US president Donald Trump said he was "not sure" he would let Ukraine build Patriot surface-to-air interceptor missiles.
"It's a very extraordinary weapon, and we have to be a little bit careful of who we licence to," the president said in his comments to FT yesterday. This comes weeks after offering to share the license of the coveted air defence systems with the war-hit nation.
On 10 July at the Nato summit in Ankara, Turkey, Trump said: “We’ll give them the right to make Patriots. We’ll show them how to do it,” Trump said. “I think they can produce them pretty quickly.”
Ukraine has been requesting the US for Patriot missiles to shoot down incoming Russian missiles, drones and bombs.
His remarks come just hours after Russia launched a North Korean ballistic missile at a Ukrainian village killing six members of a single family, president Volodymyr Zelensky said.
Ukrainian drones struck two more warehouses belonging to Russian online retailer Wildberries, sparking fires at both sites, the company and a regional official said on Thursday.
Read MoreNorth Korean missile likely used in Russian strike that killed five family members
Ukraine says it hit a major Russian oil refinery hours after Zelensky’s meeting with Trump
How the wars in Iran and Ukraine are colliding on the world’s largest lake
Wildberries: Why Ukraine is blowing up Russia’s ‘Amazon’ with massive strikes
Key Points
- Trump says he is 'not sure' on Ukraine building Patriot missiles - report
- Ukraine strikes two more warehouses of Russian online retailer Wildberries
- Ukraine's envoy tells Washington 'we need the missiles'
- Romania scrambles jets as aerial targets detected near Ukraine border
North Korean missile likely used in Russian strike that killed five family members
09:10 , Arpan RaiA Russian overnight assault that tragically claimed the lives of a family near the Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih is believed to have involved a North Korean missile, according to two sources. This marks the first suspected use of such a weapon in the conflict for almost a year.
While Russia has previously deployed North Korean missiles against Ukrainian targets, their re-emergence after a significant hiatus suggests Moscow has replenished its arsenal. This fresh stock of weapons could enable Russia to escalate its missile campaign against its neighbour, one source indicated.
The military source, who requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of the information, said August 8, 2025 was the last time that Ukraine confirmed a Russian strike using a North Korean missile. Russia began firing North Korean KN-23 and KN-24 short-range ballistic missiles at Ukraine towards the end of 2023.
North Korean missile likely used in Russian strike that killed five family members
Ukraine strikes two more warehouses of Russian online retailer Wildberries
08:50 , Arpan RaiUkrainian drones struck two more warehouses belonging to Russian online retailer Wildberries overnight, sparking fires at both sites, the company and a regional official said.
Ukraine has attacked about a dozen Wildberries sites since 18 July in a bid to disrupt the operations of the company, a linchpin of the consumer economy that is often described as Russia's answer to Amazon.
Oleg Melnichenko, governor of the Penza region in western Russia, said one person was injured and around 200 people were evacuated from the Wildberries site there.
Wildberries said a fire had also broken out at its logistics facility in Sarapul in Russia's Udmurtia region after a Ukrainian drone attack.
The company said staff had been evacuated in advance, that there were no preliminary reports of casualties, and that deliveries were being rerouted through other facilities.
Several Russian news outlets reported a third attack on a Wildberries site in the Urals region of Perm, but the company said its sorting centre there was operating normally.
Trump says he is 'not sure' on Ukraine building Patriot missiles - report
08:30 , Arpan RaiUS president Donald Trump said he was "not sure" he would let Ukraine build Patriot missiles, The Financial Times reported on Thursday, citing a phone call with him.
Trump also said his envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff would visit Ukraine for the first time in the coming days, the Financial Times said.
"It's a very extraordinary weapon, and we have to be a little bit careful of who we licence to," the president said in his comments to FT.
Ukraine's envoy tells Washington 'we need the missiles'
08:10 , Arpan RaiUkraine hopes a new push for ceasefire talks with Russia could halt the war before a potentially brutal winter, but needs new anti-ballistic missiles now to defend against strikes by Moscow, the country's envoy to Washington said.
