An official from Ukraine’s security services said it has hit “shadow fleet” tankers in the Black Sea as they headed to a Russian terminal to load up with oil bound for foreign markets.
Ukraine used domestically produced Sea Baby drones to strike off the Turkish coast, prompting a rescue operation by the Turkish coast guard. All members aboard the vessels are reported to be safe.
"Video (footage) shows that after being hit, both tankers sustained critical damage and were effectively taken out of service. This will deal a significant blow to Russian oil transportation," the official said.
The strikes come as Ukrainian security council secretary Rustem Umerov makes his way to the United States to continue peace negotiations as a renewed US-led push to end the war gathers steam this week.
It also follows a night of Russian strikes in Kyiv, which killed at least three people and wounded 30. President Volodymyr Zelensky said that 600 drones and 35 missiles struck the nation in one of the largest bombardments in a while.
Read MoreFiona Hill: Russian expert on why Putin knows exactly how to get Trump on side
Former US ambassador urges Trump to avoid bad Ukraine deal ‘for the sake of signing something’
Key Points
- Ukraine used naval drones to hit 'shadow fleet' tankers
- Ukrainian delegation headed to US to 'hammer out' peace deal
- Vast Russian overnight attack on Ukraine kills two, wounds dozens
- Zelensky's chief of staff says 'I’m going to the front' after raid and resignation
- Zelensky 'won't give up land to Russia' - Yermak
The blacklisted businessman, the former film producer and the ex-soldier: Key players in Ukraine-Russia peace talks
21:30 , Harriette BoucherSeveral countries and high-profile individuals are involved in the discussions, which have resulted in public disagreements. The Independent looks at some of the key characters below.
From blacklisted businessman to ex-film producer: Key players in Ukraine peace talks
Recap: Zelensky's chief of staff says 'I’m going to the front' after raid and resignation
21:00 , Harriette BoucherAndriy Yermak, the former top adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, said he is heading to the frontlines just hours after resigning from his post following a raid on his home by Kyiv’s national anti-corruption bureau, according to New York Post.
The Post said that it received a message from him last night, saying he was “prepared for any reprisals” and insisted he was “an honest and decent person”, adding that he might not respond to calls going forward.
He did not clarify when or how he planned to reach the front, but referenced his presence in Kyiv on 24 February 2022, the day Russia launched its full-scale invasion, writing: “Maybe we’ll see each other again. Glory to Ukraine.”
“I served Ukraine and was in Kyiv on February 24, 2024,” he wrote. “Maybe we’ll see each other again. Glory to Ukraine.”
Yermak did not specify whether he intended to join the Armed Forces, but said he felt “desecrated” and let down by those who failed to defend his reputation. He added that he wanted to avoid creating problems for Zelensky and was therefore going to the front.
“I’m disgusted by the filth directed at me, and even more disgusted by the lack of support from those who know the truth,” he added.
Watch: Deadly drone strike hits Kyiv leaving three dead and dozens injured
20:28 , Harriette BoucherFour men suspected of planning to fight for Russia arrested in South Africa
20:00 , Harriette BoucherPolice in South Africa have confirmed the arrest of four men at a Johannesburg boarding gate, who were allegedly en route to Russia to fight in its military.
The individuals were apprehended on Friday, weeks after reports emerged of 17 other South African nationals becoming stranded in Ukraine, having been lured into mercenary forces with promises of lucrative contracts.
Read more here:
Four men suspected of planning to fight for Russia arrested
Russia bans "undesirable" Human Rights Watch
19:31 , Harriette BoucherRussian authorities on Friday outlawed Human Rights Watch as an "undesirable organisation," a label making involvement with such organisations a criminal offence.
The designation means the international human rights group must stop all work in Russia, and opens those who work with or support the organisation to prosecution.
