An Egyptian chef has been killed as Russia launched a series of attacks on foreign cargo vessels in the Black sea, according to the Ukrainian navy.
The worst hit was the Turkish dry cargo vessel, called Victress, which erupted in a large blaze as the 58-year-old cook was killed, according to Ukraine's deputy prime minister Oleksii Kuleba.
Eight other crew members on the Panamanian-flagged ship, including Turkish and Indian citizens, were evacuated in a Ukrainian rescue operation, the navy said.
Two other vessels flying the Belize and Palau flags also came under fire but were able to complete their journeys.
The attacks come after Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed Ukrainian forces had struck energy and military infrastructure either side of a key bridge linking occupied Crimea and Russia.
The Russia-appointed Crimean governor Sergei Aksyonov said fuel stations across the peninsula suspended sales to the public and businesses, with supplies restricted to government agencies responsible for essential services and security.
Russian authorities said at least five people were killed and 28 injured in the attacks, adding that air defences had downed 239 Ukrainian drones overnight.
Read MoreUkrainian officials criticize Polish president's decision to strip Zelenskyy of honor
Ukrainian attacks prompt Russian-held Crimea to halt civilian gasoline sales
How Ukraine’s new drone tactics are causing chaos in Russia after largest-ever attack on Moscow
Key Points
- Egyptian sailor killed in Russian attack on Turkish-owned cargo vessel
- Ukraine strikes near Crimea bridge as Zelensky warns of ‘new massive strike’ by Russia
- Ukraine drone attacks kill five in Crimea, Krasnodar region, Russian authorities say
- Donald Tusk warns Poland-Ukraine political row will damage both countries
- Ukraine's battlefield shift has not solved its humanitarian crisis, IRC says
- Zelensky issues warning to Belarus to dismantle tech used by Russia – or face force
Ukraine strikes satellite communications centre in Russia
14:45 , Alex CroftWe’re hearing that Ukraine's military has struck Russia's Dubna satellite communications centre, as reported by the Ukrainian military's General Staff.
The centre is in Russia’s western Moscow region.
Heavy smoke was observed at the site and the extent of damage was being assessed, it added.
Russia downs 301 drones, 60 of which were headed for Moscow
14:01 , Alex CroftRussia downed 301 drones overnight, Russian news agencies are saying, quoting the defence ministry.
Nearly 60 of these downed drones were headed for Moscow, Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said on Telegram.
He said emergency services had been dispatched to the areas where drones were downed but gave no further information.
In pictures: Blaze in Sumy after Russian drone strike kills family
13:16 , Alex Croft
Starmer's exit unlikely to change UK's hostile approach to Russia - Kremlin
12:39 , Alex CroftThe departure of British prime minister Keir Starmer, a strong supporter of Ukraine, is unlikely to change London's hostile attitude towards Russia, the Kremlin said on Monday.
Starmer announced his resignation on Monday, promising to ensure an orderly transfer of power to a new leader by September at the latest to try to avoid political instability as Britain prepares for its seventh leader in 10 years.
"Starmer has not done anything to distinguish himself on the issue of British-Russian relations," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.
"He has always been in favour of keeping relations at a zero level. It is unlikely that anyone on the British political scene will hold a position on our country that differs from Starmer’s," said Peskov.
Ukraine's battlefield shift has not solved its humanitarian crisis, IRC says
12:29 , Namita SinghUkraine's stronger position in the war with Russia has yet to relieve the humanitarian crisis felt by millions of displaced Ukrainians and worsened by a plunge in aid spending, the head of the International Rescue Committee said.
Ukraine has slowed Russia's advances on the battlefield to a virtual halt in recent months, prompting G7 leaders to recognise at a summit last week that momentum in the war has shifted.
Speaking during a visit to Ukraine, David Miliband, the IRC's president and CEO, said it was still vital to recognise the impact of aid cuts, led by the US, that have halved the IRC's budget in the country to a current estimate of $20m in 2027 from $40m last year.
"It feels particularly important at a time when there is this new sense of a different geopolitical narrative to recognise the brutality and strain that's being faced by millions of Ukrainians," Miliband said on Saturday, World Refugee Day.
