme weather and potential attacks on the UK’s infrastructure.
The advice comes against a backdrop of heightened tension with Russia over Britain’s support for Ukraine, as well as a summer of heatwaves that has left farmers warning of the worst food security crisis in decades.
For many readers, the advice was nothing new. Dozens described habits many had already adopted – stocking up on tinned goods, running solar-powered freezers, growing their own veg – driven less by the cost of living.
Here’s what you had to say:
‘We stock up on dry goods’: Readers on preparing for food shortages
Top story: Russia threatens to bomb UK military bases over support for Ukraine
11:15 , James ReynoldsRussia has warned it could strike British military targets over the UK’s support for Ukraine.
Russia’s foreign ministry spokesperson told the UK to back off on what she called London’s hostile stance on the war, which she said risked taking the conflict to an entirely new level.
Maria Zakharova told the same Moscow news briefing earlier that Britain and France were “playing with fire” by supplying sensitive missile technology to Ukraine.
Russia threatens to bomb UK military bases over support for Ukraine
The Independent View: Six months on, Donald Trump’s Iranian ‘excursion’ must end
10:45 , James ReynoldsEditorial: Iran was clearly the wrong war for America to intervene in, not just because it was so senseless, but because there were others where US power and prestige could have been more fruitfully deployed.
The most obvious is, of course, Ukraine, where, had Mr Trump continued the policies of his predecessor (and of his own instincts in his first term, when the trouble was brewing), it is quite conceivable that Ukraine might well have prevailed by now, armed as it would have been with all the weaponry and anti-missile defences that have been squandered in and around the Persian Gulf.
Read the full story:
Six months on, Donald Trump’s Iranian ‘excursion’ must end
The latest: Russia strikes Ukraine's capital with waves of drones
10:35 , ReutersRussia launched waves of drones at Ukraine's capital Kyiv and surrounding region on Friday, damaging warehouses and homes in a second consecutive day of strikes Ukrainian officials said were an attempt to derail daily life for millions of residents.
At least one person was killed outside Kyiv, said Governor Tymur Tkachenko, adding that 14 warehouse premises, 16 homes and three blocks of apartment buildings had been damaged.
Frequent air-raid sirens blared throughout the city on Friday morning, a day after an hours-long missile and drone attack on Ukraine that targeted major retailers and consumer logistics in Kyiv and elsewhere.
Those strikes continued on Friday, destroying sorting centres belonging to Ukraine's top private courier Nova Poshta near Kyiv and in the northern city of Sumy, the company said.
In the southeastern city of Zaporizhzhia, a Russian drone tore into major home-improvement store Epicenter, wounding at least four people, Governor Ivan Fedorov said on Friday.
Ukraine thanks EU members for push to restart debate around using frozen Russian assets
10:15 , James ReynoldsUkraine's foreign minister Andrii Sybiha said on Friday that Kyiv was grateful to four European Union member states for their initiative to reopen the debate on using frozen Russian assets for Ukraine.
“Russia refuses to end the war and escalates terror instead. Ukraine needs to bridge gaps for growing defense expenditures and recovery costs.”
“It is only fair and logical to use Russian assets, rather than only European taxpayers money’, to cover additional costs of defending Ukraine and the rest of Europe from the Russian threat,” he said, adding that he was looking forward to talks with EU colleagues next week to “examine paths forward”.
The four states that proposed reopening the debate are the Netherlands, Poland, Spain and Sweden.
The latest: Nearly 1,500,000 Russian casualties in Ukraine since 2022, says Kyiv
09:45 , James ReynoldsUkraine’s general staff claims in its daily update that Russia has lost 1,483,780 troops in Ukraine since 24 February 2022.
That includes an additional 1,630 recorded over the past day, they say.
Three suspects accused of plotting arson attack on Ukrainian drone maker
09:15 , Maroosha MuzaffarThree suspects allegedly planned an arson attack on a drone factory operated by Skyeton, a Ukrainian-founded company in eastern Slovakia, prosecutors said.
“The attack was supposed to aim at the Skyeton company’s factory,” a spokesperson for the regional prosecutor’s office said.
A 26-year-old Latvian suspect was detained in Hamburg and faces extradition proceedings, while Slovak authorities said a Latvian and a Ukrainian had been detained in Slovakia.
Skyeton makes drones for civilian and military use.
Six Russian drones cross into Moldova’s airspace
08:45 , Maroosha MuzaffarSix Russian drones crossed into the airspace of neighbouring Moldova during the latest wave of attacks on Ukraine, according to local authorities.
