Five people have been killed and six others injured in Russian attacks on Ukraine overnight, ahead of peace talks between Moscow and Kyiv in Istanbul later today.
Russian shelling and air attacks killed five people outside the south-east Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia, while a drone attack on the northeast region of Sumy injured at least six early on Monday, including two children, regional officials said.
Ivan Fedorov said three women died in a series of Russian shelling incidents targeting the village of Ternuvate. A man died in a nearby district in a Russian strike by a guided aerial bomb, Fedorov said.
The strikes came just before Ukrainian and Russian delegations arrived in Istanbul for the second round of direct peace talks since 2022.
The two sides are still far apart on how to end the war and the fighting is stepping up, despite calls from US president Donald Trump and European allies to call a ceasefire.
The first round of talks on 16 May yielded the biggest prisoner swap of the war but no sign of peace – or even a ceasefire as both sides merely set out their opening negotiating positions.
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Key Points
- Russian attacks kill five, injure more ahead of peace talks
- Dozens of Russian warplanes destroyed in Ukrainian drone attack, claims Kyiv
- Russia says it thwarted Ukraine-ordered railway sabotage attempt
- Zelensky says attack on Putin's warplanes 'will go in history books'
- Ukraine to set out roadmap for peace at Istanbul talks, document shows
Number of people injured in Russian bridge collapse rises – reports
10:31
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Jabed Ahmed
The number of people who have been injured during one of two bridge collapses on Saturday has risen, according to Russian media reports.
Russian state-owned news agency Tass reported the number of those injured in the bridge collapse in the Bryansk Region has risen to 104.
In total, seven people were killed.
The first bridge, in the Bryansk region on the border with Ukraine, collapsed on top of a passenger train on Saturday, causing casualties. The train's driver was among those killed, state-run Russian Railways said.
Hours later, officials said a second train derailed when the bridge beneath it collapsed in the nearby Kursk region, which also borders Ukraine.
Russia's Investigative Committee, the country's top criminal investigation agency, said explosions had caused the two bridges to collapse without giving more detail. Several hours later, it edited the statement to remove the words "explosions", but did not explain why.
Listen: Keir Starmer refuses to rule out war with Russia
09:59
,
Jabed Ahmed
Zelensky in Lithuania while peace talks take place in Istanbul
09:44
,
Jabed Ahmed
Volodymyr Zelensky has arrived in Lithuania with leaders from Nato's eastern flank for a meeting ahead of the Hague Nato summit later in June.
This includes the Bucharest Nine – Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania and Slovakia – and the Nordics – Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden.
Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte is also in attendance.
There will be a joint press conference later today. We will bring you the latest lines.
Pictured | Russian strike on Kharkiv
09:38
,
Jabed Ahmed
Watch | Zelensky praises Ukraine's security service for 'brilliant operation' in Russian territory
09:25
,
Jabed Ahmed
Who will be present at the second round of peace talks?
09:08
,
Jabed Ahmed
After keeping the world guessing on whether Ukraine would even turn up for the second round, president Volodymyr Zelensky said his Defence Minister Rustem Umerov would meet with Russian officials in Istanbul.
The Russian delegation will be headed by Kremlin aide Vladimir Medinsky, who after the first round invoked French general and statesman Napoleon Bonaparte to assert that war and negotiations should always be conducted at the same time.
According to Trump envoy Keith Kellogg, the two sides will in Turkey present their respective documents outlining their ideas for peace terms, though it is clear that after three years of war, Moscow and Kyiv remain far apart.
Mr Medinsky said on Sunday that Moscow had received Ukraine's draft memorandum and told Russia’s RIA news agency the Kremlin would react to it on Monday.
Mr Kellogg has indicated that the US will be involved in the talks and that even representatives from Britain, France and Germany will be too, though it was not clear at what level the United States would be represented.
Ukraine's delegation will also include its deputy foreign minister, as well as several military and intelligence officials, according to an executive order by Mr Zelensky on Sunday.
What happened at the last peace talks between Russia and Ukraine?
08:49
,
Jabed Ahmed
The last round of peace talks between Russia and Ukraine took place earlier this month in Turkey.