The UN calculates roughly 118 million people are displaced globally, often as a result of conflict, violence and persecution. Ukraine accounts for around 10 million, with nearly four million of those internally displaced inside the country.
Russian drone attack kills three members of family including boy, 13
11:00 , Alex CroftA Russian drone attack has killed three members of one family, including a 13-year-old boy, in Ukraine's northern Sumy region, regional prosecutors have said.
The boy's 36-year-old father and 73-year-old grandmother were killed, while his mother and two siblings were injured in the attack, which occurred close to 4:50 a.m. (0150 GMT) local time, the prosecutors said.
We’re working to bring you more on this attack.
Egyptian sailor killed in Russian attack on Turkish-owned cargo vessel
10:38 , Alex CroftWe’re hearing news that a Turkish dry cargo vessel, called Victress, has been struck in a Russian drone attack, causing a major fire aboard.
An Egyptian cook was killed in the attack, deputy prime minister Oleksii Kuleba said.
The ship was sailing under the Panamanian flag, the Ukrainian navy said in a Telegram post on Monday.
There were casualties among the nine crew members who are nationals of Egypt, Turkey and India, it said.
The post did not provide details on the casualties.
Pictures: Aftermath of Russian missile strike in Odesa region
10:15 , Namita Singh
One killed, three injured as Russia hits Odesa region with Iskander missile, governor says
09:30 , Namita SinghOne person was killed and three were injured after Russia hit Ukraine's southern Odesa region with an Iskander ballistic missile on Sunday evening, Oleh Kiper, the regional governor, said on Telegram.
He said vehicles and fuel storage tanks caught fire after the strike hit an agricultural facility in the Odesa district.
The details could not be independently verified.
Russian forces launch missile and drone attacks as fighting continues across eastern U
09:00 , Namita SinghRussian forces carried out three missile strikes, 84 air strikes and dropped 275 guided aerial bombs across Ukraine over the past day, according to the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
In its operational update released on Sunday morning, the military said Russian troops also deployed 9,629 kamikaze drones and launched 2,932 attacks, including 55 using multiple-launch rocket systems.
Ukraine said its Air Force, rocket forces and artillery struck four Russian command posts, five areas where troops and equipment were concentrated, six artillery systems, two drone command posts and two other military targets.
Fighting continued along several sections of the front line. In the North Slobozhansky and Kursk directions, four combat engagements were recorded, while Russian forces carried out 54 shelling attacks.
The General Staff reported 13 Russian assaults in the South Slobozhansky direction, including near Izbytske, Lyman, Starytsia and Vovchansk. In the Kupiansk sector, Russian troops launched eight attacks towards Glushkivka, Kurylivka, Shykivka and Mala Shapkivka.
Russian troops infiltrate key eastern Ukrainian city, report says
08:15 , Namita SinghRussian forces have entered the strategic eastern Ukrainian city of Kostyantynivka and are attempting to encircle it, according to a BBC report citing Ukrainian soldiers and military officials.
The city, regarded as a gateway to the wider Donbas region, has become a focal point of fighting as Moscow seeks to secure full control of eastern Ukraine.
Ukrainian troops told the BBC that Russian soldiers have established positions within parts of the city, making it increasingly difficult to remove them in urban combat.
While Russia has claimed rapid advances and the encirclement of Ukrainian units, Kyiv has rejected those assertions.
Brig Gen Oleksandr Bakulin, commander of Ukraine’s 19th Corps, said "the situation remains under control" and "the enemy has no success", though he acknowledged that 130 Russian troops were operating inside the city.
Ukrainian soldiers told the outlet that supply routes were under sustained pressure and described growing logistical challenges.
Pictures: Firefighters attempt to put out blaze in Odesa after Russian strike
07:30 , Namita Singh
Russian-held Crimea to halts civilian gasoline sales amid Ukraine attacks
07:00 , Namita SinghAuthorities in Russian-controlled Crimea on Sunday suspended civilian petrol sales after Ukraine intensified its attacks on fuel infrastructure across the Black Sea peninsula.
