The US could divert weapons from Ukraine to the Middle East, Donald Trump has suggested – despite Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky’s urging Europe not to allow Vladimir Putin to take advantage of the escalating Iranian crisis.
The US president said: “You know, we have tremendous amounts of ammunition. We have them in other countries... sometimes we take from one and we use for another.”
The US is selling weapons to Nato, which hands them over to Ukraine.
Mr Trump also said: “Ukraine’s not our war”, referring to statements from the German chancellor that the Iran conflict was not Europe’s war.
The Ukrainian president told Le Monde: “We all need to mobilise. When I say ‘we’, I mean all of Europe, not just Ukraine, because the war in the Middle East is diverting attention.”
Mr Zelensky said Russia had benefited to the tune of “billions after just three weeks” following a US decision to partially lift sanctions on Russian oil.
“That cannot help reduce the intensity of the fighting, whether in Ukraine or in Iran, because Russia will use various means to support the regime in Tehran,” he said.
Read MoreZelensky accuses Russia of blackmailing US over military intelligence
Russia sending drones to Iran to help war effort, western intelligence says
Key Points
- Turkish crude oil tanker hit by drone near Bosphorus strait, report says
- US links Ukraine security guarantees to Donbas concession, Zelensky says
- Russia attacks Ukraine with more than 900 drones in its largest air attacks
- Latvia says drone entered from Russia and crashed
- Fire reported at Russia's Baltic Sea port of Ust-Luga after drone attack
- Frontline situation is 'tense but not critical', says Ukrainian soldier
Russia decries Starmer’s move to detain vessels as ‘deeply hostile’
04:40 , Arpan RaiThe Russian embassy in London has criticised the British government’s announcement that it could detain Russia’s “shadow fleet” vessels in its waters and threatened a response.
Moscow will respond with political, legal and "asymmetric" measures, the Russian embassy in London said in a statement quoted by the state-run TASS news agency.
Sir Keir Starmer said he had authorised the military to board and detain Russian ships in British waters to disrupt a network of vessels that his government says enables Moscow to export oil despite Western sanctions.
The Russian statement said Sir Keir's announcement was "yet another deeply hostile step directed at Russia".
"Reckless statements about the intention to attack Russian merchant ships directly show an aspiration to escalate an already tense situation in the field of security and international trade," it said.
“Such actions have consequences. Navigation becomes unsafe in British waters, where any vessel may be subject to piratical seizure. Russia will use all political, legal, and other tools at our disposal, including asymmetric ones, to protect our interests.”
Other European nations have also stepped up efforts to disrupt the so-called shadow fleet of tankers used by Moscow to fund its four-year war against Ukraine.
Zelensky says will offer war-tested defence systems in surplus to allies
04:15 , Arpan RaiUkraine president Volodymyr Zelensky has said the war-hit nation is ready to sell its battle-tested defence systems in surplus to partners.
This would enable Ukraine to finance its own defence industry which is operating at only half capacity due to a lack of funding, and defence deals could help strengthen Ukraine's position.
“Our defence industry is currently operating at half capacity, and we need more financing to produce drones for ourselves. That's why we are ready to sell to our partners the systems we have in surplus. And we're not just selling – we'll provide our expertise as well. Interceptor drones don't work without our expertise. It's the system that works," Zelensky said, speaking to Le Monde.
He added that Ukraine is now discussing future deliveries of certain equipment that Ukraine has.
“We want Middle Eastern countries to give us the opportunity to strengthen ourselves as well. They have some air defence missiles that we lack. We would like to reach agreements on this. Funding is the scarcest resource today,” he said.
Pentagon ‘may divert crucial Ukraine weapons to Middle East’
04:15 , Arpan RaiThe Pentagon is reportedly considering diverting crucial weaponry initially earmarked for Ukraine towards the Middle East.
It comes as the escalating Iran conflict places significant strain on the United States military's critical munition supplies.
The potential redirection of weapons, including air defence interceptor missiles, was reported by the Washington Post, which cited three informed sources.
The missiles were acquired through a Nato initiative launched in 2025, designed for partner nations to purchase US arms for Kyiv.
