Six people have been injured in a Russian drone strike on a train in the Kharkiv region, local authorities said, as Moscow scales up its targeting of commuter trains.
The attack with a Shahed drone hit the rear end of the Kharkiv-Izium train on Wednesday morning, causing a fire to breakout, the Izium City Military Administration said.
On Tuesday, Moscow attacked several commuter trains across Ukraine. Prime minister Sergii Koretskyi said close to 100 people were evacuated after Russian drones hit a train in the northern Sumy region.
In the southern city of Zaporizhzhia, emergency services said a rail worker was killed in a double-tap strike.
The chief of rail operator Ukrzaliznytsia said another commuter train was hit in the region with some passengers suffering shrapnel wounds.
The civilian attacks come amid renewed US-led efforts to find a peace agreement in Ukraine, with a visit by US envoys to Kyiv and Moscow preceding a one-hour phone call between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump on Tuesday.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Wednesday that Moscow hopes for new trilateral talks with Kyiv and Washington in the near future.
Read MoreUkraine’s prosecutor general resigns citing political conflict
Burnham issues statement on Ukraine after holding fresh Trump talks
Why the AfD’s German triumph is a win for Putin – and leaves Ukraine exposed
Putin has no interest in peace – and Trump is falling into his trap
Key Points
- Kremlin says it hopes for trilateral talks with US and Kyiv in near future
- CIA director holds talks with Poland amid Russia's growing Nato threat
- Want swift end to war in Ukraine, Trump tells Putin
- Child among four killed in Ukrainian drone attack on Black Sea port
- Ukraine to acquire around 1,000 Patriot missiles from allies, says defence minister
Kremlin says UAE is preferred venue for future Ukraine talks
16:01 , Gleb StolyarovMoscow views the United Arab Emirates capital of Abu Dhabi as a preferred venue for talks on Ukraine, Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said on Wednesday.
Speaking to state television channel Vesti, Ushakov also said the United States should halt aid to Kyiv if the fighting is to stop.
The Kremlin said earlier on Wednesday that it hoped US-mediated talks aimed at ending the war in Ukraine would resume soon following a phone call between US president Donald Trump and Russian president Vladimir Putin.
With Reuters
Europe feeling pain of rising gas prices, says Kremlin
15:30 , Alex CroftEuropean countries are struggling with rising gas prices but could purchase cheap gas from Russia, the Kremlin has said.
The price of natural gas in Europe has soared as a result of the war in Iran, hitting their highest level last week since late 2022, when the start of the Ukraine conflict prompted Europe to cut off Russian pipeline gas.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Europe was harming itself by buying expensive gas at spot prices as opposed to the more affordable Russian option.
Analysis | Why the AfD’s German triumph is a win for Putin – and leaves Ukraine exposed
15:02 , Alex CroftThe success of Germany’s far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) in state elections could herald a disaster for Ukraine, a European victory for Vladimir Putin, and a stampede of greed over democracy orchestrated by one man.
Kirill Dmitriev is to Donald Trump’s envoys, Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, what Putin is to the 47th president – their favourite and much favoured Russian.
What Putin gives Trump – the thrill of proximity to unlimited power – Dmitriev offers to America: unlimited potential wealth. He is the head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund, Moscow’s sovereign wealth government slush pot, and he has close links to the AfD.
There was unbridled delight in Moscow with the success of the AfD over the weekend.
Dmitriev called the result a win that “humiliates the arrogance, narrow-mindedness, warmongering, ineptitude and hypocrisy” of German chancellor Friedrich Merz’s governing coalition.
The AfD, seen by German intelligence as an extremist organisation, has enjoyed (among other things) Russian support for its social media campaigns to win the elections in Saxony-Anhalt, according to German and other European intelligence sources.
Read the full analysis by our world affairs editor Sam Kiley.
