The momentum to find a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine has been exhausted since the Donald Trump-Vladimir Putin summit in Alaska, Moscow’s deputy foreign minister has said.
Growing relations between Washington and Moscow culminated in the August meeting, the second between the two presidents, which some hoped would see progress towards a peace deal in Ukraine.
"Unfortunately, we have to admit that Anchorage's powerful momentum in favour of agreements has been largely exhausted by the efforts of opponents and supporters of the war," Sergei Ryabkov said according to Interfax.
"This is the result of destructive activities, primarily by the Europeans," he said.
The deputy foreign minister also warned Washington against sending Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine, echoing repeated warnings from the past week.
The potential appearance of US Tomahawk missiles in Ukraine would mean a 'qualitative' change in the situation, he was quoted as Interfax by saying, calling on Washington to take what he described as a sober and responsible approach.
Trump had said he wants to know what Ukraine plans to do with Tomahawks before agreeing to provide them, because he did not want to escalate the war.
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Key Points
- Momentum for peace deal has been exhausted, says Moscow
- Tomahawks for Ukraine would mean there are 'no safe places' in western Russia - expert
- Russia again warns US against sending Tomahawks
- Trump: I thought solving Ukraine war would be one of the 'easy ones'
- Russia utilising tankers of 'shadow fleet' to finance war and sabotage Europe
- Indian man fighting with Russian forces surrenders to Ukrainian Army, Kyiv says
In pictures: Putin meets top generals in St Petersburg
16:00
,
Alex Croft
Russian officials in Crimea check students' phone for pro-Ukraine content
15:30
,
Alex Croft
Russian officials in Crimea are checking the phones of school students for content and settings that might give away a pro-Ukrainian stance, officials said.
Ukraine’s Centre for Countering Disinformation said the occupying authorities are doing this to build ideological pressure on students.
"Activists of Ukrainian movements in the temporarily occupied territories report that in schools in Crimea, representatives of the occupation administration together with Russian military personnel are checking children's mobile phones – searching for banned apps, VPN services, and even the Ukrainian language in the settings," the centre said on their Telegram channel.
The act of checking schoolchildren's phones is not "concern for security" but a systematic attempt to intimidate children and impose loyalty to the Russian regime, the centre said.
It added: "Such 'raids' are another tool of total control and ideological pressure. The occupiers seek to eradicate any manifestations of Ukrainian identity.
Russia's central bank calls out violations in state asset grab
15:04
,
Alex Croft
Russia's central bank has ruled the state violated the rights of minority shareholders in some asset seizures it made in relation to its conflict in Ukraine, sources told Reuters news agency, in a first pushback by the Russian elite on the nationalisation process.
Amid the confrontation with the West over the Ukraine conflict, tens of billions of dollars worth of assets owned by foreign investors and Russian billionaires have changed hands, mostly after being seized by the state.
But within parts of the Russian elite, there are signs of a backlash, especially among market-friendly technocrats who are credited with saving the Russian economy from collapse amid the toughest sanctions ever imposed on a major economy.
Some business executives and central bank and finance ministry officials are questioning what they see as a move to a Soviet-style command structure, with all resources mobilised towards achieving military victory in Ukraine, the sources said.
Three sources close to the central bank and the Moscow Stock Exchange told Reuters that MOEX had officially complained to the central bank over the alleged violation of the law by the government after seizing a majority stake in gold miner UGC.
Russia will shoot down any Tomahawk launchers if US sends them to Kyiv, says Moscow
14:31
,
Alex Croft
Andrei Kartapolov, head of the Russian parliament's defence committee, has joined in Moscow’s warnings against the US sending Tomahawks to Ukraine.
If and when that happened, he said, Russia would use drones and missiles to destroy any launchers.
Kartapolov, a former deputy defence minister, said he did not think Tomahawks would change anything on the battlefield even if they were supplied to Ukraine as he said they could only be given in small numbers - in tens rather than hundreds.
"We know these missiles very well, how they fly, how to shoot them down; we worked with them in Syria, so there is nothing new. The only problems will be for those who supply them and those who use them; that's where the problems will be," he told the RIA state news agency.
Kartapolov also said Moscow had so far seen no signs that Ukraine was preparing launch sites for Tomahawks, something he said Kyiv would not be able to hide if it got such missiles.
