Ukraine has called for a peace summit to be held between Russian president Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky by the end of August, urging Moscow to show it is serious about wanting to end the war.
Rustem Umerov, Ukraine’s chief delegate at peace talks in Istanbul yesterday, said he presented the Russian side with a proposal for the meeting. "By agreeing to this proposal, Russia can clearly demonstrate its constructive approach,” he said.
But in response the Kremlin said it was hard to see how Putin and Zelensky could meet before the end of August, RIA reported.
Ukraine and Russia continued to exchange drone attacks in the early hours today, shortly after the conclusion of the latest round of direct peace talks between delegations from Moscow and Kyiv.
While Ukrainian drones hit southern Russian Black Sea areas, killing one person, injuring another and hitting an oil storage depot, Russian drones hit Ukraine’s Black Sea port of Odesa, triggering several fires in residential and other buildings.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian prisoners of war have begun returning home after the third round of peace talks in Istanbul after well under an hour without agreement on a ceasefire.
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Key Points
- Ukraine offers meeting between Zelensky and Putin to end war
- Ukraine and Russia exchange drone attacks after peace talks end
- Kyiv and Moscow officials hold the shortest peace talks yet
- Sick and wounded Ukrainian PoWs return home
- Sochi airport shut after Ukraine drone attacks
- What are the corruption issues behind Ukrainian protests against Zelensky
Russia says rising tariffs threaten US, global economy
11:15
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Steffie Banatvala
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has said that rising trade tariffs carried risks for the economy of the United States and the whole world.
Zakharova was commenting on US trade policy under President Donald Trump, who has aggressively raised tariffs on countries exporting to the United States.
Trump last week also threatened heavy new sanctions against Russia and countries that buy its exports unless Moscow agrees to a Ukraine peace deal by early September.
In pictures: Residents flee site of Russian strike
11:13
,
Steffie Banatvala
Indian firm shipped explosives to Russia despite US warnings
11:00
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Steffie Banatvala
An Indian company shipped $1.4 million worth of an explosive compound with military uses to Russia in December, according to Indian customs data seen by Reuters, despite US threats to impose sanctions on any entity supporting Russia's Ukraine war effort.
One of the Russian companies listed as receiving the compound, known as HMX or octogen, is the explosives manufacturer Promsintez, which an official at Ukraine's SBU security service said has ties to the country's military.
The US government has identified HMX as "critical for Russia's war effort" and has warned financial institutions against facilitating any sales of the substance to Moscow.
In pictures: Aftermath of a Russian drone attack in Odesa
10:30
,
Steffie Banatvala
Russia working hard to establish 'buffer zones' along Ukraine border, Kremlin says
10:04
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Steffie Banatvala
Russian forces are making every effort to establish buffer zones along the border with Ukraine, state news agency RIA quoted Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov as saying on Thursday.
He was speaking after a brief third round of peace talks with Ukraine on Wednesday where the two sides discussed further humanitarian exchanges but made no progress towards a ceasefire.
TASS news agency quoted Peskov as saying that no breakthrough had been expected.
Kremlin says hard to see how Putin, Zelensky could meet by end of August: RIA
10:04
,
Steffie Banatvala
The Kremlin has said that it was hard to see how Russian President Vladimir Putin could meet his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky before the end of August, Russian state news agency RIA reported.
A Ukrainian delegate said after the latest brief round of peace talks between the two countries on Wednesday that Kyiv had proposed a Putin-Zelenskiy meeting in August because that would fall within the 50-day deadline that U.S. President Donald Trump had set last week for a deal. Trump has threatened new sanctions on Russia and buyers of its exports unless an agreement is reached by early September.
Ukrainian drone attack suspends airport, hits oil base: local officials
10:00
,
Steffie Banatvala
Ukrainian drones attacked southern Russian Black Sea regions early on Thursday, killing one person, injuring another and hitting an oil storage depot, local officials said.
The administrative head of the Sirius federal district, south of Sochi, said a drone hit an oil base, but gave no further details.
