Russian strikes have killed at least three people and wounded dozens in Kyiv after a night of explosions over the capital.
The attacks came just before a second round of peace negotiations was set to begin, as a renewed US-led push to end the war gathers steam this week.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said that 600 drones and 35 missiles struck the nation in one of the largest bombardments in a while. Mayor Vitali Klitschko said that falling debris from intercepted Russian drones hit residential buildings and the western part of Kyiv had lost power.
It comes as the president former chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, has reportedly said he is going to the frontline after he resigned amid a $100m corruption scandal.
Often referred to as Zelensky’s right-hand man, Yermak’s home and offices were raided yesterday and he said he was fully cooperating with authorities.
The National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine and the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office are leading the investigation involving top Ukrainian officials.
In a message to New York Post last night, he wrote: “I’m going to the front and am prepared for any reprisals,” he wrote, insisting he was “an honest and decent person.”
Read MoreFiona Hill: Russian expert on why Putin knows exactly how to get Trump on side
Former US ambassador urges Trump to avoid bad Ukraine deal ‘for the sake of signing something’
Key Points
- Vast Russian overnight attack on Ukraine kills two, wounds dozens
- Zelensky's chief of staff says 'I’m going to the front' after raid and resignation
- Zelensky 'won't give up land to Russia' - Yermak
- Analysis: Ukraine has tried to bounce US into a peace deal - but Putin is still in charge
- Trump envoy Witkoff coached Russian official on how to praise US president, leaked call reveals
- Russian win 'not inevitable' according to new data
- Zelensky's right-hand man resigns amid $100m corruption scandal
Fiona Hill: Russian expert on why Putin knows exactly how to get Trump on side
09:20 , Bryony GoochVladimir Putin knows exactly how to get Donald Trump on side, a former White House adviser who observed meetings between the pair has said.
In an hour-long interview, Fiona Hill told world affairs editor Sam Kiley how the Russian president is in tune with how his American counterpart can be flattered just by being around world leaders.
The fluent Russian speaker also recalled the moment Putin could not resist the temptation to tease Trump, which translators hid from the US president.
Watch more here:
Fiona Hill: Russian expert on why Putin knows exactly how to get Trump on side
Ukrainian team heads to US for talks with Trump envoy Witkoff, report says
09:00 , Shweta SharmaA Ukrainian delegation is heading to the US for further discussions over a peace plan pushed by president Donald Trump, Bloomberg News reported on Friday, citing a person familiar with the matter.
The Ukrainian group, including senior Ukrainian security official Rustem Umerov and first deputy foreign minister Sergiy Kyslytsya, is expected to meet with US special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner in Florida, Bloomberg News reported.
Recap: Trump ‘to hand occupied Ukrainian land to Putin in return for peace deal’
08:40 , Bryony Gooch Trump ‘to hand occupied Ukrainian land to Putin in return for peace deal’
Ukrainian forces fighting in Kupiansk, despite Russian claims, top commander says
08:20 , Shweta SharmaUkrainian forces are defending their positions and hunting down sabotage groups in the northeastern city of Kupiansk despite Moscow's statements that its troops are fully in control of it, Ukraine's top commander said on Friday.
Russia seized Kupiansk in the first weeks of the 2022 invasion, but Ukrainian troops recaptured it later that year.
Russian president Vladimir Putin said last week it was back in Moscow's hands and on Thursday, while visiting Kyrgyzstan in Central Asia, he said the city was "fully in our hands."
Ukrainian commander Oleksandr Syrskyi rejected the claims.
"Our soldiers continue to conduct both defensive and search and strike actions," Syrskyi wrote on Telegram after visiting the area in Kharkiv region.
"These actions take place daily as part of comprehensive measures to stabilise the situation in Kupiansk. The scale of lies from the Russian leadership about the situation in Kupiansk is astonishing."
He said Ukrainian forces were "holding designated lines and intensifying fire pressure to block the enemy's supply routes."
Who is Andrii Yermak? Zelensky’s right-hand man who resigned after police raid in corruption probe
08:01 , Shweta SharmaUkrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky’s chief of staff Andriy Yermak resigned on Friday after anti-corruption police raided his home.
