A WHO warehouse full of medical equipment and other humanitarian supplies has been struck and destroyed in a Russian strike on Ukraine.
The WHO's director-general said UN workers tried to evacuate health supplies from the Dnipro facility but some 170 pallets – more than half – were still inside when it was hit.
"I cannot say loudly enough: attacks on health care MUST STOP," Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus posted on X.
"Otherwise, people are deprived of lifesaving healthcare. Even wars have rules. One of those is that health must be protected!"
It comes as Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky claimed North Korea was preparing to deploy as many as 50,000 soldiers to support Russia's war effort.
Zelensky said North Korea would benefit from "experience in modern warfare" as well as receiving licences to produce more advanced Russian technology.
He appealed to South Korea to respond by providing support "in an area where we have a shortage", referring to its air defence systems.
Earlier, UK defence secretary Wes Streeting urged allies to strengthen Ukraine’s air defences ahead of winter, warning that Vladimir Putin will seek to use the colder months as a “weapon” against Kyiv.
Read MoreUkraine strikes Russian oil refinery over 1,300km behind frontline, says Zelensky
Zelensky asks allies for more missile defences after 17 killed in Russian strikes on Kyiv
Key Points
- Kyiv launches wave of nearly 300 drones in 12 hours, Moscow says
- Syria to reorganise Russian military bases into joint training camps
- What we know about explosive drone found near runway at Leipzig airport
- Zelensky says up to 50,000 North Korean troops to be deployed in Russia
- Streeting calls for more air defence missiles for Ukraine
WHO warehouse destroyed in Dnipro, Tedros says
05:51 , Shweta SharmaA WHO humanitarian warehouse in Dnipro, Ukraine, was struck and destroyed last Friday, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said.No casualties were reported.
A WHO staff member and drivers had left the site earlier in the day after helping evacuate 130 of around 300 pallets of medical supplies intended for frontline health facilities.
“I cannot say loudly enough: attacks on health care must stop. Otherwise, people are deprived of lifesaving healthcare,” Mr Adhanom Ghebreyesus posted.
“Even wars have rules. One of those is that health must be protected!”
Russia says it captures two villages in eastern Ukraine
05:19 , Shweta SharmaRussian forces have taken control of two villages in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region, the state-run RIA news agency reported on Sunday, citing the Russian defence ministry.
The ministry report on Telegram said Russian forces had seized Vasyutinske, a few kilometres east of the "fortress city" of Kramatorsk, and Toretsk, southwest of the city of Druzhkivka.
Ukrainian forces made no acknowledgement of the two settlements changing hands.
Russia is slowly advancing westward through Donetsk region, though there has been little significant change for months in the positions along the 1,200km (775mile) frontline.
The Ukrainian war blog DeepState, which uses open source reports in documenting the frontline positions of both sides, reported that Russian forces had made advances near Illinivka -- outside the contested city of Kostiantynivka.
It also reported Russian advances near Chasiv Yar, to the west of the city of Bakhmut, which fell to Russian forces in 2023 after long months of heavy fighting.
The Ukrainian military's General Staff, in a late evening report, said Kyiv's forces had repelled 24 attacks around Kostiantynivka, Illinivka and other centres.
Russian commanders said last month their forces had seized Kostiantynivka, but Ukrainian officials have disputed the claim.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky in his nightly video address on Sunday made no reference to changes in frontline positions, but singled out for praise Ukrainian forces fighting in specific areas, notably Dobropillia, Kostiantynivka and Kramatorsk.
War entering a ‘new phase’, military analyst says
05:00 , James ReynoldsMilitary analyst Michael Clarke has said that the war is entering a “new phase”.
While Russia is making “incremental progress” and Ukraine is “hitting back locally”, he described the advances as “snail’s pace stuff”.
Speaking to Sky News, he said that the two countries are “hurting each other now to a degree that is going to push it to some sort of crisis”.
“Russia has a much greater capacity to be hurt because it hasn’t been hurt very much so far as a society.”
He said that Kyiv is “poking the bear in the eye” by escalating attacks and said that it is a “dangerous assumption” to expect Moscow to back down.
