Ukrainian drones hit 15 Russian vessels in the Sea of Azov overnight, including seven tankers, Ukraine's drone forces commander said on Monday.
That brings the total number of vessels struck in the past eight days to 105, Robert Brovdi said on the Telegram messaging app.
Reuters reported that shipping through the trade route has been suspended as of last week due to the Ukrainian attacks and sources said transit remained restricted on Monday. It is the route for a quarter of Russia’s grain exports.
It follows a Ukrainian drone attack on Moscow that killed at least three people and injured five according to governor Andrei Vorobyov.
Air defence units downed 81 drones over the region overnight, he added on Monday.
Volodymyr Zelensky said officials who allowed weapons warehouses to operate in a residential area outside Kyiv where explosions killed 10 people had been identified and would “be held accountable”.
Western allies will seek to secure more air-defence commitments for Ukraine when they meet in Paris today, as shortages have left it increasingly exposed to Russian ballistic missiles, despite recent shifts in momentum on the battlefield.
Read MorePutin will never make peace in Ukraine because it will ‘ruin him’
Ukrainian prime minister to step down as Zelenskyy announces government reshuffle
Is there a way out of Vladimir Putin’s forever war?
The West is preparing for the wrong post-war Russia
Key Points
- Ukrainain drone attacks force Russia to halt shipping in Sea of Azov
- Ukrainain drone attacks force Russia to halt shipping in Sea of Azov
- Russia's FSB claims it foiled attempted large-scale Ukrainian drone strike
- Russia uses Japan's help for tech in Ukraine war
- Video shows moment Russian strike hits sending people to seek cover
Russia strikes Kyiv with missiles and drones in fresh wave of attacks
03:53 , Arpan RaiRussian forces attacked the Ukrainian capital Kyiv with missiles in the early hours today, triggering fires in widely separated districts of the city, senior officials said.
The air alert in the city was lifted after about 50 minutes. No casualties were reported.
Tymur Tkachenko, head of the capital's military administration, said two storage areas were hit and set on fire in the Holosiivskyi district just outside the city centre.
Mayor Vitali Klitschko said drone debris had hit the ground in an open area in an eastern suburb and cars had been set ablaze. Reuters witnesses reported several explosions in the city.
In the southeastern city of Zaporizhzhia, Russian drones struck residential and other areas, injuring 11 people, emergency services said.
A drone attack in a town outside Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city in the northeast, injured six people, Kharkiv regional governor Oleh Syniehubov said on Telegram.
Comment: Inside the Andy Burnham security pact which could reshape Britain’s future
03:00 , Maira ButtThere is a widespread view that Andy Burnham cannot negotiate a significantly better relationship with the European Union without breaking Labour’s manifesto commitments. If that were true, it would be a serious problem, since forging a closer partnership with the EU is one of the most important things that the UK’s next prime minister could do.
Fortunately, there is a way to cut a deal that is good for Britain while also respecting Labour’s promises not to rejoin the bloc, its single market or its customs union, at least until the next general election. The solution is to create a bold security pact covering far more than defence.
But first, Burnham will have to take the British people on a journey. Although a big majority think Brexit was a mistake, they do not yet regard it as one of the country’s most pressing problems.
Inside the Andy Burnham security pact which could reshape Britain’s future
Russia uses Japan's help for tech in Ukraine war – report
02:00 , Maira ButtRussia’s banned spies, which faced the international wrath in their deployed countries, have started turning up in Japan and using their technology, according to a report by The New York Times.
The spies kicked out of the western nations following the full-scale invasion launched by Russian president Vladimir Putin.
Japan’s weak espionage laws and sought-after technology industry has made it lucrative for Russia to operate a part of its war effort through the country.
At least 90 per cent of Russian missiles and drones include Japanese components, said the Ukrainian government in its new estimates.
