People in Russia are withdrawing billions from the nation’s banks over fears that the Kremlin could begin to seize money to finance the war with Ukraine, a report says.
According to The Washington Post, the country is seeing a record cash outflow amid intensifying drone strikes from Ukraine.
Nearly 286.4bn rubles (worth $3.4bn) was withdrawn in the first two weeks of August, according to data from the Russian Central Bank, reported in The Post.
That follows $7.3bn withdrawn last month and more than $4.5bn in June.
Alexandra Prokopenko, a former adviser to the Russian Central Bank, said the withdrawals illustrated a level of fear among the Russian public.
“It means people have no trust in the Russian banking system or in the Russian financial system,” Prokopenko said.
“This is all a consequence of the fear that the government will do something with the banking system, that it could nationalise deposits.”
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Key Points
- Russians ‘withdraw billions’ from banks amid fears Putin could seize money
- Burnham says UK '100% behind Kyiv' after Russia's threat
- Ukraine's attacks on 'Russian Amazon' Wildberries mapped
- Zelensky nominates Khmara for new defence minister amid protests
Watch: Minister hits back after Russia threat over Ukraine’s ‘use of British drones’ in record attacks
01:00 , Daniel HaygarthEditorial: Britain must meet Putin’s war of words with action
23:59 , Dan HaygarthIt was predictable that Russia would respond in its usual menacing fashion to the explosive arrival of British-made drones on its territory. These medium-range unmanned aerial vehicles, as they’re known in military circles, have participated in a recent Ukrainian campaign that has caused an estimated total of £35bn in economic damage to the Russian Federation.
Resentment at this intervention is palpable in the statement issued by the Russian embassy in London. It accused Britain, absurdly, of being “an accomplice and co-perpetrator of the bloody crimes and terrorist attacks committed by Ukrainian neo-Nazis”.
Read more:
Britain must meet Putin’s war of words with action
Russia strikes cargo vessel carrying Ukrainian weapons
23:00 , Suha KidwaiRussian military drones have struck a cargo vessel carrying weapons and equipment for the Ukrainian armed forces in the Black Sea to the south-east of Odesa on Tuesday, the Russian Defence Ministry has said in a statement.
According to Ukraine's port administration, 57 Russian attacks have been carried out on civilian vessels in July alone.
A further 67 hits on port infrastructure have been recorded.
The Black Sea remains a vital export route for Ukraine.
With almost no vessels currently moving on Ukraine's Black Sea shipping corridor, Ukraine is expected to feel the cost of attacks affecting its maritime infrastructure.
Ukrainian minister thanks Belgium for support over war
22:00 , Suha KidwaiForeign minister, Andrii Sybiha has thanks Belgium for its support for Ukraine.
In a post on X, the official shared that Belgium’s total contribution to the Ukrainian war effort is valued at over €4.6 billion.
Pleased to welcome my friend and Belgian colleague @prevotmaxime on his official visit to Ukraine.
— Andrii Sybiha 🇺🇦 (@andrii_sybiha) August 18, 2026
Due to Russian drones attacking our capital, we held our talks underground in the @MFA_Ukraine bomb shelter—a daily reality for millions of Ukrainians, shared by our Belgian guests… pic.twitter.com/Lxxt3Swccq
“We deeply value the more than €1 billion in military aid provided this year bilaterally and through multilateral programs,” the minister added.
In pictures: Ukraine grapples with devastating aftermath of Russian strikes
21:00 , Suha Kidwai
'Fear that the government will do something with the banking system'
20:14 , Dan HaygarthThe widespread bank withdrawals in Russia are causing liquidity problems, according to a former senior Russian finance official who spoke to the newspaper.
“Drones are flying. Things are burning down. Nervousness is growing. And people’s everyday wisdom may be kicking in that they need to have cash under their pillow and not somewhere in banks where it may never be returned,” said a former finance official.
“For some banks this really is a problem,” the former official added.
“They didn’t expect this, and they invested all the cash elsewhere, and yet people are coming and taking out half a trillion rubles a month.”
