Russian strikes have killed at least 37 people in Kyiv, most of them from a care home for the elderly, according to local Ukrainian officials.
It marks the deadliest attack on Ukraine’s capital this year, the Associated Press reports.
The strikes hit an ammunition depot, sparking a fire in the Bucha district overnight that spread to surrounding areas.
Dozens were injured with nearby infrastructure including residential buildings and the care facility for the elderly and people with disabilities suffering “significant damage”.
Volodymyr Zelensky has vowed to punish those responsible and said criminal cases had already been opened on charges of official negligence.
He described it as a “terrible situation and terrible negligence on the part of those who stored explosives right next to people”.
Meanwhile, Russia’s defence ministry said it had successfully tested a nuclear-capable intercontinental ballistic missile that could reach the US.
The missile, which has a range of more than 6,700km, was fired from the Arkhangelsk region and reached its designated target at the Kura test site in Kamchatka.
It comes just days after CIA Director John Ratcliffe travelled to Moscow to warn Russia off any attack on a Nato attack according to reports. The Kremlin denied the claims and accused western media of “scare-stories”.
Read MoreRussia threatens to bomb UK military bases over support for Ukraine
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Trump kept CIA chief’s visit to Russia from White House officials: report
Putin thinks Trump is ‘weakened’ by Iran war, says report
Key Points
- Russia hits Kyiv with deadly strike as dozens killed in care home
- Kremlin says it sees EU as hostile and sees no hope for improved relations
- Dozens killed after Russian drone blows up Ukraine warehouse
- Russia tests nuclear-capable intercontinental ballistic missile days after Ratcliffe visit
- Putin thinks Trump is ‘weakened’ by Iran war, says report
- What head of CIA told Russian counterpart on secretive visit to Moscow
Navy tracks Russian warships in English Channel during ‘intense’ operation
02:00 , Harriette BoucherRussian warships have been tracked by the Navy through UK waters in an “intense” 72-hour operation.
A task group was shadowed by Type 45 destroyer HMS Duncan, Type 23 frigate HMS St Albans and patrol vessel HMS Severn as it made its way from the North Sea through the English Channel.
Russian destroyer Admiral Levchenko was watched escorting sanctioned cargo vessels General Skobelev and Sparta, with a Merlin helicopter extending the UK’s surveillance as the ships approached the Strait of Dover.
In response to the tracking, Russia deployed other military resources including the Neustrashimy frigate to guard the illegal shipment, UK officials said.
First Sea Lord General Sir Gwyn Jenkins said there was “no room for complacency” as shadow fleet vessels continue to pose “an unacceptable risk” to maritime security and the environment.
“Alongside our allies, this approach is forcing Moscow to divert Russian warships away from their core purpose. That is because Russia knows we stand ready to act again, should it be required,” he said.
Navy tracks Russian warships in UK waters for three days during ‘intense’ operation
ICYMI: Putin thinks Trump is ‘weakened’ by Iran war, says report
01:00 , Harriette BoucherVladimir Putin believes Donald Trump has been “weakened” by the war in Iran and this could allow the Russian president to ramp up aggression in Europe, US intelligence has indicated.
While the details of CIA director John Ratcliffe’s trip to Moscow this week remain elusive, The Washington Post has reported that the meeting cautioned Moscow against banking on the US president being distracted by conflict with Tehran to escalate action against Ukraine.
For Putin, the ground war in Ukraine has not proved to be the quick victory he presented to the Russian public, where in 2014, he claimed he could, if he chose to take Kiev, do so “in two weeks.”
Instead, as the war drags into its fifth year, Moscow has faced growing levels of internal division, putting pressure on the Russian president.
Putin thinks Trump is ‘weakened’ by Iran war, says report
Watch: The woman making Ukraine safe from landmines amid a brutal war
00:30 , Harriette BoucherRussia hits Kyiv with deadly strike as dozens killed in care home
23:57 , Maira ButtRussian strikes have killed at least 37 people in Kyiv, most of them from a care home for the elderly, according to local Ukrainian officials.
