Vladimir Putin has reportedly pulled Russia’s ambassador from London, accusing Britain of taking the “path of confrontation”.
Andrey Kelin, who served as the Russian ambassador to the UK for over seven years, vacated his post on 21 July, reports The Times. It is understood that Moscow has not sought to appoint a replacement amid fears of a diplomatic breakdown.
It comes after prime minister Andy Burnham said the UK is continuing to “support Ukraine 100 per cent” after Moscow threatened consequences for the reported use of British drones for strikes deep into Russia.
On Saturday, Mr Putin warned Kyiv has “opened Pandora’s box” after a campaign of Ukrainian strikes killed at least 10 people in Russia. Ukrainian drones hit an oil refinery, as well as a warehouse belonging to major Russian online retailer, Ozon.
The strikes came one day after after Putin’s shopping centre strike killed 16 people and wounded more than 130 others.
President Volodymyr Zelensky promised a response to the attack, which he described as an "act of barbarism".
Read MoreUkrainian arrested over Nord Stream blast ‘detained on Hollywood movie set’
I’m a conflict expert. Here’s why the UK-Ukraine drone partnership is worth risking Putin’s wrath
Zelensky vows revenge after Russian double-tap strike on shopping mall in his hometown kills 16
Key Points
- Putin pulls ambassador from London amid fears of breakdown in diplomatic relations
- Putin says Ukraine has opened 'Pandora's box' over strikes
- Rescuers continue to search through mall wreckage after 130 wounded
- Death toll in Russian attack on central Ukraine rises to 16
- Zelensky says Ukraine has 'deprived Russia of millions of dollars' by hitting Ozon
‘Putin has repeatedly threatened the UK and Nato over Ukraine – but he is too weak to follow through’
01:00 , Nicole Wootton-CanePutin’s posturing is a poor attempt to scare off broader Western support for Kyiv, say experts. Suha Kidwai reports.
‘Putin may threaten the UK and Nato over Ukraine – but is too weak to follow through’
In pictures: Ukrainians rally to mark their National Flag Day in Istanbul
00:00 , Nicole Wootton-Cane
Putin pulls ambassador from London amid fears of breakdown in diplomatic relations
23:54 , Nicole Wootton-CaneVladimir Putin has reportedly pulled Russia’s long-serving UK ambassador from London amid fears of a diplomatic breakdown between Moscow and the UK.
The Times reported on Saturday night that Andrey Kelin vacated his post on 21 July. No replacement has been sought by Moscow.
A spokesman for the Russian embassy told The Times Mr Kelin had made “considerable efforts to preserve contacts and channels of communication” with the UK and accused the government of choosing a “path of confrontation” with Russia.
Putin says Ukraine has opened 'Pandora's box' over strikes
23:20 , Nicole Wootton-CaneVladimir Putin has said Ukraine has “opened Pandora’s box” after hitting Russian targets in a string of drone strikes on Saturday.
Russia and Ukraine are both ramping up drone campaigns aiming to cripple each other's economic infrastructure, often striking targets far beyond the war's front lines, as fighting on the battlefield grinds toward the 4-and-a-half-year mark.
On Friday, at least 16 people were killed and more than 130 wounded when several Russian drones struck a shopping centre in central Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Saturday that Ukraine's strikes, which Kyiv says seek to choke off financing for Moscow's war effort, had opened a "Pandora's box" of Russian retaliation.
Putin arrests Russians for complaining about fuel shortages as fighting breaks out at petrol stations
23:00 , Nicole Wootton-CaneRussian police have arrested citizens complaining of fuel shortages at the pump, as Ukraine’s drone campaign sparked fighting at petrol stations and rationing.
Moscow and its surrounding regions have been forced to reimpose purchase limits on fuel, capping sales at between 50 and 60 litres per vehicle.
As Ukraine intensifies its “deep strike” campaign, hitting another major oil refinery on Wednesday, the strain on Russia’s domestic energy grid continues to grow. Across at least 12 regions, miles of gridlocked traffic now stall forecourts, with motorists waiting up to 30 hours only to find the pumps empty.
