Russia will pose a major threat to Nato even after the war ends in Ukraine, Finland’s defence minister Antti Hakkanen has warned.
Finland has seen a new build-up of Russian forces as the state consumes military resources at a rapid pace and becomes increasingly reliant on China, he added on Wednesday.
It comes as Poland’s foreign minister Radoslaw Sikorski said that Europe should be on alert for Russia to strike deep into the region.
The Polish deputy leader warned that failing to build defences such as a “drone wall” on Europe’s eastern flank would be “irresponsible”.
Speaking on a visit to parliament in London, where he unveiled a Shahed Iranian drone downed in Ukraine, he said: "We should be prepared to counter that, and so I think not to build anti-drone and drone capacity these days would be irresponsible," he said.
Russia could "reach, unfortunately, deep into Europe", he added.
Earlier this week Donald Trump warned Russia that the war must end because it is not making the country look good.
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Key Points
- UK jets to keep flying over Poland until year end
- Poland warns of Russia's deep strike into Europe
- Trump again says he is disappointed in Putin and asks him to 'settle the war'
- UK sends more than 85,000 drones to Kyiv in six months
- Zelensky strips Odesa mayor of Ukrainian citizenship
- Sam Kiley: Zelensky is buying into Trump’s Gaza delusion – so he can repeat the trick with Ukraine
UK sends 85,000 drones to Ukraine
08:57
,
Maira Butt
The UK has delivered more than 85,000 military drones to Ukraine over the last six months, defence secretary John Healey is expected to announced on Wednesday.
At least £600m has been invested to accelerate drone delivery for Kyiv, Mr Healey will tell the Ukraine Defence Contact Group in Brussels.
US expects Nato to invest more into arms initiative for Ukraine
08:51
,
Maira Butt
The United States expects Nato countries to invest more into the Prioritised Ukraine Requirements List (PURL), an arms initiative for Ukraine, American Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Wednesday.
He told reporters that the US expects its partners to increase military capabilities and firepower.
Russia launches major attacks on Ukraine gas facilities overnight, says Naftogaz
08:21
,
Maira Butt
Ukraine’s largest national oil and gas company has accused Russia of targeting its production facilities overnight.
Naftogaz said Russia had struck its thermal power plant and production facilities overnight.
The company said Russia has launched three major attacks on its gas infrastructure over the last seven days, including in its eastern Kharkiv region and gas infrastructure in Sumy and Chernihiv.
Nato pushes for more weapons for Ukraine amid fading support and rising airspace tensions
08:00
,
Arpan Rai
Nato defense ministers will meet on Wednesday to try to drum up more military support for Ukraine amid a sharp drop in deliveries of weapons and ammunition to the war-ravaged country in recent months.
The ministers will also debate a call from Nato’s commander to lift restrictions on the use of their aircraft and other equipment so they can be used to defend the alliance’s eastern border with Russia, Belarus and Ukraine more effectively.
A series of mysterious drone incidents and airspace violations by Russian war planes has fueled concerns that President Vladimir Putin might be testing Nato’s defensive reflexes. Some leaders have accused him of waging a hybrid war in Europe. Moscow denies probing Nato’s defenses.
Putin’s top ally warns if Trump gives missiles to Ukraine it could lead to ‘nuclear war’
07:45
,
Arpan Rai
Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko, a loyal ally of Russia’s Vladimir Putin, has warned President Donald Trump that the U.S. handing subsonic Tomahawk cruise missiles to Ukraine would mean “nuclear war.”
Trump is reportedly considering a request by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for the Tomahawks, which have a 1,500-mile range that would enable Kyiv to strike much deeper into Russian territory, hitting strategic targets such as the invader’s enemy infrastructure, military bases, and munitions factories.
Zelensky has argued that ramping up the arms available to his country would increase the pressure on the Kremlin to agree to a peace deal.
Ukrainian PM discusses attacks on energy in US talks
07:30
,
Arpan Rai
Ukraine's prime minister said she was focusing on Russian attacks on her country's energy grid in talks in Washington ahead of a visit later this week by president Volodymyr Zelensky.