Russia is also operating its 20th Directorate, a military intelligence unit, which has unit officers pretending to be diplomats or business people holding important positions as they purchase or steal combat technology to introduce it to Russia, said former and serving members of five Western intelligence agencies, the report added.
Comment: The West is preparing for the wrong post-war Russia
01:00 , Maira ButtWhenever and however the war in Ukraine ends, it will leave Russia more constrained at home, but more likely to cause disruption beyond its borders.
This matters because too much Western thinking about Russia still rests on one of two assumptions: that sustained pressure will eventually force Moscow to moderate its behaviour, or that the system is heading towards collapse. Both assumptions misunderstand the nature of the pressures building inside Russia.
These pressures are not new and did not begin with the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
The West is preparing for the wrong post-war Russia
In pictures: Coalition of the Willing met in Paris
Tuesday 14 July 2026 00:01 , Maira Butt
Editorial: Is there a way out of Vladimir Putin’s forever war?
Monday 13 July 2026 23:00 , Maira ButtHow will it ever end? This has been one of the questions hanging over the war in Ukraine since Vladimir Putin launched his all-out invasion, aimed at taking Kyiv and subjugating the entire nation, in February 2022.
Sir Bill Browder has a plausible answer. In an exclusive interview with The Independent’s Sam Kiley on the World of Trouble podcast, President Putin’s great enemy said: “I don’t believe you are ever going to have Putin signing a peace treaty. I don’t think the war is ever going to end officially, but I can imagine it is going to grind down to a low level, potentially even totally quiet front, in the same way as North and South Korea did.”
Is there a way out of Vladimir Putin’s forever war?
Watch: Emergency restoration work under way in Ukraine's Sumy after latest Russian airstrikes
Monday 13 July 2026 22:00 , Maira ButtLindsey Graham’s death deprives Ukraine of a key ally who had Trump’s ear, experts say
Monday 13 July 2026 21:00 , Maira ButtSenator Lindsey Graham’s sudden death has removed a “vital diplomatic buffer between Washington and Kyiv”, experts have said, complicating support for Ukraine at a vital juncture of the war with Russia.
Jaroslava Barbieri, a Research Fellow at the Ukraine Forum at Chatham House, told the Independent that Graham has been a critical voice in US foreign policy when it comes to support for Ukraine.
The Republican senator for South Carolina was one of few vocally pro-Ukraine voices in the Republican Party. He used his leverage in the Senate to lobby for military aid to Ukraine dating back to Russia’s initial illegal invasion of Crimea in 2014, per CNN.
Lindsey Graham’s death deprives Ukraine of a key ally who had Trump’s ear
Ukraine's Kernel suspends port operations after Russian attacks
Monday 13 July 2026 20:00 , Daniel KeaneUkraine's top grain exporter Kernel Holding said on Monday it had halted operations at Chornomorsk port due to a series of Russian attacks as Moscow intensifies pressure on key Ukrainian trade routes.
Russian missile and drone attacks between Friday and Sunday, described by Kernel as some of the largest wartime strikes, damaged grain, sunflower oil and meal storage and transshipment infrastructure, the company said.
Kernel, a major Ukrainian grains and oilseed producer, said the timing for restoring operations was uncertain.
Putin ‘will never make peace in Ukraine’ – Here’s the reason why
Monday 13 July 2026 19:00 , Maira ButtVladimir Putin’s growing unpopularity in Russia means he cannot afford to end the war with Ukraine, as he will be lynched by his own people, one of the president’s greatest personal enemy in the West has warned.
Sir Bill Browder told The Independent’s World of Trouble podcast: “If he does a peace deal, he’ll lose power. If he loses power, then he’ll get strung up from a lamp post.”
The anti-corruption campaigner, who once ran the biggest investment fund in Russia, has fought against Putin for nearly two decades
The Independent’s world affairs editor Sam Kiley reports:
Putin ‘will never make peace in Ukraine’ – Here’s the reason why
Nato condemns Russia's 'malicious cyber activities'
Monday 13 July 2026 18:30 , Maira ButtNato allies on Monday said they condemned cyber activities by Russia, which the alliance said were aimed at sabotaging infrastructure and government entities.
