Donald Trump has said that US weapons are already “being shipped” to Ukraine as Washington ramps up its military support for Kyiv.
A number of Kyiv’s European allies will purchase Patriot air defence missile systems from the US to assist Ukraine’s defence. Mr Trump is also set to send a batch of offensive weapons to assist Ukraine’s war effort, although the exact makeup of this package is currently unknown.
“They are already being shipped,” Mr Trump said of the Patriots on Monday, adding that they are arriving from Germany.
Just hours later, dozens were injured in Ukraine after Russia launched a 400 drones in a mass air attack across the country. A total of 57 drones and one ballistic missile were reported to have struck 12 locations across the war torn country, according to the Ukrainian air force.
“Unfortunately, 15 people were injured, including one child. All are receiving the necessary medical care,” Volodymyr Zelensky said on X.
“We need to systematically strengthen our defenses: more air defense systems, more interceptors, and more determination — so that Russia feels our response.”
It comes after the US president told Volodymyr Zelensky he should not target Moscow after reportedly privately discussing strikes on the Russian capital with the Ukrainian leader.
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Key Points
- Trump says weapons are already being sent to Ukraine
- Russia fires 400 drones at Ukraine overnight, Kyiv says
- Trump tells Zelensky to 'not target Moscow' after asking about strikes on Russia
- Nato chief says Brazil, China and India could be slammed by sanctions
- Two killed as Russian drones and missiles hit Ukrainian cities
- Russia’s rising use of chemical weapons in Ukraine ‘unbearable,’ says EU top diplomat
Trump tells Zelensky to 'not target Moscow' after asking about strikes on Kremlin - ICYMI
15:41
,
Alex Croft
Trump tells Zelensky to 'not target Moscow' after asking about strikes on Kremlin
Donald Trump has clarified that he does not want Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky to target Moscow, and repeated that Russian president Vladimir Putin should agree to a ceasefire deal by a 50-day deadline or sanctions will kick in.
His comments came after The Financial Times, citing people briefed on discussions, reported on Tuesday that Trump had privately encouraged Ukraine to step up deep strikes on Russia.
The newspaper said that Mr Trump asked Mr Zelensky whether he could strike Moscow if the US provided long-range weapons.
"No, he shouldn't target Moscow," Mr Trump told reporters on the South Lawn of the White House when asked if Mr Zelensky should attack the Russian capital.
Mr Trump on Monday announced a toughened stance against Russia for its three-year-old war in Ukraine, promising a fresh wave of missiles and other weaponry for Ukraine. He gave Moscow 50 days to reach a ceasefire or face sanctions.
In pictures: Ukrainian firefighters battle blaze after mass Russian drone attack
15:21
,
Alex Croft
Kyiv ready for peace talks with Russia, says foreign minister
14:53
,
Alex Croft
Ukraine is ready for more peace talks with Russia, Ukrainian foreign minister Andrii Sybiha said on Wednesday, but gave no specific date.
Mr Sybiha reiterated Kyiv's call for a meeting between Russian and Ukrainian leaders, saying it would be the most effective step to help agree a ceasefire.
"We are ready for such negotiations in any format, in any geography," he said during a visit to Lublin, in Poland.
Ukrainian parliament votes to dismiss PM Denys Shmyhal
14:36
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Alex Croft
The Ukrainian parliament voted to dismiss prime minister Denys Shmyhal on Wednesday, lawmakers said, part of a government overhaul aimed at strengthening wartime economic and military management.
The move effectively dissolves the cabinet, and lawmakers are expected to approve new members on Thursday.
First deputy prime minister Yulia Svyrydenko, tapped by president Volodymyr Zelenskiy this week, is the only candidate to chair the new government.
Ukrainian man arrested after allegedly sending bomb threats to schools with Russian support
14:18
,
Alex Croft
A Ukrainian man accused of sending bomb threats to schools in the Czech Republic and Slovakia - and suspected of being financed by a Russian man - has been arrested, officials said.