The raid is part of an investigation into a $100m (£76m) corruption scandal by the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine and the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office. Both agencies released a report earlier this month saying that several government members were involved in an embezzlement scheme involving Ukraine’s state nuclear power company, Energoatom.
In an evening address, Zelensky said Yermak wrote a letter of resignation after officers raided his home.
Who is Andrii Yermak? Zelensky’s right-hand man resigned over corruption raid
Latest pictures show destruction in Kyiv
07:40 , Shweta Sharma Vast Russian overnight attack on Ukraine kills two, wounds dozens
07:20 , Bryony GoochA vast Russian overnight attack on Ukraine killed two people and wounded two dozen, Ukraine's foreign minister said on Saturday, adding that Moscow continued to "kill and destroy" while the world was discussing peace plans for the conflict.
"Russia shot dozens of cruise and ballistic missiles and over 500 drones at ordinary homes, the energy grid, and critical infrastructure," Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha wrote on X.
Explosions could be heard in the capital city, Kyiv, throughout the night.
"Our work goes on", vows Zelensky after Yermak resignation
06:00 , Shweta SharmaZelensky made an impassioned speech for Ukrainians to come together and remain united following the resignation of his chief of staff.
“Russia is eager for Ukraine to make mistakes. We won’t make any. Our work goes on. Our struggle goes on,” he said in a message to citizens.
In the wake of the resignation of Andriy Yermak, Zelensky said in an accompanying video that he was “resetting” his presidential office.
He praised and thanked Yermak for his work and said he would appoint a successor following consultations tomorrow.
Ukraine’s corruption scandal is disastrous for Zelensky – Putin will love it
05:30 , Shweta SharmaThe presidential palace in Kyiv is roiling. Volodymyr Zelensky’s chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, has resigned as his office and home were raided by anti-corruption police and detectives on the trail of a €100m fraud.
The racket, which has already claimed the political heads of two ministers and sent a former business partner and close friend of Zelensky into exile and on the run outside the war-torn nation, is a strategic blow.
It proves, as if it were needed, how wide and deep and how cynical corruption goes. The missing funds were allegedly creamed off by Zelensky’s cronies from contacts to fix and defend the Ukrainian energy sector, which has been under sustained Russian attacks for more than two years.
Ukraine’s corruption scandal is disastrous for Zelensky – Putin will love it
Hungary's Orbán meets Vladimir Putin
05:00 , Shweta SharmaHungarian prime minister Viktor Orbán met Russian president Vladimir Putin in the Kremlin yesterday, once again breaking with the European Union’s efforts to isolate Moscow over its nearly four-year invasion of Ukraine.
The visit – Orbán’s second trip to Russia since last year – underscores his position as Putin’s closest ally within the EU, with Hungary continuing to rely heavily on Russian fossil fuels even as the rest of the bloc works to reduce its dependence.
“We have important areas of cooperation, and we haven’t given up on any area of that cooperation, no matter the external pressure,” Orbán said, insisting that Russian energy “forms the basis” of Hungary’s supply now and in the future.
He has repeatedly called for an end to the war in Ukraine but has not clarified what that would mean for Kyiv’s territorial integrity, a stance that has frustrated Hungary’s EU and Nato partners.
Putin, opening the talks, praised Orbán’s “balanced position” on the conflict; the Kremlin later said the meeting ended after nearly four hours.
Orbán’s trip follows his recent visit to Washington, where he secured from US president Donald Trump an exemption to sanctions on Russian energy giants Lukoil and Rosneft – a move he said guarantees Hungary’s energy security.
Yesterday, he said that with the exemption in place, all Hungary needs now is “oil and gas” from Russia to ensure affordable supplies through winter and into next year.
While Orbán argues that abandoning Russian energy would trigger economic collapse, critics dispute the claim as Hungary continues increasing its imports even as the rest of Europe phases them out under plans to eliminate Russian fossil fuels by 2027.
