Ukraine war is at ‘turning point’ and Kyiv has six months to seize initiative, says senior commander
UK targets Putin’s cryptocurrency networks in latest sanctions
Spy chief to warn of ‘relentless’ Russian cyber attacks on UK and Europe
Key Points
- Russian drone entered Romanian airspace and crashed into a 10-storey apartment block, injuring two people and sparking a fire, Romania’s defence ministry said
- US should send more air defence missiles to Kyiv and respond positively to Zelensky's request, two congressmen say
- Zelensky wrote to Trump and members of the Congress to request for additional Patriot systems and interceptors in urgent letter
- British spy chief says almost 500,000 Russian soldiers killed in Ukraine war as Russia was 'going backwards on the battlefield'
- Ukraine's parliament has ratified a €90bn (£77bn) loan agreement with the European Union with 298 votes
- Russia summoned the ambassador to Luxembourg to protest against the exhumation of a Ukrainian nationalist leader during World War Two whom Moscow described as a 'Nazi collaborator'
Drones strike Ukraine's Izmail port area in Odesa, local authorities say
04:05 , Shweta SharmaDrones struck Ukraine's Izmail port area in the southern Odesa region overnight, local authorities said on the Telegram messaging app.
One of the drones became stuck in power lines, temporarily cutting off electricity to five villages, the post said.
Izmail, close to the Romanian border, is home to the largest Ukrainian port on the Danube River and is a frequently targeted strategic location.
Two injured as drone hits apartment building in Nato-member Romania
03:44 , Shweta SharmaA drone hit a residential building in Romania's city of Galati close to the border with Ukraine, with two people suffering minor injuries, the Romanian General Inspectorate for Emergency Situations said in a Facebook post on Friday.
The drone struck a 10th-floor apartment , starting a fire, the inspectorate said.
A picture showed firefighters at the site and debris scattered on the ground.
It added that the drone's entire explosive payload detonated and around 70 people were evacuated.
In a separate incident, a drone without an explosive charge was found around Basesti in Maramures county in northwestern Romania and the area was secured, TVR broadcaster said late on Thursday, citing local authorities.
The authorities were investigating the origin of the drone, which the report said had a wingspan of about 3m (9.84ft), and how it happened to be in the area, TVR added.
Ukraine's parliament ratifies €90bn loan from Europe
03:00 , Alex CroftUkraine's parliament has ratified on Thursday a €90 billion (£77bn) loan agreement with the European Union with 298 votes, well ahead of the 226 votes required for a majority.
The financial aid, intended to bolster Kyiv's defence against Russia, faced opposition from outgoing Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orban before his electoral defeat last month.
The EU is set to offer interest-free loans for 2026-2027, funded by its borrowing on capital markets and underpinned by the EU budget headroom.
Ukraine is not expected to pay the money back from its own funds, with the capital only due for repayment once Russia pays war reparations after the conflict is over.
Russia has central bank assets that are frozen in the EU which are worth around €210 billion and which could be used for the repayment.
The scheme was designed to effectively make use of the frozen Russian funds to help Ukraine without confiscating the money, a step that had been rejected as legally risky.
The €90 billion is to cover two-thirds of Ukraine's needs for the next two years, estimated at €135 billion in total. Of the total, Ukraine will get €45 billion in 2026 and another €45 billion in 2027.
Read more about the loan here.
Watch: Zelensky writes urgent letter to Trump over critical air defence shortage
02:00 , Alex CroftZelensky reportedly appeals to Trump in urgent letter
01:00 , Alex CroftVolodymyr Zelensky has reportedly written an urgent letter to Donald Trump, warning of a critical shortage of Ukraine’s air defences.
Here’s everything you need to know in just five bullet points:
Russia claims it has seized village in Kharkiv region - state media
Friday 29 May 2026 00:01 , Alex CroftRussia's Defence Ministry said on Thursday that its forces had taken control of the Ukrainian settlement of Novovasylivka in the eastern Kharkiv region, the state RIA Novosti news agency reported.