One of the drones was later found on Moldovan territory.
Moldovan president Maia Sandu “strongly condemn[ed] this intimidation” as the incident raised fresh concerns about the conflict spilling beyond Ukraine’s borders.
Ukraine receives small batch of US Patriot interceptors amid Russian attacks
08:15 , Maroosha MuzaffarUkraine has received a small batch of US-made Patriot missile interceptors, president Volodymyr Zelensky said, as Russian forces continue using ballistic missiles against Ukrainian cities.
The systems are among the few air-defence weapons capable of intercepting Russia’s ballistic missiles.
The delivery comes as Ukraine faces another major Russian barrage involving drones, ballistic missiles and hypersonic weapons.
Four EU countries urge bloc to use frozen Russian assets for Ukraine
07:45 , Maroosha MuzaffarThe Netherlands, Poland, Spain and Sweden are pushing the EU to reconsider using frozen Russian central bank assets to help fund Ukraine.
In a letter to the European Commission, the four countries said: “We believe now is the time to revert to the issue of how we can make further use of Russia’s immobilised assets for the benefit of Ukraine.”
The EU has struggled to agree on using the roughly €200bn held in frozen Russian assets, with Belgium raising concerns over potential legal liability.
One killed and two injured in Russian attack on shopping centre in Kharkiv, governor says
07:15 , Maroosha MuzaffarA lunchtime Russian strike on a shopping centre in Kharkiv killed one person and injured two others, Ukrainian officials said.
The attacks also hit commercial and industrial infrastructure elsewhere in the country, including a retail distribution centre in the Kyiv region and a shipment hub belonging to a toy company.
Roshen, the chocolate company founded by former Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko, said one of its warehouses outside Kyiv was destroyed.
Strikes were also reported in Poltava, Odesa and Kryvyi Rih.
Russian strike knocks out Kherson power plant’s entire generating capacity
06:45 , Maroosha MuzaffarA Russian strike on a thermal power plant in Kherson has wiped out all of its generating capacity, according to Ukraine’s state oil and gas company Naftogaz.
“The Russians struck a purely civilian facility that provides heat” to a significant portion of Kherson’s residential buildings, Naftogaz CEO Sergiy Fedorenko said.
Regional governor Oleksandr Prokudin urged residents who can to leave, “especially families with children and elderly people”.
He warned: “Kherson may find itself without electricity or heating” for an extended period.
Russia launches major overnight attack on Ukraine, military says
06:15 , Maroosha MuzaffarRussia launched a major overnight assault on Ukraine, with the Ukrainian military saying it shot down seven ballistic missiles and 258 drones.
The attack continued into Thursday, hitting ports, grain storage sites, energy facilities, industrial targets and other infrastructure.
“Overnight, Russia carried out a massive strike against Ukraine, targeting ports, grain storage, energy, industry and other infrastructure with ballistic and hypersonic missiles and combat drones,” foreign minister Andrii Sybiha said.
In Kyiv, commuters headed to work as air defences fired at waves of incoming drones.
Russia strikes Nova Poshta warehouses near Kyiv, authorities say
05:49 , Maroosha MuzaffarRussian forces have struck warehouses belonging to Ukrainian delivery company Nova Poshta near Kyiv, according to local authorities.
The attack damaged logistics facilities in the area, adding to a series of Russian strikes targeting Ukraine’s infrastructure and civilian sites.
Kyiv records 13 air raid alerts in single day
05:45 , Maroosha MuzaffarKyiv experienced a record 13 air-raid alerts in 24 hours on Thursday, keeping the capital under warning for nearly 15 hours as Russia launched waves of drones and missiles.
It was a single-day record for the capital since the start of Russia’s invasion in February 2022.
“For regions closer to the frontline, even longer alerts are an everyday reality,” the foreign ministry said in a post on X.
“But what Kyiv experienced on Aug. 27 shows another way Russia is using its weapons to disrupt civilian life: repeated drone launches keeping a city of millions under threat throughout the day.”
Explosions continued into the early hours of Friday, as Ukraine’s air defences face added pressure from a shortage of Patriot interceptor missiles, according to The Kyiv Independent.
Trump dismisses concerns over possible Russian attack on Nato
05:15 , Maroosha MuzaffarDonald Trump has dismissed concerns about a possible Russian attack on Nato after CIA chief John Ratcliffe’s Moscow visit, saying he was “not concerned ... at all” and that “there is no problem”.