Shadow defence secretary accuses Farage of 'blaming Nato for provoking Putin'
13:28
,
Alex Croft
Britain’s shadow defence secretary James Cartlidge has accused Reform UK leader Nigel Farage of “blaming Nato for provoking Putin”.
Speaking at the Conservative Party conference, Mr Cartlidge said: "There are those who claim that Nigel Farage's party are the true conservatives, but let us remind ourselves what happened when Putin launched his all-out invasion.
"On that day, what did Farage do? Whose side was he on as our continent was suddenly threatened with war for the first time since 1945? That day, he chose to blame Nato for provoking Putin.”
Farage has previously faced criticism for suggesting that the eastwards expansion of Nato was responsible for Russia’s invasion, rather than Putin’s imperialist ambitions.
Watch: Sam Kiley joins Nato plane fuelling British fighter jets defending Europe's eastern flank
13:00
,
Alex Croft
Tomahawks would mean there are 'no safe places' in western Russia - expert
12:28
,
Alex Croft
US supply of Tomahawks to Ukraine would mean there are “no safe places in western Russia”, a military analyst has told The Independent.
Donald Trump appears to be undecided on whether to supply the long-range missiles, a move which Moscow says would severely damage relations with Washington. The missiles would allow Kyiv to strike far deeper inside Russia than it has done so far.
“It would mean Ukraine could decide on where to actually strike,” said Emil Kastehelmi of Finnish analysts the BlackBird Group.
“They could do more concentrated operations against Russian oil infrastructure, hitting those with missiles would hurt the refineries really, really badly,” he added.
“They could, of course, also switch to various military targets, for example air bases would be threatened. They could start hitting various kinds of warehouses and logistical hubs in order to weaken Russian war effort.
“They could strike command elements or important training centres very deep inside Russia. So there would be no safe places in western Russia,” Mr Kastehelmi said.
Erdogan tells Putin more momentum needed to achieve Ukraine-Russia peace
11:56
,
Alex Croft
Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan spoke by phone with Russian president Vladimir Putin and said diplomatic initiatives need to gain momentum to achieve a just and lasting peace in the Ukraine-Russia war, Erdogan's office said.
The statement cited Erdogan as saying Turkey will continue to work for peace.
It said bilateral relations and regional and global issues, including Turkey's efforts to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza, were also discussed on the call yesterday.
Moscow claims control of village in Zaporizhzhia region
11:24
,
Alex Croft
The Russian Defence Ministry said on Wednesday that its forces had taken control of the settlement of Novohryhorivka in Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia region.
The Independent could not independently verify the claim.
Russia will respond harshly if US supplies Tomahawks to Ukraine, says Moscow
10:55
,
Alex Croft
Russia will respond harshly if the United States supplies Ukraine with Tomahawk missiles, Andrei Kartapolov, head of the Russian parliament's defence committee, said on Wednesday, the state RIA news agency reported.
"We know these missiles very well, how they fly, how to shoot them down, we worked on them in Syria, so there is nothing new," RIA cited him as saying.
"Only those who supply them and those who use them will have problems," Mr Kartapolov said.
Russian strike seriously damages Ukrainian power plant as winter approaches, officials say
10:55
,
Alex Croft
Russia seriously damaged one of Ukraine’s thermal power plants in an overnight attack, authorities said Wednesday, as Moscow pursued its campaign to deny Ukrainians heat, light and running water as winter approaches.
Two workers were injured in the attack, according to DTEK, Ukraine’s biggest electricity operator. It provided no further information, including the plant’s location.
Ukrainian authorities release few details about the routine Russian attacks on its power grid so as not to give away intelligence to the enemy. Repair crews, meanwhile, work round the clock to undo the damage.
Read the full report:
Moscow says momentum for Russia-Ukraine peace deal has been exhausted
10:26
,
Alex Croft
Russian deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov has said that the impetus to find a Ukrainian peace deal which emerged after the summit between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump in August had proven to be exhausted.
Ryabkov also said the potential appearance of U.S. Tomahawk missiles in Ukraine would mean a 'qualitative' change in the situation, Interfax quoted him as saying.
Trump said earlier this week that he would want to know what Ukraine planned to do with Tomahawks before agreeing to provide them because he did not want to escalate the war between Russia and Ukraine.
Moscow again warns US against sending Tomahawks
10:15
,
Alex Croft
Moscow has again warned the US against sending Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine, warning it would be an escalation in the conflict.
