Germany has urged Vladimir Putin to stop Russia’s “dangerous path of escalation” against it and other Nato countries and find a peaceful end to the war in Ukraine.
The German foreign minister Johann Wadephul met with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly on Saturday, although Lavrov later said the talks led to no meaningful breakthrough.
Lavrov dismissed Wadephul’s concerns and instead accused Germany of prolonging the war by supporting Ukraine. In his speech later to the General Assembly, he said: “Does Berlin understand what this could lead to? Didn’t they not learn the lessons of World War II?”
Meanwhile, both Russia and Ukraine ramped up their aerial attacks on Saturday, with at least 10 people killed across both countries, despite Donald Trump’s plea for a peace deal.
Mr Trump told Zelensky to make a deal with Vladimir Putin to end the war at the UN General Assembly earlier this week in New York.
“You know what I want him to do? Make a deal,” the president told Fox News. “I want him to settle with Putin and I want Putin to settle with him.”
Read MoreCIA warns Russia is preparing attacks on Spain, France or Italy with drones from the sea: report
Two North Korean soldiers captured by Ukraine sent to South Korea, Zelensky says
Rubio concerned Ukraine war could spread as Russia harries UK and allies
Key Points
- Russia's top diplomat rejects German calls to stop ‘dangerous escalation’
- Germany says relations cannot improve with Russia unless Putin moves to end war
- Russian and Ukrainian strikes leave 10 dead despite Trump plea for peace deal
- Trump tells Zelensky: "Make a deal with Putin"
- Four dead in Russian strikes across Ukraine
Watch: Zelensky slams Putin's 'lame excuses' for not ending war in Ukraine
14:14 , Dan HaygarthTwo dead in Russian strikes on Kyiv and Odesa
12:45 , Adam WithnallRussian strikes on Ukraine killed at least two people overnight into Sunday, officials said.
In Kyiv, a man was found dead after a Russian drone hit a non-residential building overnight, according to Ukraine’s emergency service.
Another drone struck a single-story vehicle repair shop, leaving firefighters battling the blaze into early Sunday.
Russian forces also struck Ukraine’s southern Odesa region, which surrounds the country’s main Black Sea port, multiple times overnight into Sunday, killing one person and injuring two others, according to the head of the local military administration, Oleh Kiper.
Inside the real war games as Europe readies for an attack by Russia
12:01 , Adam WithnallSky’s docu-drama The Wargame has landed right in the middle of a time of real-world crisis. But the true danger is the potential for hysteria, fear and miscalculation to turn a shadow war into something much worse, as Owen Matthews explains:
Inside the real war games as Europe readies for an attack by Russia
Europe’s far-right turmoil is only the beginning – all the signs point to worse to come
11:00 , Adam WithnallJohn Kampfner writes about the terrifying surge of the far right across Europe, and why it’s only good news for Russia:
Europe’s far-right turmoil is only the start – all the signs point to worse to come
Russia says it struck military infrastructure and vessel in Ukraine
09:34 , Adam WithnallThe Russian defence ministry said on Sunday its forces had carried out overnight drone strikes on logistics centres, port and transport infrastructure, as well as communications centres and vessels that Moscow said were linked to the Ukrainian military.
The ministry said the strikes hit a data centre in Kyiv, logistic hubs in the Kyiv and Odesa regions, two drone storages in Mykolaiv, headquarters of a naval base as well as of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine and four military storages in the Kiliya port, and a cargo ship carrying military and dual-use goods to the port of Odesa.
Russia uses UN address to criticise West and deny isolation
07:56 , Adam WithnallRussian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov used his speech yesterday at the UN General Assembly and a subsequent news conference to blame the West for undermining European security, despite Russia being the aggressor in its invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Lavrov claimed the West “aspires to inflict strategic defeat on Russia – but these aspirations will result in the war mongers being led into a strategic dead end.”
He also claimed the US specifically had "destroyed the European security system and created a Russophobic regime in Kyiv".
Moscow has repeatedly sought to stress that it maintains a strong position on the global stage despite its war on Ukraine and isolation from the West.