"At every meeting in Washington we raise the topic of defending Ukrainian energy and supporting our resilience over the winter and ways to defend it," prime minister Yulia Svyrydenko said.
She described the priorities of her visit as "energy, sanctions and the development of cooperation with the USA in new ways that can strengthen both our countries".
Zelensky meets US president Donald Trump on Friday to discuss Ukraine's air defence and long-range strike capabilities. The leaders spoke twice last weekend amid intensifying discussions about the potential provision of long-range Tomahawk missiles to Kyiv.
I'd like to thank U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent for his continued support and constructive discussions.
— Yulia Svyrydenko (@Svyrydenko_Y) October 14, 2025
Our dialogue with American partners is advancing dynamically. The U.S.–Ukraine Reconstruction Investment Fund has begun its operations — an important milestone in… pic.twitter.com/dU12lF4Wvn
Network overload triggers blackouts in Kyiv, other Ukrainian regions
07:15
,
Arpan Rai
A network overload and the residual effects of previous Russian attacks triggered blackouts in Kyiv and other Ukrainian regions late last night, officials said.
Water pressure was also affected in parts of the capital.
The Kyiv City State Administration said the overload had caused a problem in one of the capital's energy sites.
Power was cut in three central Kyiv districts on the west bank of the Dnipro River running through the city. The Kyiv metro was temporarily forced to rely on reserve power to keep operating. The administration later said emergency crews had restored power to affected areas, though outages were still being reported. It said water pressure would be restored to normal levels within two to three hours.
Ukrenergo, which operates Ukraine's high-voltage lines, said lingering problems from Russian attacks on the energy system had triggered outages in regions across northern, central and southeastern Ukraine.
Analysis: Trump does not have leverage with Russia that he had with Israel-Hamas
07:00
,
Arpan Rai
Hot on the heels of a major diplomatic victory in Gaza that saw the remaining Israeli hostages released by Hamas, president Donald Trump is looking to repeat his success in a far more challenging arena: The nearly four-year-old Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Trump, who has said he thought this conflict would be the “easiest” to settle, is set to host Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House on Friday in what could be a pivotal visit for Zelensky, who is openly seeking access to more advanced American weaponry that would let his armed forces strike targets deep inside Russia.
While Trump was able to leverage America’s relationship with Netanyahu’s government to force the Israeli leader to accept a settlement over the objections of several members of his right-wing coalition, the president doesn’t have the same pressure points to work with Putin.
UK jets to keep flying over Poland until year end
06:59
,
Shweta Sharma
Britain's defence secretary John Healy said on Wednesday his country's jets will keep flying over Poland until the end of this year as the British commitment to the Eastern sentry mission is extended.
"We are also ramping up our drone production for Ukraine," he told reporters before attending a meeting of Nato defence ministers in Brussels.
In photos: Poland's deputy PM observes downed Shahed drone in London
06:45
,
Arpan Rai
UK sends more than 85,000 drones to Kyiv in six months
06:30
,
Arpan Rai
The UK has delivered more than 85,000 military drones to Ukraine over the past six months, the defence secretary is to announce, amid a surge in Russian attack drone strikes.
John Healey will say that £600m has been put towards drones for Kyiv's armed forces.
The drones - including tens of thousands of short-range first-person-view models - are being used for reconnaissance, precision strikes and to disrupt Russian operations behind the front lines.
He will tell the Ukraine Defence Contact Group in Brussels tomorrow that Western countries need to "ramp up drone production to outmatch (Vladimir) Putin's escalation".
Western officials said that in September, Russia launched around 5,500 one-way attack drones into Ukraine - a significant increase from 4,100 in August.
In October so far, more than 2,400 have already been launched, with attacks focused on Ukrainian gas storage and production facilities.