The potential move coincides with a marked intensification of US military operations across the Middle East.
Pentagon ‘may divert crucial Ukraine weapons to Middle East’
Russia is using alcoholics from rehab and deploying them to front line
04:00 , Arpan RaiRussian officials are now relying on patients recovering from alcohol addiction and sending them to fight Vladimir Putin’s war with Ukraine.
A Russian serviceman confirmed a stream of new arrivals in his unit that included several Russians older in age, physically unfit and struggling with alcohol dependency, reported The Telegraph.
“I saw it myself – from Petrozavodsk, from Karelia, they recruited these f***ing guys from rehab, f***ing drunks,” he said, speaking to the newspaper.
He added that these men were first rounded up at a facility in Petrozavodsk near the border with Finland. The soldier said they were detained by “black recruiters” who held them in their custody by confiscating their bank accounts and draining their accounts of money.
Ukrainian officials have previously pointed out Moscow’s strategy of relying on vulnerable and weak recruits to prolong its war and secure gains on the frontline.
Russia and Ukraine both say they capture frontline villages
03:40 , Arpan RaiRussia's defence ministry said its forces had taken control of a new village in its slow advance through eastern Ukraine, naming it as Sheviakivka in Ukraine's northeastern Kharkiv region.
Ukraine's military made no acknowledgement that the village on the Russian border had changed hands.
A Ukrainian paratroop unit said it had retaken a village to the south in Dnipropetrovsk region that had earlier fallen under Russian control.
Ukraine will aim to repel a widely anticipated new Russian springtime offensive along the frontline amid a breakdown in US-backed peace talks by building on recent tactical successes.
The campaign focuses on the "Fortress Belt" of heavily defended cities in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region.
The Russian defence ministry report gave few details on the capture of Sheviakivka, but senior Russian military officials have said Moscow intends to build up buffer zones in both Kharkiv and Sumy regions on its border.
Ukraine's Command of Paratroop Assault Forces, writing on Facebook, said the 95th Separate Assault Brigade had taken control of the village of Berezove, just inside Dnipropetrovsk region.
“Step by step paratroops are pushing Russian forces out of Ukrainian lands," the statement said.
Zelensky and other officials have said Ukrainian forces have made advances in southern areas of the 1,250km (775-mile) frontline in recent weeks.
Putin asks oligarchs to donate to budget amid dwindling Ukraine war funds
03:09 , Arpan RaiRussian president Vladimir Putin has asked oligarchs to donate to the country's budget in a bid to stabilise the country's finances as he presses on with his invasion of Ukraine, the Financial Times reported, citing three people familiar with the matter.
Russia will fight on, Putin said, until it captures the remaining areas of Ukraine's eastern Donbas region not under its control, the report added.
Saudi crown prince meets Zelensky in Jeddah
02:49 , Arpan RaiSaudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman met with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky in Jeddah yesterday and discussed the regional escalation and the Ukrainian crisis, the Saudi state news agency said.
No further details were provided. Earlier this month, Zelensky said he had spoken with the Saudi crown prince and restated Kyiv's offer to help deal with Iranian drones.
Arrived in Saudi Arabia. Important meetings are scheduled. We appreciate the support and support those who are ready to work with us to ensure security. pic.twitter.com/5n6Qa72MID
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) March 26, 2026
Watch: Russia 'almost certainly' gave intelligence to Iran ahead of conflict, says Healey
02:00 , Daniel KeanePutin 'asks oligarchs to donate to war budget'
01:00 , Daniel KeanePresident Vladimir Putin has asked oligarchs to donate to the country's budget amid soaring costs due to the war in Ukraine, according to a report.
The Russian leader made the move to stabilise the country's finances as he presses on with his invasion of Ukraine, the Financial Times reported, citing three people familiar with the matter.
North Korea and Belarus sign friendship treaty
00:01 , Daniel KeaneNorth Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko held a summit in Pyongyang on Thursday and signed a friendship treaty, North Korea's state media KCNA reported.
The two countries - both key allies of Moscow - signed agreements on cooperation in various sectors, including diplomacy, agriculture and education.
Lukashenko told Kim that the bilateral relations "are developing at a very fast pace" and the leadership of the two countries shared the same views on international affairs, KCNA said.