Writing on her personal Telegram channel, Maria Zakharova, chief spokesperson for Russia’s foreign ministry, claimed that “tens of diplomats” had come to meet Lavrov to “shake his hand and thank Russia” at the UN.
An overwhelming majority of General Assembly member nations have repeatedly condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Voters in Switzerland decide on right-wing party's proposal to tighten neutrality rules
06:43 , Adam WithnallVoters are taking part in a referendum in Switzerland today on a proposal to strengthen the country's neutrality rules.
The referendum is supported by a right-wing populist party that insists the Swiss government has gravitated too close to the European Union and Nato, notably over Russia's war in Ukraine.
Backers of the plan, championed by the Swiss People's Party, want Switzerland to reinforce its commitment to neutrality that has been enshrined in the constitution since the mid-19th century and has faced years of debate over what that neutrality really means.
The party, which has the most seats in parliament and counts some members with pro-Russia leanings, has bristled over the Swiss federal government's decision to denounce Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine and join EU sanctions against Moscow.
The measure would prohibit the government from joining sanctions against any belligerent country except sanctions approved by the United Nations. Russia has been shielded from such measures because it wields a veto on the UN Security Council as one of its five permanent members.
Switzerland is not a member of any military alliance. Passage would also bar the Swiss government from cooperating with any alliance – as it has with Nato for three decades, including through joint exercises – except in cases where it faces a direct threat.
Germany says relations cannot improve with Russia unless Putin moves to end war
05:18 , Adam WithnallThe meeting between German and Russian foreign ministers on Saturday, at Germany's Johann Wadephul’s request, came just before Sergey Lavrov addressed world leaders, where he also criticised the militarisation of Japan.
He made clear that Russia will veto any attempt by Germany and Japan for permanent seats on the Security Council, the UN’s most powerful body. The two nations fought Russia, Britain and the United States in World War II.
A German delegation official said that during their meeting, Wadephul called on Russia to abandon its “dangerous path of escalation” toward Germany, Europe and the Nato alliance. Ties between Russia and Germany have soured in recent weeks, following an attempted drone attack last month at Leipzig airport – Germany has blamed the incident on Russia – and tit-for-tat responses that followed.
Wadephul expressed openness to a better relationship but said it required a genuine willingness from Russia’s leadership to end the war in Ukraine, according to the official.
Russia's top diplomat rejects German calls to stop ‘dangerous escalation’
03:58 , Adam WithnallRussia’s top diplomat rejected German calls to ease off its “dangerous path of escalation” toward the country, instead accusing Germany of being Ukraine’s main sponsor and seeking to be a leading military power in Europe.
“Does Berlin understand what this could lead to?’ Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov asked in his speech at the UN General Assembly’s annual gathering of world leaders. “Didn’t they not learn the lessons of World War II?”
Lavrov was dismissive after the German and Russian foreign ministers met Saturday on the sidelines of the meeting, holding what’s believed to be the first such tête-à-tête since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
“He simply reiterated his official public position condemning Russia,” Lavrov said. “You can judge for yourself whether that counts as dialogue or not.”
German, Russian foreign ministers have rare meeting at UN
03:00 , Harriette Boucher
German, Russian foreign ministers have rare meeting at UN
Watch: 20 rescued after Kyiv residential building hit in Russian attack
02:00 , Harriette BoucherICMYI: Zelensky urges Trump to get China to help end Russia's invasion
01:00 , Harriette BoucherUkrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky says he asked Donald Trump to press China’s Xi Jinping to use Beijing’s influence over Moscow and end the war on his country.
Zelensky told reporters late on Friday that he has not yet received feedback from the White House about Trump’s talks with Xi, but expects to learn the outcome.
Nato countries have called China a “decisive enabler” of Russian president Vladimir Putin’s invasion.
Zelensky was also in the US this week on a trip coinciding with the UN General Assembly. He met with Trump on Tuesday.
Zelensky met with US senators and Congress members during his trip and said he thanked them for their bipartisan support in passing a powerful sanctions bill aimed at Moscow last month. Trump signed the bill into law last week but hasn’t enacted the measures yet.