One killed and many injured in Russian drone and missile attacks across Kyiv
04:40 , Shweta SharmaAt least one person has died and 11 are injured after Russia launched drones and missile strikes across Kyiv, officials said.
The attacks caused explosions and falling drone debris, triggering fires.
It was the second attack on the Ukrainian capital over four days. Seven people died on Tuesday, when Russian forces launched a barrage of drones and missiles.
The head of Kyiv's military administration, Tymur Tkachenko, said there had been strikes at six locations on Saturday, with apartment buildings and other dwellings hit in the city of three million.
The military administration said the body of one resident was recovered from rubble at an apartment building that had been set ablaze. A child was rescued from the same building.
A new air raid alert for incoming drones was issued in the capital after 5am local time.
Zelensky's chief of staff says 'I’m going to the front' after raid and resignation
04:30 , Shweta SharmaAndriy Yermak, the former top adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, said he is heading to the frontlines just hours after resigning from his post following a raid on his home by Kyiv’s national anti-corruption bureau, according to New York Post.
The Post said that it received a message from him last night, saying he was “prepared for any reprisals” and insisted he was “an honest and decent person”, adding that he might not respond to calls going forward.
He did not clarify when or how he planned to reach the front, but referenced his presence in Kyiv on 24 February 2022, the day Russia launched its full-scale invasion, writing: “Maybe we’ll see each other again. Glory to Ukraine.”
“I served Ukraine and was in Kyiv on February 24, 2024,” he wrote. “Maybe we’ll see each other again. Glory to Ukraine.”
Yermak did not specify whether he intended to join the Armed Forces, but said he felt “desecrated” and let down by those who failed to defend his reputation. He added that he wanted to avoid creating problems for Zelensky and was therefore going to the front.
“I’m disgusted by the filth directed at me, and even more disgusted by the lack of support from those who know the truth,” he added.
Ukraine has tried to bounce US into a peace deal - but Putin is still in charge
04:00 , James ReynoldsUkraine continues to suffer the swings and roundabouts of outrageous fortune at the hands of American negotiators but is learning how to survive the whirligig of the White House.
Donald Trump and his envoys are neither honest brokers nor even allies of Kyiv’s fight to defend itself against Russian invaders. But, for a little while, it seems that Ukraine has managed to swing them away from being outright enemies.
Ukraine has tried to bounce US into a peace deal - but Putin is still in charge
In pictures: Russia's Kyiv attack damages buildings and cars
03:30 , Shweta Sharma Trump ‘to hand occupied Ukrainian land to Putin in return for peace deal’
03:04 , James ReynoldsDonald Trump could recognise Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea and other occupied territories in an appeasement of the Kremlin’s key demands for a peace deal, according to a report.
It’s a red line for Kyiv that could force a wedge between Washington, Kyiv and Europe.
Ukraine’s top negotiator, Andriy Yermak, said in his swan song interview before resigning on Friday that Zelensky would never allow Ukraine to cede land to Russia and “not a single sane person today would sign a document to give up territory”.
Read the full story:
Trump ‘to hand occupied Ukrainian land to Putin in return for peace deal’
Russian drone and missile attack hits multiple Kyiv districts
02:53 , Shweta SharmaRussian drones and missiles struck several districts of Kyiv early today, injuring at least six people, including a child, officials said
Tymur Tkachenko, head of Kyiv's military administration, reported hits at six locations, with apartment blocks and other buildings damaged across the city of three million.
Mayor Vitali Klitschko said a strike ignited a fire on the lower floors of a high-rise west of the city centre, while another blaze in a central district was swiftly contained.
Tkachenko added that a further fire had broken out in an apartment building on the east bank of the Dnipro River.
Air defence systems were active during the assault, and images shared online showed emergency crews working amid burning structures and streets strewn with debris.
02:07 , James ReynoldsMarco Rubio plans to skip a meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Brussels next week, two U.S. officials said, in a highly unusual absence of the top US diplomat from a key transatlantic gathering.
Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau will represent Washington instead, said one of the officials, who requested anonymity.
It was unclear why the Secretary of State planned to skip the December 3 meeting, and his plans could change at the last second.
