Russian former president Dmitry Medvedev has threatened Germany with a “direct strike” on military production sites after Berlin accused Moscow of being behind a drone attack on Leipzig Airport last month.
Medvedev, the deputy chair of Russia’s security council and a routinely outspoken provocateur, wrote on Telegram that Germany’s leadership “deserve a direct strike on all German military equipment production facilities ... and quite possibility on several other locations in Berlin as well”.
In an ominous addendum he suggested: “Every terror has sponsors. At the moment, these are the heads of Western countries, primarily European ones. And they often travel to Kyiv by train...”
Workers last month found a drone laden with explosives and a detonator at the airport, which is a base for several Ukrainian cargo planes.
Germany characterises the attempted attack as part of hybrid warfare by the Kremlin meant to cause divisions in countries that back Ukraine. Russia denies involvement.
Chancellor Friedrich Merz has promised President Volodymyr Zelensky that Ukraine will have Germany’s continued support following the discovery.
Russian drones tore into central Kyiv on Wednesday, wounding 11 people on the seventh day running of attacks.
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Key Points
- Russian ex-president threatens 'direct strike' on Nato member Germany
- Putin issues new threat over Russian attacks on UK sites
- Zelensky warns airlines and passengers Russian airspace ‘completely unsafe’
- Merz says Ukraine can count on Germany after drone attack blamed on Russia
- Russia attacks Kyiv for seventh day running
Moscow responds to Ukraine's warning on risky Russian airspace
04:56 , Arpan RaiRussia vowed to head off any disruption to civil aviation on Wednesday after a warning by Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky that its drones had made Russian airspace dangerous to use.
Zelensky has warned that Ukraine is responding to Russian attacks meant "the war started by Russia is closing its own skies" but his forces are not targeting civil aviation.
Andrei Nikitin, Russia's transport minister, was quoted as saying by the Interfax news agency: "We are constantly improving flight safety and airport security requirements, and we have solutions for all of this.”
“We are working in close contact with the Ministry of Defence and the Russian National Guard. And I believe that we will not allow any significant disruption to civil aviation,” he said.
Flights to Russia cancelled as disruptions seen at Moscow airport
04:42 , Arpan RaiFlight tracking website Flightradar24 data showed disruptions yesterday at Moscow's main airport, while some airlines cancelled flights though they did not specify the reason for doing so.
Moscow's Sheremetyevo International Airport showed 21 cancelled flights and 235 delays, while the city's Vnukovo airport had 22 cancelled flights and 94 delays, according to Flightradar24.
"We continue to closely monitor the evolving situation in the region and adjust our flight schedules and routings as necessary," airline flydubai said in a statement.
“As the situation remains dynamic, our teams are continuously assessing operational requirements. We recognise that some delays and diversions may occur... The safety of our customers and crew remains our highest priority,” they said.
Turkish carrier Pegasus Airlines said it had cancelled some flights to Russia for "technical and operational" reasons, without giving further details.
Vnukovo airport said Pegasus Airlines had cancelled six arriving and six departing flights at the hub on Tuesday.
The carrier said overnight flights into Wednesday were impacted, but other ongoing flights were "operating as scheduled".
Ukraine asks UN aviation agency to support ban on flights in Russian airspace
04:26 , Arpan RaiUkraine has urged the UN's aviation agency to ask its members to fully ban operations in Russian airspace, a day after president Volodymyr Zelensky warned it was "becoming completely unsafe".
Ukraine would only target Russian military facilities and not threaten civilian aircraft, Zelensky added, but he stressed that the growing number of Ukrainian drones in Russian skies should "be taken into account".
In a letter to International Civil Aviation Organization chairman Juan Carlos Salazar, a copy of which was exclusively shared with Reuters, Ukraine's infrastructure minister Mykola Kalashnyk said Kyiv believed the risk of tragedies in the skies should be minimised.