"A special team yesterday detained a young man in Ukraine suspected of sending threatening emails to hundreds of schools in the Czech Republic last year," the Czech Security Information Service (BIS) said on X.
BIS said that according to initial information, the detained person attacked "a number of" other European states.
"The activities of the detainee were most likely financed by an actor from Russia," BIS said.
Western countries have increasingly been on alert for hybrid campaigns by Russia using disruption, sabotage or espionage - accusations that Moscow has denied.
The threatening emails disrupted the start of the school year for tens of thousands of children in the Czech Republic and Slovakia from September 2024.
Russia lost more than 1,000 troops in past day, claims Ukraine
13:55
,
Alex Croft
The Ukrainian military has claimed that Russia has lost 1,170 troops in just one day, bringing the wartime casualty total of Russia’s war to more than 1,030,000 people.
Dozens of artillery systems and a handful of tanks, combat vehicles and tankers were also lost over the past day, Ukraine’s General Staff said.
The Independent could not independently verify the numbers.
Two medics injured after Russian drone strike on ambulance in Kharkiv, say authorities
13:36
,
Alex Croft
Two medics were injured after a Russian drone strike on an ambulance in the Kupiansk district of the Kharkiv region, the regional police said on Facebook.
“On 16 July at around 09:00, Kupiansk District Police Department received a report that an enemy first-person view (FPV) drone had struck an ambulance at a crossing,” police said.
“Two medics aged 53 and 59 have sustained injuries in the attack."
The injured medics refused to be taken to hospital, police added.
Pictured: Ukrainian firefighters put out blaze in Vinnytsya
13:20
,
Alex Croft
Russia sending poor infantry to probe Ukraine's defences on battlefield – ISW
13:05
,
Alex Croft
Russia is probing Ukraine’s battlefield weaknesses by sending its weaker forces first in the eastern Pokrovsk direction and then follows it up with trained forces to attack Kyiv’s forces, a US-based think tank has said.
“The commander of a Ukrainian drone detachment operating in the Pokrovsk direction stated that Russian forces are focusing on the eastern flank in the Pokrovsk direction,” the Institute for the Study of War said.
It added: “The commander stated that the Russian military command sends poorly trained infantry to probe Ukrainian defences and sends more professional, better equipped, and better trained personnel to attack Ukrainian weak points.”
Who could be Ukraine's next ambassador to the US?
12:47
,
Alex Croft
There are two candidates for the post of Ukraine’s ambassador to the US, Ukrainska Pravda is reporting.
Defence minister Rustem Umerov and justice minister Olha Stefanishyna are both being considered for the post, sources in Volodymyr Zelensky’s team said.
Earlier reports had suggested Mr Umerov was the frontrunner for the role.
"It looks like Umierov’s candidacy has not been firmly decided on yet. Stefanishyna may become ambassador to the US," a high-ranking source told the outlet.
It is unclear what role Mr Umeroc would take if Ms Stefanishyna takes the US role.
Pictured: Ukrainian foreign minister meets Trump envoy
12:28
,
Alex Croft
Yulia Svyrydenko: Ukraine’s new prime minister who masterminded key Trump deal
12:10
,
Alex Croft
President Volodymyr Zelensky has named Yulia Svyrydenko as Ukraine’s new prime minister in the latest reshuffle of his cabinet.
Ms Svyrydenko, 39, has been serving as first deputy prime minister and economic development and trade minister since November 2021. She had been appointed to lead the revival of Ukraine’s struggling economy only months before Russia invaded in February 2022 and made her task more difficult.
Mr Zelensky met with Ms Svyrydenko on Monday and discussed the “implementation of agreements with European and American partners regarding support for Ukraine reached during the recent Ukraine Recovery Conference”.
If her nomination is approved by parliament, which appears likely, Ms Svyrydenko will replace Denys Shmyhal, who is poised to take over as the war-torn country’s defence minister.