The Independent could not independently verify the battlefield report.
Ukraine drones target energy infrastructure in Russia's Volgograd region, Interfax quotes governor
Thursday 28 May 2026 23:45 , Nicole Wootton-CaneRussian defense systems were downing Ukrainian drones targeting energy and civil infrastructure in Russia's Volgograd region, Interfax news agency said, citing Governor Andrei Bocharov.
An apartment building was hit but there were no casualties, the governor said, citing preliminary data. Volgograd region is home to a large refinery run by Russian energy company Lukoil.
US should send Ukraine more air defence missiles, congressmen say
Thursday 28 May 2026 23:21 , Nicole Wootton-CaneThe US government should respond positively to President Volodymyr Zelensky's request for more air defence missiles to shield Ukraine's capital from a threatened escalation in Russian bombardment, two U.S. congressmen said on Thursday.
President Zelensky wrote to Donald Trump and the members of the US Congress this week to request additional Patriot systems and interceptors - the only effective shield against Russia's ballistic missiles in Ukraine's arsenal.
After meeting with Zelensky in Kyiv, Senator Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut said the United States had complied several times in the past with Kyiv's requests for additional weapons.
"My hope and expectation is that America will respond positively to this request," said Blumenthal, speaking alongside US Representative Jim Himes, a fellow Democrat.
Both congressmen, Blumenthal said, would lobby on their return to Washington for additional air defence interceptors for Ukraine and tougher sanctions on Russia: "What we will regard as our mission, as we go back, is to make sure that Ukraine has the means to do the job."
Moscow claims drone attacks from direction of EU states is growing
Thursday 28 May 2026 23:01 , Alex CroftWe can bring you more from Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, who we heard from earlier.
She said that the number of drone attacks on Russian territory from the direction of Europe and Northern European states is increasing.
Moscow has made clear its concern Ukrainian drones could be using Baltic or other countries' airspace to launch attacks on targets inside Russia.
But this assertion is rejected by Kyiv and the three Baltic countries.
Extra US forces to Poland could lead to escalation of tensions between Russia and West, says Moscow
Thursday 28 May 2026 22:02 , Alex CroftThe deployment of additional US military forces to Poland could lead to a "qualitative escalation" of the tension between Russia and the West, Moscow has said.
Russia may be forced to take retaliatory measures, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Thursday.
She didn’t specify exactly what these measures could entail.
Watch: UK intelligence suggests almost half a million Russian soldiers have died in Putin’s invasion
Thursday 28 May 2026 21:01 , Alex CroftWhy did American diplomats leave Ukraine? Embassy response sparks new questions
Thursday 28 May 2026 20:00 , Alex CroftThe U.S. Embassy in Kyiv has firmly denied reports suggesting a change in its operations, asserting it remains open despite recent warnings from Russia and conflicting statements from European officials. The denial came on Thursday, following Moscow's advisories for diplomats and foreigners to leave the Ukrainian capital ahead of potential escalated attacks.
Confusion arose after some Ukrainian media cited remarks by European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas. Speaking on the sidelines of an EU meeting in Cyprus, Kallas indicated that all foreign embassies in Kyiv had disregarded Moscow's threats, "except one." She stated, "What we heard from Ukraine yesterday was that all the embassies stayed except one. All the Europeans stayed. America left." This prompted several EU states to summon Russian ambassadors after the warning was issued on Monday.
Read the full report here:
Why did American diplomats leave Ukraine? Embassy denial sparks new questions
Ukraine to receive first Swedish Gripen fighter jets in 2027
Thursday 28 May 2026 19:00 , Alex CroftUkraine will receive its first Saab Gripen fighter jets of the models C and D in 2027 and new Gripen Model E and F jets from 2030 onwards, Swedish prime minister Ulf Kristersson said on Thursday.
We earlier reported that Sweden will procure for Kyiv up to 20 Gripen E/F aircraft for €2.5 billion (£2.2bn), financed from a European loan, as a first step ina. major new defence deal.
