Russia has struck a number of energy facilities in Ukraine's Kyiv, mayor Vitali Klitschko said on Wednesday, even as president Volodymyr Zelensky has urged Donald Trump to make sure Vladimir Putin honours his so-called energy "ceasefire".
At least two people were killed, and another 21 were injured in the overnight attack when the capital was rocked by dozens of explosions, according to reports.
It comes after Zelensky claimed Ukraine received no early warning from its partners about five Russian ballistic missiles that hit civilian infrastructure in Kyiv earlier this week.
He characterised the barrage as "particularly vile" and emphasised that receiving intelligence from partners about such attacks "helps save lives" and is "one of the most critical issues".
Trump said the US continues to share intelligence with Ukraine, vowing to work with both Kyiv and Moscow to bring an end to the war. "We are helping them, and we are sharing intel," he told reporters. "We want the war to end, so we're working with them and Russia on getting the war to end."
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Key Points
- Russia hits energy facilities in Ukraine's Kyiv, mayor says
- Trump on Ukraine, intelligence sharing and that Russia diesel deal
- Zelensky says Ukraine halted strikes on Russian oil refineries
- Trump lashes out at Republican critics of his diesel deal
Russia detains Japanese journalist for 'spying'
05:00 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarRussia has detained Japanese journalist Yuki Imai for alleged espionage.
In a statement on its website, the FSB said the Hokkaido Shimbun newspaper journalist was detained in the far eastern Sakhalin region on the day before he planned to leave Russia. It did not specify when this was.
Russia's foreign ministry said it regretted that Tokyo was using correspondents to carry out spying, with spokesperson Maria Zakharova saying his detention cast a new pall on relations with Tokyo.
The Japanese government has said it is seeking more information.
Russia hits energy facilities in Ukraine's Kyiv, mayor says
04:36 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarRussia has struck a number of energy facilities in Ukraine's Kyiv, mayor Vitali Klitschko said this morning.
The latest attacks come despite Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelensky urging Donald Trump to make sure Vladimir Putin honours his so-called energy "ceasefire".
Strikes on Ukraine kill four and wound 41
04:20 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarAt least four people were killed and 41 injured in Russian strikes across Ukraine yesterday.
A woman was wounded in a Russian strike on a private home in Kyiv's Darnytskyi district, the Kyiv city military administration said.
A Russian drone hit a residential building in the village of Murovane, near the western city of Lviv, during a morning attack Tuesday, Lviv mayor Andrii Sadovyi said.
One person was killed in the Fastiv district of the Kyiv region, and at least two others were hurt in a Russian attack on the area, said Tymur Tkachenko, head of the regional military administration.
A Russian drone struck an educational institution in the center of Rivne in northwest Ukraine, wounding 14 people, the official said.
Zelensky says Ukraine received no intelligence about missiles headed to Kyiv
03:57 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarUkraine received no early warning from its partners about five Russian ballistic missiles that hit civilian infrastructure in the capital of Kyiv, president Volodymyr Zelensky said.
Zelensky did not specify which partners he was talking about. He characterised the barrage as "particularly vile" and emphasised that receiving intelligence from partners about such attacks "helps save lives" and is "one of the most critical issues".
"This is precisely what helps prevent people from being killed — when there is an early warning about ballistic missiles," he wrote in a post on X.
Burnham sends fresh message to Ukraine ahead of Zelensky visit
02:30 , Alex RossAndy Burnham will welcome Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky to Downing Street on Wednesday in a demonstration of support following US president Donald Trump’s diesel arrangement with Russia.
The Prime Minister is expected to utilise the bilateral visit to announce accelerated military assistance for Kyiv, alongside promises of extra sanctions targeting Moscow.
As part of the increased aid, the UK will speed up deliveries of lightweight multirole missiles, which have proven effective at countering Russian jet-powered drones.
Full story below:
Burnham sends fresh message to Ukraine after Trump's diesel deal with Russia
Four killed in Ukraine's second city
01:30 , Alex RossRussian strikes have also killed four people in Ukraine's second city, Kharkiv, and dozens were wounded across the country, Ukrainian officials said.
Fabian Hoffmann, a missile expert at the Norwegian Institute for Defence Studies, said Ukraine's European allies had "very limited" ability to replace US early-warning intelligence about Russian missile strikes.
"Ukraine relies on the so-called Space-Based Infrared System which the US deploys – and the US system is really second to none and only the United States can provide that," he said.
Sybiha said the US request to halt attacks on Russian refineries showed how Ukraine's position had strengthened, alluding to Trump's comment to Zelenskiy in a tense Oval Office meeting last year that "you don't have the cards".