At least 27 of those killed are reported to have been in the facility.
It marks the deadliest attack on Ukraine’s capital this year, the Associated Press reports.
The strikes hit an ammunition depot, sparking a fire in the Bucha district overnight.
Dozens were injured with nearby infrastructure including residential buildings and the care facility for the elderly and people with disabilities suffering “significant damage”.
Volodymyr Zelensky has vowed to punish those responsible and said criminal cases had already been opened on charges of official negligence.
He described it as a “terrible situation and terrible negligence on the part of those who stored explosives right next to people”.
Recap: Kremlin says it sees EU as hostile, no prospect of improved relations
23:00 , Harriette BoucherThe Kremlin has lashed out at EU nations for allegedly making statements suggesting that it regards Russia as an “adversary and even an enemy”.
Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Saturday he saw no prospect of improved relations between Russia and the European Union.
He said that the EU's current politicians are confrontational towards Russia, “not only in words but also in deeds”.
It is not clear which statements he was referring to.
“They are mobilising Europe's military capabilities and directing them against our country, whilst taking a direct part in hostilities against us,” he added.
Zelensky pays tribute to soldiers killed in war after Kyiv's deadliest strike of the year
22:00 , Harriette BoucherWatch: Zelensky orders Ukrainian military to hit Russia with ‘1,000 drones a day’
21:00 , Harriette BoucherKremlin says it sees EU as hostile, no prospect of improved relations
20:29 , Maira ButtThe Kremlin has accused Europe of being hostile for making statements suggesting it sees Russia as an “adversary and even an enemy”, Dmitry Peskov said on Saturday.
He added that Moscow sees no prospect of improved relations between Russia and the European Union.
Peskov did not specific which comments he was referring to but he said that EU politicians had been confrontational towards Russia “not only in words but also in deeds”.
“They are mobilising Europe's military capabilities and directing them against our country, whilst taking a direct part in hostilities against us,” Peskov said.
Gordon Brown warns Ukraine faces ‘worst winter’ of war as he urges Trump to act
20:00 , Harriette BoucherUkraine is facing its "worst winter" since the conflict with Russia began, Gordon Brown has warned, urging Britain and allies to press Donald Trump to bolster support for the nation.
The former prime minister said the US president should be urged to let Ukraine produce Patriot interceptor missiles, explaining these could help defend the country from Russian bombardment.
Brown said the war – which began when Vladimir Putin’s forces invaded Ukraine in February 2022 – is in a "critical moment", and recalled Trump previously "promised he would give the design for interceptors to Ukraine", but "hasn’t yet done so".
Speaking at the Edinburgh International Book Festival on Friday, the former Labour leader said: "We’re at a very critical moment in this Ukraine war."
Adding this "could be the worst winter" so far, he said: "Putin has realised he can bomb into populated areas and the infrastructure, put out the electricity, put out the power in Ukraine, by using his missiles and his bombs that cannot be intercepted because America is not providing the interceptors that are necessary."
In focus: ‘Where there were bombs, there are now sunflowers’: The woman ridding Ukraine of Russian mines
19:15 , Harriette BoucherThe Independent’s Maira Butt reports:
Every morning, Antonina Kulhava wakes up to the whirr of Russian drones.
After checking local alerts to ensure her family and friends are safe, she commutes to her job as a humanitarian deminer at one of Ukraine’s many fields littered with bombs. Her team face grave danger as they comb through craters of mud left by missiles, in fields once tilled by farmers.
Ukraine is one of the world’s most heavily mined countries with between 20 to 25 per cent of its surface covered with potentially dangerous weapons. This amounts to more than 139,000 square kilometres of land, a size larger than England and Wales combined.
The existence of these mines is devastating for civilians, contributing to one of the world’s highest rates of civilian casualties. Children are among those at risk if the mines are not safely cleared.
“It’s an interesting and challenging job,” she tells The Independent.
“It’s nothing like I’ve done before. It helps people in Ukraine because the more we clean our lands, the more people will come back to their homes, to their lands, and also just to make Ukraine safer.”
