Prime minister Keir Starmer has hit out at a Russian shooting incident as “reckless”.
On Tuesday a Russian frigate fired warning shots at a UK-registered yacht sailed by a retired British couple who described the incident as “scary”.
“What happened in the Channel was deeply concerning. It was reckless,” he told the BBC on Wednesday from the G7 in France.
G7 leaders were in an upbeat mood after Tuesday's talks, as Donald Trump said he had a “very good” meeting with president Volodymyr Zelensky and called on Russia to make peace with Ukraine.
President Trump said he would do “whatever I can” to end the war and said Russia “should make a deal”.
In a joint statement this morning, the G7 leaders commended Ukraine for its "progress on the battlefield in recent months".
“To support and accelerate this new momentum, we agree to increase the delivery of air defence capacities, additional systems and interceptors, and long-range capabilities," the statement read.
Read MoreRussian warship fires warning shot at UK-registered yacht that came near it in English Channel
Russian artist who mocked Vladimir Putin shot dead in Poland
Timeline of UK-Russia incidents at sea since the war in Ukraine began
Russia’s pathetic ‘yacht potshots’ show how desperate for a win Putin has become
Key Points
- Trump's 'very good' meeting with Zelensky leaves G7 leaders optimistic
- British retired couple recall ‘scary’ moment Russian warship fired warning shots near their yacht in Channel
- Drones attack Russia's Black Sea city of Novorossiysk
- Russian warship fires warning shot at UK-registered yacht that came near it in English Channel
- Four killed in Russian attacks on eastern Ukrainian cities
Ukraine's military hits 'shadow fleet' tanker in Black Sea, bridges
12:40 , Maira ButtUkraine's military has struck the FINA A tanker in the Black Sea, which it described as part of Russian “shadow fleet”, the Ukrainian General Staff said in a post on Telegram on Wednesday.
The General Staff said that the target was successfully struck and the extent of the damage was still undergoing an assessment.
It added that Ukrainian forces also struck a road bridge across the North Crimean Canal near the settlement of Stavky and a road bridge near Voinka in the occupied part of the Kherson region.
Watch: Starmer says Channel incident involving Russian warship 'reckless'
12:09 , Maira ButtZelensky says G7 leaders pledge more vital help for Ukraine against Russia
11:34 , Maira ButtUkraine has won key pledges of further support for its fight against Russia from world leaders attending the Group of Seven summit in France, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Wednesday.
The leaders of the world’s leading industrial economies promised to strengthen Ukraine’s air defences and ensure its energy supply, as well as step up international economic pressure on Moscow, as Kyiv’s fight against Russia’s all-out invasion stretches into its fifth year with no end in sight.
Zelenskyy says G7 leaders pledge more vital help for Ukraine against Russia
Russia’s pathetic ‘yacht potshots’ show how desperate for a win Putin has become
10:57 , Maira Butthe close encounter off the Isle of Wight between the Russian frigate Admiral Grigorovich and Alan and Jane Kelvey’s yacht Bright Hope seems to have been more accident than sinister plot. The yacht had been getting too close to the warship. Klaxons were sounded and then came a brief volley of small arms fired into the path of Bright Hope. The adventurous Kelveys then put on the engine and turned sharply away.
This was not an act of war, these “yacht potshots – and, apparently had little connection with the dramatic and stagey seizure of the tanker Smyrtos, part of the Russian shadow fleet, by Royal Marines at the weekend. But this appears to be a story of the sea mists of war, if not actual fog.
In a significant aspect, the two incidents are linked – and in a way that suggests that the conflict in Ukraine is now at a decisive phase, or a “culminating point” in military jargon.
Russia’s pathetic ‘yacht potshots’ show how desperate for a win Putin has become
Timeline of UK-Russia incidents at sea since the war in Ukraine began
10:30 , Maira ButtThe Ministry of Defence (MoD) is investigating after a Russian warship fired warning shots at a British yacht that came near it in the English Channel.
The Admiral Grigorovich, a Russian frigate, fired warning shots after making attempts to contact the yacht, the MoD claimed, in order to prevent a potential collision. Russia’s defence ministry has claimed its sailors were acting “in strict accordance” with international shipping regulations.
