Volodymyr Zelensky has condemned a deadly Russian bombing that killed at least 40 people at school in southeastern Ukraine.
The Ukrainian president said search-and-rescue operations were continuing three days after Moscow dropped nine aerial bombs on the settlement of Komyshuvakha, in Zaporizhzhia region.
“They first struck people who had come to receive humanitarian aid, and then first responders and police officers who arrived at the scene,” he said in a post on Twitter/X.
“Unfortunately, there has been very little reaction from the world to this insane attack. But it, like thousands upon thousands of other war crimes Russia has committed against Ukraine and Ukrainians, demands a strong response,” he said.
Russian retail giant Ozon said meanwhile that one of its warehouses in southern Russia had been struck in a drone attack, triggering a fire and forcing the company to stop taking some orders.
The company did not attribute blame for the attack, but Ozon and its main competitor Wildberries have seen their assets repeatedly targeted by Ukraine in recent months. Kyiv accuses them of supporting Vladimir Putin’s war effort.
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Key Points
- Ukraine launches fresh bombing raid on Russian retail giant
- Melania Trump to host officials from Moscow and Kyiv at White House
- Russian strike on school kills at least 31 in Ukraine village
- Russia must be serious about peace, Merz says
- EU to host talks on Ukraine with United States and others on Wednesday
Zelensky speaks with US envoys ahead of trilateral peace talks
21:09 , Harriette BoucherVolodymyr Zelensky has had a “very detailed” discussion with Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner as he prepares for a trilateral meeting with Russia next week.
It follows a meeting with the US, UK and other nations earlier today on postwar recovery for Ukriane.
The Ukrainian president said another meeting will take place in Brussels tomorrow on security guarantees for Ukraine.
“The negotiations must move forward at full throttle to bring this war to an end as quickly as possible. Ukraine is ready to take the necessary steps. Our proposals are clear, and we have given them to the American side,” he said.
“Our proposals are clear, and we have given them to the American side. Air defence is an important priority, and we discussed this as well. We need interceptors for Patriot systems to protect lives from Russian attacks. We must also continue working on each of the bilateral tracks with America.”
Drone attacks in Black Sea pose new challenges to Bulgarian border police, in photos
20:33 , Harriette Boucher
Drone attacks in Black Sea pose new challenges to Bulgarian border police, in photos
Ukrainian drone attack kills three in Russia's border Belgorod region
19:57 , Harriette BoucherThree people have been killed in an Ukrainian drone attack on Russia's border Belgorod region on Wednesday, authorities have said.
The region's general headquarters said three members of the same family, including an eight-year-old child, were killed after a drone struck a minibus.
Belgorod region is a frequent target of Ukrainian forces.
Ukrainian children who fled Putin’s war were pushed to study Russian in UK schools
19:20 , Harriette BoucherThe government has apologised to Ukrainian children who were forced to take a Russian GCSE as it announced funding for a new Ukrainian course.
It comes after children seeking refuge in the UK following Vladimir Putin’s full-scale invasion in 2022 were told to study Russian in the absence of a Ukrainian GCSE.
Speaking as she launched the new qualification at a school in west London on Tuesday, education minister Georgia Gould, said: “So many students were pushed into having to do Russian. I’m really sorry that they were put in that position. It’s really important that they will have access to a Ukrainian GCSE,” The Guardian reports.
Ukrainian children who fled Putin’s war were pushed to study Russian in UK schools
Ukraine's corruption police tie senior security officials to major criminal ring
19:10 , Harriette BoucherSenior Ukrainian security officials have been accused of shielding a network of illegal businesses ranging from scam centres to drugs.
Anti-corruption investigators claim top employees of Ukraine's SBU security service, the National Police and the Prosecutor General's Office have taken bribes to protect the criminal ring, even helping to plan attacks and kidnappings.
Oleksandr Poklad, the acting head of the SBU – which also carries out battlefield operations – said the service had dismissed two senior officers implicated in the probe and was "providing full support" for the investigation.