Nato chief mocks ‘broken’ Russian submarine as it resurfaces off English Channel
06:28
,
Arpan Rai
Nato chief Mark Rutte has mocked one of Russia’s submarines for “limping home from patrol”, claiming the vessel had been forced to surface because of technical problems.
Russia’s Black Sea Fleet denied its diesel-powered submarine Novorossiysk had suffered a serious malfunction, after it surfaced in French waters on the weekend and was escorted by Dutch authorities through the English Channel.
Mr Rutte’s public ridicule of Moscow’s military capability signals tensions between Europe and Russia continue to escalate in the midst of the war in Ukraine.
In a speech in Slovenia, Mr Rutte dismissed Moscow’s argument that the vessel surfaced because it was complying with navigation rules in the English Channel, as he argued it was broken.
WHO chief says staff came under attack in Ukraine
06:11
,
Arpan Rai
A World Health Organization team came under attack while accompanying a United Nations convoy in Ukraine, but managed to deliver medical supplies to the city of Bilozerka, director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a post on X.
Two World Food Programme trucks were damaged in the incident, Tedros said. He reiterated calls for attacks on humanitarian workers to end.
The @WHOUkraine team came under attack yesterday while on a mission with a @UN convoy. Our staff are safe and still managed to deliver medical supplies to city of Bilozerka. Two @WFP trucks were damaged.
— Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (@DrTedros) October 15, 2025
We cannot repeat loudly and often enough that humanitarians are… https://t.co/886uqliWzU
Ukraine order mass evacuations from around devastated Kupiansk
05:59
,
Arpan Rai
Local authorities in Ukraine ordered the evacuation of families from dozens of villages near the all-but-destroyed northeastern city of Kupiansk, citing the "worsening security situation", in a region that has faced heavy Russian attacks.
Oleh Syniehubov, governor of northeastern Kharkiv region, wrote on Telegram that a total of 409 families with 601 children were told to leave 27 localities.
Another official in the affected area later told public broadcaster Suspilne that the list of localities to be evacuated by families had been expanded to 40.
For months, Russian forces have been attacking and advancing on the city of Kupiansk, seen as a key target in their push westward through central and eastern Ukraine in the more than three-and-a-half-year-old war.
The town was initially seized by Russian forces in the early weeks of the February 2022 invasion of Ukraine, but Kyiv's forces recaptured it later that year.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky last week said Ukrainian forces were defending key frontline areas, including Kupiansk. He has also in recent days spoken of a Ukrainian counter offensive near the town of Dobropillia further south.
Chinese airlines oppose Trump plan to stop flying over Russia on US routes
05:47
,
Arpan Rai
Major Chinese airlines have urged the Trump administration to abandon a plan to bar them from flying over Russia on US flights, saying it would increase flight times, raise air fares and could disrupt some routes.
China Eastern, one of six Chinese airlines that sent letters, said in a filing with USDOT that the move could extend the flight time on some of its most important routes by two to three hours, significantly increase risks of missed connections and boost fuel consumption.
Air China and China Southern said the decision would adversely affect a substantial number of passengers in the United States and China.
China Southern projected at least 2,800 passengers scheduled to travel during the peak holiday season of 1 November to 31 December would need to be rebooked "jeopardizing their travel plans."
Separately United Airlines urged the Trump administration to extend the prohibition to Cathay Pacific, which flies over Russia on flights to the United States from Hong Kong and other Hong Kong-based carriers.
Last week the US Transportation Department proposed banning Chinese airlines from flying over Russia on routes to and from the United States, saying the reduced flight time puts American carriers at a disadvantage.
Why flattering Trump on Gaza is Zelensky’s new weapon against Russia
05:34
,
Arpan Rai
The worldwide delusion that Donald Trump’s bizarre approach to diplomacy has delivered a ceasefire – or even “peace” – in Gaza is being enthusiastically embraced by Ukraine’s president as he prepares for a White House meeting this week.
It suits Volodymyr Zelensky to join the chorus of world leaders praising Trump for having pushed Benjamin Netanyahu to agree to a ceasefire rather than point out the truth, which is that the Israeli prime minister had no further need of war.