Russia's Rosaviatsia aviation authority said operations were suspended at Sochi airport for about four hours.
Falling drone debris kills woman in southern Russia: local officials
09:30
,
Steffie Banatvala
Ukrainian drones attacked southern Russian Black Sea regions early on Thursday, killing one person, injuring another and hitting an oil storage depot, local officials said.
Emergency officials in Krasnodar region on the Black Sea, writing on the Telegram messaging app, said debris from a falling drone struck and killed a woman in Adler district near the resort city of Sochi.
A second woman was being treated in hospital for serious injuries.
In pictures: Emergency teams work in aftermath of Russian drone attack in Odesa
09:00
,
Steffie Banatvala
Russian overnight attack hit Odesa region sea ports, damaged logistics sites: Ukraine
08:30
,
Steffie Banatvala
Russian overnight attack on the southern region of Odesa hit sea ports and transport connections, Ukrainian deputy Prime Minister Oleksiy Kuleba said on the Telegram messenger.
“Last night, Russia struck civilian infrastructure in the Odesa region – seaports, transport hubs, and residential areas,” he said.
Ukraine offers meeting between Zelensky and Putin to end war
08:02
,
Arpan Rai
Ukraine has called for a peace summit to be held between Russian president Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky by the end of August, urging Moscow to show it is serious about wanting to end the war.
Rustem Umerov, Ukraine’s chief delegate at peace talks in Istanbul yesterday, said he presented the Russian side with a proposal for the meeting.
"By agreeing to this proposal, Russia can clearly demonstrate its constructive approach,” Mr Umerov said after the third round of peace talks in Turkey was wrapped up in less than an hour.
In response, Russia's chief delegate Vladimir Medinsky said the point of a leaders' meeting should be to sign an agreement, not to "discuss everything from scratch".
The talks took place just over a week after US president Donald Trump threatened heavy new sanctions on Russia and countries that buy its exports unless a peace deal was reached within 50 days.
There was no sign of any progress towards that goal, although both sides said there was discussion of further humanitarian exchanges following a series of prisoner swaps, the latest of which took place yesterday.
Protests in Ukraine after Zelensky approves bill curbing autonomy of anti-corruption agencies
07:50
,
Arpan Rai
Hundreds of people gathered in Ukraine’s capital Kyiv to lodge their protest with the Volodymyr Zelensky’s administration for passing a controversial bill tightening restrictions on its anti-corruption agencies, presenting the war-hit nation with its biggest domestic turmoil since the Russian invasion in February 2022.
Ukraine’s parliament on Tuesday passed amendments to allow the country’s general prosecutor, appointed by the president, strict control over two anti-corruption bodies – the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (Nabu) and the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (Sapo).
What are the corruption issues behind Ukrainian protests against Zelensky?
07:30
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Arpan Rai
Thousands of people, including veterans, took to the streets of Kyiv on Tuesday evening to protest against president Volodymyr Zelensky’s anti-corruption measures.
The demonstrations, which have reportedly spread to Lviv and Dnipro, are the first public protests against the Ukrainian president since the Russian invasion in February 2022.
Some of those outside Mr Zelensky’s presidential office claimed Ukraine was “turning into Russia”, with placards reading “welcome to Russia”, according to reports.
“We chose Europe, not autocracy,” read one placard by a demonstrator. Another read: “My father did not die for this.”
So why are people protesting, and what are the anti-corruption measures? The Independent takes a closer look below.
Trump says European allies will pay 100 per cent for military equipment
07:15
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Arpan Rai
US president Donald Trump touted a recent deal between the US and Nato whereby European allies would purchase weapons and send them to Ukraine as it fights Russia.
"They're going to pay the United States of America 100 per cent of the cost of all military equipment, and much of it will go to Ukraine," Mr Trump said in remarks at an artificial intelligence conference in Washington.
Russia strikes Ukraine in new drone attack after peace talks end
07:00
,
Arpan Rai
Russian forces staged the latest in a series of mass attacks on Ukraine's Black Sea port of Odesa, triggering several fires in residential and other buildings in the early hours today.