Both countries agreed to exchange 1,000 prisoners of war each in their first talks for more than three years.
However, the two sides fell short of negotiating a ceasefire as Kyiv said Moscow had presented conditions that were “non-starters”.
The negotiations were held in Istanbul’s Dolmabahce Palace and mediated by a Turkish team.
It took place after a turbulent two days cast doubt over whether the meeting would take place at all. The talks lasted under two hours.
Ukraine said its next goal is for Vladimir Putin to meet directly with Volodymyr Zelensky; Russia said it had "taken note" of the request.
Neither Mr Zelensky nor Mr Putin are attending the second round of peace talks starting today.
Below is a video of the prisoner swap that was agreed by both sides:
Starmer: ‘We cannot ignore the threat of Russia’
08:34
,
Jabed Ahmed
Sir Keir Starmer has warned that Britain “cannot ignore the threat Russia poses”.
The prime minister said the UK has to prepare itself to fight a war to deter Russian aggression and avoid a conflict with Vladimir Putin.
He said the world is facing the greatest instability it has for years, and kept the door open to Britain going to war with Russia if it invades a European Nato member such as Lithuania.
He told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “In order to make sure that that isn't the case, we need to prepare. But we cannot ignore the threat that Russia poses.”
For context,
The UK government will build up to 12 new nuclear-powered attack submarines and invest £15 billion in its warhead programme, Sir Keir will announce today as the government unveils its strategic defence review.
Ukraine destroyed 13 planes in Russian air bases, official says
08:24
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Jabed Ahmed
Ukraine destroyed at least 13 planes during an attack on Russian air bases, Ukraine's national security and defence council official said.
Andriy Kovalenko, the head of Ukraine's Centre for Countering Disinformation, said some other planes were also damaged in the attack, in a post on the Telegram messaging app.
Russian attacks kill five, injure more ahead of peace talks
08:12
,
Rachel Clun, Reuters
Five people have been killed and six others injured in Russian attacks on Ukraine overnight, ahead of peace talks between Moscow and Kyiv in Istanbul later today.
Russian shelling and air attacks killed five people outside the south-eastUkrainian city of Zaporizhzhia, while a drone attack on the northeast region of Sumy injured at least six early on Monday, including two children, regional officials said.
Ivan Fedorov, writing on the Telegram messaging app, said three women died in a series of Russian shelling incidents targeting the village of Ternuvate, east of Zaporizhzhia late on Sunday. A shop and several homes were badly damaged.
A man died in a nearby district in a Russian strike by a guided aerial bomb, Fedorov said. A total of nine people were injured in the Russian attacks and a private home was destroyed.
Two children were among those injured in a Russian drone attack on the Sumy region, Oleh Sinehubov, the governor of the region, said on Monday on Telegram.
"A 7-year-old boy is among the victims," Sinehubov said. He added that several buildings throughout the regions were damaged.
Ukraine will try for 'some progress' at Istanbul meeting: Zelensky
07:57
,
Rachel Clun
Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukraine will continue to propose a “full and unconditional ceasefire” in today’s meeting with Russia.
The Ukrainian president said the plan Kyiv will present to Russia is “logical and realistic”.
“We continue to propose a full and unconditional ceasefire, along with all rational and dignified steps that could lead to a lasting and reliable peace,” he said on X late on Sunday night.
“The Russians, however, have not shared their ‘memorandum’ with anyone — we don't have it, the Turkish side doesn't have it, and the American side doesn't have the Russian document either.
“Despite this, we will try to achieve at least some progress on the path toward peace.”
Ukrainian delegation arrives in Istanbul for talks with Russia
07:42
,
Rachel Clun
The Ukrainian delegation has arrived in Istanbul for the second round of direct peace talks since 2022.
The meeting is planned for this afternoon, Ukraine’s foreign ministry spokesperson said.
Ukraine’s delegation is being led by defence minister Rustem Umerov, while Russia’s delegation is being headed by Kremlin aide Vladimir Medinsky.