It comes at a time when US and Ukrainian officials have been scrambling to narrow gaps over President Donald Trump's controversial plan to end Russia's invasion of Ukraine, with some European diplomats complaining they are being cut out of the process.
Russia bans "undesirable" Human Rights Watch
01:04 , James ReynoldsRussian authorities on Friday outlawed Human Rights Watch as an "undesirable organisation," a label making involvement with such organisations a criminal offence.
The designation means the international human rights group must stop all work in Russia, and opens those who work with or support the organisation to prosecution.
The decision by the Russian prosecutor general's office is the latest move in an unrelenting crackdown on Kremlin critics, journalists and activists, which has intensified to unprecedented levels since Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Russia's shadow fleet rocked in Bosphorus
Friday 28 November 2025 23:58 , James ReynoldsBlasts rocked two tankers from Russia's shadow fleet in the Black Sea near Turkey's Bosphorus strait on Friday, causing fires on the vessels, and rescue operations were launched for those on board, Turkish authorities and sources said.
The 274-meter-long tanker Kairos suffered an explosion and caught fire in the Black Sea while en route from Egypt to Russia, Turkey's Transport Ministry said.
It said two fast rescue boats, a tugboat, and an emergency response vessel were immediately dispatched to the scene and the 25 crew members on board were safely rescued.
Kairos was heading to Russia's Novorossiysk port when it reported "an external impact" causing a fire 28 nautical miles off the Turkish shore, Turkey's Maritime Affairs Directorate said.
Trump ‘to hand occupied Ukrainian land to Putin in return for peace deal’
Friday 28 November 2025 23:01 , James ReynoldsDonald Trump could recognise Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea and other occupied territories in an appeasement of the Kremlin’s key demands for a peace deal, according to a report.
Russia has refused to budge on its maximalist demands for a deal to end their war in Ukraine. On Thursday, Putin said his forces would fight on “until the last Ukrainian dies”, in chilling comments that underlined Moscow’s reluctance to engage with the peace process.
Meanwhile, Europe has been making the case to Washington that Kyiv must have territorial sovereignty and security guarantees in any agreement.
Read the full story:
Trump ‘to hand occupied Ukrainian land to Putin in return for peace deal’
Putin backs Budapest summit with Trump
Friday 28 November 2025 22:01 , James ReynoldsRussian President Vladimir Putin greeted Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban in Moscow on Friday on a rare visit by an EU and NATO leader
Putin said at the meeting that he would still be happy for Budapest to host a Russia-U.S. summit with President Donald Trump.
Orban said he wanted detailed talks on Russian oil and gas supplies, calling them vital for Hungary's energy security.
Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said after the summit that Russia would deliver the agreed crude and gas supplies to Hungary according to the existing contract.
Orban went to the White House earlier this month to request special treatment on Trump’s sanctions on Russian oil
Russia weighs banning WhatsApp altogether
Friday 28 November 2025 21:06 , James ReynoldsRussia's state communications watchdog threatened on Friday to block WhatsApp entirely if it fails to comply with Russian law, news agencies reported.
In August, Russia began limiting some calls on WhatsApp, owned by Meta Platforms, and on Telegram, accusing the foreign-owned platforms of refusing to share information with law enforcement in fraud and terrorism cases.
On Friday, the Roskomnadzor watchdog again accused WhatsApp of failing to comply with Russian requirements designed to prevent and combat crime.
"If the messaging service continues to fail to meet the demands of Russian legislation, it will be completely blocked," Interfax news agency quoted it as saying.
Ukraine’s corruption scandal is disastrous for Zelensky - Putin will love it
Friday 28 November 2025 20:14 , James ReynoldsZelensky’s lost his chief of staff amid a €100 million corruption scandal that the Kremlin will exploit - this is a disaster to Kyiv but also a sign that its system works, writes world affairs editor Sam Kiley:
Ukraine’s corruption scandal is disastrous for Zelensky - Putin will love it
Zelensky’s right hand man quits amid corruption probe
Friday 28 November 2025 20:04 , James ReynoldsAndriy Yermak, often referred to as Zelensky’s right-hand man, had his home and offices searched on Friday as part of an investigation into a $100m (£76m) corruption scandal.