Alexandra Prokopenko, a former adviser to the Russian Central Bank, said the withdrawals illustrated that the Russian public are scared.
“It means people have no trust in the Russian banking system or in the Russian financial system,” Prokopenko said.
“This is all a consequence of the fear that the government will do something with the banking system, that it could nationalise deposits.”
Russians ‘withdraw billions’ from banks amid fears Putin could seize money
20:04 , Dan HaygarthPeople in Russia are withdrawing billions from the nation’s banks over fears that the Kremlin could begin to seize money to finance the war with Ukraine, a report says.
According to The Washington Post, the country is seeing a record cash outflow amid intensifying drone strikes from Ukraine.
Nearly 286.4bn rubles (worth $3.4bn) was withdrawn in the first two weeks of August, according to data from the Russian Central Bank, reported in The Post.
That follows $7.3bn withdrawn last month and more than $4.5bn in June.
The withdrawals are causing liquidity problems in the country, according to a former senior Russian finance official, the newspaper says.
“Drones are flying. Things are burning down. Nervousness is growing. And people’s everyday wisdom may be kicking in that they need to have cash under their pillow and not somewhere in banks where it may never be returned”, a source told The Post.
Ukraine military announces plan to equip '100%' of drones with AI technology
20:00 , Suha KidwaiKyiv aims to ensure that every drone on the front line is equipped with AI capabilities, the Ukrainian ministry of defence has said.
The target comes alongside Ukrainian plans for an “AI-driven army,” where the ministry plans for target identification, engagement, and battle damage assessment to be completed using AI technology.
The government has said that the move is designed to save the lives of Ukrainian service members, and maximise the effectiveness of frontline operations.
Ukrainian power plant damaged by Russian strike, halts operations
19:46 , Dan HaygarthA thermal power plant in central Ukraine halted operations on Tuesday after it suffered significant damage from a Russian strike, power firm DTEK said.
The company declined to name the plant involved. It said in a statement on Telegram that its thermal plants have been attacked more than 230 times by Russia since the start of the full-scale invasion in 2022.
Putin 'refuses peace' says Ukrainian foreign minister
19:00 , Suha KidwaiUkrainian officials have accused Putin of prolonging the war.
“Putin continues to drag out the war instead of accepting Ukraine’s realistic ceasefire proposals and ending the bloodshed,” Ukrainian foreign minister, Andrii Sybiha has said in a post on X.
Putin continues to drag out the war instead of accepting Ukraine’s realistic ceasefire proposals and ending the bloodshed.
— Andrii Sybiha 🇺🇦 (@andrii_sybiha) August 18, 2026
A Russian strike on the village of Pechenihy in the Kharkiv region killed at least 10 people. Ten residential houses were damaged, along with a cafe, a post… pic.twitter.com/3wQS6lQa01
“As long as Moscow refuses peace, it must face a growing cost for prolonging this war through additional sanctions, isolation, and strict accountability for Russian crimes,” the minister added.
Russia waging 'hybrid war,' say European governments
18:00 , Suha KidwaiIn light of the previously reported Russian parcel-bomb plot, German interior minister, Alexander Dobrindt has spoken out on the consequences of hybrid warfare.
"The aim of these hybrid attacks is to defeat us politically and socially. That is the underlying concept: hybrid threats acting as a driver for the erosion of public trust in the state," he said.
"What we are witnessing today is the shadow war of the 21st century," the minister added.
German court convicts Ukrainian man over parcel bomb plot tied to Russia
17:00 , Suha KidwaiA German court has convicted a Ukrainian man over what prosecutors have described as a plot linked to Russian intelligence.
The plan is understood to involve detonating parcels in Europe with the purpose of causing damage and undermining public confidence in security.
Three Ukrainians were involved in sending two packages with GPS trackers and spare auto parts from Germany to Ukraine using a Ukrainian parcel service in an operation initiated by a Russian state entity, the Higher Regional Court of Stuttgart has said in a statement.
