Vladimir Putin has arrived in the northern Chinese port city of Tianjin, Chinese and Russian state media reported, for a regional security summit that China hopes can counter Western influence in global affairs.
For the rare four-day visit to Russia's neighbour and largest trading partner, Putin arrived to a red carpet welcome, received on the tarmac by top-ranking city officials, a livestream of the event by Russia's TASS showed.
President Xi Jinping will host about 20 world leaders in Tianjin, also including Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, at the two-day summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, the largest gathering since the group was established in 2001 among six Eurasian nations.
It comes as Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky warned that Kyiv was planning “deep strikes”, a reference to using long-range missiles either to strike Russia or occupied Ukraine.
“We will continue our active operations in exactly the way needed for Ukraine's defence. The forces and resources are prepared. New deep strikes have also been planned,” Zelensky said on X after meeting Ukraine's top general, Oleksandr Syrskyi, without giving further details of the plans.
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Ukraine Russia latest: Key points
- Putin arrives in China for summit
- Zelensky: Deep strikes are planned
- Russian overnight drone attack cuts power to thousands in Odesa
- Trump unsure of arranging Putin-Zelensky summit
- US officials believe Europe prolonging war in Ukraine – report
Watch: China’s Xi Jinping rolls out ‘red carpet’ for Russia’s Vladimir Putin
18:00
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Bryony Gooch
UK secures £10bn deal to supply Norway with warships in face of growing Russian threat
17:00
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Bryony Gooch
Germany's Merz expects Ukraine war to last a long time
16:31
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Tom Watling
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Sunday he was braced for the Ukraine war to last a long time given that wars usually end in military defeat or economic exhaustion, scenarios he does not see on the horizon for either Kyiv or Moscow.
Merz's comments come a day before the expiry of a deadline set by U.S. President Donald Trump for a meeting between the presidents of Russia and Ukraine with a view to paving the way for peace talks. Trump has threatened "consequences" if the meeting does not take place.
Merz and French President Emmanuel Macron have said the fault lies with Russian President Vladimir Putin, and have urged the U.S. to impose tougher sanctions on Moscow.
"I am preparing myself inwardly for this war to last a long time," Merz said in an interview with public broadcaster ZDF.
Efforts are being made through intensive diplomatic initiatives to end the war as quickly as possible, but this cannot be "at the price of Ukraine's capitulation" because Russia would then simply target another country, he said.
"And then the day after tomorrow it will be us," Merz added. "That is not an option."
He refused to be drawn in the interview on the issue of a possible deployment of German troops to Ukraine as part of security guarantees in the event of a peace deal.
Britain and France are spearheading a proposal for a "reassurance force" to deter potential future Russian aggression within that context, but the prospect of Germany joining them has sparked unease in a country scarred by its Nazi past.
The Kremlin said on Sunday that European powers were hindering Trump's peace efforts, and that Russia would continue its operation in Ukraine until Moscow saw real signs that Kyiv was ready for peace.
Ukraine hit by over 500 drones, 45 missiles in overnight Russian attack, Zelenskyy says
16:01
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Tom Watling
Ukraine-Russia buffer zone ‘being considered by European leaders’ to get peace deal with Putin
15:27
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Tom Watling
Inside Putin’s campaign of ‘psychological terror’ in Kyiv: Why Russia keeps bombarding the capital
14:43
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Tom Watling
North Korean leader meets families of soldiers killed in Russia’s war
14:04
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Tom Watling
Covert drone strikes, airport sabotage and nuclear plant fires: All of Ukraine’s boldest attacks on Russia
13:30
,
Tom Watling
Norway selects British-made frigates for its navy, Norwegian government says
13:01
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Tom Watling
The Norwegian navy plans to order a fleet of British-made frigates to boost the country's maritime defense, Norway's government said on Sunday.
Germany, France, Britain and the United States had offered rival frigate designs in competition for what is expected to be NATO-member Norway's largest military procurement to date.
"The frigates are an essential part of our defense because they are key to defend our sovereignty," Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere told a press conference.
British officials, seeking economies of scale for their own navy and to boost Scotland's shipyard industry, had heavily promoted the BAE Systems' frigates, known as the T-26 City-class.
Stoere said the government sought to answer two questions in its selection process.
"Who is our most strategic partner? And who has delivered the best frigates? ... The answer to both is the United Kingdom," he said.
The government's decision means that Norway will now enter final contract negotiations.
It was not immediately clear how many frigates Norway could order from Britain nor did the government provide financial details.