Read more here:
The woman making Ukraine safe from landmines amid a brutal war
Children among those killed in Russian strikes
18:30 , Harriette BoucherSeveral children have died in Russia’s bombardment of Ukraine overnight and on Saturday.
Kyiv Mayor Vitaliy Klitschko said a two year old had been killed after a Russian drone crashed in Obolonskyi.
A 14 year old was also killed in a Russian attack on the Boryspil district.
Further strikes on Saturday have injured dozens of people, including an 18 year old girl in Kyiv.
In pictures: Russia devastates Kyiv in overnight attack
17:45 , Harriette Boucher
Ten Ukrainian regions targeted in overnight attacks
17:00 , Harriette BoucherOvernight Russian strikes targeted ten regions across Ukraine and more than 260 attack drones were involved, the Ukranian president has said.
Volodymyr Zelensky said Kyiv, where 37 people were killed, was “under virtually nonstop attack from jet-powered drones”.
There were also strikes in the Odesa, Dnipro, Kyiv, Zaporizhzhia, Sumy, Kherson, Kharkiv, Mykolaiv, Donetsk, and Chernihiv regions.
“Ukraine cannot be left alone in finding solutions to defend against such strikes, and I thank everyone who is helping with additional support packages and sanctions steps against Russia,” the president added.
Zelensky launches investigation into 'terrible negligence'
16:15 , Harriette BoucherUkraine’s president said an investigation into “terrible negligence” has been launched after a warehouse near residents was used to store explosives.
He said the ammunition storage site “definitely shouldn’t have been there” and meant the scale of Russia’s strike, which killed 37 people, was “significant”.
“A terrible situation and terrible negligence on the part of those who stored explosives right next to people,” Volodymyr Zelensky said.
“Another such crime – after what happened in Vyshneve – is absolutely unacceptable. I expect the details to be presented to the public promptly,” he added.
Zelensky said he had spoke to the prosecutor general, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Security Service of Ukraine, and the Commander-in-Chief, and they had everything necessary for the investigation.
Navy tracks Russian warships in English Channel during ‘intense’ operation
15:24 , Harriette Boucher
Navy tracks Russian warships in English Channel during ‘intense’ operation
Kremlin says it sees EU as hostile, no prospect of improved relations
14:40 , Harriette BoucherThe Kremlin has lashed out at EU nations for allegedly making statements suggesting that it regards Russia as an “adversary and even an enemy”.
Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Saturday he saw no prospect of improved relations between Russia and the European Union.
He said that the EU's current politicians are confrontational towards Russia, “not only in words but also in deeds”.
It is not clear which statements he was referring to.
“They are mobilising Europe's military capabilities and directing them against our country, whilst taking a direct part in hostilities against us,” he added.
Two killed and dozens injured in more Russian strikes
14:09 , Harriette BoucherRussian strikes have killed two people and wounded 27 more in the southern Kherson region on Saturday.
Oleksandr Prokudin, the region’s head of administration, said that attacks had damaged homes and apartment blocks, and that one child was among the injured.
Russia has bombarded Ukraine with near constant air raids for the past three days, with Prokudin saying earlier in the week that Vladimir Putin had intensified attacks on critical infrastructure in his region.
He also urged tens of thousands of residents to move to safer regions because of the possibility of prolonged power and heating outages this winter.
In full: Dozens killed after Russian drone blows up Ukraine warehouse
13:43 , Harriette BoucherAt least 37 people have been killed following a Russian strike close to the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv in one of the deadliest attacks to hit Ukraine this year, officials have said.
The attack sparked a fire in the Bucha district, west of Kyiv, that swept through homes and damaged at least 50 residential buildings, Tymur Tkachenko, head of the local regional military administration, said.
In a statement on the attack, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said a warehouse had been struck in the village of Myla “followed by a detonation.”
He did not give details on the site, but wrote in the same message that Ukrainian law forbade the storage of ammunition close to civilian homes and that criminal proceedings had been opened.
“Those who allowed this to happen must be held accountable for their decisions,” Zelensky said.