Vladimir Putin warned last week that it would spell a “whole new level of escalation” and would result in the destruction of the Moscow-Washington relationship, which both sides have been carefully working to rebuild since Donald Trump took office in January.
Now, Russia’s deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov has said the appearance of Tomahawks in Ukraine would mean a “qualitative” change in the situation, state news agency Interfax reported.
He urged the US leadership to take what he described as a sober and responsible approach to the transfer of Tomahawks.
Putin claims Russia holds 'initiative' in Ukraine war
10:00
,
Alex Croft
Vladimir Putin has claimed Ukrainian forces are retreating and that Russia holds the initiative in its invasion of its European neighbour.
Describing seizing Ukrainian territory as "liberation", he boasted of Russia's military successes this year at a meeting in St Petersburg.
According to a Kremlin transcript, he said: "At this time, the Russian armed forces fully hold the strategic initiative.
"This year, we have liberated nearly 5,000 square km of territory - 4,900 – and 212 localities.
"Ukrainian forces, he said, "are retreating throughout the line of combat contact, despite attempts at fierce resistance."
His comments were echoed by General Valery Gerasimov, chief of the general staff of Russia's armed forces, who told the meeting of top commanders that his troops were "advancing in practically all directions."
Ukrainian forces, he said, were focused on slowing the Russian advance.
Gerasimov, overall commander of Russia's war effort, said the heaviest fighting was gripping Pokrovsk and areas towards Dnipropetrovsk.
Zelensky demands action on British firms supplying parts for Russian drones - ICYMI
09:18
,
Alex Croft
Volodymyr Zelensky is calling for more stringent sanctions against British companies implicated in supplying components for Russian drones, which are actively being deployed in attacks across Ukraine.
The Ukrainian president criticised allied nations for their role in providing parts to Russia, asserting that hundreds of thousands of foreign-made components were used in a deadly strike on Sunday morning.
Writing on X, Mr Zelensky stated that microcomputers for flight control, manufactured in the UK, were discovered in drones involved in the assault. Other parts from allied countries, including the US, were also identified.
Read more here:
EU needs broad response to Russian hybrid threat, says Brussels chief
08:51
,
Alex Croft
Recent drone incidents and other airspace violations show Europe is facing hybrid warfare to which it must respond with measures that go beyond traditional defence, EU Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said on Wednesday.
"This is not random harassment," Ms von der Leyen said in a speech in European Parliament in Strasbourg.
"It is a coherent and escalating campaign to unsettle our citizens, test our resolve, divide our Union, and weaken our support for Ukraine. And it is time to call it by its name. This is hybrid warfare."
Ms Von der Leyen did not say Russia was responsible for all the incidents but said it was clear Russia's aim is to "sow division" in Europe.
European officials have already attributed some of the recent incidents to Moscow.
"Tackling Russia’s hybrid war is not only about traditional defence," Ms von der Leyen said. "This requires a new mind-set for all of us. We can either shy away and watch Russian threats escalate, or we meet them with unity, deterrence and resolve."
Two power engineers injured in Russian attack on power plant
08:21
,
Alex Croft
Russia has launched an attack on a thermal power plant injuring two power engineers, according to Ukraine’s largest private energy company, DTEK.
“The power plant equipment was seriously damaged. We are working to eliminate the consequences,” the company said in a post on Telegram.
The two power workers are being provided with “all necessary assistance”, it said.
DTEK says that since the Russian invasion began in 2022, its power plants have suffered more than 200 attacks by Russian forces.
Three killed and one injured in Ukrainian attack on Russia's Belgorod region, governor says
08:02
,
Alex Croft
Three people were killed and one injured by Ukrainian shelling in Russia's Belgorod region, the local governor said on Wednesday.
Ukrainian rocket fire struck the Maslova Pristan area of the Shebekinski District, with the building of a social facility partially destroyed, Vyacheslav Gladkov said.
“Emergency Ministry personnel and self-defense forces are already at the scene, clearing the rubble. There may be people under the rubble,” he added in a post on Telegram.
Trump: I thought solving Ukraine war would be one of the 'easy ones'
07:47
,
Alex Croft
Donald Trump has expressed his surprise at how difficult it has been to bring an end to the war in Ukraine.
Speaking during a meeting with Canadian prime minister Mark Carney, the US president called the situation “crazy”, according to European Pravda.
He added: "I thought that would have been one of the easy ones. I get along very well with [Russian president Vladimir] Putin and I thought that would have been... I'm very disappointed in him because I thought this would have been an easy one to settle, but it turned out to be maybe tougher than the Middle East."