Ukraine now intercepting 55 per cent of Russian jet-powered drones - Zelensky
Sunday 27 September 2026 00:00 , Harriette BoucherPutin 'looking for excuses to keep waging war'
Saturday 26 September 2026 23:00 , Harriette BoucherVolodymyr Zelensky has said Vladimir Putin continues to “look for excuses” so he can keep waging war.
“Obviously, the Russians are not preparing to stop their war, at least for now,” he said.
“Putin always finds some lame excuse – not to meet, not to hold a trilateral, not to talk, not to end it, not to stop the killing… It has been the same with him for years – and all our partners feel it. He is looking for excuses to keep waging the war.
“It always sounds the same – and our recent meeting with the US President showed that. America sees the situation the same way. And Russia must develop a desire to spend money not on death, but on something else – they must develop a desire to end this war.
“In the coming days and throughout October, there will be a lot of diplomatic activity to change the situation. But beyond that, the Lindsey Graham Act, other mechanisms of pressure – all of this needs to work even harder.”
Russian and Ukrainian strikes leave 10 dead despite Trump plea for peace deal
Saturday 26 September 2026 22:09 , Harriette BoucherRussian attacks killed four people across Ukraine, officials said on Saturday, while Kyiv continued to target Russian oil refineries and industrial sites with long-range drones.
The intensifying air strikes between Moscow and Kyiv come as Donald Trump said he hoped Volodymyr Zelensky would “settle” with Vladimir Putin.
Ukraine continued to target Russian oil refineries and industrial sites with long-range drones.
A Ukrainian drone attack in Russia’s southern Krasnodar region killed three people and wounded two, local officials said Saturday.
Attacks also killed three people overnight in the Russian-occupied part of Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia region.
Russia and Germany's top diplomats hold first talks since 2022
Saturday 26 September 2026 21:52 , Harriette BoucherRussia and Germany’s foreign ministers met on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly on Saturday in the first talks since before the invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Relations between Moscow and Berlin, a close ally of Ukraine, have been frozen since the Russian invasion, and tensions escalated further after a drone incident at Leipzig/Halle Airport in eastern Germany in August.
The ministers discussed bilateral ties and the war in Ukraine, officials from both sides said.
German foreign minister Johann Wadephul also used the talks to urge Mr Lavrov to do “everything possible to reach an agreement on grain exports via the Black Sea,” according to a German delegation source.
In his speech to the UN, Russia’s top diplomat rejected German calls to ease off its “dangerous path of escalation” toward the country, instead accusing Germany of being Ukraine's main sponsor and seeking to be a leading military power in Europe.
“Does Berlin understand what this could lead to?’ Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov asked in his speech.
“Didn’t they not learn the lessons of World War II?”
In focus: ‘Whoever wins AI, wins’: How artificial intelligence is transforming the future of war
Saturday 26 September 2026 21:30 , Harriette BoucherKiller robots, nuclear war, and chemical weapons are all part of a doomsday scenario involving AI and global conflict. Experts tell Maira Butt that guardrails are crucial to prevent disaster:
‘Whoever wins AI, wins’: How AI is transforming the future of war
Watch: Putin claims peace is ‘on the table’ for Ukraine - yet warns of further strikes
Saturday 26 September 2026 20:30 , Harriette BoucherThe critical infrastructure Europe - and Nato - needs to protect from Russia
Saturday 26 September 2026 19:30 , Harriette Boucher
The critical infrastructure Europe - and Nato - needs to protect from Russia
Ukraine's ex-defence minister launches initiative to replace humans with robots on the battlefield
Saturday 26 September 2026 18:30 , Harriette BoucherFormer Ukrainian defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov has announced he is launching the “army of robots”, a tech initiative which looks to replace humans on the battlefield.
“In 2022, we launched the Army of Drones. Today, drones account for over 95 per cent of battlefield strikes, and Ukraine has more than 700 UAV manufacturers,” he wrote on X on Saturday.
“Now we need the next technological breakthrough: the robotisation of warfare.”
He added: “The goal is simple — save lives. Robots should take on the most dangerous missions: evacuating the wounded, delivering ammunition, mining and demining, reconnaissance, defending positions and engaging targets.
