Russian president Vladimir Putin has ordered preparations for nuclear testing after president Donald Trump said the US would be running tests last week.
"I am instructing the Foreign Ministry, the Defence Ministry, the special services and relevant civilian agencies to do everything possible to collect additional information on the issue, analyse it at the Security Council and make agreed proposals on the possible start of work on the preparation of nuclear weapons tests,” Putin said on Wednesday.
Defence minister Andrei Belousov told the Russian leader that remarks by the US made it "advisable to prepare for full-scale nuclear tests" immediately.
Last week, Donald Trump announced that the United States is to resume nuclear weapons testing “immediately”, raising fears of renewed proliferation between the world’s two biggest stockpiles of atomic weaponry.
Between them, Russia and the US maintain 87 per cent of the world’s total inventory of nuclear weapons.
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Key Points
- Russia orders preparations for nuclear testing after Trump announcement
- The Nuclear Club: The 9 countries armed with nukes as US set to resume weapons testing
- Russian governor urges residents to 'remain calm' as historic Russian city comes under drone attack
- Zelensky visits troops fighting near Pokrovsk
- Russian army 'forced to push back deadlines' for Pokrovsk and Dobropillia
- Why Russia is so desperate to win the battle of Povrosk
Russia and Ukraine say their forces are locked in fierce fighting in the ruins of Pokrovsk
03:05
,
Arpan Rai
Russia said its forces were advancing north inside Pokrovsk in a drive to take full control of the Ukrainian city, but the Ukrainian army said its units were battling hard to try to stop the Russians from gaining new ground.
Ukraine has acknowledged that its troops face a difficult position in the strategic eastern city, once an important transport and logistics hub for the Ukrainian army, which Russia has been trying to capture for more than a year.
The Russian defence ministry said two assault groups were destroying Ukrainian troops that were surrounded in several districts of the city and continuing an offensive pushing north through it. Russian forces were clearing Ukrainian troops from settlements on Pokrovsk's southeastern flank and had repelled Ukrainian attempts to break out of encirclement.
The Ukrainian military denied that its troops were surrounded in Pokrovsk. It said they were trying to stop Russian soldiers from digging in while seeking to secure and protect logistics routes in the wider area.
“Measures are being taken to block the enemy, which is attempting to infiltrate and accumulate in the city of Pokrovsk," the Ukrainian General Staff said in a statement.
“Active countermeasures are being taken against attempts by enemy infantry groups to gain a foothold.”
Russia sees the city as the gateway to its capture of the remaining 10 per cent, or 5,000 square km (1,930 square miles) of Ukraine's eastern industrial Donbas region, one of its key aims in the almost four-year-old war.
Analysis: Ceasefire deal 'firmly off the table', says expert
02:00
,
Nicole Wootton-Cane
President Volodymyr Zelensky’s visit to the frontline shows that the battle between Ukraine and Russia is continuing to intensify rather than slow down.
“Zelensky's visit to the troops near an embattled town is a clear sign that a ceasefire deal is firmly off the table - at least in the short run,” Dr Bariş Çelik, an academic specialising in security and defence policies in Europe at the University of Sheffield, told The Independent.
“The visit shows that Zelensky's government is understandably invested in a defensive struggle to maintain Ukraine's territorial integrity, even if this means a continued and protracted fight against a sustained flood of Russian troops.
“This in turn adds to the doubts over a potential ceasefire between Russian and Ukrainian forces, let alone an end to the ongoing war.”
Recap: Ukraine seeks to revamp military service as troops worn down by war
01:00
,
Nicole Wootton-Cane
Ukraine seeks to introduce fixed-term military contracts to allow recruits more flexibility over their futures as the war with Russia shows no sign of ending.
Its current system of conscription enlists soldiers under open-ended contracts, which has led to an army worn down by the relentless intensity of fighting since Russia’s invasion in February 2022.