The decision by the Russian prosecutor general's office is the latest move in an unrelenting crackdown on Kremlin critics, journalists and activists, which has intensified to unprecedented levels since Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
In pictures: Russia's overnight drone attack on Kyiv
19:00 , Harriette Boucher Watch: Launch pad used to send Russia into space damaged during take off
18:30 , Harriette BoucherWhat were the vessels that Ukraine attacked?
18:00 , Harriette BoucherUkraine deployed naval drones to hit Russian oil tankers off Turkey’s Black Sea coast on Friday afternoon, a Ukrainian security services official said on Saturday.
The vessels have been identified as the Kairos and Virat, which are thought to be part of Russia’s "shadow fleet" used to curb international sanctions.
Both vessels were under sanctions, with the US sanctioning the Virat in January this year, followed by the EU, Switzerland, the UK and Canada.
The EU also sanctioned the Kairos in July, followed by the UK and Switzerland.
According to the OpenSanctions database, which tracks people or organisations involved in sanctions evasion, “the shadow tanker fleet continues to provide multibillion-dollar revenues for the Kremlin bypassing sanctions, disguising its activities under the flags of third countries, using complex schemes to conceal owners and poses significant environmental threats.”
The Virat uses “irregular and high-risk shipping practices” and has previously sailed under the flags of Barbados, Comoros, Liberia and Panama.
While politicians wrangle over Trump’s peace plan, soldiers are still dying, says Ukrainian filmmaker
17:31 , Harriette BoucherSoldiers fighting on Ukraine’s front lines see no change on the battlefield while peace talks continue back and forth between Kyiv, the Kremlin and the US, a Ukrainian filmmaker has said.
Mstyslav Chernov, the Academy Award-winning director of 20 Days in Mariupol, gave The Independent an insight into morale on the frontline after the limited release of his latest documentary, 2000 Meters to Andriivka, put him straight on the battlefield with Ukraine’s armed forces.
It comes as Ukrainian officials continue to negotiate peace terms after the US president Donald Trump put forward a deal to end the war which critics have described as being pro-Russian.
The Independent’s Bryony Gooch reports:
While Trump’s peace plan drags on, soldiers still die, says Ukrainian filmmaker
How much of Ukraine does Russia occupy?
17:01 , Harriette BoucherTerritorial disagreements remain key sticking points as Russia and Ukraine tentatively advance peace negotiations.
Russia currently occupies 20 per cent of Ukraine, and wants further control over more of major regions including the Donbas.
In pictures: Ukraine hits Russian 'shadow fleet' tankers in Black Sea with naval drones
16:30 , Harriette Boucher Zelensky and Macron to meet in Paris on Monday
16:01 , Harriette BoucherPresident Volodymyr Zelensky is set to meet French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris on Monday.
The two leaders will discuss "the conditions of a just and durable peace", the Elysee Palace said on Saturday.
President Macron last hosted the Ukrainian leader on 17 November.
Ukraine used naval drones to hit 'shadow fleet' tankers
15:37 , Harriette BoucherUkraine used naval drones to strike two empty oil tankers which were sailing to Novorossiysk, a major Russian Black Sea oil terminal.
The tankers have been identified as the Kairos and Virat, an official from the SBU said.
Footage shared by the official showed naval drones speeding towards hulking tankers, which was followed by powerful explosions that caused fires on the vessels.
The attack comes as Ukraine looks to step up its pressure on Russia's oil industry.
Four men arrested in Johannesburg for trying to fight for Russia
15:30 , Bryony GoochSouth African police said they arrested four men en route to Russia who are suspected of having been recruited to fight in the military there.
The men were stopped at the boarding gate in Johannesburg on Friday, police said, weeks after reports another 17 South African men were stuck in Ukraine after being lured into joining mercenary forces with the promise of lucrative contracts.
It is illegal under South African law for citizens to provide military assistance to foreign governments or participate in foreign armies without authorisation.
"The arrests followed a tip-off from (Johannesburg airport police) regarding four males who were en route to Russia via the United Arab Emirates," the elite Hawks police unit said in a statement on Saturday.