Arpan Rai delves into the woman likely to be Ukraine’s next prime minister:
Trump's sanctions on Russia would drive up oil prices worldwide - Russian economy expert
11:51
,
Alex Croft
Donald Trump’s threatened 100 per cent secondary tariffs on Russia would drive up oil prices world wide, an expert on the Russian economy has warned.
“The main task for Western countries is how to reduce Russia’s revenue from oil sales without losing 5 million barrels [of oil] a day coming into the global markets,” said Alexander Kloyandr, a senior fellow at the Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA) and expert on Russian policy and economy.
“If you remove those 5 million barrels, then oil prices will spike,” he said, adding that if “oil prices are up globally, they will push inflation up”.
Watch: Zelensky thanks Trump after US president threatens Putin with sanctions if no peace in Ukraine in 50 days
11:45
,
Alex Croft
EU calls on US to help pay for weapons to Kyiv
11:23
,
Alex Croft
EU’s top diplomat has called on Washington to “share the burden” for the purchase of Patriot air defence systems.
"We welcome President Trump's announcement to send more weapons to Ukraine, although we would like to see the US share the burden," foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said Tuesday.
"If we pay for these weapons, it's our support,” she added.
Donald Trump said on Tuesday that the air defences are already on their way to Ukraine.
Russian forces seize Novokhatske settlement in Donetsk region
11:11
,
Alex Croft
Russian forces have captured a settlement of Novokhatske in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine, the defence ministry said on Wednesday.
The Independent could not confirm the battlefield report.
But authoritative Ukrainian battlefield map DeepState shows Russian forces advancing into the town as of Tuesday.
Zelensky demands stronger defenses after mass Russian attack
10:57
,
Alex Croft
Volodymyr Zelensky has emphasised the need for stronger defences for the Ukrainian military, following a mass Russian drone attack overnight.
Kyiv’s air force said Russia fired 400 drones across its territory.
“In particular, energy infrastructure was targeted,” Mr Zelensky said on X.
“Unfortunately, 15 people were injured, including one child. All are receiving the necessary medical care.
“Russia is not changing its strategy — and to counter this terror effectively, we need to systematically strengthen our defenses: more air defense systems, more interceptors, and more determination — so that Russia feels our response.”
I held a meeting on the defense sector: our domestic weapons production, agreements with partners, and supplies for the Ukrainian army.
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) July 16, 2025
We are thoroughly analyzing how all contracts, agreements, and investment projects are being implemented. We identified the steps that must be… pic.twitter.com/qztkBop7Yr
Disappeared helicopter with five onboard found crashed
10:39
,
Alex Croft
A Russian Mi-8 helicopter which went missing on Monday has been found crashed in the country’s Far East with signs of fire damage, state media has reported.
All five people on board were found dead, the Russian Investigative Committee on Transport reported according to state media.
The helicopter was carrying three crew members and two technicians, state news agency Tass said according to The Kyiv Independent.
The aircraft had disappeared during a flight from the settlement of Okhotsk to the city of Magadan, 6,000 kilometres east of Moscow.
Kremlin says it is monitoring supply of weapons from West to Ukraine
10:10
,
Alex Croft
The Kremlin has said it will monitor the supply of weapons to Ukraine by the West throughly, adding that the issue is high on the agenda, Russian news agencies reported on Wednesday.
The supplies of weapons to Ukraine is a business and some European countries will pay for the weapons, spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.
A new phone call between Russian president Vladimir Putin and US president Donald Trump is not planned, but it could be organized quickly, he added.
Patriot-owning nations could meet next week - report
09:56
,
Alex Croft
A meeting of Patriot owner nations and Ukraine donors, who want to help bring new Patriot air defence systems to Ukraine could take place Wednesday next week, a source told Reuters.
