At least nine people were killed and 46 were injured in the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv after Russia unleashed another barrage of ballistic, cruise missiles and drones on apartment blocks and residential buildings.
Officials said rescue crews were pulling residents from buildings shattered by the overnight barrage.
Witnesses said they were seeing a series of explosions in and around the capital and air defences were in action against Russian drones.
The attack came just hours after Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said that intelligence indicates Russia is now preparing a “massive strike”.
Zelensky had hailed the “real prospect” of ending the Russia-Ukraine conflict following a phone call with US president Donald Trump for American independence day on Saturday.
“We agreed to continue the conversation in person during the Nato summit in Ankara,” the Ukrainian president wrote on social media.
Trump is set to meet president Volodymyr Zelensky at a Nato summit in Turkey next week, the White House confirmed on Sunday.
World leaders are likely to discuss the ongoing conflict with Russia after negotiations all but stalled following the outbreak of the war on Iran.
Read MoreWhy Putin keeps targeting Kyiv while his war machine grinds to a halt on frontline
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Putin has admitted Russia is facing problems in Ukraine war – are there signs he may be cracking?
Key Points
- Ballistic and cruise missiles hit Ukraine capital, hours after Zelensky's warning
- Russia claims Ukraine refused to halt shelling for handover of soldiers' bodies
- Trump to meet Zelensky at Nato summit in Turkey
- Seven killed in Russian attack on Kyiv overnight
Watch: Rescue operations continue in Kyiv after Putin's deadly attack
07:10 , Arpan RaiDrone debris falls on Russia's Ust-Luga port, governor says
06:51 , Arpan RaiDrone debris has fallen in the region of Russia's Ust-Luga port in the Baltic Sea, the local governor Alexander Drozdenko said on his Telegram channel this morning.
He also said that 47 enemy drones have been shot down in recent attacks.
Kyiv death toll rises: Nine killed, 46 injured in major Russian strikes
06:40 , Arpan RaiRussian missiles and drones struck Kyiv early on Monday, killing at least nine people and heavily damaging apartment blocks and other buildings, officials said, just a few days after the deadliest assault on the Ukrainian capital this year.
Rescue crews were pulling residents from buildings shattered by the overnight barrage, said Kyiv's mayor Vitali Klitschko on Telegram.
Tymur Tkachenko, head of the city's military administration, said the death toll in the capital rose to nine, with 46 people wounded throughout the city.
“Unfortunately, this is not the final information," he said, as rescue operations continued.
At least 15 residential buildings had been damaged or destroyed in the attack, including a nine-storey block in the historic Podilskyi district, emergency services said.
Rescuers used a ladder truck to get to people trapped on the upper floors of that building, which had been largely destroyed from the fifth level, they said.
Russia claims it hit military-industrial targets and energy sites in 'massive' strike on Kyiv
06:19 , Arpan RaiRussia conducted a "massive" attack on Ukraine's capital of Kyiv and other locations using long-range, high-precision air-, land-, sea-launched weapons and drones, the Russian defence ministry said in a Telegram post this morning.
The attack hit residential buildings and killed at least nine civilians, which the Russian ministry did not acknowledge in its claims.
The ministry also said it had hit military and energy facilities in Kyiv and the Kyiv region, as well as military airfields in several other Ukrainian regions.
Russian oil refinery in Yaroslavl hit in Ukrainian drone attack
05:52 , Arpan RaiA Russian oil refinery in the city of Yaroslavl came under attack from Ukrainian drones and was see on fire, local reports said.
Local residents took to social media to show what was purportedly smoke billowing from the oil refinery.
The Yaroslavl Oil Refinery has been attacked frequently by the Ukrainian military and this is the second time it has been hit in 10 days.
The oil facility is located nearly 250km (150 miles) northeast of Moscow and 700km (435 miles) from Russia-Ukraine border.
Putin shares battlefield updates with Trump ahead of Nato summit
05:26 , Arpan RaiThe Kremlin said that Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump discussed the conflict in Ukraine in a “constructive” phone call on Saturday.
Kremlin foreign affairs adviser Yuri Ushakov said that Putin congratulated Trump and the American people on the 250th anniversary of America’s independence during the call that lasted nearly an hour and half, their fourth conversation so far this year.