“The Army of Robots is not one company. It’s an ecosystem. We will invest in defence tech companies, launch our own technology projects, test them with the military and scale what works on the battlefield.”
Watch: 20 rescued after Kyiv residential building hit in Russian attack
Saturday 26 September 2026 17:30 , Harriette BoucherRussian strike on data centre disrupts Ukrainian media outlet operations
Saturday 26 September 2026 16:30 , Harriette BoucherA Russian attack that damaged a data centre has disrupted operations at several Ukrainian media outlets.
Russia's defence ministry said on Saturday that its attack on Kyiv had damaged a data centre that supported both cellphone internet services and Starlink satellite communication systems.
Kyiv Independent reported that multiple TV channels temporarily suspended broadcasting following the attack.
It said internet access had also been disrupted for around 100,000 households.
Trump tells Zelensky: "Make a deal with Putin"
Saturday 26 September 2026 15:35 , Sam RkainaUS president Donald Trump has told Ukraine’s leader Volodymyr Zelensky to “settle” with Vladimir Putin to end the war.
Trump was speaking to reporters Saturday morning, having met the Ukrainian leader at the UN General Assembly earlier this week in New York.
“You know what I want hin to do? Make a deal,” the president told Fox News. “I want him to settle with Putin and I want Putin to settle with him.
“Last month, 25,000 people died in the Ukraine-Russia war.... What a shame.”
Watch: 20 rescued after Kyiv residential building hit in Russian attack
Saturday 26 September 2026 14:12 , Sam RkainaHow artificial intelligence is transforming the future of war
Saturday 26 September 2026 12:59 , Adam Withnall‘Whoever wins AI, wins’: How AI is transforming the future of war
Zelensky says Putin is 'escalating every single day'
Saturday 26 September 2026 12:30 , Adam WithnallWriting on social media on Saturday morning, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia had carried out “numerous strikes on residential homes” across the country.
“It is essential that our partners not forget: Russia is escalating every single day. If the Russians have chosen to make their strikes even more brutal, the world must choose stronger responses to keep the war from spreading further,” he said.
Zelensky listed strikes on the cities of Kyiv and Zaporizhzhia, as well as the Odesa, Sumy, and Kharkiv regions.
Zelensky appealed at the UN earlier this week for countries to starve Russia of revenue through sanctions and trade bans, denying Moscow the money it needs to prolong the war.
Four dead in Russian strikes across Ukraine
Saturday 26 September 2026 12:04 , Adam WithnallRussian attacks killed four people across Ukraine on Saturday, officials said, as the aerial war between Moscow and Kyiv intensified.
Russia has hammered Ukraine with cruise and ballistic missiles, powerful glide bombs and jet-powered drones in recent weeks while front line progress has slowed.
Two women in Zaporizhzhia died when they were trapped beneath the rubble of their destroyed home, Zaporizhzhia’s regional military administration said. A separate Russian attack on the city of Sumy also killed two people, local officials said.
Elsewhere in Ukraine, two people were injured in the Kyiv region overnight after a Russian drone attack caused a fire at a warehouse in the Boryspil district. Russian drones also hit several districts in the Ukrainian capital itself, injuring four and damaging residential and office buildings, officials said.
Russia's defence ministry said on Saturday that its attack on Kyiv had damaged a data centre that supported both cellphone internet services and Starlink satellite communication systems.
Putin discusses energy cooperation with Serbian president
Saturday 26 September 2026 11:58 , Adam WithnallRussian president Vladimir Putin discussed the Ukraine war and energy cooperation with Serbian president Aleksandar Vucic during a phone call, the Kremlin said on Saturday.
Vucic has described Serbia as “neutral” when it comes to the Ukraine conflict. The country has long held close relations with Russia but has also supported UN resolutions condemning Putin’s aggression.
Three killed in Ukrainian attack on Krasnodar region, says Russia
Saturday 26 September 2026 10:36 , Adam WithnallThree people were killed and two injured in a Ukrainian drone attack on Russia's Krasnodar region, local authorities there have said.
