The Ukrainian military claims it has successfully destroyed 50 Russian military vehicles in a devastating strike on the Armiansk bridge connecting occupied Crimea to mainland Ukraine.
Ukraine’s 1st Separate Assault Regiment Da Vinci said the attack “completely paralysed” a key logistical route for Russian forces, rendering the bridge unusable.
Kyiv says the Russian military vehicles hit in the attack were loaded with ammunition and fuel to be used near Zaporizhzhia oblast.
Robert Brovdi, commander of Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Forces, has said that Ukraine is capable of fully cutting off Russia’s access to Crimea in the “near future”.
Earlier, ambassadors from the UK, France and Germany met at the Russian foreign ministry yesterday amid a Europe-led push for fresh peace talks.
The ministry shared a video of the three diplomats arriving at the building in central Moscow to attend a meeting with Sergei Lavrov’s deputy. The foreign minister said on Wednesday Russia was open to hear what Europe had to say.
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Key Points
- Ukraine says 50 Russian military vehicles destroyed in attack on Crimean bridge
- Ukraine can cut Crimea off from Russia 'in near future', says drone commander
- Russia says it has taken two more east Ukrainian villages
- In message to Putin, North Korea’s Kim Jong Un voices full support for Russia
- Fuel stations in Crimea run dry after fresh night of Ukrainian drone strikes
In pictures: The brutal aftermath of Russia's drone strike in Mykolaiv
08:50 , Nicole Wootton-Cane
Russia threats to UK at highest level since the Cold War, military chief warns
08:35 , Nicole Wootton-CaneThe UK is facing the highest level of threat from Russia since the Cold War, the chief of defence staff has said in a chilling warning for the country.
Stressing that Britain faces its “most dangerous period” in decades, Sir Richard Knighton said the country needs to prepare for “longer conflicts” like in Ukraine.
The threat comes as Russia is “definitely raising the stakes and risks crossing a line,” through cyber attacks, assassination attempts, “or trying to smuggle technology and reckless sabotage,” he said.
His speech came before two senior defence resignations in a blow to Sir Keir Starmer on Thursday.
John Healey and Al Carns both quit government over the Defence Investment Plan (DIP), which Mr Healey said “could make the country less safe”.
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Russia threats to UK at highest level since the Cold War, military chief warns
Watch: Kyiv claims devastating strike on Crimea bridge destroyed 50 military vehicles
08:15 , Arpan RaiTrump's long-simmering frustrations with US allies could be on display at G7
07:59 , Arpan RaiDonald Trump and the leaders of Britain, Canada, Germany, Italy and Japan are set to join Emmanuel Macron in the French lakeside resort of Evian-les-Bains for the G7 summit next week.
There could be awkward moments between Trump and Macron, as well as among the US president and the other G7 leaders he's criticised for not joining him in Iran.
To make matters worse, experts say waning support for Ukraine in its war against Russia from the Trump administration “has really irritated the French”.
“They feel this is important and we're not paying attention to it,” said Kurt Volker, a former US ambassador to Nato.
Macron has invited Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky to join the leaders’ discussions on Tuesday.
“But I also think European leaders are quite professional when it comes to politics, and in some ways diplomacy at this point, and will maybe see it as an opportunity as well,” Max Bergmann, director of the Europe, Russia, and Eurasia Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, told the Associated Press.
Crimeans feel the heat of Ukrainian drone attacks on energy and logistics infrastructure
07:12 , Arpan RaiResidents of Crimea and other occupied territories are keenly feeling the blow of Ukraine’s increasingly aggressive drone campaign.
The peninsula has had periodic fuel shortages from Ukrainian strikes before, but this crisis is the worst since it was illegally annexed by Russia in 2014.
At the end of May, authorities restricted the sale of gasoline to 20 litres (5 1/3 gallons) per vehicle owner per week using prepaid coupons. Those were snapped up immediately following their release on an official messaging app channel, and motorists lined up for hours, waiting to refuel.
Social networks have been abuzz with requests and advice on where to find fuel, and authorities launched a hotline for tourists who have found themselves trapped.
