Three people have been killed and dozens injured after Ukrainian troops launched a drone attack on a Russian factory, Moscow officials claimed.
Izhevsk regional governor Alexander Brechalov said he had he informed Russian president Vladimir Putin about the attack.
A Ukrainian security official said at least two long-range drones were launched by the Security Service of Ukraine struck the Kupol plant, which manufactures drones and air defence systems.
A column of black smoke could be seen billowing into the sky from the site of a fire at a cluster of buildings in videos shared by the Ukrainian official who said the plant's production facilities and warehouses had been hit.
Meanwhile, US president Donald Trump’s special envoy has accused Russia of “stalling for time” while bombing civilians across Ukraine.
Keith Kellogg said Moscow’s claim that the slow pace of talks was down to the US and Ukraine was “Orwellian” and “unfounded”.
“Russia cannot continue to stall for time while it bombs civilian targets in Ukraine,” Mr Kellogg said. “We urge an immediate ceasefire and a move to trilateral talks to end the war.”
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Key Points
- Three dead, 35 injured in Ukrainian strike on Russian factory
- Trump's Ukraine envoy snaps back at 'Orwellian' Kremlin
- Kremlin denies US claims that Russia is stalling peace talks
- Russia says it now occupies all of Ukraine's Luhansk region
- Mapped: Russia claims full control of Luhansk
Three dead, 35 injured in Ukrainian strike on factory in Russia's Izhevsk, governor says
14:00
,
Alexander Butler
Three people were killed and 35 others injured in a Ukrainian drone strike on a factory in the Russian city of Izhevsk, regional governor Alexander Brechalov on his Telegram channel on Tuesday.
Brechalov did not name the targeted facility, but a Ukrainian security official earlier told Reuters that at least two long-range drones operated by the Security Service of Ukraine struck the Kupol plant, which manufactures drones and air defence systems, and caused a fire.
A column of black smoke could be seen billowing into the sky from the site of a fire at a cluster of buildings in videos shared by the Ukrainian official who said the plant's production facilities and warehouses had been hit.
Putin's peace talks are 'pure mockery', says German foreign minister
13:00
,
Alexander Butler
Russian president Vladimir Putin’s talk of wanting peace in the Ukraine war is “pure mockery”, a top German diplomat visiting Kyiv has said.
"When Putin speaks of peace today, it is pure mockery," said Germany’s foreign minister Johann Wadephul, speaking at a news conference with Ukrainian foreign minister Andrii Sybiha.
"His apparent readiness to negotiate is only a facade so far,” Mr Wadephul said.
He also announced that Berlin aims to help Ukraine manufacture more weapons more quickly at a time Kyiv is looking to strengthen its negotiating position in peace talks with Russia.
"We see our task as helping Ukraine so that it can negotiate more strongly," he said.
Ukraine strikes military production facility in Russia's Izhevsk, official says
12:30
,
Alexander Butler
Ukrainian drones struck a military production facility in the central Russian city of Izhevsk, an official in Ukraine's domestic security service told Reuters on Tuesday.
At least two long-range drones operated by the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) struck the Kupol plant, which the agency said produces air-defence systems and drones, from a distance of around 1,300 km (807 miles) and caused a fire, the official said.
Reuters could not independently verify the claim.
Watch: Ukraine destroys 'North Korean multiple launch rocket system'
12:00
,
Alexander Butler
Kremlin denies US claims that Russia is stalling in Ukraine peace talks
11:42
,
Alexander Butler
The Kremlin on Tuesday denied claims by US president Donald Trump's special envoy for Ukraine that Russia was stalling in peace talks, adding that Moscow had fulfilled all the agreements reached so far in the negotiations.
Trump's senior envoy for Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, said on Monday that "Russia cannot continue to stall for time while it bombs civilian targets in Ukraine."
Asked about the remarks, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Russia was grateful to Trump's team for helping to facilitate talks but that Moscow was not stalling the talks.
"No one is delaying anything here," Mr Peskov said.