Drone explodes near Ukrainian nuclear facility
16:00 , Suha KidwaiA drone has exploded at a bus stop used by staff of Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, the International Atomic Energy Agency has said.
The explosion is confirmed to have killed one person, and injured several others.
Zelensky nominates Khmara for new defence minister amid protests
15:30 , Suha KidwaiPresident Zelensky has nominated Yevhenii Khmara for parliamentary approval for defence minister and Andrii Sybiha for foreign minister, lawmakers said on Tuesday.
Khmara served as acting minister following the abrupt dismissal of his predecessor, Mykhailo Fedorov, in July, a decision that sparked a political crisis for Zelensky.
The vote is expected to take place on Wednesday.
Burnham says UK '100% behind Kyiv' after Russia's threat over drone production
14:45 , Suha KidwaiBurnham has said he backs Ukraine '100 per cent' after Moscow’s threat over use of Ukraine’s use of UK drones.
When asked on Tuesday what his message to Russian President Vladimir Putin was, Burnham responded: "This is the UK doing what it has long said it would do, which is to support Ukraine 100% against this illegal war led by Vladimir Putin.
"We are providing support so that Ukraine can defend itself, and that’s been the British position all the way through this conflict by previous prime ministers. It remains the case with me.
"We are not fair-weather friends. We will be there in Ukraine’s hour of need, and that won’t change.”
Ukraine has used drones made by two UK companies as part of what has been termed a ‘deep strike’ campaign on Tuesday, the Sunday Times reported.
FPV drones are 'devastating' Russia, says Kyiv
14:15 , Suha KidwaiFPV drones are turning Russian military hardware into targets with “devastating precision,” Ukraine’s ministry of defence has said.
FPV (first-person view) drones are modified commercial quadcopters equipped with explosives and flown directly into targets by operators wearing video goggles, and can achieve speeds up to 93 miles per hour.
The ministry has shared video footage captured by a Ukrainian FPV drone on X.
What the enemy once considered its strength — tanks, armored vehicles, heavy armor — is now being hunted from above.
— Defense of Ukraine (@DefenceU) August 18, 2026
FPV drones are turning Russian military hardware into targets with devastating precision.
📹: 43rd Mechanized Brigade pic.twitter.com/R2Sg0gHScn
EU invites member countries to place restrictions on Belarus
13:45 , Suha KidwaiThe European Union’s foreign policy chief has “welcomed” other countries aligning themselves with restrictions on Belarus.
The statement follows the EU council’s decision to impose further restrictions on Belarus in view of the state’s involvement in Russian aggression against Ukraine.
These restrictions include expanding the list of items which might contribute to Belarus’s military and technological enhancement or to the development of its defence and security sector.
Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Norway and Ukraine have publicly aligned themselves with the new measures.
Ukraine's decision on defence minister looms ahead
13:15 , Suha KidwaiThe Ukrainian parliament has returned from its summer break, as the country awaits Zelensky’s decision on the future leadership of two crucial ministries.
The parliament went into recess in mid-July shortly after the president announced an unexpected government reshuffle, with the ousting of popular defence minister, Mykhailo Fedorov triggering mass protests across the country.
The decision on the new defence minister is being closely watched as protesters have gathered outside Ukraine’s parliament once again, calling for the reinstatement of Fedorov.
Ukraine's Wildberries attacks, mapped
12:45 , Suha KidwaiAs of Tuesday, Ukraine has attacked seven of Wildberries’ 10 biggest warehouses in Russia.
Zelensky attends reburial ceremony for a leader of Ukrainian nationalists organisation
12:15 , Suha KidwaiUkraine's president Zelensky has made an attendance at a reburial ceremony for Yevhen Konovalets, one of founders and leaders of the Organisation of Ukrainian Nationalists (OUN), at the National Military Memorial Cemetery outside of Kyiv.
Russia says it has captured two more settlements in Ukraine
11:45 , Suha KidwaiThe Russian defence ministry has claimed that its forces have captured two settlements in Ukraine’s Donetsk region.