Watch: Rubio says substantive talks could pave way for Ukraine peace deal
14:38 , Alex CroftRussia to strip contract soldiers of one-off payment if laws violated at home
14:14 , Alex CroftRussia's defence ministry wants to claim back part of a one-off payout from contract service personnel found guilty of criminal offences at home, a document showed, amid increasing cases of domestic violence among those fighting Russia's war on Ukraine.
Russia does not disclose official statistics on domestic violence committed by its service personnel but independent media, citing military courts data, reported hundreds of such cases, including murders, since the start of the 2022 invasion.
Russia provides a minimum one-off payment of 400,000 roubles (£3,418) for soldiers signing at least a one-year contract to fight in the war with Ukraine that Moscow calls "a special military operation".
In practice, one-off payouts may reach a few million roubles per soldier, depending on the region, in addition to a monthly salary.
Russia is also reducing sentences for those serving time in prison in exchange for signing up for the war, among other benefits, as it seeks to bolster army numbers.
Russia has seen a rise in domestic violence as fighters return home for leave, and the defence ministry wants to claim part of the one-off payments "in order to increase the motivation of military personnel to comply with the law", in case of a criminal offence, a draft law published on Monday showed.
If active contract service members are found guilty of a criminal offence which does not imply a prison sentence, they should pay back a portion of the one-off payout based on the months of the service left, the document showed.
Six injured in Russian drone strike on civilian commuter train
13:54 , Alex CroftA Russian drone strike on a train in the Kharkiv region has injured six people, local authorities have said.
The attack with a Shahed drone hit the rear end of the Kharkiv-Izium train on Wednesday morning, causing a fire to breakout, the Izium City Military Administration said.
Moscow appears to be scaling up its strikes on civilian commuter trains. On Tuesday, it attacked several commuter trains across Ukraine. Prime minister Sergii Koretskyi said lose to 100 people were evacuated after Russian drones hit a train in the northern Sumy region.
In the southern city of Zaporizhzhia, emergency services said a rail worker was killed in a double-tap strike.
The chief of rail operator Ukrzaliznytsia said another commuter train was hit in the region with some passengers suffering shrapnel wounds.
Vladimir Putin is winning his war to bring down Europe from within
13:24 , Alex CroftIn Berlin, it is being called an earthquake. In Kyiv, it is being read as a countdown: the strongest result any far-right party has achieved in a German state election since the Second World War was recorded on Sunday when Alternative for Germany won 43.8 per cent of the vote in Saxony-Anhalt. It took 39 of the 83 seats, three short of an outright majority.
I have spent the better part of two decades fighting Vladimir Putin. He does not need to win elections in other people’s countries. He only needs to wait for them.
The AfD has never hidden what it would do. Its programme calls for an end to military aid to Ukraine, an end to sanctions on Russia and the reopening of the Nord Stream pipelines. In June, the party’s foreign policy spokesman flew to St Petersburg, against the explicit advice of the German foreign ministry, and met the head of Gazprom and one of Putin’s senior envoys to discuss restarting Russian gas. Putin’s envoy posted afterwards that he looked forward to building a great future together with the AfD.
None of this is a secret. It is a manifesto.
Bill Browder writes:
Vladimir Putin is winning his war to bring down Europe from within
Turkey to start drilling challenging Black Sea well
12:59 , Alex CroftTurkey is set to start drilling a challenging oil-targeted well in the western Black Sea, Ankara announced on Wednesday.
"We will soon begin drilling an oil-targeted well in the western Black Sea,” energy minister Alparslan Bayraktar said.
“It will be a difficult drilling operation and will take some time," he told broadcaster CNBC-e.
Turkey has previously said it plans six exploration wells across the western, central and eastern Black Sea in 2026 as it seeks new oil and natural gas discoveries.
Kremlin says it hopes for direct Ukraine-Russia peace talks in near future
12:34 , Alex CroftWe’ve just hears from Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, who said that Russia hopes peace talks between Ukraine and Russia, mediated by the US, will resume in the near future.
The Kremlin declined to discuss any potential elements of a possible peace settlement, Peskov added.