Russia calls on Europe to prove allegations Moscow is jamming GPS signals
Thursday 28 May 2026 18:00 , Alex CroftRussia's foreign ministry has said that Europe should show some proof of allegations that Moscow is jamming GPS signals in Europe.
Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, speaking about the claims from EU countries that Russia is jamming GPS signals in Europe, said on Thursday that those making the allegations should first provide "at least some evidence."
So far, these are just words, and one cannot take them at face value, Ms Zakharova said.
In pictures: Zelensky visits Sweden to sign defence deal
Thursday 28 May 2026 17:01 , Alex Croft
Russia summons Luxembourg ambassador after exhumation of Ukrainian nationalist leader
Thursday 28 May 2026 16:00 , Alex CroftRussia has summoned the ambassador to Luxembourg to protest against the exhumation of the remains of Andriy Melnyk, a Ukrainian nationalist leader during World War Two whom Moscow described as a "Nazi collaborator."
Melnyk, who sided with Nazi Germany against the Soviet Union, was reburied with full state honours with his wife near Kyiv on Monday after being exhumed in Luxembourg.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Moscow regarded the reburial as a sign of disrespect towards the millions of victims of Nazi Germany.
Sweden to procure up to 20 Gripen aircraft for Kyiv in new deal
Thursday 28 May 2026 15:02 , Alex CroftAs we reported earlier, Volodymyr Zelensky is in Sweden to sign a major defence deal on fighter jets - we can now bring you more.
Kyiv will acquire Swedish fighter jets in a major defence deal signed on Thursday, Mr Zelensky's office said.
As a first step, Sweden will procure for Kyiv up to 20 Gripen E/F aircraft for €2.5 billion (£2.2bn), financed from a European loan.
Sweden also aims to donate 16 Gripen C/D aircraft as bilateral assistance when Ukraine proceeds with the intended purchase, the statement said.
Watch: Zelensky writes urgent letter to Trump over critical air defence shortage
Thursday 28 May 2026 14:00 , Alex CroftNato's German-Netherlands corps to take command role in Estonia and Latvia
Thursday 28 May 2026 13:30 , Alex CroftNato's German-Netherlands Corps will take on the role of a tactical headquarters for Estonia and Latvia within the defence alliance's plans around mid-year, Germany's defence ministry said on Thursday.
"The deployment of an additional tactical headquarters to the region strengthens the cohesion of Nato and supports the deterrence of Russia," the ministry said in a statement.
Citing sources, Reuters news agency reported this week that Nato would strengthen the defence of its eastern flank with a new structure to facilitate the rapid deployment of forces in Latvia and Estonia in the event of a war with Russia.
Moscow dismisses EU foreign policy chief's remarks on limiting Russian army as 'idiotic'
Thursday 28 May 2026 13:00 , Alex CroftRussian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov has said that the EU’s foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas' remarks about the need to limit Russia's armed forces were "idiotic."
Discussing peace talks in a press conference earlier, Ms Kallas said: “If Ukraine is required to make concessions on limiting its military capabilities, this should also be mirrored by Russia if it is part of the agreement.”
She also warned that the bloc should not fall into a Russian trap discussing who would represent Europe in possible future talks and that negotiations are a team effort.
"I find that it's a trap that Russia wants us to walk into, that we discuss who talks to them when they're already picking who is suitable or who is not," Kallas said when arriving for an informal gathering of European foreign ministers in Cyprus today.
"Let's not walk into that trap. Negotiations is always a team effort," she said, adding "that's why the substance is much more important than who".
Ukraine's parliament ratifies €90bn loan from Europe
Thursday 28 May 2026 12:30 , Alex CroftUkraine's parliament has ratified on Thursday a €90 billion (£77bn) loan agreement with the European Union with 298 votes, well ahead of the 226 votes required for a majority.
The financial aid, intended to bolster Kyiv's defence against Russia, faced opposition from outgoing Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orban before his electoral defeat last month.
The EU is set to offer interest-free loans for 2026-2027, funded by its borrowing on capital markets and underpinned by the EU budget headroom.