Ukraine using strikes on oil facilities to keep pressure on Russia after sanctions eased, Zelensky says
Thursday 26 March 2026 23:00 , Daniel KeaneUkraine is using long-range strikes on energy infrastructure to maintain pressure on Russia after international oil sanctions on Moscow were eased in the wake of the Iran war, President Volodymyr Zelensky said.
Asked about an escalation of Ukrainian attacks on Russian energy infrastructure in recent days, Zelensky noted the shift in international sanctions policy: "The pressure on Russia in the world is decreasing."
He told Reuters: “Therefore, unlike most countries in the world, Ukraine has its own sanctions: its long-range capabilities”.
Hungarian government accuses journalist of spying for Ukraine
Thursday 26 March 2026 22:00 , Daniel KeaneHungarian authorities say they have launched an investigation into a journalist over accusations that he was spying for Ukraine - allegations dismissed by the reporter.
On Thursday, Viktor Orban's chief of staff told a briefing that journalist Szabolcs Panyi, who has been investigating the government's ties to Moscow, was a spy working for Ukraine.
"More and more Ukrainian spies are uncovered in the country. The first of them is Szabolcs Panyi, who was discovered... to have spied against his home country in collusion with a foreign state," Gergely Gulyas said.
Panyi dismissed the accusation.
"Accusing investigative journalists of espionage is entirely unprecedented in the 21st century from a European Union member state," Panyi wrote on his Facebook page.
"This is truly characteristic of Putin's Russia, Belarus and similar regimes."
Nato says all US arms for Kyiv have been delivered or continue to flow
Thursday 26 March 2026 21:00 , Daniel KeaneNato said on Thursday that all U.S. weapons for Ukraine funded by Kyiv's allies through a special Nato programme had been delivered or continue to flow to the country.
The statement came after the Washington Post reported the Pentagon was weighing whether to redirect weapons originally meant for Ukraine to the Middle East, as the war in Iran strains supplies of some of the US military's most critical munitions.
"Everything that Nato Allies and partners have paid for through PURL has been delivered or continues to flow to Ukraine," Nato spokesperson Allison Hart said.
Starmer and Finnish PM speak about plans to seize shadow fleet tankers
Thursday 26 March 2026 20:00 , Daniel KeaneSir Keir Starmer and his Finnish counterpart spoke about plans to seize Russia's shadow fleet tankers and efforts to deepen ties between their two countries when they met at the JEF leaders summit, Downing Street said.
A Downing Street spokeswoman said: "The Prime Minister met the Prime Minister of Finland Petteri Orpo this afternoon.
"The Prime Minister thanked Prime Minister Orpo for the Finnish hospitality during the meeting of Joint Expeditionary Force leaders.
"The leaders then discussed the UK's announcement that British forces will now be able to interdict shadow fleet vessels in British waters and agreed on the importance of increasing the pressure on Russia.
"Turning to the close relationship between the UK and Finland, both Prime Ministers agreed to deepen co-operation across defence, trade and cultural ties.
"The Prime Minister also set out his ambition for a closer relationship with the European Union, which both leaders agreed would be of mutual benefit."
G7 to discuss repair works for Chornobyl nuclear plant, France says
Thursday 26 March 2026 19:00 , Daniel KeaneThe foreign ministers of the G7 group of nations will discuss repair works worth about 500 million euros for the protective shield of Ukraine's Chornobyl nuclear plant, France's foreign minister Jean-Noel Barrot said.
"The G7 must play a leading role in this fundraising, in close coordination with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD)," Barrot told reporters on the sidelines of a G7 meeting taking place in France.
The EBRD president Odile Renaud-Basso is due to attend the second day of the G7 event on Friday.
Drone damages have prevented Chornobyl's protective shield from performing its main safety function, the United Nations nuclear watchdog said last year.
US could divert weapons from Ukraine to Middle East, Trump suggests
Thursday 26 March 2026 18:00 , Jane DaltonThe US could divert weapons from Ukraine to the Middle East, Donald Trump has suggested – despite Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky’s urging Europe not to allow Vladimir Putin to take advantage of the escalating Iranian crisis.