In Odesa, regional governor Oleh Kiper said two floors of a multi-storey apartment building had been set ablaze. Other fires broke out on the roof of a two-storey residence, in kiosks and at a petrol station.
The city's historic centre, a Unesco World Heritage Site, was also hit, he said.
Mr Kiper said details on casualties were being compiled.
Zelensky summons chiefs of anti-corruption agencies in bid for unity
06:45
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Arpan Rai
Volodymyr Zelensky has gathered the chiefs of anti-corruption agencies with law enforcement bosses as he looks to show unity during a fractious week for Kyiv.
“It was a much-needed meeting — a frank and constructive conversation that truly helps,” the Ukrainian president wrote on social media.
“We all share a common enemy: the Russian occupiers. And defending the Ukrainian state requires a strong enough law enforcement and anti-corruption system — one that ensures a real sense of justice.”
Mr Zelensky is facing heavy pressure from European officials and the Ukrainian public after his government pushed through laws which will curb the powers of the anti-corruption agencies which have led reform of the country since 2014.
At the meeting were representatives of: the Security Service of Ukraine, the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine, Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office, the National Agency on Corruption Prevention, the State Bureau of Investigation, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and the Prosecutor General.
Today started with the meeting with government officials and representatives of law enforcement agencies.
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) July 23, 2025
Of course, everyone has heard what people are saying these days – on social media, to each other, on the streets. It's not falling on deaf ears. We analyzed all concerns,… pic.twitter.com/Rcrp2MOXhP
EU officials warn of possible setback to joining bloc after Ukraine protests Zelensky's law
06:30
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Arpan Rai
Top EU officials have warned Ukraine of possible setback to its membership of Nato amid fresh wave of protests in Ukraine over changes in the anti-corruption law.
Activists yesterday called for more protests of a new law that they say weakens Ukraine's anti-corruption watchdogs, following the first major anti-government demonstration in over three years of war.
Fighting entrenched corruption is crucial for Ukraine's aspirations to join the EU and maintain access to billions of dollars in Western aid in the war.
"Limiting the independence of Ukraine's anti-corruption agency hampers Ukraine's way towards the EU," German foreign minister Johann Wadephul warned in a post on X.
EU defence commissioner Andrius Kubilius, also on X, noted: "In war, trust between the fighting nation and its leadership is more important than modern weapons — difficult to build and to keep, but easy to lose with one significant mistake by the leadership."
Watch: Protests in Ukraine after Zelensky's anti-corruption changes
06:15
,
Arpan Rai
Putin’s ‘digital gulag’: Inside the Kremlin’s attempt to construct a spy app to snoop on Russians
05:50
,
Arpan Rai
In just two months, every new digital device in Russia will come equipped with a brand new messenger app, named Max. Beneath its playful white-and-blue logo lies software that experts believe could allow the Kremlin to dramatically expand its capacity to spy on the Russian public.
The app, launched in March by Russian tech company VK, will be installed on every new device sold in Russia from September this year. But there are fears it will work as a “spy programme”, allowing Russia’s FSB security service to establish a rigid surveillance programme.
The app will provide not only a space for messaging and video calls, but will be a broader information system with access to government services and mobile payments, analysts told The Independent. With servers based in Russia, Max will be subject to Russian law, which grants the FSB to have access to certain materials.
Kyiv and Moscow officials hold the shortest talks yet
05:26
,
Arpan Rai
At 40 minutes, the meeting was even shorter than the two sides' previous encounters on 16 May and 2 June, which lasted a combined total of under three hours.
Before the talks, the Kremlin had played down expectations, describing the two sides' positions as diametrically opposed and saying no one should expect miracles.
Oleksandr Bevz, a member of the Ukrainian delegation, said Kyiv had proposed a Putin-Zelensky meeting in August because that would fall within the deadline set by Donald Trump for a deal.
Mr Putin turned down a previous challenge from Mr Zelensky to meet in person and has said he does not see him as a legitimate leader because Ukraine, which is under martial law, did not hold new elections when Mr Zelensky's five-year mandate expired last year.