Trump called the trip “standard business” with “no message” and “nothing unusual”."Ratcliffe sees his Russian counterpart once every six months or once every year. They have a very good relationship. There was no message and there was nothing unusual," Trump told Axios.
However, US media reports say Ratcliffe warned Moscow against attacking Nato, amid intelligence that Russia could test the alliance with a limited move against a Baltic state, while also urging Russia to negotiate an end to the Ukraine war.
Kremlin dismisses reports of CIA warning
04:45 , Maroosha MuzaffarKremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov has dismissed reports that CIA chief John Ratcliffe warned Moscow against attacking Nato, calling them “scare-story material”.
“A lot of this kind of scare-story material is being published right now. Of course, it has nothing to do with reality and nothing to do with the intentions of the Russian Federation,” he said.
It comes amid reports that CIA chief John Ratcliffe warned Moscow against attacking Nato during a secretive visit to Russia, following a US intelligence assessment that Russia could be considering a limited assault or other test of the alliance, potentially in the Baltics.
Meanwhile, concerns are growing over Nato’s ability to respond, with US and Nato stocks of Patriot missile interceptors in Europe reportedly at critically low levels.
Drones hit oil depots and apartment building in Crimea
04:22 , Maroosha MuzaffarDrones struck depots containing oil products and a five-storey apartment building in Sevastopol, in Russia-held Crimea, Russian news agencies quoted Moscow-installed authorities as saying on Friday.
Russia threatens retaliation after UK PM says he will help Ukraine start producing long-range missiles
04:16 , Maroosha MuzaffarRussia has threatened retaliation against the UK after British prime minister Andy Burnham said Britain would give Ukraine access to technology to produce Storm Shadow long-range missiles domestically, with Moscow accusing the UK and France of “playing with fire”.
The threats come amid reports that CIA chief John Ratcliffe warned Moscow against attacking Nato during a secretive visit to Russia, following a US intelligence assessment that Russia could be considering a limited assault or other test of the alliance, potentially in the Baltics.
Moscow denies any such plans, while Donald Trump has also played down the reports.
Watch: Russia threatens to bomb UK military bases over support for Ukraine
03:00 , Joe MiddletonUkrainian refugees open jellyfish museum in Florida
02:00 , Joe MiddletonInside a darkened venue in South Florida, glowing saltwater tanks and wall projections cast light upon tentacled predators as they swirl and pulse in hypnotic rhythms.
Located in Pompano Beach, just north of Fort Lauderdale, the private Jellyfish Museum is believed to be the first museum in the United States focused exclusively on the translucent invertebrates, and among a rare few globally, according to founders and local officials.
The space was established by Alex and Yana Yanovsky, who previously ran thriving aquariums in Ukraine, including a dedicated jellyfish museum in Kyiv. The founders were forced to abandon those venues when they fled the country following the 2022 Russian invasion, according to operations manager Jessica Eisenbarth.
Ukrainian refugees open America’s first ever jellyfish museum in Florida
Why did Trump’s CIA director make a mysterious short trip to Moscow?
01:00 , Joe MiddletonThe White House is facing scrutiny after the CIA director made a mysterious visit to Moscow on Tuesday, the first visit by a chief of the intelligence agency in nearly five years.
The US Air Force C-17A Globemaster III flew into Moscow from Latvia before landing at the capital’s Vnukovo International Airport on Tuesday, according to Flightradar24.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said he did not have any information about the visit, while President Donald Trump stayed uncharacteristically silent on the matter.
On Tuesday, US media reported that that CIA director John Ratcliffe was on board the aircraft - but no further details were briefed on the purpose of his visit.
Why did Trump’s CIA director make a mysterious short trip to Moscow?
Kremlin dismisses US media reports that Russia may attack Nato as 'scare-stories'
Thursday 27 August 2026 23:59 , Joe MiddletonThe Kremlin has dismissed US media reports that Russia could attack a Nato member state and that the purpose of CIA Director John Ratcliffe's visit to Moscow this week had been to warn Moscow against such a move.
Asked to comment on the reports, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: “A lot of this kind of scare-story material is being published right now. Of course, it has nothing to do with reality and nothing to do with the intentions of the Russian Federation.”
Ukrainian refugees open jellyfish museum in Florida
Thursday 27 August 2026 23:00 , James ReynoldsInside a darkened venue in South Florida, glowing saltwater tanks and wall projections cast light upon tentacled predators as they swirl and pulse in hypnotic rhythms.