"In less than two years, we have gone from 'having no cards' to 'not playing your cards'. That is an achievement," Sybiha said.
Russian missile attack on Kyiv kills one
Wednesday 14 October 2026 00:30 , Alex RossPresident Volodymyr Zelensky said Russian forces attacked Kyiv on Tuesday with ballistic missiles, targeting energy sites, and Western allies had not warned Ukraine as they typically do.
A strike on a high-rise apartment building killed one person, Mayor Vitali Klitschko said. Apartments were ablaze and residents were being evacuated.
A series of explosions jolted the Ukrainian capital Kyiv in the late evening. and Zelensky and his military said there had been no advance warning of the strikes.
"Once again, no advance warning from our partners. The main target was energy infrastructure, specifically thermal plant No. 4," Zelenskiy said on Telegram without explaining why no warning was given.
"According to our intelligence, the Russians are preparing further ballistic missile launches."
"The facts show that the Russians do not consider themselves bound to abide by what the president of the United States said," he added, referring US Donald Trump's announcement of an energy ceasefire at the weekend.
"And it is certainly unfair that they are destroying our energy infrastructure while Ukraine is not even receiving warnings about ballistic missile launches."
Zelensky visits Britain as Burnham pledges fresh support for Ukraine
Tuesday 13 October 2026 23:30 , Alex RossVolodymyr Zelensky will meet British prime minister Andy Burnham in London on Wednesday as Britain looks to reaffirm its support for Ukraine, including with the promise of a new package of surface-to-air missiles.
The meeting comes at a difficult time for Zelensky. US President Donald Trump said at the weekend he should be replaced as Ukraine's leader, days after cutting a deal with Moscow to lift sanctions on Russian diesel exports.
Britain has said it does not support the US-Russia diesel deal, and called for allies to keep up the economic pressure on Moscow.
"My message to the Ukrainian people could not be clearer, we are with you for as long as it takes, and we will go further and faster in our support to back your courageous fight for peace in Europe," Burnham said in a statement before the meeting.
Mr Burnham said backing for Ukraine was vital to keeping people in Britain safe and pledged further military support.
He announced the planned delivery of £45 million ($59.60 million) of surface-to-air missiles used to target jet-powered Russian drones, with £10 million of that package fast-tracked to meet an urgent need in Ukraine.
Mr Burnham has asked officials to draw up further sanctions, military aid, and fiscal support, and his foreign and finance ministers have been lobbying allies to follow Britain in banning maritime services that support Russian liquefied natural gas exports.
Ukraine has ‘broken Russia’s ability to advance’, claims Kyiv’s former top general
Tuesday 13 October 2026 22:24 , Alex CroftUkraine has “broken Russia’s ability to advance” by killing so many of its soldiers, Kyiv’s former top general has claimed.
General Oleksandr Syrskyi claimed Russia’s overall war losses were six times higher than Ukraine’s, adding that “if you count only dead, then it’s up to 11 times”.
Gen Syrskyi, who was talking to the BBC in one of his first interviews since he was removed in the summer, said the higher death toll for the Russian army partly accounts for why Russian advances have largely stalled across the eastern frontline. Technological advances in the Ukrainian military, and strategic attacks on Russian weak points were other factors, he said.
Read the full piece here:
Ukraine has ‘broken Russia’s ability to advance’, claims Kyiv’s former top general
Black Sea drone attack on two ships condemned as ‘unacceptable’ escalation of Russian war
Tuesday 13 October 2026 21:25 , Shweta SharmaEuropean Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has condemned drone attacks on commercial vessels near Bulgaria's coast on Tuesday, calling for those responsible to face justice.
Two ships were hit in the Black Sea off Bulgaria, sinking one and prompting emergency rescues, Prime Minister Rumen Radev said.
Rescuers pulled all 15 crew from the Ukrainian-owned "Chelsea 3", sailing under Maltese flag, with five treated for minor injuries, Radev confirmed via social media.
Black Sea drone attack on ships condemned as ‘unacceptable’ escalation of Russian war
Russia hits no energy targets in Ukraine for first time since Trump's 'truce'
Tuesday 13 October 2026 20:30 , Shweta SharmaRussia hit no Ukrainian energy targets on Tuesday for the first time since US president Donald Trump's weekend announcement of an "energy ceasefire", while hammering cities' transport and logistics overnight with ballistic missiles and drones.
Russia's defence ministry, in its daily summary of overnight strikes, made no mention of Ukrainian energy facilities.
However, one missile came down just over a kilometre from a plant providing heating to much of the city of Lviv, in the west.
A Kremlin spokesman, asked about the energy ceasefire, would only say that contacts were ongoing, but declined to provide any further details.