Read the full story:
Zelensky’s right hand man quits after police raid in corruption probe
"Our work goes on", vows Zelensky after Yermak resignation
Friday 28 November 2025 19:00 , James ReynoldsZelensky made an impassioned speech for Ukrainians to come together and remain united following the resignation of his chief of staff.
“Russia is eager for Ukraine to make mistakes. We won’t make any. Our work goes on. Our struggle goes on,” he said in a message to citizens.
In the wake of the resignation of Andriy Yermak, Zelensky said in an accompanying video that he was “resetting” his presidential office.
He praised and thanked Yermak for his work and said he would appoint a successor following consultations tomorrow.
What to know about Ukraine's corruption scandal as top negotiator resigns
Friday 28 November 2025 18:00 , James ReynoldsUkraine’s anti-corruption agencies announced on 10 November that they had uncovered a large scale corruption scheme in the country’s energy sector.
National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (Nabu) and the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (Sap) concluded after 15 months of investigation that some of Zelensky’s close associates were involved in a plot to launder around $100mn from Ukraine’s energy sector.
In ‘Operation Midas’, the agencies dismantled an alleged criminal organisation consisting of current and former energy officials, government ministers, a former deputy prime minister, and a businessman.
The accused are said to have manipulated contracts at Energoatom, Ukraine’s state nuclear energy company, to take kickbacks - secret payments, like a bribe, made in exchange for a favour. These were said to be worth some 10-15 per cent of contracts given to build up fortifications against Russian attacks on energy infrastructure, as civilians face rolling blackouts.
By Tuesday, 11 November, eight people had been charged with bribery, embezzlement and illicit enrichment. President Zelensky vowed to “overhaul” state-owned energy companies in the wake of the scandal, starting with a full audit.
Several of those implicated in the scandal are closely linked to the president. Zelensky is not directly implicated.
Earlier this year, Zelensky faced scrutiny for signing a law limiting the independence of Nabu and Sap. Ukraine saw its first major anti-government protests since the invasion in 2022.
President Volodymyr Zelensky's powerful chief of staff, a close ally of the president who has headed Ukraine's negotiation team at fraught U.S.-backed peace talks, quit on Friday, hours after anti-corruption agents searched his home.
Putin refuses to budge on demand for Ukrainian territory
Friday 28 November 2025 16:59 , James ReynoldsIn a sign that Moscow remains unlikely to budge on its maximalist demands of Ukraine, despot Putin said that Ukrainian troops must lay down their weapons and give up on territories claimed by Russia for a peace deal to be possible:
Putin refuses to budge on demand for Ukrainian territory ahead of talks with US
How Trump’s ‘drone guy’ has become key figure in Ukraine peace talks
Friday 28 November 2025 16:16 , Maira ButtIraq War veteran Dan Driscoll, a former venture capitalist and associate of Vice President JD Vance, recently presented Donald Trump’s plan to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv.
The army secretary has quickly moved from leading a military bureaucracy – focused on cutting red tape to quickly acquire inexpensive drones – to a key negotiator in a Donald Trump administration push to end the Russia-Ukraine war.
We take a look at how he has made the leap below...
How Trump’s ‘drone guy’ has become key figure in Ukraine peace talks
Putin claims Russian army has surrounded Ukraine city dubbed ‘the gateway to Donetsk’
Friday 28 November 2025 15:45 , Maira ButtRussian forces have surrounded the embattled Ukrainian city of Pokrovsk and control 70 per cent of it, President Vladimir Putin claimed on Thursday, though Kyiv's top general insisted Ukrainian defenders were pushing back hard amid fierce fighting in the city centre.
Moscow has sought full control of Pokrovsk – known to Russians by its Soviet-era name, Krasnoarmeysk – since mid-2024, as part of its broader objective to seize the entire Donbas industrial region.