Sergei Aksyonov, the Moscow-installed governor of Crimea, said overnight Ukrainian strikes left four people dead and 28 others injured. In a subsequent post on social media, he announced that petrol stations across the region would temporarily stop selling fuel to private individuals and non-governmental organisations, although no timeline was given for the restriction.
“Fuel will be sold only to government agencies that ensure the functioning and security of the Republic of Crimea,” Aksyonov said. “I ask everyone to remain calm and to only trust official sources of information.”
Report:
Ukrainian attacks prompt Russian-held Crimea to halt civilian gasoline sales
Russian drone hits Turkish dry cargo vessel, Ukrainian Navy says
06:43 , Namita SinghA Russian drone attack hit a Turkish dry cargo vessel called Victress which was sailing under the Panamanian flag, the Ukrainian navy said in a Telegram post on Monday, causing a major fire aboard.
There were casualties among the nine crew members who are nationals of Egypt, Turkey and India, it said, adding that everyone was rescued. The post did not provide details on the casualties.
Video: Ukraine releases drone footage of attacks on Crimea
06:26 , Namita SinghMoscow reopens airports after shooting down nearly 60 drones
06:11 , Namita SinghRussian air defences in the Moscow region shot down dozens of drones in the early hours of Monday as the capital briefly suspended flights at all its major airports, local authorities said, just days after Ukraine hit the city's oil refinery again.
Nearly 60 drones heading for Moscow were downed, mayor Sergei Sobyanin said on Telegram. Sobyanin did not provide further details, adding that emergency services had been dispatched to areas where drones were downed.
The airports of Sheremetyevo, Domodedovo and Vnukovo, as well as Zhukovskiy near the capital, had suspended flights, although those were later resumed, the aviation watchdog said separately.
The attack comes after drones again hit Moscow's sole oil refinery last week. In that offensive, Moscow's defence systems shot down nearly 200 drones in one of the biggest air attacks on the city since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
The city of Sevastopol in Russia-annexed Crimea cancelled all open-air public events on Monday and will keep street lights switched off, Mikhail Razvozhayev, the city governor, said on Telegram as he called on people to curb electricity usage.
Crimea, a popular tourist destination for Russians, has suspended fuel sales to the public and businesses, with supplies restricted to government agencies responsible for essential services and security, as Ukraine's drone attacks on its supply routes and energy facilities elsewhere led to a fuel crisis.
Zelensky tells Belarus to dismantle tech used by Russia
05:53 , Namita SinghTusk warns Poland-Ukraine political row will damage both countries
05:22 , Namita SinghPolish prime minister Donald Tusk has warned that a growing political dispute between Poland and Ukraine is a strategic error that risks damaging both countries, as he attempts to ease renewed tensions over events dating back to the Second World War.
The row escalated after Polish president Karol Nawrocki on Friday revoked Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky's highest Polish state honour. In response, three former Ukrainian presidents and several senior officials returned the awards they had previously received from Poland.
Nawrocki withdrew the Order of the White Eagle after Zelensky drew criticism in Poland for renaming a Ukrainian military unit in honour of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army, a nationalist force responsible for massacres of Poles during the Second World War.
“Wading into a conflict between politicians in Poland and Ukraine is a strategic mistake that will harm both sides: business-wise, geopolitically, and reputationally. And in politics, as we know, a mistake is worse than a crime,” Tusk wrote in a post on X.
The pro-European leader returned to power in 2023 after heading a coalition that defeated the nationalist Law and Justice party, with which Nawrocki is politically aligned.
In an interview published on X, Zelensky stressed that Ukraine and Poland could only remain “partners and friends”, warning that political tensions could lead to a “very dangerous escalation”.
“Our service members choose a heroic name for their unit themselves, and as president and supreme commander-in-chief, I must support them,” he said.“Without Ukraine, no one will be able to defend Poland. It is simply impossible.”
Ukraine strikes near Crimea bridge as Zelensky warns of ‘new massive strike’ by Russia
05:16 , Namita SinghUkraine targeted the energy and military infrastructure near the Crimean Bridge, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed on 21 June.