Trump's ceasefire announcement on Sunday came two days after his declaration of a deal that lifted US sanctions on Russian diesel exports to allow Russia to supply almost 2 million metric tons of diesel, a bid to lower US fuel prices.
According to media reports, the US officials have threatened to cut off intelligence sharing and weapons sales to Ukraine unless it halts its strikes on Russian oil refineries.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Tuesday that Ukraine had not hit Russian refineries for two days, since Trump announced the ceasefire, but that Russia had continued attacks on energy and critical infrastructure during that time.
Russia struck six Ukrainian energy sites on Monday.
It was not clear whether Russia had deliberately avoided targeting energy infrastructure overnight into Tuesday.
Zelensky says Ukraine bombed Russian data centers to take out social media bots dividing the west
Tuesday 13 October 2026 19:31 , Shweta SharmaZelensky says Ukraine received no intelligence from partners on incoming missile strike on Kyiv
Tuesday 13 October 2026 18:30 , Shweta SharmaUkraine received no early warning from its partners about a Russian ballistic missile strike on Kyiv in which five missiles hit civilian infrastructure, president Volodymyr Zelensky said Tuesday in a post on X.
Zelensky characterised the barrage on the capital as "particularly vile," and emphasised that receiving intelligence from Ukraine's partners on such ballistic missile attacks "helps save lives, and this is one of the most critical issues."
"This is precisely what helps prevent people from being killed – when there is an early warning about ballistic missiles," he wrote.
He did not apportion blame for the lack of warning.
Russia's war in Ukraine hasn't seen major shifts on the ground since last year, but Ukraine is struggling to fend off Moscow's intensified aerial attacks on cities that include speedy ballistic missiles and high-flying jet-powered drones.
Zelensky said Russia had attacked Ukraine with more than 100 weapons since Monday evening.
Among the damage was a residential building in the northeastern city of Kharkiv that was destroyed, killing four people despite an all-night rescue operation, he said.
Eleven missing after drone attack sinks cargo ship off Bulgarian coast
Tuesday 13 October 2026 17:30 , Shweta SharmaEleven crew members remain missing after a cargo ship sank following a drone attack in the Black Sea off Bulgaria's coast, officials said.
Bulgarian authorities said five crew members had been rescued from the Guinea-Bissau-flagged cargo vessel HS Dignity, which sank near the village of Krapets.
President Iliana Iotova confirmed the vessel's identity and said a search and rescue operation was continuing for those missing.
Bulgaria stopped short of explicitly accusing Russia of carrying out the attacks but prime minister Rumen Radev said their outcome "benefits the Russian Federation".
Radev said he has summoned the Russian ambassador Eleonora Mitrofanova.
A second cargo ship, the Maltese-flagged Chelsea 3, was also struck by three drones overnight, according to Bulgarian officials.
All 15 crew members aboard the second vessel, including seven Ukrainians and eight Azerbaijanis, were rescued. None sustained serious injuries.
Trump on Ukraine – and Putin
Tuesday 13 October 2026 16:50 , Andrew FeinbergDonald Trump has been speaking to reporters outside the White House – and he has had some words on Ukraine and Russia, leading on the idea that the US may have stopped sharing intelligence with Ukraine over strikes against Russia.
Then moving onto the growing backlash over Trump’s plans to import diesel from Russia as the Iran war continues to impact global energy prices.
The president announced last week that Russian President Vladimir Putin had agreed to release 300,000 tonnes of diesel immediately "to the American and global marketplace" followed by several other shipments.
That is despite signing legislation to authorise fresh US sanctions and tariffs on nations that import Russian oil and gas just weeks ago.
Q: Have we stopped sharing intel with Ukraine?
A: No, we haven't. We help them, but we're really helping them get to a final answer. We want the war ended. We are helping them, and we are sharing intel. We want the war to end, so we're working with them and with Russia on getting the war to end.
Q: And what gives you that confidence that Putin wants the war to end more than Zelensky?
A: Only in dealing. That's what I've done my whole life is deals. I think they both wanted to end. You know, honestly, they both wanted to end, and they don't know how to get to that point. There's a lot of hatred there between the two of them. They both wanted to end. They don't know how to get there. We're going to get them there.
Q: There's the Republicans in the Senate who are upset about this diesel deal. Has somebody told you that Russia's not just going to take this diesel money and use it to buy bombs?
A: No, nobody told me anything. That's a diesel deal, not for us. That's being released into the world. That's not being released to us. That's a diesel deal that's going to be released into the world for the world market because the world market suffered with high prices, and when you knock out diesel refineries, that's not a great thing. But they're not releasing that to us; they're releasing it to the entire world.