"We strongly condemn Russia's persistent malicious cyber activities, leveraging its cyber ecosystem to target allies and NATO partners," the alliance said in a statement.
"These activities constitute a threat to allied security. We call on Russia to stop these destabilising activities, which disregard agreed international norms of responsible state behaviour in cyberspace."
The EU on Monday broadened sanctions against Russia to include individuals and entities seen to be contributing to Russian cybercrime.
Russia summons German ambassador and accuses Berlin of supporting Ukrainian attacks
Monday 13 July 2026 18:00 , Daniel KeaneRussia's Foreign Ministry said on Monday it had summoned Germany's ambassador in Moscow and accused Berlin of supporting Ukrainian attacks on civilian infrastructure in Russia through military cooperation and arms supplies to Kyiv.
The ministry told the ambassador that it considered Germany's increasing support for Kyiv unacceptable.
It cited military cooperation agreements, direct weapons supplies and joint projects to develop drones, missiles and other weapons that Moscow says are being used in attacks on civilian infrastructure in Russia.
Ukraine and Russia have both stepped up their attacks on each other's infrastructure in recent weeks. They both deny targeting civilians.
UK agrees deal to join EU Ukraine Support Loan scheme
Monday 13 July 2026 17:30 , Maira ButtPrime Minister Keir Starmer signed Britain up to an EU defence loan for Ukraine on Monday, one of his last acts as the nation's prime minister to try to improve London's ties with the bloc after years of wrangling over Brexit.
Western leaders agree anti-ballistic missile coalition with Ukraine
Monday 13 July 2026 17:00 , Daniel KeaneLeaders of Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom have agreed to establish an integrated anti-ballistic missile coalition with Ukraine, the French Presidency said in a statement.
"We believe that the protection of Europe requires a global solution of integrated missile defence architecture to deter and defeat future missile threats — developed through collective effort, technological openness, and trusted industrial cooperation," the statement said.
"It will complement existing ballistic missile defence systems, including sovereign European solutions already acquired, or to be acquired by participating countries," it added.
Watch: CCTV shows Ukrainian coffee shop customers ducking for cover as Russian missiles strike nearby
Monday 13 July 2026 16:30 , Maira ButtRussian anti-war politician Nadezhdin says he has been detained
Monday 13 July 2026 16:00 , Maira ButtBoris Nadezhdin, an anti-war Russian politician who attempted to run against President Vladimir Putin in the 2024 presidential election, said on Monday he had been detained by police, days after being designated a "foreign agent" by authorities.
Nadezhdin, a former liberal member of Russia's parliament from 1999 to 2003, wrote on Telegram: "The police have come", and that he was being taken to the police station in his hometown of Dolgoprudny, north of Moscow.
Russian media cited Nadezhdin's lawyer as saying that the politician had been charged with displaying an extremist symbol. It was not clear what symbol the charges concerned.
An opponent of the war in Ukraine, Nadezhdin attempted to register as a candidate in Russia's 2024 presidential election, but was blocked by the electoral commission, which cited errors among the 105,000 voter signatures he submitted.
Last Friday, Nadezhdin was designated a "foreign agent" by Russia's justice ministry, a legal category that has been widely used against critics of the Kremlin.
Netanyahu and Zelenskyy unite to honour Lindsey Graham after his death
Monday 13 July 2026 15:30 , Maira ButtInternational leaders from Nato allies, Ukraine, and Israel have paid tribute to Senator Lindsey Graham, remembering him as a steadfast friend, partner, and advocate for trans-Atlantic relations. The Republican senator was a consistent presence on the global foreign policy stage, particularly during President Donald Trump's tenure.