Ukraine is not expected to pay the money back from its own funds, with the capital only due for repayment once Russia pays war reparations after the conflict is over.
Russia has central bank assets that are frozen in the EU which are worth around €210 billion and which could be used for the repayment.
The scheme was designed to effectively make use of the frozen Russian funds to help Ukraine without confiscating the money, a step that had been rejected as legally risky.
The €90 billion is to cover two-thirds of Ukraine's needs for the next two years, estimated at €135 billion in total. Of the total, Ukraine will get €45 billion in 2026 and another €45 billion in 2027.
Read more about the loan here.
Ukraine preparing 'strong step' on Gripen fighter jets with Sweden - Zelensky
Thursday 28 May 2026 12:01 , Alex CroftUkraine is preparing a "major defence package" with Sweden and a "strong step" on Gripen fighter jets, president Volodymyr Zelensky said as he arrived to Sweden.
“I am in Sweden today on a working visit,” he wrote on X.
“We are preparing a major defense package for Ukraine and a strong step regarding Gripen fighter jets, which will definitely make our combat aviation more effective.”
Mr Zelensky said on Telegram that he will meet prime minister Ulf Kristersson and representatives of the Swedish defence industry.
“Thank you, @SwedishPM, for ensuring that our relations – between Ukraine and Sweden – are always substantive, and that our cooperation is strong,” he added.
I am in Sweden today on a working visit. We are preparing a major defense package for Ukraine and a strong step regarding Gripen fighter jets, which will definitely make our combat aviation more effective. Meetings are scheduled today with Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, and… pic.twitter.com/WjwV589PKk
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) May 28, 2026
Ukraine war is at ‘turning point’ and Kyiv has six months to seize initiative, says senior commander
Thursday 28 May 2026 11:28 , Alex CroftUkraine faces a critical six-month window to seize the battlefield initiative from Russia and strengthen its position for potential peace negotiations, a senior commander has said, predicting an imminent "turning point" in the conflict now in its fifth year.
Russian forces have made incremental gains since their full-scale invasion in February 2022, but their advances have slowed this year. Ukrainian troops are now intensifying pressure on the frontline in an effort to push back the invaders.
Brigadier General Andriy Biletsky, who commands Ukraine's Third Army Corps – one of the nation's most respected fighting formations – told Reuters in an interview that he believes Russia's military is exhausted and incapable of achieving significant breakthroughs.
Should Ukraine's military successfully build and sustain momentum over the coming months, it could gain the upper hand along the frontline, compelling Russia to abandon its ambitions for the last remaining part of the Donetsk region in eastern Ukraine that it does not yet occupy, he explained.
Read more here:
Ukraine war is at crucial turning point, says senior commander
Zelensky in Sweden to announce news on aircraft
Thursday 28 May 2026 10:59 , Alex CroftVolodymyr Zelensky is in Sweden on Thursday, local news agency TT and public broadcaster SVT reported, citing sources.
Swedish prime minister Ulf Kristersson said the Ukrainian president will present news involving aircraft - we’ll bring you the latest lines here.
Russia's spy chief accuses Nato of preparing for 'large-scale conflict' in the east
Thursday 28 May 2026 10:29 , Alex CroftRussia’s spy chief has accused Nato of preparing for a conflict in the east, according to Moscow’s state news agency RIA.
Sergei Naryshkin, head of Russia's SVR foreign intelligence service, on Thursday said Nato was making practical preparations for what he called a "large-scale conflict in the east”.
Naryshkin was also cited as saying that the European Union was rapidly arming itself and turning into a military alliance "directed against Russia."
Watch: Zelensky writes urgent letter to Trump over critical air defence shortage
Thursday 28 May 2026 10:00 , Alex CroftUS embassy in Kyiv to remain open despite threats of Russian attack
Thursday 28 May 2026 09:31 , Alex CroftThe US embassy in Kyiv will remain open, it confirmed on Thursday, days after Russia called on diplomats to leave the city ahead of planned strikes.
"The US Embassy is open. There are no changes to our operations and reports otherwise are false," the embassy said in a post on X.