US intelligence sharing
Tuesday 13 October 2026 16:28 , Shweta SharmaWhite House Press Secretary Katie Zacharia , in her first news conference, has been asked the Russian invasion of Ukraine – specifically whether US intelligence sharing with Ukraine had stopped.
Ms Zacharia said: "I'll have to get back to you on that."
Previous repoorts have suggested that the US had threatened Ukraine with halting intelligence sharing if it didn't stop striking Russian oil refineries.
Ship that sank off Bulgaria coast identified
Tuesday 13 October 2026 15:31 , Shweta SharmaThe ship that sank off the Bulgarian coast after being hit in a drone attack overnight has been identified as the Guinea-Bissau-flagged cargo ship HS Dignity, Bulgarian president Iliana Iotova has said.
Lyubomir Nikolov, chief secretary of the interior ministry, said: "Passing merchant vessels at the scene managed to rescue five members of its crew." Eleven members of the crew are still missing – with search attempts underway.
He said when the Border Force reached the scene, the ship had already sunk.
Trump's diesel deal with Putin draws criticism from a frustrated Congress
Tuesday 13 October 2026 14:30 , Shweta SharmaDonald Trump is facing growing criticism from both Republicans and Democrats over his decision to allow Russian diesel imports into the US, with critics warning that the agreement could provide Vladimir Putin with a financial lifeline as his war in Ukraine continues.
The US president announced the surprise agreement with Putin last week, arguing that additional diesel supplies could help bring down soaring fuel prices ahead of the midterm elections.
But energy experts have questioned whether Russian imports would significantly reduce prices, while lawmakers have raised concerns that the deal could undermine existing US sanctions and legislation banning Russian energy imports.
"The harm to the Ukrainians is real," William Taylor, a former US ambassador to Ukraine and senior fellow at the Atlantic Council, told the Associated Press.
"And the cost to us, the United States, is high."
A bipartisan group of six senators urged Trump to reverse the decision over the weekend, warning that the US "should not provide Putin with a financial lifeline".
Democratic congressman Lloyd Doggett, who sponsored legislation banning Russian energy imports following Moscow's 2022 invasion, accused Trump of violating the law.
"Trump is directly violating that law," he said, accusing the president of rewarding Putin while blaming Volodymyr Zelensky for the conflict.
Trump defended the agreement on Monday, saying: "Anything that could help our farmers, our ranchers, I like."
Asked about criticism from fellow Republicans, he said they "can't really be serious".
The president also insisted that Russia and Ukraine had agreed to a ceasefire targeting energy infrastructure, despite Zelensky saying Moscow had continued striking Ukrainian energy facilities.
Kremlin says the government is discussing Yandex's problems after Ukrainian strikes on its data centres
Tuesday 13 October 2026 13:30 , Shweta SharmaThe Kremlin said on Tuesday that the government was discussing problems faced by Russian technology and AI company Yandex after Ukraine struck three of its data centres.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said it was too early to assess whether users had suffered financial losses from outages caused by the attacks.
Asked whether the government was considering a mechanism to compensate users, he said Yandex was "currently facing difficulties, and of course the matter is being discussed by the government, but the company is taking urgent steps to address the consequences of the attack."
"The company is strong and powerful," Peskov told reporters.
Russia expects to take diesel exports to pre-war levels after Trump's concessions
Tuesday 13 October 2026 13:00 , Shweta SharmaRussia has said that it will be able to return its diesel exports to levels not seen since Ukraine began targeting the country’s oil refineries after Trump administration lifted US sanctions on Russian energy.
Deputy prime minister Alexander Novak has claimed they expect to increase export to pre-war levels.
“We will see how the situation develops further, but Russia has the capacity to increase diesel fuel exports. By the end of the year, exports could reach 3-3.5m metric tons per month, returning to the levels seen before the crisis,” he told Rossiya-24 state TV channel on Monday.
Russia’s diesel exports have collapsed to Ukraine’s attacks on its oil refineries as well as due to its self-imposed overseas sales restrictions.
The comments came after Trump announced on Friday that Russia had agreed to supply diesel to global markets in order to ease supply concerns, in a deal that has drawn condemnation from Ukraine and other US allies.
The agreement, which would allow Russia to export more than 2.25 million barrels of diesel to the US and international markets, has drawn criticism from lawmakers across both major US parties, who warn that it could provide Moscow with additional revenue to fund its war in Ukraine without securing any concessions from Vladimir Putin.
A group of Republican and Democratic senators urged Mr Trump to “reverse course”, arguing that the deal could breach a 2022 law aimed at supporting Ukraine’s defence against Russia’s invasion.