He was speaking after Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump had a telephone call on Tuesday to discuss prospects for ending the war.
The last time trilateral talks took place was in February.
Zelensky says Kyiv hitting Russia 'across its entire map' including Black Sea port attack
12:11 , Alex CroftWe’ve just heard from Volodymyr Zelensky, who has spoken out on Kyiv’s attack on the Russian Black Sea port city of Novorossiysk.
The Ukrainian president said targets in the Krasnodar region, including a naval base and a oil-loading terminal, were attacked.
Warships carrying missiles and military port facilities were also hit, he said.
“We are responding to Russia’s daily terrorist strikes – effectively and practically across its entire map,” Mr Zelensky wrote on X alongside footage of the attacks.
“I thank everyone developing our long-range sanctions capabilities, so that Russia’s war is increasingly felt where it came from.”
We are responding to Russia’s daily terrorist strikes – effectively and practically across its entire map. Over the past 24 hours, there have been results in Novorossiysk, in the Krasnodar region. A naval base was hit, including a terminal used to load oil, military port… pic.twitter.com/Szoqds72Xc
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) September 9, 2026
Putin likely gave Trump 'absurd' view of Russia's battlefield dominance
11:49 , Alex CroftDonald Trump was likely given Vladimir Putin’s “absurd” view of Russia’s dominance on the battlefield, the Institute for the Study of War has said in its latest briefing.
Trump held the one-hour phone call with Putin in which he reiterated his plea that he wants a “swift end to the war in Ukraine”, the Kremlin said on Tuesday.
The Institute for the Study of War said Putin’s “understanding of the war is, in fact, severely distorted by the Russian military's systematic lying, which is emboldening Putin to insist on his maximalist demands”.
It added that he "regularly makes absurd and aggrandising claims of Russian advances on the battlefield to construct a narrative of continuous and inevitable Russian military success".
Kremlin aide Yuriy Ushakov, however, claimed that he had given an “objective and thorough” analysis to the US president.
Merz says Germany will continue supporting Ukraine despite AfD state win
11:19 , Alex CroftChancellor Friedrich Merz has stated that Germany will continue supporting Ukraine because Ukraine was also defending Germany's freedom.
Merz was responding to criticism from the far-right Alternative for Germany that Germany's support was needlessly prolonging the war in Ukraine and shutting Germany out of accessing cheap energy supplies from Russia.
It comes after the AfD won an historic election in the eastern German state of Saxony-Anhalt on Sunday.
Trump is determined to end Ukraine war and secure lasting peace, says Kushner
10:56 , Alex CroftEU court dismisses Hungary action over frozen Russian asset profits for Ukraine
10:34 , Alex CroftA Hungarian action against the EU's decision to use windfall profits from frozen Russian central bank assets for Ukraine's defence has been dismissed by the European Union’s General Court on Wednesday.
The bloc's second-highest court said it had no jurisdiction over the matter.
On 3 August, the EU received €1.4 billion in windfall profits from Russian bank assets, bringin the total revenue to roughly €8 billion.
US wants swift end to war in Ukraine, Trump tells Putin - ICYMI
10:31 , Alex CroftDonald Trump has reiterated his plea to Russian president Vladimir Putin that he wants a “swift end to the war in Ukraine”, the Kremlin said, as the two spoke for an hour on a phone call yesterday.
Ending the war in Ukraine will allow the US to fully restore its ties with Russia, the Kremlin said, adding that Putin agreed with Trump’s view.
"Donald Trump clearly emphasised the desirability of bringing the conflict to an end as soon as possible, which would immediately open up prospects – impressive and far-reaching ones at that – for the full restoration of relations between the US and Russia," said Putin’s adviser Yuri Ushakov.
Ushakov told reporters that the two leaders had rated the US envoys' weekend diplomacy "with a plus sign" and that Putin had told Trump what he believed the United States could do to help end the conflict and given him an assessment of what the situation on the battlefield was. Trump, Ushakov said, had made it clear he wanted the war quickly finished.