Several EU states have summoned their Russian ambassadors over Moscow's threat.
Von der Leyen discusses Ukraine's path to EU membership with Zelensky
Thursday 28 May 2026 09:00 , Arpan RaiEuropean Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said she discussed Ukraine's path to EU membership with president Volodymyr Zelensky.
"Air defence and drone and counter-drone capabilities are among Europe's most urgent defence priorities. And Ukraine will be fully integrated into these efforts," she said in a post on X yesterday.
"The coming weeks will be important to take decisive steps forward in the accession process," she said.
German chancellor Friedrich Merz earlier this month suggested permitting Ukraine "associate" membership in the bloc, allowing it to participate in EU meetings and institutions without a vote, as an interim step toward full membership – a proposal that Zelensky has labelled as unfair.
Zelensky has said Ukraine has pressed ahead with reforms needed for EU membership, with an opportunity for substantive progress on talks following the electoral defeat of Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orban, a staunch opponent of Ukraine's EU membership.
Von der Leyen added that Europe continues to support Ukraine amid its war with Russia.
Ukraine rejects Russian claims of capturing two more Ukrainian villages
Thursday 28 May 2026 08:40 , Arpan RaiThe Russian defence ministry has claimed its troops have taken control of one village in Ukraine's northeastern Kharkiv region and another in the southeastern Zaporizhzhia region yesterday.
But the claims were swiftly denied by Ukraine’s military and the country's most widely read military blog.
Russia's defence ministry said its forces had taken control of Hraniv in Kharkiv region on the border with Russia and Vozdvyzhivka in a highly contested part of Zaporizhzhia region.
Ukraine's 14th Army dismissed the Russian report, saying Hraniv was under the control of the Ukrainian military.
"Units of the Defence Forces of Ukraine are reliably holding designated defensive lines, effectively repelling enemy offensive actions, and inflicting significant losses on them in personnel and equipment," it said on Facebook.
DeepState, a Ukrainian war blog that tracks the two sides along the 1,250-km (775-mile) front line using open sources, said the Russian report of Vozdvyzhivka's capture was untrue.
It said a group of Russian servicemen had briefly entered the village earlier this month but had been evicted or killed.
On Tuesday, the 14th Army also denied the capture of one of two villages the Russian military claimed to have seized in Sumy region, a border area where Moscow says it wants to expand a buffer zone.
Zelensky asks Trump for air defences in a rare letter: 'Fighting for survival'
Thursday 28 May 2026 08:26 , Arpan RaiUkrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has urged US president Donald Trump to help Ukraine with air defence systems and interceptors, saying that ballistic missiles are Russia's "last major advantage on the battlefield".
In a letter to Trump and the US Congress, Zelensky said: "I ask for your help in protecting Ukraine's skies from Russian missiles. We have already proposed that Ukraine is ready to purchase the number of Patriot systems and interceptor missiles we need.”
Ukraine's only means of shooting down Russian ballistic missiles is US-made interceptors for the Patriot air defence system.
Throughout the four years of war, Kyiv has been short of interceptors, but the Iran war has threatened to make resources even more scarce.
"The current pace of deliveries through the PURL program is no longer keeping up with the reality of the threat we face," Zelensky said in his letter, referring to a programme where US munitions are paid for by European allies and then shipped to Ukraine.
"For us – for a nation fighting for its survival – there is hardly anything more painful to see than Patriot batteries with no missiles loaded," he added.
Russia used 30 ballistic missiles against Ukraine in its latest major strike on Sunday, and only 11 of them were shot down, according to Ukraine's air force.
Zelensky also said that Moscow's troops launched two nuclear-capable intermediate-range ballistic Oreshnik missiles for that strike.
“One struck the Kyiv region, while another, reportedly, fell in temporarily occupied territory in Ukraine's Donetsk region."
Zelensky expressed gratitude but added that "...as long as Putin still has even one meaningful advantage in conventional weapons, he will avoid conventional diplomacy. Today, his ballistic missiles remain exactly that – his last major advantage on the battlefield”.
