CIA director John Ratcliffe warned Russia against an attack on a Nato member, sources familiar with the matter told the Wall Street Journal and Politico.
Earlier this month, the Wall Street Journal reported that US intelligence assessments had indicated that Putin could test Nato’s resolve with a limited assault on an allied country over the coming years.
Several possible scenarios had been posited from cyber-attacks to a small-scale land incursion, according to the report.
President Donald Trump said “something may come out of” Ratcliffe’s visit to Moscow on Tuesday.
Trump said the US is “working very hard” to end the war in Ukraine, calling the CIA chief a “fantastic guy”.
Answering a question on Ratcliffe’s visit to Russia, Trump said that the CIA director made a visit to Russia on a “very semi-routine” basis and “something may come out of it”.
The Kremlin revealed yesterday that CIA director Ratcliffe held talks with Russian intelligence officials during a mysterious visit this week but did not meet president Vladimir Putin.
Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov framed communication between the two countries’ intelligence agencies as positive.
Read MoreRussia says UK is ‘playing with fire’ as it threatens military bases
Why did Trump’s CIA director make a mysterious short trip to Moscow?
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Marine’s release from Russian prison reignites calls to free other Americans with health problems
Key Points
- Trump says 'something may come out of' CIA director's Russia visit
- Putin weighs stepping up strikes on Kyiv with talks at dead end
- Explosions rock Kyiv as Russia carries out major attack
- Dozens of ships stuck in Danube for access to Ukrainian ports
- Recap: Burnham warned Russia plotting retaliation against Britain over support for Ukraine
Kremlin promises 'harsh' retaliation against Ukraine for energy attacks
18:45 , Maira ButtThe Kremlin said on Thursday that Russia has no need to escalate in Ukraine as its troops are already advancing there.
It added that Russia’s response to Ukrainian strikes on Russia’s economic and trade infrastructure will be “harsh”, according to TASS.
CIA director warned Russia against Nato attack, say sources
18:15 , Maira ButtCIA director John Ratcliffe warned Russia against an attack on a Nato member, sources familiar with the matter told the Wall Street Journal and Politico.
Earlier this month, the Wall Street Journal reported that US intelligence assessments had indicated that Putin could test Nato’s resolve with a limited assault on an allied country over the coming years.
Several possible scenarios had been posited from cyber-attacks to a small-scale land incursion, according to the report.
President Donald Trump said “something may come out of” Ratcliffe’s visit to Moscow on Tuesday.
Kremlin dismisses US media reports that Russia may attack Nato as 'scare-stories'
17:45 , Maira ButtThe Kremlin has dismissed US media reports that Russia could attack a Nato member state and that the purpose of CIA Director John Ratcliffe's visit to Moscow this week had been to warn Moscow against such a move.
Asked to comment on the reports, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: “A lot of this kind of scare-story material is being published right now. Of course, it has nothing to do with reality and nothing to do with the intentions of the Russian Federation.”
Watch: Trump issues first comment on CIA chief’s mysterious visit to Moscow
17:15 , Maira ButtWhy did Trump’s CIA director make a mysterious short trip to Moscow?
16:45 , Maira ButtThe White House is facing scrutiny after the CIA director made a mysterious visit to Moscow on Tuesday, the first visit by a chief of the intelligence agency in nearly five years.
The US Air Force C-17A Globemaster III flew into Moscow from Latvia before landing at the capital’s Vnukovo International Airport on Tuesday, according to Flightradar24.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said he did not have any information about the visit, while President Donald Trump stayed uncharacteristically silent on the matter.
On Tuesday, US media reported that that CIA director John Ratcliffe was on board the aircraft - but no further details were briefed on the purpose of his visit.
Why did Trump’s CIA director make a mysterious short trip to Moscow?
Mapped: The UK military bases threatened by Russia as Kremlin rages over missiles for Ukraine
16:15 , Maira ButtRussia has threatened to bomb UK military bases in its latest threat over Britain’s support for Ukraine.