In pictures: Putin meets top generals in St Petersburg
07:28
,
Alex Croft
Russian officials in Crimea check students' phone for pro-Ukraine content
07:09
,
Arpan Rai
Russian officials in Crimea are checking the phones of school students for content and settings that might give away a pro-Ukrainian stance, officials said.
Ukraine’s Centre for Countering Disinformation said the occupying authorities are doing this to build ideological pressure on students.
"Activists of Ukrainian movements in the temporarily occupied territories report that in schools in Crimea, representatives of the occupation administration together with Russian military personnel are checking children's mobile phones – searching for banned apps, VPN services, and even the Ukrainian language in the settings," the centre said on their Telegram channel.
The act of checking schoolchildren's phones is not "concern for security" but a systematic attempt to intimidate children and impose loyalty to the Russian regime, the centre said.
It added: "Such 'raids' are another tool of total control and ideological pressure. The occupiers seek to eradicate any manifestations of Ukrainian identity.
Shadow defence secretary accuses Farage of 'blaming Nato for provoking Putin'
06:55
,
Arpan Rai
Britain’s shadow defence secretary James Cartlidge has accused Reform UK leader Nigel Farage of “blaming Nato for provoking Putin”.
Speaking at the Conservative Party conference, Mr Cartlidge said: "There are those who claim that Nigel Farage's party are the true conservatives, but let us remind ourselves what happened when Putin launched his all-out invasion.
"On that day, what did Farage do? Whose side was he on as our continent was suddenly threatened with war for the first time since 1945? That day, he chose to blame Nato for provoking Putin.”
Farage has previously faced criticism for suggesting that the eastwards expansion of Nato was responsible for Russia’s invasion, rather than Putin’s imperialist ambitions.
Watch: Patrolling Nato’s skies with the RAF: A bird’s-eye look at Europe’s creeping frontline
06:40
,
Arpan Rai
Indian man fighting with Russian forces surrenders to Ukrainian Army, Kyiv says
06:27
,
Arpan Rai
An Indian citizen fighting alongside Russian forces has surrendered to the Ukrainian military, Kyiv claimed on Tuesday.
The 63rd Mechanised Brigade of the Ukrainian Army posted a video on Telegram showing a man calling himself Majoti Sahil Mohamed Hussein in its custody. The man claims to be a 22-year-old from Morbi in the western state of Gujarat.
In the one minute and 45 second-video, Mr Hussein – wearing a red T-shirt and speaking in Russian – claims he was sent to fight in Ukraine after being convicted on drug charges in Russia.
What do we know about Russia's shadow fleet?
06:18
,
Arpan Rai
Volodymyr Zelensky has said Russia is using tankers from its "shadow fleet" to "conduct sabotage and destabilising operations in Europe” citing intelligence reports.
But what is this shadow fleet?
The shadow fleet is made up of ageing tankers bought second-hand, often by nontransparent entities with addresses in non-sanctioning countries such as the United Arab Emirates or the Marshall Islands, and flagged in places like Gabon or the Cook Islands. It is claimed that some of the vessels are owned by the Russian state-run Sovcomflot shipping company, which is denied by the company.
Estimates vary, but S&P Global and the Kyiv School of Economics Institute have put the number at over 400 ships that can transport oil, or products made from crude such as diesel fuel and gasoline.
Last week, French president Emmanuel Macron accused an oil tanker off the nation's coast of "very serious wrongdoings," linking it to Russia's "shadow fleet" circumventing Western sanctions imposed over the war in Ukraine.
The vessel, whose current status remains unclear, was previously sighted off the Danish coast last week, where European naval experts suggested its potential involvement in drone flights.
Zelensky asks allies to respond to Russian attacks from shadow fleet
05:57
,
Arpan Rai
Volodymyr Zelensky has said Ukraine’s partners should respond to Russia's use of its shadow fleet to destabilise Europe.
“The Head of Foreign Intelligence reported in detail on how the Russians are utilising tankers of their “shadow fleet” – not only to finance the war, but also for sabotage and various destabilisation attempts in Europe.
Recent launches of drones from tankers are one such example,” he said.
Zelensky added: “We share the information we have with our partners, and it is crucial that they take tangible steps in response to Russia. We are working toward this at all levels, and there will be further meetings and negotiations with partners, both public and behind closed doors.”