The prolonged waits have pushed the Russian public to breaking point, with footage showing fights erupting between drivers over fuel.
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Putin arrests Russians complaining about fuel shortages amid petrol station fights
US Army to shut down unit in Europe focused on drone warfare in latest shakeup
22:00 , Rebecca WhittakerA drone warfareUS Army unit in Europe has been told to return to being a traditional infantry battalion.
For more nearly a year, soldiers of the 173rd Airborne Brigade have been experimenting and building their own drones, as well as participating in drills on waging unmanned warfare after Ukraine pioneered such tactics in its yearslong conflict with Russia.
US Army to shut down unit in Europe focused on drone warfare in latest shakeup
Pictured: Trucks on fire following strike on Kyiv
21:00 , Rebecca WhittakerTwo trucks caught fire during a Russian strike on Kyiv.
Two people have been killed and nine others are injured following the attack this afternoon.
Watch: Dozens killed after Russian drone strike on busy shopping mall in Zelensky's hometown
20:00 , Rebecca WhittakerUkraine's parliament move to block key EU integration bills
19:00 , Rebecca WhittakerA parliamentary committee has defended its decision to block five bills intended to fight against corruption.
The bills are requirements of the European Union and are needed to advance Kyiv's EU accession talks.
It is also needed for Ukraine to receive an estimated 2.1 billion euros at the end of 2026, The Kyiv Independent reported.
The Ukrainian parliament's law enforcement committee blocked the bill on August 19, by not including them in the agenda of parliament's current session.
Olha Savchenko, a committee member from President Volodymyr Zelensky's Servant of the People party, said the bills shouldn’t be accepted. Instead she said parliament should wait for alternative versions of the reforms from the Cabinet of Ministers.
Anti-corruption activists have criticised the move.
Ukraine to create 100,000 new jobs for veterans
17:59 , Rebecca WhittakerUkraine is aiming to create 100,000 new jobs for veterans as part of a government scheme.
Ukraine already has some 1.5 million veterans, but the country does not have a unified system to support them.
Prime Minister Serhii Koretskyi did not give details about the program and explained the ambitious plan will involve state companies and private businesses.
Koretskyi added that veterans have exceptional skills and discipline and the government’s task is to use that experience in the civil service, business and public administration, The Kyiv Independent reported.
Zelensky meets with Kellog at Veterans Forum in Kyiv
17:01 , Rebecca WhittakerPresident Volodymyr Zelensky met with retired US Lieutenant General and former presidential envoy Keith Kellogg at a Veterans Forum in Kyiv.
During the meeting today, Zelensky said that a top priority for Ukraine’s protection against Russian strikes is anti-ballistic defense.
He also briefed Kellogg on efforts with European partners to create an anti-ballistic shield.
I met with @generalkellogg, who came from Odesa to Kyiv to take part in our Veterans Forum. Thank you for this respect for the Ukrainian warriors who defend Ukraine and the entire Euro-Atlantic space every day under extraordinarily difficult conditions. We discussed the… pic.twitter.com/McVxUtnzvB
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) August 22, 2026
French announce delivery of interceptor missiles to Ukraine
16:00 , Rebecca WhittakerFrench President Emmanuel Macron has announced Paris will deliver new interceptor missiles to Ukraine, whose air defences are running short after the latest round of deadly Russian attacks, FRANCE 24 reported.
"We agreed to accelerate the delivery of the latest French equipment and missiles," Zelenskiy said on the Telegram app, without providing further details.
"Thank you for confirming the readiness to provide licenses for missile production."
Ukraine is awaiting delivery of the new Italo-French SAMP/T-NG missile defence system, which experts say should be capable of downing ballistic missiles.
European diplomats had previously said it was not expected to arrive in Ukraine before spring next year.
It comes after President Volodymyr Zelensky renewed calls for more air defence support following an attack on a shopping mall.
At least 16 people were killed and more than 130 wounded on Friday when several Russian drones struck a shopping centre in Kryvyi Rih, which is Zelensky’s home town.
Rescuers continue to search through mall wreckage
15:22 , Rebecca WhittakerRescuers are still searching for survivors in the wreckage of a shopping mall in Kryvyi Rih, that was hit twice by Russia on Friday.