A local task force said fires at industrial sites that had broken out as a result of the attack had been extinguished.
Zelensky says he got Trump's OK for Patriot licences
Saturday 26 September 2026 10:21 , Adam WithnallThe Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky says Donald Trump confirmed this week that he had made a final decision to allow Kyiv to get licences to produce Patriot air defence systems.
Ukraine is desperate for more of the American-made air defence systems that are needed to stop Russia’s ballistic missiles, but they have been in short supply since the war in Iran started on 28 February.
Trump had said in July that he would allow Ukraine to make its own Patriots but later appeared to be reconsidering the move.
Zelensky urges Trump to get China to help end Russia's invasion
Saturday 26 September 2026 09:00 , Adam WithnallUkrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky says he asked Donald Trump to press China’s Xi Jinping to use Beijing’s influence over Moscow and end the war on his country.
Zelensky told reporters late on Friday that he has not yet received feedback from the White House about Trump’s talks with Xi, but expects to learn the outcome.
Nato countries have called China a “decisive enabler” of Russian president Vladimir Putin’s invasion.
Zelensky was also in the US this week on a trip coinciding with the UN General Assembly. He met with Trump on Tuesday.
Zelensky met with US senators and Congress members during his trip and said he thanked them for their bipartisan support in passing a powerful sanctions bill aimed at Moscow last month. Trump signed the bill into law last week but hasn’t enacted the measures yet.
Inside the real war games as Europe readies for an attack by Russia
Saturday 26 September 2026 08:20 , Adam WithnallAs warnings increase about a Russian attack on a Nato country, real-world war-games, are happening all the time. But the real danger is the potential for hysteria, fear and miscalculation to turn a shadow war into something much worse, writes Owen Matthews:
Inside the real war games as Europe readies for an attack by Russia
Little movement on Ukraine peace after turbulent week of UN diplomacy
Saturday 26 September 2026 07:00 , Adam WithnallThe UN General Assembly concluded on Friday after a week of speeches, meetings and hallway diplomacy.
While they reached no breakthroughs onthe world's most intractable conflicts, talks on the Iran and Ukraine wars inched forward.
US secretary of state Marco Rubio held talks with Russia's foreign minister Sergei Lavrov, after which he said Ukraine and Russia had both voiced an interest in a limited ceasefire involving grain and energy-related targets.
Ukraine and its allies are racing to secure these limited agreements before winter, fearing renewed Russian strikes on power and heating facilities.
But hours after Rubio spoke on Wednesday, Lavrov addressed the Security Council meeting on Ukraine, showing no indication Russia was prepared to engage on any subject. "Europe, whatever it thinks, just wants to get a pause, and it wants to use it to pump the Kyiv regime with weapons," Lavrov said.
UN refugee chief urges Security Council to do more to end wars
Saturday 26 September 2026 06:00 , Adam WithnallThe UN’s refugee chief used his first speech at the Security Council yesterday to call for a renewed focus on ending conflicts and crises, so that more than 117 million people forced to flee their homes can return and don’t spend generations displaced in a foreign country.
The Ukraine war was just one of the conflicts cited by Barham Salih, who told the Council’s 15 members that they have “a unique responsibility to help make peace possible.”
He said the conflict started by Vladimir Putin’s invasion in 2022 had displaced millions inside the country and sent millions more fleeing to other countries.
“For the millions of people forced from their homes – and the millions more who should never have to flee – I urge you to use that responsibility,” the former refugee, who was president of Iraq from 2018 to 2022, told the meeting on the sidelines of the annual UN gathering of world leaders.
Drone hits Russia's Ilsky oil refinery
Saturday 26 September 2026 05:00 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarUkrainian drones reportedly targeted the Ilsky oil refinery in Russia's Krasnodar Krai, causing a fire at the facility.
Local governor Veniamin Kondratiev said that the Ukrainian drones targeted Seversky district, which houses one of the largest oil-processing facilities in southern Russia.
The extent of the damage to the refinery and casualties were not immediately known.