Ukraine has asked ICAO to encourage aviation authorities and airlines to safeguard civil aviation, "including by facilitating the full prohibition by ICAO member states of civil aircraft operations within the airspace of the Russian Federation".
Russian air attack damages multi-story residential building in Ukraine's Odesa
03:56 , Arpan RaiA Russian air attack damaged a multi-story residential building in Ukraine's Black Sea port city of Odesa in the early hours today, said Serhiy Lysak, the head of its military administration.
At least eight people were injured in the attack, Lysak said.
A Reuters witness reported an explosion on Wednesday in the capital Kyiv amid continued Russian air strikes.
Russia vows to fend off disruption to civil aviation after Ukraine's threats
03:01 , Jane DaltonRussia vowed to head off any disruption to civil aviation on Wednesday after Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenksy said Kyiv’s drones had made Russian airspace dangerous to use.
Mr Zelensky warned airlines and insurance firms that the presence of Ukrainian drones as it responded to Russian attacks meant “the war started by Russia is closing its own skies”. He said he was not targeting civil aviation.
And Ukrainian foreign minister Andrii Sybiha said on Wednesday the country had also officially notified the International Civil Aviation Organisation that Russian airspace was not safe.
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02:00 , Jane DaltonMapped: The UK military bases threatened by Russia
01:00 , Jane Dalton
Mapped: UK military bases threatened by as Putin issues ‘military secret’ warning
In focus: Ukraine plays Russia at its own game with massive drones campaign
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How Ukraine is trying to beat Russia at its own game with massive drone strikes
Citibank’s London branch fined £4.7m for breaching Russia sanctions
23:00 , Jane DaltonCitibank’s London branch has been fined £4.7m for breaching Russian financial sanctions rules in 2022.
The division of the US-based investing banking group processed hundreds of payments between accounts linked to designated Russian companies and individuals, the Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI) found in an investigation.
In total, 970 payments worth about £19.7m were considered to be breaches.
They included processing payments for designated Russian banks Alfa-Bank JSC, PJSC Gazprombank and Credit Bank of Moscow.
Most of the transactions occurred between February and November 2022, following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Kyiv creates underground storage bunkers to protect fuel from attacks
22:00 , Jane DaltonUkraine is creating a network of underground fuel storage facilities as its energy system comes under daily Russian attack, energy minister Denys Shmyhal has said.
The priority was to ensure an uninterrupted supply of diesel fuel, primarily for defence needs and critical infrastructure, he said.
In recent weeks, Russia has intensified attacks on fuel stations, destroying or damaging around 300, primarily in frontline regions.
Mr Shmyhal said Ukraine and Romania had agreed to expand fuel supply capacity to Kyiv via both rail and river ports.
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Merz says Ukraine can count on Germany after drone attack blamed on Russia
20:57 , Jane DaltonChancellor Friedrich Merz pledged Germany's continued support for Ukraine in a phone call with President Volodymyr Zelensky, the German government said, following a drone attack at Leipzig airport.
“The chancellor emphasised that Ukraine can count on the resolute continuation of Germany's civilian and military support,” a government spokesperson said.
Mr Merz told Mr Zelesnky about an attempted drone attack at Leipzig Airport last month, for which Berlin says Russia was responsible.
Catch up: Moscow threatens direct strike on Germany in fresh escalation against Europe and UK
20:00 , James ReynoldsFormer Russian president Dmitry Medvedev has threatened Germany with a “direct strike” on its military production facilities after Berlin accused Moscow of being behind a drone attack on Leipzig Airport last month.
Medvedev, the deputy chair of Russia’s security council and a regularly outspoken provocateur of the West, wrote on Telegram that Germany’s leadership “deserve a direct strike on all German military equipment production facilities ... and quite possibility on several other locations in Berlin as well”.
In an ominous addendum he suggested: “Every terror has sponsors. At the moment, these are the heads of Western countries, primarily European ones. And they often travel to Kyiv by train...”
Airport workers last month found a drone laden with explosives and a detonator at the airport, an important civilian freight and NATO logistics hub in eastern Germany that is also a base for several giant Ukrainian Antonov An-124 cargo planes.