"This night, our long-range sanctions were applied to the occupiers' military logistics, oil industry, and air defence," Zelensky said in a Telegram post.
"Targets on both sides of the Crimean Bridge were hit: maritime logistics for oil transportation in the Krasnodar region and an oil depot in temporarily occupied Kerch," he added.
Zelensky warned the citizens to be vigilant earlier on 20 June about a possible Russian attack.
"Tonight and in the coming hours, we must pay particularly close attention to air raid alerts," Zelensky has said on Saturday. "The Russians have prepared for a new massive strike. Please, stay safe."
Ukraine drone attacks kill five in Crimea, Krasnodar region, Russian authorities say
04:55 , Namita SinghFour people were killed and 28 wounded in a Ukrainian drone attack on the Russian-controlled peninsula of Crimea, the Russian-installed governor said.
Separately, local authorities in Russia's Krasnodar region said a Ukrainian drone attack killed one person on a passenger ferry and set an oil terminal ablaze.
The ferry service across the Kerch Strait, separating Crimea from the Krasnodar region, has been temporarily suspended, the authorities said.
Ukraine attack kills five as Crimea halts public fuel sales
04:40 , Namita SinghFour people were killed and 28 wounded in a Ukrainian drone attack on the Russian-controlled peninsula of Crimea, the Russian-installed governor said.
Separately, local authorities in Russia's Krasnodar region said a Ukrainian drone attack on an oil transport facility, confirmed by Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy, killed one person on a passenger ferry and set an oil terminal ablaze.
The Russian defence ministry said 239 Ukrainian drones had been shot down overnight.
Crimean governor Sergei Aksyonov said fuel stations across the peninsula suspended sales to the public and businesses, with supplies restricted to government agencies responsible for essential services and security.
Ukraine has recently intensified drone attacks on Crimea, home to Russia's Black Sea Fleet, targeting the peninsula's supply routes and triggering a fuel crisis as the holiday season starts.
A local power grid operator reported outages in several areas after damage to electricity networks, while ferry traffic across the Kerch Strait, separating Crimea from the Krasnodar region, was temporarily suspended.
Authorities also halted traffic on the bridge linking Crimea with Russia's Krasnodar region for more than nine hours, leaving 11 trains running behind schedule.
Ukraine's battlefield shift has not solved its humanitarian crisis, IRC says
04:22 , Namita SinghUkraine's stronger position in the war with Russia has yet to relieve the humanitarian crisis felt by millions of displaced Ukrainians and worsened by a plunge in aid spending, the head of the International Rescue Committee said.
Ukraine has slowed Russia's advances on the battlefield to a virtual halt in recent months, prompting G7 leaders to recognise at a summit last week that momentum in the war has shifted.
Speaking during a visit to Ukraine, David Miliband, the IRC's president and CEO, said it was still vital to recognise the impact of aid cuts, led by the US, that have halved the IRC's budget in the country to a current estimate of $20m in 2027 from $40m last year.
"It feels particularly important at a time when there is this new sense of a different geopolitical narrative to recognise the brutality and strain that's being faced by millions of Ukrainians," Miliband said on Saturday, World Refugee Day.
The UN calculates roughly 118 million people are displaced globally, often as a result of conflict, violence and persecution. Ukraine accounts for around 10 million, with nearly four million of those internally displaced inside the country.
One killed, three injured as Russia hits Odesa region with Iskander missile, governor says
04:04 , Namita SinghOne person was killed and three were injured after Russia hit Ukraine's southern Odesa region with an Iskander ballistic missile on Sunday evening, Oleh Kiper, the regional governor, said on Telegram. He said vehicles and fuel storage tanks caught fire after the strike hit an agricultural facility in the Odesa district.
The details could not be independently verified.
Post office and apartments damaged as 8 injured in attack on Sumy - ICYMI
03:00 , Alex CroftRussia launched a fresh attack on Sumy on Sunday, with several buildings damaged.
Eight people were injured in the overnight attacks, according to Serhii Kryvosheienko, head of Sumy City Military Administration.