Senator Graham had recently visited Ukraine, and just days before, he announced an agreement with the Trump administration to advance a package of sanctions against Russia.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky noted Graham's ten visits to Ukraine during Russia's full-scale invasion, stating, “He was here with our people when it was most needed." Zelensky added, "Lindsey was a true defender of freedom and the values that make our world safer.”
Netanyahu and Zelenskyy unite to honor Lindsey Graham after his death
Zelensky to present Ukraine's anti-ballistic program in Paris
Monday 13 July 2026 15:00 , Maira ButtUkraine will present its anti-ballistic program to European allies during meetings in Paris on Monday, President Volodymyr Zelensky said, as the country seeks to protect its vulnerable skies from Russian missile strikes.
“We will... for the first time, hold a meeting at the level of leaders, national security advisors, and defence companies from countries that can make a concrete contribution to building a new anti-ballistic system,” Zelensky said on X.
Tommy Robinson trip to Russia ‘covered by Elon Musk’s family foundation’
Monday 13 July 2026 14:30 , Maira ButtTommy Robinson’s recent trip to Russia was covered by Elon Musk’s family foundation, according to the X owner's father, who has described the far-right activist as a “fine young man”.
Musk has long been a supporter of Robinson, with both men calling for people to take to the streets in response to the knife attack in Belfast.
Last month, Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, posted a video of himself and Musk’s father, Errol, apparently filmed in a Moscow hotel, in which he said: “We are going to go and cause some trouble.” He had shared a list of places were protests were to take place after the stabbing.
Tommy Robinson trip to Russia ‘covered by Elon Musk’s family foundation’
Zelensky will discuss Ukraine support and air defences with European leaders in Paris
Monday 13 July 2026 14:00 , Maira ButtUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was due in Paris on Monday for talks with two dozen European leaders helping Kyiv fight Russia’s invasion, with the war now in its fifth year.
European foreign ministers were also meeting separately in Brussels where they were expected to discuss Ukraine’s needs and Russia’s threats to the continent.
Both Kyiv and its European backers are keen to press home Ukraine’s recent successes and compel Russian President Vladimir Putin to negotiate an end to the fighting, although Moscow has shown no willingness to compromise despite a yearlong peace effort by the Trump administration.
Read the full story below
Zelenskyy will discuss Ukraine support and air defenses with European leaders in Paris
France set to summon Russian ambassador to Paris over alleged cyberattack campaign
Monday 13 July 2026 13:30 , Maira ButtFrance will summon the Russian ambassador to Paris in the coming days over an alleged cyber-hacking campaign that Moscow reportedly carried out against European countries including France, foreign minister Jean-Noel Barrot said on Monday.
He added that France would also place sanctions on nine Russian individuals and four Russian entities.
“Today, we will publicly condemn a widespread cyber campaign conducted by Russia that aimed to carry out sabotage and spying conducted against a dozen countries,” Barrot told BFM TV.
“We will summon the Russian ambassador to France in the coming days”, he said.
UK proscribes Russian intelligence agency as terror group
Monday 13 July 2026 13:02 , Maira ButtOn Monday the UK has designated Russia’s GRU intelligence agency as a terror group under new powers. The designation needs to be approved by parliament before they take effect.
Iran’s IRGC and another Iran-linked group were also banned in the announcement.
Shipping in Sea of Azov, major Russian grains trade route, still restricted, sources say
Monday 13 July 2026 13:00 , Maira ButtShipping in the Sea of Azov, the route for a quarter of Russia's grain exports, remained restricted on Monday for security reasons following Ukrainian attacks on tankers and other commercial vessels in the area, three industry sources said.
The restrictions to shipping entering and exiting the sea went into force on Friday, Reuters reported, sending Euronext wheat up as much as 4 per cent to a six-week high. Russian authorities have not formally announced the curbs, the sources said.