"The Security Service expects a transparent, objective, and impartial investigation," Poklad said in a statement. "The SBU works only for Ukraine and will continue to do so."
The police said they had suspended officers under investigation, while warning against "premature conclusions".
The Prosecutor General's Office said it was ready to cooperate, but was unaware of the illegal activities implicated by NABU.
EU hosts Ukraine reconstruction talks
18:00 , Harriette BoucherThe European Union has hosted talks with the US, UK, and other nations to discuss post-war reconstruction and economic prosperity in Ukraine.
Delegations from Ukraine, Germany, France, Britain and the US met along with representatives of NATO and the World Bank on Wednesday, the EU said.
The discussions included identifying instruments and tools that could support Ukraine’s future development and its own reconstruction efforts.
In a statement, the EU said: “The work today and going forward is focused on refining the scenarios for Ukraine's post-war economic development and prosperity. This includes identifying instruments and tools that can support Ukraine's future development and own efforts.
“The importance of the ambitious reform agenda that Ukraine is undertaking as part of its EU accession process was underlined. This reform agenda is a key driver for stability and is in turn boosting investor confidence, playing a significant role in attracting private capital and continued international support.
“The EU stands united and steadfast in its support for Ukraine. As the largest supporter, the EU has provided €231.5 billion since the start of Russia's war of aggression. And as the efforts to achieve a lasting peace for Ukraine continue, so too does the EU's support in strengthening Ukraine.”
Oil transit via Atyrau-Samara pipeline resumes after drone attack, Kazakhstan says
17:00 , Rituparna ChatterjeeKazakhstan's energy ministry said on Tuesday that it had restarted oil transit via the Atyrau-Samara pipeline after drone attacks the previous day forced its operations offline the previous day.
Transit along the pipeline, a key route for transporting Kazakh crude through Russia to international markets, was temporarily suspended overnight on Monday after the Samara Production and Dispatch Centre in Russia came under attack.
The energy ministry said pumping operations had been resumed following a technical inspection, and that the pipeline was operating in a normal mode.
Ukraine regularly targets Russian energy infrastructure facilities and Moscow is systematically targeting Ukrainian energy objects.
Russia hits power stations in Ukraine's regions of Kyiv and Zhytomyr
16:30 , Rituparna ChatterjeeRussia hit two power stations in Ukraine's regions of Kyiv and Zhytomyr, the Russian defence ministry said on Telegram on Wednesday, keeping up nearly daily strikes on its neighbour's energy facilities amid falling temperatures.
The strikes, which also targeted a cargo vessel at sea near Odesa, follow Tuesday's bombardments with missiles and drones that knocked out power to swathes of Ukraine, a week before US-brokered peace talks were set to resume.
Elsewhere in Ukraine, Russia hit the regions of Poltava, Dnipro, Kirovohrad and Rivne, in addition to the capital of Kyiv, Ukraine's emergency service and local officials said in statements on the messaging app.
European troops prepare for postwar Ukraine mission fraught with challenges
16:00 , Rituparna ChatterjeeThousands of European troops will take part in a military exercise in Poland this month to prepare for a hypothetical postwar mission in Ukraine to boost the country’s economy and rebuild its armed forces.
But some experts say the deployment may never take place.
The force's first military exercise, led by Britain and France, is aimed both at testing deployment plans and sending a message to Russia and the Trump administration that European countries are stepping up militarily.
Yet the overall mission is plagued with challenges, including the ongoing fighting, questions over American support and the outcome of the upcoming French elections.
Britain and France are both part of a wider political group of 37 nations supporting Ukraine known as the Coalition of the Willing.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has repeatedly said that in the event of a peace deal, there must be strong security guarantees from Kyiv’s Western allies, including the United States, to deter Russian President Vladimir Putin from attacking the country again.
That's where this force could come in.