Norway currently operates four frigates.
The Nordic nation of 5.6 million people shares a border with Russia and is ramping up defense spending in light of Moscow's invasion of Ukraine and U.S. President Donald Trump's demand that NATO allies must bolster their own military strength.
Zelensky: Deep strikes are planned
12:38
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Tom Watling
Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky has revealed that “deep strikes” are planned in the near future.
Writing on X after a meeting with military chief Oleksandr Syrskyi, the Ukrianian president wrote: “New deep strikes have also been planned. “
He did not elaborate on whether those strikes would target Russia or occupied Ukraine.
You can read his full statement below.
Report from Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi. First and foremost, about the Pokrovsk direction, where the Russian army is concentrating its greatest efforts and, accordingly, suffering the heaviest losses. Our units continue to carry out their assigned tasks in the Donetsk…
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) August 31, 2025
Belize bulk carrier damaged in blast in Black Sea near Ukraine's Odesa, sources say
12:03
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Tom Watling
A civilian bulk carrier flying the flag of Belize has sustained minor damage after hitting an unknown explosive device near the Ukrainian seaport of Chornomorsk, two sources told Reuters on Sunday.
Chornomorsk is a large and strategically important seaport in Ukraine's southern Odesa region, one of three Ukrainian ports operating in a maritime transport corridor linking the Black Sea to the Mediterranean Sea.
Sources reported that the crew of the NS PRIDE were unharmed and that the ship continued on its way. Local media reported that there was no cargo on board at the time of the explosion.
Earlier on Sunday, Odesa's governor said that Chornomorsk had been subjected to a significant attack by Russian drones overnight, and part of the region was left without electricity due to strikes on energy facilities.
Ukrainian MP murdered in Lviv after massive Russian aerial attack
11:33
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Tom Watling
Russia downed 112 Ukrainian drones in past 24 hours, Interfax says
11:03
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Tom Watling
Russia has downed 112 Ukrainian drones in the past 24 hours and hit port infrastructure in Ukraine used for military purposes, Interfax news agency quoted the Russian defence ministry as saying on Sunday.
Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit could shed light on intentions of member states
10:26
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Tom Watling
Russia fires 142 drones in latest overnight attack
10:01
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Tom Watling
Russia fired 142 drones at targets across Ukraine overnight, the country’s air force has reported.
They said that 126 drones were shot down or brought down with electronic warfare.
Strikes were reported in Odesa.
Putin arrives in China for summit after Moscow launches aerial attacks on Odesa
09:25
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Tom Watling
Russian overnight attack targeted power facilities in Odesa region
08:58
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Tom Watling
Russian overnight attack targeted four power facilities in the southern Ukrainian Odesa region, Ukraine's largest private energy producer DTEK said on Sunday.
Odesa's authorities have said a Russian drone attack overnight damaged a power facility near Odesa, leaving more than 29,000 customers without electricity on Sunday morning.
Russian forces failed to gain full control of any Ukrainian city over summer, Ukraine says
08:29
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Tom Watling
Ukraine's armed forces said on Sunday that despite Moscow's claims of a successful summer offensive, Russian forces failed to gain full control of any major Ukrainian city and "grossly exaggerated" figures regarding captured territories.
The chief of Russia's general staff, Valery Gerasimov, said on Saturday that since March, Russia has captured more than 3,500 square km (1,351 square miles) of territory in Ukraine and taken control of 149 villages.
"Despite Gerasimov's claims, Russian forces have not gained full control over any major city," the General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces said in a statement on social media. "The figures presented by the occupiers regarding captured territories and settlements are grossly exaggerated."
Has Donald Trump lost interest in bringing peace to Ukraine?
08:01
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Arpan Rai
So much for the Ukraine peace process. So much for ending the war there in 24 hours flat, metaphorically or otherwise. So much for Donald Trump’s Nobel Peace Prize. Patience is one of the many virtues President Trump lacks, and so, not quite a whole week on from the “historic” Alaska summit, he has seemingly lost interest in getting the deal of the century brokered.
Instead of bilaterals and trilaterals being organised “almost immediately”, as he boasted a few days ago, Trump has had enough of Vlad and Volod.
In the words of the White House: “President Trump and his national security team continue to engage with Russian and Ukrainian officials towards a bilateral meeting to stop the killing and end the war… It is not in the national interest to further negotiate these issues publicly.”
Russian general claims territorial gains in eastern sector
07:45
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Arpan Rai
Russia has carried out several strikes on Ukraine’s military facilities this spring and summer, its top military official said yesterday as he shared details about the advances of his troops.