Ukraine is convincing its allies to “not to hold back on determination”, he said.
“The Russians must know that none of their destructive actions – all the vile things they do – will go unanswered by the world,” he said.
The Head of Foreign Intelligence reported in detail on how the Russians are utilizing tankers of their “shadow fleet” – not only to finance the war, but also for sabotage and various destabilization attempts in Europe. Recent launches of drones from tankers are one such example.… pic.twitter.com/B09UQo9EZK
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) October 7, 2025
Russia's air defence units destroys 53 Ukrainian drones overnight
05:45
,
Arpan Rai
Russia's air defence units destroyed 53 Ukrainian drones overnight, its defence ministry said this morning.
Nearly half of these were downed in the regions on the border between Russia and Ukraine, the defence ministry said.
The drones did not appear to target Moscow, according to the preliminary reports from the Russian defence ministry.
Erdogan tells Putin more momentum needed to achieve Ukraine-Russia peace
05:26
,
Arpan Rai
Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan spoke by phone with Russian president Vladimir Putin and said diplomatic initiatives need to gain momentum to achieve a just and lasting peace in the Ukraine-Russia war, Erdogan's office said.
The statement cited Erdogan as saying Turkey will continue to work for peace.
It said bilateral relations and regional and global issues, including Turkey's efforts to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza, were also discussed on the call yesterday.
Putin claims Russia holds 'initiative' in Ukraine war
04:46
,
Arpan Rai
Vladimir Putin has claimed Ukrainian forces are retreating and that Russia holds the initiative in its invasion of its European neighbour.
Describing seizing Ukrainian territory as "liberation", he boasted of Russia's military successes this year at a meeting in St Petersburg.
According to a Kremlin transcript, he said: "At this time, the Russian armed forces fully hold the strategic initiative.
"This year, we have liberated nearly 5,000 square km of territory - 4,900 – and 212 localities.
"Ukrainian forces, he said, "are retreating throughout the line of combat contact, despite attempts at fierce resistance."
His comments were echoed by General Valery Gerasimov, chief of the general staff of Russia's armed forces, who told the meeting of top commanders that his troops were "advancing in practically all directions."
Ukrainian forces, he said, were focused on slowing the Russian advance.
Gerasimov, overall commander of Russia's war effort, said the heaviest fighting was gripping Pokrovsk and areas towards Dnipropetrovsk.
British parts discovered in Russian drones used to attack Ukraine
04:00
,
Bryony Gooch
Recap: IAEA discussing proposals with Russia, Ukraine to restore power to Zaporizhzhia plant, Grossi says
03:00
,
Bryony Gooch
International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Rafael Grossi said on Friday he is discussing detailed proposals with Russia and Ukraine on how to restore off-site power to the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant.
The plant, Europe's largest, has been cut off from external power for more than a week. It is being cooled by emergency diesel generators.
Recap: Power restored in Russian-held parts of Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia region, officials say
02:00
,
Bryony Gooch
The Russian-controlled part of Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia region was left largely without electricity for a time on Tuesday after a Ukrainian drone strike, Russian-installed governor Yevgeny Balitsky said.
Balitsky, in a later post on Telegram, said power had been restored throughout those parts of Zaporizhzhia region under Moscow's control. He thanked emergency crews for their fast work.
The Russian-appointed governor of the neighbouring Kherson region, Vladimir Saldo, said separately that around 38,000 people there were without power, though he did not say whether it was connected to the outages in Zaporizhzhia.
Russia controls around three-quarters of the two southern Ukrainian regions, with frontlines largely unchanged since 2022.
Reuters was unable to confirm the reports, and there was no immediate comment from Kyiv.
Patrolling Nato’s skies with the RAF: A bird’s-eye look at Europe’s creeping frontline
01:00
,
Bryony Gooch
Russia utilising tankers of 'shadow fleet' to finance war and sabotage Europe, says Ukrainian intelligence
Wednesday 8 October 2025 00:00
,
Bryony Gooch
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has said that Russia is utilising the tankers of its “shadow fleet” to finance the war and destabilise Europe.
“The Head of Foreign Intelligence reported in detail on how the Russians are utilising tankers of their ‘shadow fleet’ – not only to finance the war, but also for sabotage and various destabilisation attempts in Europe,” he said on social media. “Recent launches of drones from tankers are one such example. We share the information we have with our partners, and it is crucial that they take tangible steps in response to Russia.