Olha Stefanishyna told reporters that Ukraine was in discussions with the Pentagon about a license to produce Patriot PAC-3 missiles itself, but that process could take 12 months to five years.
“The devastating effect of every overnight attack right now is unbelievable,” Stefanishyna said.
“Last night and the night before, it was 30 to 40 ballistic missiles.”
While Ukraine was able to defend against Iranian and Russian-built drones, it had not yet developed an effective way to defend against ballistic missiles, whose production is being rapidly increased by Russian president Vladimir Putin.
“He has an intention to destroy Ukraine, and that's why, you know, we're looking for different capabilities. We have been successful in everything, but so far, for this winter, we need the missiles.”
Discussions were also underway about Ukraine agreeing to a long-term purchase of PAC-3 missiles, and then swapping positions in the production line with another buyer.
Romania scrambles jets as aerial targets detected near Ukraine border
07:50 , Arpan RaiRomania, a member of European Union and Nato, briefly scrambled two fighter jets as a group of aerial targets was detected near its river border with Ukraine, the Romanian defence ministry said on social media website X.
The targets later disappeared from the radar monitoring systems without entering the national airspace, it said in a follow up post, adding that the air alert was lifted and explosions were reported on the Ukrainian territory.
Drone attack sparks fire at energy plant in Russia's Volgograd
07:26 , Arpan RaiA drone attack sparked a fire at an energy facility and warehouses in Russia's Volgograd region this morning, injuring five, the regional governor, Andrei Bocharov, said, but stopped short of giving details of the facility.
The region is home to a Lukoil-owned oil refinery.
At least five people are seeking medical help after the attacks, Bocharov added on Telegram.
In the neighbouring southern region of Rostov, a woman was injured after a drone attack in the town of Gukovo, regional governor Yuri Slyusar said on the messaging app.
Ukraine has recently stepped up attacks on Russian logistics hubs, such as those of top online retailer Wildberries, as it keeps up strikes on energy facilities that have triggered a supply crisis across most of Russia.
Wildberries, with a few of its warehouses hit as recently as Thursday, said on Telegram it had paid a second tranche of financial support to nearly 100,000 sellers whose goods were damaged.
Nato chief says Russian missile in Polish airspace 'reckless'
07:04 , Arpan RaiNato officials said they have noted that Russian missile entered Polish airspace during the onslaught and landed in a rural area.
It caused no injuries or damage but could deepen tensions between the military alliance and Moscow, as wary European countries fear the 4-year-old war could spill into their territory.
Nato secretary-general Mark Rutte called it “yet another reckless act by Russia and a dangerous consequence of its war against Ukraine.”
Polish prime minister Donald Tusk said it was “a very serious incident,” but added: “There are absolutely no reasons to believe that Poland was the target.”
‘Scared’ British tourist in Poland films moment air raid sirens sound during Russian strikes in Ukraine
06:45 , Arpan RaiA British tourist in Poland has captured on camera the moment air raid sirens started blaring during Russian strikes in Ukraine.
In the early hours of Thursday, Ryan, who was staying in Lublin, was woken to the sounds of sirens.
“As a British tourist this scared the hell out of me,” he wrote.
The alarm was triggered by Russian airstrikes in neighbouring Ukraine, which killed eight people. The sirens stopped after a few minutes.
Poland’s defence minister Wladyslav Kosiniak-Kamysz said that the country endured an “extremely tough night”, which saw sirens blare, F-16 fighter jets scrambled and a suspected Russian missile crash into a field.
‘Scared’ British tourist in Poland woken by air raid sirens during Ukraine strikes
Russia says it hit vessel with military cargo near Ukraine's Odesa
06:31 , Arpan RaiRussian forces struck a vessel carrying military cargo near Ukraine's Odesa, the Russian defence ministry said this morning.
Both Russia and Ukraine have stepped up attacks in recent weeks on ships that they say are aiding the other side's war effort.