Instead of a direct frontal assault on the city, a former home to over 60,000 and a key Ukrainian military logistics hub, Russian forces have employed a pincer movement. This tactic aims to steadily encircle Pokrovsk, infiltrating with small and then larger assault groups.
Putin claims Russian army has surrounded Ukraine city dubbed ‘the gateway to Donetsk’
Zelensky's chief of staff resigns
Friday 28 November 2025 15:23 , Maira ButtPresident Volodymyr Zelensky’s chief of staff Andriy Yermak has resigned.
Yermak was at the centre of a $100m corruption scandal and had his home and offices raided on Friday.
He said he was fully cooperating with authorities in the investigation.
Zelensky will not give up land for Russia - Yermak
Friday 28 November 2025 15:15 , Maira ButtUkraine’s top negotiator has said that Kyiv will never cede territory to Russia as part of a peace deal as long as Volodymyr Zelensky is president.
Speaking to The Atlantic, Andriy Yermak said that “not a single sane person today would sign a document to give up territory” following a week of discussion with US officials over how to end the war.
Ukraine has tried to bounce US into a peace deal - but Putin is still in charge
Friday 28 November 2025 14:50 , Maira ButtUkraine continues to suffer the swings and roundabouts of outrageous fortune at the hands of American negotiators but is learning how to survive the whirligig of the White House.
Donald Trump and his envoys are neither honest brokers nor even allies of Kyiv’s fight to defend itself against Russian invaders. But, for a little while, it seems that Ukraine has managed to swing them away from being outright enemies.
Ukraine has tried to bounce US into a peace deal - but Putin is still in charge
Zuma’s daughter resigns from parliament over Ukraine war allegations
Friday 28 November 2025 14:20 , Maira ButtThe daughter of former South African president Jacob Zuma has resigned from parliament amid claims that she lured 17 men to fight for Russia in Ukraine.
Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla was a politician in the Umkhonto weSizwe (MK) opposition party, which is led by her father.
MK officials said on Friday that she had resigned voluntarily.
Her departure from the National Assembly and all her other public roles was effective immediately, they said.
Zuma’s daughter resigns from parliament over Ukraine war allegations
The blacklisted businessman, the former film producer and the ex-soldier: Key players in Ukraine-Russia peace talks
Friday 28 November 2025 13:20 , Maira ButtSeveral countries and high-profile individuals are involved in the discussions, which have resulted in public disagreements. The Independent looks at some of the key characters below.
From blacklisted businessman to ex-film producer: Key players in Ukraine peace talks
Belgian prime minister says Ukraine peace deal would be blocked by plans to use frozen Russian assets
Friday 28 November 2025 12:50 , Maira ButtBelgium’s prime minister Bart De Wever has said that the European Union’s plan to use frozen Russian assets to fund Ukraine could endanger a peace deal.
The plan to use €140b in frozen Russian assets has failed to secure Belgium’s backing after De Wever has repeatedly expressed concern about the scheme.
“Hastily moving forward on the proposed reparations loan scheme would have, as collateral damage, that we as EU are effectively preventing reaching an eventual peace deal,” De Wever said in a letter to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, according to the Financial Times.
An EU spokesperson said “intensive discussions” remain ongoing.
How much of Ukraine does Russia occupy?
Friday 28 November 2025 12:24 , Maira ButtTerritorial disagreements remain key sticking points as Russia and Ukraine tentatively advance peace negotiations.
Russia currently occupies 20 per cent of Ukraine, and wants further control over more of major regions including the Donbas.
Full story: Zelensky’s chief of staff has home and offices raided in $100m anti-corruption probe
Friday 28 November 2025 12:20 , Maira ButtAnti-corruption agencies have raided the home of President Volodmyr Zelensky’s chief of staff as part of an investigation into a $100m (£76m) corruption scandal.
Andriy Yermak, often referred to as Zelensky’s right-hand man, had his home and offices searched on Friday and said he is fully cooperating with authorities.
“The investigators are facing no obstacles” the former film producer wrote on Telegram. “They were given full access to the apartment, my lawyers are on site, interacting with law enforcement officers. For my part, I fully cooperate.”
