Vladimir Putin’s troops have launched over 150 deadly glide bombs at Ukraine over the last day in a huge air attack, Kyiv’s military said.
At least 153 KAB missiles - winged explosives weighing up to 1,500 kilograms and nicknamed the “building destroyer” - were dropped on Ukrainian towns and cities on Saturday, according to Ukraine’s general staff.
They were part of a huge air attack on involving nearly 100 airstrikes and a missile attack in regions like Sumy, Kharkiv and Zaporizhzhia, it added.
A military hospital was hit by an Iranian-made Shahed drone in the northeastern city of Kharkiv, which Kyiv claimed was a war crime.
“[This was a] deliberate, targeted shelling of a Ukrainian medical institution by the Russian army. War crimes have no statute of limitations,” Ukraine’s general staff said.
It comes as Ukrainian government and military analysts said Moscow was preparing for a new offensive along the 621-mile frontline in Sumy, Kharkiv and Zaporizizhia.
“They're dragging out the talks and trying to get the US stuck in endless and pointless discussions about fake 'conditions' just to buy time and then try to grab more land,” Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said.
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Key Points
- Putin's troops launch over 150 deadly glide bombs
- Two killed and 25 injured in strike on Kharkiv
- Russia preparing for new military offensive, Kyiv says
- Zelensky: We expect strong Western response to Russian drone attacks
- Kyiv quietly invades Russia, bloggers say
Putin's troops launch over 150 deadly glide bombs
07:51
,
Alexander Butler
Vladimir Putin’s troops have launched over 150 deadly glide bombs at Ukraine over the last day in a huge air attack, Kyiv’s military said.
At least 153 KAB missiles - winged explosives weighing up to 1,500 kilograms and nicknamed the “building destroyer” - were dropped on Ukrainian towns and cities on Saturday, according to Ukraine’s general staff.
They were part of a huge air attack on involving nearly 100 airstrikes and a missile attack in regions like Sumy, Kharkiv and Zaporizhzhia, it added.
Ukraine destroys 65 out of 111 Russian-launched drones in overnight attack
07:16
,
Alexander Butler
Ukrainian air defences destroyed 65 out of 111 drones launched by Russia during an overnight attack, Kyiv's air force said in a statement on Sunday.
It added that another 35 drones were "locationally lost" without causing damage, typically a reference to electronic jamming, but that damage was reported in the Kharkiv, Sumy, Odesa and Donetsk regions.
Watch: Kyiv claims Russia launched 170 drones at Ukrainian towns and cities over night
07:14
,
Alexander Butler
What is the Black Sea ceasefire deal between Russia and Ukraine – and will Putin honour it?
07:00
,
Alexander Butler
Russia and Ukraine have agreed to stop attacking ships in the Black Sea after intense negotiations with the US in Saudi Arabia.
It is not the full ceasefire Donald Trump is continuing to push for three years into Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, but the move is seen as progress by the White House.
A US delegation held separate talks with counterparts from Russia and Ukraine over three days into Tuesday.
But how long the current deal will hold - and even when it officially begins - remains uncertain after Russia carried out drone strikes on a key Ukrainian port city overnight.
Watch: How Ukraine is beating Russia in the Black Sea – and pushed Putin towards a ceasefire
06:00
,
Alexander Butler
Russia claims villages in Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia
05:00
,
Alexander Butler
The Russian defence ministry has claimed Putin’s troops have taken the settlement of Panteleimonivka in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region and Scherbaky in Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia region.
Ukraine has not commented on the claim. It has not been independently verified.
UK and French military chiefs to visit Ukraine next week
04:00
,
Alexander Butler
Downing Street has confirmed British and French military planners will visit Ukraine next week to discuss “how the coalition of the willing’s reassurance force will work in practice”.
The prime minister’s official spokesman said: “Any peace agreement can only be achieved if it's backed by real, credible security assurances that deter Putin from coming back for Ukraine again.
“That's what the focus of the coalition of the willing meetings have been so far, supported by the ongoing military planning meetings, which have been taking place in the last few weeks, and we continue the operational phase of our planning.
“British and French military leaders will go to Ukraine next week to discuss the Ukrainian military, how a reassurance force will work in practice.”
Kyiv quietly invades Russia, bloggers say
03:00
,
Alexander Butler
Ukrainian troops have quietly pushed inside Russian territory over the past few days, according to military bloggers.