Russia has carried out 76 targeted strikes on Ukrainian military-industrial facilities this spring and summer, with a focus on destroying sites where long-range missile systems and drones are produced, General Valery Gerasimov told his deputies in an address published by the defence ministry.
Gerasimov said Moscow was now in control of 99.7 per cent of Ukraine's eastern Luhansk region, 79 per cent of the Donetsk region, 74 per cent of the Zaporizhzhia region, and 76 per cent of the Kherson region.
Since March, Russia has captured more than 3,500 square km of Ukrainian territory and taken control of 149 villages, he said.
Russian forces this month have begun pressing into Ukraine's southeastern Dnipropetrovsk region, open-source maps show.
According to Gerasimov, seven Ukrainian villages in the region are now under Russian control.
Finland will finally remove swastikas from the flag of its air force after ‘awkward situations’
07:32
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Arpan Rai
Finland's air force is phasing out the use of swastikas on some of its flags, a decision largely driven by the awkwardness it creates with its Western allies.
While the swastika is an ancient symbol, its modern association is overwhelmingly with Nazi tyranny and hate groups. However, the Finnish air force began using it many years before the birth of Nazi Germany, making its historical context more nuanced.
Changes have been underway for years; a swastika logo was quietly pulled from the Air Force Command’s unit emblem some time ago. Yet, their continued Nato allies, tourists, and other foreigners who spot them at military events.
Finland, which shares a long border with Russia, joined Nato in April 2023 over concerns related to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Russian overnight drone attack cuts power to thousands in Odesa
07:07
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Arpan Rai
A Russian drone attack overnight damaged a power facility near the southern Ukrainian city of Odesa, leaving more than 29,000 customers without electricity this morning, the region's governor said.
Hardest hit was the city of Chornomorsk, just outside Odesa, where the attack also damaged residential houses and administrative buildings, said Oleh Kiper, the governor of the broader Odesa region, on the Telegram messaging app.
"Critical infrastructure is operating on generators," Kiper said.
One person has been injured as a result of the attack, he added.
There was no comment from Russia, which has been striking Ukraine's critical infrastructure continuously throughout the 42 months of the war that Moscow launched with a full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Inside Putin’s campaign of ‘psychological terror’ in Kyiv
06:51
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Arpan Rai
Less than two weeks after Donald Trump promised an end to the bloodshed in Ukraine, Russia pounded Kyiv with the second-worst aerial assault of the war so far on Thursday, killing at least 23 people and injuring 48.
Residents of the Ukrainian capital, which lies hundreds of miles from the front line, have been forced to adapt to a constant cycle of devastating missile and drone strikes since the beginning of the war in February 2022. The sound of air raid sirens and the retreat to bomb shelters have become a daily reality.
In the past few months, Russia has ramped up strikes on towns and cities in a move experts say is a deliberate attempt to sow fear among civilians and break their morale.
US officials believe Europe prolonging war in Ukraine – report
06:28
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Arpan Rai
Some senior White House officials are under the impression that European leaders are undoing behind-the-scenes progress while supporting US president Donald Trump’s efforts to end the war in Ukraine, Axios reported.
US officials, according to the report, are increasingly impatient with European leaders as they accuse them of pushing Kyiv to wait for a “better deal” with Moscow.
"The Europeans don't get to prolong this war and backdoor unreasonable expectations, while also expecting America to bear the cost," a senior White House official told Axios.
The official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said: “If Europe wants to escalate this war, that will be up to them. But they will be hopelessly snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.”
The US president is now contemplating if he should step back from his bid to achieve a diplomatic truce until one or both sides show greater flexibility, the official said.
"We are going to sit back and watch. Let them fight it out for a while and see what happens."
Watch: Dozens injured and one killed as Russia launches overnight strike on Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia
06:06
,
Arpan Rai
Who is the Ukrainian MP murdered in Lviv
06:03
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Arpan Rai
A former Ukrainian parliamentary speaker and key figure in the country’s pro-European revolution has been shot dead in the western city of Lviv.
The prosecutor general’s office said a gunman had fired several shots at Andriy Parubiy, 54, killing him on the spot. The attacker fled and a manhunt was launched, it said.
Officials gave no immediate indication whether the murder had any direct link to Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Unverified footage appeared to show the moment the attacker, dressed as a delivery driver and wearing a helmet, walked up behind the politician and shot him. Ukrainian media reported that the suspect then fled the scene on an electric bicycle.