In Trump’s words to the Knesset, Netanyahu had “won” in Gaza.
Trump again says he is disappointed in Putin
05:12
,
Arpan Rai
US president Donald Trump has again criticised Russian president Vladimir Putin during comments to reporters at the White House yesterday, saying the Russian leader is simply unwilling to end his war in Ukraine.
"Look, I'm very disappointed because Vladimir and I had a very good relationship, probably still do," Trump said.
"He's gotta really settle this war. And you know they have long lines waiting for gasoline in Russia right now... And all of the sudden his economy is going to collapse."
Watch: Zelensky confirms meeting with Trump in Washington
05:08
,
Arpan Rai
Poland warns of Russia's deep strike into Europe
04:50
,
Arpan Rai
Europe should prepare for Russia to strike deep into the region, Poland’s foreign minister Radoslaw Sikorski has warned.
The Polish leader was unveiling an Iranian Shahed-136 drone downed in Ukraine as he warned that not building defences like a “drone wall” on Europe’s eastern flank would be “irresponsible”.
"We should be prepared to counter that, and so I think not to build anti-drone and drone capacity these days would be irresponsible," he said on countering future incursions, standing next to the Iranian drone in the house of the British parliament's speaker.
Russia could "reach, unfortunately, deep into Europe", he said.
Sikorski, a long-time and strident critic of Putin, urged Europe to also plan to support Ukraine for three more years, a timeframe, he said, Kyiv was also planning for.
"The Ukrainians are planning this war for three years, which is prudent," he said. "And we need to convince Putin that we are ready to stay the course for at least those three years."
Zelensky strips Odesa mayor of Ukrainian citizenship
02:00
,
Daniel Keane
Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky has revoked the Ukrainian citizenship of the mayor of Odesa, Hennadiy Trukhanov, due to allegations that he is also a Russian citizen.
Trukhanov denied that he was also a Russian citizen and said he would take his case to court.
Ukrainian law prohibits citizens from also holding Russian citizenship.
Ukraine's SBU security service said the decision to strip Trukhanov's citizenship had been made thanks to evidence it had provided that Trukhanov had a valid Russian passport.
It posted a picture on Telegram appearing to show a photocopied Russian passport page bearing Trukhanov's name and face.
Sam Kiley: Zelensky is buying into Trump’s Gaza delusion – so he can repeat the trick with Ukraine
01:00
,
Daniel Keane
Sikorski says Europe should prepare for 'deep' Russian strike
Wednesday 15 October 2025 00:01
,
Daniel Keane
Poland’s Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski has warned that Europe must be prepared for Russia to strike deep into the region.
Speaking in London, he said it would be "irresponsible" not to build defences such as a "drone wall" on its eastern flank.
Asked about the possibility of expanding an initiative for a "drone wall" to counter future incursions, Sikorski told Reuters that Russia could "reach, unfortunately, deep into Europe".
"We should be prepared to counter that, and so I think not to build anti-drone and drone capacity these days would be irresponsible," he said, standing next to the Iranian drone in the house of the British parliament's speaker.
Pictured: Poland's deputy PM observes downed Shahed drone in London
Tuesday 14 October 2025 23:00
,
Daniel Keane
UK sends more than 85,000 drones to Kyiv in six months
Tuesday 14 October 2025 22:30
,
Jane Dalton
The UK has delivered more than 85,000 military drones to Ukraine over the past six months, the defence secretary is to announce, amid a surge in Russian attack drone strikes.
John Healey will say that £600m has been put towards drones for Kyiv's armed forces.
The drones - including tens of thousands of short-range first-person-view models - are being used for reconnaissance, precision strikes and to disrupt Russian operations behind the front lines.
He will tell the Ukraine Defence Contact Group in Brussels tomorrow that Western countries need to "ramp up drone production to outmatch (Vladimir) Putin's escalation".
Western officials said that in September, Russia launched around 5,500 one-way attack drones into Ukraine - a significant increase from 4,100 in August.