Zelensky’s chief of staff has home and offices raided in $100m anti-corruption probe
In pictures: Putin and Orban meet in Moscow to discuss energy and Ukraine
Friday 28 November 2025 11:47 , Maira ButtHungary’s prime minister Viktor Orban has landed in Moscow to meet with Russian president Vladimir Putin.
The leaders will discuss energy, with Hungary heavily reliant on Russian oil, as well as ongoing negotiations with Ukraine.
UK says talks to join EU defence fund have broken down
Friday 28 November 2025 11:41 , Maira ButtBritain said talks to join the European Union’s defence fund, SAFE, had broken down in a statement on Friday.
“While it is disappointing that we have not been able to conclude discussions on UK participation in the first round of SAFE, the UK defence industry will still be able to participate in projects through SAFE on third country terms,” said Nick Thomas-Symonds, Britain's minister for European Union Relations.
“Negotiations were carried out in good faith, but our position was always clear: we will only sign agreements that are in the national interest and provide value for money.”
Romania's defence minister resigns over education row
Friday 28 November 2025 11:20 , Maira ButtRomania’s defence minister Ionut Mosteanu resigned on Friday after it was revealed he had lied about his studies in his resume.
Mosteanu wrote a statement on Facebook, saying: “Romania and Europe are under Russia's assault. Our national security must be protected at all cost.
“I do not want discussions about my education and mistakes I made years ago to distract those who lead the country now from their hard mission.”
US and Ukraine delegations to meet this week to discuss peace formula, says Zelensky
Friday 28 November 2025 11:00 , Maira ButtMembers of the Ukrainian and US delegations are to meet this week to work out a formula discussed at talks in Geneva to bring peace and provide security guarantees for Kyiv, Volodymyr Zelensky has said.
"Our team, together with American representatives, will meet at the end of this week to continue to bring closer the points we have as a result of (talks in) Geneva in a form that will lead us on the path to peace and security guarantees," Zelensky said in his nightly video address.
"There will be a meeting of delegations. The Ukrainian delegation will be well prepared and focused on meaningful work,” he said.
Who is Andriy Yermak? Zelensky's top adviser implicated in $100m corruption scandal
Friday 28 November 2025 10:17 , Maira ButtPresident Volodymyr Zelensky’s “right-hand man” Andriy Yermak is reportedly deeply unpopular in Ukraine.
The Ukrainian politician currently serves as Zelensky’s chief of staff and has a background in film production.
Pro-democracy watchdogs and lawmakers have implicated Yermak in a $100m energy scandal. Anti-corruption agencies have said he is not involved.
In 2024, Time named Yermak as one of the 100 most influential people in the world. He is a member of the highest command and control body for Ukraine’s armed forces, the headquarters of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief.
How Russian drones targeting civilians are turning one Ukrainian city into a ‘human safari’
Friday 28 November 2025 09:47 , Maira ButtWhen Olena Horlova leaves home or drives through town outside the southern Ukrainian city of Kherson, she fears that she's a target. She believes that Russian drones could be waiting on a rooftop, along the road or aiming for her car.
To protect herself and her two daughters, the girls stay indoors, and she stays alert — sometimes returning home at night along dark roads without headlights so as not to be seen.
After living through the occupation, refusing to cooperate with Russian forces and hiding from them, Horlova, like so many other residents, found that even after her town was liberated in 2022, the ordeal didn't end.
How Russian drones are turning one Ukrainian city into a ‘human safari’
Watch: Putin says Russia will achieve its goals in Ukraine by force unless Kyiv withdraws
Friday 28 November 2025 09:20 , Maira ButtYermak says he is cooperating with investigators as his home is searched
Friday 28 November 2025 08:47 , Maira ButtAndrii Yermak, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky’s chief of staff, has said he is fully cooperating with investigators as his home and offices were searched by anti-corruption agencies.
“The investigators are not encountering any obstacles,” Yermak wrote on Telegram on Friday. “For my part, I fully cooperate.”
It comes after several Ukrainian officials were accused of being embroiled in a $100m corruption scandal relating to embezzled funds from energy companies.