More than 130 people were wounded in a daytime attack carried out in two waves, with the second strike targeting emergency workers at the scene of the first.
Russian attacks on Ukraine kill 2 people a day after deadly shopping mall drone strike
14:15 , Rebecca WhittakerAt least two people were killed overnight in Ukraine by Russian drone and missile strikes, authorities said, a day after an attack on a shopping center killed 16 people.
Oleksandr Pertsovsky, the head of Ukraine’s national rail operator Ukrzaliznytsia, said Saturday that one of the company’s employees was killed in an overnight ballistic missile attack on the railway in the capital Kyiv.
Russia’s Ministry of Defense said Saturday its forces had hit a locomotive depot.
Read more here:
Russian attacks on Ukraine kill 2 people a day after deadly shopping mall drone strike
Pictured: Odesa football training base damaged in Russian attack
13:45 , Rebecca WhittakerOdesa football club's training base was damaged during Russia's overnight attack on Ukraine.
Pictures show police officers inspecting the damage.
Watch: Dozens killed after Russian drone strike on busy shopping mall in Zelensky's hometown
13:15 , Rebecca WhittakerPictured: Aftermath of strike on Ukrainian shopping centre
12:45 , Rebecca Whittaker
Ukrainian arrested over Nord Stream blast ‘detained on Hollywood movie set’
12:15 , Rebecca WhittakerOne of the main suspects in the 2022 Nord Stream explosions was arrested while reportedly acting as a consultant on a Hollywood film which dramatises the gas pipeline attack, according to German media.
Volodymyr Zhuravlev was arrested by police in Pula, Croatia, under a European arrest warrant put out by Germany, which is seeking his extradition.
Read more here:
Ukrainian arrested over Nord Stream blast ‘detained on Hollywood movie set’
Zelensky vows revenge after Russian double-tap strike on shopping mall in his hometown kills 16
11:45 , Rebecca WhittakerUkraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky vowed to retaliate after a double-tap drone strike on his home town killed 16 people.
Rescuers are still searching for survivors in the wreckage of a shopping mall in Kryvyi Rih, that was hit twice by Russia on Friday.
More than 130 people were wounded in a daytime attack carried out in two waves, with the second strike targeting emergency workers at the scene of the first.
Read more here:
Zelensky vows revenge after Russian attack on shopping mall in his hometown kills 16
Pictured: Train station in Odessa damaged in overnight attack
11:15 , Rebecca Whittaker
Zelensky says Ukraine has 'deprived Russia of millions of dollars' by hitting Ozon
11:05 , Rebecca WhittakerPresident Volodymyr Zelensky has said Ukraine hit the Novokuybyshevsk refinery and Ozon hub in Russia and shared footage of the aftermath on social media.
In a post on X he said: “Over the past 24 hours, our forces struck the Novokuybyshevsk refinery—1,000 kilometers from the front line—depriving the Russian war machine of millions of dollars in export revenues.
“We also hit a logistics hub in the Samara region and targets in the Black Sea.”
Ukrainian long-range sanctions continue to limit Russia’s military and economic potential, ensuring the aggressor state feels the impact of the war more directly.
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) August 22, 2026
Over the past 24 hours, our forces struck the Novokuybyshevsk refinery—1,000 kilometers from the front… pic.twitter.com/Co2J4WGvvi
Recap: Six people killed in wave of strikes on Russia
10:45 , Rebecca WhittakerUkrainian drones killed at least six people in a wave of strikes on Russia overnight that also hit a warehouse owned by online retailer Ozon and an industrial facility in the Samara region.
In a post on Telegram, Samara Governor Vyacheslav Fedorishchev said that several people had been wounded in the strikes.
He did not name the industrial facility struck, but Ukraine's military said it had struck the region's Novokuibyshevsk refinery, causing a fire.
He also said that two children had been killed and two adults wounded in a strike on the Sea of Azov port town of Yeysk. He said a fire had broken out at an unnamed facility at the town's port.