The US president said: “You know, we have tremendous amounts of ammunition. We have them in other countries... sometimes we take from one and we use for another.”
The US is selling weapons to Nato, which hands them over to Ukraine.
Mr Trump also said: “Ukraine’s not our war”, referring to statements from the German chancellor that the Iran conflict was not Europe’s war.
US State Department says it is providing $25 million support return of Ukrainian children
Thursday 26 March 2026 17:03 , Daniel KeaneThe US State Department said it is providing $25 million in new assistance to support the identification, return and rehabilitation of Ukrainian children.
The funding will support programs that "identify and track children that have been forcibly transferred away from their home" and will support the Ukrainian government and local partners to care for returning children, the department said.
EU's Kallas warns against Ukraine land concessions
Thursday 26 March 2026 16:00 , James ReynoldsThe EU is worried about Ukraine being pressured by the US into ceding territory in negotiations with Russia, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said on Thursday.
"This is clearly a wrong approach. It is, of course, the Russian playbook of negotiations, that they are demanding something that has never been theirs, and that's why we are also flagging that this is the trap that we should not walk into," Kallas said on the sidelines of a G7 meeting in France.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy told Reuters that the US had been linking its offer for security guarantees on the condition that Kyiv would cede the eastern region of Donbas to Moscow.
What is Russia’s shadow fleet and how is it helping Putin wage war in Ukraine?
Thursday 26 March 2026 15:00 , James ReynoldsBritish prime minister Keir Starmer has given the UK military permission to board and detain Russian ships claimed to be part of a network of vessels that allows Moscow to export oil around Western sanctions.
The prime minister said he approved more aggressive action as Russian president Vladimir Putin was likely "rubbing his hands" at the spike in oil prices driven by the US-Israel war against Iran.
Read the full story:
What is Russia’s shadow fleet and how is it helping Putin wage war in Ukraine?
Zelensky thanks UK for shadow fleet crackdown
Thursday 26 March 2026 14:33 , James ReynoldsVolodymyr Zelensky thanked the United Kingdom for the decision to allow British law enforcement to stop and detain sanctioned vessels believed to be part of the Russian ‘shadow fleet’:
Thank you to @Keir_Starmer and the United Kingdom for tightening the grip on Russia's shadow fleet. Allowing British law enforcement to stop and detain sanctioned vessels is a timely move, particularly now, when global pressure on Russia is quietly loosening.
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) March 26, 2026
It is hardly a…
Belarus signs friendship treaty with North Korea
Thursday 26 March 2026 14:00 , James ReynoldsBelarusian President Alexander Lukashenko signed a friendship treaty on Thursday with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and presented him with an automatic rifle at a summit between two of Russia's main allies.
"Just in case enemies appear!" Lukashenko joked - drawing laughter from Kim, who examined the weapon with interest and tried out the reloading mechanism.
In return, he gave his guest a vase made of shells, with an inlaid image of Lukashenko.
Belarusian state news agency Belta quoted Lukashenko as telling Kim that relations between their countries were entering a "fundamentally new stage".
In focus: Putin’s spring offensive in Ukraine has begun. Experts warn Trump has given Russia a window of opportunity
Thursday 26 March 2026 13:15 , James ReynoldsWith Russia funding its war effort through financial gains from the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, and amping up attacks while Trump’s eye is turned towards the Middle East, experts tell Maira Butt that this is a very delicate moment for Ukraine:
Putin’s spring offensive has begun. Experts warn US has given Russia an opportunity
Rutte calls for Nato allies to outline path to 5% defence spending
Thursday 26 March 2026 12:47 , James ReynoldsIn his annual report published on Thursday, Rutte hailed progress in alliance defence spending, but urged members to outline a path to five per cent.
"I expect Allies at the next NATO Summit in Ankara to show they are on a clear and credible path towards the 5% objective," he wrote, adding that "a strong transatlantic bond remains essential in an age of global uncertainty".
NATO leaders agreed at a summit last year to spend 5% of GDP on defence and related investments by 2035.
Three NATO countries – Poland, Lithuania and Latvia – already exceeded the new 3.5% target last year, according to the report's estimates.