UK and Poland to sign defence treaty to tackle Russian threats
Thursday 28 May 2026 08:07 , Arpan RaiBritain has signed a new defence and security treaty with Poland to combat threats, including from an increasingly aggressive Russia, officials said.
The deal, due to be signed by Polish prime minister Donald Tusk and Sir Keir Starmer in London, will improve border security, tackle organised crime and deepen defence cooperation with the European Union, a statement from the British government yesterday said.
Before leaving Poland, Tusk said both nations saw "Russia as a strategic threat" and the two leaders are expected to discuss an increase in hybrid attacks, cyberattacks and espionage.
The latest defence deal with an EU member, following similar agreements with France and Germany, underlines Starmer's push to repair the damage inflicted by Brexit almost 10 years ago and to respond to calls by US president Donald Trump for Europe to take more responsibility over the continent's defences.
Watch: UK spy chief warns of 'unstoppable' AI and threats from Russia
Thursday 28 May 2026 07:40 , Arpan RaiSpy chief warns of ‘relentless’ Russian cyber attacks on UK and Europe
Thursday 28 May 2026 07:23 , Arpan RaiThe head of GCHQ has warned Russia is “relentlessly” targeting critical infrastructure, democratic processes, supply chains and public trust in the UK and Europe.
Anne Keast-Butler, in her inaugural GCHQ annual lecture yesterday, said Russia is increasing its daily hybrid activity against countries including Britain, and to urge the public and businesses to make cyber security “10 times more urgent”.
The UK intelligence spy agency’s chief also highlighted the organisation’s efforts in “disrupting Russia’s efforts to smuggle western tech, fending off cyber attacks, and countering reckless sabotage and assassination attempts”, adding, “as we remain steadfast in our support for Ukraine, [Vladimir] Putin is going backwards on the battlefield”.
Earlier this year, Dr Richard Horne, head of the National Cyber Security Centre which is part of GCHQ, warned that most nationally significant cyber attacks on Britain were carried out by hostile states including China, Iran and Russia.
EU should not fall into Russian trap on envoy, Kallas says
Thursday 28 May 2026 06:52 , Arpan RaiEuropean Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas has warned that the bloc should not fall into a Russian trap discussing who would represent Europe in possible future talks and that negotiations are a team effort.
"I find that it's a trap that Russia wants us to walk into, that we discuss who talks to them when they're already picking who is suitable or who is not," Kallas said when arriving for an informal gathering of European foreign ministers in Cyprus today.
"Let's not walk into that trap. Negotiations is always a team effort," she said, adding "that's why the substance is much more important than who".
Father killed and children wounded in Russian attack on playground
Thursday 28 May 2026 06:49 , Arpan RaiAt least one person was killed and four others were injured after Russian forces hit a playground in Ukraine's Kherson, officials said.
Police officials said a father was killed while his 36-year-old wife and their two daughters – aged three and six – suffered blast injuries and multiple shrapnel wounds.
The strike took place around 5.30pm local time in the Korabelny district after Russian forces fired multiple-launch rocket systems at a playground where families had gathered, said city military administration head Yaroslav Shanko.
A 50-year-old man was also injured in the attack.
Almost 500,000 Russian soldiers have been killed in Putin’s war on Ukraine, says GCHQ
Thursday 28 May 2026 06:27 , Arpan RaiRussia has lost 500,000 soldiers since it began its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the UK’s intelligence chief said in London.
GCHQ director Anne Keast-Butler gave the latest figure for Russian casualties in Ukraine during her first public speech at Bletchley Park, saying it proved Vladimir Putin was “going backwards in the battlefield”.
Ms Keast-Butler warned Russia was risking a wider conflict in Europe by targeting critical infrastructure and supply chains across the continent.
She also said Russian security services were behind espionage plots in multiple countries and blamed Moscow for “scaling up its daily hybrid activity against the UK and Europe”.