The governor of Russia's Belgorod region, which borders Ukraine, said two people had been killed and 13 wounded in Ukrainian attacks.
In Bryansk, another frontier region, four people were wounded, the local governor said.
In Luhansk, an eastern Ukrainian province almost all of which is controlled by Russia, Moscow-installed governor Leonid Pasechnik said that two civilians, including a 16-year-old boy, had been killed and nine more wounded.
‘Putin has repeatedly threatened the UK and Nato over Ukraine – but he is too weak to follow through’
10:15 , Rebecca WhittakerPutin’s posturing is a poor attempt to scare off broader Western support for Kyiv, say experts. Suha Kidwai reports.
Read more here:
‘Putin may threaten the UK and Nato over Ukraine – but is too weak to follow through’
Ukraine hits warehouse belonging to Ozon and oil refinery
09:43 , Rebecca WhittakerUkrainian drones hit an industrial facility, as well as a warehouse belonging to Ozon, a major Russian online retailer, in strikes overnight, the governor of Russia's Samara region said.
In a post on Telegram, Governor Vyacheslav Fedorishchev said that several people had been wounded in the strikes.
He did not name the industrial facility struck, but the region hosts several oil refineries which have been repeatedly attacked by Ukraine.
Ozon, Russia's second-largest online retailer, said in a statement on Telegram that work at its Samara region logistics centre in the town of Chapayevsk had been halted after the strike, which it said caused injuries.
The strike is the first so far on Ozon, after weeks of strikes targeting its larger rival Wildberries.
Russia's Defence Ministry said it downed 457 Ukrainian drones overnight.
Watch: Dozens killed after Russian drone strike on busy shopping mall in Zelensky's hometown
09:30 , Rebecca WhittakerZelensky calls for more air defence support following shopping mall strike
09:12 , Rebecca WhittakerPresident Volodymyr Zelensky has renewed calls for more air defence support as rescuers continue to clear rubble and search for missing people.
At least 16 people were killed and more than 130 wounded on Friday when several Russian drones struck a shopping centre in Kryvyi Rih, which is Zelensky’s home town.
In a post on X he wrote: "Every day that Ukraine lacks sufficient air defence means casualties that could have been prevented.”
"Protecting lives requires daily decisions and effective support from the world, and right now, new supplies of ballistic missile interceptors and other missiles can help."
In Kryvyi Rih, emergency and rescue operations are ongoing at the site of yesterday’s Russian strike on a shopping mall. The fire, which spread across 9,000 square meters, has been extinguished. SESU specialists are clearing the rubble and continuing to search for people.… pic.twitter.com/JjxqkJLHmH
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) August 22, 2026
Putin arrests Russians for complaining about fuel shortages as fighting breaks out at petrol stations
09:00 , Rebecca WhittakerRussian police have arrested citizens complaining of fuel shortages at the pump, as Ukraine’s drone campaign sparked fighting at petrol stations and rationing.
Moscow and its surrounding regions have been forced to reimpose purchase limits on fuel, capping sales at between 50 and 60 litres per vehicle.
Read more here:
Putin arrests Russians complaining about fuel shortages amid petrol station fights
Two killed in overnight drone strike
08:29 , Rebecca WhittakerAt least two people were killed overnight in Ukraine by Russian drone and missile strikes, authorities said, a day after an attack on a shopping center killed 16 people.
Oleksandr Pertsovsky, the head of Ukraine’s national rail operator Ukrzaliznytsia, said that one of the company’s employees was killed in an overnight ballistic missile attack on the railway in the capital Kyiv.
Russia’s Ministry of Defense said on Saturday its forces had hit a locomotive depot.
Pictured: Rescue crews at shopping centre following strike
08:05 , Rebecca Whittaker
Explosions heard in Kyiv in the early hours
08:02 , Rebecca WhittakerExplosions have been heard in Kyiv this morning, according to reports.
One person was killed as a warehouse caught fire in Kyiv's Darnytskyi district, the Kyiv Independent reported.
It’s also been reported that explosions were heard in the in the Kyiv Oblast.