Flow of aid from US to Ukraine via Purl initiative ongoing, says Rutte
Thursday 26 March 2026 12:46 , James ReynoldsMark Rutte also says the Purl Initiative continues to deliver military aid from the US to Ukraine.
Nato’s Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List was set up last summer to finance and deliver US-made equipment to Ukraine.
It lets other Nato members buy US materiel to pass on to Ukraine, addressing the most in-demand needs.
Nato said in December that Nato allies and partners have funded over $4bn USD in critical military equipment and munitions through the scheme.
Rutte defends Trump's pressure on Nato to spend more on defence
Thursday 26 March 2026 12:35 , James ReynoldsRutte also defends Donald Trump’s push to get European Nato members to spend more on defence.
“Without the present administration in the United States and the present president, I don’t think you would ever have reached this commitment to spend 5% of our GDP on defence, including the 3.5% on core defence [either],” he says.
“For too long, European allies and Canada were overreliant on US military might. We did not take enough responsibility for our own security,” he argued.
All Nato members meet 2% defence commitment for first time, says Rutte
Thursday 26 March 2026 12:30 , James ReynoldsNato chief Mark Rutte, presenting the alliance’s 2025 annual report, says that for the first time, all members have met the goal agreed in 2024 to invest at least two per cent of GDP on defence.
“We saw a 20 per cent increase in what Europe and Canada spent on defence in 2025 as compared with 2024,” he said.
Russia 'almost certainly' trained and gave intelligence to Iran ahead of conflict, says Healey
Thursday 26 March 2026 11:30 , Shweta SharmaUkraine war roundup - what we know on Thursday 26 March 2026:
Thursday 26 March 2026 11:00 , Shweta Sharma- President Volodymyr Zelensky says negotiations with Russia have stalled, with a fourth round of US–Russia–Ukraine talks postponed due to the Iran conflict.
- Zelensky said Washington is pushing for a quick deal and may link security guarantees to Ukraine giving up the eastern Donbas region. Key issues remain unresolved, including who would fund Ukraine’s long-term defence and how allies would respond to any future Russian aggression.
- European allies are urging the US not to force Kyiv into an unfavourable settlement and are calling for tougher sanctions on Moscow and continued military support.
- Zelensky said Moscow expects Washington to lose interest if talks drag on and eventually walk away.
- Russian strikes have killed two civilians in Kharkiv and damaged energy and port infrastructure, including in the Danube port of Izmail.
- Ukraine has stepped up drone strikes inside Russia, including in the Belgorod region, where Moscow says civilians have been killed.
- A sanctioned oil tanker linked to Russia’s “shadow fleet” was reportedly struck in the Black Sea near Turkey, underscoring growing risks to maritime traffic.
‘I survived 471 days in an underground bunker fighting for Ukraine against the Russians. This is my story’
Thursday 26 March 2026 10:30 , Shweta SharmaA Ukrainian sergeant spent 16 months in a frontline bunker underground, often unable to breathe and near starving.
He told his story to world affairs editor Sam Kiley in Sloviansk
‘I survived 471 days in an underground bunker fighting the Russians. This is how’
Watch: Moment Russian drone hits 17th century medieval UNESCO site in Lviv
Thursday 26 March 2026 10:00 , Shweta SharmaBritish forces will start seizing Russia's shadow fleet, PM announces
Thursday 26 March 2026 09:30 , Shweta SharmaBritain's commandos will be able to board and halt Russia's shadow fleet vessels if they pass through UK waters, the prime minister has announced.
Sir Keir Starmer said the UK would join northern European allies in intercepting the tankers, in an attempt to "go after" the sanction-breaking ships "even harder".
The prime minister has given approval for the UK to start seizing shadow fleet vessels as he travels to Helsinki, Finland, for a summit with national leaders from the Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF).
The JEF, a military coalition of 10 northern European countries led by the UK, aims to defend against Russian incursions.
It also includes Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden.
Moscow's shadow fleet is reported to be made up of more than a thousand ageing tankers.
They illicitly ship oil and other goods out of Russia by flying the flags of other countries, with the aim of evading sanctions imposed by the West since the invasion of Ukraine began.