The new system will allow current service members and recruits to sign deals lasting between one and five years, according to the country’s defence minister Denys Shmyhal who announced the news on Tuesday. The plan will seek to ease the strain on existing military members, and replenish Ukraine’s forces.
Watch: Why Russians are fighting against Russia
00:00
,
Nicole Wootton-Cane
ICYMI: Latvian arrested for allegedly collecting information for Russia's intelligence
Wednesday 5 November 2025 23:00
,
Nicole Wootton-Cane
A Latvian citizen has been arrested for allegedly collecting information on behalf of Russia’s intelligence service, according to Latvia's State Security Service.
They added the suspect obtained and passed along details about NATO forces there, as well as information about private infrastructure used for aviation and how to buy prepaid cellphone cards.
You can read more below...
Special dispatch: US medic describes horrors of Ukraine frontline – but says hearing Trump pontificate about peace is more traumatic
Wednesday 5 November 2025 22:00
,
Nicole Wootton-Cane
Ukraine gets more Patriot air defence systems to counter deadly Russian attacks
Wednesday 5 November 2025 21:01
,
Nicole Wootton-Cane
Ukraine has received more American-made Patriot air defence systems in an effort to repel Russian attacks, Volodymyr Zelensky has said.
“More Patriots are now in Ukraine and being put into operation,” Zelenskyy said on social media late Sunday. “Of course, more systems are needed to protect key infrastructure sites and our cities across the entire territory of our state.”
The sophisticated Patriot systems are the most effective weapon against Russian missiles.
You can read more below...
Poland 'working with US' on gas deal, reports say
Wednesday 5 November 2025 20:00
,
Nicole Wootton-Cane
Poland is working on a deal to import liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the US to supply Ukraine and Slovakia, an agreement that would further tighten the European Union’s ties to American energy, according to two sources familiar with the negotiations.
Officials expect to announce a joint declaration to boost imports after a meeting of the parties at a transatlantic energy conference in Athens later this week, one of the sources said.
"After that, discussions would follow on terms for supplies to Slovakia," one of the sources told Reuters news agency.
This is expected to be the latest in a series of energy deals struck between European and U.S. government officials and companies on the back of a push from Washington to boost exports of American gas and nuclear technology.
Watch: Moment Ukraine special ops blow up ‘elite Russian unit’ on Black Sea oil rig
Wednesday 5 November 2025 19:30
,
Daniel Keane
Recap: Embarrassment in Moscow as Ukraine’s daring strikes hit targets deep inside Russia
Wednesday 5 November 2025 19:16
,
Nicole Wootton-Cane
Ukrainian long-range drones have reportedly struck an industrial plant deep inside Russia, approximately 1,300 kilometres (800 miles) from the border, while Kyiv’s forces continue to fight an intense battle to repel a Russian advance on the strategic city of Pokrovsk in eastern Donetsk.
These strikes, using domestically produced drones, have caused considerable embarrassment for Moscow, with officials often reluctant to admit any damage.
You can read more below...
Russia and Ukraine say their forces in fierce battles in ruins of Pokrovsk
Wednesday 5 November 2025 18:30
,
Daniel Keane
Russia has said that its forces are advancing north inside Pokrovsk in a drive to take full control of the Ukrainian city, but the Ukrainian army said its units were battling hard to try to stop the Russians from gaining new ground.
Ukraine has acknowledged that its troops face a difficult position in the strategic eastern city, once an important transport and logistics hub for the Ukrainian army, which Russia has been trying to capture for more than a year.
Russia sees the city as the gateway to its capture of the remaining 10% of Ukraine's eastern industrial Donbas region, one of its key aims in the war.
The Russian defence ministry said two assault groups were destroying Ukrainian troops that were surrounded in several districts of the city and continuing an offensive pushing north through it.
The Ukrainian military denied that its troops were surrounded in Pokrovsk. It said they were trying to stop Russian soldiers from digging in while seeking to secure and protect logistics routes in the wider area.