Emil Kastehelmi, a military analyst with the Finnish-based Black Bird Group, said Ukrainian forces had penetrated Russian defences in Belgorod between 1.9 and 2.5 miles.
The move could be an attempt to distract Russian forces pushing out Kyiv’s troops in neighbouring Kursk, which Ukraine seized after an invasion in August last year.
Comment: As Ukraine peace talks continue, Putin is the one left holding all the cards
02:00
,
Alexander Butler
Two killed and 25 injured in strike on Kharkiv
Saturday 29 March 2025 23:28
,
Alex Croft
Two people were killed and 25 injured in a Russian drone attack on Ukraine’s northeastern city of Kharkiv, Kyiv’s military said.
Drones struck the military hospital, shopping centre, apartment blocks and other targets in the city.
The military’s General Staff said that Ukrainian troops were among the injured in what it described as a “deliberate, targeted shelling” of a medical facility.
The attack "added to the long list of vile and cynical crimes committed by the Russians since the beginning of the unprovoked invasion of Ukraine”, the military added.
Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov said one of the dead had been pulled out from under rubble. He put the overall number of injured at 27.
Zelensky: We expect strong Western response to Russian drone attacks
Saturday 29 March 2025 23:15
,
Alex Croft
President Volodymyr Zelensky said Kyiv expects a strong response from Western countries to the nearly daily Russian drone attacks on its territory.
"Our partners must understand that these Russian strikes target not only our people, but also all international efforts, diplomatic efforts aimed at ending this war," Mr Zelensky said in his nightly video address, noting that 172 drones had been directed at Ukraine overnight.
"Russia is striking against everyone who seeks to end the war. It is impossible to ignore hundreds of (Iranian-designed) Shaheds every night.
"We expect a response, a serious response. We are working to ensure there is a strong reaction, especially from America, Europe and all those in the world who rely on diplomacy."
Last night alone, Russia launched 172 strike drones — over 100 of them were Shaheds. These massive drone attacks have now become a near-daily reality. On top of that, there are continued missile threats, including ballistic ones.
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) March 29, 2025
Our partners should clearly understand: these… pic.twitter.com/UNaYVDfZHj
Putin 'mocking global peace efforts', Zelensky warns
Saturday 29 March 2025 23:00
,
Alexander Butler
Vladimir Putin is mocking global peace efforts, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky warned.
Mr Zelensky said the Russian leader was dragging out the war and “committing acts of terror” despite US efforts to broker a ceasefire.
It came after Kyiv claimed Russia launched 170 drones - over half of them Iranian - at Ukrainian towns and cities over night.
Four people were killed and at least 19 others were injured in a drone attack on Dnipro, southeastern Ukraine, in the barrage.
“Diplomacy can work, but only when backed by actions that strengthen our warriors and deprive the occupiers of the resources to wage war,” Mr Zelensky said.
“Our partners know what can help, what kind of pressure, and it depends on America, on Europe, on everyone in the world who wants effective diplomacy.”
Ukraine strikes Russian energy grid, Moscow claims
Saturday 29 March 2025 21:00
,
Alexander Butler
Thousands of Russians have been left without power after Ukraine attacked Russia’s energy grid, the Kremlin claimed.
Russia's Defence Ministry said Kyiv’s troops had attacked Russian energy facilities over the past day despite a US-brokered moratorium on striking each other's energy infrastructure.
The ministry said Ukraine attacked power grids in the Belgorod region several times leaving about 9,000 residents without power supply.
On Thursday, Kyiv accused Russia of attacking energy infrastructure in the city of Kherson on March 27, violating the terms of the US-brokered limited ceasefire.
Russia and Ukraine announced a partial ceasefire on strikes against energy facilities following technical consultations with the US in Riyadh earlier this week.
Editorial: Under Trump, 80 years of collective security have been dismantled in as many days
Saturday 29 March 2025 20:00
,
Alexander Butler
The history of Trump’s man to negotiate world peace should worry us all
Saturday 29 March 2025 19:00
,
Alexander Butler
So, Steve Witkoff, the Henry Kissinger of our age. What do we know about this man charged simultaneously with bringing peace to the Middle East, creating harmony between Russia and Ukraine, and forging a love-in with Iran?