One source told Reuters commercial vessels could move freely in the Sea of Azov but could not enter or leave through the Kerch Strait, which links it with the Black Sea, and the Azov-Don channel, a navigable waterway linking the Don River with the Sea of Azov.
Russia's agriculture and transport ministries did not respond to a request for comment by Reuters.
Ukraine's SBU hits Russian oil depot, storage tanks at Kavkaz port
Monday 13 July 2026 12:45 , Maira ButtUkraine's Security Service, the SBU, said on Monday it had struck an oil depot in Russia's Stavropol region overnight, as well as three storage tanks at an oil-loading site in the port of Kavkaz in the southern Russian region of Krasnodar.
Ukraine also struck two Russian patrol boats in the Black Sea and car ferries in Kerch, a city in the east of the Crimea peninsula, and at the Kavkaz port, the SBU said.
The local Russian governor confirmed a strike on an industrial facility in the Stavropol region but didn't specify a target.
Russian attack on cargo ship kills three crew, Ukrainian officials say
Monday 13 July 2026 12:30 , Maira ButtA Russian attack on a Togolese-flagged civilian merchant vessel killed three crew and injured five, Ukraine's deputy prime minister Oleksiy Kuleba said on Monday.
The vessel was reportedly carrying mineral fertilisers, and was moored in the Odesa region at the time of the attack, regional governor Oleh Kiper said.
Putin ‘will never make peace in Ukraine’ – Here’s the reason why
Monday 13 July 2026 12:00 , Maira ButtVladimir Putin’s growing unpopularity in Russia means he cannot afford to end the war with Ukraine, as he will be lynched by his own people, one of the president’s greatest personal enemy in the West has warned.
Sir Bill Browder told The Independent’s World of Trouble podcast: “If he does a peace deal, he’ll lose power. If he loses power, then he’ll get strung up from a lamp post.”
The anti-corruption campaigner, who once ran the biggest investment fund in Russia, has fought against Putin for nearly two decades
The Independent’s world affairs editor Sam Kiley reports:
Putin ‘will never make peace in Ukraine’ – Here’s the reason why
What is the Coalition of the Willing?
Monday 13 July 2026 11:30 , Maira ButtThe meeting in Paris of the so-called Coalition of the Willing brings together more than 30 countries supporting Ukraine, was expected to include around 25 heads of state and government.
The notably high number of leaders appeared to be a demonstration of long-term commitment to Ukraine and a warning to Russia, as Moscow tests Europe's resilience.
“Everyone in the world sees that Ukraine needs more air defence, more protection of life,” President Volodymyr Zelensky said Monday on social media after the latest overnight attacks across Ukraine.
It is led by leaders of the UK, France, Germany and Ukraine.
Kremlin says it is closely following meeting of 'Coalition of the Willing'
Monday 13 July 2026 11:03 , Maira ButtThe Kremlin has said that it will be closely following a meeting of the Coalition of the Willing which is set to take place in Paris on Monday.
In a call with reporters, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov described the group as a pro-Ukrainian bloc that wants the war with Ukraine to continue.
The Coalition includes leaders of the UK, France, Germany and Ukraine.
Ukrainian drones hit 15 more Russian vessels in Sea of Azov, Ukraine commander says
Monday 13 July 2026 10:37 , Maira ButtUkrainian drones hit 15 Russian vessels in the Sea of Azov overnight, including seven tankers, Ukraine's drone forces commander said on Monday.
That brings the total number of vessels struck in the past eight days to 105, Robert Brovdi said on the Telegram messaging app.
Comment: The West is preparing for the wrong post-war Russia
Monday 13 July 2026 09:54 , Maira ButtWhenever and however the war in Ukraine ends, it will leave Russia more constrained at home, but more likely to cause disruption beyond its borders.
This matters because too much Western thinking about Russia still rests on one of two assumptions: that sustained pressure will eventually force Moscow to moderate its behaviour, or that the system is heading towards collapse. Both assumptions misunderstand the nature of the pressures building inside Russia.