While this is being viewed as an isolated incident, it came days after tensions between the UK and Russia spiked when Britain seized a sanctioned vessel transiting through the Channel.
The operation, which saw commandos fast-roping from a helicopter onto the tanker, was the first of its kind carried out by UK armed forces.
Bryony Gooch reports:
Timeline of UK-Russia incidents at sea since the war in Ukraine began
G7 agree to increase support for Ukraine – and pressure on Russia
10:00 , Arpan RaiThe leaders of the G7 countries have announced today that they stand united in support of Ukraine, including its territorial integrity, and agreed to increase the pressure on the Russian war economy.
“In this context, we will strengthen our sanctions (against Russia), including those on the oil and gas sectors," the leaders said in a joint statement.
Separately, the leaders, who are meeting for a summit in the French town of Evian-les-Bains, have also welcomed the deal between the United States and Iran and said they are ready to contribute to its implementation.
They added they will make efforts to diversify energy supply routes and reduce dependence on the Strait of Hormuz and increase energy stocks.
Watch: Starmer meets Zelensky at G7 as leaders agree 'collective resolve' to put pressure on Putin
09:45 , Arpan RaiEuropean diplomats praise Zelensky's 'psychological' move on Trump at the G7
09:30 , Arpan RaiVolodymyr Zelensky appears to have got the tone right as he presented evidence to Donald Trump of the war's impact on his country, which officials say moved the US president.
Two European diplomats said that, during the meeting, Zelensky showed Trump images of the aftermath of a Russian strike on Monday on Kyiv's Pechersk Lavra monastery.
Trump expressed disapproval of the strike, one of the European diplomats said, while the other said that it had been "psychologically" a good move by Zelensky to show the images.
European diplomats said the tone of the meeting had been constructive.
European diplomats praise Zelensky's 'psychological' move on Trump at the G7
09:30 , Arpan RaiVolodymyr Zelensky appears to have got the tone right as he presented evidence to Donald Trump of the war's impact on his country, which officials say moved the US president.
Two European diplomats said that, during the meeting, Zelensky showed Trump images of the aftermath of a Russian strike on Monday on Kyiv's Pechersk Lavra monastery.
Trump expressed disapproval of the strike, one of the European diplomats said, while the other said that it had been "psychologically" a good move by Zelensky to show the images.
European diplomats said the tone of the meeting had been constructive.
Kremlin says Putin did not discuss meeting Zelensky in latest call with Trump
09:15 , Arpan RaiRussian president Vladimir Putin did not discuss the possibility of a meeting with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky during his latest phone call with US president Donald Trump, said Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov.
“No one has approached us with such a proposal," Ushakov told reporters.
Trump said he spoke separately to Putin and Zelensky on Sunday.
Zelensky said on Monday that he had offered to meet Putin at a G7 summit in France this week, or even in the United States, for talks to end the war that is well into its fifth year.
Zelensky, nearly in tears, says he misses his children and ‘being a good father’
08:50 , Arpan RaiIn a poignant interview, Volodymyr Zelensky has said he misses being a father and confessed that he often cries when he meets the parents of the deceased Ukrainian soldiers.
Speaking during a virtual interview with Reuters on the sidelines of the G7 summit, Zelensky was asked what he used to tell his children most when they were younger.
“I love you,” Zelensky said, after a pause. On being asked what he tells them now that they’re older, Zelensky replied: “Oh, I miss you”.
The war-time leader, who is believed to be living away from his children since the full-scale invasion of Russia in February 2022, said he misses “being a good father”.
Zelensky, already seen turning emotional, said that he might cry after the interview.
“I will try to do it after our interview. No, I mean this, between us. I'm a normal man and then there are a lot of different moments, between us, almost each day, a lot of losses on the battlefield and civilians, and there are absolutely crazy attacks on our people,” he said, responding to a question on when did he last cry.
Zelensky went on: “And I'm just, it's… I mean, It's very difficult really, when I give orders (medals). I said about it. It's always difficult for me when I give orders (medals) to the mothers and fathers, who lost their children. In such moments, really, I often cry.”
The journalist asked Zelensky if he thought of himself as a hero but the Ukrainian president denied.
