The Kremlin has warned that everyone should be careful about nuclear rhetoric, after Donald Trump ordered a repositioning of US nuclear submarines.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov played down the significance of Mr Trump's announcement last Friday that he had ordered two submarines to be moved to "the appropriate regions".
The move came after former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev made remarks about the risk of war between the nuclear-armed adversaries.
"In this case, it is obvious that American submarines are already on combat duty. This is an ongoing process, that’s the first thing," Mr Peskov said.
"But in general, of course, we would not want to get involved in such a controversy and would not want to comment on it in any way," he added.
"Of course, we believe that everyone should be very, very careful with nuclear rhetoric."
Mr Peskov said that Russia did not see Trump's statement as marking an escalation in nuclear tension.
He also declined to answer directly when asked whether the Kremlin had tried to warn Medvedev to tone down his online altercation with Trump.
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Ukraine-Russia latest: Key Points
- Kremlin warns US over nuclear rhetoric
- Trump's top aide accuses India of financing Russia's war in Ukraine
- Trump says US special envoy Witkoff may travel to Russia
- Inside Ukraine’s effort to produce more weapons as Trump’s support flip-flops
- More than 120 firefighters tackle fire at oil depot in resort town Sochi
Ukraine charges six people, including lawmaker for embezzlement
14:31
,
Jabed Ahmed
Ukraine has charged six people, including a lawmaker and a government official, for embezzling funds in the purchase of drones and jamming equipment for the military.
Kyiv relies on a steady supply of drones and electronic warfare systems to fight Moscow's invasion and is also waging a crackdown on graft critical to its future in the European Union.
Anti-corruption authorities said on Saturday they had uncovered a scheme involving the legislator, one сurrent and one now sacked official, a National Guard commander and two businessmen, giving kickbacks for purchases at inflated prices.
"In 2024–2025, an organised criminal group systematically misappropriated funds allocated by local authorities for defence needs," the National Anti-Corruption Bureau said in a statement, adding the bribes totalled around 30% of the contracts' value.
The drone contract was worth $240,000 with an inflation of about $80,000, the bureau said.
President Volodymyr Zelensky, who sparked a public furore last month for briefly scrapping the independence of two anti-corruption agencies, praised the move on Saturday after meeting the agency heads.
Besides the lawmaker, those charged on Monday include a former governor and regional administration chief, the head of a city military administration, the commander of a National Guard Unit, and the director and the owner of a drone manufacturer.
None of the suspects were identified.
Full report | Top Trump aide says India financing Putin’s war in Ukraine by buying Russian oil
13:59
,
Jabed Ahmed
My colleague Arpan Rai reports:
Ukraine releases video showing frontline forces intercepting Russian drones mid‑air
13:31
,
Jabed Ahmed
Trump's envoy Witkoff is expected in Russia on Wednesday - reports
12:58
,
Jabed Ahmed
Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff is expected to visit Russia on Wednesday, state news agency TASS said on Monday, citing Russian and US sources.
The US president has set a deadline of Friday for Russia to agree to end the Ukraine war or face new sanctions.
Earlier, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Vladimir Putin may potentially meet with Mr Witkoff, but did not provide any further details.
Ukraine says it destroyed one Russian military jet and damaged four in Crimea
12:13
,
Jabed Ahmed
Ukraine's domestic security service, the SBU, said that it destroyed one Russian jet fighter and damaged four other military aircraft during an overnight drone strike on Russian-occupied Crimea.
In a statement, it said it had struck a military aviation depot, "completely" destroying one Su-30, damaging another, and also damaging three Su-24 jet bombers.
Recap | Trump moves nuclear submarines closer to Russia
11:39
,
Jabed Ahmed
On Friday, US president Donald Trump announced he would reposition nuclear submarines closer to Russia. Here is a recap of the story:
- President Donald Trump has announced the redeployment of American nuclear submarines to "appropriate regions".