These pressures are not new and did not begin with the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
The West is preparing for the wrong post-war Russia
Watch: Emergency restoration work under way in Ukraine's Sumy after latest Russian airstrikes
Monday 13 July 2026 09:13 , Maira ButtEditorial: Is there a way out of Vladimir Putin’s forever war?
Monday 13 July 2026 08:41 , Maira ButtHow will it ever end? This has been one of the questions hanging over the war in Ukraine since Vladimir Putin launched his all-out invasion, aimed at taking Kyiv and subjugating the entire nation, in February 2022.
Sir Bill Browder has a plausible answer. In an exclusive interview with The Independent’s Sam Kiley on the World of Trouble podcast, President Putin’s great enemy said: “I don’t believe you are ever going to have Putin signing a peace treaty. I don’t think the war is ever going to end officially, but I can imagine it is going to grind down to a low level, potentially even totally quiet front, in the same way as North and South Korea did.”
Is there a way out of Vladimir Putin’s forever war?
Three killed and five injured in Ukrainian drone attack on Moscow region
Monday 13 July 2026 08:16 , Arpan RaiAt least three people were killed and five injured in a Ukrainian drone attack on the Moscow Region, governor Andrei Vorobyov said this morning.
Air defence units downed 81 drones over the region overnight, he added.
Russian ambassador to Paris to be summoned over alleged cyber campaign
Monday 13 July 2026 08:00 , Arpan RaiFrance will summon the Russian ambassador to Paris in the coming days over an alleged cyberhacking campaign conducted by Russia against European countries including France, foreign minister Jean-Noel Barrot said on Monday.
“We are going to publicly condemn a widespread cyber campaign carried out by Russia against at least 10 European countries," Barrot told BFM TV.
Germany funds 50,000 strike drones for Ukraine – report
Monday 13 July 2026 07:49 , Arpan RaiGermany is funding 50,000 attack drones for Ukraine, a source familiar with the matter said, in an order that marks one of the biggest known purchases of drones for Kyiv by a Western government.
The attack drone order involves Shrike first-person-view (FPV) drones made by major Ukrainian manufacturer SkyFall and equipped with software from US defence technology firm Auterion designed to autonomously track and hit moving targets in the final phase of the flight.
Auterion CEO Lorenz Meier confirmed the size of the contract, adding that it was worth about €90m (£76.6m) and was funded by a European country.
A version called Shrike 10-F produced by SkyFall with UK company Skycutter recently topped the leaderboard in the first round of a Pentagon-run competition as part of a $1.1 billion initiative to buy hundreds of thousands of one-way attack drones.
Auterion said its software was being used in several entries in the competition.
Meier said Auterion was helping to supply a total of 100,000 drones for Ukraine this year in partnership with different hardware makers, funded by several Western governments.
Meier told Reuters some of the drones had already been delivered to Ukraine's government with the rest due for dispatch this year.
SkyFall confirmed Germany's involvement, but said the company could not comment on the details of the purchase.
Germany's defence ministry declined to comment, citing operational security.
Russia's FSB claims it foiled attempted large-scale Ukrainian drone strike – report
Monday 13 July 2026 07:30 , Arpan RaiRussia's Federal Security Service (FSB) said on Monday that it had foiled an attempted series of large-scale Ukrainian attacks using drones against military infrastructure facilities, defence industry enterprises, and military personnel, Interfax reported.
No EU agreement on 21st Russian sanctions package yet, Kallas says
Monday 13 July 2026 07:15 , Arpan RaiEU countries have no agreement yet on their broad 21st package of sanctions against Russia, but might agree on Monday to add 250 Russian individuals and entities to their sanctions list, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said.
“We are hoping that we get 250 listings agreed... this is the biggest number of listings we have done so far," Kallas said before a meeting of EU foreign affairs ministers in Brussels.
"When it comes to the 21st package, there are still some open questions," she added.