"A preliminary investigation revealed that a South African female had allegedly been facilitating the travel and recruitment of these individuals into the Russian Federation military," it added.
The Hawks said the four suspects are expected to appear in court on Monday on suspicion of contravening the Regulation of Foreign Military Assistance Act.
Ukraine to receive record billion euro amount from Germany for military equipment
15:00 , Bryony GoochGermany will donate a record €11.5 billion to Ukraine for artillery, drones and other military equipment, Denys Shmyal the defence minister has said.
“Ukraine will receive a record €11.5 billion from Germany for artillery, drones, military equipment, and other gear. The lower house of the German parliament approved the federal budget for 2026.This assistance is critically important for maintaining our defensive capabilities.“I am grateful to the German parliament, the government, especially my colleague Boris Pistorius, and the entire German people for their unwavering support.”
🇺🇦🇩🇪 Ukraine will receive a record €11.5 billion from Germany for artillery, drones, military equipment, and other gear. The lower house of the German parliament approved the federal budget for 2026.
This assistance is critically important for maintaining our defensive…
Ukraine to update national defence plan with cash injection
14:30 , Bryony GoochUkraine has revealed plans to update its national defence plan, president Volodymyr Zelensky reported following a meeting with defence minister Denys Shmyhal.
“We agreed that Denys will prepare detailed proposals for these changes and present them to the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine for approval,” he said on X. “The Minister of Defense also reported on his trips to the Mykolaiv and Kherson regions and on the protective measures being implemented. Separately, we discussed the protection of critical infrastructure and the allocation of the relevant resources.
“It is important that the Government and the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine are fully ensuring the necessary funding – in particular for the purchase of drones for combat brigades – and that yesterday another monthly subvention tranche for combat brigades was financed in the amount of 4.3 billion hryvnias.
“An additional 8 billion hryvnias was also allocated for the financing of the Drone Line.”
Minister of Defense of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal delivered a report. Several key points. It is time to update the fundamental defense documents of Ukraine, including the national defense plan. The course of hostilities has shown what must become the renewed priorities. We agreed that… pic.twitter.com/9dxg3Kf76G
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) November 29, 2025
In pictures: Kyiv residents line up to collect materials to cover their damaged windows following a drone strike
14:00 , Bryony Gooch Watch: Deadly drone strike hits Kyiv leaving three dead and dozens injured
13:40 , Bryony GoochUkraine hit two 'shadow fleet' tankers with sea drones in Black Sea, security official says
13:20 , Bryony GoochUkraine hit two 'shadow fleet' tankers with sea drones in the Black Sea, an official from the SBU security service said on Saturday.
The joint operation was run by the SBU and Ukraine's navy, the official said on condition of anonymity.
"Video (footage) shows that after being hit, both tankers sustained critical damage and were effectively taken out of service. This will deal a significant blow to Russian oil transportation," the official said.
They did not say when the strike took place.
Analysis: Ukraine’s corruption is disastrous for Zelensky – Putin will love it
13:00 , Bryony GoochZelensky’s lost his chief of staff amid a €100m corruption scandal that the Kremlin will exploit – this is a disaster to Kyiv but also a sign that its system works, writes world affairs editor Sam Kiley.
Read more here:
Ukraine’s corruption scandal is disastrous for Zelensky – Putin will love it
More than 600,000 Ukrainians without power after Russian strikes
12:50 , Harriette BoucherMore than 600,000 Ukrainians were left without power on Saturday after Russia launched an attack on Kyiv overnight, leaving three dead.
According to Ukraine’s energy ministry, the majority of those without power were in the capital, and the rest in the surrounding region.
In one of the largest attacks in a while, nearly 600 drones and 35 missiles were launched.
Zelensky said the main targets of the attack were on Kyiv’s energy infrastructure and civilian facilities.