Government warned Homes for Ukraine funding cut may ‘send wrong message to Putin’
Saturday 26 September 2026 04:28 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarPlanned government cuts to the Homes for Ukraine Scheme could “send the wrong message to Putin” by giving the impression that Western support for Kyiv is faltering, a Conservative former defence secretary has warned.
Starting from 1 January, monthly "thank-you" payments for households hosting Ukrainian refugees are set to drop from £350 to £100.
Local authority funding to support the initiative will also be scaled back on the same date, falling from £5,900 per guest to £3,300 per arrival.
More here.
Government warned Homes for Ukraine funding cut may ‘send wrong message to Putin’
Trump administration commits $400m Ukraine aid ahead of deadline
Saturday 26 September 2026 03:00 , Joe MiddletonThe Trump administration has formally committed nearly all of the $400 million in military aid approved by Congress for Ukraine, meeting a September 30 expiration deadline.
According to Reuters, $307 million of the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI) package has already been locked in under binding contracts, with the remaining $93 million expected to be approved before the end of the fiscal year.
The move follows bipartisan criticism accusing the Pentagon of "slow-walking" the assistance.
Deliveries include offensive weapons and armoured vehicle spare parts, though Patriot air defence missiles are excluded due to global supply shortages.
The development comes as Trump shows signs of warming toward Kyiv, recently meeting Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky in New York to discuss potential ceasefire frameworks.
Recap: Ukraine WILL receive Patriot licences, says Zelensky
Saturday 26 September 2026 02:00 , Joe MiddletonVolodymyr Zelensky said on Friday that Donald Trump had at last agreed to issue Ukraine with the licences to produce vital Patriot interceptor missiles in house, reducing reliance on foreign imports and allowing the country to defend against Russian aerial attacks.
“There are concrete agreements regarding Patriot licenses,” the Ukrainian president said.
“At our meeting, President Trump stressed that he had made his final decision: Ukraine will receive licenses to produce Patriot missiles.”
Zelensky urges Trump to enlist Beijing's help as US proposes trilateral UAE talks
Saturday 26 September 2026 01:00 , Joe MiddletonUkrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has confirmed that he asked Donald Trump to use Beijing's influence over Moscow to help end the conflict.
The US has said that Washington has proposed holding preliminary technical-level trilateral talks between US, Ukrainian, and Russian delegations in the United Arab Emirates.
Putin accuses Baltic states of violating Russian-speakers' rights, limits response to 'humanitarian sphere'
Saturday 26 September 2026 00:00 , Suha KidwaiRussian president Vladimir Putin has said Moscow is fully aware that the rights of Russian-speaking populations are being violated in the Baltic states, but maintains that Russia is responding solely within the "humanitarian sphere".
Speaking to state media following the release of Russia's parliamentary election results, Putin criticised policies targeting ethnic Russians in Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania.
Baltic authorities have tightened language requirements and residency rules for foreign nationals since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
Despite growing rhetoric from pro-Kremlin lawmakers urging stronger intervention, Putin has signalled that Moscow's current response will focus on diplomatic pressure, cultural initiatives, and legal support for compatriots rather than retaliatory security actions.
Officials in Riga, Tallinn, and Vilnius have consistently rejected Moscow's allegations of discrimination, accusing the Kremlin of fabricating human rights narratives to justify hybrid warfare operations and sow political instability across NATO's eastern members.
Russian election monitor arrested in Moscow on drug charges
Friday 25 September 2026 23:00 , Suha KidwaiIndependent Russian election monitor Alexander Kynev has been arrested in Moscow after a district court ordered his arrest on large-scale drug trafficking charges.
Kynev, who faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted, denies all allegations. Moscow's Perovsky District Court remanded the analyst in custody on Friday as official results from Russia's parliamentary election were finalised.
A former professor at Moscow's Higher School of Economics and former head of analytics for the election monitoring group Golos, Kynev is regarded as one of Russia's foremost authorities on regional politics.
Designated a "foreign agent" in February, he remained in Moscow and posted active commentary on Telegram throughout the voting period, describing the election as "the most unfair and tightly regulated" in modern Russian history.
Human rights observers and colleagues have deemed the charges as politically motivated retribution for his critical work, noting the frequent deployment of narcotics cases against prominent public dissidents.