“This exercise shows the UK is stepping up, alongside France and our allies, to prepare for the day peace comes to Ukraine,” British Defence Secretary Wes Streeting said.
Melania Trump receives Ukraine's Order of Princess Olga, 1st class honour
15:30 , Rituparna ChatterjeeUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has awarded US first lady Melania Trump a state honour for her role in helping to organise a humanitarian evacuation from a frontline town last week, according to a decree published on Wednesday.
The presidential decree, dated 2 November, cited her "significant personal contribution" to humanitarian support for Ukraine and her work to help Ukrainian children, including those deported or forcibly moved from Russian-occupied territory.
The award - the Order of Princess Olga, 1st class - honours women who have made exceptional contributions in spheres including science, education, culture and charitable work.
Ukrainian officials have said Melania Trump played a pivotal role in organising the six-day ceasefire to evacuate civilians from the Russian-occupied southern Ukrainian town of Oleshky, which concluded on Sunday.
It was the longest local pause in fighting since Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022. Nearly 800 people were evacuated, Melania Trump said.
Ukraine's rescuers deal with grim aftermath of aid shelter bombings: 'Scale of tragedy is terrifying'
15:00 , Rituparna ChatterjeeRescuers worked in a desperate search for survivors at an aid distribution site destroyed by a series of Russian attacks in a village in southern Ukraine.
The death toll reached 31 as they removed bodies throughout the day and looked for dozens of people still missing.
Monday's attacks on a shelter and former school with bunker-busting bombs came as people were lined up for aid in Komyshuvakha, a village in the Zaporizhzhia region.
Teams of emergency workers and volunteers picked through debris at the cratered blast sites, as bodies were pulled from the rubble and carried away in white plastic sheeting.
More than 45 residents remained missing.
“The scale of the tragedy is terrifying,” said Mykhailo Semikin, acting head of the region’s military administration, in an online post.
“This is one of the worst tragedies in terms of the number of civilian victims in our region since the start of the full-scale war.”
How Russia responded to US midterms elections
14:30 , Rituparna ChatterjeeRussian deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov was quoted as saying by Russian state news agency RIA earlier: “Let’s wait for the final results. The Democratic Party leadership’s approach to relations with Russia is sharply negative. There is nothing new about that.
“Our principled and consistent line regarding Ukraine as well as our foreign policy in general is not based on short-term considerations and, naturally, does not depend on the fluctuations of the political barometer in other countries.
“We will continue our work in accordance with the directives of the President of the Russian Federation.”
Read the other reactions from state leaders here.
Russia bombards Ukraine power grid before Abu Dhabi talks
14:00 , Rituparna ChatterjeeRussia bombarded Ukraine's energy infrastructure in waves, knocking out power to swathes of the country with dozens of missiles and hundreds of drones, a week before US-brokered peace talks were due to resume.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said at least 33 people had been killed on Monday when Russia twice bombed a school being used for aid distribution in the village of Komyshuvakha, near the front line in Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia region.
About 50 people were still believed to be buried under the rubble, he said.
Russian officials said Ukraine had set fire overnight to a major oil refinery in the city of Yaroslavl.
The attacks, less than two days after the end of a brief humanitarian truce in the Russian-controlled town of Oleshky agreed with the help of US first lady Melania Trump, did not bode well for the talks that the US has scheduled for Abu Dhabi on November 10-11.
Ukraine’s anti-graft bureau completes investigation into money-laundering scheme
13:30 , Rituparna ChatterjeeUkraine’s National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) said on Wednesday it had completed its investigation into its highest-profile wartime case - an alleged money-laundering scheme in the country's energy sector.
The case had ensnared a former deputy prime minister and energy minister, as well as forcing out president Volodymyr Zelensky's former chief of staff.
All have denied wrongdoing. NABU said it was still trying to recover the proceeds of laundered kickbacks which organisers had solicited from contractors of state energy enterprises, including atomic agency Energoatom.