Dozens killed after Russian drone blows up Ukrainian warehouse
In pictures: Aftermath of Russian drone strike on a Kyiv-area warehouse
13:20 , Harriette Boucher
Ukraine downs 233 Russian drones overnight
12:45 , Harriette BoucherUkraine shot down 233 Russian drones overnight as Moscow continued its wave of attacks,
Its defence force said the drones were struck down across the country.
“Enemy aerial weapons struck 15 locations, while debris from downed drones fell at 4 other sites. Additionally, some enemy munitions failed to reach their targets; information regarding these is currently being verified.
“The attack is ongoing, with several enemy UAVs still in the airspace.”
Death toll in Russian attack on Kyiv rises to 37
12:26 , Harriette BoucherAt least 37 people have been killed following a Russian attack on the Bucha district, close to the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv, officials said Saturday.
Tymur Tkachenko, head of the local regional military administration, said that at least 50 residential buildings had been damaged in the attack, which also sparked a large-scale fire that spread to homes and a restaurant.
Dozens of people have also been injured, officials said.
Volodymyr Zelensky said that a warehouse had been struck in the village of Myla “followed by a detonation.”
He did not give details on the site, but wrote in the same message that criminal proceedings had been opened on charges of official negligence.
“There are regulations in place – ammunition cannot be stored near homes or other residential areas.”
The woman making Ukraine safe from landmines amid a brutal war
12:00 , Harriette BoucherZelensky vows to punish those responsible for deadly overnight attack
11:15 , Harriette BoucherVolodymyr Zelensky has vowed to punish those responsible for the deadly overnight attack on the Kyiv region, which killed at least 27 people.
He said criminal cases had already been opened on charges of official negligence.
The Ukrainian president wrote on X: “Those who allowed this to happen must be held accountable for their decisions.
“There are regulations in place – ammunition cannot be stored near homes or other residential areas. Appropriate conclusions will certainly be drawn.”
Dmytrivka community head killed in deadly strike on Kyiv
10:32 , Harriette BoucherThe head of the Dmytrivka community, which was attacked by Russia overnight, died rescuing people, Volodymyr Zelensky has said.
Taras Didych is one of the 27 people that have been reported killed.
The Ukrainian president said residential buildings, along with a care home for elderly people and people with disabilities, were damaged.
The woman making Ukraine safe from landmines amid a brutal war
10:30 , Harriette BoucherVladimir Putin believes Donald Trump has been “weakened” by the war in Iran and this could allow the Russian president to ramp up aggression in Europe, US intelligence has indicated.
While the details of CIA director John Ratcliffe’s trip to Moscow this week remain elusive, The Washington Post has reported that the meeting cautioned Moscow against banking on the US president being distracted by conflict with Tehran to escalate action against Ukraine.
For Putin, the ground war in Ukraine has not proved to be the quick victory he presented to the Russian public, where in 2014, he claimed he could, if he chose to take Kiev, do so “in two weeks.”
Instead, as the war drags into its fifth year, Moscow has faced growing levels of internal division, putting pressure on the Russian president.
The past month has seen this division culminate to form what experts have labelled the Kremlin’s “biggest domestic challenge” so far.
Putin thinks Trump is ‘weakened’ by Iran war, says report
At least 27 killed in Russian strike on Kyiv region, governor says
10:18 , Harriette BoucherAt least 27 people were killed after a Russian drone strike on a Kyiv-area warehouse sparked a detonation.
Another 42 people were injured in the overnight Russian air attack, governor Tymur Tkachenko has said.
He said more than 380 were being evacuated from the strike area in the Bucha district, which damaged at least 50 residential buildings and sparked a large-scale fire that spread to homes and a restaurant.
Almost constant air raids in Kyiv have now reached their third day, choking the economy in the Ukrainian capital and severely disrupting civilian life more than 4½ years after Russia’s full-scale invasion of its neighbour.