Germany’s defence chief warns Nato must be prepared for the ‘very serious threat’ of a Russian attack by 2029
07:30
,
Rachel Clun
Germany’s chief of defence has warned that Nato must brace for an attack from Russia in four years or even sooner as Moscow builds up its forces “to an enormous extent”.
General Carsten Breuer said Russia was a “very serious threat” to Nato at the moment.
“It's really coming to a point where I must say, we have to be prepared,” he said in an interview with the BBC.
General Breuer said Russia was building about 1,500 main battle tanks every year, as well as 4 million rounds of 155 millimetre ammunition, some of which was going in military stockpiles “facing the west”.
The general said it was “clear that there’s an intention” from Russia to expand its offensive elsewhere.
“So we have to be ready by 2029 up to then, we have to speed up in Nato,” he said.
“If you ask me now, is this a guarantee that's not earlier than 2029 I would say, No, it's not. So we must be able to fight tonight, and for this fight tonight … we are ready.”
Trump was not told about Ukraine attack on Russian planes, report claims
07:17
,
Rachel Clun
Donald Trump was not given a heads-up about Ukraine’s unprecedented drone strikes that took out a huge fleet of Russian planes on Sunday, according to reports.
Ukraine’s “large-scale” drone attack, launched deep into Russian territory and which wiped out 40 bombers, took more than 18 months to plan and was personally supervised by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, both Ukrainian and U.S. officials told Axios.
Read the full report below:
Russia's long-range bombers targeted in Ukraine's audacious attack
07:04
,
Arpan Rai
A major Ukrainian drone attack has destroyed more than 40 Russian planes deep in Russia's territory, Ukraine's Security Service said yesterday.
The drones hit 41 planes stationed at military airfields on Sunday afternoon, including A-50, Tu-95 and Tu-22M aircraft, the official said.
Moscow has previously used Tupolev Tu-95 and Tu-22 long-range bombers to launch missiles at Ukraine, while A-50s are used to coordinate targets and detect air defences and guided missiles.
The Security Service of Ukraine said that the operation, which it codenamed "spider web", had destroyed 34 percent of Russia's fleet of air missile carriers with damages estimated at $7bn.
The claim could not be independently verified.
Russia's defence ministry in a statement confirmed the attacks, which damaged aircraft and sparked fires on air bases in the Irkutsk region, more than 4,000km (2,500 miles) from Ukraine, as well as the Murmansk region in the north, it said.
Strikes were also repelled in the Amur region in Russia's Far East and in the western regions of Ivanovo and Ryazan, the ministry said.
Asian shares slide as Russia-Ukraine conflict, OPEC+ output plan push oil prices higher
06:45
,
Arpan Rai
Asian shares sank this morning and oil prices jumped as trade tensions and the Russian-Ukraine conflict ratcheted up geopolitical uncertainty.
Hong Kong’s Hang Seng plunged more than 2 per cent as Beijing and Washington traded harsh words over trade. US president Donald Trump’s announcement that he will double tariffs on steel and aluminum to 50 per cent layered on still more worries for investors.
A report over the weekend that China’s factory activity contracted in May, although the decline slowed from April as the country reached a deal with the US to slash president Donald Trump’s sky-high tariffs, further undermined market sentiment.
What are Ukraine's demands today from Putin in Turkey?
06:44
,
Arpan Rai
Ukrainian negotiators in Istanbul will present to the Russian side a proposed roadmap for reaching a lasting peace settlement, according to a copy of the document seen by Reuters.
According to the document, there will be no restrictions on Ukraine's military strength after a peace deal is struck, no international recognition of Russian sovereignty over parts of Ukraine taken by Moscow's forces, and reparations for Ukraine.
The document also states that the current location of the frontline will be the starting point for negotiations about territory.
Russia currently controls a little under one fifth of Ukraine, or about 113,100 square km, about the same size as the US state of Ohio.
Mr Putin ordered tens of thousands of troops to invade Ukraine in February 2022 after eight years of fighting in eastern Ukraine between Russian-backed separatists and Ukrainian troops. The United States says over 1.2 million people have been killed and injured in the war since 2022.