While fuel shipments over the Kerch Bridge long has been suspended for security reasons since the Ukrainian attacks, fuel also has been carried by ferries. Those shipments are expected to increase.
Some motorists bring their own gas over the bridge from the mainland, but they are restricted to carrying 100 liters (about 26 1/2 gallons) per vehicle. Some speculators are selling gas at double the market price.
Crimea attracted nearly 7 million tourists last year, and it had hoped to top that number this year, but instead business daily Kommersant reported that nearly 80 per cent of hotel bookings were canceled in late May and early June.
Public events cancelled in Russia amid Ukrainian drone attack threat
06:33 , Arpan RaiThe Russian city of Nizhnekamsk in the central region of Tatarstan will cancel all public events on Friday amid the threat of drone attacks from Ukraine, mayor Radmir Belyayev said on his Telegram channel.
Several major industrial facilities, including Sibur's Nizhnekamskneftekhim petrochemical plant and Tatneft's TANECO oil refinery, are located in the area. Belyayev did not mention any damage caused by drones.
Russia downed down 231 Ukrainian drones overnight, news agencies said, citing the defence ministry.
The major threat comes on the day country is marking Russia Day (12 June) with a national holiday.
The city of Togliatti, home to Russia's biggest carmaker Avtovaz and some industrial facilities, has come under drone attack, Samara region governor Vyacheslav Fedorishchev said on Telegram, without giving details.
Kremlin plays down impact of new EU sanctions on Russian banks
06:12 , Arpan RaiThe Kremlin has shrugged off the prospect of new European Union sanctions against its banks, saying they had already been operating under sanctions for a long time and this had not stopped them from making a profit.
The EU has proposed a new package of sanctions against Russia for its war in Ukraine, heavily targeting the country's banks and crypto networks in an effort to weaken its financial system.
“Our largest banks have long been under sanctions. This does not prevent the banks from earning large profits, developing, maintaining absolute stability,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told journalists, when asked about the sector's ability to weather new restrictions.
Peskov highlighted Wednesday's comments by president Vladimir Putin about the overall economic situation being under control.
“The same can be said about the banking sector. Our central bank has repeatedly spoken about this; it is monitoring the situation quite closely and taking the necessary measures to maintain this stability," he said.
Sanctions, high interest rates, and war spending have taken a toll on Russia's $3 trillion economy, which contracted by 0.3 per cent in the first quarter, marking its first quarterly decline since early 2023.
World chess body suspends Russia after legal challenge by Ukraine
06:04 , Arpan RaiThe governing body of world chess has suspended Russia – for decades the dominant force in the game – after a successful legal challenge by Ukraine.
An international tribunal, the Court of Arbitration for Sport, in March upheld a complaint by Ukraine that Russia's chess federation had usurped control of the game in areas of Ukraine captured by Russian forces since 2022. It gave Russia 90 days to relinquish control of chess bodies in five regions of Ukraine and stop holding tournaments there.
But on Wednesday the International Chess Federation (FIDE) - which is headed by Russia's former deputy prime minister Arkady Dvorkovich - said Russia had not complied with the deadline and it had therefore decided to "impose the sanction of temporary suspension of (Russia's) membership... with immediate effect".
World chess body suspends Russia after legal challenge by Ukraine
Ukrainian attacks on Russia kill two and injure 10
05:48 , Arpan RaiAt least two people were killed and another 10 injured in a Ukraine attack on Russia's border region of Bryansk, acting regional governor Yegor Kovalchuk said.
Two were killed and another two injured in shelling of the Suzemka area close to the border, with another seven wounded in an attack on petrol stations in Starodub some 110km (68 miles), he said, adding that a five-year-old boy was also injured in a separate drone attack.
Bryansk, a Russian oblast on the border with Ukraine, has frequently been targeted by Ukrainian forces in response to Russian aggression on its border villages.
Ukraine says 50 Russian military vehicles destroyed in attack on Crimean bridge
05:07 , Arpan RaiThe Ukrainian military has claimed it has successfully destroyed 50 military vehicles in a strike on the Russia-occupied Armiansk bridge connecting Crimea to mainland Ukraine.
The attack was confirmed by Ukraine’s 1st Separate Assault Regiment Da Vinci which said that “the enemy’s important logistical route is completely paralysed”.