Germany has blamed Moscow for the attack, characterising it as part of hybrid warfare meant to intimidate and cause divisions in countries that have supported Ukraine over the Russian invasion.
Russia denies involvement and has vowed to respond to what its foreign ministry spokesperson called "anti-Russian action".
Mapped: The UK military bases threatened by Russia as Putin issues ‘military secret’ warning
19:00 , James ReynoldsVladimir Putin has issued an ominous new warning over the UK’s support for Ukraine saying that it is a “military secret” whether or not Russia is weighing up possible strikes on British military sites.
Last month, Andy Burnham announced that the UK government would release the blueprints for British-made components for the Scalp missile, which is the French version of the UK’s Storm Shadow cruise missile, so Ukraine could produce its own version.
But Russia’s foreign ministry spokeswoman, Maria Zakharova, told Britain to back off on its hostile stance towards Ukraine and said the UK risked taking the conflict to a new level. She told the same Moscow news briefing that Britain and France were "playing with fire" by supplying sensitive missile technology to Ukraine.
See where Britain’s bases across Europe are:
Mapped: UK military bases threatened by as Putin issues ‘military secret’ warning
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18:00 , James ReynoldsExpansionist desires, aggressive military actions, and the consolidation of power in its internal affairs used to attack political enemies, Keir Giles explains how, while writing his new book, he came to realise the two countries are becoming exceedingly hard to tell apart:
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Recap: Russian ex-president threatens strike on Germany
17:36 , Jane DaltonRussian former president Dmitry Medvedev has threatened Germany with a “direct strike” on its military production facilities after Berlin accused Moscow of being behind a drone attack on Leipzig Airport last month.
Medvedev, the deputy chair of Russia’s security council and an outspoken provocateur of the West, wrote on Telegram that Germany’s leadership “deserve a direct strike on all German military equipment production facilities ... and quite possibility on several other locations in Berlin as well”.
In an ominous addendum he suggested: “Every terror has sponsors. At the moment, these are the heads of Western countries, primarily European ones. And they often travel to Kyiv by train...”
Airport workers last month found a drone laden with explosives and a detonator at the airport, a Nato logistics hub that is also a base for several Ukrainian Antonov An-124 cargo planes.
Germany blames Moscow for the attack.
Russia denies involvement and has vowed to respond to what its foreign ministry spokesperson called "anti-Russian action".
Russia claims to hit ships supplying weapons for Ukrainian war effort
17:30 , ReutersRussian forces struck two cargo vessels on Wednesday, one in Ukraine's port of Chornomorsk and another in the Black Sea, Russia's Defence Ministry said.
The ministry said the vessels were transporting weapons and ammunition for the Ukrainian military.
It also said Russian forces struck three logistics centres in the Kyiv region and port infrastructure in Odesa. Reuters could not independently verify the ministry's assertions.
On the ground: Russia attacks Kyiv for a seventh consecutive day
17:00 , James ReynoldsRussian drones tore into central Kyiv on Wednesday morning, wounding 11 people and damaging residential and university buildings on the seventh day of nearly round-the-clock attacks that have upended daily life in the city.
The attack on a downtown university took place while students were in class, forcing some 160 to seek shelter, President Volodymyr Zelensky said.
Two people were also killed and eight wounded in Russian strikes on the southeastern city of Dnipro, the regional governor said, where food warehouses and educational buildings were damaged.
It came as Ukraine braces for a new season of Russian strikes on energy infrastructure, amid a critical shortage of US-designed missile interceptors needed to down Moscow's ballistic missiles.
Earlier on Wednesday, Russia struck power facilities in the southern Odesa region with missiles and drones, authorities said, knocking out power to more than 350,000 homes.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said late on Tuesday he had ordered his forces to prepare the new campaign of "massive" strikes.
"Unfortunately, there has been far too little response from the world and its most influential leaders to this latest Russian escalation of strikes," Zelensky wrote on X.