Ukrainain drone attacks force Russia to halt shipping in Sea of Azov
Monday 13 July 2026 06:57 , Arpan RaiUkraine’s increasing attacks on Russian oil infrastructure has forced the officials to suspend their operations.
Robert Brovdi, Ukraine’s drone forces chief said his units had hit 10 tankers and four ferries on Saturday to Sunday overnight, as well as a major oil refinery in the city of Syzran. There had been several strikes on electricity substations in occupied Crimea, he added.
A Ukrainian drone struck a tanker as it was entering the Azov-Black Sea Canal, Yury Slyusar, governor of Russia's Rostov region, said on Sunday.
The fire caused by the attack has been brought under control and there was no risk of an oil spill because the vessel was empty, Slyusar said on messaging app Telegram, adding that there were no casualties.
The Ukrainian military has recently attacked more than 40 Russian tankers in the Sea of Azov as part of what Ukraine describes as a campaign aimed at disrupting fuel supplies to Russian forces and isolating Moscow-occupied Crimea.
Three killed and five injured in Ukrainian drone attack on Moscow region
Monday 13 July 2026 06:48 , Arpan RaiAt least three people were killed and five injured in a Ukrainian drone attack on the Moscow Region, governor Andrei Vorobyov said this morning.
Air defence units downed 81 drones over the region overnight, he added.
Russia uses Japan's help for tech in Ukraine war – report
Monday 13 July 2026 06:17 , Arpan RaiRussia’s banned spies, which faced the international wrath in their deployed countries, have started turning up in Japan and using their technology, according to a report by The New York Times.
The spies kicked out of the western nations following the full-scale invasion launched by Russian president Vladimir Putin.
Japan’s weak espionage laws and sought-after technology industry has made it lucrative for Russia to operate a part of its war effort through the country.
At least 90 per cent of Russian missiles and drones include Japanese components, said the Ukrainian government in its new estimates.
Russia is also operating its 20th Directorate, a military intelligence unit, which has unit officers pretending to be diplomats or business people holding important positions as they purchase or steal combat technology to introduce it to Russia, said former and serving members of five Western intelligence agencies, the report added.
Allies to muster more air defence aid for Ukraine as battlefield momentum shifts
Monday 13 July 2026 05:37 , Arpan RaiWestern allies will seek to secure more air-defence commitments for Ukraine when they meet in Paris today, as shortages have left it increasingly exposed to Russian ballistic missiles, despite recent shifts in momentum on the battlefield.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky will be joined by at least 25 leaders for a meeting of the Coalition of the Willing, part of broader efforts that include putting together a common position that could be taken to Russia, and security guarantees to support any eventual peace deal.
"The ballistic missiles launched by (Russian president) Vladimir Putin are deliberately targeting civilian zones and June was one of the most murderous (months) since the start of the war," foreign minister Jean-Noel Barrot said in an interview with Ouest-France newspaper on Sunday.
Russia says it only attacks targets of military relevance and denies targeting civilians.
Briefing reporters, a French presidency official said the focus would be anti-ballistic-missile cooperation ranging from sourcing more US Patriot interceptors and advancing the deployment of the Franco-Italian SAMP-T air defence system to looking at how the European and Ukrainian defence industries can develop alternatives.
One option under consideration was for different European nations to cooperate on a system that would complement SAMP-T and/or Patriot and give Ukraine a significant role in production.
Ukraine is critically low on munitions for its systems and has been largely unable to down ballistic missiles, which travel at several times the speed of sound, over the past month.
It has pleaded with allies for more supplies and has also pushed Europe to work with it on its own anti-ballistic air defence system.
As Russia's strikes have increased, Kyiv has also intensified drone attacks inside Russia, targeting oil facilities and weapons production to undermine Moscow's economic ability to press on with its war.