US 'notified Russia ahead of Minuteman III missile test'
Wednesday 5 November 2025 17:38
,
Daniel Keane
The United States notified Russia in advance of a Minuteman III missile launch, Russia's Interfax news agency reported on Wednesday, citing Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov.
The US conducted a test launch of the unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on 5 November.
Why Russia is so desperate to win the battle of Pokrovsk and what happens next
Wednesday 5 November 2025 16:32
,
Maira Butt
Russian forces have advanced in the eastern Ukrainian city of Pokrovsk, the Russian Defence Ministry said on Monday.
Pokrovsk is a city that Russia has been trying to capture for over a year.
An estimated 100,000 Russian troops were circling the area, with Ukraine’s top military commander Oleksandr Syrskyi saying his forces pushed hard to dislodge Russian troops.
The following are key facts about Pokrovsk, which Russians call by its Soviet-era name of Krasnoarmeysk, and the long battle for its control, which began in earnest in mid-2024.
Embarrassment in Moscow as Ukraine’s daring strikes hit targets deep inside Russia
Wednesday 5 November 2025 16:06
,
Maira Butt
Ukrainian long-range drones have reportedly struck an industrial plant deep inside Russia, approximately 1,300 kilometres (800 miles) from the border, while Kyiv’s forces continue to fight an intense battle to repel a Russian advance on the strategic city of Pokrovsk in eastern Donetsk.
Two drones targeted an industrial facility in Sterlitamak, located in Russia’s Bashkortostan region, according to regional Governor Radiy Habirov. He stated online that both drones were shot down, causing no casualties, and that the facility was operating normally, though he did not specify the exact target.
Analysis: Why talk of the fall of Pokrovsk – and Ukraine – is premature
Wednesday 5 November 2025 15:30
,
Maira Butt
Not a word of what the Russian defence ministry says is credible. Its claims that Russian troops have surrounded Ukrainian forces in Pokrovsk, Kostyantynivka and Kupiansk, in eastern Ukraine, are agitprop.
But Volodymyr Zelensky’s statement from the frontline that his country’s fighters are “under pressure” is also misleading - and something of an understatement.
The Independent’s foreign correspondent Sam Kiley reports:
Putin orders preparations for nuclear testing after Trump threat
Wednesday 5 November 2025 14:59
,
Maira Butt
Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered top officials to begin drafting proposals on nuclear testing after US President Donald Trump said that he would resume tests last week.
"I am instructing the Foreign Ministry, the Defence Ministry... the special services and relevant civilian agencies to do everything possible to collect additional information on the issue, analyse it at the Security Council and make agreed proposals on the possible start of work on the preparation of nuclear weapons tests," Putin said on Wednesday.
Ukraine strengthens units to defend Pokrovsk
Wednesday 5 November 2025 14:30
,
Maira Butt
Ukraine’s general staff denied Russian statements that its military surrounded Kyiv troops.
The military said that it had strengthened its units to defend the strategic city, which is located in the eastern Donetsk region.
It said combat work was underway to reinforce the flanks around Pokrovsk and Myrnohrad area and secure logistics routes, according to the statement on the Telegram app.
Ukraine military using video game-style reward system earning points killing Russians with drones
Wednesday 5 November 2025 14:00
,
Maira Butt
Ukraine’s military units are competing with each other by launching deadly drone attacks to earn points that can be used to buy more weapons.
The video game-style rewards system is proving to be very popular, Ukraine’s first deputy prime minister said, with hundreds of units participating. Launched a year ago, it is now being expanded to reconnaissance, artillery and logistics operations, according to reports.
Bryony Gooch reports:
Zelensky calls for Ukraine to join EU before 2030
Wednesday 5 November 2025 13:30
,
Maira Butt
Volodymyr Zelensky has expressed his desire for Ukraine to join the EU by 2030.
"Ukraine is fighting for its independence, and our future is in the EU, which is part of our independence … and for us, it is an important factor that we are highly assessed in this [report]," he said, speaking during a visit to frontline troops near Pokrovsk.