In October so far, more than 2,400 have already been launched, with attacks focused on Ukrainian gas storage and production facilities.
Georgian rights groups condemn proposal to punish protesters
Tuesday 14 October 2025 22:00
,
Daniel Keane
A group of non-profit groups in Georgia has condemned a series of amendments proposed by the government that would strengthen punishment for protesters and effectively ban some opposition figures from running for political office.
The ruling Georgian Dream party announced a slate of amendments on Monday to strip "persons associated with a political party violating constitutional principles" of the right to run as candidates in parliamentary elections and to bar them from holding higher office, among other restrictions.
The proposals come as Georgian Dream, in power since 2012, clamps down on opposition figures it accuses of trying to overthrow the government at large rallies earlier this month that culminated in clashes between police and demonstrators.
Relations with the West have soured under Georgian Dream, though the party rejects accusations that it is pro-Russian and says it wants to eventually join the EU while retaining what it calls Georgia's traditional values.
EU Commission approves expansion of 'drone wall'
Tuesday 14 October 2025 21:00
,
Daniel Keane
The European Commission has proposed expanding an initiative for a “drone wall” on its eastern flank to protect the continent.
Sources told Reuters that the proposal for a broader “European Drone Defence Initiative” would be included in a “defence readiness roadmap” to be presented on Thursday at the European Commission.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen suggested the idea after Russian drone incursions into Poland and Denmark last month.
Commission officials said the idea was to counter future incursions by building a network of sensors, electronic jamming systems and weapons, from the Baltic states to the Black Sea.
Analysis: Trump does not have leverage with Russia that he had with Israel-Hamas
Tuesday 14 October 2025 20:20
,
Jane Dalton
UN says humanitarian convoy hit by Russian drones
Tuesday 14 October 2025 20:00
,
Daniel Keane
The United Nations (UN) has said that one of its humanitarian convoys was hit by Russian drones while delivering aid to a front-line area in southern Ukraine.
Matthias Schmale, the UN’s Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Ukraine, condemned the attack, saying that two World Food Programme trucks were hit and damaged by drones.
He said these strikes were a severe breach of international law and possible war crime.
Trump warns Putin war not making Russia look good
Tuesday 14 October 2025 19:53
,
Jane Dalton
US president Donald Trump says the continued war is not making Russia look good.
He said: "I had a very good relationship with Vladimir Putin, but he just doesn't want to end that war, and I think it's making them look very bad.
“He could end it... he could end it quickly.”
He also praised Ukraine’s long efforts to fight back against Russia.
“And I have to tell you I give credit, because who would think that Ukraine could have fought Russia for four years, to essentially a standstill."
Russia will be able to deploy nearly two million reservists under amendment to law
Tuesday 14 October 2025 19:00
,
Daniel Keane
Russia says it will be able to deploy around two million military reservists to fight in Ukraine if needed, under amendments to the law likely to be backed by parliament.
The amendment would allow reservists to be called up during peacetime, rather than only during martial law or when war has been declared.
Russia claims that its invasion of Ukraine is a “special military operation”, rather than a full-scale war.
But the amendment could allow Moscow to avoid another round of mobilisation, which would prove unpopular with the public.
Moldova's ruling party to nominate new PM
Tuesday 14 October 2025 18:00
,
Daniel Keane
Moldova's pro-European ruling party will nominate financier Alexandru Munteanu to be the country's new prime minister, the head of the party, Igor Grosu has said.
Munteanu, an economist who also founded an investment firm, has not previously held political office.
It comes after President Maia Sandu's Party of Action and Solidarity (PAS) clinched a majority in parliament following the 28 September election.
She will appoint a new government in coming weeks tasked with taking former Soviet republic Moldova further out of Russia's orbit.
The Kremlin had been accused of interference by attempting sway the vote behind pro-Russia party led by former Moldovan president Igor Dodon.
Who is Mikhail Khodorkovsky?