Ushakov said that Trump reaffirmed his “readiness to help achieve a quick cessation of hostilities and search for peaceful solutions to settle the crisis” in Ukraine, while Trump’s envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner will continue mediation efforts and stand ready to visit Moscow.
The Kremlin adviser said Putin once again emphasized Russia’s “preference for a diplomatic settlement of the conflict, provided that Russia’s well-known, fundamental positions are taken into account.”
At the same time, Putin charged that Kyiv and its European allies are “betting on prolonging, and even escalating the conflict,” arguing that “the European ‘party of war’ proceeds from a flawed perception of the overall situation and the state of things along the line of contact,” Ushakov said.
He added that Putin told Trump about the “real situation on the battlefield, where Russian armed forces are confidently advancing, liberating one settlement after another.”
The Russian leader specifically mentioned the capture of the Ukrainian stronghold of Kostyantynivka, describing it as a key step toward the “liberation” of the entire Donetsk region.
Kyiv has denied the Russian claim of capturing Kostyantynivka. Ukraine’s General Staff reiterated that the embattled city remains under Ukrainian control in a statement on Telegram on Sunday, a day after Zelensky said that Russia's claim to have taken control was “just another Russian lie.”
Russia claims Ukraine refused to halt shelling for handover of soldiers' bodies
05:03 , Arpan RaiUkraine has refused to halt shelling of the town of Kostiantynivka in the east of the country to allow Russia to hand over the bodies of fallen Ukrainian soldiers, the Russian defence ministry claimed yesterday.
Russian military commanders told president Vladimir Putin on Friday that Moscow's forces had taken control of Kostiantynivka, though Ukraine denied the claim, saying its forces remained in control of the town.
Ukraine's defence ministry and general staff did not immediately comment on the remarks from Russia.
Kostiantynivka is a key locality whose capture Moscow has long sought in its military campaign in the Donetsk region.
Russia said it had proposed a six-hour ceasefire in and around Kostiantynivka on Monday to facilitate the handover of Ukrainian servicemen's bodies and had given Kyiv until 0900 GMT on Sunday to respond.
Trump to meet Zelensky at Nato summit in Turkey
04:45 , Arpan RaiUS president Donald Trump will meet with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky while in Turkey this week for a Nato summit to make a renewed push to end the war in Ukraine, a senior US official said.
Trump is scheduled to arrive at the summit on Tuesday. His first meeting will be with the summit host, Turkish president Rcep Tayyip Erdogan. Trump will also meet with Syrian president Ahmed al-Sharaa and hold a news conference, the White House said.
A senior US official who briefed reporters on condition of anonymity about the trip said Trump will meet with Zelensky on Wednesday to discuss "how we can end the war."
“The battlefield has clearly frozen over the last couple of months and neither side is making a lot of progress,” the official said.
“The president feels a real sense of urgency to try to bring this to a stop,” the official said.
Trump will also urge Nato allies to increase their defence spending, the official said.
"He will deliver that message in person," the official said.
In photos: Kyiv attacked with ballistic and cruise missiles overnight
04:21 , Arpan Rai
Ballistic and cruise missiles hit Ukraine capital, hours after Zelensky's warning
04:05 , Arpan RaiRussia launched waves of missiles and drones targeting Kyiv overnight into Monday, officials said.
The attack, which was still underway early Monday morning, involved waves of ballistic and cruise missiles as well as drones.
Explosions echoed across the city as civilians sought shelter in metro stations.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky had warned hours earlier of another large-scale Russian attack on the city.
Monday's attack comes days after a combined Russian attack killed at least 31 people in Kyiv last week.
Seven killed in Russian attack on Kyiv overnight
03:58 , Arpan RaiRussian missiles and drones struck the Ukrainian capital Kyiv early on Monday, killing at least seven people and hitting apartment blocks and other buildings, Tymur Tkachenko, head of the city's military administration, said on Telegram.
Rescue crews were pulling residents from buildings shattered by the overnight barrage, said Kyiv's mayor Vitali Klitschko.
Reuters witnesses reported a series of explosions in and around the capital and said air defences were in action against Russian drones.