Russia extends diesel and gasoline export bans until end of January 2027
06:15 , Arpan RaiThe Russian government extended its bans on the export of diesel and gasoline until 31 January, 2027, it said in a statement on Thursday.
Russia initially introduced the ban on diesel from 8 July to 31 July as part of a broader package of measures to support the domestic fuel market after repeated Ukrainian drone attacks on oil refineries triggered fuel shortages and price spikes.
Moscow had already imposed restrictions on exports of gasoline and jet fuel.
North Korean missile likely used in Russian strike that killed five family members
06:00 , Arpan RaiA Russian overnight assault that tragically claimed the lives of a family near the Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih is believed to have involved a North Korean missile, according to two sources. This marks the first suspected use of such a weapon in the conflict for almost a year.
While Russia has previously deployed North Korean missiles against Ukrainian targets, their re-emergence after a significant hiatus suggests Moscow has replenished its arsenal. This fresh stock of weapons could enable Russia to escalate its missile campaign against its neighbour, one source indicated.
The military source, who requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of the information, said August 8, 2025 was the last time that Ukraine confirmed a Russian strike using a North Korean missile. Russia began firing North Korean KN-23 and KN-24 short-range ballistic missiles at Ukraine towards the end of 2023.
North Korean missile likely used in Russian strike that killed five family members
Watch: Six family members killed after Putin launches ‘North Korean ballistic missile’ at Ukrainian village, Zelensky says
05:46 , Arpan RaiUkraine strikes two more warehouses of Russian online retailer Wildberries
05:07 , Arpan RaiUkrainian drones struck two more warehouses belonging to Russian online retailer Wildberries overnight, sparking fires at both sites, the company and a regional official said.
Ukraine has attacked about a dozen Wildberries sites since 18 July in a bid to disrupt the operations of the company, a linchpin of the consumer economy that is often described as Russia's answer to Amazon.
Oleg Melnichenko, governor of the Penza region in western Russia, said one person was injured and around 200 people were evacuated from the Wildberries site there.
Wildberries said a fire had also broken out at its logistics facility in Sarapul in Russia's Udmurtia region after a Ukrainian drone attack.
The company said staff had been evacuated in advance, that there were no preliminary reports of casualties, and that deliveries were being rerouted through other facilities.
Several Russian news outlets reported a third attack on a Wildberries site in the Urals region of Perm, but the company said its sorting centre there was operating normally.
Moscow adds Telegram founder to list of extremists and terrorists
05:02 , Arpan RaiRussia's financial monitoring agency, Rosfinmonitoring, added Telegram founder Pavel Durov to its list of extremists and terrorists, according to a designation on the agency's website posted on Thursday.
Moscow charged Durov on Wednesday with facilitating terrorist activity, alleging that Ukrainian spies were using his popular messaging app to organise attacks inside Russia.
Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) said Durov, who lives in Dubai, is being placed on an international wanted list, but it did not specify what mechanism Russia would use to do this.
The action against Durov is part of a broader crackdown on Telegram by the Russian government, which has effectively throttled the app as it seeks to promote state-backed services and tighten control over what Russians can see and do online.
Trump says he is 'not sure' on Ukraine building Patriot missiles - report
04:29 , Arpan RaiUS president Donald Trump said he was "not sure" he would let Ukraine build Patriot missiles, The Financial Times reported on Thursday, citing a phone call with him.
Trump also said his envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff would visit Ukraine for the first time in the coming days, the Financial Times said.
"It's a very extraordinary weapon, and we have to be a little bit careful of who we licence to," the president said in his comments to FT.
Ukraine's envoy tells Washington 'we need the missiles'
04:18 , Arpan RaiUkraine hopes a new push for ceasefire talks with Russia could halt the war before a potentially brutal winter, but needs new anti-ballistic missiles now to defend against strikes by Moscow, the country's envoy to Washington said.
Olha Stefanishyna told reporters that Ukraine was in discussions with the Pentagon about a license to produce Patriot PAC-3 missiles itself, but that process could take 12 months to five years.
“The devastating effect of every overnight attack right now is unbelievable,” Stefanishyna said.