Trump wants a “breakthrough achieved during his presidency” on the war in Ukraine, Ushakov said.
German foreign minister says Kyiv should buy more arms from German companies
09:40 , Alex CroftGerman foreign minister Johann Wadephul told Bild newspaper that Ukraine should buy more weapons from German companies, saying Berlin's position as Kyiv's biggest donor meant it had the right to expect orders for its defence companies.
Wadephul said he had assured Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky during a visit last month that Germany would continue to support Ukraine in its defence against Russia.
"But I also have to explain this to German taxpayers, and the very least you can do is to ensure that the German defence industry is involved in all procurement activities," the newspaper quoted him as saying.
“At the moment, we're not entirely satisfied with the level of orders we're receiving in Germany,” he said.
Wadephul's comments came days after Germany accused Russia of being behind an attempted drone attack on Leipzig/Halle airport in August that authorities said only just missed causing a major disaster.
Moscow says Ukrainian cargo vessel in Black Sea struck
09:16 , Alex CroftThe Russian defence ministry has said its forces had struck a Ukrainian cargo vessel carrying military equipment in the Black Sea en route to the port of Odesa, Russian news agencies are reporting.
A warehouse in Kyiv, belonging to a company manufacturing drones, was also hit, they added.
Deadly Russian strikes on Kyiv fail to cancel Ukrainian soldier’s wedding
08:54 , Alex CroftLiudmyla Ryzhak spent the eve of her wedding ironing her delicately embroidered dress, laying out a full white tulle skirt beside her husband’s traditionally patterned shirt, before hanging them on the bedroom door.
Following repeated delays caused by the war with Russia, she was only hours away from marrying her partner, a Ukrainian soldier, in a ceremony in the capital scheduled for Tuesday morning.
However, as the pair slept, a Russian strike struck a warehouse across the street from their building. The resulting blast wave ripped through the apartment, threatening to stop the wedding.
The couple were soon digging their wedding clothes out of the rubble, with Ryzhak pulling her skirt from beneath the debris and shaking off pieces of broken glass.
Read more here:
Deadly Russian strikes on Kyiv fail to cancel Ukrainian soldier’s wedding
Ukraine strikes Russian warships in Black Sea port of Novorossiysk
08:31 , Alex CroftWe’re getting more information on Ukraine’s air attack on the Russian Black Sea port of Novorossiysk.
Kyiv’s forces struck military vessels at a naval base in the port overnight, the commander of Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Forces, Robert Brovdi, said on Wednesday.
Brovdi said missile carriers were among the vessels "lost" at the base, but did not say how many vessels had been struck.
We earlier reported that four people, including one child, have been killed in a Ukrainian drone attack on the Russian city of Novorossiysk, the local governor has said.
CIA director holds talks with Poland amid Russia's growing Nato threat
08:10 , Alex CroftCIA director John Ratcliffe has held talks with Poland’s special services minister Tomasz Siemoniak amid growing concerns over Russia’s threat to Nato.
Mr Siemoniak said he had a “very important meeting” with Mr Ratcliffe, without going into detail about what was discussed.
After the meeting, he said he shared the “most crucial information regarding Poland’s security” with prime minister Donald Tusk.
“The Polish-American alliance is strong and unshakable,” he added in the post on X. “Close cooperation between our special services is one of its foundations.”
The talks come amid Washington’s fresh diplomatic push to find a peace agreement to end the Ukraine war - which Poland has been directly impacted by with an intensifying series of Russian drone and fighter jet incursions across eastern Europe over the past two years.
Watch: Rubio says substantive talks could pave way for Ukraine peace deal
07:51 , Alex CroftChild among four killed in Ukrainian drone attack on Novorossiysk
07:35 , Alex CroftFour people, including one child, have been killed in a Ukrainian drone attack on the Russian city of Novorossiysk, the local governor has said.