Zelensky accuses Russia of violating energy ceasefire as strikes kill four in Kharkiv
Tuesday 13 October 2026 12:30 , Shweta SharmaUkrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has accused Russia of ignoring Donald Trump’s proposed energy ceasefire, saying Moscow has continued attacking Ukrainian energy facilities and civilian infrastructure while Kyiv has refrained from striking Russian oil refineries.
Zelensky said Russian forces had launched more than 100 weapons, including jet-powered drones, loitering munitions and ballistic missiles, against Ukraine since Monday evening.
At least four people were killed and 41 injured in Kharkiv after a Russian strike destroyed a residential building, leaving rescue workers searching through the rubble overnight.
Kyiv was also targeted by five ballistic missiles that struck civilian infrastructure, Zelensky said, adding that Ukraine had received no advance warning from its partners.
“Intelligence on Russian ballistic missile launches helps save lives, and this is one of the most critical issues,” he said.
The Ukrainian leader said Kyiv had not attacked Russian oil refineries or other energy infrastructure in the two days since Trump announced the ceasefire, but Moscow had continued its strikes across 19 Ukrainian regions.
Zelensky reiterated that Ukraine remained prepared to take reciprocal steps towards de-escalation but called for greater international pressure on Moscow.
“Wars end when the aggressor realises that it cannot prolong the war,” he said, warning that direct or indirect support for Russia and delays in military assistance to Ukraine would undermine efforts to achieve peace.
Zelensky says Ukraine bombed Russian data centers to take out social media bots dividing the west
Tuesday 13 October 2026 12:00 , Shweta SharmaThree killed, 16 wounded in Ukrainian attacks on Russia's Belgorod, governor says
Tuesday 13 October 2026 11:30 , Shweta SharmaThree people have been killed and 16 wounded in Ukrainian attacks on Russia's Belgorod region which borders Ukraine, the local governor said on Wednesday.
Two people were killed in an overnight attack and another man died following an attack that took place on Friday, the region’s governor, Alexander Shuvaev, said.
Finland criticises Trump’s Russian diesel deal
Tuesday 13 October 2026 11:00 , Shweta SharmaFinland’s foreign minister Elina Valtonen has criticised Donald Trump’s decision to lift sanctions on Russian diesel exports, warning that providing Moscow with additional revenue would help fuel its war in Ukraine.
Speaking to Reuters at a forum in Singapore on Tuesday, Valtonen said feeding Russia’s “imperial” war machine with more money was “not a good idea”.
She urged the US, as the leader of the free world, to stand with Ukraine in its fight against Russian aggression.
“The rest of the world should be on the side of the victim and certainly those countries who want to still be strong for the concept of freedom,” she said.
Valtonen also called on European Union member states to stop issuing tourist visas to Russian citizens until Moscow ends its war in Ukraine.
“I hear from all of my colleagues in the European Union an agreement to the principle and I am so sure that all of the European Union countries will start restricting tourist visas to Russians even more strongly now, especially because Russia is also waging a hybrid war against Europe,” she said.
Poland accuses Russia of arson attack on Starlink station as two arrested
Tuesday 13 October 2026 11:00 , Shweta SharmaPoland has accused Russian intelligence services of orchestrating an arson attack on a Starlink satellite station near Warsaw, as authorities arrested two Turkish nationals suspected of carrying out the sabotage.
The suspects were detained in Germany in connection with the 23 September attack on Starlink infrastructure in Wola Krobowska, about 40km south of the Polish capital, officials said on Monday.
"We have no doubt that Russian intelligence services are behind this act of sabotage," Tomasz Siemoniak, Poland's minister overseeing intelligence services, said in a news release, adding that Russian intelligence services are increasingly turning to people with ties to the criminal underworld.
Polish prime minister Donald Tusk described the incident as “another act of hybrid warfare”.
Speaking at a security conference in Warsaw on Tuesday, Mr Siemoniak warned that Russian intelligence services were carrying out almost “daily acts of subversion” against European countries supporting Ukraine.
“There is not a week where activities do not happen,” he said, adding that Moscow had increasingly relied on recruits contacted through platforms such as Telegram to carry out attacks.
“Our enemy – that is Russia's intelligence services – changes its methods of operation and has unlimited resources,” he said.
The Starlink incident is among more than 210 suspected acts of sabotage and other hostile activities across Europe tracked by the Associated Press since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Western officials believe such operations are intended to undermine support for Kyiv, spread fear and instability across Europe and stretch security resources.
Norway’s domestic intelligence chief, Beate Gangas, also warned of the growing threat, telling the conference: “We are in the most serious situation since the Second World War.”