Watch: Video shows moment Russian strike hits sending people to seek cover
Monday 13 July 2026 05:00 , Arpan RaiCCTV footage from a coffee shop in Sumy showed the moment a Russian strike hit and people crouched on the floor as explosions were heard nearby.
Five people were killed and at least 30 injured when glide bombs hit the north eastern city of Sumy on Saturday, mayor Artem Kobzar said on Telegram.
Ukraine's prime minister steps down as Zelensky announces government reshuffle
Monday 13 July 2026 03:57 , Arpan RaiUkrainian prime minister Yulia Svyrydenko has stepped down as president Volodymyr Zelensky announced fresh changes to Ukraine's government, saying he had offered a new and important position to the former premier.
Zelensky, who has remained in office under martial law because wartime elections are prohibited, has periodically reshuffled his government in an effort to bring fresh momentum to his administration.
Svyrydenko, who has served as Ukraine’s economy minister, was named prime minister in July 2025 at the age of 39 after playing a lead role in securing a mineral agreement between Ukraine and the United States, seen as an important way of tying US interests to Ukraine’s security.
In a statement on social media, Svyrydenko said she was “proud to have had the honour of leading the government during one of the most difficult periods in Ukraine’s modern history.” She also said she had discussed “next steps” with Zelensky, but did not provide further details.
“I remain ready to serve the Ukrainian state and carry out every task aimed at strengthening Ukraine’s position, defending our national interests and bringing a just peace closer,” she said.
Comment: The West is preparing for the wrong post-war Russia
Monday 13 July 2026 03:00 , Harriette BoucherThe West has long assumed pressure would force Russia to moderate or collapse. Both assumptions misunderstand how the Kremlin responds to weakness, says senior policy adviser Dan Sleat
The West is preparing for the wrong post-war Russia
Monday 13 July 2026 02:00 , Harriette BoucherInternational leaders from NATO allies, Ukraine, and Israel have paid tribute to Senator Lindsey Graham, remembering him as a steadfast friend, partner, and advocate for trans-Atlantic relations.
The Republican senator was a consistent presence on the global foreign policy stage, particularly during president Donald Trump's tenure. Senator Graham had recently visited Ukraine, and just days before, he announced an agreement with the Trump administration to advance a package of sanctions against Russia.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky noted Graham's ten visits to Ukraine during Russia's full-scale invasion, stating, "He was here with our people when it was most needed." Zelenskyy added, "Lindsey was a true defender of freedom and the values that make our world safer."
Netanyahu and Zelenskyy unite to honor Lindsey Graham after his death
Ukraine destroyed 14 Russian vessels overnight
Monday 13 July 2026 01:00 , Harriette BoucherUkraine says it destroyed 14 Russian vessels overnight on Sunday as it looks to wipe out its shadow fleet.
Robert "Madyar" Brovdi, commander of Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Forces said that his team had destroyed 10 tankers and four ferries.
He said a Russian tanker, tugboat, cargo ship, or other vessels in the Azov Sea were hit every 112 minutes during the week, Kyiv Independent reported.
Russia says four killed in Ukrainian drone attack on Russian-controlled Enerhodar
Monday 13 July 2026 00:00 , Harriette BoucherFour people were killed in a Ukrainian drone attack on the Russian-controlled town of Energodar.
Alexei Likhachev, head of Russian state nuclear corporation Rosatom, said on Sunday that a further four were injured.
Enerhodar, home to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, fell to Russian forces within weeks of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Watch: Zelensky needs weapons ‘much more quickly’ as Kremlin missile attacks kill seven
Sunday 12 July 2026 23:00 , Rebecca WhittakerComment:The 3 signs a desperate Putin is about to lash out against Europe
Sunday 12 July 2026 22:00 , Rebecca WhittakerUkraine issued an urgent alert for more Patriot missiles and, misguided or not, Vladimir Putin is convinced he is on the brink of victory, writes Robert Fox
Read more here:
The 3 signs a desperate Putin is about to lash out against Europe