“Last night and the night before, it was 30 to 40 ballistic missiles.”
While Ukraine was able to defend against Iranian and Russian-built drones, it had not yet developed an effective way to defend against ballistic missiles, whose production is being rapidly increased by Russian president Vladimir Putin.
“He has an intention to destroy Ukraine, and that's why, you know, we're looking for different capabilities. We have been successful in everything, but so far, for this winter, we need the missiles.”
Discussions were also underway about Ukraine agreeing to a long-term purchase of PAC-3 missiles, and then swapping positions in the production line with another buyer.
Romania scrambles jets as aerial targets detected near Ukraine border
04:06 , Arpan RaiRomania, a member of European Union and Nato, briefly scrambled two fighter jets as a group of aerial targets was detected near its river border with Ukraine, the Romanian defence ministry said on social media website X.
The targets later disappeared from the radar monitoring systems without entering the national airspace, it said in a follow up post, adding that the air alert was lifted and explosions were reported on the Ukrainian territory.
Drone attack sparks fire at energy plant in Russia's Volgograd
03:56 , Arpan RaiA drone attack touched off a fire at an energy facility and warehouses in Russia's Volgograd region this morning, injuring five, the regional governor, Andrei Bocharov, said, but stopped short of giving details of the facility.
The region is home to a Lukoil-owned oil refinery.
At least five people are seeking medical help after the attacks, Bocharov added on Telegram.
In the neighbouring southern region of Rostov, a woman was injured after a drone attack in the town of Gukovo, regional governor Yuri Slyusar said on the messaging app.
Ukraine has recently stepped up attacks on Russian logistics hubs, such as those of top online retailer Wildberries, as it keeps up strikes on energy facilities that have triggered a supply crisis across most of Russia.
Wildberries, with a few of its warehouses hit as recently as Thursday, said on Telegram it had paid a second tranche of financial support to nearly 100,000 sellers whose goods were damaged.
Russia and Belarus to remain excluded from major international ice hockey tournaments
03:00 , Alex CroftRussia and Belarus will remain excluded from most major international ice hockey tournaments next season, the sport's world governing body said on Thursday, citing "ongoing safety, security and sporting integrity concerns".
The decision means Russia's teams will not compete in IIHF events during the 2026-27 season, including the men's World Championship, World Junior Championship and the men's and women's Under-18 World Championships.
Belarus also remain barred from the World Junior Championship, although the IIHF had previously announced plans to reintegrate the country in some lower-level competitions, including the men's and women's under-18 events and Women's Division IV World Championship.
"In line with the event-by-event approach established, the eligibility of Russia at the IIHF Women's World Championship 2027 will be reviewed separately by the IIHF Council in November 2026, taking into account the circumstances and risk assessment applicable at that time," the governing body said in a statement.
Russia and Belarus have been excluded from IIHF competitions since Moscow's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, with Belarus sanctioned for its support of Moscow's war effort.
The IIHF in May said it would assess Russia's participation in the 2026-27 season on an event-by-event basis.
Moscow adds Telegram founder to list of extremists and terrorists
01:30 , Alex CroftRussia's financial monitoring agency, Rosfinmonitoring, added Telegram founder Pavel Durov to its list of extremists and terrorists, according to a designation on the agency's website posted on Thursday.
Moscow charged Durov on Wednesday with facilitating terrorist activity, alleging that Ukrainian spies were using his popular messaging app to organise attacks inside Russia.
Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) said Durov, who lives in Dubai, is being placed on an international wanted list, but it did not specify what mechanism Russia would use to do this.
The action against Durov is part of a broader crackdown on Telegram by the Russian government, which has effectively throttled the app as it seeks to promote state-backed services and tighten control over what Russians can see and do online.
Polish foreign minister calls Russian missile an 'unacceptable threat' to be met 'further diplomatic steps'
Friday 31 July 2026 00:01 , Suha KidwaiFollowing the crash and explosion of a Russian missile in Poland on Thursday morning, the Polish ministry for foreign affairs has emphasised the consequences of unchecked Russian aggression.