Tkachenko said the death toll included two bodies pulled out of a heavily damaged apartment building in the historic Podilskyi district.
Altogether, 24 people were injured throughout the city. He said four residential buildings had been struck in the Podilskyi district alone.
Klitschko said rescuers were pulling residents from apartments damaged on both sides of a building.
“From a building in the Podilskyi district, where a partial collapse occurred, rescuers evacuated 15 people," he wrote on Telegram.
“Three women and six children were taken down from the upper floors."
Klitschko said two people had died in the eastern Darnytskyi district, where drone fragments struck a 25-storey apartment building, and rescue teams were working to free residents trapped on upper floors.
He also said a fire had broken out in a 30-storey building in Darnytskyi, where many died in a strike last Thursday, when Russia launched hundreds of drones and dozens of missiles at the city, killing at least 30 people.
‘We will rebuild’: Ukrainians defiant after Russia ‘unleashes hell’ on Kyiv, with deadly strikes killing 30Residents on the ground in Kyiv tell Tom Watling of their shock following overnight onslaught of missiles and drones on the capital in ‘night of horror’
03:00 , Maryam Zakir-HussainResidents on the ground in Kyiv tell Tom Watling of their shock following overnight onslaught of missiles and drones on the capital in ‘night of horror’:
We will rise up and rebuild,” was the defiant message from Ukrainians after Russia unleashed one of the biggest attacks of the war on the capital Kyiv, leaving at least 30 dead, 91 hurt and 130 buildings damaged.
The EU ambassador to Ukraine said that “Russia unleashed hell on Kyiv” in the overnight attack, with 74 missiles and 496 drones launched, according to the Ukrainian air force. Foreign minister Andrii Sybiha described the assault as a “night of horror”.
The attack caused the widest destruction in Kyiv so far this year, and was the deadliest since at least May, when 24 people were killed in a strike that brought down an apartment block. Footage and images from the city showed widespread destruction as residents were left picking up the pieces.
Ukrainians defiant after Russia ‘unleashes hell’ on Kyiv with deadly strikes
How Ukraine’s audacious drone campaign sparked a fuel crisis 3,500km behind enemy lines
02:00 , Maryam Zakir-HussainIn case you missed this one from James C. Reynolds:
The explosion was so powerful that it sent the huge disc-shaped lid of an oil storage tank flying high above the city on a cushion of black smoke and flame.
Ukrainian drones cut through the Russian air defences last week to strike an oil refinery in Moscow for the second time in three days, amid Kyiv’s largest ever attack on the capital.
The footage quickly travelled around the world as proof of Kyiv’s poise and ability to bring the war in Ukraine back to Vladimir Putin’s doorstep. On Sunday, the Russian president admitted that Moscow is experiencing “problems” in the war and warned of fuel shortages due to Ukrainian attacks.
How Ukraine’s drone campaign sparked a fuel crisis 3,500km behind enemy lines
Top EU official visits Armenia and offers economic support to help counter Russian pressure
01:00 , Maryam Zakir-HussainEuropean Commission President Ursula von der Leyen visited Armenia on Thursday, promising to provide a 18-million euro ($20.5-million) aid package and the elimination of import duties on most Armenian farm products to support the South Caucasus nation's push for closer ties with the European Union and pivot away from longtime ally Moscow.
Last month, the party of Armenia's Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan extended its hold on power in a parliamentary election that was widely seen as a vote on its geopolitical future. Weeks before the vote, Moscow introduced a slew of trade sanctions, imposing import bans on Armenian flowers, brandy, wine, fruits and more.
Von der Leyen said “Armenia is still facing significant economic pressure from Russia,” describing it as “nothing short of economic coercion.”
Top EU official visits Armenia and offers economic support to help counter Russian pressure
Half a million dead but just 40sqkm gained in six months: Impact of Putin’s devastating war in numbers
Monday 6 July 2026 00:00 , Maryam Zakir-HussainRussia’s advances in eastern Ukraine are slowing and hundreds of thousands of troops have been killed. As Kyiv seizes the upper hand, Alex Croft looks at the data that shows why Moscow is struggling:
After a bleak winter which saw months of fierce Russian bombing of Ukrainian energy infrastructure, the future is beginning to look more positive for Kyiv.