The total amount laundered exceeded $111m and 12m euros, NABU added.
Ukraine ranked 104th out of 182 countries in Transparency International's latest Corruption Perceptions Index, under which the lowest ranked country is perceived as the most corrupt.
Why did Air Serbia divert flight to Moscow?
13:00 , Rituparna ChatterjeeAir Serbia diverted a flight to Moscow back to Belgrade late on Tuesday due to additional security checks of a passenger, Serbias national carrier said in a statement.
"After Air Serbia subsequently received information that required additional airport security checks, the company acted in accordance with the instructions of the competent authorities and all applicable procedures," the company said.
The Flightradar24 app showed the plane turning back about halfway to Moscow and landing in Belgrade. The company also said its crew acted in accordance with the procedures and the safety standards, adding that passengers would be informed about the flight later.
Although Serbia condemned Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine, it did not introduce sanctions against Russia. Air Serbia maintains regular flights to Moscow and other cities.
Ukraine's anti-graft police target senior officials in major fraud investigation
12:30 , Rituparna ChatterjeeUkrainian anti-corruption investigators said on Wednesday they believed senior security and law enforcement officials were involved in covering up a major fraud scheme at the centre of an expanding new probe.
Top employees of Ukraine's SBU security service, the National Police and the Prosecutor General's Office had taken bribes to shield a call centre scamming unwitting victims, the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) said.
The probe, unveiled in September, forced the resignation of former Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko after authorities accused a subordinate of helping run the ring, which investigators say targeted both Ukrainians and foreigners.
Kravchenko was not charged with a crime.
Tackling high-level corruption is key to Ukraine's efforts to join the European Union and to continue receiving badly needed financial aid from donors to help it fend off Russia's invasion, now in its fifth year.
NABU and its sister agency, the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosectuor's Office (SAPO), have targeted top officials in cases that have roiled the political establishment.
The SBU confirmed in a statement that investigators were searching some of its employees and said it was cooperating with the probe.
The police said it had suspended the officers under investigation, while warning against "premature conclusions".
The Prosecutor General's office said it was ready to cooperate, but that it was unaware of any illegal activities by the employees implicated by the NABU.
Russia-held Crimea orders power cuts
12:00 , Rituparna ChatterjeeRussia-held Crimea ordered power cuts after an accident outside the region, a Moscow-installed official said.
A drone attack near the southern city of Krasnodar next to Crimea set fire to a logistics hub of Russian retailer Ozon.
The cause of the incident in the peninsula Russia annexed from Ukraine in 2014 was not immediately clear.
The neighbours deny deliberately targeting civilians in the war that started with Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Last month, a Kremlin aide said Moscow's attitude to three-way peace talks with Ukraine and the United States would depend in part on whether Ukraine launched a large-scale attack on Russia's National Unity Day, a public holiday observed on 4 Nov.
Ukrainian-born Republican Victoria Spartz loses her seat
11:38 , Rituparna ChatterjeeThree-term Republican US Rep Victoria Spartz in Indiana’s 5th Congressional District lost to Hoosier Democrat JD Ford on Tuesday night, flipping a seat the GOP had held for years.
Spartz said: “This election is a wake-up call for Indiana. An influx of liberal voters has turned Hamilton County, once one of the top 20 most conservative counties in the country, blue - with not enough rural Indiana voters to offset those numbers.
“Democrats significantly outspent us and ran a very dishonest campaign, but I urge my supporters not to get discouraged. We may not win every battle, but WE WILL WIN THE WAR!”
Spartz is a Ukrainian-born American politician.
‼️🇺🇸🇺🇦 OFFICIEL !
— Cyrille Amoursky (@AmourskyCyrille) November 4, 2026
Victoria Spartz, née en Ukraine, représentante républicaine de l’Indiana ayant voté contre l’aide à l’Ukraine, a perdu son siège.
Elle perd dans un district où elle avait 19 points d’avance en 2024.