More than 20 children among 130 wounded in shopping centre strike
07:50 , Rebecca WhittakerAbout 22 children were among the 130 wounded on Friday when several Russian drones struck a shopping centre in central Ukraine, authorities said.
Regional governor Oleksandr Hanzha said that 22 children were among the wounded in the daytime attack on the city of Kryvyi Rih, which is Zelensky's hometown. "There are 29 people in serious condition, including five children," Hanzha said.
This morning he added that nine people were considered missing, including two children, and that rescuers were continuing to clear the rubble of the shopping centre.
At least 16 people were killed in the attack which President Volodymyr Zelensky called an "act of barbarism.”
Zelensky called the attack "absolutely cynical and despicable", adding that a second Russian drone hit the shopping centre half an hour after the first in what he said was a deliberate attempt to target emergency services.
Ukrainian arrested over Nord Stream blast ‘detained on Hollywood movie set
07:00 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarOne of the main suspects in the 2022 Nord Stream explosions was arrested while reportedly acting as a consultant on a Hollywood film which dramatises the gas pipeline attack, according to German media.
Volodymyr Zhuravlev was arrested by police in Pula, Croatia, under a European arrest warrant put out by Germany, which is seeking his extradition.
German prosecutors accuse him of being a member of a team of Ukrainian divers that allegedly planted explosives on the Baltic Sea energy link between Russia and Germany which destroyed three of the four pipelines in 2022.
More here.
Ukrainian arrested over Nord Stream blast ‘detained on Hollywood movie set’
Overnight Russian attack kills two in Ukraine
06:40 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarRussian airstrike on Ukraine killed two people, local authorities said this morning, a day after Moscow's attack on a Ukrainian mall killed 16 people.
One person was killed in a warehouse fire in Kyiv following a ballistic missile strike, while another person was killed in a drone strike on the city of Zaporizhzhia.
In Kyiv, the city’s military administration said a warehouse caught fire in the capital’s Darnytskyi district this morning.
"According to preliminary information, unfortunately, there is one person dead and several injured," the administration said.
Ukraine strikes key Russian oil refinery
06:20 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarUkraine has launched an attack on the Novokuybyshevsk refinery in Russia's Samara Oblast, according to Kyiv Independent.
Ukraine reportedly also targeted a commercial logistics center in its overnight attack in the same region.
Here’s why the UK-Ukraine drone partnership is worth risking Putin’s wrath
06:00 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarUkraine increasingly contributes battlefield-tested designs and operational knowledge, while Britain can provide engineering expertise, industrial capacity, certification, capital and access to international markets
More here.
I’m a conflict expert. Here’s why Ukraine is worth the UK risking Putin’s wrath
EU calls Russian attack on Ukraine mall 'terror by design'
05:45 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarKaja Kallas, the EU’s foreign policy chief, condemned Russia’s attack on Kryvyi Rih as “terror by design” and said she was “putting forward the most far-reaching Russia sanctions listings since the start of the war” when ministers meet in Ireland next month.
“Russia’s attack against a shopping centre in [Kryvyi Rih] shows the absolute and utter depravity of Moscow’s war,” Kallas said on X, claiming that Moscow “wants to make Ukrainian cities unliveable”.
Zelensky condemns Russia's 'terrorist attack' on shopping centre
05:30 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarUkrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has called the Russian attack on a Ukrainian shopping centre "absolutely cynical and despicable".
He said a second Russian drone hit the shopping centre half an hour after the first in what he said was a deliberate attempt to target emergency services.
"Attacks like these are nothing less than terrorist acts," Zelensky said on Telegram, urging the world to hold Russia to account.
"We will definitely respond."
Children among nine missing in Ukraine shopping centre attack
05:00 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarAt least nine people, including two children, have been missing and believed to be trapped under the rubble of a shopping centre attack by Russia, said regional governor Oleksandr Hanzha.
Hanzha said the nine were preliminarily considered missing as rescuers raced against time to clear the rubble of the shopping centre.
Death toll in Russian attack on central Ukraine rises to 16
04:40 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarAt least 16 people were killed and more than 130 wounded yesterday when several Russian drones struck a shopping centre in central Ukraine, authorities said.