Britain has been told to back off on its hostile stance towards Ukraine by Russia’s foreign ministry spokeswoman, Maria Zakharova, who said the UK risked taking the conflict to a new level.
She told the same Moscow news briefing earlier that Britain and France were "playing with fire" by supplying sensitive missile technology to Ukraine.
Mapped: The UK military bases threatened by Russia
Ukraine rejects Russian accusations of involvement in Mali attacks
15:45 , Maira ButtRussian accusations of Ukraine being involved in militant attacks in Mali are fake and not supported by any evidence, Ukraine's foreign ministry said.
"We reject this typical and long-standing lie by Russian officials, which they do not even attempt to back up with any plausible evidence," Heorhii Tykhyi, the ministry's spokesperson, told Reuters.
Watch: Russia threatens to bomb UK military bases over support for Ukraine
15:17 , Maira ButtFull story: Russia threatens to bomb UK military bases over support for Ukraine
14:51 , Maira ButtRussia has warned it could strike British military targets over the UK’s support for Ukraine.
Russia’s foreign ministry spokesperson told the UK to back off on what she called London’s hostile stance on the war, which she said risked taking the conflict to an entirely new level.
Maria Zakharova told the same Moscow news briefing earlier that Britain and France were “playing with fire” by supplying sensitive missile technology to Ukraine.
but the Ministry of Defence has hit back saying Russia “should be in no doubt about the resolve of this government to stand against Russian aggression, in Ukraine and against the UK and our allies.”
Russia threatens to bomb UK military bases over support for Ukraine
In pictures: Aftermath of Russian aerial attack on Kyiv
14:15 , Maira Butt
CIA director did not inform EU of visit
13:45 , Maira ButtCIA director John Ratcliffe did not tell the European Union about his trip to Russia earlier this week, according to European Commission spokesperson Paula Pinho.
"The CIA director did not inform us about his schedule," she told reporters on Thursday.
Marine’s release from Russian prison reignites calls to free other Americans with health problems
13:15 , Maira ButtThe recent release of Marine veteran Robert Gilman from Russian custody ended more than four years of imprisonment, but his visibly frail condition has raised alarming questions for the families of Americans still detained there.
Watching the news coverage from the United States, Harold Jezler saw Gilman's gaunt appearance and immediately worried about what it meant for his 36-year-old wife, Olga, who has been held in Russia since 2022 while suffering from her own deteriorating health issues.
"You just look at the pictures and the guy is not in good shape. It’s concerning for me and for all the families, I would imagine," Jezler said in an interview with The Associated Press. "Is this what it takes for the government to really make a move and prioritize this — that the person is basically in dire straits? It was a very bittersweet thing to see that."
Husband pleads for wife’s release from Russian prison as her health issues worsen
Kremlin says Moscow would go to court to fight any new 'illegal' EU plan to seize its frozen assets
12:45 , Maira ButtThe Kremlin said on Thursday that Russia would go to court to try to stop any new and "illegal" European Union plan to use its frozen sovereign assets to aid Ukraine.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov was responding to a report in the Financial Times which said that some EU states, including Sweden, the Netherlands, Spain and Poland, were urging Brussels to revive efforts to use frozen Russian assets to fund Ukraine
Pentagon's Colby pushes Europe to do more on defence
12:30 , James ReynoldsEurope has made progress in taking over the responsibility for its conventional defence but more needs to be done, US Pentagon policy chief Elbridge Colby told allies in Brussels ahead of talks about potential US troops cuts in Europe.
"Let's look at some of things like access, basing, overflight. Well, there is a lot of good, but there's some things that we need to work out to make sense going forward," Colby said at Nato headquarters, adding Europe would remain a critical interest of the US and he had come in a spirit of consultation.
Nato allies worry that a six-month review of troops in Europe, announced in June and due by December, will lead to large-scale cuts to the roughly 80,000 US forces across Europe and punish countries that Donald Trump believes failed to support the war against Iran.