JEF countries Finland, Sweden and Estonia have recently intercepted suspected shadow tankers travelling through the Baltic.
Putin ally welcomed with white horses ahead of Kim Jong Un talks
Thursday 26 March 2026 09:00 , Shweta SharmaBelarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has begun his first visit to North Korea, with talks set to cement ties between two close allies of Russia's Vladimir Putin.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has provided Moscow with millions of rounds of ammunition for its war in Ukraine, and sent troops to help Russia expel Ukrainian forces who invaded its western Kursk region in August 2024.
Belarus allowed itself to be used as a launchpad for Russia's invasion in February 2022, and subsequently agreed to host Russian tactical nuclear missiles on its territory, which borders three NATO alliance countries.
Mr Lukashenko flew in to a red-carpet welcome in the capital Pyongyang, where he was greeted by Kim's foreign minister and dozens of small children waving the flags of both countries.
Putin ally welcomed with white horses ahead of Kim Jong Un talks
G7 allies warn against unfavourable deal for Ukraine amid stalled peace talks
Thursday 26 March 2026 08:30 , Shweta SharmaForeign ministers from the world's leading Western democracies meet in France this week against the backdrop of wars in Iran and Ukraine, and mounting unease over an increasingly unpredictable US foreign policy.
The G7 foreign ministers are expected to push back against any attempt to force Ukraine into an unfavourable peace deal.
The talks come as negotiations to end Russia’s war in Ukraine have stalled, raising concerns in Europe that the United States could pressure Kyiv into concessions as it seeks a quick diplomatic breakthrough.
European officials said they would stress to US secretary of state Marco Rubio that any agreement must not undermine Ukraine’s security, calling instead for tougher sanctions on Moscow and sustained military support for Kyiv.
They are also expected to focus on preparing Ukraine for another winter of war, including protecting its energy infrastructure from continued Russian strikes.
The meeting, which Ukraine’s foreign minister is attending, comes against the backdrop of growing unease among allies over Washington’s shifting foreign policy and its handling of both Ukraine and the Middle East conflict.
The two-day gathering at the restored 12th-century Abbaye des Vaux-de-Cernay, about 40km (25 miles) southwest of Paris, brings together ministers from Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the US and the EU.
“We will reiterate firm support for Kyiv and for US mediation efforts, stressing the need to maintain strong pressure on Moscow through sanctions,” an Italian diplomatic source said.
Zelensky accuses Russia of blackmailing US over military intelligence
Thursday 26 March 2026 08:30 , Shweta SharmaUkraine President Volodymyr Zelensky has accused Russia of attempting to "blackmail" the United States, alleging Moscow offered to cease sharing military intelligence with Iran if Washington cut off its intelligence data supply to Kyiv.
Mr Zelensky, who stated on Monday that Ukraine's military intelligence holds "irrefutable" evidence of Russia's ongoing intelligence provision to Iran, told Reuters he had personally reviewed the data, though he offered no further specifics.
Speaking from his presidential compound in Kyiv, the Ukrainian leader further alleged that some Iranian drones, deployed in attacks against US military assets and allies during the conflict in the Middle East, contained Russian components.
Zelensky accuses Russia of blackmailing US over military intelligence
Pictures show Turkish crude oil tanker hit by drones
Thursday 26 March 2026 08:00 , Shweta SharmaAltura, a Turkish-owned crude oil tanker, was carrying around 1 million barrels of crude oil after leaving a port in Russia.
On Thursday, the tanker carrying 27 crew members was hit by drones about 14 miles off Istanbul’s Bosphorus Strait, Turkish media reported.
Rescue vessels from the Turkish Coastal Safety General Directorate, along with the fast boat Coastal Safety 5, were dispatched to the scene.
Area near one of Russia's biggest oil refineries damaged by Ukrainian drones, official says
Thursday 26 March 2026 07:30 , Shweta SharmaAn industrial area near one of Russia’s largest oil refineries was damaged in a Ukrainian drone attack, a Russian official said on Thursday.
More than 20 drones were shot down over the northern Leningrad region, according to governor Alexander Drozdenko.“The attack is being repelled over the Kirishi district. There is damage in the industrial area,” Drozdenko said on Telegram.