Another 29 were injured, southern Krasnodar regional governor Veniamin Kondratyev has said on Telegram.
We’re working to bring you more.
Moscow criticises deployment of US missile system to Norway
07:00 , Arpan RaiMoscow has lashed out at the deployment of an advanced US missile system to Nato member state Norway, saying on Monday it dealt a further blow to the prospects for US-Russia talks on strategic nuclear stability.
Reports in the US said Washington had delivered a missile system to Norway that used Mk-41-style launchers capable of firing Tomahawk cruise missiles.
Russia's Foreign Ministry said the deployment posed a threat because the launchers could be used to fire missiles capable of reaching a substantial part of European Russia, including Moscow.
"Steps such as the deployment in Europe of U.S. ground-based intermediate-range missiles that pose a threat to the Russian Federation 'reset to zero', to put it mildly, the conditions for constructive dialogue with the US on strategic issues," the ministry said in a statement.
It added that Russia would pay "particular attention" to the deployment sites and command-and-control centres of US missile systems and that they would become targets in the event of a military conflict.
Drone debris falls on business grounds in Russia's Novorossiysk
06:45 , Arpan RaiDrone debris fell on the premises of a number of businesses and close to an inhabited building in the Russian Black Sea port of Novorossiysk in the late hours yesterday, mayor Andrei Kravchenko said.
There were no casualties, he said, citing preliminary data.
Separately, authorities of the Krasnodar region, where the city is located, said on Telegram there were fires after the attack, without elaborating on locations.
Novorossiysk, a frequent target of Ukrainian drone strikes, is a major outlet for Russian oil, oil products and grain exports, among other commodities.
Zelensky says US negotiators brought 'decent ideas' on ending war
06:23 , Arpan RaiUkraine's president Volodymyr Zelensky has said that US peace negotiators have presented several "decent ideas" to be discussed during talks on how to end the war.
US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner visited both Russia and Ukraine over the weekend.
"As for the peace package that Kushner spoke of, and the new ideas – I can tell you that there were really some very decent, worthwhile ideas," Mr Zelensky told reporters in a WhatsApp media chat.
He added that the next trilateral meeting could be hosted by Turkey, the UAE, Switzerland, or other countries. He expected grain shipments and energy infrastructure to be discussed there, among other issues.
He said he hopes to meet Donald Trump later this month and plans to discuss a winter air defence package.
Russia has intensified its air attacks on Ukraine, with Kyiv facing a critical shortage of air defence supplies.
Watch: Two injured as Russian strike sparks fire at Pryluky shopping centre
06:00 , Arpan RaiWant swift end to war in Ukraine, Trump tells Putin
05:58 , Arpan RaiDonald Trump has reiterated his plea to Russian president Vladimir Putin that he wants a “swift end to the war in Ukraine”, the Kremlin said, as the two spoke for an hour on a phone call yesterday.
Ending the war in Ukraine will allow the US to fully restore its ties with Russia, the Kremlin said, adding that Putin agreed with Trump’s view.
"Donald Trump clearly emphasised the desirability of bringing the conflict to an end as soon as possible, which would immediately open up prospects – impressive and far-reaching ones at that – for the full restoration of relations between the US and Russia," said Putin’s adviser Yuri Ushakov.
Ushakov told reporters that the two leaders had rated the US envoys' weekend diplomacy "with a plus sign" and that Putin had told Trump what he believed the United States could do to help end the conflict and given him an assessment of what the situation on the battlefield was. Trump, Ushakov said, had made it clear he wanted the war quickly finished.
Trump wants a “breakthrough achieved during his presidency” on the war in Ukraine, Ushakov said.
Russia making no strategic gains along war frontline, says Ukraine army chief
05:40 , Arpan RaiRussian forces have not made any gains along the war frontline, Ukraine’s defence minister Yevhenii Khmara said.
Speaking at the Ukraine Defence Contact Group, Khmara said Russia was making no strategic gains along the 1,200-km (750-mile) front line, but Moscow was making up for its battlefield failures with "terror against Ukrainians".