- This decision was made in response to "belligerent statements" by Dimitri Medvedev, a former Russian president and deputy chair of the Russian national security council.
- Mr Trump posted his intentions on Truth Social, describing Medvedev's remarks as "highly provocative".
- He stated the move was a precautionary measure, expressing hope that the "foolish and inflammatory statements" would not lead to "unintended consequences".
- It is uncertain whether the redeployment involves Ohio-class ballistic missile submarines, which carry nuclear weapons, or fast-attack submarines.
Read the full story below:
Kremlin warns US over nuclear rhetoric after Trump moves submarines into region
11:05
,
Jabed Ahmed
The Kremlin has warned that everyone should be careful about nuclear rhetoric, after Donald Trump ordered a repositioning of US nuclear submarines.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov played down the significance of Mr Trump's announcement last Friday that he had ordered two submarines to be moved to "the appropriate regions".
The move came after former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev made remarks about the risk of war between the nuclear-armed adversaries.
"In this case, it is obvious that American submarines are already on combat duty. This is an ongoing process, that’s the first thing," Mr Peskov said.
"But in general, of course, we would not want to get involved in such a controversy and would not want to comment on it in any way," he added.
"Of course, we believe that everyone should be very, very careful with nuclear rhetoric."
Mr Peskov said that Russia did not see Trump's statement as marking an escalation in nuclear tension.
He also declined to answer directly when asked whether the Kremlin had tried to warn Medvedev to tone down his online altercation with Trump.
Russia launches 162 drones towards Ukraine, air force says
10:33
,
Jabed Ahmed
Russia has launched 162 drones into Ukraine overnight, the Ukrainian Air Force has said.
The Ukrainian Air Force said Russia attacked Ukraine with 162 Shahed-type UAVs and other drones.
It destroyed or repelled 161 of these drones, the air force said.
Watch | Trump reveals envoy Witkoff has been summoned to Russia as ceasefire deadline nears
09:59
,
Jabed Ahmed
09:23
,
Jabed Ahmed
Watch | Injured Ukrainian soldier flees frontline on e-bike delivered by drone
08:48
,
Jabed Ahmed
On The Ground | Inside Ukraine’s effort to produce more of its own weapons to fight Putin
08:13
,
Jabed Ahmed
Russia ‘building new drone base in occupied Donetsk to strike Ukraine’
07:38
,
Jabed Ahmed
Russia is reportedly stepping up efforts to launch more drone attacks on Ukraine from occupied territories, according to new satellite analysis.
A Ukrainian Telegram channel said imagery from July shows construction work at Donetsk City airport in Russian-occupied eastern Ukraine.
Fortifications on the runway have been partially cleared, and workers appear to be preparing parking areas, possibly for fuel tanks, according to the reports shared by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).
The Ukrainian open-source intelligence group CyberBoroshno added that the images suggest Russian forces are building closed storage near the destroyed terminal, as well as manual drone control points, warhead unloading areas, and surveillance posts.
CyberBoroshno assessed that the site could soon be used to launch Shahed-type attack drones, Gerbera decoy drones and potentially Geran (Shahed) jet-powered drones.
Using long-range drones from areas closer to the frontline could shorten the response time for Ukrainian air defences, the group warned.
Trump says US special envoy Witkoff may travel to Russia
07:12
,
Arpan Rai
Donald Trump has said his special envoy Steve Witkoff may travel to Russia, potentially on Wednesday or Thursday, as he warned that he would impose sanctions if Moscow does not agree to a ceasefire in the war in Ukraine before Friday.
"There'll be sanctions, but they seem to be pretty good at avoiding sanctions," Mr Trump told reporters yesterday.
"They're wily characters and they're pretty good at avoiding sanctions, so we'll see what happens,” the US president said.
Watch: Trump aide says India financing Putin’s war by buying Russian oil
07:09
,
Arpan Rai
India to defy Trump’s threats and keep buying Russian oil, government sources say
06:40
,
Arpan Rai
India will keep purchasing oil from Russia, despite President Donald Trump threatening to impose penalties for doing so, two Indian officials said on Saturday.