Clarke said that Putin’s “next best option” may be to “frighten” Ukraine’s European allies into reducing their support for Kyiv.
'Frightened and disorientated' cat found in ruins of Kharkiv flats
04:45 , Shweta SharmaEmergency workers responding to a Russian attack on a Kharkiv tower block found a frightened cat from the rubble.
Rescue workers were digging through the remains of the building to rescue residents when they found a cat inside the rubble and rescued it.
Ukraine's state emergency service said “Barney” was found "frightened and disorientated, alone amidst the ruins".
The male cat was carefully rescued and his owner was on her way to pick up her cat, the spokesperson said.
"Behind the rubble – someone's life, and we cherish each one."
Two people were killed and 16 were injured in the strike in Ukraine's second-largest city, authorities said on Sunday.
Ukraine's Zelensky says up to 50,000 North Korean troops to be deployed in Russia
04:16 , Shweta SharmaVolodymyr Zelensky has said up to 50,000 North Korean soldiers will be deployed in Russia to fight for Pyongyang's ally, while calling on South Korea to provide support for its air defence.
Zelensky said on X on Saturday that "a decision has been made for 30,000 to 50,000 North Koreans to be deployed on the territory of Russia", a higher figure than his estimate of 30,000 in July.
He did not elaborate on how he obtained the information. He said Kyiv had found some North Korean missiles in Ukraine's territory, without disclosing their locations.
"It is absolutely clear that North Korea will continue to build its experience in modern warfare, receive licences from Russia, and receive all kinds of military tools from them," he said.
Urging Seoul to have closer cooperation with Kyiv, Zelensky said that Ukraine "would very much like to receive support from South Korea in an area where we have a shortage", referring to its air defence systems.
"We are ready to work on the Drone Deal and other areas as well," he said, adding that Ukrainian diplomats "are in contact" with Seoul to push potential deals.
North Korea has so far sent an estimated 14,000 soldiers to Russia's Kursk Region in 2024, helping Moscow beat back a major incursion into the region by Ukrainian forces.
The latest:Kyiv unleashes wave of nearly 300 drones in 12 hours, says Moscow
04:00 , James ReynoldsRussian air defences engaged and shot down 285 Ukrainian drones in the space of just 12 hours, according to Russia’s defence ministry as Kyiv steps up its cross border assaults.
The ministry said that the drones were downed between 8am and 8pm Moscow time, with incidents mostly occurring in the central and western regions of Russia.
They also included the region of Bashkortostan, between the Volga River and the Ural mountains, they added.
The mayor of Moscow, Sergei Sobyanin, wrote on Telegram that air defence units had destroyed five drones headed for the capital, a regular occurrence in recent months.
Five injured in Russia's bomb strikes in Sumy
03:51 , Shweta SharmaRussian bomb strikes on Ukraine's northern city of Sumy injured at least five people overnight, regional governor Oleh Hryhorov said on the Telegram messaging app on Monday, flagging damage in a number of residential areas.
Russian forces launched five strikes on the city using guided aerial bombs.
What are Patriot missiles and why do they matter?
03:00 , James ReynoldsUkraine is urgently seeking more Patriot interceptors to defend against a nightly barrage of Russian ballistic missile strikes.
But the Iran war has drained arsenals in the US and the Gulf, and some European countries are holding onto missiles they may need for their own defense.
So what are the Patriot interceptor missiles?
Patriot, short for Phased Array Tracking Radar for Intercept on Target, is a mobile surface-to-air missile defense system built by US weapons maker Raytheon Technologies that can be used in all kinds of weather and at long range.
Developed in the 1980s, the Patriot system has been modernized over the past decades, expanding its capabilities and reach. It is slated to remain in service through 2048.
A typical battery includes radar and control systems, a power unit, launchers, and support vehicles. The system can intercept aircraft, tactical ballistic missiles and cruise missiles, depending on the interceptor used.
The earlier PAC-2 interceptor uses a blast-fragmentation warhead that detonates in the vicinity of a target, while the PAC-3 family of missiles uses more accurate "hit-to-kill" technology to physically collide with the target.