‘Where there were bombs, there are now sunflowers’: The woman ridding Ukraine of Russian mines
09:45 , Harriette BoucherUkraine has been littered with mines since Putin invaded the country in 2022, posing a devastating risk to civilians. Antonina Kulhava, a humanitarian deminer, tells Maira Butt how she is trying to make her country safer:
The woman making Ukraine safe from landmines amid a brutal war
Russian troop losses hit 1,485,200, says Ukraine
09:00 , Harriette BoucherRussia has lost an estimated 1,485,200 troops since its invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Kyiv’s defence has claimed.
This includes 1,420 people who have died in the past day.
It has also lost 12,310 tanks, 141, 059 fuel tanks, and 25,241 armoured fighting vehicles, according to its daily update.
Separately, the defence force claimed to have downed 233 Russian drones overnight.
Zelensky orders Ukrainian military to hit Russia with ‘1,000 drones a day’
08:58 , Harriette BoucherThree killed, nine injured in Ukrainian attack on Russia's Belgorod region, authorities say
08:32 , Harriette BoucherThree people have been killed and nine injured in a Ukrainian drone attack in the Russian Belgorod region, local authorities said on their Telegram channel.
Three of the injured are in a serious condition, the authorities said.
More than 113,000 Russians flee to Georgia amid mobilisation fears
08:22 , Harriette BoucherMore than 113,000 Russians crossed into Georgia last week amid fears that the Kremlin is poised to announce a new mobilisation effort, Politico reported.
Fears have grown as Russia intensifies its recruitment measures, increases its data collection, and expands the National Guard’s remits.
Volodymyr Zelensky said earlier this week that Russia planned to mobilise 600,000 recruits in 2026-27.
Watch: Moment Putin launches nuclear-capable missile in warning to West
07:52 , Harriette BoucherRussia tests nuclear-capable intercontinental ballistic missile days after Ratcliffe visit
07:23 , Stuti MishraRussia's defence ministry said it successfully tested a nuclear-capable intercontinental ballistic missile, fired from the Arkhangelsk region in the country's northwest, days after CIA director John Ratcliffe made an unannounced visit to Moscow.
The missile, launched from a mobile platform, reached its designated target at the Kura test site in Russia's far eastern Kamchatka region, with a range of more than 6,700km, the ministry said.
“The Strategic Missile Forces practised the procedure for redeploying a mobile intercontinental ballistic missile launch battery to a remote area, preparing for and conducting the launch,” the statement on Friday said.
Mr Ratcliffe travelled to Moscow on 25 August for talks with his Russian counterpart, Sergei Naryshkin, with several US media outlets reporting the visit was intended in part to warn Russia against an attack on a Nato member.
The Kremlin has said he did not meet president Vladimir Putin during the visit.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told TASS news agency that Ratcliffe's visit involved "contacts between security services."
Russia's petrol output falls to 70% of demand after Ukrainian drone strikes on refineries
07:15 , Stuti MishraRussia's petrol production fell to about 70 per cent of domestic demand by late August after a wave of Ukrainian drone strikes forced major refineries offline, two industry sources told Reuters.
Current output stands at around 80,000 tons a day against demand of about 115,000 tons, the sources said, after drones struck and halted refineries in Perm, Nizhny Novgorod and Yaroslavl over the past week.
Regional authorities have reimposed restrictions on fuel sales, including limits per customer and schedules based on vehicle registration plates.
The shortage has forced Russia to increase imports, with about 270,000 tons of seaborne petroleum expected from Asia in August alongside supplies from Belarus.
Ukraine strikes Ozon warehouse in Russia's Rostov region
06:46 , Stuti MishraUkrainian forces struck an Ozon warehouse and other sites across the southern Russian region of Rostov Oblast overnight, the Kyiv Independent reported.
A drone hit an Ozon logistics facility in the city of Rostov-on-Don, causing a small fire that was quickly put out, the Russian e-commerce giant said in a statement.
"We have temporarily suspended operations at the facility to allow emergency services to inspect the area and ensure that it is completely safe," Ozon said.