Located in Pompano Beach, just north of Fort Lauderdale, the private Jellyfish Museum is believed to be the first museum in the United States focused exclusively on the translucent invertebrates, and among a rare few globally, according to founders and local officials.
The space was established by Alex and Yana Yanovsky, who previously ran thriving aquariums in Ukraine, including a dedicated jellyfish museum in Kyiv. The founders were forced to abandon those venues when they fled the country following the 2022 Russian invasion, according to operations manager Jessica Eisenbarth.
In full:
Ukrainian refugees open America’s first ever jellyfish museum in Florida
Putin arrests Russians worried about fuel shortages
Thursday 27 August 2026 22:00 , James ReynoldsRussian police have arrested citizens complaining of fuel shortages at the pump, as Ukraine’s drone campaign sparked fighting at petrol stations and rationing.
Moscow and its surrounding regions have been forced to reimpose purchase limits on fuel, capping sales at between 50 and 60 litres per vehicle.
As Ukraine intensifies its “deep strike” campaign, hitting another major oil refinery on Wednesday, the strain on Russia’s domestic energy grid continues to grow. Across at least 12 regions, miles of gridlocked traffic now stall forecourts, with motorists waiting up to 30 hours only to find the pumps empty.
Read the full story:
Putin arrests Russians complaining about fuel shortages amid petrol station fights
Watch: Russia threatens to bomb UK military bases over support for Ukraine
Thursday 27 August 2026 21:00 , James ReynoldsArson plot targeted Ukraine-founded drone maker, Slovak prosecutor says
Thursday 27 August 2026 20:00 , James ReynoldsAn arson attack planned by three suspects in eastern Slovakia targeted drone maker Skyeton, prosecutors said on Thursday, while a little-known group describing itself as peace activists claimed responsibility.
Skyeton, founded in Ukraine, says it produces drones for civilian and military use in Ukraine and other countries.
"The attack was supposed to aim at the Skyeton company's factory," a spokesperson for the regional prosecutor's office in the eastern city of Presov said in an email, confirming an earlier report by Slovak news website dennikn.sk.
A German prosecutor told Reuters that a 26-year-old Latvian had been detained in Hamburg and extradition proceedings were under way.
Kremlin promises 'harsh' retaliation against Ukraine for energy attacks
Thursday 27 August 2026 18:45 , Maira ButtThe Kremlin said on Thursday that Russia has no need to escalate in Ukraine as its troops are already advancing there.
It added that Russia’s response to Ukrainian strikes on Russia’s economic and trade infrastructure will be “harsh”, according to TASS.
CIA director warned Russia against Nato attack, say sources
Thursday 27 August 2026 18:15 , Maira ButtCIA director John Ratcliffe warned Russia against an attack on a Nato member, sources familiar with the matter told the Wall Street Journal and Politico.
Earlier this month, the Wall Street Journal reported that US intelligence assessments had indicated that Putin could test Nato’s resolve with a limited assault on an allied country over the coming years.
Several possible scenarios had been posited from cyber-attacks to a small-scale land incursion, according to the report.
President Donald Trump said “something may come out of” Ratcliffe’s visit to Moscow on Tuesday.
Kremlin dismisses US media reports that Russia may attack Nato as 'scare-stories'
Thursday 27 August 2026 17:45 , Maira ButtThe Kremlin has dismissed US media reports that Russia could attack a Nato member state and that the purpose of CIA Director John Ratcliffe's visit to Moscow this week had been to warn Moscow against such a move.
Asked to comment on the reports, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: “A lot of this kind of scare-story material is being published right now. Of course, it has nothing to do with reality and nothing to do with the intentions of the Russian Federation.”
Watch: Trump issues first comment on CIA chief’s mysterious visit to Moscow
Thursday 27 August 2026 17:15 , Maira ButtWhy did Trump’s CIA director make a mysterious short trip to Moscow?
Thursday 27 August 2026 16:45 , Maira ButtThe White House is facing scrutiny after the CIA director made a mysterious visit to Moscow on Tuesday, the first visit by a chief of the intelligence agency in nearly five years.
The US Air Force C-17A Globemaster III flew into Moscow from Latvia before landing at the capital’s Vnukovo International Airport on Tuesday, according to Flightradar24.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said he did not have any information about the visit, while President Donald Trump stayed uncharacteristically silent on the matter.
On Tuesday, US media reported that that CIA director John Ratcliffe was on board the aircraft - but no further details were briefed on the purpose of his visit.
Why did Trump’s CIA director make a mysterious short trip to Moscow?