Russia resumed its near-constant drone and missile attacks on Kyiv on Tuesday after a brief halt for the visit of US peace negotiators. Officials said five people were killed in the capital along with others in various regions.
Russian drones kill and injure people at Ukraine-Moldova border crossing
05:27 , Arpan RaiAn attack of Russian drones has targeted a border crossing point between Ukraine and Moldova overnight, officials said.
Ukraine's border guard service confirmed the attack in a Facebook post and said it has caused deaths, injuries and fires at the site of the strike.
It did not immediately release a death and casualties toll.
China and Russia stress strategic ties with North Korea in anniversary messages to Kim
05:17 , Arpan RaiChinese president Xi Jinping and Russian president Vladimir Putin used messages marking North Korea's 78th founding anniversary to reaffirm close strategic ties with Pyongyang, North Korean state media KCNA reported this morning.
KCNA said Xi told North Korean leader Kim Jong Un he was willing to "continue strengthening strategic guidance" of China-North Korea relations and work with Kim to advance the two countries' development.
Xi also said strengthening and developing bilateral ties remained the Chinese ruling party and government's “consistent and unwavering policy”.
In a separate message, Putin said he would continue the "closest joint work" with Kim to further strengthen the countries' comprehensive strategic partnership.
He said stronger Russia-North Korea ties would contribute to regional security and a "more just, multipolar world order." The messages from Xi and Putin were published on the front page of North Korea's ruling Workers' Party newspaper Rodong Sinmun.
Putin assures Trump he doesn’t have 'aggressive plans' toward Europe
04:34 , Arpan RaiRussian president Vladimir Putin assured his US counterpart Donald Trump in a phone call yesterday that Moscow doesn't harbour aggressive intentions toward Europe, a senior Kremlin official said.
The assurances from the Kremlin come after European officials blamed Moscow for sabotage campaigns on their soil.
Yuri Ushakov, Putin’s foreign affairs adviser, told reporters that “in view of the speculation about Russia’s alleged hostile intentions toward European countries, it was underlined that we don’t have any aggressive plans regarding Europe”.
His remarks come after the German government last week said it concluded Russia was involved in an attempted attack at Leipzig/Halle Airport in August using a drone laden with explosives.
Ukraine to acquire around 1,000 Patriot missiles from allies, defence minister says
04:30 , Arpan RaiUkraine is on track to procure a supply of around 1,000 missiles for US-designed Patriot air-defence systems with the help of allies and through a European Union loan, Kyiv's defence minister said.
Speaking at a meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group, Yevhenii Khmara said the majority of the missiles would only be shipped in the coming years, and called for more urgent aid.
In comments posted later by the defence ministry, Khmara said Ukraine was asking its Western partners to provide more air defence missiles from their stocks in exchange for improvements in missile performance under contracts signed with Kyiv.
He said Ukraine was being hindered by a shortfall of $27bn in financing for drone supplies.
The ministry's summary of the meeting said Khmara had presented a plan for Ukraine's conduct of the war that was already being implemented along with a list of what Kyiv considered to be the biggest threats posed by Moscow.
German foreign minister says Kyiv should buy more arms from German companies
04:15 , Arpan RaiGerman foreign minister Johann Wadephul told Bild newspaper that Ukraine should buy more weapons from German companies, saying Berlin's position as Kyiv's biggest donor meant it had the right to expect orders for its defence companies.
Wadephul said he had assured Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky during a visit last month that Germany would continue to support Ukraine in its defence against Russia.
"But I also have to explain this to German taxpayers, and the very least you can do is to ensure that the German defence industry is involved in all procurement activities," the newspaper quoted him as saying.
“At the moment, we're not entirely satisfied with the level of orders we're receiving in Germany,” he said.
Wadephul's comments came days after Germany accused Russia of being behind an attempted drone attack on Leipzig/Halle airport in August that authorities said only just missed causing a major disaster.