Parubiy was a member of parliament, had been parliamentary speaker from April 2016 to August 2019, and was one of the leaders of protests in 2013-14 calling for closer ties with the European Union.
He was also secretary of Ukraine’s National Security and Defence Council from February to August 2014, a period when fighting began in eastern Ukraine and Russia annexed the Crimea peninsula.
Tom Watling reports:
Putin 'duping' world leaders, says Zelensky after massive attacks on Ukraine
05:47
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Arpan Rai
Volodymyr Zelensky has accused Russian president Vladimir Putin of conning world leaders to his side after a massive attack of 582 drones and missiles killed one and wounded dozens.
“There were two large-scale attacks by Russia this week—absolutely brazen actions, through which Russia is demonstrating that without pressure from the world, there will be no end to the war. And these are all clear signals to the United States, to Europe, and to the leaders who these days are in China and will be meeting with Putin,” Zelensky said in his nightly address yesterday.
“Putin is only duping leaders and drawing them into his camp. And he is staving off the threat of sanctions. Nothing else interests him. It is important that together we press Russia into ending this war,” the Ukrainian leader said.
Russia launched a large aerial attack on southern Ukraine yesterday, two days after a rare airstrike on central Kyiv killed 23 and damaged European Union diplomatic offices.
Among other locations hit, the assault overnight into Saturday struck a five-story residential building, killing at least one civilian and wounding 28 people, including children, in the Zaporizhzhia region, governor Ivan Fedorov reported.
There were two large-scale attacks by Russia this week—absolutely brazen actions, through which Russia is demonstrating that without pressure from the world, there will be no end to the war. And these are all clear signals to the United States, to Europe, and to the leaders who… pic.twitter.com/SVPUfNqxMB
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) August 30, 2025
Russia's Putin arrives in China's Tianjin for security summit
05:31
,
Arpan Rai
Russian president Vladimir Putin arrived in the northern Chinese port city of Tianjin today, Chinese and Russian state media reported, for a regional security summit that China hopes can counter Western influence in global affairs.
For the rare four-day visit to Russia's neighbour and largest trading partner, Putin arrived to a red carpet welcome, received on the tarmac by top-ranking city officials, a livestream of the event by Russia's TASS showed.
Ties between China and Russia are at their "best in history", having become the "most stable, mature and strategically significant among major countries", Chinese state broadcaster CCTV said in its report of the arrival.
President Xi Jinping will host about 20 world leaders in Tianjin, also including Indian prime minister Narendra Modi, at the two-day summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, the largest gathering since the group was established in 2001 among six Eurasian nations.
President Putin arrives in China for four-day visit
— Sputnik (@SputnikInt) August 31, 2025
Russian President Vladimir Putin has arrived in Tianjin, where he will take part in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit. https://t.co/iA1IE3TDPm pic.twitter.com/UCslm1OKHS
Tributes pour in for killed Ukrainian MP Andriy Parubiy
05:10
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Arpan Rai
Tributes have poured in from colleagues in Ukrainian parliament and the government, praising Andriy Parubiy's contribution to Ukraine's fight for sovereignty and independence as one of the leaders of what became known as the Euromaidan protests in 2013-14.
Former president Petro Poroshenko said on Telegram that the killing of Parubiy, who was a member of the parliamentary committee on national security, defence and intelligence, was “a shot fired at the heart of Ukraine”.
“Andriy was a great man and a true friend. That is why they take revenge, that is what they are afraid of,” he said, lauding Parubiy's contribution to building out the Ukrainian army.
In a statement on Telegram, foreign minister Andrii Sybiha described Parubiy as “a patriot and statesman who made an enormous contribution to the defence of Ukraine's freedom, independence and sovereignty. He was a man who rightfully belongs in the history books”.
Ukrainian law enforcement provided no information on the killer's identity or motives.
Ukrainian prime minister Yulia Svyrydenko called for a prompt investigation of the murder, calling it “a profound loss” for the country.
“You always remained a patriot of Ukraine and made a great contribution to the formation of our state,” she wrote on X.
Вічна памʼять, Андрію Володимировичу.
— Yulia Svyrydenko (@Svyrydenko_Y) August 30, 2025
Ви завжди залишалися патріотом України і зробили великий внесок у становлення нашої держави.
Мої найщиріші співчуття рідним та близьким.