Ukraine offered Russia to hold leaders summit by end of August, Kyiv says
05:25
,
Arpan Rai
Kyiv has offered Moscow to hold a leaders' summit aimed at ending the war by the end of August, the head of the Ukrainian delegation at talks in Istanbul said on Wednesday.
Rustem Umerov, head of Ukraine's National Defence and Security Council, told media Ukraine was ready for a ceasefire and called on Russia "to demonstrate constructive and realistic approach".
Moscow and Kyiv disagree on presidents meeting
04:55
,
Arpan Rai
The Ukrainian delegation at talks in Turkey has again stressed that Kyiv's top priorities were a meeting between the Ukrainian and Russian presidents and a "real ceasefire", ending all strikes on civilian infrastructure.
"We have progress on humanitarian track. There is no progress on cessation of hostilities or ceasefire," the head of the Ukrainian delegation, Rustem Umerov, said after the talks ended.
Russian officials reiterated that a peace agreement needed to be finalised before the two leaders met.
As for a ceasefire, Moscow's and Kyiv's "positions are quite distant from each other," said Vladimir Medinsky, head of Russia's delegation, referring to the memorandums exchanged by both sides that set out conditions for a truce. "We have agreed to continue contact."
Kremlin agrees to another PoW exchange, Russia says
04:51
,
Arpan Rai
Russia has agreed at the talks with Ukraine to exchange more prisoners of war and said it was ready to hand over 3,000 more bodies of dead soldiers, Moscow's chief delegate told reporters.
Russia and Ukraine discussed further prisoner swaps yesterday at a brief session of peace talks in Istanbul, but the sides remained far apart on ceasefire terms and a possible meeting of their leaders.
"We have progress on the humanitarian track, with no progress on a cessation of hostilities," Ukraine's chief delegate Rustem Umerov said after talks that lasted just 40 minutes.
Sick and wounded Ukrainian PoWs return home
04:43
,
Arpan Rai
Ukraine has taken home a new group of prisoners of war from Russia, president Volodymyr Zelensky has said.
Mr Zelensky said those returning were ill or seriously wounded.
The latest prisoner swap brings to more than 1,000 the number of returning soldiers as agreed at talks in Turkey, he added.
"The servicemen who are returning today defended Ukraine in different sectors of the front," Mr Zelensky wrote.
"A significant number spent more than three years as prisoners. All are receiving key support and medical assistance."
Today, already the 9th stage of the exchange agreed in Istanbul took place. Seriously ill and severely wounded defenders are returning home. We can now share the details — across all stages of the recent Istanbul agreements, we have managed to bring back more than 1,000 of our… pic.twitter.com/WDGDlNAyy4
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) July 23, 2025
Sochi airport shut after Ukraine drone attacks
04:32
,
Arpan Rai
Russia's Rosaviatsia aviation authority said operations were suspended at Sochi airport for about four hours today.
The administrative head of the Sirius federal district, south of Sochi, said a drone hit an oil base, but gave no further details.
The airport shutdown comes after Ukrainian drones hit Russia’s Black Sea areas, killing one person, injuring another and hitting an oil storage depot.
Ukraine and Russia exchange drone attacks after peace talks end
04:24
,
Arpan Rai
Ukraine and Russia launched drone strikes against each other in the early hours today, officials from both sides said, within hours of the conclusion of the latest round of direct talks aimed at finding a solution after nearly three and half years of war.
Ukrainian drones hit southern Russian Black Sea areas, killing one person, injuring another and hitting an oil storage depot.
Russian forces staged the latest in a series of mass attacks on Ukraine's Black Sea port of Odesa, triggering several fires in residential and other buildings.
Emergency officials in Russia's Krasnodar region on the Black Sea said on Telegram that debris from a falling drone struck and killed a woman in Adler district near the resort city of Sochi.
A second woman was being treated in hospital for serious injuries.
The administrative head of the Sirius federal district, south of Sochi, said a drone hit an oil base, but gave no further details.