Roughly 80 per cent of the eastern territory, including the major cities and the port of Mariupol, is currently occupied or controlled by Russia.
On Monday, Russian troops killed one resident of the Donetsk region and wounded five others, according to the head of Donetsk’s regional state administration.
In pictures: The aftermath of Russia's attack in Kharkiv
11:15 , Suha Kidwai
Moscow says it has protested against Japanese PM's 'anti-Russian' remarks
10:45 , Suha KidwaiRussia's Foreign Ministry has said it ”strongly protested” to the state’s Japanese ambassador over what it called “anti-Russian” remarks by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi regarding a group of Russian-controlled islands off Japan’s coast.
The disputed territory consists of the four islands closest to Japan which were seized by the Soviet Union at the end of the second world war.
Known in Japanese as Hopporyodo, or the Northern Territories, in Russia they are simply referred to as part of the Kurils.
In recent years, Russia has bolstered its military presence on the isles, which sit between the Sea of Okhotsk and the Pacific Ocean.
Control of the islands gives Russia a military edge, providing Moscow with year-round access to the Pacific for its fleet based in Vladivostok, because the strait between the southern islands does not freeze in winter.
Kyiv 'will definitely respond' to Russian strike on Kharkiv, says president
10:15 , Suha KidwaiPresident Zelensky has said that Ukraine “will definitely respond to this Russian strike," referring to a an attack which killed 10 people in Kharkiv on Tuesday morning.
This morning, the Russians launched a brutal attack on a busy intersection in Pechenihy, Kharkiv region – a location with a post office and stores, surrounded only by residential buildings.
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) August 18, 2026
As of now, 10 people have been reported killed. My condolences to their families and… pic.twitter.com/AnFmXsSzAS
In a post on X, the leader added that the “brutal” strike was in a residential area, sharing photos of the damage.
Ukraine announces new T40 drone
09:45 , Suha KidwaiThe Ukrainian ministry of defence has codified a new precision-strike drone, capable of reaching Siberia.
The Dovbush T40 drone is an unmanned aircraft described to have one of the highest rates of effectiveness by the Ukrainian ministry of defence.
In a post on X, ministry officials said that the new drone highlights the growth of Ukraine’s long-range military capabilities.
Built in Ukraine. Designed for strategic depth.
— Defense of Ukraine (@DefenceU) August 17, 2026
The Dovbush T40 is a multifunctional unmanned aircraft with a nearly 5 m wingspan, 24+ hours of endurance and a range capable of reaching targets far beyond the frontline.
Reconnaissance, fire adjustment and precision strikes,…
The UK will 'pay the price' for supporting Ukraine, warns Russia
09:15 , Suha Kidwai"London's actions will inevitably carry consequences for which it will have to answer," the Russian embassy has said in a statement posted on its Telegram channel.
"The deeper its involvement in the conflict and the greater its support for Kiev's terrorist machinery, the higher the price it will pay."
The comments come after the publication of a previously-reported on Sunday Times article that states British-built drones were used for long-range strikes against Russia for the first time on Tuesday.
In response, a British defence ministry spokesperson has said: "Britain stands shoulder to shoulder with Ukraine and we are committed to providing the equipment Ukraine needs to defend itself against Putin's illegal invasion."
In June, Britain had pledged to provide 150,000 drones to Ukraine by the end of 2026 as part of a £752 million ($996 million) funding package.
Russia has faced 1.47 million losses since start of war, according to latest tally
08:45 , Suha KidwaiRussia has lost approximately 1.47 million men over the course of the war, Kyiv has said.
In a post on X, Ukraine’s ministry of defence estimates that the number of Russian personnel killed now sits just below 1.5 million.
The new tally comes after a second overnight barrage of Ukrainian strikes into mainland Russia.
Russian missile attack kills 10 in Ukraine's Kharkiv region, governor says
08:15 , Suha KidwaiA Russian missile attack has killed 10 people and injured a further eight in a village in Ukraine's northeastern Kharkiv region, the regional governor said on Tuesday.