Ukraine's president coos over a puppy, starting a new volley in his war of visuals against Russia
12:15 , Maira ButtWait. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Ukraine's war chief, holding a puppy?
Yes, and it's no accident. In a collision of dog lovers, sports and ongoing war with Russia, the Ukranian president on Tuesday was captured on video as never before — cuddling and cooing over a floppy, three-month-old American pit bull terrier, handed to him by U.S. former boxer Terence Crawford.
The cute and fluffy scene in Zelenskyy's office in Kyiv was the latest volley in a deadly serious battle of visuals that runs in parallel to Ukraine's fight against Russia's brutal four-year invasion.
Crawford, a longtime supporter of Ukraine and a devotee of the American pit bull terrier, came forward and handed a reddish-yellow puppy to Zelenskyy.
Ukraine's president coos over a puppy, starting a new volley in his war of visuals against Russia
Watch: Trump issues first comment on CIA chief’s mysterious visit to Moscow
11:45 , Maira ButtKremlin dismisses US media reports that Russia may attack Nato as 'scare-stories'
11:15 , Maira ButtThe Kremlin has dismissed US media reports that Russia could attack a Nato member state and that the purpose of CIA Director John Ratcliffe's visit to Moscow this week had been to warn Moscow against such a move.
Asked to comment on the reports, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: “A lot of this kind of scare-story material is being published right now. Of course, it has nothing to do with reality and nothing to do with the intentions of the Russian Federation.”
In pictures: Aftermath of Russian attack on Ukraine
10:45 , Maira Butt
Full story: Russia threatens to bomb UK military bases over support for Ukraine
10:25 , Maira ButtRussia has warned it could strike British military targets both inside and outside Ukraine over the UK’s support for Kyiv.
Russia’s foreign ministry spokeswoman told Britain to back off on what she called London's hostile stance on Ukraine, which she said risked taking the conflict to an entirely new level.
She told the same Moscow news briefing earlier that Britain and France were "playing with fire" by supplying sensitive missile technology to Ukraine.
Britain announced on Monday it would allow Kyiv access to classified technology to start its own production of Storm Shadow long-range cruise missiles, capable of carrying out strikes deep within Russia.
Russia threatens to bomb UK military bases over support for Ukraine
Russia threatens to attack British military targets over 'hostile line' on Ukraine
10:04 , Maira ButtRussia has said on Thursday that it could retaliate against London over its help for Kyiv by striking British military targets both inside and outside Ukraine.
The country called on Britain to back off its “hostile line” on Ukraine, which is creating risks of taking the conflict to a new level.
Earlier this week prime minister Andy Burnham doubled down on the UK’s support for Ukraine and in response to Kremlin comments that Britain was “fuelling the fire”, he responded: “Who started the fire?”
Why did Trump’s CIA director make a mysterious short trip to Moscow?
09:55 , Maira ButtThe White House is facing scrutiny after the CIA director made a mysterious visit to Moscow on Tuesday, the first visit by a chief of the intelligence agency in nearly five years.
The US Air Force C-17A Globemaster III flew into Moscow from Latvia before landing at the capital’s Vnukovo International Airport on Tuesday, according to Flightradar24.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said he did not have any information about the visit, while President Donald Trump stayed uncharacteristically silent on the matter.
Why did Trump’s CIA director make a mysterious short trip to Moscow?
Russia's top commander says his troops are 4 kilometres from Ukrainian fortress city of Sloviansk
09:30 , Maira ButtRussia's top military officer Valery Gerasimov has said that his forces are just four kilometres (2.49 miles) from the eastern outskirts of the Ukrainian fortress city of Sloviansk.
The chief of Russia's General Staff, made the comments in a video released by the Defence Ministry on Thursday.
President Vladimir Putin has made clear Moscow wants to control the fortress.
The Independent could not immediately verify the claim.
Russia launches missiles and drones at Ukraine, authorities say
09:10 , Maira ButtRussia has launched an overnight barrage of missiles and drones at Ukraine’s capital Kyiv and other cities in an overnight attack on Thursday, Ukrainian authorities said.