Why do they matter?
Kyiv has repeatedly asked Western allies for more air defences to protect critical infrastructure and civilian areas from frequent Russian missile and drone attacks.
While effective at intercepting missiles and aircraft, Patriots are a costly way to shoot down low-budget drones. Patriot interceptors are estimated at around $4 million per missile, CSIS says, while Russia can send hundreds of cheap drones a day.
Although not originally designed to intercept hypersonic weapons, in May 2023 the US confirmed Ukraine had used the Patriot system to shoot down a Russian Kinzhal missile, which Moscow claims is hypersonic.
What are the obstacles?
Russia has long said that giving Ukraine interceptors would amount to a direct escalation. They said it would delay the chance of peace.
But Donald Trump’s main line of argument is that the US needs its weapons and cannot afford to give them away to Ukraine. Indeed, the Patriots have been in short supply since the US went to war with Iran in February.
Trump in July offered Ukraine the right to make its own Patriot interceptors, but later reneged, saying the US has “not agreed” to such an arrangement.
Catch up: Bulgaria's PM says drone explodes near gas pipeline close to Romanian border
02:00 , Maryam Zakir-HussainA drone entered Bulgarian airspace on Saturday and exploded close to an international gas pipeline shortly after crossing the border from Romania.
Bulgaria’s prime minister Rumen Radev said the drone exploded just after 5 a.m. about 100 meters (330 feet) inside Bulgarian territory.
It was not detected or identified while flying through either Romanian or Bulgarian airspace.
“There are no casualties or damage to buildings. The area has been cordoned off. We continue to monitor the situation,” Radev said following a government emergency meeting.
Radev said the unmanned aerial vehicle exploded around 200 meters from a Romanian compressor station, and about 1 kilometer (0.6 miles) from Bulgaria’s compressor station on the Trans-Balkan gas pipeline.
“We will continue to monitor the situation and strengthen surveillance. Following this incident, we will also redeploy border police anti-drone detection and countermeasure capabilities from the border with Turkey to the border with Romania,” Radev said.
It was unclear where the drone had originated or whether it was linked to Russia or Ukraine.
Passage of ships to Black Sea continues smoothly, Turkish officials say
01:00 , Maryam Zakir-HussainShips are passing smoothly through the Turkish straits to the Black Sea despite heightened concerns about safety, two Turkish government officials told Reuters on Sunday.
On Saturday, Bloomberg News reported that Ankara had restricted commercial ship traffic entering the Black Sea following attacks on vessels there, including Turkish-owned ships.
Turkey has issued repeated warnings to Moscow and Kyiv over the attacks in the Black Sea, urging the warring sides to take measures to ensure navigational safety in the area.
On Saturday, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said Ankara had conveyed to Moscow and Kyiv they should declare a moratorium on their attacks in the Black Sea.
The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Turkey had implemented some temporary measures because it had been highly uncomfortable about security for some time, but that passage was clear under the conditions of the Montreux Convention. They did not give further detail.
Monday 10 August 2026 00:00 , Maryam Zakir-HussainJapan issues ominous warning as China, Russia and North Korea deepen ties
Sunday 9 August 2026 23:00 , Maryam Zakir-HussainThe security environment around Japan has become as severe and complex as it has ever been since the end of theSecond World War, the country’s latest defence report said, as it warned against growing defence coordination between Russia, North Korea and China.
The assessment, outlined in Japan's 2026 Defence White Paper, warned that "the possibility of serious situations" capable of shaking the post-war international order in East Asia "cannot be ruled out".
It added that a crisis similar to Russia's invasion of Ukraine could emerge in the Indo-Pacific, particularly in East Asia.
Japan issues ominous warning as China, Russia and North Korea deepen ties
The real worry for Ukraine’s allies as beach strike on Russian civilians marks a shift in the war
Sunday 9 August 2026 22:00 , Maryam Zakir-HussainKyiv has not yet acknowledged killing Russian civilians on a Black Sea beach, but as it strikes deeper at Moscow, these tragedies will multiply – and that’s not the only worry, explains world affairs editor Sam Kiley:
The gentle splash of breaking waves on a resort beach and the laughter of children having innocent fun gives way to the screech and crack of an explosion. Seven people dead – three of them are children.