The president said he "would not like this [accession] process to be too long," but acknowledged that this "does not depend on us".
"The quicker Ukraine is able to open the clusters and to have the fully fledged negotiations, the better it is for us," he added.
His statement comes after the EU's foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, said the EU could admit new members by 2030.
“Russia’s full-scale invasion in Ukraine and the geopolitical shifts make the case for enlargement very clear cut,” Kallas told reporters.
“It is a necessity if we want to be a stronger player on the world stage.”
She added that “new countries joining the European Union by 2030 is a realistic goal” and said Montenegro was the most advanced in the accession process.
Analysis: Ceasefire deal 'firmly off the table', says expert
Wednesday 5 November 2025 12:55
,
Maira Butt
President Volodymyr Zelensky’s visit to the frontline shows that the battle between Ukraine and Russia is continuing to intensify rather than slow down.
“Zelensky's visit to the troops near an embattled town is a clear sign that a ceasefire deal is firmly off the table - at least in the short run,” Dr Bariş Çelik, an academic specialising in security and defence policies in Europe at the University of Sheffield, told The Independent.
“The visit shows that Zelensky's government is understandably invested in a defensive struggle to maintain Ukraine's territorial integrity, even if this means a continued and protracted fight against a sustained flood of Russian troops.
“This in turn adds to the doubts over a potential ceasefire between Russian and Ukrainian forces, let alone an end to the ongoing war.”
Historic Russian city rocked by explosions after Ukrainian drone attacks
Wednesday 5 November 2025 12:17
,
Maira Butt
The historic Russian city of Oryol came under Ukrainian attack on Wednesday as the governor of the region urged residents to “remain calm”.
Governor Andrey Klychkov claimed that Ukrainian drones were targeting the region and that Russian air defense units destroyed the UAVs.
Debris from the intercepted drones is said to have damaged some homes and an outbuilding, he said.
Footage circulated on social media shows the aftermath of explosions around 1 to 1.5km from the Oryol thermal plant.
“Specialists are working on site. Recovery efforts will begin at daylight. Please remain calm. All essential systems are operating normally,” Avdeyev said.
Ukraine ‘destroys elite Russian unit’ in drone strike on Black Sea oil rig
Wednesday 5 November 2025 12:15
,
Maira Butt
Ukraine’s navy says it has struck an “elite” Russian special unit located on a Black Sea oil rig.
An anti-tank missile crew was killed in the strike and reconnaissance equipment was destroyed at the Syvash drilling rig, near Russian-occupied Crimea, the naval forces said in a Telegram post.
Russia has disputed the account by distributing a video that alleges a Ukrainian naval boat was destroyed by a Lancet drone, but Kyiv’s forces said the video actually showed them deploying a kamikaze drone successfully.
Bryony Gooch reports:
The Nuclear Club: The 9 countries armed with nukes as US set to resume weapons testing
Wednesday 5 November 2025 11:45
,
Maira Butt
There has been renewed focus on nuclear arsenals after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
James C Reynolds and Maryam Zakir-Hussain report:
Ukraine seeks to revamp military service as troops worn down by war
Wednesday 5 November 2025 11:15
,
Maira Butt
Ukraine seeks to introduce fixed-term military contracts to allow recruits more flexibility over their futures as the war with Russia shows no sign of ending.
Its current system of conscription enlists soldiers under open-ended contracts, which has led to an army worn down by the relentless intensity of fighting since Russia’s invasion in February 2022.
The new system will allow current service members and recruits to sign deals lasting between one and five years, according to the country’s defence minister Denys Shmyhal who announced the news on Tuesday. The plan will seek to ease the strain on existing military members, and replenish Ukraine’s forces.
Zelensky calls on Orban to stop blocking Ukraine's bid to join the EU
Wednesday 5 November 2025 10:22
,
Maira Butt
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky has urged Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban to stop blocking the country’s bid to join the European Union.