It added that the bridge is out of commission now and additional attacks are not needed.
Russian military vehicles hit in the attack were loaded with ammunition and fuel to be used near Zaporizhzhia oblast.
Ukraine can cut Crimea off from Russia 'in near future', says drone commander
04:51 , Arpan RaiRobert Brovdi, commander of Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Forces, said the drone attack campaign has reduced the traffic using the Novorossiya highway – a critical Russian military supply route through occupied southern Ukraine to Crimea - by more than two thirds over the past month.
Within another month, Ukraine would have total control over the road, said Brovdi, who is best known by his call sign "Madyar", a nod to his ethnic Hungarian roots.
Ukraine's escalating drone strikes across Russian-occupied parts of the country have disrupted military logistics and fuel supplies, prompting authorities last month to introduce fuel rationing in Crimea.
"We will isolate Crimea in the near future," Brovdi told Reuters in his cramped cubicle inside the bunker, as he sipped black tea and smoked one cigarette after another.
Brovdi said striking vehicles on the exposed highway as "as easy as shooting partridges in an open field”.
He added that one of his strategic aims was to force Moscow to pull back troops rather than push forward.
Russia says it has taken two more east Ukrainian villages
04:35 , Arpan RaiRussia has claimed its forces have captured two new settlements – Rozkishne village in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region, near the key town of Kostiantynivka, and Okhrimivka, in the neighbouring Kharkiv region.
Ukrainian reports gave no indication of either settlement changing hands, but the General Staff of the Ukrainian military said Russian forces had launched attacks around Okhrimivka.
A separate Ukrainian account described difficult conditions for Kyiv's forces around Kostiantynivka, which has long withstood Russian assaults.
The Russian defence ministry said its forces had taken control of Rozkishne after an intelligence operation and deployment of artillery and drones.
Rozkishne is about 30km (18 miles) west of Kostiantynivka, long a target of Moscow's military as part of its drive to advance through eastern Ukraine.
The Russian defence ministry said its forces had established control over eastern districts of the town on Thursday amid street fighting.
The Ukrainian news outlet Hromadske on Wednesday quoted the commander of Ukraine's 28th Separate Mechanised Brigade, Serhiy Yaryi, as saying the Ukrainian force defending the town was now "semi-encircled" because of Russian advances to the east.
In message to Putin, North Korea’s Kim voices full support for Russia
04:25 , Arpan RaiNorth Korean leader Kim Jong Un sent a congratulatory message to Russian president Vladimir Putin on Russia’s National Day, voicing full support for Moscow’s domestic and foreign policies, state media KCNA said this morning.
Kim said ties between North Korea and Russia were strengthening into an alliance based on a comprehensive strategic partnership treaty, and pledged to always be with Russia, KCNA reported.
Separately, Russian and North Korean officials visited a monument and cemetery of fallen Soviet Army fighters to mark Russia’s National Day, while Russia's embassy hosted a reception for North Korean senior officials, KCNA said.
Ties between the two countries have been deepening amid North Korea’s deployment of thousands of troops to support Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Watch: Senior Russian diplomat meets UK, French and German ambassadors in Moscow
04:20 , Arpan RaiFuel stations in Crimea run dry after fresh night of Ukrainian drone strikes
04:13 , Arpan RaiFuel stations on the Russian-held Crimean peninsula were out of petrol yesterday, Reuters witnesses said, as a Ukrainian campaign against supply lines to the peninsula escalates.
A Reuters witness in Sevastopol, the peninsula's largest city, said that there was no fuel at most local petrol stations, with supplies struggling even to keep up with a rationing regime imposed in recent weeks.
Another, in the resort town of Yevpatoriya, said that there was a long queue outside the single working petrol station there. Ukraine has been intensifying drone strikes on supply lines to the peninsula, which Russia seized from Kyiv in 2014.
Local authorities have imposed fuel rationing regimes, with some foodstuffs also running short.
Fuel shortages in Russia have been reported by the media and on social media in around a dozen regions, according to data compiled by Reuters. Besides Russian-held Crimea, only two regions in Siberia have officially confirmed the shortages.