Drone debris falls on business grounds in Russia's Novorossiysk
03:59 , Arpan RaiDrone debris fell on the premises of a number of businesses and close to an inhabited building in the Russian Black Sea port of Novorossiysk in the late hours yesterday, mayor Andrei Kravchenko said.
There were no casualties, he said, citing preliminary data.
Separately, authorities of the Krasnodar region, where the city is located, said on Telegram there were fires after the attack, without elaborating on locations.
Novorossiysk, a frequent target of Ukrainian drone strikes, is a major outlet for Russian oil, oil products and grain exports, among other commodities.
Editorial: Putin has no interest in peace – and Trump is falling into his trap
03:00 , Alex CroftSteve Witkoff is the real estate guy with zero diplomatic experience who Donald Trump appointed in 2024 as his personal “peace emissary”. Jared Kushner is the president’s son-in-law, but did at least play some role in one of President Trump’s few foreign policy achievements – the Abraham Accords process that promised to deliver some stability to the Middle East during the first Trump term. As a team, they have enjoyed little success in securing the “settlement” to the war in Ukraine that Mr Trump so desires.
There is little reason to suppose that their latest exercise in shuttle diplomacy will succeed where their previous efforts failed. Indeed, the prospects for an end to the war, let alone one that will prove just and lasting, are as dismal as at any time since Vladimir Putin launched his ill-fated “special military operation” more than four and a half years ago – its duration now longer than the Soviet Union’s four-year “great patriotic war” against Adolf Hitler. Just as in that epoch-defining conflict, it is the civilian population of Ukraine that will face some of the harshest consequences as winter approaches.
Before the Witkoff-Kushner double act set out for Moscow and Kyiv, Mr Trump expressed his usual confidence in the pair – he could hardly do otherwise – and declared that “we have an idea for peace”. This idea remains opaque. Yet, for a change, this may be more than the usual self-flattering bluster. After a period when, easily bored, Mr Trump lost interest in the region (the situation in Iran didn’t help), this unexpected flexing of US power comes as a surprise.
Ukraine's prosecutor general resigns citing political conflict
01:29 , Alex CroftUkraine's prosecutor general on Monday announced that he has offered his resignation citing political reasons, in the latest sign of disunity in the senior ranks of the Ukrainian ruling elite.
“This is a political decision, and I have made it consciously. I do not want the position of Prosecutor General to be used as an instrument of political confrontation,” Ruslan Kravchenko said in a statement on Telegram late on Monday, without elaborating.
Kravchenko thanked president Volodymyr Zelensky and Ukraine's parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, and asked them to accept his resignation.
Ukraine's anti-graft agencies, the NABU and SAPO, said last week they had uncovered a criminal organisation dealing with fraudulent call centres which was allegedly arranged by an official within the Prosecutor General's Office.
Kravchenko has denied he was involved in the alleged scheme.
“My position regarding the accusations remains unchanged,” he said in his Telegram post.
Kravchenko's resignation offer follows other changes among top officials in Ukraine as it continues to battle Russia, which launched a full-scale invasion in February 2022.
Watch: Trump Just Doesn’t Understand He Is Now In A Forever War With Iran - And Russia
Wednesday 9 September 2026 00:01 , Alex CroftMoscow criticises deployment of US missile system to Norway
Tuesday 8 September 2026 23:00 , Alex CroftMoscow has lashed out at the deployment of an advanced US missile system to Nato member state Norway, saying on Monday it dealt a further blow to the prospects for US-Russia talks on strategic nuclear stability.
Reports in the US said Washington had delivered a missile system to Norway that used Mk-41-style launchers capable of firing Tomahawk cruise missiles.
Russia's Foreign Ministry said the deployment posed a threat because the launchers could be used to fire missiles capable of reaching a substantial part of European Russia, including Moscow.