The strike on the village of Pechenihy has damaged 10 private buildings, a cafe, a post office, a shop and at least seven cars, residents have told Reuters.
Russia tells North Korea they are making 'new and righteous world order'
07:54 , Arpan RaiRussian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov has hailed North Korea's role in fighting to eject Ukrainian forces from the Kursk region, writing in a letter that they succeeded in driving out a "Ukrainian Nazi clique".
North Korea and Russia are working to establish a "new and righteous world order," Lavrov wrote in a letter to North Korean foreign minister Choe Son Hui, according to the North's state news agency KCNA this morning.
Pyongyang has deployed troops to Russia since late 2024, when it helped Moscow retake a portion of Kursk that had been captured by a Ukrainian counteroffensive.
Vladimir Putin's regime routinely calls the Ukrainian administration “neo-Nazis,” even though the country has a Jewish president who lost relatives in the Holocaust and who heads a Western-backed, democratically elected government.
Putin has vowed to fight on in Ukraine until Moscow secures the country's "demilitarisation", "denazification" and neutrality, unless Kyiv accepts a deal that achieves those goals.
Moldova condemns violation of airspace and explosion of aerial object
07:19 , Arpan RaiMoldova's foreign ministry has condemned the violation of the country's airspace by an unidentified aerial object that later exploded on Monday.
Moldova shares a border with Ukraine and is a supporter of Kyiv. It has dealt with numerous incidents of drones flying over its territory and debris near the border since the start of Russia's full-scale war.
The aerial object entered Moldovan airspace at 1737 local time (1437 GMT) and exploded shortly after, near the settlement of Talmaza, close to the border with Ukraine, Moldovan authorities said.
The explosion set grass on fire but there were no casualties, they said. They did not identify the origin of the object.
"This incident constitutes a serious violation of the sovereignty of the Republic of Moldova and poses a direct risk to the safety of our citizens. Such incidents are unacceptable," the foreign ministry said in its statement.
EU plans most far-reaching sanctions against Russia in coming months, says Kallas
07:11 , Arpan RaiThe European Union intends to significantly expand sanctions against Russia in the coming months over its war in Ukraine, the bloc's foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, told a German newspaper.
“EU sanctions have already cost Russia dearly, depriving Russia's war machine of over €1trn ($1.16trn) and for autumn I am putting forward the most far-reaching sanctions listings since the start of the war," she told Die Welt.
"Once adopted, they would immediately raise the total number of sanctioned Russian entities by a third. The pressure must keep growing until Moscow ends its war," said Kallas, who leads the European External Action Service (EEAS) – the EU's diplomatic service.
She did not elaborate on timing or details of the new designations, but EU diplomatic sources later told Reuters the EEAS would propose about 1,600 individuals and entities based in Russia and focused on Moscow's military industrial complex.
The designations will include travel and transaction bans as well as asset freezes, they added. The EU has already listed nearly 3,000 people and companies.
Russia warns of ‘consequences’ after UK-made drones strike its mainland
06:56 , Arpan RaiRussia has warned Britain of "consequences" following reports that British-built drones were deployed to hit targets on its mainland for the first time.
According to the Sunday Times, Ukrainian forces used unmanned aircraft manufactured by two UK companies as part of a deep strike campaign.
Kyiv has stepped up operations inside Russia this year, increasingly deploying long-range missiles and drone swarms against military industries and energy facilities.
Russia warns of ‘consequences’ after UK-made drones strike its mainland
Moscow region targeted with more than 600 drones overnight
06:25 , Arpan RaiA major swarm of at least 620 drones was heading for the region surrounding the Russian capital between Monday evening and 5am (0200 GMT), said mayor Sergei Sobyanin.
He said Moscow was temporarily restricting flights at its airports.
Russian downed 180 drones in the Moscow region overnight, said Sobyanin, confirming one of the biggest Ukrainian air attacks on the capital.