"We are naturally in favor of achieving the goals that we are trying to achieve through the special military operation via political and diplomatic means. Therefore, we are not interested in drawing out anything."
Watch: Russia launches huge strikes on Ukraine's fuel supply facilities
11:30
The myriad countries arming Russia and Ukraine – and the billions it costs
11:00
,
Alexander Butler
Pictured: Aftermath of shelling in Donetsk
10:53
,
Daniel Keane
People are pictured standing next to destroyed shops at a market in the Russian-controlled city of Donetsk in eastern Ukraine following a missile strike.
Russia takes full control of Ukraine's Luhansk region, Russian-backed official says
10:00
,
Alexander Butler
Russia has taken full control of Ukraine's eastern Luhansk region, more than three years after President Vladimir Putin ordered thousands of troops into Ukraine in February 2022, the Russian-backed head of the region told Russian state television.
Luhansk, which has an area of 26,700 square km (10,308 square miles), is the first Ukrainian region to fall fully under the established control of Russian forces since Russia annexed Crimea in 2014.
Putin in September 2022 declared that Luhansk - along with the partially controlled Donetsk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions - was being incorporated into Russia, a step Western European states said was illegal and that most of the world did not recognise.
"The territory of the Luhansk People's Republic is fully liberated - 100 per cent," Leonid Pasechnik, who was born in Soviet Ukraine and is now a Russian-installed official cast by Moscow as the head of the "Luhansk People's Republic", told Russian state television.
Watch: Russia preparing for new operation in European territories, Zelensky warns
09:30
,
Alexander Butler
Mapped: Russia claims full control of Ukraine's Luhansk region
09:28
,
Alexander Butler
Russia has taken full control of Ukraine's eastern Luhansk region, more than three years after President Vladimir Putin ordered thousands of troops into Ukraine in February 2022, the Russian-backed head of the region told Russian state television.
Luhansk, which has an area of 26,700 square km (10,308 square miles), is the first Ukrainian region to fall fully under the established control of Russian forces since Russia annexed Crimea in 2014.
Putin in September 2022 declared that Luhansk - along with the partially controlled Donetsk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions - was being incorporated into Russia, a step Western European states said was illegal and that most of the world did not recognise.
US envoy Kellogg says Russia stalling for time in Ukraine
09:00
,
Alexander Butler
US President Donald Trump's senior envoy for Ukraine and Russia, Keith Kellogg, said on Monday that Russia cannot continue to stall for time "while it bombs civilian targets in Ukraine".
"We urge an immediate ceasefire and a move to trilateral talks to end the war," Mr Kellogg wrote on X.
Zelensky says Putin has spent 2025 stalling peace
07:54
,
Rachel Clun
Volodymyr Zelensky says Vladimir Putin has spent the first six months of the year stalling against a ceasefire or peace.
“Putin has already stolen practically half a year from diplomacy — another half a year — on top of the entire duration of this war,” he said on X.
“Russia is not changing its plans and is not looking for a way out of this war. On the contrary, they are preparing for new operations, including on the territory of European countries. That’s their principle, the Russians look for where to exploit a weakness.
He continued: “They must see that there is the wherewithal to stop them everywhere. Therefore, more of our joint production, more resilience, more coordination and efficiency of our common security architecture in Europe.”
Russia says it downed 60 Ukrainian drones
07:24
,
Rachel Clun, Reuters
Russia destroyed 60 Ukrainian drones overnight, according to the Russian defence ministry.
Russia’s air defence units took the drones down over regions in southwest Russia and over the Crimean Peninsula, the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov, it said.
North Korea's Kim Jong Un seen honouring soldiers killed in Ukraine war
06:14
,
Arpan Rai
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un was seen draping coffins with the national flag in what appeared to be the repatriation of soldiers killed fighting for Russia against Ukraine, photos released by its state media showed.
In photos published from a gala performance, Mr Kim is seen standing by half a dozen coffins, covering them with North Korean flags and pausing briefly with both hands resting on them.
The North Korean leader in some pictures seems overcome with emotion, and audience members can be seen wiping away tears.