Ukraine's air force said the barrage included two Oniks anti-ship cruise missiles, 258 drones, and an unspecified number of ballistic missiles.
The air force said that nearly 90 per cent of the drones were downed, as well as one Oniks and seven ballistic missiles.
CIA director warned Russia against Nato attack, say sources
08:45 , Maira ButtCIA director John Ratcliffe warned Russia against an attack on a Nato member, sources familiar with the matter told the Wall Street Journal and Politico.
Earlier this month, the Wall Street Journal reported that US intelligence assessments had indicated that Putin could test Nato’s resolve with a limited assault on an allied country over the coming years.
Several possible scenarios had been posited from cyber-attacks to a small-scale land incursion, according to the report.
President Donald Trump said “something may come out of” Ratcliffe’s visit to Moscow on Tuesday.
Kremlin promises 'harsh' retaliation against Ukraine for energy attacks
08:16 , Maira ButtThe Kremlin said on Thursday that Russia has no need to escalate in Ukraine as its troops are already advancing there.
It added that Russia’s response to Ukrainian strikes on Russia’s economic and trade infrastructure will be “harsh”, according to TASS.
Trump says 'something may come out of' CIA director's Russia visit
07:45 , Arpan RaiDonald Trump has said “something may come out of” the CIA director John Ratcliffe’s visit to Moscow on Tuesday.
The US is “working very hard” to end the war in Ukraine, he said.
“We would like to see the Ukraine war end.”
Answering a question on Ratcliffe’s visit to Russia, Trump said that the CIA director made a visit to Russia on a “very semi-routine” basis.
"Something may come out of it," Trump said, calling Ratcliffe a “fantastic guy”.
Russia's Ozon says two logistics hubs were attacked by drones
07:15 , Arpan RaiRussian online retailer Ozon said two of its logistics facilities in Ufa and Orenburg had been attacked by drones.
No fires broke out at either site as a result of the attacks, and the facility in Orenburg has already resumed operations.
Ukraine deploys prominent commanders to lead defence of Donetsk
06:48 , Arpan RaiVolodymyr Zelensky has appointed two of Ukraine's most prominent commanders to oversee the defence of the country's eastern strongholds, as Kyiv struggles to beat back a Russian onslaught on a region at the centre of stalled peace talks.
Visiting the frontline with his new top general, Zelensky said Third Army Corps leader Andrii Biletskyi and Denys Prokopenko, commander of the First Corps Azov, will head new groupings aimed at strengthening defences around Donetsk.
Both men represent a new generation of experienced field commanders and currently lead what are seen as some of Kyiv's most capable and best-trained forces.
Both their corps are already involved in defending that part of the front, and the commanders have been praised for their combat efficiency and planning.
EU states revive plan to use frozen Russian assets for Ukraine, FT reports
06:10 , Arpan RaiEU countries, including Sweden, the Netherlands, Spain and Poland, are urging Brussels to revive efforts to use immobilised Russian sovereign assets to fund Ukraine, the Financial Times reported today.
A letter from a coalition of states to the European Commission will call on the EU's executive to restart work on plans to fund Ukraine using Russian central bank assets, the FT reported, citing four people briefed on the document.
Watch: US military transport plane lands in Moscow with no explanation from Kremlin or Trump
05:48 , Arpan RaiPutin weighs stepping up strikes on Kyiv with talks at dead end
05:18 , Arpan RaiRussia is considering stepping up its ballistic missile strikes on Kyiv, including targets in the city centre, and on critical infrastructure elsewhere in Ukraine after concluding that efforts to negotiate a peace deal have reached a dead end, said three people close to the Kremlin.
Speaking to Bloomberg, they said negotiation frameworks had effectively collapsed, while president Vladimir Putin remained unlikely to end the war in response to sanctions or Ukrainian strikes on Russian refineries and logistics networks.