In a statement on X, the ministry said: “This incident is a direct consequence of the brutal attacks by the Russian Federation against Ukraine. Russia’s military actions pose an unacceptable threat to our citizens.
“The ministry for foreign affairs remains in contact with the Armed Forces and relevant institutions. We are analysing the course of the incident together with our NATO allies.
“Further diplomatic steps will be taken once the technical details have been established by the services responsible.”
Export ban on diesel and gas extended to next year as Ukrainian attacks hit Russian economy
Thursday 30 July 2026 23:00 , Suha KidwaiThe Russian government has extended its bans on export of diesel and gasoline until January 31, 2027, it said in a statement on Thursday.
Russia initially introduced the ban on diesel from July 8 to July 31 as part of a broader package of measures to support the domestic fuel market after repeated Ukrainian drone attacks on oil refineries triggered fuel shortages and price spikes.
Moscow had already previously imposed restrictions on exports of gasoline and jet fuel.
The Russian government has said it is temporarily banning the export of gasoline, diesel, marine fuel and gas oils in order to maintain stability on the domestic market.
From September 1, however, producers' exports will be exempt from the restrictions on diesel, marine fuel and gas oils.
Some fuel exports will still take place under intergovernmental agreements and in the form of humanitarian aid, the statement said.
Zelensky condemns Russian missile that left 'fragments of bodies'
Thursday 30 July 2026 22:00 , Suha KidwaiThe Ukrainian president has named the family who were killed in Kryvyi Rih in Russian strikes on Thursday morning.
In a post on X, he said that the Russian missile "struck with such force that almost nothing was left of the house".
"Fragments of human bodies were found under the rubble, and only forensic examinations can establish which members of the family they belong to."
While the deaths of five of the family have been confirmed, Zelensky has said the fates of five others are still unknown.
Today, the Russians used their ballistic missile to destroy an ordinary house belonging to an ordinary family in Radushne, near Kryvyi Rih, in our Dnipro region. It was the Voronov family: mother Olena, father Artem, seven children – Mark, Dominika, Zakharii, Azarii Ilai,… pic.twitter.com/91Nz9sdPil
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) July 30, 2026
In pictures: the devastating impacts of Russian strikes on Ukraine
Thursday 30 July 2026 21:00 , Suha Kidwai
Rescuers pull people from destroyed building in Ukraine
Thursday 30 July 2026 20:00 , Suha KidwaiIn Lviv, a Russian missile hit a residential apartment building but did not explode, according to the city's mayor.
Emergency services have worked to pull people out of the building, which suffered damage to its roof and upper floors.
"I was terrified watching the rescuers go beneath those concrete slabs," resident Marko told Reuters as rescuers pulled a boy from the damaged building.
"I'm proud that we have rescuers who aren't afraid to go into situations where those slabs could collapse on them."
Russia launched more than 70 missiles and about 280 drones in Thursday’s overnight attack, President Zelensky has said.
In pictures: Devastation in Radushne after Russia strikes 'with North Korean missile'
Thursday 30 July 2026 19:00 , Alex Croft
Six killed after Russia strikes Ukraine with North Korean missile, claims Zelensky
Thursday 30 July 2026 18:24 , Alex CroftRussia launched a North Korean ballistic missile at a Ukrainian village, Volodymyr Zelensky has claimed.
The Ukrainian president said that, according to preliminary data, Russia deployed a North Korean missile in an attack on the Ukrainian village of Radushne that killed six people.
"In Radushne, the Russians used a missile from North Korea for the first time in a long time – that is what preliminary data shows," Mr Zelensky said in his nightly video address.
"The alliance of Moscow bastards with the mad regime in North Korea – for missiles, for the North Korean contingent here in Europe, on our borders, and for the killing of our Ukrainian children."
Watch: British tourist films moment air raid sirens sound during Russian strikes in Ukraine
Thursday 30 July 2026 18:00 , Daniel KeanePolish PM thanks EU and NATO for their support amid Russian missile incident
Thursday 30 July 2026 17:00 , Suha KidwaiPolish prime minister, Donald Tusk has expressed his gratitude for the support the country has received following a now-confirmed Russian missile crash in Lublin.