This was the scene on Monday in the Russian Black Sea town of Gelendzhik where, even if every adult killed and all 40 of those injured were wide-eyed fans of Vladimir Putin and part of his war machine, the children were innocent.
It was the sort of attack that, if carried out by Russia against Ukraine, would have sparked international outrage and allegations of war crimes by targeting civilian areas.
The real worry for Ukraine’s allies as beach strike on civilians marks shift in war
Syria to reorganise Russian military bases into joint training camps
Sunday 9 August 2026 21:28 , James ReynoldsAfter 18 months of deliberation, the Syrian government that displaced Russian ally Bashar Al Assad in December 2024 has decided that it will reorganise Moscow’s key bases in its territory into joint training centres.
Syria’s state news agency SANA reports that a memorandum of understanding was reached between the two nations following months of high-stakes negotiations.
The sites, including the leased naval base in Tartus, on the Mediterranean, are Russia's only military bases outside the former USSR.
Under the new deal, Syria will take over the civilian facilities at the bases, including the commercial docks at Tartus and the Khmeimim airport.
Military facilities, meanwhile, will be converted into joint training sites and qualification centers "aimed at safeguarding the interests of both countries," SANA said, quoting the Syrian foreign ministry.
The ministry said the deal “opens the way for a new phase in Syrian-Russian relations”. Moscow is still believed to be hosting ousted leader Bashar Al Assad after he fled Syria in 2024.
Kyiv launches wave of nearly 300 drones in 12 hours, Moscow says
Sunday 9 August 2026 21:19 , James ReynoldsRussia claimed on Sunday that its air defence units intercepted and destroyed 285 Ukrainian drones over a 12 hour period.
The defence ministry said the drones were downed between 8am and 8pm Moscow time, with incidents mostly occurring in the central and western regions of Russia.
They also included the region of Bashkortostan, between the Volga River and the Ural mountains, the ministry said.
The mayor of Moscow, Sergei Sobyanin, wrote on Telegram that air defence units had destroyed five drones headed for the capital, a regular occurrence in the more than four and half year-war pitting Russia against Ukraine.
Ukraine strikes Russian oil refinery over 1,300km behind frontline, says Zelensky
Sunday 9 August 2026 21:00 , Maryam Zakir-HussainUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on Thursday that Kyiv had struck further oil facilities deep inside Russia during nighttime attacks, intensifying its strategy to cripple Moscow's wartime economy and embarrass the Kremlin.
These persistent strikes have caused fuel shortages and rattled Russians, while heartening Ukrainians who face regular Russian barrages that Kyiv's weakened air defences struggle to counter.
Zelenskyy, speaking on social media, specified two targets: a refinery in Bashkortostan, over 1,300 kilometres (800 miles) behind the eastern front line, and another in the Yaroslavl region, nearly 700 kilometres (400 miles) from the Ukrainian border.
Ukraine strikes Russian oil refinery over 1,300km behind frontline, says Zelensky
Ukraine’s latest strike on Russian Wildberries warehouse shown in satellite images
Sunday 9 August 2026 20:00 , Maryam Zakir-HussainKyiv has launched another drone strike on a Wildberries warehouse in Yekaterinburg, Russia, marking the 20th such attack since 18 July as part of a three-week campaign to 'bring the war home' to ordinary Russians.
The latest incident involved three drones hitting the roof of the logistics centre, though the company reported the resulting blaze was contained and most goods remained undamaged.
Satellite imagery from Reuters indicates that these Ukrainian attacks have collectively destroyed one-fifth of the Russian online retailer Wildberries' total storage capacity.
How explosive drone found near runway at German airport sparked fears of another ‘hybrid’ Russian attack on Nato
Sunday 9 August 2026 19:00 , Maryam Zakir-HussainAn explosive-laden drone was found near a Ukrainian plane at the Leipzig/Halle airport in east Germany late on Tuesday, prompting a counterterrorism investigation and fears of another hybrid attack on European soil.