The routine profiles tell us little about the 68-year-old Bronx-born property developer beyond the fact that he was in the same line of work as Donald Trump and that the two men played a lot of golf together. But Trump clearly believes his golfing chum has exceptional negotiation skills. Why else would he pick him to shuttle between Putin, Hamas, and Bibi Netanyahu in a bid to solve everything all at once?
Kissinger had been a US army intelligence officer in the Second World War. At Harvard, he developed an extensive knowledge of foreign policy, and he became a leading expert in arms control and disarmament. By the time he became national security adviser, he was “one of the most important theorists about foreign policy ever to be produced by the United States”, according to his biographer, Niall Ferguson.
Steve Witkoff develops luxury hotels, Alan Rusbridger writes.
Read the full story here:
Former MI6 chief and Rusi boss discuss Russia, Trump and the future of the West – how to watch our panel
Saturday 29 March 2025 18:00
,
Alexander Butler
Mark your calendars for 8am on 4 April as The Independent launches The Conversation, a new series where our top journalists sit down with world-leading experts to dissect the biggest issues shaping our times.
In the premier episode, world affairs editor Sam Kiley is joined by Alex Younger, the former chief of MI6, Britain’s secret intelligence service, and leading security strategist Rachel Ellehuus, director-general of The Royal United Services Institute (Rusi) and former Pentagon official with expertise in Nato and transatlantic defence.
Together, they will unpack the fast-changing global security landscape in a discussion entitled Shifting Alliances.
Find out more here:
Trump’s new mineral deal forces Ukraine to choose between becoming a US or Russian colony
Saturday 29 March 2025 17:00
,
Alexander Butler
A new Donald Trump deal offered to Ukraine in return for continued US support, but with no security guarantees in the face of Russia’s invasion, forces it to choose between life as a US economic colony or Russian occupation, The Independent’s World Affairs Editor Sam Kiley writes.
The latest version of the much-mutated minerals deal from the White House, which has been tabled in Kyiv, goes further than ever before in attempting to get Ukraine to sign up to back pay for US support in the war, plus four per cent.
On top of that it demands that the US, under Delaware law, controls most of Ukraine’s industrial output and much of its transport and communications system.
Read the full story here:
Russia preparing for new military offensive, Kyiv says
Saturday 29 March 2025 16:00
,
Alexander Butler
Moscow is preparing a new military offensive along the 621-mile front to strengthen the Kremlin’s hand in ceasefire talks, Kyiv officials said.
The offensives will target the northeastern regions of northeast Sumy, Kharkiv and Zaporizizhia regions, analysts said.
"They're dragging out the talks and trying to get the US stuck in endless and pointless discussions about fake 'conditions' just to buy time and then try to grab more land," Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said.
Zelensky says Putin would have nothing to say at peace talks
Saturday 29 March 2025 15:30
,
Alexander Butler
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said Vladimir Putin would have nothing to say at peace talks.
Speaking in Paris yesterday, Zelensky said Vladimir Putin was “not ready for direct talks”.
“I’ve never been afraid, it’s just Putin wants war - what can a man who wants war say at peace talks?” he said.
Comment: As Ukraine peace talks continue, Putin is the one left holding all the cards
Saturday 29 March 2025 15:00
Putin 'mocking global peace efforts', Zelensky warns
Saturday 29 March 2025 14:27
,
Alexander Butler
Vladimir Putin is mocking global peace efforts, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky warned.
Mr Zelensky said the Russian leader was dragging out the war and “committing acts of terror” despite US efforts to broker a ceasefire.
It came after Kyiv claimed Russia launched 170 drones - over half of them Iranian - at Ukrainian towns and cities over night.
Four people were killed and at least 19 others were injured in a drone attack on Dnipro, southeastern Ukraine, in the barrage.
“Diplomacy can work, but only when backed by actions that strengthen our warriors and deprive the occupiers of the resources to wage war,” Mr Zelensky said.
“Our partners know what can help, what kind of pressure, and it depends on America, on Europe, on everyone in the world who wants effective diplomacy.”
Throughout last evening and night, Russia attacked Ukraine with more than 170 drones, including over 100 Shaheds. This massive attack targeted the Dnipro, Kyiv, Sumy, Kharkiv, and Khmelnytskyi regions.