Nearly four-and-a-half years since Vladimir Putin launched the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Russia’s frontline advances have slowed almost to a halt, as Ukrainian counter-attacks and defensive tactics become more effective.
Successes in local counterattacks have become more frequent, as Ukrainian forces scale up their use of ground robots and short-range drone warfare.
Read more here:
Half a million dead but minor territorial gains: Putin’s devastating war in numbers
Putin shrugs off Ukraine's strikes on Russia's energy facilities as 'not critical'
Sunday 5 July 2026 23:00 , Maryam Zakir-HussainRussian President Vladimir Putin has shrugged off Ukraine’s strikes on Russia’s energy facilities as “not critical,” and insisted the war will continue until his goals are met.
He has described the attacks on Russian energy as an effort by Ukraine to distract attention from its losses on the battlefield, although analysts say the advance of Russian forces has been stymied in recent months.
On Friday, Putin visited the Russian military headquarters directing the war in Ukraine and received a report on the capture of the city of Kostyantynivka, after weeks of intense street battles. He hailed it as a key step toward capturing the nearby cities of Sloviansk and Kramatorsk, the key remaining strongholds in the so-called “forest belt” of heavily fortified cities in the Donetsk region that remain in Ukraine’s hands.
The capture of Kostyantynivka, a big transport and industrial hub, is of “major strategic importance,” Putin, clad in military fatigues, said in televised comments.
Zelensky says St Petersburg attack is part of Ukraine's 'long-range sanctions'
Sunday 5 July 2026 22:00 , Maryam Zakir-HussainUkrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky described the St Petersburg attack as part of Ukraine’s “long-range sanctions” against Russia. He said that Ukrainian forces also hit a military target on the island of Kronstadt, just off the coast of St. Petersburg.
“The Ukrainian defense forces hit the port oil infrastructure, which earns money for the Russian war, and there were also hits on Kronstadt — an important military target,” he said in a post on Telegram.
St. Petersburg’s Kirovsky district was previously hit in June, ahead of Russia’s flagship St. Petersburg International Economic Forum.
The Crimean peninsula, which Russia annexed in 2014, has suffered particularly from heavy strikes, causing local authorities to suspend gasoline sales to civilians. A Ukrainian attack on Saturday killed one person and injured two more, including a 10-year-old child, the Moscow-installed Gov. Sergei Aksyonov said.
Trump to meet Zelensky at Nato summit next week as Zelensky warns Russia is preparing 'massive strike'
Sunday 5 July 2026 21:49 , Maira ButtPresident Donald Trump is to meet President Volodymyr Zelensky at a Nato summit in Turkey next week, the White House confirmed on Sunday.
It is expected that the world leaders will discuss the ongoing conflict with Russia after negotiations all but stalled following the outbreak of the war on Iran.
After several successes on the battlefield, Zelensky said on Sunday that intelligence indicates Russia is now preparing a “massive strike”.
Ukrainian drones hit St Petersburg oil terminal in latest long-range attack on Russia
Sunday 5 July 2026 21:00 , Maryam Zakir-HussainA Ukrainian drone attack struck an oil terminal in St. Petersburg on Saturday, Russian officials said, as Kyiv presses on with bombardment of Russia’s oil infrastructure.
Almost daily long-range attacks on Russian oil facilities have created a fuel crisis and heaped political pressure on the Kremlin as its all-out invasion of Ukraine stretches into its fifth year.
Gov. Alexander Beglov said the city’s Kirovsky district on the Baltic Sea was hit. He also said that air defenses shot down 72 Ukrainian drones across Russia's second-largest city and the surrounding region.
Interpol names suspect in Monaco bombing that reportedly targeted Russia-linked Ukrainian tycoon
Sunday 5 July 2026 20:00 , Maryam Zakir-HussainInterpol on Friday named the suspect in the Monaco bombing that reportedly targeted a Ukrainian tycoon with links to Russia.
It identified Anastasiia Berezovska, a 39-year-old woman from Ukraine, as the suspect in a Red Notice posted on its website seeking her arrest.