Long watch: Putin is manipulating Trump and doesn’t want peace, ex-US aide warns
12:30 , Bryony GoochDaughter of former South African president resigns from parliament over Ukraine war allegations
12:00 , Bryony GoochThe daughter of former South African president Jacob Zuma has resigned from parliament amid claims that she lured 17 men to fight for Russia in Ukraine.
Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla was a politician in the Umkhonto weSizwe (MK) opposition party, which is led by her father.
Read more here:
Zuma’s daughter resigns from parliament over Ukraine war allegations
Fire at Russia's Afipsky oil refinery extinguished after drone attack, authorities say
11:40 , Bryony GoochFalling drone debris sparked a blaze at the Afipsky oil refinery in Russia's southern Krasnodar region, but the fire has been put out, regional authorities said on Saturday. Some technical equipment on the premises was damaged but no one was injured, the local taskforce said.
The Russian Defence Ministry said that air defence units had intercepted and destroyed 103 Ukrainian drones over Russian regions overnight, including 11 over the Krasnodar region.
Ukrainian delegation headed to US to 'hammer out' peace deal
11:32 , Harriette BoucherUkrainian security council secretary Rustem Umerov is on the way to Washington to continue talks on an agreement to end the war.
Volodymyr Zelensky said he expects the results of the meetings with the US in Geneva will be “hammered out” on Sunday.
In a post on X, the Ukrainian president said: “Rustem delivered a report today, and the task is clear: to swiftly and substantively work out the steps needed to end the war.”
Watch: Launch pad used to send Russias into space damaged during take off
11:20 , Bryony GoochDeath toll rises to three in Kyiv as more than 600,000 without power
11:00 , Bryony GoochA vast Russian overnight attack on Ukraine killed three people and wounded nearly 30, officials said on Saturday, with more than 600,000 households left without power after strikes on the grid as the US attempts to broker peace talks.
"While everyone is discussing points of peace plans, Russia continues to pursue its 'war plan' of two points: to kill and destroy," Ukraine's foreign minister Andrii Sybiha wrote on Saturday morning as Kyiv residents surveyed the damage after a heavy night of explosions that mostly targeted the capital.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia had launched around 36 missiles and nearly 600 drones in the attack.
Watch: Firefighters work at the site of a private home that went up in flames after it was hit by a Russian drone during a night of attacks on Kyiv
10:40 , Bryony Gooch Russia says it launched 'massive strike' on Ukrainian military, energy facilities
10:20 , Bryony GoochRussia's Defence Ministry said on Saturday that Moscow had launched a "massive" overnight strike on Ukrainian military-industrial and energy facilities overnight in response to what it called "terrorist attacks".
While politicians wrangle over Trump’s peace plan, soldiers are still dying, says Ukrainian filmmaker
10:00 , Bryony GoochSoldiers fighting on Ukraine’s frontline see no change on the battlefieldwhile peace talks continue back and forth between Kyiv, the Kremlin and the US, a Ukrainian filmmaker has said.
Mstyslav Chernov, the Academy award winning director of 20 Days in Mariupol, gave The Independent an insight into morale on the frontline after the limited release of his latest documentary, 2000 Meters to Andriivka, put him straight on the battlefield with Ukraine’s armed forces.
Read more here:
While Trump’s peace plan drags on, soldiers still die, says Ukrainian filmmaker
Russian attacks kills 2 in Kyiv as diplomatic efforts to end the war in Ukraine gain momentum
09:40 , Bryony GoochRussian drone and missile attacks on the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, killed at least two people in the early hours of Saturday, local officials said.
The attacks came just before a second round of peace negotiations was set to begin, as a renewed US-led push to end the war gathers steam this week.
Writing on its official Telegram channel, the Kyiv City Military Administration said two people were killed in the strikes. Mayor Vitali Klitschko said 15 people were wounded, noting that falling debris from intercepted Russian drones hit residential buildings. He also said the western part of Kyiv had lost power.
The latest assault on Kyiv came as Ukrainian peace negotiators are due to meet their US counterparts in America this weekend, according to an official in Ukraine's presidential administration who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the talks.