Airport workers discovered the drone in a restricted cargo area near the southern runway at one of Europe’s biggest cargo hubs. Flights were later suspended and several aircraft were diverted from the airport.
Most operations had resumed by Wednesday morning as one runway was reopened, but the southern strip stayed closed while analysts examined the drone and removed its detonator, according to authorities.
What we know about explosive drone found near runway at Leipzig airport
Turkey says Russia told that Ukraine should declare moratorium in Black Sea
Sunday 9 August 2026 18:15 , Maryam Zakir-HussainTurkish foreign minister Hakan Fidan said that Ankara had conveyed to Russia and Ukraine they should declare a moratorium on their attacks in Black Sea.
Speaking to the state-run Anadolu news agency, Fidan said Turkey had conveyed its concerns about attacks on vessels in the Black Sea to both countries and was implementing certain security measures of its own, but did not elaborate further
Ukraine's Zelensky says up to 50,000 North Korean troops to be deployed in Russia
Sunday 9 August 2026 17:30 , Maryam Zakir-HussainUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said up to 50,000 North Korean soldiers will be deployed in Russia to fight for Pyongyang's ally, while calling on South Korea to provide support for its air defence.
Zelensky said on X on Saturday that "a decision has been made for 30,000 `to 50,000 North Koreans to be deployed on the territory of Russia", a higher figure than his estimate of 30,000 in July.
He did not elaborate on how he obtained the information. He said Kyiv had found some North Korean missiles in Ukraine's territory, without disclosing their locations.
"It `is absolutely clear that North Korea will continue to build its experience in modern warfare, receive licenses from Russia, and receive all kinds of military tools from them," he said.
Urging Seoul to have closer cooperation with Kyiv, Zelensky said that Ukraine "would very much like to receive support from South Korea in an area where we have a shortage", referring to its air defence systems.
"We are ready to work on the Drone Deal and other areas as well," he said, adding that Ukrainian diplomats "are in contact" with Seoul to push potential deals. Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim signed a comprehensive strategic partnership treaty during Putin's June 2024 visit to Pyongyang.
The pact includes a mutual assistance provision if either country faces external aggression.
Watch: Russian drones strike Kyiv overnight as three killed in Ukraine
Sunday 9 August 2026 17:00 , Maryam Zakir-HussainUkraine and Russia accuse each other of lethal attacks
Sunday 9 August 2026 16:14 , Maryam Zakir-HussainUkraine and Russia accused each other of lethal attacks on Sunday, as President Volodymyr Zelensky said Moscow was targeting global food security by striking Odesa's seaport.
Three people were killed and 37 wounded in the eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv, where a multi-storey apartment block was hit, while authorities in Russia's Belgorod said five were killed and 25 wounded by a Ukrainian drone attack.
Zelensky said Odesa's seaport had been damaged by a strike. Local authorities said dozens of drones and missiles hit the southern seaside city, wounding a dozen people.
"In this way, the Russians are at war with the world's food security," Zelensky said.
Odesa's seaports are the artery for Ukraine's vast agricultural exports. He said Russia also hit nine other Ukrainian regions on Sunday.
Russia claims its forces shot down 153 Ukrainian drones overnight
Sunday 9 August 2026 15:20 , Maryam Zakir-HussainRussia’s defense ministry on Sunday said its forces had shot down 153 Ukrainian drones during the night, including over Russian-occupied Crimea and the Black and Azov seas.
In Russia's Belgorod region, authorities said Ukrainian drone strikes damaged 29 apartment blocks and five private houses, as well as administrative buildings and unspecified “commercial facilities.”
Debris from Ukrainian drones also fell on two enterprises and a private home in the Russian city of Novorossiysk, mayor Andrey Kravchenko said on Sunday. He did not specify what the commercial sites were.
Regional authorities later said falling debris had injured one person, damaged two private houses, and blew out a window in an apartment block.
A major fuel terminal is located at Novorossiysk that links Kazakhstan's oil fields to markets around the world, and which has previously been a target for Ukrainian strikes.