He was then asked who was his hero. “My hero? My children, my army, our army, and Ukrainian people. So I'm a part… I'm also a Ukrainian, so I'm a part of our nation. But now our nation, I think, that our nation is absolutely heroic.”
Zelensky was moved to tears when answering a question about his children
— NEXTA (@nexta_tv) June 16, 2026
— When your children were little, what did you say to them most often? What did you repeat to them the most when they were children? — a journalist asked the President of Ukraine.
— “I love you.”
— And… https://t.co/VS1vCQRJDY pic.twitter.com/bEo5gcfmyR
Starmer says Channel incident involving Russian warship 'reckless'
08:46 , Arpan RaiPrime minister Keir Starmer has said the firing of warning shots by a Russian frigate to divert a UK-flagged civilian yacht near British territorial waters was reckless and deeply concerning.
"What happened in the Channel was deeply concerning. It was reckless," Sir Keir, who is in France for the G7 summit, told BBC News.
He said the ministry of defence's assessment was that the Russian vessel was "drifting, and they were warning shots".
"That shouldn't have happened. It is reckless, and the couple on the yacht must've been terrified."
The Russian ministry said on Tuesday the crew of the frigate spotted a yacht travelling on a course that risked collision with the ship. After repeated attempts to establish radio contact failed, the frigate fired warning shots, including small arms fire, ahead of the yacht, the ministry said.
It said the yacht then altered course and moved away.
The incident took place yesterday in the English Channel, according to statements from the defence ministries of Britain and Russia.
They said the firing was designed to prevent a collision after unsuccessful attempts by the Admiral Grigorovich to contact the yacht.
Britain's defence ministry described it as "an isolated incident" and not linked to the interception of a Russian shadow fleet vessel intercepted by British commandos over the weekend.
Crimea bans use of motorcycles and scooters at night because ‘they sound like drone attacks’
08:45 , Arpan RaiCrimea has banned the use of motorised vehicles such as scooters, quad bikes and motorcycles at nighttime, saying they sound like drone attacks, Moscow-installed authorities said.
Sergei Aksyonov, the peninsula's Russian-installed governor, said the ban, which he called a temporary measure to guard military and other important facilities, would be in place between 8pm and 6am from Wednesday onwards.
The peninsula was annexed by Russia from Ukraine in 2014.
"The moped noise hampers the work of defence systems. Their engines sound similar (to drones)," Oleg Kryuchkov, Aksyonov's advisor, said separately on Telegram on Tuesday. "The enemy is recruiting your children for nighttime rides."
Crimea bans use of motorcycles at night because ‘they sound like drone attacks’
Starmer says Channel incident involving Russian warship 'reckless'
08:44 , Arpan RaiPrime minister Keir Starmer has said the firing of warning shots by a Russian frigate to divert a UK-flagged civilian yacht near British territorial waters was reckless and deeply concerning.
"What happened in the Channel was deeply concerning. It was reckless," Sir Keir, who is in France for the G7 summit, told BBC News.
He said the ministry of defence's assessment was that the Russian vessel was "drifting, and they were warning shots".
"That shouldn't have happened. It is reckless, and the couple on the yacht must've been terrified."
The Russian ministry said on Tuesday the crew of the frigate spotted a yacht travelling on a course that risked collision with the ship. After repeated attempts to establish radio contact failed, the frigate fired warning shots, including small arms fire, ahead of the yacht, the ministry said.
It said the yacht then altered course and moved away.
The incident took place yesterday in the English Channel, according to statements from the defence ministries of Britain and Russia.
They said the firing was designed to prevent a collision after unsuccessful attempts by the Admiral Grigorovich to contact the yacht.
Britain's defence ministry described it as "an isolated incident" and not linked to the interception of a Russian shadow fleet vessel intercepted by British commandos over the weekend.
British retired couple recall ‘scary’ moment Russian warship fired warning shots near their yacht in Channel
08:25 , Arpan RaiThe owners of a yacht that faced warning shots from a Russian warship in the English Channel have described the incident as “scary” and claimed the Kremlin is lying that their vessel was on a collision course.