North Korea and Russia are marking the first anniversary of their landmark strategic defence partnership treaty, with Pyongyang hosting Russia’s culture minister Olga Lyubimova.
Why has Russia increased its aerial attacks on Ukraine?
05:51
,
Arpan Rai
Russia has significantly ramped up its drone and missile attacks on Ukraine in recent weeks in a move that is designed to squeeze Ukraine into submission, according to Washington-based think tank the Institute for the Study of War.
“Russia is continuing to use increasingly large numbers of drones in its overnight strike packages in order to overwhelm Ukrainian air defences and enable subsequent cruise and ballistic missile strikes," the Washington-based think tank said late on Sunday.
“The increases in Russia's strike packages in recent weeks are largely due to Russia's efforts to scale up its defence industrial production, particularly of Shahed and decoy drones and ballistic missiles,” the institute added.
Russia has ramped up its overnight aerial attacks targeting civilian areas of Ukrainian cities in the past few weeks.
Over the weekend, Russia launched its biggest combined aerial attack against Ukraine, officials said, in an escalating bombing campaign that has further dashed hopes for a breakthrough in peace efforts.
Ukraine's air force yesterday said it detected 107 Russian Shahed and decoy drones in the country's air space overnight.
Russia claims to take control of Ukrainian village in new advance
05:39
,
Arpan Rai
Russian forces have reportedly seized their first village in Ukraine's east-central Dnipropetrovsk region, according to Russian state media and war bloggers, marking a new advance in the ongoing conflict.
There has been no immediate confirmation from Ukrainian sources or the Russian defence ministry regarding the claim.
Russia's state RIA news agency quoted pro-Russian official Vladimir Rogov as stating that Russian forces had taken control of the village of Dachnoye, located just inside the Dnipropetrovsk region. The claim remains unverified by independent sources.
This reported advance comes as Moscow's forces have gained significant ground in recent months, seizing approximately 950 square kilometres of Ukrainian territory over the past two months.
EU and Ukraine seal new trade deal but key details awaited
05:34
,
Arpan Rai
The European Union and Ukraine have struck a long-term trade agreement, ending their wartime trade liberalisation measures.
The agreement is “predictable” and has a “reciprocal” framework, said EU trade commissioner Maros Sefcovic and agriculture commissioner Christophe Hansen, as they added that the finer points will be finalised “in the coming days”.
The Association Agreement between the EU and Ukraine, including a Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA), was first negotiated between 2007 and 2011, and signed on 21 March and 27 June 2014, a statement by the EU commission yesterday said.
The DCFTA deal notably removed the vast majority of tariffs on industrial goods.
Under the three tiers of the new framework, there will be modest increases in quotas for products like eggs, poultry, sugar, wheat, maize and honey, which are considered sensitive by EU member states.
In the agreement, the EU and Ukraine will work to adjust the quotas for a second group of products like butter, skimmed milk powder, oats, barley, malt and gluten, to push them to reach peak import levels since the war began in February 2022.
The trade deal will fully liberalise a third section of items like whole milk powder, fermented milk, mushrooms, and grape juice.
The myriad countries arming Russia and Ukraine – and the billions it costs
14:53
,
Alexander Butler
Trump's Ukraine envoy snaps back at Kremlin, says Russia stalling negotiations
04:52
,
Arpan Rai
US president Donald Trump’s Ukraine envoy Keith Kellogg has reacted to the Kremlin’s claims that the peace talks for Ukraine depend on Kyiv and Washington, calling them “Orwellian”.
Kremlin spokesperson and a close aide of Russian president Vladimir Putin, Dmitry Peskov, on Monday said that the pace of talks to resolve the war in Ukraine depends on Kyiv's position, the effectiveness of US mediation, and the situation on the ground.
In response, Mr Kellogg said: “Peskov’s recent comments on the state of negotiations are Orwellian. Russian claims that it is the US and Ukraine stalling peace talks are unfounded.”