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) March 29, 2025
All night in Dnipro, the aftermath of this attack was being dealt with. As of… pic.twitter.com/LWZLXLqG7r
Ukraine strikes Russian energy grid, Moscow claims
Saturday 29 March 2025 14:06
,
Alexander Butler
Thousands of Russians have been left without power after Ukraine attacked Russia’s energy grid, the Kremlin claimed.
Russia's Defence Ministry said Kyiv’s troops had attacked Russian energy facilities over the past day despite a US-brokered moratorium on striking each other's energy infrastructure.
The ministry said Ukraine attacked power grids in the Belgorod region several times leaving about 9,000 residents without power supply.
On Thursday, Kyiv accused Russia of attacking energy infrastructure in the city of Kherson on March 27, violating the terms of the US-brokered limited ceasefire.
Russia and Ukraine announced a partial ceasefire on strikes against energy facilities following technical consultations with the US in Riyadh earlier this week.
What it’s really like to be on Putin’s kill list
Saturday 29 March 2025 13:30
,
Alexander Butler
Christo Grozev won international plaudits as the investigative journalist who exposed the perpetrators involved in the poisoning of Alexei Navalny and Sergei and Yulia Skripal in Salisbury.
Then, the Kremlin started to focus its sights on him.
Documentarian James Jones has exposed the full horror of what that feels like.
The ‘Coalition of the Willing’ summit in Paris proved that the US and Europe are an ocean apart
Saturday 29 March 2025 13:00
,
Alexander Butler
Editorial: Under Trump, 80 years of collective security have been dismantled in as many days
Saturday 29 March 2025 12:30
,
Alexander Butler
Kyiv quietly invades Russia, bloggers say
Saturday 29 March 2025 12:03
,
Alexander Butler
Ukrainian troops have quietly pushed inside Russian territory over the past few days, according to military bloggers.
Emil Kastehelmi, a military analyst with the Finnish-based Black Bird Group, said Ukrainian forces had penetrated Russian defences in Belgorod between 1.9 and 2.5 miles.
The move could be an attempt to distract Russian forces pushing out Kyiv’s troops in neighbouring Kursk, which Ukraine seized after an invasion in August last year.
The history of Trump’s man to negotiate world peace should worry us all
Saturday 29 March 2025 10:40
,
Alexander Butler
UK and French military chiefs to visit Ukraine next week
Saturday 29 March 2025 09:51
,
Alexander Butler
Downing Street has confirmed British and French military planners will visit Ukraine next week to discuss “how the coalition of the willing’s reassurance force will work in practice”.
The prime minister’s official spokesman said: “Any peace agreement can only be achieved if it's backed by real, credible security assurances that deter Putin from coming back for Ukraine again.
“That's what the focus of the coalition of the willing meetings have been so far, supported by the ongoing military planning meetings, which have been taking place in the last few weeks, and we continue the operational phase of our planning.
“British and French military leaders will go to Ukraine next week to discuss the Ukrainian military, how a reassurance force will work in practice.”
Russia claims villages in Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia
Saturday 29 March 2025 09:46
,
Alexander Butler
The Russian defence ministry has claimed Putin’s troops have taken the settlement of Panteleimonivka in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region and Scherbaky in Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia region.
Ukraine has not commented on the claim. It has not been independently verified.
Former MI6 chief and Rusi boss discuss Russia, Trump and the future of the West – how to watch our panel
Saturday 29 March 2025 09:21
,
Alexander Butler
Mark your calendars for 8am on 4 April as The Independent launches The Conversation, a new series where our top journalists sit down with world-leading experts to dissect the biggest issues shaping our times.
In the premier episode, world affairs editor Sam Kiley is joined by Alex Younger, the former chief of MI6, Britain’s secret intelligence service, and leading security strategist Rachel Ellehuus, director-general of The Royal United Services Institute (Rusi) and former Pentagon official with expertise in Nato and transatlantic defence.
Together, they will unpack the fast-changing global security landscape in a discussion entitled Shifting Alliances.
Find out more here:
Trump’s new mineral deal forces Ukraine to choose between becoming a US or Russian colony
Saturday 29 March 2025 08:45
A new Donald Trump deal offered to Ukraine in return for continued US support, but with no security guarantees in the face of Russia’s invasion, forces it to choose between life as a US economic colony or Russian occupation, The Independent’s World Affairs Editor Sam Kiley writes.