Fiona Hill: Russian expert on why Putin knows exactly how to get Trump on side
09:20 , Bryony GoochVladimir Putin knows exactly how to get Donald Trump on side, a former White House adviser who observed meetings between the pair has said.
In an hour-long interview, Fiona Hill told world affairs editor Sam Kiley how the Russian president is in tune with how his American counterpart can be flattered just by being around world leaders.
The fluent Russian speaker also recalled the moment Putin could not resist the temptation to tease Trump, which translators hid from the US president.
Watch more here:
Fiona Hill: Russian expert on why Putin knows exactly how to get Trump on side
Ukrainian team heads to US for talks with Trump envoy Witkoff, report says
09:00 , Shweta SharmaA Ukrainian delegation is heading to the US for further discussions over a peace plan pushed by president Donald Trump, Bloomberg News reported on Friday, citing a person familiar with the matter.
The Ukrainian group, including senior Ukrainian security official Rustem Umerov and first deputy foreign minister Sergiy Kyslytsya, is expected to meet with US special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner in Florida, Bloomberg News reported.
Recap: Trump ‘to hand occupied Ukrainian land to Putin in return for peace deal’
08:40 , Bryony Gooch Trump ‘to hand occupied Ukrainian land to Putin in return for peace deal’
Ukrainian forces fighting in Kupiansk, despite Russian claims, top commander says
08:20 , Shweta SharmaUkrainian forces are defending their positions and hunting down sabotage groups in the northeastern city of Kupiansk despite Moscow's statements that its troops are fully in control of it, Ukraine's top commander said on Friday.
Russia seized Kupiansk in the first weeks of the 2022 invasion, but Ukrainian troops recaptured it later that year.
Russian president Vladimir Putin said last week it was back in Moscow's hands and on Thursday, while visiting Kyrgyzstan in Central Asia, he said the city was "fully in our hands."
Ukrainian commander Oleksandr Syrskyi rejected the claims.
"Our soldiers continue to conduct both defensive and search and strike actions," Syrskyi wrote on Telegram after visiting the area in Kharkiv region.
"These actions take place daily as part of comprehensive measures to stabilise the situation in Kupiansk. The scale of lies from the Russian leadership about the situation in Kupiansk is astonishing."
He said Ukrainian forces were "holding designated lines and intensifying fire pressure to block the enemy's supply routes."
Who is Andrii Yermak? Zelensky’s right-hand man who resigned after police raid in corruption probe
08:01 , Shweta SharmaUkrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky’s chief of staff Andriy Yermak resigned on Friday after anti-corruption police raided his home.
The raid is part of an investigation into a $100m (£76m) corruption scandal by the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine and the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office. Both agencies released a report earlier this month saying that several government members were involved in an embezzlement scheme involving Ukraine’s state nuclear power company, Energoatom.
In an evening address, Zelensky said Yermak wrote a letter of resignation after officers raided his home.
Who is Andrii Yermak? Zelensky’s right-hand man resigned over corruption raid
Latest pictures show destruction in Kyiv
07:40 , Shweta Sharma Vast Russian overnight attack on Ukraine kills two, wounds dozens
07:20 , Bryony GoochA vast Russian overnight attack on Ukraine killed two people and wounded two dozen, Ukraine's foreign minister said on Saturday, adding that Moscow continued to "kill and destroy" while the world was discussing peace plans for the conflict.
"Russia shot dozens of cruise and ballistic missiles and over 500 drones at ordinary homes, the energy grid, and critical infrastructure," Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha wrote on X.
Explosions could be heard in the capital city, Kyiv, throughout the night.
"Our work goes on", vows Zelensky after Yermak resignation
06:00 , Shweta SharmaZelensky made an impassioned speech for Ukrainians to come together and remain united following the resignation of his chief of staff.
“Russia is eager for Ukraine to make mistakes. We won’t make any. Our work goes on. Our struggle goes on,” he said in a message to citizens.