Putin thinks Trump is ‘weakened’ by Iran war, says report
06:00 , Adam WithnallVladimir Putin believes Donald Trump has been “weakened” by the war in Iran and this could allow the Russian president to ramp up aggression in Europe, US intelligence has indicated.
While the details of CIA director John Ratcliffe’s trip to Moscow this week remain elusive, The Washington Post has reported that the meeting cautioned Moscow against banking on the US president being distracted by conflict with Tehran to escalate action against Ukraine.
Read more here:
Putin thinks Trump is ‘weakened’ by Iran war, says report
Putin wants to avoid direct Nato confrontation, Western officials say
05:30 , Stuti MishraVladimir Putin wants to avoid a direct military confrontation with Nato, despite increasingly hostile rhetoric aimed at the UK and other allies over their support for Ukraine, Western officials have said, according to BBC.
The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said recent warnings from Moscow, including that UK forces could be targeted or that Russian weapons factories could be hit, were consistent with Russia's long-standing military doctrine of pressuring the West rather than signalling any new threat.
They said Russia was likely to continue "hybrid activity" short of direct military action, including cyber-attacks, sabotage and assassination attempts, aimed at breaking Western resolve over Ukraine.
The officials also said Russia was losing 6,000 more soldiers a month, killed or wounded, than it could recruit, though there was no indication the Kremlin planned mass mobilisation.
Zelensky says US gave Kyiv information about meetings in Moscow
04:52 , Stuti MishraUkraine's president Volodymyr Zelensky has said that the United States had given Kyiv information about a number of meetings in Moscow over the last few days.
"Today we received information from the American side about the meetings in Moscow that took place these days. There were a number of meetings there," Mr Zelensky said on Telegram, without going into detail on who was at the meetings.
"I thank them for the information and for the necessary tone of the conversation with Russia," he added, again without elaborating. The Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday that CIA Director John Ratcliffe had travelled to Moscow to warn Russia off any attack on a Nato member.
The Kremlin dismissed the report, while US president Donald Trump said Russian president Vladimir Putin would not attack a Nato country, playing down media reports on Ratcliffe's trip. Reuters reported that Ratcliffe had raised the possibility of a Russian operation against a Nato member during the meeting, although it was unclear whether that was the primary purpose of the trip. The talks also covered Russia's support for Iran, one source told Reuters
Serbia secures further sanctions waiver for Russian-owned NIS oil firm
04:16 , Stuti MishraSerbia has secured a further sanctions waiver from the United States for its Russian-owned NIS oil firm until 30 September, energy minister Dubravka Djedovic Handanovic wrote on Instagram on Friday.
The waiver granted by the US Office of Foreign Assets Control will allow NIS, which operates Serbia's only oil refinery, to continue importing crude oil until the sale of a Russian majority stake in the company to Hungarian oil and gas company MOL.
"The extended licence allows us to continue supplying (the market), while at the same time working on a long-term solution for NIS," Djedovic Handanovic said.
OFAC imposed sanctions on NIS last October as part of wider measures targeting Russia's energy sector over the war in Ukraine, and demanded divestment of the combined 56 per cent stake held by Gazprom Neft and Gazprom. The waiver is crucial for Serbia as NIS refinery covers around 80 per cent of the country's demand.
Djedovic Handanovic said negotiations between MOL and Gazprom Neft are in their final phase.
"The new licence extension is a signal that there is progress and a willingness to ensure the additional necessary time to complete this complex transaction," she said without elaborating.
OFAC has granted NIS several sanctions waivers allowing it to import crude via Croatia's Janaf pipeline while MOL completes the acquisition after signing a provisional agreement in January.
The Serbian government owns 29.9 per cent of NIS, with the remainder held by small shareholders and employees.
Russian drones batter Ukraine's Kyiv region, hitting apartments and warehouses for a second day
03:00 , Maryam Zakir-HussainRussian forces on Friday resumed their drone barrage of Ukraine’s Kyiv region, hitting more than a dozen apartment buildings and storage depots in a second straight day of aerial attacks, officials said.