Most other regions have said that the situation is under control and some disruptions were caused by panic buying. Moscow has denied there were any problems with fuel supplies.
Russia's Togliatti city under drone attack, regional governor says
03:55 , Arpan RaiRussia's city of Togliatti, home to the country's biggest carmaker Avtovaz, has come under drone attack, Samara region governor Vyacheslav Fedorishchev said on Telegram.
"Attention! Drone attack regime for Togliatti," he wrote. Togliatti is a city on the Volga River some 800km (500 miles) southeast of Moscow.
Watch: Downed Russian drone hits passenger train at Ukrainian station, sparking fire
03:00 , Bryony GoochResidents in Crimea forced to ration gas after Ukrainian drone attacks
02:00 , Bryony Gooch
Residents in Crimea forced to ration fuel after Ukrainian drone attacks
Merz: Peace for Ukraine must be just and lasting and take German security interests into account
01:00 , Bryony GoochGerman Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Thursday that he envisioned a “just and lasting peace” for Ukraine that “also takes Germany security interests into account.”
It comes as the leader discussed Ukraine’s application for European Union membership.
He explained: “Out goal for Ukraine remains a just and lasting peace that also takes German security interests into account.”
Ukraine is pressing for membership of the 27-member EU after more than four years of war pitting Kyiv against Moscow.
Merz explained that proposed associated European Union membership for Ukraine would mean the country would be able to participate in the EU council meetings and have an EU commissioner without voting rights.
Recap: Bridges between Russian-held Ukraine and Crimea damaged in strikes
Friday 12 June 2026 00:00 , Bryony GoochUkraine has attacked bridges linking Russia-occupied Crimea with Ukraine's southern Kherson region, according to Russian officials.
The Russian-installed governor of occupied Kherson, Vladimir Saldo, said the strikes had caused damage, but that more information was awaited.
Earlier, Telegram channels said all bridges linking Crimea with the Ukrainian mainland were rendered unusable by the strikes, part of a major wave of Ukrainian attacks across the peninsula.
Who is Putin’s ammunition chief killed in car bombing outside Moscow
Thursday 11 June 2026 23:00 , Bryony Gooch
Who is Damir Davydov? Putin’s ammunition chief killed in car bombing outside Moscow
Watch: UK's enemies 'will be glad to see Healey go', warns former Nato assembly chair
Thursday 11 June 2026 22:00 , Bryony GoochAnalysis: Moscow’s latest car bombing shows Putin’s generals who the real target is
Thursday 11 June 2026 21:00 , Bryony Gooch
Moscow’s latest car bombing shows Putin’s generals who the real target is
Watch: The moment British, French and German ambassadors attend the embassy in Moscow to meet Russia's deputy foreign minister
Thursday 11 June 2026 20:00 , Bryony Gooch⚡️ On June 11, Russia's DFM Mikhail #Galuzin received Ambassadors of Britain, France & Germany to Russia at their request.
— MFA Russia 🇷🇺 (@mfa_russia) June 11, 2026
The Ambassadors were presented with Russia’s objective assessment of their governments’ destructive policy on the Ukrainian crisis.https://t.co/ibZLGGXavf pic.twitter.com/cxDqHCFq3D
Trump hails Pashinyan for winning re-election despite Russian pressure
Thursday 11 June 2026 19:00 , Bryony Gooch
Trump hails Armenian leader for winning re-election despite Russian pressure
Russia’s actions in Ukraine continue to undermine the prospects for peace, claims UK's OSCE ambassador
Thursday 11 June 2026 18:00 , Bryony GoochNeil Holland, the UK ambassador for the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe, has said there is a growing gap between Russia’s rhetoric and actions, highlighting intensified attacks and rising civilian casualties.
He said: “We continue to hear claims from Russia that it is open to a peaceful resolution to its war of aggression against Ukraine. But words about peace matter only if they are matched by actions. And there remains a clear and widening gap between Russia’s rhetoric and the reality of its conduct.
“While speaking of negotiations, Russia continues to reject meaningful opportunities for dialogue and instead intensifies its attacks, with Ukrainian cities and civilian infrastructure continuing to be impacted.”