Bon vent. La trahison coûte cher. 👋 pic.twitter.com/va6vE3P7SU
Ukraine launches fresh bombing raid on Russian retail giant
11:13 , Adam WithnallRussian retail giant Ozon says one of its warehouses in southern Russia has been struck in a drone attack, triggering a fire.
The company did not attribute blame for the attack, but Ozon and its main competitor Wildberries have seen their assets repeatedly targeted by Ukraine in recent months. Kyiv accuses them of supporting Vladimir Putin’s war effort.
The company said in a press release that the warehouse in question was located in southern Russia's Adygea Republic.
Products stored in the damaged warehouse have been removed from the company's online store and some orders have been cancelled as a result of the attack, Ozon said, according to the Kyiv Independent.
“Our logistics centre in the Adygea Republic was attacked by a drone,” the statement read. “We immediately evacuated all employees, and so far, no one has been injured. A fire broke out, and emergency services are currently on the scene.”
Zelensky says more than 50 still trapped under rubble
11:01 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarMore than 50 people may still be trapped under the rubble of the school bombed by Russia in Komyshuvakha, president Volodymyr Zelensky said.
At least 33 people were killed in Russia's glide bomb attack at the school used for delivering aid in the southern Zaporizhzhia region on Monday night.
Zelensky called Monday's strike "one of the largest mass killings committed by Russia during this war".
Nine 3,000kg aerial bombs struck the village when residents had gathered to collect humanitarian aid, authorities said.
During the attack, people rushed underground for shelter, but the roof collapsed, trapping several under the rubble.
Canada bans Russians from competing at ice hockey tournament
10:00 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarCanada will not let skaters from Russia or Belarus take part in the world junior ice hockey championships that are due to start next month in the province of Alberta, prime minister Mark Carney said.
Canada, a major international backer of Ukraine in its war with Russia, has already condemned a decision last week by the Court of Arbitration for Sport to allow Russians to compete in International Ice Hockey Federation events.
"While Russia and Belarus are supporting this illegal, unjustified, horrific war in Ukraine, as long as that's going on, there will be none of those athletes competing for their countries in Canada," he said.
"So, if you're asking specifically about the world juniors, the Russians will not be there," he told a televised press conference.
Germany's Merz urges Moscow to engage
09:00 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarGerman chancellor Friedrich Merz said Russia must engage seriously in the peace process with Ukraine after Moscow's attack on a school in Zaporizhzhia killed at least 33 people on Monday.
At a press conference in Berlin with Merz, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said the attack showed that Moscow was intent on killing people instead of building on the humanitarian ceasefire in and around Oleshky.
Merz said the talks were "the right step" to help bring fighting to an end, and that Europe must be part of the process.
"But I would also say it is important for Russia to finally engage in serious negotiations on a ceasefire and a subsequent peace agreement," he added. "I have not seen any sign of this so far."
EU to meet with Nato allies to discuss Ukraine war today
08:00 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarThe European Commission said it would host a meeting today on Ukraine with the US, Nato and European allies, as well as Ukraine itself.
The meeting was called following the recent escalation in Russia's war with Ukraine after the end of a brief humanitarian truce in the Russian-controlled town of Oleshky.
Ukrainian president volodymyr Zelensky said they would discuss a "prosperity plan" and security guarantees for Ukraine.
The transatlantic alliance said it would host further consultations tomorrow.
Nuclear plant worker killed by Ukrainian drone, says Russia
07:00 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarBosses at Ukraine's Russian-held Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant say a Ukrainian drone has killed two people in a car, including a female employee.
A statement said the employee was the third killed in the past two weeks and the 13th since April.
"Attacks on civilian cars, killing `of peaceful people - this is targeted terrorism. People must not become targets," the statement said. Ukraine did not comment.
Russian forces seized the plant, Europe's largest with six reactors, in the first weeks of Moscow's invasion of Ukraine. Each side has since regularly accused the other of military actions that compromise nuclear safety.