Mapped: The UK military bases threatened by Russia as Kremlin rages over missiles for Ukraine
Thursday 27 August 2026 16:15 , Maira ButtRussia has threatened to bomb UK military bases in its latest threat over Britain’s support for Ukraine.
Britain has been told to back off on its hostile stance towards Ukraine by Russia’s foreign ministry spokeswoman, Maria Zakharova, who said the UK risked taking the conflict to a new level.
She told the same Moscow news briefing earlier that Britain and France were "playing with fire" by supplying sensitive missile technology to Ukraine.
Mapped: The UK military bases threatened by Russia
Ukraine rejects Russian accusations of involvement in Mali attacks
Thursday 27 August 2026 15:45 , Maira ButtRussian accusations of Ukraine being involved in militant attacks in Mali are fake and not supported by any evidence, Ukraine's foreign ministry said.
"We reject this typical and long-standing lie by Russian officials, which they do not even attempt to back up with any plausible evidence," Heorhii Tykhyi, the ministry's spokesperson, told Reuters.
Watch: Russia threatens to bomb UK military bases over support for Ukraine
Thursday 27 August 2026 15:17 , Maira ButtFull story: Russia threatens to bomb UK military bases over support for Ukraine
Thursday 27 August 2026 14:51 , Maira ButtRussia has warned it could strike British military targets over the UK’s support for Ukraine.
Russia’s foreign ministry spokesperson told the UK to back off on what she called London’s hostile stance on the war, which she said risked taking the conflict to an entirely new level.
Maria Zakharova told the same Moscow news briefing earlier that Britain and France were “playing with fire” by supplying sensitive missile technology to Ukraine.
but the Ministry of Defence has hit back saying Russia “should be in no doubt about the resolve of this government to stand against Russian aggression, in Ukraine and against the UK and our allies.”
Russia threatens to bomb UK military bases over support for Ukraine
In pictures: Aftermath of Russian aerial attack on Kyiv
Thursday 27 August 2026 14:15 , Maira Butt
CIA director did not inform EU of visit
Thursday 27 August 2026 13:45 , Maira ButtCIA director John Ratcliffe did not tell the European Union about his trip to Russia earlier this week, according to European Commission spokesperson Paula Pinho.
"The CIA director did not inform us about his schedule," she told reporters on Thursday.
Marine’s release from Russian prison reignites calls to free other Americans with health problems
Thursday 27 August 2026 13:15 , Maira ButtThe recent release of Marine veteran Robert Gilman from Russian custody ended more than four years of imprisonment, but his visibly frail condition has raised alarming questions for the families of Americans still detained there.
Watching the news coverage from the United States, Harold Jezler saw Gilman's gaunt appearance and immediately worried about what it meant for his 36-year-old wife, Olga, who has been held in Russia since 2022 while suffering from her own deteriorating health issues.
"You just look at the pictures and the guy is not in good shape. It’s concerning for me and for all the families, I would imagine," Jezler said in an interview with The Associated Press. "Is this what it takes for the government to really make a move and prioritize this — that the person is basically in dire straits? It was a very bittersweet thing to see that."
Husband pleads for wife’s release from Russian prison as her health issues worsen
Kremlin says Moscow would go to court to fight any new 'illegal' EU plan to seize its frozen assets
Thursday 27 August 2026 12:45 , Maira ButtThe Kremlin said on Thursday that Russia would go to court to try to stop any new and "illegal" European Union plan to use its frozen sovereign assets to aid Ukraine.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov was responding to a report in the Financial Times which said that some EU states, including Sweden, the Netherlands, Spain and Poland, were urging Brussels to revive efforts to use frozen Russian assets to fund Ukraine
Pentagon's Colby pushes Europe to do more on defence
Thursday 27 August 2026 12:30 , James ReynoldsEurope has made progress in taking over the responsibility for its conventional defence but more needs to be done, US Pentagon policy chief Elbridge Colby told allies in Brussels ahead of talks about potential US troops cuts in Europe.
"Let's look at some of things like access, basing, overflight. Well, there is a lot of good, but there's some things that we need to work out to make sense going forward," Colby said at Nato headquarters, adding Europe would remain a critical interest of the US and he had come in a spirit of consultation.
Nato allies worry that a six-month review of troops in Europe, announced in June and due by December, will lead to large-scale cuts to the roughly 80,000 US forces across Europe and punish countries that Donald Trump believes failed to support the war against Iran.