Tuesday 14 October 2025 17:00
,
Daniel Keane
Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) has said it has opened a criminal case against exiled businessman Mikhail Khodorkovsky and other prominent Kremlin critics.
The oil company boss who was once Russia's richest man, served 10 years in a Siberian prison on fraud charges that he and many Western countries said were politically motivated, before being pardoned in 2013 and leaving Russia.
Since 2022 he has positioned himself as a leading figure among Russian exiles opposed to Putin. Shortly after the war's outbreak, he was designated a "foreign agent" by Russia.
Khodorkovsky, who is now based in London, said the latest accusations were a "black mark" from the FSB.
"Without a doubt, such a decision increases the level of risk for those who decide for themselves that they are ready to be an alternative to Putin's regime," he said.
Polish minister warns Europe to build 'drone wall' against Putin
Tuesday 14 October 2025 16:38
,
Jane Dalton
Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski has warned Europe must be prepared for Russia to strike deep into the region, calling it irresponsible not to build defences such as a "drone wall" on its eastern flank.
In London to unveil an Iranian Shahed-136 drone downed in Ukraine, Mr Sikorski urged European nations to "stay the course" in their support of Ukraine, saying he hoped US President Donald Trump would make long-range Tomahawk missiles available to the country.
Mr Sikorski told Reuters Russia could "reach, unfortunately, deep into Europe".
"We should be prepared to counter that, and so I think not to build anti-drone and drone capacity these days would be irresponsible," he said.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has described as "nonsense" the idea that his country would potentially target a Nato member.
Pictured: Rescue workers put out a fire of a hospital damaged by a Russian strike in Kharkiv
Tuesday 14 October 2025 16:00
,
Daniel Keane
UN says its humanitarian convoy hit by Russian drones in Ukraine
Tuesday 14 October 2025 15:46
,
Nicole Wootton-Cane
A United Nations humanitarian convoy was hit by Russian drones while delivering aid to a front-line area in southern Ukraine, according to the organisation.
The UN's Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Ukraine said the attack could be a war crime in a post on social media.
OCHA's humanitarian coordinator in Ukraine, Matthias Schmale, condemned the attack, saying that two World Food Programme trucks were hit and damaged by drones, but that nobody was injured.
Schmale added such strikes were a severe breach of international humanitarian law.
Zelensky holds security briefing in apparent swipe at Odesa mayor
Tuesday 14 October 2025 15:04
,
Nicole Wootton-Cane
Zelensky has said he was briefed on the citizenship of “certain individuals” during a security meeting on Tuesday afternoon.
It comes after Reuters news agency reported Gennady Trukhanov, mayor of the Odesa region, had his Ukrainian citizenship revoked after he was found to be a Russian national.
I held a meeting on the security situation in some of our regions – these are matters of principle.
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) October 14, 2025
Head of the Security Service of Ukraine Vasyl Maliuk reported on countering Russian agent networks and collaborators in the frontline and border regions, as well as in the south… pic.twitter.com/MxKyKjPYc9
Zelensky revokes Odesa mayor's citizenship over Russian ties, source says
Tuesday 14 October 2025 14:30
,
Nicole Wootton-Cane
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has reportedly revoked the citizenship of Odesa mayor Hennadiy Trukhanov on Tuesday, a source familiar with the matter said on condition of anonymity, adding that Trukhanov has Russian citizenship.
Trukhanov, who has been the mayor of Ukraine's biggest port city since 2014, has previously denied holding Russian citizenship.
Former Russian president responds to Trump’s Tomahawk threat
Tuesday 14 October 2025 14:00
,
Nicole Wootton-Cane
A former Russian president has responded to Trump’s threats to send long-range missiles to Ukraine.
Dmitry Medvedev said supplying such weapons could end badly for everyone, adding it would threaten ties between Washington and the Kremlin.
Medvedev said it is impossible to distinguish between Tomahawk missiles carrying nuclear warheads and conventional ones after they are launched.
He hinted at a nuclear response on Telegram, writing: "How should Russia respond? Exactly!"
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