Watch: Birds in Ukraine build nests with fibre optic cable
Sunday 5 July 2026 19:00 , Maryam Zakir-HussainIn pictures: French volunteer soldiers take part in military training in Zaporizhzhia
Sunday 5 July 2026 18:00 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
Russia says Ukraine rejects local ceasefire for handover of soldiers' bodies
Sunday 5 July 2026 17:00 , Maryam Zakir-HussainUkraine has refused to halt shelling of the town of Kostiantynivka in the east of the country to allow Russia to hand over the bodies of fallen Ukrainian soldiers, the Russian Defence Ministry said on Sunday.
Russian military commanders told President Vladimir Putin on Friday that Moscow's forces had taken control of Kostiantynivka, though Ukraine denied the claim, saying its forces remained in control of the town.
Ukraine's defence ministry and general staff did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment.
Kostiantynivka is a key locality whose capture Moscow has long sought in its military campaign in the Donetsk region.
Russia said it had proposed a six-hour ceasefire in and around Kostiantynivka on Monday to facilitate the handover of Ukrainian servicemen's bodies and had given Kyiv until 0900 GMT on Sunday to respond.
Russia forced to advertise on job website for drone operators to ‘defend Moscow’
Sunday 5 July 2026 16:00 , Maryam Zakir-HussainRussia has resorted to advertising for drone pilots to defend Moscow.
The country's biggest jobs website, HeadHunter, is advertising for drone operators to protect the skies above Moscow. The add says there is no previous experience required.
Candidates require only "basic technical skills" and a desire to progress in the field. But the pay — starting at 150,000 roubles ($1,950) per month — compares unfavourably with the average for Moscow of more than 200,000 roubles.
Russia forced to advertise on job website for drone operators to ‘defend Moscow’
Russia plotting attack on Poland to test Nato’s resolve, US claims
Sunday 5 July 2026 15:18 , Maryam Zakir-HussainThe US has warned Warsaw that Russia is planning an armed “provocation” against Poland to test Nato’s resolve, according to reports.
The assault could see Poland’s vital infrastructure targeted by missiles or drones, or even Russian soldiers crossing the border into Nato territory, Washington has said.
Sources close to Polish president Karol Nawrocki told Polish outlet Onet that the aim of Moscow’s possible assault, which could be launched in a matter of months, would be to provoke tensions and pressure Ukraine’s Western allies to suspend their military and financial aid.
Russia plotting attack on Poland to test Nato’s resolve, US claims
Putin shrugs off fuel shortages in Russia as he ramps up attacks on Ukraine
Sunday 5 July 2026 14:49 , Maryam Zakir-HussainDespite severe fuel shortages across Russia, President Vladimir Putin appears unbothered by Ukraine’s increasing attacks on his country’s oil refineries.
He has shrugged off the setback for one of the world’s leading oil-producing nations as “not critical,” dismissed ceasefire proposals and insisted the war will continue until his goals are met.
Putin has described the attacks on Russian energy as an effort by Ukraine to distract attention from its losses on the battlefield, although analysts say the advance of Russian forces has been stymied in recent months.
The Russian leader appears to believe his government can keep the fuel crisis from eroding his authority and support for the war he launched more than four years ago.
Putin shrugs off fuel shortages in Russia as he ramps up attacks on Ukraine
Watch: Swimmers flee as Russian missile strikes indoor pool in Zaporizhzhia
Sunday 5 July 2026 14:01 , Maryam Zakir-HussainParadise lost: How Monaco became the billionaire’s playground with a health warning
Sunday 5 July 2026 13:38 , Maryam Zakir-HussainTainted by murder, money laundering and now a parcel bomb, Monaco no longer feels like a safe haven. Helen Kirwan-Taylor explores the dark underbelly of the iconic Mediterranean resort:
Asunny place for shady people” is how the English writer William Somerset Maugham described Monaco, the tiny Mediterranean principality that was once perceived as glamorous, but is now tainted by money laundering, murder, and, most recently, a parcel bomb meant for a sanctioned Ukrainian-born oligarch.
The latest scandal to envelop Monaco reads like a bad thriller. Vadym Yermolaiev, who is linked with various dodgy business dealings in Russia before he became a Cypriot resident, was the victim of a parcel bomb planted in the foyer of his apartment building in the district of La Rousse.