Dozens of ships stuck in Danube for access to Ukrainian ports, threatening grain price spike
04:55 , Arpan RaiUp to 70 vessels are waiting near the Danube's Sulina Canal for access to Ukrainian ports to load grain for export, traders and analysts said on Wednesday, with a shortage of pilots and priority given to other cargoes creating long delays.
After Russian attacks effectively blocked Ukraine's Black Sea ports, which had handled 90 per cent of the country's grain exports, some shipments were rerouted through Danube river ports, which have much lower capacity.
Grain cargoes are competing for access with higher-priority shipments such as fuel, slowing exports. Frequent air raid alerts, which force the suspension of all port operations, have added to the disruption.
Ukraine is one of the world's biggest grain exporters and disruptions to its shipments can drive up global prices.
US senator hopes 'sledgehammer' Russian sanctions will pass next month
04:31 , Arpan RaiA US senator sponsoring a bill for wide-ranging sanctions on Russia said on Wednesday he was hopeful it would pass the House of Representatives next month, and be a "sledgehammer" to president Vladimir Putin's efforts to fund his war in Ukraine.
Senator Richard Blumenthal, a Democrat from Connecticut who met with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky and senior officials during a visit to Kyiv, said the bill had strong Republican support in the House, after comfortably passing an initial Senate vote last month.
“Putin understands only force,” Blumenthal told a news conference. “And the Russia sanctions bill is a sledgehammer that can have the kind of force Putin understands.”
Though Democrats are broadly supportive of the sanctions, some have expressed concern that it would give Republican president Donald Trump leeway to impose additional tariffs, including on US allies.
Falling debris damages vessel in Ukraine's port of Reni
04:14 , Arpan RaiA civilian vessel was damaged overnight at the Danube River port of Reni near Ukraine's Izmail, local Ukrainian authorities said this morning.
The vessel was damaged due to falling debris likely from an intercepted drone.
It is not immediately clear if the incident caused any casualties.
Reni sits close to Ukraine's borders with Romania and Moldova.
Explosions rock Kyiv as Russia carries out major attack
03:56 , Arpan RaiExplosions were heard in Ukraine’s capital Kyiv, a Reuters witness said, as Russia was hitting Ukraine with drones and missiles in the early hours today.
Kyiv authorities, who earlier issued a drone attack alert, said on Telegram that debris had fallen in the courtyard of a residential building and damage was being clarified.
Ukraine's Armed Forces separately issued a ballistic missile alert for Kyiv.
In Kryvyi Rih, a steel-and-mining hub in central Ukraine and president Volodymyr Zelensky's hometown, two were injured as missiles hit an industrial facility and three more were wounded in Zaporizhzhia, officials said.
Husband pleads for wife’s release from Russia as health issues worsen
03:00 , James ReynoldsThe recent release of Marine veteran Robert Gilman from Russian custody ended more than four years of imprisonment, but his visibly frail condition has raised alarming questions for the families of Americans still detained there.
Watching the news coverage from the United States, Harold Jezler saw Gilman's gaunt appearance and immediately worried about what it meant for his 36-year-old wife, Olga, who has been held in Russia since 2022 while suffering from her own deteriorating health issues.
Although Gilman’s freedom follows a series of prisoner releases over recent years, numerous Americans remain incarcerated in Russia. Relatives and advocates report that several suffer from unaddressed or inadequately treated medical conditions, escalating the urgency of diplomatic efforts to secure their freedom.
Read the full story:
Husband pleads for wife’s release from Russian prison as her health issues worsen
Russia's Putin and Syria's Sharaa discussed deepening ties, Kremlin says
02:00 , James ReynoldsRussian president Vladimir Putin and Syrian president Ahmed al- Sharaa on Wednesday spoke by phone and discussed deepening political dialogue and cooperation in trade and other areas, the Kremlin said.
It said in a statement that the two leaders had noted the importance of an August 9 memorandum of understanding to settle the future of Russia's bases at Tartus and Hmeimim after 18 months of negotiations.