Це глибока втрата для країни. Маємо якнайшвидше зʼясувати обставини загибелі та покарати усіх винних. pic.twitter.com/7DTnS4ACIt
Trump’s ceasefire deal is dead – and Ukraine should count its blessings
04:59
,
Arpan Rai
Although he is far too proud to admit it, Donald Trump’s quest for peace in Ukraine is over – at least for the time being.
It seems to be slowly dawning on the US president that the man he was honouring with lavish affection only a week ago in Alaska may not be quite as trustworthy and reliable a partner as Trump would like.
The awakening has been a long time coming, and it remains partial. The realisation that Vladimir Putin might be “tapping me along” was raised as early as April, but that didn’t stop Mr Trump indulging his counterpart.
When the first lady apparently suggested that president Putin “talks nice” but then bombs civilians in Ukraine, Trump’s reluctant scepticism notched up a little more. Then he told the BBC he was “not done” with Putin, but was “disappointed”.
Watch: North Korean leader meets families of soldiers killed in Russia’s war
04:47
,
Arpan Rai
North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un met families of soldiers who died fighting for Russia in its war against Ukraine on Friday.
After months of silence, Kim and Russian president Vladimir Putin confirmed in April that North Korea sent troops to fight for Russia.
The two countries have not publicly disclosed the scale of the deployment or casualties suffered by North Korean troops.
Trump unsure of arranging Putin-Zelensky summit
04:29
,
Arpan Rai
Donald Trump has said he believed three-way talks involving Vladimir Putin, Volodymyr Zelensky and himself would still happen but the US president has grown more unsure of the talks taking place.
After his separate meetings with Putin and Zelensky this month, Trump said he was arranging face-to-face talks between the Russian and Ukrainian leaders and then he might meet with the two if necessary.
In an interview with the Daily Caller, a conservative US news site, that was published yesterday, Trump expressed less confidence he will be able to arrange those bilateral talks.
"We got along. You saw it, we've had a good relationship over the years, very good, actually," Trump said of Putin.
"That's why I really thought we would have this done. I would have loved to have had it done."
Ukraine has accepted a US proposal for a ceasefire and a meeting between Putin and Zelensky, but Moscow has raised objections. Trump said last week he would know within two weeks whether Russia was serious about entering negotiations.
Russia claims non-stop offensive on frontline, Ukraine points to own successes
04:06
,
Arpan Rai
Russian forces are waging a non-stop offensive along almost the entire front line in Ukraine and have the "strategic initiative", the chief of Russia's general staff said in an update last evening.
"The combined group of troops continues a non-stop offensive along almost the entire front line," General Valery Gerasimov told his deputies in an address published by the defence ministry. "At present, the strategic initiative lies entirely with Russian forces."
The Russian gains have been denied by Ukraine’s military officials.
Ukrainian military spokesperson for Dnipro group of forces Viktor Trehubov said Russia had committed big troop contingents in Donetsk region, but had failed in recent months to capture key targets, including the cities of Pokrovsk, Toretsk and Chasiv Yar.
"Despite its aggressive actions, despite success at some points in pressuring Ukrainian positions, Russia has scored no quick victories," he told national television.
Russian troops, he said, had been surrounded near Dobropillya, north of Pokrovsk. And Ukrainian forces had recaptured the village of Myrne, near Kupiansk further north -- another area of recent heavy Russian activity.
Trehubov also added that Kyiv's forces had scored front-line successes, keeping Russian troops from seizing targets in Donetsk region and halting further advances into Dnipropetrovsk region. In one area, he said, Kyiv's troops had surrounded Russian units.
Covert drone strikes, airport sabotage and nuclear plant fires: All of Ukraine’s boldest attacks on Russia
03:51
,
Arpan Rai
As Ukrainians gathered to mark Independence Day across the country last Sunday, Russia accused Kyiv of launching dozens of drones at a nuclear power plant in Kursk.
The attack, which sparked a large fire and destroyed parts of the plant’s infrastructure, was one of the most audacious attacks on Russian territory so far this year.
Damage was done to an auxiliary transformer and there was a 50 per cent reduction in a nuclear reactor’s operating capacity, according to Russian authorities.
Ukraine’s military refused to comment on the attack. But in a message shared shortly after it took place, President Volodymyr Zelensky emphasised his nation’s resolve in the face of Russian aggression.
The Independent looks at some of Ukraine’s boldest attacks on Russia and how they have influenced the course of the war.
Archbishop who met with Putin admits he made a mistake by not calling for end to Ukraine war
03:05
,
Tom Watling
Trump claims leaders call him ‘The President of Europe’
02:01
,
Tom Watling