The homemade device was deposited minutes before it struck him and his mistress (who, according to French media, lost both her legs) and their 13-year-old son. All are currently in hospital.
Interpol has named a 39-year-old woman from Ukraine, Anastasiia Berezovska, as the suspect. She has since been spotted in Germany, and a Monaco prosecutor said she was disguised as a man.
Read more here:
Paradise lost: How Monaco became the billionaire’s playground with a health warning
Russia plotting attack on Poland to test Nato’s resolve, US claims
Sunday 5 July 2026 13:00 , Maryam Zakir-HussainThe US has warned Warsaw that Russia is planning an armed “provocation” against Poland to test Nato’s resolve, according to reports.
The assault could see Poland’s vital infrastructure targeted by missiles or drones, or even Russian soldiers crossing the border into Nato territory, Washington has said.
Sources close to Polish president Karol Nawrocki told Polish outlet Onet that the aim of Moscow’s possible assault, which could be launched in a matter of months, would be to provoke tensions and pressure Ukraine’s Western allies to suspend their military and financial aid.
Russia plotting attack on Poland to test Nato’s resolve, US claims
Watch: Ukrainian drone hit oil terminal in Russia's St. Petersburg in footage shared by Zelensky
Sunday 5 July 2026 12:30 , Maryam Zakir-HussainZelensky says he has agreed to continue Trump conversation at Nato summit
Sunday 5 July 2026 12:09 , Maryam Zakir-HussainPresident Volodymyr Zelensky has confirmed that he has agreed to continue conversations with President Donald Trump at the Nato summit next week.
US-brokered discussions between Russia and Ukraine were largely called to a halt when the US and Israel attacked Iran in February earlier this year.
The Ukrainian leader added that he had spoken to the president on the 4th July and said that US “decisiveness” could help bring an end to the war with Russia.
Suspect in Monaco assassination attempt is Ukrainian woman who dressed up as a man
Sunday 5 July 2026 11:26 , Maryam Zakir-HussainThe main suspect behind a bomb attack in Monaco is a Ukrainian woman who disguised herself as a man and has been spotted in Germany, prosecutors have said.
Three people, including 58-year-old Ukrainian business tycoon Vadym Iermolaiev, a woman and a 13-year-old teenager, were wounded on Monday evening when an explosive was remotely detonated in what authorities believe was a targeted attack.
The two adults were rushed to hospital in a critical condition, with the woman having both her legs amputated.
Suspect in Monaco blast is Ukrainian woman who was disguised as man
One killed in attack on Crimea
Sunday 5 July 2026 11:03 , Maryam Zakir-HussainOne person was killed in a Ukrainian attack on Russian-occupied Crimea, Moscow-installed officials said in the early hours of Sunday.
Two others were injured in the attack on northern Crimea, including one in a serious condition, the Russia-installed regional Gov. Sergei Aksyonov wrote on Telegram.
He did not give details of the attack.
In recent weeks Ukraine has stepped up its attacks on key infrastructure targets in Crimea as Kyiv’s military seeks to isolate the vital Russian-held peninsula in the latest stage of the war.
The peninsula was seized by force and illegally annexed by Moscow in 2014.
Ukraine’s increasing use of long-range strikes has highlighted its ability to inflict painful damage on Russia and put added pressure on the Kremlin while Moscow’s advances recently have ground to a near halt, Western analysts and officials say.
Ukraine, Putin or call centre fraud: The theories behind assassination attempt on Ukrainian tycoon in Monaco
Sunday 5 July 2026 10:34 , Maryam Zakir-HussainVadym Iermolaiev was returning to his apartment in Monaco on a warm summer night last Monday with a woman and child when the bomb exploded.
Within seconds, the Ukrainian oligarch and the woman and child were lying covered in blood on the floor outside the building on the Rue Révérend-Père-Louis-Frolla.
The suspect, who dropped a suspected parcel bomb in the lobby, had already fled the scene. A manhunt to locate him is ongoing, while Iermolaiev and the other two victims are being treated for serious injuries at the Pasteur Hospital in Nice.
Everything we know about the Monaco attack on a Ukrainian oligarch