In the wake of the resignation of Andriy Yermak, Zelensky said in an accompanying video that he was “resetting” his presidential office.
He praised and thanked Yermak for his work and said he would appoint a successor following consultations tomorrow.
Ukraine’s corruption scandal is disastrous for Zelensky – Putin will love it
05:30 , Shweta SharmaThe presidential palace in Kyiv is roiling. Volodymyr Zelensky’s chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, has resigned as his office and home were raided by anti-corruption police and detectives on the trail of a €100m fraud.
The racket, which has already claimed the political heads of two ministers and sent a former business partner and close friend of Zelensky into exile and on the run outside the war-torn nation, is a strategic blow.
It proves, as if it were needed, how wide and deep and how cynical corruption goes. The missing funds were allegedly creamed off by Zelensky’s cronies from contacts to fix and defend the Ukrainian energy sector, which has been under sustained Russian attacks for more than two years.
Ukraine’s corruption scandal is disastrous for Zelensky – Putin will love it
Hungary's Orbán meets Vladimir Putin
05:00 , Shweta SharmaHungarian prime minister Viktor Orbán met Russian president Vladimir Putin in the Kremlin yesterday, once again breaking with the European Union’s efforts to isolate Moscow over its nearly four-year invasion of Ukraine.
The visit – Orbán’s second trip to Russia since last year – underscores his position as Putin’s closest ally within the EU, with Hungary continuing to rely heavily on Russian fossil fuels even as the rest of the bloc works to reduce its dependence.
“We have important areas of cooperation, and we haven’t given up on any area of that cooperation, no matter the external pressure,” Orbán said, insisting that Russian energy “forms the basis” of Hungary’s supply now and in the future.
He has repeatedly called for an end to the war in Ukraine but has not clarified what that would mean for Kyiv’s territorial integrity, a stance that has frustrated Hungary’s EU and Nato partners.
Putin, opening the talks, praised Orbán’s “balanced position” on the conflict; the Kremlin later said the meeting ended after nearly four hours.
Orbán’s trip follows his recent visit to Washington, where he secured from US president Donald Trump an exemption to sanctions on Russian energy giants Lukoil and Rosneft – a move he said guarantees Hungary’s energy security.
Yesterday, he said that with the exemption in place, all Hungary needs now is “oil and gas” from Russia to ensure affordable supplies through winter and into next year.
While Orbán argues that abandoning Russian energy would trigger economic collapse, critics dispute the claim as Hungary continues increasing its imports even as the rest of Europe phases them out under plans to eliminate Russian fossil fuels by 2027.
One killed and many injured in Russian drone and missile attacks across Kyiv
04:40 , Shweta SharmaAt least one person has died and 11 are injured after Russia launched drones and missile strikes across Kyiv, officials said.
The attacks caused explosions and falling drone debris, triggering fires.
It was the second attack on the Ukrainian capital over four days. Seven people died on Tuesday, when Russian forces launched a barrage of drones and missiles.
The head of Kyiv's military administration, Tymur Tkachenko, said there had been strikes at six locations on Saturday, with apartment buildings and other dwellings hit in the city of three million.
The military administration said the body of one resident was recovered from rubble at an apartment building that had been set ablaze. A child was rescued from the same building.
A new air raid alert for incoming drones was issued in the capital after 5am local time.
Zelensky's chief of staff says 'I’m going to the front' after raid and resignation
04:30 , Shweta SharmaAndriy Yermak, the former top adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, said he is heading to the frontlines just hours after resigning from his post following a raid on his home by Kyiv’s national anti-corruption bureau, according to New York Post.
The Post said that it received a message from him last night, saying he was “prepared for any reprisals” and insisted he was “an honest and decent person”, adding that he might not respond to calls going forward.
He did not clarify when or how he planned to reach the front, but referenced his presence in Kyiv on 24 February 2022, the day Russia launched its full-scale invasion, writing: “Maybe we’ll see each other again. Glory to Ukraine.”