Recap: Burnham warned Russia plotting retaliation against Britain over support for Ukraine - report
01:00 , James ReynoldsAndy Burnham was reportedly warned that Russia is plotting retaliation against Britain for its continued support for Ukraine.
Security experts were said to have told the prime minister to be ready for a ‘direct response’, according to the Daily Mail.
Mr Burnham travelled to Kyiv on Monday for his first overseas trip since taking office last month and said London and Paris would provide long-range missile technology to Ukraine.
A unnamed senior security source told the Mail: “An attack on the UK’s defence and security infrastructure is inevitable, based on our high profile support for Ukraine.
“Ourselves and the French are front and centre, and Burnham's visit to Kyiv and his forthright stance will have been noticed at the Kremlin,” they assessed.
“There had been some optimism in Moscow that he would be softer than Starmer on Ukraine. That was not the case.”
US extends Russia-related license on diamond imports
Thursday 27 August 2026 00:00 , ReutersThe US on Wednesday extended a Russia-related general license authorizing transactions related to imports of certain diamonds for another year, despite US sanctions on Moscow.
The license, which was due to expire September 1, was extended to September 1, 2027.
Why did Trump’s CIA director make a mysterious short trip to Moscow?
Wednesday 26 August 2026 23:00 , James ReynoldsThe White House is facing scrutiny after the CIA director made a mysterious visit to Moscow on Tuesday, the first visit by a chief of the intelligence agency in nearly five years.
The US Air Force C-17A Globemaster III flew into Moscow from Latvia before landing at the capital’s Vnukovo International Airport on Tuesday, according to Flightradar24.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said he did not have any information about the visit, while President Donald Trump stayed uncharacteristically silent on the matter.
Why did Trump’s CIA director make a mysterious short trip to Moscow?
Zelensky appoints top commanders to defend vital positions in the east
Wednesday 26 August 2026 22:00 , James ReynoldsPresident Volodymyr Zelensky has appointed two of Ukraine's most prominent commanders to oversee the defence of the country's eastern strongholds, as Kyiv struggles to beat back a Russian onslaught on a region at the centre of stalled peace talks.
Moscow's troops are grinding towards the so-called fortress belt of industrialised cities in the Donetsk region, which the Kremlin has demanded that Ukraine give up before it ends its war.
Visiting the front line with his new top general, Zelensky said Third Army Corps leader Andrii Biletskyi and Denys Prokopenko, commander of the First Corps Azov, will head new groupings aimed at strengthening defences around Donetsk.
Both men represent a new generation of experienced field commanders and currently lead what are seen as some of Kyiv's most capable and best-trained forces. Both their corps are already involved in defending that part of the front, and the commanders have been praised for their combat efficiency and planning.
A security meeting on the frontline situation and defensive operations in key sectors. The meeting was attended by Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Mykhailo Drapatyi, Commander of the Airborne Forces Oleh Apostol, Commander of the Unmanned Systems Forces Robert… pic.twitter.com/UGmzoujr66
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) August 26, 2026
Catch up: Kremlin finally speaks out on CIA director’s mysterious visit to Moscow
Wednesday 26 August 2026 21:00 , James ReynoldsThe Kremlin revealed on Wednesday that CIA director John Ratcliffe held talks with Russian intelligence officials during a mysterious visit this week but did not meet president Vladimir Putin.
Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov framed communication between the two countries’ intelligence agencies as a positive without going into detail on what was discussed.
“All I can tell you is that there have been contacts via the security services,” he said, adding: “These contacts often continue even during the most difficult periods in bilateral relations. Our president, incidentally, has spoken about this.
“However, it is still too early to say to what extent this will, overall, help to steer our bilateral relations out of the profound crisis in which they currently find themselves,” he said.
Ratcliffe’s visit is the first known trip to Moscow by a US spy chief since his predecessor, William Burns, held talks with Vladimir Putin in November 2021, before the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
A women's shelter for refugees in Poland fights for survival as anti-Ukrainian sentiment rises
Wednesday 26 August 2026 20:00 , James ReynoldsWhen Nastya Podorozhnya's relatives fled the war in Ukraine for neighboring Poland, volunteers welcomed them with open arms.