Drones hit a warehouse of Russian e-commerce company Wildberries and other facilities near Moscow, regional governor Andrei Vorobyov said separately, adding that at least three people, including a 10-year-old girl, were injured in the region.
Watch: Zelensky urges G7 to stop critical supplies reaching Russia
06:05 , Arpan RaiRussia expanding secret bases that can launch drones deep inside Nato territory
05:59 , Arpan RaiRussia has built secret bases from which it will be able to launch long-range suicide drones deep into Nato territory, according to a report.
The Kremlin has built and expanded at least 10 new bases with at least 59 new launch rails, according to an investigation by The Telegraph using satellite imagery and leaked documents.
The bases are designed to fire large numbers of jet-powered drones that can overload Ukrainian air defences as Moscow bombards military and civilian targets across the country.
But situated along its borders with Ukraine and Belarus, the hi-tech drones will also be able to reach Kyiv’s allies in Nato, the report said.
Russia expanding secret bases that can launch drones deep inside Nato territory
Watch: Wildberries logistics centres hit in Ukraine's biggest drone strike of the year
05:40 , Arpan RaiDrone hits another Wildberries warehouse near Moscow
04:55 , Arpan RaiA drone has hit a warehouse of Russian e-commerce company Wildberries near Moscow and caused a fire at the site, regional governor Andrei Vorobyov said.
He said the fire has now been extinguished but the drone attack damaged other buildings, including private houses, apartment buildings, shops and a power station.
At least three people were injured in the attack, he said.
In the past month, Ukraine has hit at least seven of the 10 largest Wildberries warehouses, which it says is complicit in Moscow’s war against Kyiv.
UK says it stands ‘shoulder to shoulder’ with Ukraine after Russia fumes over British drones
04:44 , Arpan RaiBritain has said it stands united with Ukraine against Russia’s aggression after Moscow fumed over British-made drones being used in strikes on Russia.
The Russian embassy in the UK on Monday accused London of complicity in aiding Ukraine with drones that are hitting targets deep inside Russian territory.
The UK, it said, is “deliberately opting for an escalation of the Ukraine crisis”.
"In doing so, the United Kingdom is acting as an accomplice and co-perpetrator of the bloody crimes and terrorist attacks," the Russian Embassy to the UK said.
It added: "London's actions will inevitably carry consequences for which it will have to answer," and the deeper its involvement in the conflict, "the higher the price it will pay".
A spokesperson for the Ministry of Defence (MoD) told BBC News that Britain stands “shoulder to shoulder” with Ukraine.
"Russia should be in no doubt about the resolve of this Government to stand against Russian aggression, in Ukraine and against the UK and our allies," the spokesperson said.
The UK was "committed to providing the equipment Ukraine needs to defend itself against [Russian president Vladimir] Putin's illegal invasion," they said.
Russia tells North Korea they are making 'new and righteous world order'
04:32 , Arpan RaiRussian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov has hailed North Korea's role in fighting to eject Ukrainian forces from the Kursk region, writing in a letter that they succeeded in driving out a "Ukrainian Nazi clique".
North Korea and Russia are working to establish a "new and righteous world order," Lavrov wrote in a letter to North Korean foreign minister Choe Son Hui, according to the North's state news agency KCNA this morning.
Pyongyang has deployed troops to Russia since late 2024, when it helped Moscow retake a portion of Kursk that had been captured by a Ukrainian counteroffensive.
Vladimir Putin's regime routinely calls the Ukrainian administration “neo-Nazis,” even though the country has a Jewish president who lost relatives in the Holocaust and who heads a Western-backed, democratically elected government.
Putin has vowed to fight on in Ukraine until Moscow secures the country's "demilitarisation", "denazification" and neutrality, unless Kyiv accepts a deal that achieves those goals.
Russia fires top economist after he compares Putin’s economy to 1917 revolution
04:25 , Arpan RaiThe chief economist of a Russian state development bank has been fired after reportedly drawing comparisons between Russia’s present day economy and the 1917 revolution.