Jane Kelvey, 68, and her husband Alan, 70, came into close contact with the Russian frigate the Admiral Grigorovich while sailing their yacht Bright Future around 23 miles off the coast of the Isle of Wight on Tuesday morning.
The warship fired warning shots towards the yacht, in what was described by the UK Ministry of Defence as an “isolated incident”.
Speaking to BBC Newsnight from the yacht, Jane recalled: "[The warship] gave out five blasts on their horn, which means 'have you seen us?'
Retired couple recall ‘scary’ moment Russian warship fired warning shots near yacht
G7 says 'ready to consider' extending military production licences to Ukraine
08:00 , Arpan RaiThe G7 leaders have announced they could allow military production licences to be issued to Ukraine in their bid to boost arms deliveries.
“We commend Ukraine for its resilience and progress on the battlefield in recent months and emphasise there is now a new momentum. To support and accelerate this new momentum, we agree to increase the delivery of air defence capacities, additional systems and interceptors, and long-range capabilities," the statement read.
It added: "We are also ready to consider extending to Ukraine the benefit of licences to allow for an increase in Ukraine’s military production."
The US has also said it would look into it but there was no further discussion of the matter, a senior EU official said.
G7 agree to increase support for Ukraine – and pressure on Russia
07:47 , Arpan RaiThe leaders of the G7 countries have announced today that they stand united in support of Ukraine, including its territorial integrity, and agreed to increase the pressure on the Russian war economy.
“In this context, we will strengthen our sanctions (against Russia), including those on the oil and gas sectors," the leaders said in a joint statement.
Separately, the leaders, who are meeting for a summit in the French town of Evian-les-Bains, have also welcomed the deal between the United States and Iran and said they are ready to contribute to its implementation.
They added they will make efforts to diversify energy supply routes and reduce dependence on the Strait of Hormuz and increase energy stocks.
Russia bans use of motorcycles in Crimea, saying they sound like drones
07:27 , Arpan RaiCrimea has banned the use of motorised vehicles such as scooters, quad bikes and motorcycles at nighttime, saying they sound like drone attacks, Moscow-installed authorities said.
Sergei Aksyonov, the peninsula's Russian-installed governor, said the ban, which he called a temporary measure to guard military and other important facilities, would be in place between 8pm and 6am from Wednesday onwards.
"The moped noise hampers the work of defence systems. Their engines sound similar (to drones)," Oleg Kryuchkov, Aksyonov's advisor, said separately on Telegram on Tuesday.
“The enemy is recruiting your children for nighttime rides."
The ban in Crimea, a popular summer tourist destination for Russians, does not apply to cars or larger vehicles.
Ukraine has recently intensified drone attacks on Crimea, home to Russia's Black Sea Fleet, targeting the peninsula's supply routes and triggering a fuel crisis, as the holiday season starts.
Watch: Zelensky and Trump’s ‘very good’ meeting at G7 boosts hopes for peace
07:00 , Arpan RaiKremlin says Putin did not discuss meeting Zelensky in latest call with Trump
06:47 , Arpan RaiRussian president Vladimir Putin did not discuss the possibility of a meeting with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky during his latest phone call with US president Donald Trump, said Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov.
“No one has approached us with such a proposal," Ushakov told reporters.
Trump said he spoke separately to Putin and Zelensky on Sunday.
Zelensky said on Monday that he had offered to meet Putin at a G7 summit in France this week, or even in the United States, for talks to end the war that is well into its fifth year.
EU prepares trade relief for Armenia after Russian import bans – report
06:25 , Arpan RaiThe European Union is preparing emergency trade relief for Armenia to help offset Russian import restrictions, the Financial Times reported today, citing people briefed on the plans.
The European Commission is drawing up "autonomous trade measures" that would lower tariffs on Armenian food and agricultural exports, the report said.
European diplomats praise Zelensky's 'psychological' move on Trump at the G7
06:22 , Arpan RaiVolodymyr Zelensky appears to have got the tone right as he presented evidence to Donald Trump of the war's impact on his country, which officials say moved the US president.
Two European diplomats said that, during the meeting, Zelensky showed Trump images of the aftermath of a Russian strike on Monday on Kyiv's Pechersk Lavra monastery.