Officials in India, the most populous country on Earth, told Reuters.
That contradicted a statement from Mr Trump, who on Friday told reporters his understanding was that India would “no longer” be buying oil from Russia.
"These are long-term oil contracts," an unnamed Indian official told Reuters. "It is not so simple to just stop buying overnight.”
Last week, Mr Trump said India would face unspecified penalties for buying Russian oil in addition to a 25 percent tariff on goods. However, China and Turkey, two countries that also purchase large amounts of Russian oil, have not faced similar penalty threats.
Flights in Russia's Volgograd halted amid Ukraine drone attack
06:29
,
Arpan Rai
Flights at the regional airport in the city of Volgograd, which is the administrative centre of the broader Volgograd region, were halted for several hours before resuming at around 3am GMT, Russia's civil aviation authority Rosaviatsia said on Telegram.
Russia's defence ministry said that its units destroyed a total of 61 Ukrainian drones overnight, including six over the Volgograd region.
The Russian defence ministry reports only the number of drones destroyed, not how many Ukraine launched.
The region's administration cited regional governor Andrei Bocharov as saying the attack was "massive" and targeted energy and transport infrastructure.
There was no immediate comment from Ukraine, which has staged frequent attacks on infrastructure inside Russia that Kyiv deems key to Moscow's war efforts – including on the Volgograd region which lies not far from the border with Ukraine.
Ukrainian drone attack sparks fire at railway station in Volgograd region
06:12
,
Arpan Rai
A Ukrainian drone attack damaged a power line and sparked a fire at a railway station building in Russia's southern region of Volgograd overnight, the regional administration said this morning.
An unexploded drone fell on railway tracks near the Archeda train station, the administration of the region said on the Telegram messaging app, citing Volgograd region's governor, Andrei Bocharov as saying.
"No damage to the tracks has been reported," the administration said.
Russian state news agency TASS reported several regional trains were delayed in the area.
Editorial: Donald Trump may finally have the measure of Putin
05:37
,
Arpan Rai
Donald Trump turned out to be wrong, although it may not be tactful to point it out, because the world still needs him to support Ukraine, however grudgingly. But we told him that Vladimir Putin had no interest in making peace, and so it has proved.
President Trump thought he could persuade the Russian leader to cut a deal over Ukraine. That approach might not have been as misconceived as it sometimes seemed. It might have been possible that a combination of appeasement, flattery and strong-man talk would have worked. But Putin has shown that he is not interested in negotiation. His belief in a Greater Russia, and possibly his need to wage a permanent war in order to maintain his grip on power, means that the bloodshed will continue, and even Mr Trump can see where the blame lies.
It was encouraging, therefore, that Mr Trump shortened the deadline for Russia to avoid enhanced sanctions over the Ukraine war to “10 to 12 days” a few days ago. Mr Trump’s deadlines are notoriously variable, but the president’s meaning was clear.
Inside Ukraine’s effort to produce more of its own weapons to fight Putin as Trump’s support flip-flops
05:22
,
Arpan Rai
On Tuesday, Donald Trump gave Vladimir Putin a new deadline – agree to a ceasefire in the Ukraine war or face fresh sanctions.
It appeared the US president had finally run out of patience with the Russian leader, declaring he was “no longer interested in talks” and cutting a previous deadline of 50 days dramatically short.
But regardless of how encouraging this apparent renewed sense of urgency might be to Ukraine, Mr Trump’s views on the war and support for Kyiv are anything but consistent.
From the infamous Oval Office ambush of Volodymyr Zelensky to fluctuating financial commitments from the US, Kyiv has been wise to look elsewhere for reliable supplies – preferably Ukraine’s own burgeoning weapons industry.