In a post on X, he wrote: “I would like to thank all EU and NATO leaders for their solidarity and readiness to help.”
Melania Trump helps reunite Ukrainian and Russian families torn apart by war, says White House
Thursday 30 July 2026 16:30 , Suha KidwaiFirst lady Melania Trump has helped reunite a fifth group of Ukrainian and Russian families torn apart by the conflict, according to a statement issued by the White House.
A total of five children were reunited with their families on Thursday.
The first lady said: “While diplomacy and peace-building are important to this effort, they are surpassed by our collective ability to place children above international disputes.
“Every reunion is a reminder that compassion, dignity, and family can transcend even the darkest of times: war.
“My representative and I continue working with the governments of Russia and Ukraine to safely return children to their families and communities.”
Merz says incident in Poland shows Russia's recklessness
Thursday 30 July 2026 16:00 , Daniel KeaneGerman Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Thursday that an incident in eastern Poland showed Moscow's recklessness and willingness to escalate tensions amid the Ukraine war.
"We stand unwaveringly by our partners," said Merz on X.
Polish prime minister confirms source of explosion to be Russian missile
Thursday 30 July 2026 15:30 , Suha KidwaiPrime minister Donald Tusk has confirmed that the explosion on Thursday morning was caused by a Kh-101 cruise missile.
In a post on X, the leader wrote: “Last night, during the massive missile attack on Ukraine, one of the cruise missiles Kh-101 violated the Polish airspace and fell 50 km away from the town of Lublin.
“The missile was armed. In all probability it was Russian.”
This comes after investigators found fragments at the explosion site which allowed them to determine the missile model, Polish news agency PAP has reported.
Poland's prime minister has stressed that the incident underscores the need for continued support for Ukraine so that it can intercept missiles, rockets and drones while they are still over Ukrainian territory.
More than 20 aerial objects had approached Polish airspace on Thursday morning, the national defence minister has shared.
Polish prime minister says 'no reasons to believe that Poland was the target' as probes into Russian missile continue
Thursday 30 July 2026 15:15 , Suha KidwaiAddressing the media, Prime Minister Donald Tusk has called the explosion — which created a 10-metre crater, “a very serious incident,” but added: “There are absolutely no reasons to believe that Poland was the target.”
The attack comes two days after Ukrainian President Zelensky met with Donald Trump to secure a license for the domestic production of Patriot air defence systems to stop Russia’s ballistic missiles.
Read more about Ukraine’s Patriot deal here:
Trump meets Netanyahu and Zelensky at White House as wars drag on
Ukraine attacks on Wildberries defended as 'long-range sanctions' on Russia
Thursday 30 July 2026 15:00 , Suha KidwaiUkraine has described its long-range strikes on Wildberries facilities as “long-range sanctions,” according to Reuters.
The term is frequently used by President Zelensky to describe attacks intended to weaken Russia’s ability to wage war.
Three Wildberries facilities have been attacked as of Thursday.
Several of the attacks on Wildberries have caused massive damage to warehouses, disrupting the company's distribution chain and threatening heavy losses for tens of thousands of small businesses who use it as their main marketplace.
Alexander Drozdenko, governor of the Leningrad region, said on Thursday that around 1,500 sellers had seen goods destroyed or damaged following a Ukrainian strike on a Wildberries warehouse there last week.
Russia likely used North Korean missile in deadly Ukraine strike, sources say
Thursday 30 July 2026 14:35 , Suha KidwaiA Russian overnight attack that killed a family near the Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih likely used a North Korean missile, two sources have told Reuters.
If confirmed, the strike would be the first Russian use of North Korean missiles against Ukraine in nearly a year.
Russia has fired North Korean missiles at Ukrainian targets before, but their deployment after a lengthy gap points to a fresh stock of weapons Moscow can draw on as it intensifies missile attacks on its neighbour, one of the sources added.