The latest version of the much-mutated minerals deal from the White House, which has been tabled in Kyiv, goes further than ever before in attempting to get Ukraine to sign up to back pay for US support in the war, plus four per cent.
On top of that it demands that the US, under Delaware law, controls most of Ukraine’s industrial output and much of its transport and communications system.
Read the full story here:
Russia preparing for new military offensive, Kyiv says
Saturday 29 March 2025 08:07
,
Alexander Butler
Moscow is preparing a new military offensive along the 621-mile front to strengthen the Kremlin’s hand in ceasefire talks, Kyiv officials said.
The offensives will target the northeastern regions of northeast Sumy, Kharkiv and Zaporizizhia regions, analysts said.
"They're dragging out the talks and trying to get the US stuck in endless and pointless discussions about fake 'conditions' just to buy time and then try to grab more land," Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said.
Dnipro hotel engulfed in flames after four killed in huge Russian drone attack
Saturday 29 March 2025 07:32
,
Alexander Butler
A hotel and restaurant has been engulfed in flames after a huge Russian drone attack on Dnipro killed four people and injured at least 19 others.
Vladimir Putin’s forces launched over 20 drones at the southeastern Ukrainian city overnight, sparking fires across the hotel and a high-rise apartment building.
Footage showed flames and plumes of smoke billowing into the sky, with Dnipro’s streets strewn with smashed glass and rubble.
In an earlier post, Lysak said the casualty toll was likely to rise, with three of the injured in serious condition.
"It is also now known that the enemy directed more than 20 drones toward the city," Mr Lysak wrote on Telegram. "Most of them were downed."
Watch: Moment journalist discovers list of 'assassination methods' to kill him
Saturday 29 March 2025 07:01
,
Athena Stavrou
Former MI6 chief and Rusi boss discuss Russia, Trump and the future of the West – how to watch our panel
Saturday 29 March 2025 06:01
,
Athena Stavrou
The panel, chaired by world affairs editor Sam Kiley, will feature Alex Younger, former MI6 chief, and Rachel Ellehuus, director-general of RUSI, discussing global security, US foreign policy under Trump, and the future of Ukraine and Nato:
Latest pictures from Ukraine
Saturday 29 March 2025 05:00
,
Athena Stavrou
UK and French military chiefs to visit Ukraine next week
Saturday 29 March 2025 04:01
,
By Archie Mitchell
Downing Street has confirmed British and French military planners will visit Ukraine next week to discuss “how the coalition of the willing’s reassurance force will work in practice”.
The prime minister’s official spokesman said: “Any peace agreement can only be achieved if it's backed by real, credible security assurances that deter Putin from coming back for Ukraine again.
“That's what the focus of the coalition of the willing meetings have been so far, supported by the ongoing military planning meetings, which have been taking place in the last few weeks, and we continue the operational phase of our planning.
“British and French military leaders will go to Ukraine next week to discuss the Ukrainian military, how a reassurance force will work in practice.”
What is the Black Sea ceasefire deal between Russia and Ukraine – and will Putin honour it?
Saturday 29 March 2025 03:02
,
Athena Stavrou
Russia and Ukraine have agreed to stop attacking ships in the Black Sea after intense negotiations with the US in Saudi Arabia.
It is not the full ceasefire Donald Trump is continuing to push for three years into Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, but the move is seen as progress by the White House.
A US delegation held separate talks with counterparts from Russia and Ukraine over three days into Tuesday.
But how long the current deal will hold - and even when it officially begins - remains uncertain after Russia carried out drone strikes on a key Ukrainian port city overnight.
This is what we know about the deal.
What it’s really like to be on Putin’s kill list
Saturday 29 March 2025 02:03
,
Athena Stavrou
Christo Grozev won international plaudits as the investigative journalist who exposed the perpetrators involved in the poisoning of Alexei Navalny and Sergei and Yulia Skripal in Salisbury.
Then, the Kremlin started to focus its sights on him.
Documentarian James Jones has exposed the full horror of what that feels like.
Zelensky says Putin would have nothing to say at peace talks
Saturday 29 March 2025 01:00
,
Rachel Clun
Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia’s president would have nothing to say at peace talks.
Speaking after the “coal