Assessments by Western intelligence and independent analysts suggest both Russia and Ukraine have seen hundreds of thousands of troops killed in the war, with Moscow’s losses likely significantly higher than Kyiv’s. Neither side publishes regular figures on its own casualties, and both accuse each other of exaggerating their enemy’s losses.
500,000 Russian soldiers killed in Putin’s war on Ukraine, says GCHQ
Belgium summons Russian ambassador over Russia's call for foreigners to leave Kyiv
Thursday 28 May 2026 06:15 , Arpan RaiBelgium has summoned the Russian ambassador after Russia called on diplomatic personnel and foreign citizens to leave Kyiv ahead of planned strikes, Belgian foreign minister Maxime Prevot said yesterday.
"Threatening embassies is not diplomacy, it is intimidation. And it is a flagrant violation of international law and the Vienna Convention," he also said, adding that Belgium will stay in Kyiv "and will not be intimidated".
Several other EU states have also summoned their Russian ambassadors over Moscow's threat.
Watch: Russian strikes on Zaporizhzhia injure 12, including infant
Thursday 28 May 2026 05:58 , Arpan RaiUkraine's draft law on EU loan pact seeks funds of €90bn
Thursday 28 May 2026 05:27 , Arpan RaiUkrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has submitted a draft law on the ratification of a loan agreement with the European Union, a document posted on parliament's website showed this morning.
The draft sets out a framework for Ukraine to attract total funds of €90bn (£78bn), according to an accompanying explanatory note.
Watch: Zelensky writes urgent letter to Trump over critical air defence shortage
Thursday 28 May 2026 05:12 , Arpan RaiEU ministers to discuss Russia strategy as Kyiv pushes for European role
Thursday 28 May 2026 05:02 , Arpan RaiEuropean Union foreign ministers will discuss today how to approach any possible future talks with Russia, as Ukraine seeks to replace the US with Europe as the main mediator in negotiations with Moscow.
The EU has pursued a policy of isolating Russia since Moscow's 2022 invasion of Ukraine. It has imposed sanctions and had few high-level political and diplomatic contacts with Russia.
But with Washington embroiled in a new conflict with Iran, US-led talks to end the conflict making little progress and the war now in its fifth year, some European officials have said the EU should be ready for when the time comes to hold talks with Moscow.
The Kremlin said yesterday that Russian president Vladimir Putin was open to negotiations with Europe, the RIA news agency reported.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has in recent weeks publicly called for diplomacy to be reinvigorated and for Europe to become part of the process.
Zelensky had said it is worth determining who will represent Europe specifically.
Ukraine war is at ‘turning point’, says senior commander
Thursday 28 May 2026 04:44 , Arpan RaiUkraine faces a critical six-month window to seize the battlefield initiative from Russia and strengthen its position for potential peace negotiations, a senior commander has said, predicting an imminent "turning point" in the conflict now in its fifth year.
Russian forces have made incremental gains since their full-scale invasion in February 2022, but their advances have slowed this year. Ukrainian troops are now intensifying pressure on the frontline in an effort to push back the invaders.
Brigadier General Andriy Biletsky, who commands Ukraine's Third Army Corps – one of the nation's most respected fighting formations – told Reuters in an interview that he believes Russia's military is exhausted and incapable of achieving significant breakthroughs.
Read more here:
Ukraine war is at crucial turning point, says senior commander
Almost 500,000 Russian soldiers killed in Ukraine war, GCHQ says
Thursday 28 May 2026 04:19 , Arpan RaiNearly 500,000 Russian soldiers have been killed over the course of the Ukraine war, new intelligence from GCHQ suggests.
The agency’s director Anne Keast-Butler revealed the figures during her inaugural public speech on Wednesday as she set out the biggest threats facing the UK.
She said Russia is "targeting critical infrastructure, democratic processes, supply chains and public trust".
Ms Keast-Butler added: "In the face of such aggression and chaos, GCHQ is working tirelessly with intelligence and defence partners to degrade and reduce the Russian threat."
She warned the UK is at a "moment of consequence" with Russia "relentlessly targeting" critical infrastructure across the country.