The UN nuclear watchdog said last week that an employee at the plant had been killed.
Russia hits power stations in two Ukrainian regions
06:15 , Adam WithnallRussia has hit two powerstations in Ukraine's regions of Kyiv and Zhytomyr, the Russian defence ministry said on Telegram, keeping up nearly daily strikes on its neighbour's energy facilities.
The strikes, which also targeted a cargo vessel at sea near Odesa, follow Tuesday's bombardments with missiles and drones that knocked out power to swathes of Ukraine.
Elsewhere in Ukraine, Russia hit the regions of Poltava, Dnipro, Kirovohrad and Rivne, in addition to the capital of Kyiv, Ukraine's emergency service and local officials said in statements on the messaging app.
Bomb threats force several flights into emergency landings across Europe
06:00 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarAt least seven flights in Europe have been subjected to bomb threats, forcing several planes to divert and an airport in Poland to close in a day of chaos on Tuesday.
“Malicious” bomb scares on two flights from London, and others from Manchester, Copenhagen, Israel, Dublin, Bergamo and Lisbon threw airports into disarray, with authorities searching planes after some of the flights went through emergency landings.
The diversion of the flights with hundreds of passengers on board, and temporary closures of airports, raises concerns over the ease with which agitators can cause major disruption.
More here.
Bomb threats force several flights into emergency landings across Europe
Norway to deploy troops and sensors to Russia's border
05:00 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarNorway will strengthen its military presence in the region of Finnmark, which borders Russia.
Norway will send 30 additional servicemen by the end of 2026 to the border region and deploy sensors for the National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System, the government said.
"The experience from Ukraine shows how important it is to have a good overview and receive early warning. These are sensors that will strengthen our ability to detect drones in Finnmark," defence minister Tore O Sandvik said.
Melania Trump to host Russia and Ukraine at White House
04:27 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarUS first lady Melania Trump will host representatives of Russia and Ukraine at the White House on Thursday, the Trump administration has said.
Her office said that she would personally bring unnamed officials from the warring countries together in an “extraordinary moment in American history”.
“This achievement marks an unprecedented diplomatic initiative by an American first lady,” the White House said, adding that she would also deliver remarks about the ceasefire in the Ukrainian town of Oleshky, which she was involved in brokering.
Poland thwarts Russian ‘provocation’ on border, says Tusk
04:00 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarPoland has thwarted a potential Russian “provocation” on its border, according to the country’s prime minister Donald Tusk.
Tensions have been mounting between the countries over a series of issues including airspace violations and diplomatic disagreements as Europe remains concerned about a wider escalation from Moscow.
On Tuesday Polish police units were sent to the country’s border with the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad, Tusk said.
More here.
Poland thwarts Russian ‘provocation’ on border, says Tusk
Crimea orders power cuts after 'accident'
03:00 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarCrimea has enforced power cuts after an accident outside the region, Oleg Kryuchkov, an adviser to its Russia-installed governor, said on Telegram.
The cause of the incident in the peninsula Russia illegally annexed from Ukraine in 2014 was not immediately clear.
A drone attack in the nearby Adygeya Republic, close to the city of Krasnodar in Russia's south, set fire to a logistics hub of Russian retailer Ozon, the company said.
Russian strike on school kills at least 31 in Ukraine village
02:30 , Jane Dalton
Russian strike on school kills at least 31 in Ukraine village
Europe must grow as US shrinks, Zelensky says
02:00 , Jane DaltonPresident Zelensky has thanked Germany for its support, and warned that as the United States’ role in the world shrinks, Europe’s role must become even greater.
In an address at the Berlin Security Conference, he said: “Without America, thousands and thousands more Ukrainians would have been killed by Russian strikes. And millions more would have become refugees. That’s why we always thank America. And we mean it.”