“President Trump has been consistent and adamant about making progress to end the war. We urge an immediate ceasefire and a move to trilateral talks to end the war. Russia cannot continue to stall for time while it bombs civilian targets in Ukraine,” he said in a post on X.
Peskov’s recent comments on the state of negotiations are Orwellian. Russian claims that it is the US and Ukraine stalling peace talks are unfounded. President Trump has been consistent and adamant about making progress to end the war. We urge an immediate ceasefire and a move to… pic.twitter.com/vCQoF1XEtd
— Keith Kellogg (@generalkellogg) June 30, 2025
Lammy discusses Ukraine with Turkish foreign minster during Turkey trip
04:50
,
Arpan Rai
Foreign secretary David Lammy is set to discuss the Ukraine conflict with his Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan during his first bilateral visit to Ankara.
The trip comes as talks on a new free trade agreement between the UK and Turkey get under way.
The UK and Turkey are also in talks to export Eurofighter Typhoon jets to Turkey.
Mr Lammy said: “In an increasingly volatile world, the UK and Turkey remain the closest of friends and partners as we work together to find peaceful solutions to conflict in the Middle East and Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine.
“Ours is a relationship which delivers directly for Turkish and British citizens at home – trade between our nations is responsible for thousands of jobs, while our security and defence links help keep our people safe.”
Turkey is a key NATO Ally and strategic partner of the UK. This relationship delivers growth and security for the British people.
— David Lammy (@DavidLammy) June 30, 2025
I spoke with @RTErdogan in Ankara about delivering a ceasefire in Ukraine and securing stability in the Middle East. pic.twitter.com/xg0DsFr4Hu
Putin's peace talks are 'pure mockery', says German foreign minister
04:16
,
Arpan Rai
Russian president Vladimir Putin’s talk of wanting peace in the Ukraine war is “pure mockery”, a top German diplomat visiting Kyiv has said.
"When Putin speaks of peace today, it is pure mockery," said Germany’s foreign minister Johann Wadephul, speaking at a news conference with Ukrainian foreign minister Andrii Sybiha.
"His apparent readiness to negotiate is only a facade so far,” Mr Wadephul said.
He also announced that Berlin aims to help Ukraine manufacture more weapons more quickly at a time Kyiv is looking to strengthen its negotiating position in peace talks with Russia.
"We see our task as helping Ukraine so that it can negotiate more strongly," he said.
Russia's Lavrov claims Nato defence spending increase could lead to its collapse
04:08
,
Arpan Rai
Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said that a decision by Nato members to increase defence spending was catastrophic for the alliance and could ultimately lead to its collapse, state news agency Tass reported yesterday.
Nato "needs to be guided by common sense", Mr Lavrov said.
Allies within the alliance last week agreed to raise their collective spending goal to 5 per cent of gross domestic product over the next decade.
Asked about remarks by Polish foreign minister Radoslaw Sikorski, who was reported to have said that an arms race between Russia and the West could trigger the fall of president Vladimir Putin, Mr Lavrov instead deflected and said he thought Nato could collapse.
"Since he is such a predictor, he probably foresees that a catastrophic increase in the budget of Nato countries, according to my estimates, will also lead to the collapse of this organisation," the Russian official said, referring to Nato.
Russia says it now occupies all of Ukraine's Luhansk region
04:06
,
Arpan Rai
A Russia-appointed official in occupied Luhansk claims Moscow’s forces have now taken the whole of the region that it illegally annexed from Ukraine in September 2022.
Leonid Pasechnik, the Moscow-installed leader of the occupied region, said he received a report “literally two days ago” saying that “100 per cent of the region was now under the control of Russian forces”.
The remarks by the Kremlin-backed official to Russia’s state TV Channel One were aired yesterday evening. Kyiv has not commented on the claim made by Mr Pasechnik.
If confirmed, that would make Luhansk the first Ukrainian region fully occupied by Russia after more than three years of war and as recent US-led international peace efforts have failed to make progress on halting the fighting.
Russian president Vladimir Putin has effectively rejected a ceasefire and hasn't budged from his demands, which include Moscow being given full control over the four illegally annexed regions.