Podorozhnya, 29, was already living in Poland when the war began. But days before Russia’s full-scale invasion on Feb. 24, 2022, she rushed back to Ukraine to help her sister and nieces get out.
As she returned to Poland alongside an influx of refugees in the war’s first days, she witnessed the outpouring of support from Polish volunteers. But she also spotted a risk: Ukrainian women accepting help from strangers could become vulnerable to human traffickers.
Read the full story:
A women's shelter for refugees in Poland fights for survival as anti-Ukrainian sentiment rises
From food shortages to blackouts and cyberattacks, we’ve been stock-piling all year for what could come next
Wednesday 26 August 2026 19:00 , James ReynoldsAs the government prepares to tell households to stock up on tinned food and bottled water to prepare for attacks from hostile states or extreme weather, Radhika Sanghani talks to experts who say every household should be ready to survive for two weeks
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From food shortages to cyberattacks, we’ve been ‘soft-prepping’ all year
Fire destroys drone-hit Wildberries warehouse in Russia's Tambov region, governor says
Wednesday 26 August 2026 18:00 , ReutersA drone attack caused a massive fire that destroyed a warehouse run by Russian e-commerce giant Wildberries, officials said early on Wednesday, as Ukraine pushes ahead with its campaign to hurt Moscow's economy by targeting online retailers.
Two people were wounded in the overnight strike in Russia's Tambov region, its governor Evgeniy Pervyshov wrote on the MAX messaging app.
The logistics centre was "completely destroyed by fire," he said. Earlier he said about 100,000 square metres (1.1 million square feet) of the facility was burning, the equivalent of 14 soccer pitches.
Ukraine has been hitting Wildberries facilities since mid-July and broadened its strategy in recent days to include the retailer's main rival, Ozon.
More than 20 Wildberries and Ozon warehouses have been attacked with at least 1.9 million square metres of warehouse space severely damaged by fire, according to Reuters analysis of satellite imagery.
Dozens of ships stuck in Danube for access to Ukrainian ports, threatening grain price spike
Wednesday 26 August 2026 17:00 , James ReynoldsUp to 70 vessels are waiting near the Danube's Sulina Canal for access to Ukrainian ports to load grain for export, traders and analysts said on Wednesday, with a shortage of pilots and priority given to other cargoes creating long delays.
After Russian attacks effectively blocked Ukraine's Black Sea ports, which had handled 90% of the country's grain exports, some shipments were rerouted through Danube river ports, which have much lower capacity.
Grain cargoes are competing for access with higher-priority shipments such as fuel, slowing exports. Frequent air raid alerts, which force the suspension of all port operations, have added to the disruption.
Ukraine is one of the world's biggest grain exporters and disruptions to its shipments can drive up global prices.
Ukraine’s corruption problem explained as Zelensky fires another ally
Wednesday 26 August 2026 16:30 , James ReynoldsUkraine’s corruption crisis continues to deepen, with President Volodymyr Zelensky forced to fire one of his most senior officials after they were suspected of money-laundering.
Iryna Mudra was sacked last Wednesday, a day after recently-fired defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov put further pressure on the Ukrainian leader by calling for national elections.
While Kyiv has seized the initiative in its war with Russia with an ongoing long-range drone strike campaign, Zelensky continues to be beset by domestic political challenges.
Read the full story:
Ukraine’s growing corruption crisis explained as Zelensky fires another top ally
From food shortages to blackouts and cyberattacks, we’ve been stock-piling all year for what could come next
Wednesday 26 August 2026 16:00 , James ReynoldsAs the government prepares to tell households to stock up on tinned food and bottled water to prepare for attacks from hostile states or extreme weather, Radhika Sanghani talks to experts who say every household should be ready to survive for two weeks
From food shortages to cyberattacks, we’ve been ‘soft-prepping’ all year