One of the sources, who requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of the information, said August 8, 2025 was the last time that Ukraine confirmed a Russian strike using a North Korean missile.
NATO commander pledges to take all 'necessary measures' to defend NATO territory amid Russian missile probe
Thursday 30 July 2026 14:30 , Suha KidwaiNATO’s supreme allied commander for Europe has discussed the suspected Russian missile crash in Poland with the country’s chief of defence.
The commander emphasised that the organisation will continue to take all “necessary measures” to defend NATO territory, a ‘SHAPE’ spokesperson has said.
The organisation continues to be in close contact with the Polish authorities over the incident.
Russian missile in Poland 'unacceptable,' says EU Commission president
Thursday 30 July 2026 14:00 , Suha KidwaiThe suspected Russian missile that crashed in Poland is another "unacceptable violation" of the EU's airspace, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Thursday.
"To put an end to this, we are helping Ukraine win this war in every way we can. And we are building a robust European security architecture on land, at sea and in the air," the president wrote on X.
Ukrainian drone attacks in Black Sea shut Kazakhstan oil gateway again
Thursday 30 July 2026 13:30 , Suha KidwaiKazakhstan's main oil export terminal in the Black Sea has closed for the third time this month after Ukrainian drones hit two vessels at and near Russia's Novorossiysk port.
The closure suspends crude tanker loadings, causing severe disruption to the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC), which owns the pipeline that carries Kazakh oil across Russia to the Black Sea.
Repeated disruption to CPC infrastructure, which accounts for 80 per cent of Kazakh oil exports, highlights the increasing threat to the country's economic interests from Russia's war in Ukraine, as well as to those of U.S. oil majors Chevron and Exxon, which have major investments in Kazakhstan.
Previous export loading suspensions have forced the Central Asian state, which is among the world's 10 largest oil exporters in OPEC+, to reduce output temporarily because it has no easy alternative route to ship crude to world markets.
Kazakhstan has condemned previous attacks affecting CPC facilities.
Meanwhile, Kyiv has defended them as part of its campaign against infrastructure supporting Russia's war effort, saying its actions are not directed at Kazakhstan, whose oil the CPC primarily carries.
At a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin last weekend, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev publicly suggested that Putin “freeze" the Ukraine war and pursue peace talks, a proposal that has since been rejected by the Kremlin.
Russian retailer Wildberries says they are 'operating normally' following Ukrainian strike
Thursday 30 July 2026 13:15 , Suha KidwaiWildberries, Russia's largest online marketplace has responded to reports of another Ukrainian drone attack on a facility in Perm.
In a statement, the retail giant said that their sorting centre is “operating normally.”
With facilities in the Penza region and Udmurtia facing similar attacks, the Perm strike marks the third attack Wildberries warehouses have faced on Thursday morning alone.
At least nine other Wildberries facilities have been targeted in the past two weeks, after Kyiv accused the firm of helping to bolster Vladimir Putin’s war machine.
EU disburses €3.47 billion to Ukraine to boost country's defence systems
Thursday 30 July 2026 12:45 , Suha KidwaiThe European Union has disbursed €3.47 billion ($4 billion) to Ukraine to finance more drones, missiles, air defence and Swedish-made Gripen fighter jets, the European Commission said on Thursday.
The disbursement forms part of a €90 billion loan approved by the EU earlier this year.
The Commission paid a first €3.2 billion instalment to Ukraine on June 25 to help the country's government financing, before transferring sums of €3.9 billion and €1.1 billion for drones and other military purposes, respectively.
Together, this brings total disbursements for Ukrainian defence purposes to €8.5 billion, a Commission spokesperson told reporters on Thursday.
The EU expects to transfer €28 billion for defence by the end of this year.
U.S. 'interested' in joining investigation into suspected 'Russian missile' crash in Poland
Thursday 30 July 2026 12:15 , Suha KidwaiPolish prime minister, Donald Tusk has shared that the United States has expressed interest in taking part in the country’s investigation into what is now believed to be a Russian missile crash on Thursday.