Prolonged air raids in Kyiv on Thursday essentially locked down the Ukrainian capital for 15 hours, the Foreign Ministry said, choking the economy and severely disrupting civilian life more than four years after Russia’s full-scale invasion of its neighbor. Even longer alerts are a daily reality in regions closer to the front line, the ministry said.
Russian drone and missile attacks are also taking aim at the power grid in what Ukrainian officials say is an annual campaign to “weaponize winter.” In Ukraine’s southern Kherson region on the Black Sea, where glide bombs a day earlier forced a combined heat and power plant to shut down, officials predicted a winter of extended outages and told people to move elsewhere if they could.
Russian drones batter Ukraine's Kyiv region, hitting apartments and warehouses for a second day
What head of CIA told Russian counterpart on secretive visit to Moscow
02:00 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain- CIA Director John Ratcliffe secretly met FSB chief Aleksandr Bortnikov in Russia.
- Ratcliffe presented evidence of heavy Russian losses caused by Ukraine's drone mastery.
- He urged Moscow to begin serious peace negotiations with Ukraine to end the conflict.
- The CIA chief raised concerns over potential Russian actions against Nato and its support for Iran.
- Moscow threatened to target British military assets after the UK granted Ukraine missile technology.
Putin thinks Trump is ‘weakened’ by Iran war, says report
01:00 , Maryam Zakir-HussainVladimir Putin believes Donald Trump has been “weakened” by the war in Iran and this could allow the Russian president to ramp up aggression in Europe, US intelligence has indicated.
While the details of CIA director John Ratcliffe’s trip to Moscow this week remain elusive, The Washington Post has reported that the meeting cautioned Moscow against banking on the US president being distracted by conflict with Tehran to escalate action against Ukraine.
For Putin, the ground war in Ukraine has not proved to be the quick victory he presented to the Russian public, where in 2014, he claimed he could, if he chose to take Kiev, do so “in two weeks.”
Putin thinks Trump is ‘weakened’ by Iran war, says report
Gordon Brown warns Ukraine faces ‘worst winter’ of war as he urges Trump to act
Saturday 29 August 2026 00:00 , Maryam Zakir-HussainUkraine is facing its "worst winter" since the conflict with Russia began, Gordon Brown has warned, urging Britain and allies to press Donald Trump to bolster support for the nation.
The former prime minister said the US president should be urged to let Ukraine produce Patriot interceptor missiles, explaining these could help defend the country from Russian bombardment.
Brown said the war – which began when Vladimir Putin’s forces invaded Ukraine in February 2022 – is in a "critical moment", and recalled Trump previously "promised he would give the design for interceptors to Ukraine", but "hasn’t yet done so".
Gordon Brown warns Ukraine faces ‘worst winter’ of war as he urges Trump to act
Zelensky orders military to hit Russia with ‘1,000 drones a day’
Friday 28 August 2026 23:19 , Maryam Zakir-HussainVolodymyr Zelensky said on Friday that he has ordered his military to increase its long-range drone strikes against Russia to 1,000 per day, up from around 300 currently.
"There needs to be more: there is a concrete goal, and we will fulfil this task," the Ukrainian president said in his evening address.
In pictures: Moment Russian drone strikes Ukrainian town in Kyiv region
Friday 28 August 2026 23:00 , James Reynolds
UN warns humanity is ‘close’ to handing kill decisions to machines
Friday 28 August 2026 22:00 , James ReynoldsThe United Nations and the International Committee of the Red Cross intensified a joint appeal on Tuesday for countries to enact bans and restrictions on autonomous weapons systems — often called killer robots — warning that "the risks have intensified."
Building on a proposal first issued three years ago and years of multilateral discussions, the stance stops short of requesting a complete ban.
It highlights that such systems are currently under development, though neither the U.N. nor the Red Cross has confirmed their deployment on the battlefield. Still, protections for civilians are urgently required for when that moment comes...