Drone attack destroyed one third of Russian strategic bombers, says Zelensky
06:25
,
Arpan Rai
Volodymyr Zelensky has claimed that Ukraine’s operation against Russian airfields struck one third of the strategic cruise missile carriers stationed at air bases.
“Today, a brilliant operation was carried out. The preparation took over a year and a half,” he wrote on X alongside his Sunday evening address.
“What’s most interesting, is that the ‘office’ of our operation on Russian territory was located directly next to FSB headquarters in one of their regions.
“In total, 117 drones were used in the operation with a corresponding number of drone operators involved. 34% of the strategic cruise missile carriers stationed at air bases were hit. We will continue this work.”
What to expect as Russia and Ukraine talk about peace today in Turkey
06:20
,
Arpan Rai
Russian and Ukrainian officials are due to sit down today in the Turkish city of Istanbul for their second round of direct peace talks since 2022, but the two sides are still far apart on how to end the war and the fighting is stepping up.
The Russian delegation will be headed by Kremlin aide Vladimir Medinsky, who after the first round invoked French general and statesman Napoleon Bonaparte to assert that war and negotiations should always be conducted at the same time.
After keeping the world guessing on whether Ukraine would even turn up for the second round, president Volodymyr Zelensky said defence minister Rustem Umerov would meet with Russian officials in Istanbul.
The first round of talks on 16 May yielded the biggest prisoner swap of the war but no sign of peace – or even a ceasefire as both sides merely set out their own opening negotiating positions.
US president Donald Trump has demanded Russia and Ukraine make peace, but so far they have not and the White House has repeatedly warned the United States will "walk away" from the war if the two sides are too stubborn to reach a peace deal.
Ukraine drone attacks on Russia spark fires, disrupt traffic, officials say
05:59
,
Arpan Rai
Ukraine's overnight drone attacks on Russia's Kursk and Voronezh regions sparked residential fires and disrupted traffic on a major highway, regional officials said early this morning.
Russian air defence units destroyed a total of 162 Ukrainian drones overnight, downing 57 of the air weapons over the Kursk region that borders Ukraine.
Falling debris from destroyed drones in the Kursk region sparked fires at several houses and damaged private apartments, said acting governor Alexander Khinshtein.
In the southern Russian region of Voronezh, where Russian air units destroyed 16 Ukrainian drones, regional governor Alexander Gusev said drone debris cut through power lines which fell on the M-4, a major expressway.
A small section of the highway, which links the cities of Moscow, Voronezh, Rostov-on-Don and Krasnodar, was closed, Mr Gusev said. Falling drone debris also damaged the facade of several houses, he added on Telegram.
There were no injuries reported, the governors of the regions said.
The attacks come as both Russia and Ukraine are about to meet for a round of peace talks, trying to find a way to end the war that Russia launched with a full-scale invasion on its smaller neighbour more than three years ago.
Seven killed in bridge collapse and train derailment in Russia
05:45
,
Arpan Rai
At least seven people were killed and 30 hospitalised after "illegal interference" caused a bridge to collapse and a train to derail in Russia's Bryansk region that borders Ukraine, Russian authorities said yesterday.
The train's locomotive and several cars derailed "due to the collapse of a span structure of the road bridge as a result of an illegal interference in the operation of transport", Russian Railways said on Telegram.
Two children were among those hospitalised, one of them in a serious condition, according to Alexander Bogomaz, the governor of Bryansk.
Among those killed was the locomotive driver, Russia's state news agencies reported, citing medics. Russia's ministry of emergency situations said its main efforts were aimed at finding and rescuing victims and that some 180 personnel were involved in the operation.
Russia's Baza Telegram channel, which often publishes information from sources in the security services and law enforcement, reported without providing evidence that the bridge was blown up.
Since the start of the war that Russia launched more than three years ago, there have been continued cross-border shelling, drone strikes, and covert raids from Ukraine into the Bryansk, Kursk and Belgorod regions that border Ukraine.
The train was going from the town of Klimovo to Moscow, Russian Railways said. It collided with the collapsed bridge in the area of a federal highway in the Vygonichskyi district of the Bryansk region.The district lies some 100km from the border with Ukraine.