A post office, petrol station, apartment blocks and houses were damaged in the attack, he said.
Ukraine's strengthening position in war has not relieved humanitarian crisis - IRC
01:30 , Alex CroftUkraine's stronger position in the war with Russia has yet to relieve the humanitarian crisis felt by millions of displaced Ukrainians and worsened by a plunge in aid spending, the head of the International Rescue Committee said.
Ukraine has slowed Russia's advances on the battlefield to a virtual halt in recent months, prompting G7 leaders to recognise at a summit last week that momentum in the war has shifted.
Speaking during a visit to Ukraine, David Miliband, the IRC's president and CEO, said it was still vital to recognise the impact of aid cuts, led by the U.S., that has halved the IRC's budget in the country to a current estimate of $20 million in 2027 from $40 million last year.
"It feels particularly important at a time when there is this new sense of a different geopolitical narrative to recognise the brutality and strain that's being faced by millions of Ukrainians," Mr Miliband said on Saturday, World Refugee Day.
Watch: Zelensky warns Ukrainians of ‘massive attack’ from Russia as strikes kill at least six people
Monday 22 June 2026 00:00 , Alex CroftUkraine drone attacks kill five in Crimea and Krasnodar region
Sunday 21 June 2026 23:00 , Alex CroftAt least four people were killed and 28 wounded in a Ukrainian drone attack on the Russian-controlled peninsula of Crimea, the Russian-installed governor said.
Separately, local authorities in Russia's Krasnodar region said a Ukrainian drone attack killed one person on a passenger ferry and set an oil terminal ablaze.
The ferry service across the Kerch Strait, separating Crimea from the Krasnodar region, has been temporarily suspended, the authorities said.
Bulletin | Zelensky tells Belarus to dismantle tech used by Russia – or face force
Sunday 21 June 2026 22:02 , Alex CroftUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has urged Belarus to dismantle relay stations he claims are crucial for Russian drone attacks on Ukraine.
Here’s all you need to know in five bullet points:
Zelensky tells Belarus to dismantle tech used by Russia – or face force
Former Ukrainian PM latest to return Polish state honour
Sunday 21 June 2026 21:00 , Alex CroftFormer Ukrainian prime minister Volodymyr Hroisman is the latest Ukrainian politician to return the Knight's Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland.
Mr Hroisman received the honour in 2011 while serving as mayor of Vinnytsia, for developing regional cooperation with Polish cities during this time.
"I am returning the order as a sign of solidarity with Ukraine and President Zelensky. Not out of resentment towards the Polish people, but with deep respect for them and gratitude for all the years of support, for the millions of Poles who opened their hearts and homes to our people after 24 February,” he said on Facebook.
It comes as part of an ongoing dispute over Poland and Ukraine’s shared history, after Polish president Karol Nawrocki stripped Volodymyr Zelensky of the Order of the White Eagle after he named a Ukrainian military unit after the Ukrainian Insurgent Army - which Warsaw says carried out a genocide of Poles in the 1940s.
Russia frees 24 Filipinos after Marcos talks with Putin
Sunday 21 June 2026 20:01 , Alex CroftRussia has freed 24 Filipinos who were detained for months without charges in a Siberian city, after Philippine president Ferdinand Marcos Jr. raised concern for them in a meeting with president Vladimir Putin, Philippine officials said on Saturday.
The 24 arrived in Manila aboard two flights early Sunday, and the first batch was welcomed by Philippine foreign secretary Theresa Lazaro, who accompanied Marcos in his talks with Putin on Wednesday in the Russian city of Kazan, the department of foreign affairs in Manila said.
Migrant Workers secretary Hans Cacdac welcomed the final batch of freed workers before dawn. His agency provided unspecified aid to the workers, who were detained in a Russian region known for its extreme winter temperatures.
Trump claims Moscow losing more troops than Kyiv as he admits Putin on ‘the offensive’ - ICYMI
Sunday 21 June 2026 19:02 , Alex CroftRecap: Ukraine accepts proposal from Brazil's Lula to work for peace, Kyiv adviser says
Sunday 21 June 2026 18:00 , Alex CroftPresident Volodymyr Zelensky has accepted an offer from Brazilian leader Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva to help work for a peace deal in Russia's war in Ukraine, a Ukrainian presidential adviser said on Friday.