Trump expressed disapproval of the strike, one of the European diplomats said, while the other said that it had been "psychologically" a good move by Zelensky to show the images.
European diplomats said the tone of the meeting had been constructive.
Watch: Starmer 'ramps up pressure' on Russia with new sanctions
05:46 , Arpan RaiRussian artist who mocked Vladimir Putin shot dead in Poland
05:01 , Arpan RaiA Russian artist who openly mocked president Vladimir Putin has been shot dead in Poland.
The 44-year-old exiled critic Robert Kuzovkov, also known as Semyon Skrepetsky, was killed in the city of Biala Podlaska, around 25 miles from the Belarusian border, on Monday morning.
Authorities said he was shot five times, including to his head, chest and back, in a car park near the Belarusian consulate.
Polish prosecutors said he was approached by a lone gunman and killed at close range. The gunman is said to have shot the artist twice before Kuzovkov fell to the ground, with three more shots as he lay on the ground.
Russian artist who mocked Vladimir Putin shot dead in Poland
Trump fails to promise new sanctions on Russia
05:00 , Jane DaltonPresident Trump has been non-committal on imposing further US sanctions on Moscow, as European leaders want, diplomats say.
Mr Trump said Washington was now in a position to let Russian oil waivers lapse after an interim accord to end the Iran war soothed markets, but he did not mention broader punitive measures.
European leaders want to convince him that previous US positions on the possible terms of a deal were overly favourable towards Moscow, particularly now that Ukraine's drone incursions into Russia have improved its fortunes.
Trump's 'very good' meeting with Zelensky leaves G7 leaders optimistic
04:53 , Arpan RaiUS president Donald Trump said Russia should make peace with Ukraine after a "very good" meeting with president Volodymyr Zelensky on Tuesday, in comments that sparked cautious optimism among G7 leaders that a peace deal could be struck.
Trump, who arrived at the summit brandishing a preliminary deal to end his war with Iran, said he would do what he could do to end the conflict in Ukraine, but there were few details of any concrete steps to raise the pressure on Moscow.
“Look, Russia should make a deal," Trump told reporters, adding that too many young men were dying on the battlefield on both sides.
"I'm gonna do whatever I can,” he said, leaving the G7 leaders in an upbeat mood.
German chancellor Friedrich Merz said Trump's statement that Russia should end the war was cause for cheer.
“I found him to be very cooperative, and I also saw him listening very attentively," Merz told reporters.
"And in that respect, once again, it gives me a certain degree of optimism that we here, as Europeans and as Americans, are now doing everything we can, together, to end the war."
"The tide is turning for Ukraine," European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen posted on X.
"Russia's fatigue is openly showing. That's the time to double down on our support."
Drones attack Russia's Black Sea city of Novorossiysk
04:37 , Arpan RaiRussia's Black Sea city of Novorossiysk, a major export port, is under drone attack, mayor Andrei Kravchenko said on Telegram this morning.
He said that the drone alert sirens were switched on, without providing further details.
Novorossiysk has been coming under repeated attacks in recent months as Ukraine looks to damage Russia’s infrastructure and war economy.
Russian warship fires warning shot at UK-registered yacht that came near it in English Channel
04:31 , Arpan RaiA Russian warship fired warning shots at a UK-registered yacht being sailed by a retired couple in the English Channel on Tuesday to prevent a possible collision, authorities said.
The Kremlin frigate Admiral Grigorovich fired several shots while sailing near the 40ft yacht, Bright Future, as it sailed around 20 nautical miles south of the Isle of Wight. There were no injuries or damage caused during the incident.
Jane Kelvey, 68, and her husband Alan, 70, who were travelling on the Bright Future, described the incident as “a bit scary” on Tuesday night.
“I crouched down. I didn’t think our safety was in danger. But it was certainly unusual. As we sailed away, we said to each other, what the hell just happened?” they told The i.
Russian warship fires warning shot at UK boat in English Channel
Four killed in Russian attacks on eastern Ukrainian cities
04:11 , Arpan RaiRussian attacks on cities in Ukraine's east and southeast killed four people and set ablaze a residence and a shopping centre, officials and prosecutors said late on Tuesday.