ICYMI: Weekend strike by Russia saw biggest number of drones in 3-year-war
05:28
,
Arpan Rai
Russia launched at least 472 drones at Ukraine overnight, Ukraine's air force said yesterday, the highest nightly total of the war so far.
The air force said in a statement that Russia had also launched seven missiles.
It added that 382 of the drones were shot down or otherwise neutralised, along with three of the missiles.
Russia has recently stepped up the amount of drones it launches at Ukraine in its regular nightly barrages.
Attack on bombers will leave Putin 'infuriated' – expert
05:12
,
Arpan Rai
Vladimir Putin will be “infuriated” by the “unprecedented” attack if it is as damaging as Kyiv claims, Russia expert John Lough told The Independent, describing it as a “huge win” for Ukraine that will boost morale within the military.
“It’s an embarrassment [for Russia]. It’s just another humiliation at a moment where Putin is very keen to show the Americans in particular that Ukraine is losing, and [that] it’s only a matter of time before the Russians roll them over,” said Mr Lough, head of foreign policy at the New Eurasian Strategies Centre.
Ukraine to set out roadmap for peace at Istanbul talks, document shows
04:51
,
Arpan Rai
Ukrainian negotiators will present to the Russian side a proposed roadmap for reaching a lasting peace settlement in Istanbul, according to a copy of the document seen by news agency Reuters.
The proposed roadmap begins with a full ceasefire of at least 30 days, to be followed by the return of all prisoners held by each side, and of Ukrainian children taken into Russian-held territory, and then a meeting between Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian leader Vladimir Putin.
Under the blueprint, Moscow and Kyiv – with the participation of the United States and Europe – will work to hash out the terms on which they can agree to put a complete end to their three-year-old war, the biggest conflict in Europe since the Second World War.
Ukrainian officials said earlier this week that they had sent the blueprint to the Russian side in advance of the Istanbul talks.
Zelensky says attack on Putin's warplanes 'will go in history books'
04:46
,
Arpan Rai
Volodymyr Zelensky has hailed the “absolutely brilliant” operation against Russian warplanes, saying it will “undoubtedly be in history books”.
“A result achieved solely by Ukraine. One year, six months, and nine days from the start of planning to effective execution. Our most long-range operation,” Mr Zelensky said.
The Ukrainian agents involved in the operation were successfully extracted from Russian territory, he added.
Appearing to refer to the fact that a limited number of videos have so far been released - with analysts saying they cannot independently verify Kyiv’s claim that 41 planes were destroyed - Mr Zelensky said: “I instructed the Security Service of Ukraine to inform the public about the details and results of the operation that can be disclosed. Of course, not everything can be revealed at this moment, but these are Ukrainian actions that will undoubtedly be in history books.”
In a later post on X, Mr Zelensky claimed one third of Russian strategic cruise carriers had been destroyed.“In total, 117 drones were used in the operation with a corresponding number of drone operators involved. 34 per cent of the strategic cruise missile carriers stationed at air bases were hit. We will continue this work.”
Nato may be attacked by Russia in next four years, says German defence chief
04:41
,
Arpan Rai
Nato should prepare for a possible attack from Russia within the next four years, Germany’s chief of defence has told the BBC.
Russia is producing hundreds of tanks per year, which could be used for an attack on Nato Baltic state members before 2029, General Carsten Breuer said.
Nato is facing a “very serious threat” which is more significant than General Breuer has seen in his four decades of service, he told the BBC at the Shangri-la Dialogue, a defence summit in Singapore.
Russia is producing nearly 1,500 battle tanks per year, he added.
"Not every single tank is going to [the war in] Ukraine, but it's also going in stocks and into new military structures always facing the West," he said. "There's an intent and there's a buildup of the stocks.”
How did Ukraine reportedly strike Russian airbases 4,000 kilometres in Russia?
04:37
,
Arpan Rai
A source from Ukraine’s SBU security agency has claimed an airfield more than 4,000 kilometres inside Russia was struck, in what has been hailed as an unprecedented wave of drone strikes.
Here’s what the source told The Kyiv Independent about how the attack was carried out.