“I served Ukraine and was in Kyiv on February 24, 2024,” he wrote. “Maybe we’ll see each other again. Glory to Ukraine.”
Yermak did not specify whether he intended to join the Armed Forces, but said he felt “desecrated” and let down by those who failed to defend his reputation. He added that he wanted to avoid creating problems for Zelensky and was therefore going to the front.
“I’m disgusted by the filth directed at me, and even more disgusted by the lack of support from those who know the truth,” he added.
Ukraine has tried to bounce US into a peace deal - but Putin is still in charge
04:00 , James ReynoldsUkraine continues to suffer the swings and roundabouts of outrageous fortune at the hands of American negotiators but is learning how to survive the whirligig of the White House.
Donald Trump and his envoys are neither honest brokers nor even allies of Kyiv’s fight to defend itself against Russian invaders. But, for a little while, it seems that Ukraine has managed to swing them away from being outright enemies.
Ukraine has tried to bounce US into a peace deal - but Putin is still in charge
In pictures: Russia's Kyiv attack damages buildings and cars
03:30 , Shweta Sharma Trump ‘to hand occupied Ukrainian land to Putin in return for peace deal’
03:04 , James ReynoldsDonald Trump could recognise Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea and other occupied territories in an appeasement of the Kremlin’s key demands for a peace deal, according to a report.
It’s a red line for Kyiv that could force a wedge between Washington, Kyiv and Europe.
Ukraine’s top negotiator, Andriy Yermak, said in his swan song interview before resigning on Friday that Zelensky would never allow Ukraine to cede land to Russia and “not a single sane person today would sign a document to give up territory”.
Read the full story:
Trump ‘to hand occupied Ukrainian land to Putin in return for peace deal’
Russia's shadow fleet rocked in Bosphorus
Friday 28 November 2025 23:58 , James ReynoldsBlasts rocked two tankers from Russia's shadow fleet in the Black Sea near Turkey's Bosphorus strait on Friday, causing fires on the vessels, and rescue operations were launched for those on board, Turkish authorities and sources said.
The 274-meter-long tanker Kairos suffered an explosion and caught fire in the Black Sea while en route from Egypt to Russia, Turkey's Transport Ministry said.
It said two fast rescue boats, a tugboat, and an emergency response vessel were immediately dispatched to the scene and the 25 crew members on board were safely rescued.
Kairos was heading to Russia's Novorossiysk port when it reported "an external impact" causing a fire 28 nautical miles off the Turkish shore, Turkey's Maritime Affairs Directorate said.
Ukraine’s corruption scandal is disastrous for Zelensky - Putin will love it
Friday 28 November 2025 20:14 , James ReynoldsZelensky’s lost his chief of staff amid a €100 million corruption scandal that the Kremlin will exploit - this is a disaster to Kyiv but also a sign that its system works, writes world affairs editor Sam Kiley:
Ukraine’s corruption scandal is disastrous for Zelensky - Putin will love it
Putin refuses to budge on demand for Ukrainian territory
Friday 28 November 2025 16:59 , James ReynoldsIn a sign that Moscow remains unlikely to budge on its maximalist demands of Ukraine, despot Putin said that Ukrainian troops must lay down their weapons and give up on territories claimed by Russia for a peace deal to be possible:
Putin refuses to budge on demand for Ukrainian territory ahead of talks with US
How Trump’s ‘drone guy’ has become key figure in Ukraine peace talks
Friday 28 November 2025 16:16 , Maira ButtIraq War veteran Dan Driscoll, a former venture capitalist and associate of Vice President JD Vance, recently presented Donald Trump’s plan to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv.
The army secretary has quickly moved from leading a military bureaucracy – focused on cutting red tape to quickly acquire inexpensive drones – to a key negotiator in a Donald Trump administration push to end the Russia-Ukraine war.
We take a look at how he has made the leap below...
How Trump’s ‘drone guy’ has become key figure in Ukraine peace talks