He did not specify what part of the site was affected, but the town of Kirishi is home to one of Russia’s biggest refineries – Surgutneftegaz’s Kirishinefteorgsintez plant – which was repeatedly targeted by Ukraine last year.
According to industry sources, the refinery processed 17.5 million metric tonnes of oil (around 350,000 barrels per day) in 2024, accounting for about 6.6% of Russia’s total refining volume.
It produced around 2 million tonnes of gasoline, 7.1 million tonnes of diesel, 6.1 million tonnes of fuel oil and 600,000 tonnes of bitumen.Separately, Russia’s Baltic Sea ports of Primorsk and Ust-Luga – key export hubs – suspended loadings of crude oil and petroleum products following Ukrainian drone attacks on Wednesday, two sources said.
Russian officials had earlier reported a fire at Ust-Luga following a Ukrainian drone strike.
Reuters reported on Wednesday that at least 40% of Russia’s oil export capacity has been disrupted by Ukrainian drone attacks, a disputed incident involving a major pipeline, and the seizure of tankers.
Kremlin ordered Moscow internet shutdown amid ‘security threats’ – report
Thursday 26 March 2026 07:00 , Shweta SharmaInternet access in Moscow is reportedly beginning to stabilise after a three-week disruption, with independent Russian outlet The Bell reporting Wednesday that the blackout was
ordered by the government.
Citing sources in the local IT sector, the report said the Scientific and Technical Service Department of Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) received instructions “from above” to shut down internet access in response to unspecified security threats.
According to the sources, the FSB provided internet providers with a map indicating areas of Moscow where access should be cut, while signalling that the decision was not theirs.
In early March, Russian authorities introduced a “whitelist” system allowing access only to selected websites during mobile internet outages. These included pro-government social media platforms, media outlets and official state websites.
Officials initially said the disruptions were part of testing the new system, but some have since linked them to unspecified security threats, The Bell reported. Similar outages have also been reported in St Petersburg.
The near month-long disruption marks the first time Moscow has faced such widespread internet restrictions since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Russia has also stepped up pressure on messaging platforms. In the summer of 2025, its telecommunications regulator began blocking voice calls on Telegram, and officials are now reportedly moving towards a full ban on the app, which could come into force as early as April.
Sources cited by The Bell said the criteria for selecting affected areas in Moscow remain unclear. At least two appeared to correspond with locations where air defence systems are deployed, though other known sites were not included on the map.
Russian attacks kill two in Ukraine's Kharkiv
Thursday 26 March 2026 03:08 , Shweta SharmaRussian attacks killed two people in Ukraine’s north-eastern city of Kharkiv and the surrounding region, while a strike on the Danube port of Izmail damaged port facilities and energy infrastructure, officials said.
Prosecutors in the Kharkiv region said in a statement on Telegram early on Thursday that a woman injured in an attack on the city had died of her injuries in hospital.
They said nine people were injured in strikes on two districts of the city, a frequent target of Russian forces, located about 30km (18 miles) from the border.
Prosecutors also said a Russian drone killed a man in his car in a district closer to the border.
Local officials in the Danube port of Izmail in south-western Ukraine said the town had come under attack, with damage to port and energy facilities.
In Moscow, Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said 17 Ukrainian drones had been intercepted and destroyed on their way to the capital over the course of Wednesday.
The interception of drones targeting the capital has become relatively frequent, although the number involved varies widely.
Recap: Two countries hit by stray drones as Russia and Ukraine trade blows
Thursday 26 March 2026 03:00 , Bryony Gooch Two countries hit by stray drones as Russia and Ukraine trade blows
Watch: Moment Russian drone hits 17th century medieval UNESCO site in Lviv
Thursday 26 March 2026 02:00 , Bryony GoochRecap: US briefs Russia about latest talks with Ukraine
Thursday 26 March 2026 01:00 , Bryony GoochThe United States has briefed Russia about its latest talks with Ukraine, Interfax news agency quoted Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov as saying on Wednesday. "Talks took place in Florida last Saturday with the Ukrainian delegation.