Zelensky and Lula met on the sidelines of the Group of Seven summit in the French resort of Evian-les-Bains on Wednesday, where the Ukrainian leader urged allies to increase pressure on Russia to end the more than four-year-old war.
The two presidents discussed what could reactivate diplomacy and Lula proposed several ideas, including contacts with permanent members of the U.N. Security Council, presidential communications adviser Dmytro Lytvyn told reporters.
"They agreed that, in particular, based on such ideas and contacts, they would try to achieve something and later they would discuss it based on the results," Lytvyn said.
Russian-held Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant says external power link restored
Sunday 21 June 2026 17:02 , Alex CroftThe Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in southeastern Ukraine said yesterday that external power had been restored after the station had been obliged to rely on diesel generation for a time.
Russia seized the plant in the first weeks of the war and each side has since regularly accused the other of military action that compromises nuclear safety.
A statement issued by the plant's Russian management on Telegram said the plant was operating normally after the transition back to external power. Radiation levels were normal.
The UN nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, also reported the restoration of the external line after a break of four and a half hours.
Ukraine's energy ministry said Russian military activity was responsible for the disconnection, the 20th such occurrence since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
The plant, Europe's largest with six reactors, produces no electricity, but needs power supplied by two external links to keep nuclear fuel at the plant cool.
How Ukraine’s new drone tactics are causing chaos in Russia after largest-ever attack on Moscow
Sunday 21 June 2026 16:01 , Alex CroftUkraine launched a powerful barrage of drones on Moscow on Thursday, triggering a huge explosion in one of the Russian capital’s key oil refineries.
Kyiv’s strategic deployment of medium-range drones is inflicting significant damage on Russia's struggling war effort, experts have said as Moscow’s ground offensive stalls.
Kyiv has scaled up its targeting of Russia’s critical oil infrastructure, the lifeblood of the Kremlin’s wartime economy, as part of a wider campaign to weaken its capacity to continue its war on Ukraine.
"One of the most popular questions asked by Muscovites this morning is 'What is going on?' I can answer. Your country started a war of aggression against ours. For years, it has been killing our people. Now that you know what's going on, ask Putin when he is planning to end it," Ukraine's foreign minister Andrii Sybiha posted on X. on Thursday.
Take a look at how Ukraine’s new drone tactics are causing major problems for Russia:
How Ukraine’s new drone tactics are causing chaos in Russia
Watch: Kherson emergency services put out fires as Ukraine reports Russian attack
Sunday 21 June 2026 15:02 , Alex CroftIAEA says Zaporizhzhia NPP loses power for 20th time
Sunday 21 June 2026 14:00 , Alex CroftThe International Atomic Energy Agency said on Saturday Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant lost off-site power for the 20th time during the conflict with Russia due to an issue with the site's internal power lines affecting its only remaining 330 kV connection, Ferosplavna-1.
Emergency diesel generators were activated to maintain reactor cooling and other essential nuclear safety functions, the agency said in a post on X.
Ukraine's strengthening position in war has not relieved humanitarian crisis - IRC
Sunday 21 June 2026 13:01 , Alex CroftUkraine's stronger position in the war with Russia has yet to relieve the humanitarian crisis felt by millions of displaced Ukrainians and worsened by a plunge in aid spending, the head of the International Rescue Committee said.
Ukraine has slowed Russia's advances on the battlefield to a virtual halt in recent months, prompting G7 leaders to recognise at a summit last week that momentum in the war has shifted.
Speaking during a visit to Ukraine, David Miliband, the IRC's president and CEO, said it was still vital to recognise the impact of aid cuts, led by the U.S., that has halved the IRC's budget in the country to a current estimate of $20 million in 2027 from $40 million last year.
"It feels particularly important at a time when there is this new sense of a different geopolitical narrative to recognise the brutality and strain that's being faced by millions of Ukrainians," Mr Miliband said on Saturday, World Refugee Day.