It comes after Donald Trump said on Monday that Washington will supply Patriot air defence systems, missiles and other weaponry to Ukraine and that the arms would be paid for by other Nato countries.
Germany, Finland, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Canada all want to be part of the initiative to fund the Patriot systems, Nato chief Mark Rutte said on Monday.
France has ruled itself out, according to a report in Politico.
Ukrainian prime minister officially resigns as Zelensky's cabinet reshuffle gets underway - ICYMI
09:45
,
Alex Croft
Ukrainian prime minister Denys Shmyhal said he had officially filed a resignation letter, as a part of a major governmental reshuffle expected this week.
President Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday nominated first deputy prime minister Yulia Svyrydenko for the post.
Mr Shmyhal, who has been in his post since March 2020, is expected to be appointed as Ukraine's new defence minister, Mr Zelensky said on Monday.
Parliament is due to vote on Ms Svyrydenko's nomination later this week. Mr Zelensky said that he had already discussed priority tasks for the next six months with her.
"We are preparing the initial steps of the renewed government," he said on the Telegram app, posting a picture from their meeting in his office.
The shakeup, the biggest since Russia's invasion in February 2022, comes as the Russian forces continue their grinding advance in Ukraine's east, and prospects for any fast ceasefire deal look dim.
France will not join project to buy US weapons for Ukraine - report
09:23
,
Alex Croft
France will not assist in a project announced by Donald Trump under which US weapons would be supplied to Ukraine with funding from European countries, Politico is reporting.
Paris will not be joining the initiative to purchase American weapons due to president Emmanuel Macron’s long-term position that Europeans should build their own defence industrial base through local procurement, two French officials familiar with the matter said.
The French government is looking to increase its own defence spending as it cuts other areas of the budget.
Germany, meanwhile, has taken a different stance. Chancellor Friedrich Merz believes that purchasing US weapons is one of the only ways to quickly arm Ukraine.
Trump seems surprised that Putin doesn't honor his word - ICYMI
09:03
,
Alex Croft
Why Trump’s 50-day ultimatum for Russia won’t mean quick gains against Ukraine
08:52
,
Alex Croft
US President Donald Trump has issued a 50-day ultimatum to Russia, demanding a peace deal in Ukraine or facing bruising sanctions on its energy exports.
This deadline, however, is seen by some as inadvertently granting the Kremlin additional time to pursue its summer offensive, though dogged Ukrainian resistance makes rapid Russian gains unlikely.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly stated that any peace deal requires Ukraine to withdraw from the four regions illegally annexed by Moscow in September 2022, which Russia never fully captured.
He also demands Kyiv renounce its bid to join NATO and accept strict limits on its armed forces – terms unequivocally rejected by Ukraine and its Western allies.
Read the full report:
In pictures: Heavy damage near anti-drone nets in Ukraine
08:37
,
Alex Croft
Three killed over past day - Ukrainian local authorities
08:26
,
Alex Croft
Three people have been killed across Ukraine over the past day, according to a tally of local authority figures provided by The Kyiv Independent.
Two people were killed and five injured in an attack on Kharkiv city and 10 other cities in the region, according to authorities.
Another person was killed after Russian shelling in the Velyka Pysarivka community of the Sumy region, the regional military administration said.
A vast wave of Russian drones focussed on the central Vinnytsia and Dnipropetrovsk regions, where many were injured.
A total of 40 were injured overnight in the Russian attacks.
EU top diplomat accuses Russia of widespread chemical weapons use - read more
08:04
,
Alex Croft
We earlier reported the EU’s top diplomat, Kaja Kallas, discussing Russian use of chemical weapons after a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels on Monday.
Chemical weapons have been used at least 9,000 times since Russia’s full-scale invasion began in February 2022, she said, based on previously reported intelligence from Germany and the Netherlands.
"And, you know, it's really… unbearable," Ms Kallas added.
We have previously reported in more detail on the German and Dutch claims of Russian chemical weapon use - you can read more here.