President Volodymyr Zelensky has promised a response to the attack, which he described as an "act of barbarism".
Regional governor Oleksandr Hanzha said that 22 children were among the wounded in the daytime attack on the city of Kryvyi Rih, which is Zelensky's hometown.
"There are 29 people in serious condition, including five children," Hanzha said.
Ukrainian drones hit Russian oil refinery
04:16 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarA Ukrainian drone attack killed one person and wounded four others when a car was struck Friday in Russia's Belgorod region near the village of Razumnoye, local officials said, adding that two of the injured were in serious condition.
Zelenskyy said a Ukrainian drone attack hit an oil refinery in Perm, more than 1,600km from his country's border. Also struck was the Marinovka military airfield in Russia's Volgograd region, he said.
The Russian online news outlet Astra reported that the Ukrainian drone had set ablaze a Lukoil-operated oil refinery in Perm. Local officials said damage was recorded at an unidentified "industrial facility."
Russia's Defence Ministry said its air defences overnight intercepted 325 Ukrainian drones over 15 Russian regions, as well as Crimea. The peninsula was illegally annexed by Moscow in 2014.
Russia exploits Ukraine's shortage of defensive systems
04:00 , Dan HaygarthMoscow's forces have in recent months intensified their ballistic missile attacks on Kyiv, exploiting Ukraine's chronic shortage of US-made Patriot air defense interceptors, the sole weapon in its arsenal able to shoot down the missiles.
Large-scale Russian strikes have become a regular occurrence this summer. Just over two weeks ago, a Russian attack on Kyiv and its surrounding region killed 17 people, and nine were killed in the city two days before that.
The United Nations said last week that Kyiv was one of the hardest hit cities in July, with at least 54 civilians killed and 202 injured.
Earlier on Friday, a Russian drone attack on Ukraine's Kharkiv region killed two women, aged 73 and 66, and wounded two others, said regional head Oleh Syniehubov.
Ukraine shot down or suppressed 107 out of 135 drones launched by Russia overnight, according to a statement from Ukraine's air force on Telegram.
Comment - Putin’s empty threats to the UK are the last gasp of a dying Russia
03:00 , Dan Haygarth
Putin’s empty threats to the UK are the last gasp of a dying Russia
French, British, German leaders to co-chair meeting on Ukraine on Monday
02:00 , Dan HaygarthFrench president Emmanuel Macron, Andy Burnham and German chancellor Friedrich Merz will co-chair a meeting of the so-called Coalition of the Willing group of pro-Ukrainian countries on Monday, the French president's office said on Friday.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy will be present in the meeting which will be attended in person and remotely, Macron's office said, without specifying who will be in person.
Russia test-fires missiles off disputed islands days after Putin’s visit angered Japan
01:00 , Dan HaygarthRussia test-fired anti-ship missiles from an island which is also claimed by Japan, a week after Vladimir Putin angered Tokyo by becoming the first Russian president to visit the disputed archipelago.
The Pacific Fleet said on Thursday a unit equipped with the Bastion coastal missile system, which is stationed on Etorofu, simulated an attack on enemy warships and hit all its targets at a range of about 300km.
A guided missile cruiser and a nuclear-powered submarine took part, according to reports.
"We cannot tolerate moves to strengthen military power on the Four Northern Islands because they go against our country's stance on the territories," Japanese foreign minister, Toshimitsu Motegi, said during a visit to Oman.
Russia test-fires missiles off disputed islands days after Putin’s visit
Russia designates independent Mediazona news outlet as 'foreign agent'
Friday 21 August 2026 23:59 , Dan HaygarthRussia's Justice Ministry on Friday declared the independent Mediazona news outlet a "foreign agent", a designation used to label foreign-funded organisations that it says are engaged in political activity.
Mediazona "disseminated false information about Russia's law enforcement system" and a number of its staff have already been labelled as foreign agents, the ministry said.
The term "foreign agent" carries negative Soviet-era connotations and subjects those designated to extra government scrutiny.
Mediazona said via its channel on the Telegram messaging app that this was the second time that Russian authorities had declared it to be a "foreign agent".