Askold Krushelnycky examines how Donald Trump’s fluctuating position on the Ukraine war has encouraged Kyiv to look closer to home to produce the weapons it needs to fight Russia:
Russian and Chinese navies carry out artillery and anti-submarine drills in Sea of Japan
05:14
,
Arpan Rai
The Russian and Chinese navies are carrying out artillery and anti-submarine drills in the Sea of Japan as part of scheduled joint exercises, the Russian Pacific Fleet was quoted as saying.
The drills are taking place two days after US president Donald Trump said he had ordered two nuclear submarines to be positioned in "the appropriate regions" in response to remarks by former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev.
However, they were scheduled well before Mr Trump's action.
Interfax news agency quoted the Pacific Fleet as saying Russian and Chinese vessels were moving in a joint detachment including a large Russian anti-submarine ship and two Chinese destroyers.
It said diesel-electric submarines from the two countries were also involved, as well as a Chinese submarine rescue ship. The manoeuvres are part of exercises titled “Maritime Interaction-2025” which are scheduled to end tomorrow.
Ukraine's drone attack sparks fire at oil depot in Russia's Sochi, governor says
05:10
,
Arpan Rai
More than 120 firefighters were trying to extinguish a fire at an oil depot in the Russian city of Sochi that was sparked by an Ukrainian drone attack, regional governor Veniamin Kondratyev said.
A Ukrainian drone attack caused two oil tanks to catch fire at an oil depot in Sochi in southern Russia but the blazes were later extinguished, local authorities said.
The Russian defence ministry said its air defence units destroyed 93 Ukrainian drones overnight, including one over the Krasnodar region and 60 over the waters of the Black Sea.
The Krasnodar region is home to the Ilsky refinery near the city of Krasnodar, among the largest in southern Russia and a frequent target of Ukraine's drone attacks.
The Russian defence ministry reports only how many drones its units destroy, not how many Ukraine launched.
Rosaviatsia, Russia's civil aviation authority, said on Telegram that flights were halted at the city's airport to ensure air safety.
Three killed in Russian attack on Zaporizhzhia region, governor says
05:01
,
Arpan Rai
A Russian attack killed three people in southeastern Zaporizhzhia region yesterday, the regional governor said, as Moscow's forces press on with their slow advance westward along the 1,000-km frontline with Ukraine.
Governor Ivan Fedorov said the three people were killed in the daytime strike on the town of Stepnohirsk. Private homes were destroyed.
In Kamianske, a town a few kilometres south of Stepnohirsk on the Dnipro River in Zaporizhzhia region, a military spokesperson said on Saturday that Ukrainian troops were holding on to their positions despite Russian attempts to take control.
Trump says US special envoy Witkoff may travel to Russia
04:45
,
Arpan Rai
Donald Trump has said his special envoy Steve Witkoff may travel to Russia, potentially on Wednesday or Thursday, as he warned that he would impose sanctions if Moscow does not agree to a ceasefire in the war in Ukraine before Friday.
"There'll be sanctions, but they seem to be pretty good at avoiding sanctions," Mr Trump told reporters yesterday.
"They're wily characters and they're pretty good at avoiding sanctions, so we'll see what happens,” the US president said.
Trump's top aide accuses India of financing Russia's war in Ukraine
04:35
,
Arpan Rai
A top aide to Donald Trump accused India of effectively financing Russia's war in Ukraine by purchasing oil from the country, escalating pressure on New Delhi over its relations with Moscow.
"What he said very clearly is that it is not acceptable for India to continue financing this war by purchasing the oil from Russia," Stephen Miller, deputy chief of staff at the White House, said, referring to the US president.
"People will be shocked to learn that India is basically tied with China in purchasing Russian oil. That's an astonishing fact," Mr Miller told Fox News.
Mr Miller's criticism was some of the strongest yet by the Trump administration against a major partner of the US in the Indo-Pacific.
The Indian embassy in Washington did not issue a comment immediately.
Indian government sources told Reuters on Saturday that New Delhi would keep purchasing oil from Moscow despite US threats.