Prosecutors in the Donetsk region, the focal point of Ukraine's front line, said three people died in two bomb attacks in the city of Sloviansk. Five people were injured.
Sloviansk is part of the country's "fortress belt," heavily defended by the military and seen as key to containing a slow-moving Russian offensive in Donetsk.
In the southeastern Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia, national police said a wave of dozens of drones killed one person in his car and injured seven others.
Pictures posted online showed flames inside a building and on a rooftop and at least one facade reduced to rubble.
Regional governor Ivan Fedorov said there had been five strikes on the city. He said fire broke out in a residence and a shopping centre, and an educational institution sustained damage.
Russia bans use of motorcycles in Crimea, saying they sound like drones
04:01 , Arpan RaiCrimea has banned the use of motorised vehicles such as scooters, quad bikes and motorcycles at nighttime, saying they sound like drone attacks, Moscow-installed authorities said.
Sergei Aksyonov, the peninsula's Russian-installed governor, said the ban, which he called a temporary measure to guard military and other important facilities, would be in place between 8pm and 6am from Wednesday onwards.
"The moped noise hampers the work of defence systems. Their engines sound similar (to drones)," Oleg Kryuchkov, Aksyonov's advisor, said separately on Telegram on Tuesday.
“The enemy is recruiting your children for nighttime rides."
The ban in Crimea, a popular summer tourist destination for Russians, does not apply to cars or larger vehicles.
Ukraine has recently intensified drone attacks on Crimea, home to Russia's Black Sea Fleet, targeting the peninsula's supply routes and triggering a fuel crisis, as the holiday season starts.
Zelensky says he hopes to meet Trump again within hours
04:00 , Jane DaltonUkrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has said he hopes to meet Donald Trump again.
Ukrainian public broadcaster Suspilne showed a clip of Mr Zelensky saying at the G7: "Our teams will be meeting over the course of the next 24 hours at various levels and will continue to meet.
"I think that tomorrow we will also meet separately with the president (Trump)."
Two European diplomats said that, during the meeting, Mr Zelensky showed Mr Trump images of the aftermath of a Russian strike on Monday on Kyiv's Pechersk Lavra monastery, which was badly damaged.
Mr Trump expressed disapproval of the strike, one of the European diplomats said, while the other said it had been psychologically a good move by Mr Zelensky to show him the images.
Pictured: Crime scene where Russian artist shot dead
03:00 , Jane DaltonPolice work at a crime scene covered with a tent in Biala Podlaska, eastern Poland, where Russian artist Semyon Skrepetsky, known for satirising Russian president Vladimir Putin was shot dead.
Watch: Starmer 'ramps up pressure' on Russia with new sanctions
01:45 , Jane DaltonRussia 'has lost more than 1.3m troops' in Ukraine
Wednesday 17 June 2026 00:20 , Jane DaltonRussia has lost around 1,385,420 troops in Ukraine since the start of its full-scale invasion on 24 February 2022, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine says, The Kyiv Independent reports.
Ukraine's General Staff has not revealed its own losses during the war, citing operational secrecy.
The Centre for Strategic and International Studies estimates the ratio of Russian to Ukrainian losses at around 2.5:1 or 2:1.
Throwback: One year since Trump lamented 'mistake’ of expelling Putin from G7
Tuesday 16 June 2026 23:05 , Jane DaltonDonald Trump began his visit to last year’s G7 summit in Canada by saying Russia should never have been kicked out of the group:
Trump says ‘was mistake’ to boot Putin from G7 as he trashes Trudeau
Zelensky notes ‘shift in mood’ of G7 leaders after Ukraine war talks
Tuesday 16 June 2026 22:02 , Jane DaltonLeaders have recognised that Russia is targeting civilian infrastructure, the Ukrainian president says: https://www.independent.co.uk/bulletin/news/zelensky-g7-countries-russia-ukraine-war-long-range-missiles-b2996849.html
Zelensky notes a ‘shift in mood’ among G7 leadership after Ukraine war talks
Military investigates after Russian warship fires warning shots at yacht
Tuesday 16 June 2026 21:00 , Jane Dalton
UK military investigates report that Russian warship fired warning shots at yacht in the Channel