Russia fires 400 drones at Ukraine overnight, Kyiv says
07:53
,
Alex Croft
Russian forces fired 400 drones at Ukraine overnight, nearly half of which were destroyed by air defences, Kyiv’s air force said.
A total of 57 drones and one ballistic missile were reported to have struck 12 locations across the war torn country, according to the air force.
The drones were launched from the Russian cities of Shatalovo, Bryansk, Kursk, Millerovo and Primorsko-Akhtarsk, and Chauda in temporarily occupied Crimea, Ukrainska Pravda reported.
Targeted in the strike were the central city of Kryvyi Rih, Kharkiv in the north east and Vinnytsia in western-central Ukraine.
The air force said it shot down 198 of the drones across the north, south, east and centre of the country.
One person killed by Ukrainian drone attack, Russian authorities say
07:30
,
Alex Croft
One person has died in Russia after being wounded by a Ukrainian drone attack, Voronezh governor Alexander Gusev said on Wednesday.
Voronezh is a city in southwest Russia, around 500 kilometres south of Moscow.
Russia sending poor infantry to probe Ukraine's defences on battlefield – ISW
07:21
,
Arpan Rai
Russia is probing Ukraine’s battlefield weaknesses by sending its weaker forces first in the eastern Pokrovsk direction and then follows it up with trained forces to attack Kyiv’s forces, a US-based think tank has said.
“The commander of a Ukrainian drone detachment operating in the Pokrovsk direction stated that Russian forces are focusing on the eastern flank in the Pokrovsk direction,” the Institute for the Study of War said.
It added: “The commander stated that the Russian military command sends poorly trained infantry to probe Ukrainian defences and sends more professional, better equipped, and better trained personnel to attack Ukrainian weak points.”
Putin can exploit Trump's 50-day window to wear down Ukraine, experts say
07:10
,
Arpan Rai
Donald Trump’s ultimatum to Russia – that it will face crippling sanctions if it does not accept a peace deal in the next 50 days – is likely to give Moscow’s forces extra time to push forwards with its summer offensive in Ukraine, experts have said.
"The Russian army aims to exhaust the enemy to such an extent that it will not be able to hold the defence, and make multiple advances merge into one or several successes on a strategic scale that will determine the outcome of the war," Moscow-based military analyst Sergei Poletayev wrote in an analysis.
"It's not that important where and at what speed to advance: the target is not the capture of this or that line; the target is the enemy army as such."
Russian forces are closing in on the eastern strongholds of Pokrovsk and Kostyantynivka in the Donetsk region, methodically capturing villages near both cities to try to cut key supply routes and envelop their defenders — a slow offensive that has unfolded for months.
Capturing those strongholds would allow Russia to push toward Slovyansk and Kramatorsk, setting the stage for the seizure of the entire Donetsk region.
"The rate of Russian advance is accelerating, and Russia's summer offensive is likely to put the armed forces of Ukraine under intense pressure," Jack Watling of the Royal United Services Institute in London said in a commentary.
Russia’s rising use of chemical weapons in Ukraine ‘unbearable,’ says EU top diplomat
06:42
,
Arpan Rai
Russia’s increasing use of chemical weapons in its war on Ukraine is an effort to cause its smaller neighbour as much pain and suffering as possible, vice president of the European Commission has said.
“As the intelligence services are saying this is intensifying, I think it’s [Russia’s use of chemical weapons] of great, great concern,” Kaja Kallas said.
“It shows that Russia wants to cause as much pain and suffering so that Ukraine would surrender. And, you know, it’s really … unbearable,” the top EU diplomat said, speaking to reporters after a gathering of foreign affairs ministers in Brussels.
She cited intelligence reports from Germany and the Netherlands showing that Russia has used chemical weapons at least 9,000 times since the start of its full-scale invasion of Ukraine — and was now boosting the use of banned chemicals.