"Steps such as the deployment in Europe of U.S. ground-based intermediate-range missiles that pose a threat to the Russian Federation 'reset to zero', to put it mildly, the conditions for constructive dialogue with the US on strategic issues," the ministry said in a statement.
It added that Russia would pay "particular attention" to the deployment sites and command-and-control centres of US missile systems and that they would become targets in the event of a military conflict.
Comment: Vladimir Putin is winning his war to bring down Europe from within
Tuesday 8 September 2026 22:01 , Alex CroftVladimir Putin is winning his war to bring down Europe from within
UK commits £100mil air defence package for Ukraine, including Patriot missiles
Tuesday 8 September 2026 21:01 , Alex CroftThe UK is set to provide a £100 million air defence package for Ukraine ahead of the winter, including Patriot missiles, the government has announced.
Weapons will be provided through the PURL initiative, in which European countries buy American weapons and provide them to Ukraine
"Both the Prime Minister and I heard loud and clear on our first visits to Kyiv the importance of supporting Ukraine through this winter, as Putin prepares to use winter as a weapon by continuing barbaric attacks against civilian and energy targets. We promised to mobilise allies and provide more support wherever we can," defence secretary Wes Streeting said.
The package will include patriot missiles, which are used to stoop aircraft, and cruise and ballistic missiles, along with other air defence equipment.
Hungary expels 10 Russia diplomats, says foreign minister
Tuesday 8 September 2026 20:02 , Alex CroftHungary has expelled 10 Russian diplomats who "were engaged in activities in Hungary that are unacceptable for diplomats under the Vienna Convention," foreign minister Anita Orban has announced.
"This decision protects Hungary’s security and sovereignty,” she said in a Tuesday statement.
“It does not imply breaking off diplomatic relations with Russia. Hungary intends to continue the necessary dialogue, based on mutual respect and adherence to the rules," the statement added.
Watch: Two killed, four injured in Russian strike on Kramatorsk
Tuesday 8 September 2026 18:00 , Alex CroftMoscow confident that victory over Ukraine is 'very near', says Kremlin
Tuesday 8 September 2026 17:00 , Alex CroftRussia is confident that victory in the conflict with Ukraine is "very near," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday while speaking to Indian journalists.
"Yes, we are confident, and we are sure that victory is very near," Peskov said.
'Kyiv was exploding ands burning': EU's Ukraine ambassador describes Russian air attack
Tuesday 8 September 2026 16:01 , Alex CroftThe EU ambassador to Ukraine, Katarina Mathernova, has described the horrors of Russia’s overnight air attack on Kyiv.
“The Russians bombed us all night. Kyiv was exploding and burning. We were all hiding in shelters,” she wrote.
“I went to sleep in the shelter. My hotel room was not safe. Just as homes, apartments and children’s bedrooms were not safe for women, children and the elderly across Kyiv.”
The russians bombed us all night. Kyiv was exploding and burning. We were all hiding in shelters.
— Katarina Mathernova 🇪🇺 (@kmathernova) September 8, 2026
We had already received warnings yesterday that russia was preparing a massive attack. I went to sleep in the shelter. My hotel room was not safe. Just as homes, apartments and… pic.twitter.com/vwQJ10wJ97
Romania says it halted Russian sabotage mission
Tuesday 8 September 2026 15:30 , Alex CroftRomania's SRI intelligence service prevented a sabotage operation coordinated by Russia on Romanian territory, it said on Tuesday.
We’ll bring you more on the operation as it comes in.
Breaking: Putin tells Trump Russia has no hostile plans for Europe in phone call
Tuesday 8 September 2026 15:27 , Alex CroftDonald Trump has spoken over the phone with Vladimir Putin, the Kremlin has said.
The pair discussed the outcome of the visit by US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to Kyiv and Moscow, along with the possibility of restoring US-Russia ties.
The Russian president also told his US counterpart what Washington could do to bring an end to the fighting sooner.
Putin also shared with Trump an assessment of what the current battlefield situation is.
Moscow has no hostile plans to the rest of Europe, he added.