Andrei Klepach, one of Russia's most prominent macroeconomists who worked for VEB, made the remarks to a financial forum in May. They were reported by Russian media only last week.
He warned that the country was falling behind the West and China and suffering mounting economic damage from the war in Ukraine, two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters.
Russia fires top economist after he compares Putin’s economy to 1917 revolution
Russia downs 180 drones in Moscow region overnight
04:03 , Arpan RaiRussian forces have downed at least 180 drones in the Moscow region overnight, the capital's mayor Sergei Sobyanin said in the early hours today.
Overall, 620 drones were heading for the region surrounding the Russian capital between Monday evening and 5am, he said.
Pictured: A resident collects things from a private house damaged during a Russian missile and drone strike in Odesa
03:00 , Bryony Gooch
Huge inferno engulfs ‘Russian Amazon’ Wildberries after Ukraine strike
02:00 , Bryony Gooch
Huge inferno engulfs ‘Russian Amazon’ after Ukraine’s largest ever drone strike
Watch: Nine injured in Russian attack on Ukraine's Odesa region
01:00 , Bryony GoochRussia jails opposition politician for 11 years over war criticism
Tuesday 18 August 2026 00:00 , Bryony Gooch
Russia jails opposition politician for 11 years over Ukraine war criticism
Pictured: Workers dismount a Soviet Union era monument to the Communards in Dnipro
Monday 17 August 2026 23:00 , Bryony Gooch
Italy sees no sign of Russian link to Colleferro munitions blast, minister says
Monday 17 August 2026 22:00 , Bryony GoochItaly's government has seen nothing to suggest that Russia was behind last week's explosion at a munitions plant near Rome, Defence Minister Guido Crosetto was quoted as saying on Monday.
The blast struck a KNDS Ammo Italy factory in Colleferro, southeast of Rome, on Thursday after firefighters had already been called to tackle a fire at the site. No injuries were reported.
While the government has not commented on reports that the plant produces ammunition for Ukraine, Crosetto sought to dampen speculation that Russian sabotage was behind the explosion.
"There is no indication to anyone that this could be anything other than an internal problem," Crosetto told Italian news agency Adnkronos.
Meet the grandmothers caring for Ukraine’s stray animals
Monday 17 August 2026 21:00 , Bryony Gooch
‘They won’t survive without us’: The grandmothers caring for Ukraine’s stray animals
Watch: Wildberries logistics centres hit in Ukraine's biggest drone strike of the year
Monday 17 August 2026 20:00 , Bryony GoochIn pictures: Police detain opposition supporter as Yabloko party leader attends a supreme court session
Monday 17 August 2026 19:00 , Bryony Gooch
Russia's Supreme Court rejects appeal by anti-war Yabloko party against election ban
Monday 17 August 2026 18:00 , Bryony GoochRussia's Supreme Court on Monday rejected an appeal by the anti-war Yabloko party against a ruling last week that bans it from taking part in a parliamentary election next month.
The court imposed the ban one week ago, sidelining the only registered political party that is calling for an end to Russia's war in Ukraine.
The lawsuit against Yabloko was filed by Rodina, a small pro-Kremlin nationalist party.
Rodina's leader accused Yabloko of being a Western-backed movement seeking to undermine both the election process and Russia itself. Yabloko rejects that and says it speaks on behalf of millions of Russians in seeking an end to the war.
Russia expanding secret bases that can launch drones deep inside Nato: report
Monday 17 August 2026 17:00 , Bryony GoochRussia expanding secret bases that can launch drones deep inside Nato: report
Russia says it hits two cargo vessels in Ukrainian ports, RIA reports
Monday 17 August 2026 16:26 , Bryony GoochRussian forces struck two cargo vessels in Ukrainian Black Sea ports on Monday, Russian state-run RIA news agency reported citing the Defence Ministry.
One vessel was hit in the port of Odesa and the other in the port of Mykolaiv, the ministry said, adding that both had been used to supply the Ukrainian military.
The Independent could not independently verify the ministry's claims.