The SBU first transported FPV drones to Russia, and later, on the territory of the Russian Federation, the drones were hidden under the roofs of mobile wooden cabins, already placed on trucks.
At the right moment, the roofs of the cabins were opened remotely, and the drones flew to hit Russian bombers.
Currently, more than 40 aircraft are known to have been hit, including the A-50, Tu-95 and Tu-22 M3.
Ukraine's SBU security service source, speaking to The Kyiv Independent
Zelensky gives details of operation as he confirms drone attack
04:35
,
Arpan Rai
Volodymyr Zelensky shared details of Kyiv's drone swarm attack that left Russia stunned with the loss, reportedly, of 40 planes, including strategic bombers.
“Today, a brilliant operation was carried out. The preparation took over a year and a half. What’s most interesting, is that the 'office' of our operation on Russian territory was located directly next to FSB headquarters in one of their regions,” he said in his nightly address on X.
“In total, 117 drones were used in the operation with a corresponding number of drone operators involved. 34 per cent of the strategic cruise missile carriers stationed at air bases were hit. We will continue this work.”
Today, a brilliant operation was carried out. The preparation took over a year and a half. What’s most interesting, is that the “office” of our operation on Russian territory was located directly next to FSB headquarters in one of their regions.
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) June 1, 2025
In total, 117 drones were used in… pic.twitter.com/tU0SMN9jdB
Dozens of Russian warplanes destroyed in Ukrainian drone attack, claims Kyiv
04:19
,
Arpan Rai
A Ukrainian drone attack destroyed more than 40 Russian planes deep in the country’s territory, Ukraine's Security Service said on Sunday, while Moscow pounded Ukraine with missiles and drones just hours before a new round of direct peace talks in Istanbul.
The so-called “Spider Web” operation, carried out by Ukraine’s SBU security service, saw drones smuggled thousands of kilometres into Russian territory using lorries, before they were unleashed to destroy the aircraft, the SBU said.
In his evening address on Sunday, Volodomyr Zelensky said that 117 drones had been used in the operation. He claimed the operation had been headquartered out of an office next to the local FSB headquarters, the Russian intelligence and security service.
'Ukraine will not give up', says former UK foreign secretary
04:10
,
Arpan Rai
Former foreign secretary James Cleverly said Ukraine's latest drone attack, which reportedly destroyed 40 aircraft deep inside Russia, showed the war-hit nation "WILL NOT GIVE UP!"
"Ukraine’s drone attack shows that those who have written them off were wrong to do so. I’ve been to Ukraine, met people at every level of society and I learned one big lesson. THEY WILL NOT GIVE UP!" he said on X.
Russia says it thwarted Ukraine-ordered railway sabotage attempt
04:10
,
Arpan Rai
Russia's security service FSB thwarted an attempted arson attack on railway transportation in the far eastern region of Primorsky Krai, or Primorye, that was to be conducted on Ukraine's order, the RIA news agency reported today.
"It was established that two 19-year-old residents of Primorsky Krai, on orders from Ukrainian special services and expecting to receive a monetary reward, committed actions aimed at setting fire to track-side relay cabinets," RIA cited the service as saying.
Ukrainian attacks on Russian warplanes 'really significant' if verified, analyst says
04:07
,
Arpan Rai
Ukraine’s destruction of more than 40 Russian warplanes would be “really, really significant” if the scale of damage claimed by Kyiv is true, a military analyst has told The Independent.
“If the 40 hits are confirmed then it is really, really significant, and a very successful operation,” said Emil Kastehelmi of the Black Bird Group.
The Finnish open-source intelligence organisation has only confirmed six hits so far, but Mr Kastehelmi expects that number to rise.
“Even if it’s just [the six hits which Black Bird Group has confirmed], it’s is still a very successful operation,” he said.
“It’s been done in an interesting way, operating deep inside Russia with FPV [first-person view] drones, which the air defense can’t quickly and very effectively act against whilst they are there.”
The operation may not have gone entirely to plan, Mr Kastehelmi, said. It is “very likely” that one or two of the trucks carrying the drones into Russia exploded before they could reach their targets.