“We are working toward this at all levels, and there will be further meetings and negotiations with partners, both public and behind closed doors. We are convincing them not to hold back on determination.
“The Russians must know that none of their destructive actions – all the vile things they do – will go unanswered by the world.”
The Head of Foreign Intelligence reported in detail on how the Russians are utilizing tankers of their “shadow fleet” – not only to finance the war, but also for sabotage and various destabilization attempts in Europe. Recent launches of drones from tankers are one such example.… pic.twitter.com/B09UQo9EZK
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) October 7, 2025
Ukraine unlikely to receive Tomahawks, says humanitarian aid organisation
Tuesday 7 October 2025 23:20
,
Bryony Gooch
Humanitarian aid organisation Hope For Ukraine has expressed doubt that the war-torn country will receive Tomahawks requested from the United States as Trump teases he has “sort of” made a decision on whether to grant the request.
CEO Yuriy Boyechko has said that it remains unlikely that Ukraine will receive the highly-coveted missiles, which have a range of 2,500 km, because “Traditional launch platforms for Tomahawk missiles are sea-based, primarily deployed from US Navy ships and submarines.
“Ukraine has a very small navy, and the chances of it acquiring a Tomahawk‑capable surface ship or submarine are nearly zero.”, the organisation added.
“The U.S. also has ground‑based launchers for Tomahawk missiles (the Typhon), but these systems are scarce and the U.S. will not sell them to European NATO members.
The only way Ukraine could receive Tomahawks would be if the US sent already‑retired LRF launchers, the organisation explained, adding that the country does not possess the specialised launch equipment or the trained personnel needed to field the Tomahawk missile system.
Putin says Russia has captured nearly 5,000 square km in Ukraine this year
Tuesday 7 October 2025 23:00
,
Bryony Gooch
Russian president Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday that Russian forces had captured almost 5,000 square km (1,930 square miles) of land in Ukraine in 2025 and that Moscow retained complete strategic initiative on the battlefield.
Putin, addressing a meeting with Russian top military commanders, said Ukrainian forces were retreating in all sectors of the front. He said Kyiv was trying to strike deep into Russian territory, but it would not help it to change the situation in the more than 3 1/2-year-old war.
"At this time, the Russian armed forces fully hold the strategic initiative," Putin told the meeting in northwestern Russia, according to a Kremlin transcript.
"This year, we have liberated nearly 5,000 square km of territory - 4,900 - and 212 localities."
Ukrainian forces, he said, "are retreating throughout the line of combat contact, despite attempts at fierce resistance."
Russia's Defence Ministry on Tuesday reported the capture of two more villages along the front, which Ukraine's top commander says now extends over 1,250 km (775 miles).
Ukrainian accounts of the situation on the front line say Kyiv's forces have made gains in the Donetsk region, particularly near the town of Dobropillia. President Volodymyr Zelensky has also said Ukrainian forces have regained ground in the border Sumy region, where Russia has established a foothold.
Pictured: First Icon of Our Lady of Victories unveiled in Aldershot in mark of solidarity with Ukraine
Tuesday 7 October 2025 21:00
,
Daniel Keane
Russia hosts Taliban delegation and warns against foreign military presence in Afghanistan
Tuesday 7 October 2025 20:00
,
Daniel Keane
Russia hosted a delegation of Afghanistan's ruling Taliban government Tuesday and issued a strong warning against a foreign military presence in the country.
Speaking at the start of an international meeting on Afghanistan in Moscow, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov praised the Taliban government for efforts to combat the Islamic State and other extremist groups, as well as eradicate illegal drugs.
Lavrov emphasized that “the deployment of military infrastructure of any third countries on the territory of Afghanistan, as well as on the territories of neighboring states, is categorically unacceptable under any pretext.”
Read our full story here.
Russia to send Medvedev to North Korea this week
Tuesday 7 October 2025 19:00
,
Daniel Keane
Russia will send Dmitry Medvedev to North Korea for celebrations to mark the 80th anniversary of the founding of the country’s ruling party.
It comes after North Korean leader Kim Jong Un joined Vladimir Putin and others at a Chinese military parade in Beijing last month.
China’s Premier Li Qiang will also travel to North Korea in its highest-level visit since 2019.
A statement from the Chinese Foreign Ministry called China and North Korea "traditional friends and neighbors" and said it is "an unswerving strategic policy" of the Chinese government and the ruling Communist P