Orban has previously drawn criticism after denying Ukraine’s sovereignty. “Ukraine is not an independent country. Ukraine is not a sovereign country,” he said in September.
Hungary was due to host a highly-anticipated summit between US President Donald Trump and Russia’s Vladimir Putin, but talks appear to have stalled in recent weeks.
“We are at war for our survival, and we would really like the prime minister of Hungary to support us, at least not block us,” Zelensky said at a Euronews event on Tuesday.
Russia's Black Sea port suspends fuel exports after Ukrainian drone attack
Wednesday 5 November 2025 10:14
,
Maira Butt
Russia has been forced to suspend fuel exports at one of its main ports while an oil refinery was forced to halt the progression of crude oil after two Ukrainian drone attacks on its infrastructure.
Two industry sources told Reuters that drone attacks struck Tuapse on Sunday, one of Russia’s main Black Sea ports causing a fire and damaging at least one ship. LSEG ship tracking data appeared to confirm the reports.
Watch: Why Russians are fighting against Russia: ‘Putin has not only ruined Ukraine, he’s ruined my country’
Wednesday 5 November 2025 09:38
,
Maira Butt
Zelensky meets troops near Ukrainian frontline town of Pokrovsk
Wednesday 5 November 2025 09:15
,
Maira Butt
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky met troops near Pokrovsk as fighting intensified in recent days and Russian troops said they had his army in the region surrounded.
“I met with servicemembers at the command post of the 4th Rapid Response Brigade of the National Guard of Ukraine ‘Rubizh,’” he wrote in a post on X/Twitter on Tuesday.
“Together with adjacent units, they are engaged in a defensive operation in the Dobropillia sector.”
He continued: “I heard the commander’s report on the situation in this sector. We discussed the brigade’s needs in detail, the production and centralized supply of drones: ground robotic platforms, heavy bomber drones and others, as well as the manufacturing of standardized munitions for them.”
He presented the soldiers with state awards as he thanked them for their service.
I met with servicemembers at the command post of the 4th Rapid Response Brigade of the National Guard of Ukraine “Rubizh.” Together with adjacent units, they are engaged in a defensive operation in the Dobropillia sector.
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) November 4, 2025
I heard the commander’s report on the situation in this… pic.twitter.com/NjqzGv7YF7
Ukraine drone attacks damage Russian oil pumping stations
Wednesday 5 November 2025 08:44
,
Maira Butt
Two oil pumping stations in Russia’s Yaroslavl region have been left with minor damage after a Ukrainian drone attack.
Mikhail Evrayev, the regional governor said nobody had been hurt in the attack.
It continues a pattern of strikes on energy infrastructure by both sides.
Russia urges surrounded Ukrainian troops to surrender
Wednesday 5 November 2025 08:12
,
Maira Butt
Russia’s defence ministry has said Ukrainian troops encircled in the cities of Pokrovsk and Kupiansk should give themselves up.
Ukraine has denied its troops are surrounded in the region where fighting has intensified in recent days.
In a statement, the ministry said troops would have no other chance to save themselves with their situation deteriorating fast. It said President Volodymyr Zelensky’s statements on the conditions on the ground were false.
Why Russia is so desperate to win the battle of Pokrovsk
Wednesday 5 November 2025 07:30
,
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Russian forces have advanced in the eastern Ukrainian city of Pokrovsk, the Russian Defence Ministry said on Monday.
Pokrovsk is a city that Russia has been trying to capture for over a year.
An estimated 100,000 Russian troops were circling the area, with Ukraine’s top military commander Oleksandr Syrskyi saying his forces pushed hard to dislodge Russian troops.
The following are key facts about Pokrovsk, which Russians call by its Soviet-era name of Krasnoarmeysk, and the long battle for its control, which began in earnest in mid-2024.
What is Pokrovsk?
Pokrovsk is a road and rail hub in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region with a pre-war population of some 60,000 people. Most people have now fled, all children have been evacuated and few civilians remain amid its pulverised apartment buildings and cratered roads.
More here.