“They held negotiations, they (the US) provided us with a detailed briefing on the results, and we know where we stand now," Ushakov said.
The last three-way peace talks between the three countries took place last month, prior to the Iran war.
Putin ally welcomed with white horses ahead of Kim Jong Un talks
Thursday 26 March 2026 00:00 , Bryony Gooch Putin ally welcomed with white horses ahead of Kim Jong Un talks
British forces will start seizing Russia's shadow fleet, PM announces
Wednesday 25 March 2026 23:00 , Bryony GoochBritain's commandos will be able to board and halt Russia's shadow fleet vessels as they pass through UK waters, the Prime Minister has announced.
Sir Keir Starmer said the UK would join northern European allies in intercepting the tankers, in an attempt to "go after" the sanction-breaking ships "even harder".
The Prime Minister has given approval for the UK to start seizing shadow fleet vessels as he travels to Helsinki, Finland, for a summit with national leaders from the Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF).
The JEF, a military coalition of 10 northern European countries led by the UK, aims to defend against Russian incursions.
It also includes Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden.
Moscow's shadow fleet is reported to be made up of more than a thousand ageing tankers.
They illicitly ship oil and other goods out of Russia by flying the flags of other countries, with the aim of evading sanctions imposed by the West since the invasion of Ukraine began.
JEF countries Finland, Sweden and Estonia have recently intercepted suspected shadow tankers travelling through the Baltic.
Russia's Baltic ports halt oil loadings after heavy Ukrainian drone attack, sources say
Wednesday 25 March 2026 22:00 , Bryony GoochRussia's Baltic ports of Primorsk and Ust-Luga, major export terminals, suspended crude oil and oil products loadings on Wednesday, two sources told Reuters, after massive Ukrainian drone attacks sparked blazes, with smoke visible from Finland.
The drone attacks on the Baltic ports amount to one of the largest strikes to date against Russia's oil export facilities in the four-year war, and are likely to add to uncertainty on the global oil markets caused by the conflict in the Middle East.
At around the same time that Ust-Luga was hit early on Wednesday, two stray Ukrainian drones landed in neighbouring Latvia and Estonia, including one that hit an Estonian power station without causing damage.
Libya's coast guards tow damaged Russian LNG tanker away from its shores
Wednesday 25 March 2026 21:00 , Bryony GoochLibya’s coast guard has begun towing away a damaged liquefied natural gas tanker that several Mediterranean countries warned posed an environmental risk after drifting unmanned for weeks, the Tripoli-based Government of National Unity (GNU) said.
The Russian-flagged Arctic Metagaz, carrying LNG from the Arctic port of Murmansk, has been adrift since early March, when Russia's Transport Ministry said it was hit by Ukrainian naval drones.
With no crew aboard, it eventually drifted close to the shores of the western Libyan port of Zuwara.
Zelensky: Gulf states show an interest in Ukraine's expert defence against drones
Wednesday 25 March 2026 20:40 , Bryony GoochUkrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has said that Gulf states are showing a strong interest in Ukraine’s experience in defending against drones.
“We already see that not only ‘shaheds’ are being used in the region, but there is also growing evidence of the use of FPV drones,” he said on X. “This is modern warfare, and everyone must be prepared for it. Ukraine has this expertise, and in exchange for our support we need help in areas where we face greater challenges.
“This includes protection against ballistic threats and financial resources for defense. Ukraine offers a mutually beneficial partnership: we can strengthen those who can strengthen us.
“The situation in the world now is such that only coordinated and joint actions can guarantee real results and genuine security. We are being blocked in Europe, and as long as this risk remains, we must seek out additional opportunities to strengthen ourselves.
“The Middle East and the Gulf are the right direction and serious opportunities to make Ukraine stronger.”
We are engaging with countries in the Middle East and the Gulf, which now show a strong interest in Ukraine’s experience in defending against drones. We already see that not only “shaheds” are being used in the region, but there is also growing evidence of the use of FPV drones.… pic.twitter.com/YLlsxNzsj2
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) March 25, 2026
In pictures: People visit a makeshift memorial with the names of fallen service members
Wednesday 25 March 2026 20:00 , Bryony Gooch