Separately, its editor Yegor Skovoroda — who like the outlet's other journalists now works outside Russia — described the ministry's statement as "incredibly crazy".
The news outlet was first designated as a "foreign agent" in 2021, and the Justice Ministry removed it from the register of authorised media organisations in Russia.
Russian state communications regulator Roskomnadzor blocked Mediazona's website within Russia in March 2022, shortly after Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Russian general Lyamin formally takes charge of new drone warfare branch
Friday 21 August 2026 23:00 , Dan HaygarthColonel-general Denis Lyamin has assumed the duties of head of Russia's Unmanned Systems Forces, the Russian Defence Ministry said on Friday.
President Vladimir Putin on 5 August appointed Lyamin to lead the newly established branch of the military responsible for drone warfare.
The Defence Ministry said on Friday that Defence Minister Andrei Belousov had signed the relevant order, formally installing Lyamin in the post.
Zelensky condemns 'cowardly' Russian attack on shopping centre
Friday 21 August 2026 22:31 , Dan HaygarthRussian drones struck a shopping centre in the city of Kryvyi Rih in central Ukraine on Friday, killing 14 people and wounding scores of others, authorities said.
The city is the hometown of Volodymyr Zelensky, who described the attack as a double-tap strike, in which an initial wave of drones hit the area, followed by a second wave as rescue workers responded.
"Attacks like these are nothing less than terrorist acts," Zelensky wrote on social media.
Russian 'double-tap' strike on shopping centre in Ukraine kills 15 and wounds 130
Friday 21 August 2026 21:59 , Dan HaygarthAt least 15 people were killed and more than 130 wounded on Friday when several Russian drones struck a shopping centre in central Ukraine, authorities said, with president Volodymyr Zelensky promising a response to what he called an "act of barbarism."
Regional governor Oleksandr Hanzha said that 22 children were among the wounded in the daytime attack on the city of Kryvyi Rih, which is Zelenskiy's hometown.
"There are 29 people in serious condition, including five children," Hanzha said.
Zelensky slams Russian attack on shopping centre in his home town
Friday 21 August 2026 21:00 , Jessie WilliamsUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called out Russia for a "cynical and despicable" attack on a shopping centre in his home town, Kryvyi Rig, on Friday that killed at least five people and injured more than 50.
"An absolutely cynical and despicable strike was carried out by the Russians against an ordinary shopping center in Kryvyi Rig," he said on X, adding: "Five deaths have been reported".
Russian fuel crisis worsens as 7 in 10 stations run out of petrol
Friday 21 August 2026 20:00 , Jessie WilliamsThere were queues of cars at petrol stations across Russia this week as the fuel crisis worsens due to Ukraine’s drone attacks on energy infrastructure inside the country.
Petrol was available at fewer than three in 10 petrol stations across Russia on Wednesday.
The monitoring app Gdebenz put nationwide petrol availability at 28% of filling stations, down from 41% a week earlier.
The shortage is leading to fights at the pumps, rationing, and even the arrests of people complaining publicly.
Tate brothers referred to counter terror police over alleged Russia propaganda trip
Friday 21 August 2026 19:00 , Jessie WilliamsThe manosphere influencer Andrew Tate and his brother, Tristan, have been referred to counter-terror police in the UK over an alleged trip to Russia to train with Russian soldiers, LBC reports.
The MP Alicia Kearns has written to the Home Office and referred the matter to Counter Terrorism Policing.
She argues that there are grounds to examine whether the brothers were required to register under the Foreign Influence Registration Scheme (FIRS), part of the National Security Act, which requires individuals to register certain arrangements where they carry out activities in the UK under the direction of, or for, specified foreign powers.
In video footage from their trip the brothers are seen riding on and inside what has been identified as a Soviet-era T-80BV main battle tank, a gas-turbine powered vehicle still used by Russian forces in Ukraine and armed in military service with a 125mm smoothbore main gun.
They are also seen firing weapons on a range and throwing hand grenades from the cover of a trench.
It was posted in June during their visit to Russia and was presented as military training, with the brothers pictured surrounded by men in military-style uniform.
Both of them deny the allegations made by Kearns.