Recap: Ukraine WILL receive Patriot licences, says Zelensky
Friday 25 September 2026 22:00 , Alex CroftVolodymyr Zelensky said on Friday that Donald Trump had at last agreed to issue Ukraine with the licences to produce vital Patriot interceptor missiles in house, reducing reliance on foreign imports and allowing the country to defend against Russian aerial attacks.
“There are concrete agreements regarding Patriot licenses,” the Ukrainian president said.
“At our meeting, President Trump stressed that he had made his final decision: Ukraine will receive licenses to produce Patriot missiles.”
Zelensky broke confidentiality with North Korea POWs disclosure, South Korean president Lee Jae Myung says
Friday 25 September 2026 21:01 , Alex CroftSouth Korean president Lee Jae Myung accused Ukraine of breaking a confidentiality agreement by publicly revealing that two North Korean soldiers captured while fighting for Russia had been sent to South Korea.
Zelensky announced the transfer during his UN speech, saying Ukraine had handed over the two POWs to South Korea after consultations.
Lee wrote on X: “I do not know why the Ukrainian side broke the agreement and made the matter public, but it is very disappointing.
“The issue of bringing North Korean prisoners to South Korea is a highly sensitive one that could have a major impact on diplomacy, security and the situation on the Korean Peninsula,” he said.
His comments came as opposition parties in South Korea questioned Lee for hiding arrival of North Korean troops in South Korea after it was first revealed by Zelensky.
Lee said those who “harm someone's life, national interest, or security for their own petty gain are called murderers or traitors”.
“Criticising valid and justified confidentiality measures is wrong,” he said.
Forty-six Ukraine war veterans elected to Russia’s State Duma
Friday 25 September 2026 20:30 , Suha KidwaiIn a significant shift, 46 veterans of the war in Ukraine have won seats in the newly elected State Duma, officials have confirmed.
Central Election Commission chief Ella Pamfilova noted that 41 of the elected veterans ran under the United Russia banner.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov praised the outcome, stating that "the experience of our heroes is in high demand" and that the lawmakers would actively shape future government initiatives.
The remaining seats in the chamber were split between Kremlin-aligned "systemic opposition" parties, including the Communists, the LDPR, and four unaffiliated regional figures.
The anti-war liberal Yabloko party was barred from the ballot by Russia's Supreme Court ahead of the vote.
Zelensky urges Trump to enlist Beijing's help as US proposes trilateral UAE talks
Friday 25 September 2026 20:15 , Suha KidwaiUkrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has confirmed that he asked Donald Trump to use Beijing's influence over Moscow to help end the conflict.
The US has said that Washington has proposed holding preliminary technical-level trilateral talks between US, Ukrainian, and Russian delegations in the United Arab Emirates.
In pictures: Swedish and Finnish fighter jets intercept group of Russian warplanes
Friday 25 September 2026 20:00 , Alex Croft
Putin says peace proposals remain 'on the table'
Friday 25 September 2026 19:45 , Suha KidwaiRussian president Vladimir Putin says all proposals to settle the war with Ukraine remain "on the table," though Moscow is still determining what best serves its national interests.
Addressing Russian journalists on Friday, Putin said: “They are the ones who started it ... Everywhere, on every front. Are these playthings, child's play?" Putin said, warning that before negotiations, Ukraine will face a sustained military response.
"They should therefore be made to feel Russia's retaliatory strikes and understand that no provocative actions ... will work. They're only making things worse for themselves."
While confirming that ceasefire and negotiation frameworks remain technically possible, Putin stressed that Moscow "will still have to think carefully about what we need to do in response" before committing to any formal deal.
Putin claims Kyiv requested ceasefire after 'forceful' Russian strikes
Friday 25 September 2026 19:30 , Suha KidwaiRussian president Vladimir Putin claimed on Friday that Moscow's retaliatory strikes were so severe that Kyiv was forced to ask for a ceasefire, according to state news agency TASS.
Putin said that Russia had been open to resuming negotiations following recent elections, but accused Ukrainian forces of derailing potential talks by launching drone attacks toward Moscow and targeting polling stations.