UN warns humanity is ‘dangerously close’ to handing kill decisions to machines
Watch: The woman making Ukraine safe from landmines amid a brutal war
Friday 28 August 2026 21:00 , James ReynoldsA theater is reimagining Homer’s Odyssey through the agony of Ukraine’s war
Friday 28 August 2026 20:00 , James ReynoldsWar’s timeless ache — death, captivity, the agonizing wait and the pull of home — has found a new stage in wartime Kyiv, with Homer’s epic reimagined as a contemporary Ukrainian odyssey.
The play “Odysseus, Maeotis” is ready to open in the Ukrainian capital as the ancient tale enjoys a global moment with Christopher Nolan’s IMAX spectacle and box-office hit “The Odyssey” starring Matt Damon.
In Kyiv, the story is performed by professional actors and active-duty soldiers, including Daniil Mireshkin, a serviceman who plays the warrior king Odysseus...
A theater is reimagining Homer’s Odyssey through the agony of Ukraine’s war
Recap: What head of CIA told Russian counterpart on secretive visit to Moscow
Friday 28 August 2026 19:00 , James ReynoldsThe head of the CIA told his Russian counterpart to make a deal with Ukraine as Moscow’s position deteriorates during a secretive visit this week, according to a report.
US officials told the New York Times that CIA director John Ratcliffe presented FSB chief Aleksandr Bortnikov with evidence of the enormous price Russia has paid for relatively small gains in Ukraine, attributed to Kyiv’s “mastery” of drone technology.
The CIA boss urged that Russia should enter serious negotiations with Ukraine to end the war given their difficulties on the ground and mounting economic woes, the sources claimed in comments to the newspaper.
Mr Ratcliffe flew to Russia on Tuesday to meet briefly with his intelligence counterparts in the first visit by a CIA director since 2021, when William Burns warned Russia against sending troops into Ukraine.
Read the full story:
Ukraine war latest: CIA chief ‘told Russian counterpart to make peace with Kyiv’
Trump must be pressed to hand over interceptor designs to Ukraine, says Gordon Brown
Friday 28 August 2026 18:00 , James ReynoldsUkraine is facing its “worst winter” since the conflict with Russian began, Gordon Brown has warned, as he called for Britain and other nations to press Donald Trump to do more to help the Eastern European nation.
The former prime minister said the US president should be pushed to allow Ukraine to produce Patriot interceptor missiles – saying these could help the country defend itself from Russian attacks.
Describing the conflict – which began when Vladimir Putin’s forces invaded Ukraine in February 2022 – as being at a “critical moment”, Mr Brown recalled how Mr Trump had previously “promised he would give the design for interceptors to Ukraine”, but “hasn’t yet done so”.
Read the full story:
Trump must be pressed to hand over interceptor designs to Ukraine, Brown says
Ukraine says it stockpiled enough gas for winter season
Friday 28 August 2026 17:00 , James ReynoldsUkraine has stored 14.6 billion cubic metres of gas in underground storage, enough for the upcoming winter season, the country's energy minister said on Friday.
"Ukraine has stockpiled natural gas for the baseline scenario for getting through the winter," Denys Shmyhal said on the Telegram app.
Catch up: Moscow warns UK ‘playing with fire’ over plans to help Kyiv produce missiles
Friday 28 August 2026 16:00 , James ReynoldsRussia has threatened Britain with retaliation after prime minister Andy Burnham vowed to provide Ukraine with access to technology to produce Storm Shadow missiles domestically.
Maria Zakharova, Russia’s foreign ministry spokesperson, said that London was just “one step away” from becoming legally complicit - in their eyes - for what she called “terrorism” against Russian civilians and warned of “inevitable catastrophic consequences” unless Britain changed course.
“We have repeatedly warned that any British military installations and equipment in Ukraine and beyond its borders could be targeted in response to Ukrainian strikes on Russian territory carried out using British weapons,” she said.
Zakharova accused both the UK and France of “playing with fire” after France also agreed to supply long-range missile technology to Ukraine.
After the comments on Thursday, a spokesperson for Britain's ministry of defence said London stood “shoulder to shoulder” with Ukraine and was committed to providing the equipment that Kyiv needed “to defend itself against Putin's illegal invasion”.