Ukraine's president coos over a puppy, starting a new volley in his war of visuals against Russia
Thursday 27 August 2026 12:15 , Maira ButtWait. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Ukraine's war chief, holding a puppy?
Yes, and it's no accident. In a collision of dog lovers, sports and ongoing war with Russia, the Ukranian president on Tuesday was captured on video as never before — cuddling and cooing over a floppy, three-month-old American pit bull terrier, handed to him by U.S. former boxer Terence Crawford.
The cute and fluffy scene in Zelenskyy's office in Kyiv was the latest volley in a deadly serious battle of visuals that runs in parallel to Ukraine's fight against Russia's brutal four-year invasion.
Crawford, a longtime supporter of Ukraine and a devotee of the American pit bull terrier, came forward and handed a reddish-yellow puppy to Zelenskyy.
Ukraine's president coos over a puppy, starting a new volley in his war of visuals against Russia
Watch: Trump issues first comment on CIA chief’s mysterious visit to Moscow
Thursday 27 August 2026 11:45 , Maira ButtKremlin dismisses US media reports that Russia may attack Nato as 'scare-stories'
Thursday 27 August 2026 11:15 , Maira ButtThe Kremlin has dismissed US media reports that Russia could attack a Nato member state and that the purpose of CIA Director John Ratcliffe's visit to Moscow this week had been to warn Moscow against such a move.
Asked to comment on the reports, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: “A lot of this kind of scare-story material is being published right now. Of course, it has nothing to do with reality and nothing to do with the intentions of the Russian Federation.”
In pictures: Aftermath of Russian attack on Ukraine
Thursday 27 August 2026 10:45 , Maira Butt
Full story: Russia threatens to bomb UK military bases over support for Ukraine
Thursday 27 August 2026 10:25 , Maira ButtRussia has warned it could strike British military targets both inside and outside Ukraine over the UK’s support for Kyiv.
Russia’s foreign ministry spokeswoman told Britain to back off on what she called London's hostile stance on Ukraine, which she said risked taking the conflict to an entirely new level.
She told the same Moscow news briefing earlier that Britain and France were "playing with fire" by supplying sensitive missile technology to Ukraine.
Britain announced on Monday it would allow Kyiv access to classified technology to start its own production of Storm Shadow long-range cruise missiles, capable of carrying out strikes deep within Russia.
Russia threatens to bomb UK military bases over support for Ukraine
Russia threatens to attack British military targets over 'hostile line' on Ukraine
Thursday 27 August 2026 10:04 , Maira ButtRussia has said on Thursday that it could retaliate against London over its help for Kyiv by striking British military targets both inside and outside Ukraine.
The country called on Britain to back off its “hostile line” on Ukraine, which is creating risks of taking the conflict to a new level.
Earlier this week prime minister Andy Burnham doubled down on the UK’s support for Ukraine and in response to Kremlin comments that Britain was “fuelling the fire”, he responded: “Who started the fire?”
Why did Trump’s CIA director make a mysterious short trip to Moscow?
Thursday 27 August 2026 09:55 , Maira ButtThe White House is facing scrutiny after the CIA director made a mysterious visit to Moscow on Tuesday, the first visit by a chief of the intelligence agency in nearly five years.
The US Air Force C-17A Globemaster III flew into Moscow from Latvia before landing at the capital’s Vnukovo International Airport on Tuesday, according to Flightradar24.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said he did not have any information about the visit, while President Donald Trump stayed uncharacteristically silent on the matter.
Why did Trump’s CIA director make a mysterious short trip to Moscow?
Russia's top commander says his troops are 4 kilometres from Ukrainian fortress city of Sloviansk
Thursday 27 August 2026 09:30 , Maira ButtRussia's top military officer Valery Gerasimov has said that his forces are just four kilometres (2.49 miles) from the eastern outskirts of the Ukrainian fortress city of Sloviansk.
The chief of Russia's General Staff, made the comments in a video released by the Defence Ministry on Thursday.
President Vladimir Putin has made clear Moscow wants to control the fortress.
The Independent could not immediately verify the claim.
Russia launches missiles and drones at Ukraine, authorities say
Thursday 27 August 2026 09:10 , Maira ButtRussia has launched an overnight barrage of missiles and drones at Ukraine’s capital Kyiv and other cities in an overnight attack on Thursday, Ukrainian authorities said.
Ukraine's air force said the barrage included two Oniks anti-ship cruise missiles, 258 drones, and an unspecified number of ballistic missiles.
The air force said that nearly 90 per cent of the drones were downed, as well as one Oniks and seven ballistic missiles.