"Russia's response to Kyiv's attacks was so forceful that Kyiv requested a ceasefire," the president claimed, asserting that the scale of Russian counter-strikes left Ukrainian leadership with no choice but to seek a halt in hostilities.
The Kremlin has repeatedly used state platforms to frame its military actions as necessary defensive responses to Ukrainian escalation.
Kyiv has consistently rejected such characterisations, maintaining that its long-range drone operations strictly target military infrastructure supporting Moscow's ongoing war effort.
Government warned Homes for Ukraine funding cut may ‘send wrong message to Putin’
Friday 25 September 2026 19:00 , Alex CroftPlanned government cuts to the Homes for Ukraine Scheme could “send the wrong message to Putin” by giving the impression that Western support for Kyiv is faltering, a Conservative former defence secretary has warned.
Starting from January 1, monthly "thank-you" payments for households hosting Ukrainian refugees are set to drop from £350 to £100.
Local authority funding to support the initiative will also be scaled back on the same date, falling from £5,900 per guest to £3,300 per arrival.
Established in response to Russia’s invasion in February 2022, the initiative has supported 181,000 of the 234,000 Ukrainians who fled to the UK to escape the conflict.
Appearing on BBC Radio 4’s Today Programme, Tory former defence secretary Sir Grant Shapps claimed that Andy Burnham’s government had "slipped out" the decision on 15 September, expressing concern over how the move might be perceived.
Read the full report:
Government warned Homes for Ukraine funding cut may ‘send wrong message to Putin’
Trump administration commits $400m Ukraine aid ahead of deadline
Friday 25 September 2026 18:30 , Suha KidwaiThe Trump administration has formally committed nearly all of the $400 million in military aid approved by Congress for Ukraine, meeting a September 30 expiration deadline.
According to Reuters, $307 million of the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI) package has already been locked in under binding contracts, with the remaining $93 million expected to be approved before the end of the fiscal year.
The move follows bipartisan criticism accusing the Pentagon of "slow-walking" the assistance.
Deliveries include offensive weapons and armoured vehicle spare parts, though Patriot air defence missiles are excluded due to global supply shortages.
The development comes as Trump shows signs of warming toward Kyiv, recently meeting Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky in New York to discuss potential ceasefire frameworks.
Putin secures record supermajority in first wartime parliamentary election
Friday 25 September 2026 18:15 , Suha KidwaiFull results from Russia's parliamentary election show president Vladimir Putin's ruling party, United Russia, to have won the country’s elections.
The Central Election Commission announced Friday that United Russia secured a record 349 out of 450 seats in the State Duma.
Several registered anti-war candidates and independent figures were disqualified or barred from appearing on the ballot ahead of the campaign, including the liberal Yabloko party, which was removed from the list by the Supreme Court.
Turnout reached nearly 60 per cent; the highest for a parliamentary poll in over a decade, boosted by multi-day and electronic voting options.
The election was Russia's first legislative vote since launching its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and included voting in illegally annexed Ukrainian territories, drawing fierce condemnation from Kyiv.
Moldova reports four Russian drones crossed into its territory
Friday 25 September 2026 18:01 , Alex CroftMoldova reported that four Russian drones crossed into its territory and at least one exploded.
Moldovan defence minister Anatolie Nosatii said the incidents posed a “real danger” to people and the country’s security.
“These incidents can no longer be seen as isolated cases. They pose a real danger to people and Moldova's security,” Nosatii told reporters.
Romania separately said a drone crashed on its territory, while Nato member Poland deployed aircraft twice in response to Russian attacks on neighbouring Ukraine on Thursday.
Turkey submits proposals to Moscow on Black Sea shipping
Friday 25 September 2026 17:01 , Alex CroftTurkey has submitted proposals to Moscow on the security of shipping in the Black Sea, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said according to Interfax on Friday.
But there are still no substantive negotiations under way, he added.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensiy said on Friday that India, Turkey, Egypt and some Middle Eastern countries were taking part in talks on unblocking a grain corridor in the Black Sea, where both Russia and Ukraine have stepped up their attacks on shipping.