Could Denmark, Germany, Greece and Spain send Patriots to Ukraine?
06:27
,
Arpan Rai
US officials are now talking with Nato allies and gauging who is willing to send what to Ukraine.
European officials have been broadly receptive."We are ready to participate," Danish foreign minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen told reporters in Brussels yesterday ahead of a meeting of European Union ministers.
One official cited Germany, Greece, the Netherlands and Spain as good candidates to send a Patriot battery to Kyiv, either because they had multiple batteries or the threats they face are relatively remote.
Some, including Greece and Spain, have previously resisted appeals from allies to give some of their Patriot systems to Ukraine, arguing that they are essential to defend their own countries and Nato as a whole.
Which countries can send Patriots to Ukraine?
06:14
,
Arpan Rai
In a win-win situation for the EU and the US, Donald Trump has found a way of arming war-hit Ukraine by asking Kyiv’s European allies to donate their weapons and sell them American replacements.
But it remains unclear which of the EU nations will step up to arm Ukraine and donate Patriot anti-missile defence systems from their stockpiles.
Some Patriot missile defence systems should arrive in Ukraine "within days," Mr Trump said.
The costly Patriot systems are in high demand among US allies and have proven effective at destroying Russian ballistic missiles aimed at Ukraine's cities.
During his Oval Office meeting with Mr Trump on Monday, Nato chief Mark Rutte mentioned six of the bloc’s countries – Finland, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, the Netherlands and Canada – that were willing to participate in the weapons-purchasing scheme.
The US has also signalled willingness under the proposed arrangement with European allies to send additional offensive weapons, said one source familiar with the matter, though Mr Trump has said that Ukraine should refrain from attacking Moscow.
According to at least 10 officials in the US and Europe, how material any support ends up being for Ukraine will depend on coming negotiations about who provides which equipment.
How Melania Trump emerged as one of Zelensky’s key allies in the White House
05:58
,
Arpan Rai
The first lady could be Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky’s unlikely ally in the White House, influencing Donald Trump’s recent tougher stance on Russia.
As the president this week decided to deliver Patriot air missiles to Kyiv, Melania Trump has been reminding him of the deadly toll of Russian airstrikes on Ukraine.
“I go home, I tell the first lady, ‘I spoke to Vladimir today, we had a wonderful conversation.’ And she says, ‘Oh really, another city was just hit’,” Mr Trump said from the Oval Office on Monday afternoon.
Melania was born behind the Iron Curtain in 1970 and grew up in the former Yugoslavia.
According to Mary Jordan, author of The Art of Her Deal: The Untold Story of Melania Trump, Melania’s influence does not come as a surprise to those who know her.
American citizen granted Russian passport after spying for the Kremlin in Ukraine
05:54
,
Arpan Rai
A US citizen who helped the Kremlin target Ukrainian troops has been granted a Russian passport in Moscow.
Daniel Martindale, with a trim beard and dressed in a suit and tie, smiled as he received his new documents, as seen during a Russian state television broadcast a report on Tuesday.
"I, Daniel Richard Martindale, voluntarily and consciously accepting the citizenship of the Russian Federation, swear to observe the constitution," he said in Russian.
"The belief that Russia is not just my home, but also my family – I am extremely glad that this is not only in my heart, but also by law.”
Mr Martindale told reporters at a press conference last November that he established contact with pro-Russian forces via Telegram and passed them information on Ukrainian military facilities from the Donetsk region in the country's east.
05:52
,
Arpan Rai
President Volodymyr Zelensky has named Yulia Svyrydenko as Ukraine’s new prime minister in the latest reshuffle of his cabinet.
Ms Svyrydenko, 39, has been serving as first deputy prime minister and economic development and trade minister since November 2021. She had been appointed to lead the revival of Ukraine’s struggling economy only months before Russia invaded in February 2022 and made her task more difficult.
Ms Svyrydenko came to global attention earlier