Watch: Putin smirks as he taunts UK over factory attack claims
16:30 , James ReynoldsUkraine is finalising drone deal with Germany, Zelenskiy says
16:00 , James ReynoldsUkraine is finalising a drone deal with Germany, president Volodymyr Zelensky said on Wednesday after a call with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
The agreement — proposed by Ukraine several months ago — is expected to cover the joint development of various types of drones, missiles and related software.
“Our teams are already finalising the text of the drone deal, and this will, among other things, definitely provide both Germany and Ukraine with additional defence capabilities,” Zelensky said on the Telegram app.
The deal will build on existing German-Ukrainian defence cooperation, including a multi-million-euro programme to supply to Kyiv some 15,000 Strila interceptor drones designed to counter Shahed-type attack drones.
Russia vows to fend off disruption to civil aviation after Ukraine's threats
15:30 , James ReynoldsRussia vowed to head off any disruption to civil aviation on Wednesday after Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenksy said that Kyiv’s drones had made Russian airspace dangerous to use.
Zelensky warned airlines and insurance firms on Tuesday that the presence of Ukrainian drones as it responded to Russian attacks meant “the war started by Russia is closing its own skies”. He said he was not targeting civil aviation.
And Ukrainian foreign minister Andrii Sybiha said on Wednesday the country had also officially notified the International Civil Aviation Organization that Russian airspace was not safe.
While European and US carriers do not fly over Russia due to the war that erupted when Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, the airspace is used by other airlines from countries such as China, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and other Gulf states.
"We are working in close contact with the Ministry of Defence and the Russian National Guard. And I believe that we will not allow any significant disruption to civil aviation,” said Russian transport minister Andrei Nikitin.
On Wednesday, Flightradar24 data showed disruptions at Moscow's main airport, while some airlines cancelled flights though they did not specify the reason for doing so.
Germany identifies Russian suspects behind Leipzig airport drone attack, say reports
14:57 , James ReynoldsGerman authorities have identified two suspects in connection with an attempted drone attack on Leipzig airport but will unlikely be able to detain them, according to reports.
The newspaper Sueddeutsche Zeitung , which collaborated on the report with broadcasters NDR and WDR, said that investigations into the two men, one Russian-born Latvian national and one Russian national from Belarus, underpinned allegations by the German government that Russia was behind the incident.
Germany identifies Russian suspects behind Leipzig airport drone attack, say reports
Recap: Zelensky issues warning to airlines over ‘completely unsafe’ Russian airspace
14:30 , James ReynoldsVolodymyr Zelensky has deemed Russian airspace to be “completely unsafe” in a warning to airlines ahead of Ukrainian drone attacks.
The president declared that “the safe days in Russia’s skies are over” in his nightly video address on Tuesday, adding that he did not want innocent lives to be lost.
“Although the Russian authorities are not properly informing people about this, Russian airspace will effectively be closing – the war started by Russia is closing its skies.
“We want to warn every airline that uses Russian airspace, every insurer, and everyone who still uses Russia’s key airports: Russian airspace is becoming completely unsafe,” he said.
Vladimir Putin said the warning sounded like “state terrorism” and Moscow would find a way to respond.
Earlier today, Kyiv revealed its forces have trapped around 2,500 Russian soldiers on a tiny strip of land stretching into the Black Sea.
The latest: Putin issues new threat over Russian attacks on UK sites
14:00 , James ReynoldsVladimir Putin has said it is a "military secret” whether or not Russia is weighing up possible strikes on British military sites, in an ominous new warning over the UK’s support for Ukraine.
The UK last month agreed to provide Ukraine with blueprints for the Scalp weapon, a version of the British Storm Shadow missile, which Britain has already provided to Kyiv and can be used to hit more targets within Russia itself.
Asked how Russia will respond to the decision – and whether he is weighing up possible strikes on UK military sites on British territory – the Russian president said: “That's a secret, a military secret”.
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