In an apparent reference to Donald Trump, who once accused Mr Zelensky of not being grateful enough, he added: “Even when we say thank you many times in one speech. Just to make sure those who sometimes feel we haven’t thanked them enough can hear us.”
He went on: “But we also know that without Europe, Ukraine would not have survived. Without Germany and other European countries, without the EU. The Russians would have burned down far more of our cities and villages if it were not for your help.
“The United States’ role in the world may become even smaller. So Europe’s role in the world must become even greater. And without Germany, this is impossible.Without you, freedom will surely lose.
“Freedom and security in Europe have no alternative to your commitment and your strength. Europe has no alternative to Germany. Please remember that.”
Without America, thousands and thousands more Ukrainians would have been killed by Russian strikes. And millions more would have become refugees. That’s why we always thank America. And we mean it. Even when we say thank you many times in one speech. Just to make sure those who… pic.twitter.com/rg6cOnJbse
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) November 3, 2026
Poland thwarts Russian ‘provocation’ on border, says Tusk
01:00 , Jane DaltonPoland thwarts Russian ‘provocation’ on border, says Tusk
Displaced Ukrainian pupils in UK to be offered GCSE in their language
00:01 , Jane DaltonPupils in England, Wales and Northern Ireland will soon be able to study a Ukrainian GCSE, the UK’s Department of Education has announced.
Aimed at young people displaced by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the new qualification, from 2028, hopes to help pupils preserve their cultural heritage.
The decision follows reports that the number of people taking Russian GCSEs had spiked in recent years, potentially because Ukrainian pupils were encouraged to take it, in the absence of a Ukrainian qualification.
It was reported last year that Ukrainian officials were “deeply concerned” at potentially retraumatising displaced teenagers by pushing them to learn Russian.
Education secretary Lucy Powell said it was right for Ukrainians and their children to have every opportunity to maintain a connection to their heritage.
Russia knocks out power to swathes of Ukraine
Tuesday 3 November 2026 23:30 , Harriette BoucherRussia pounded Ukraine’s energy infrastructure with dozens of missiles and hundreds of drones on Tuesday.
It follows a deadly strike on a school being used for aid distribution in the village of Komyshuvakha on Monday, which killed at least 33 people.
The latest attacks have knocked out power to swathes of the country and DTEK, Ukraine's largest private generating company, said three of its five thermal power plants had been knocked offline as a result.
Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko described the situation with power in the city as “extremely difficult.”
He said the attacks “create a threat not only to Ukraine but also to nuclear safety throughout Europe.”
Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia had launched 289 drones, 17 ballistic missiles and 59 cruise missiles overnight, hitting power plants and substations from the Black Sea port of Odesa in the south to Rivne in the west.
Nuclear plant worker killed by Ukrainian drone, says Russia
Tuesday 3 November 2026 23:00 , Jane DaltonBosses at Ukraine's Russian-held Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant say a Ukrainian drone has killed two people in a car, including a female employee.
A statement said the employee was the third killed in the past two weeks and the 13th since April.
"Attacks on civilian cars, killing `of peaceful people - this is targeted terrorism. People must not become targets," the statement said. Ukraine did not comment.
Russian forces seized the plant, Europe's largest with six reactors, in the first weeks of Moscow's invasion of Ukraine. Each side has since regularly accused the other of military actions that compromise nuclear safety.
The UN nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), said last week that an employee at the plant had been killed.
Investigation launched into clashes at military dormitory
Tuesday 3 November 2026 22:00 , Jane DaltonUkraine is investigating clashes that erupted late on Monday between protesters and authorities at a military dormitory near Kyiv, officials say.
They said they believed the clashes had been engineered to discredit Ukraine's war effort.
A crowd of around 100 people reportedly gathered at a National Guard base housing nearly two dozen new draftees and soldiers brought back from unauthorised leave, following social media reports of alleged torture and violence against recruits there.
Some members of the crowd attacked service personnel and police who had arrived at the scene, authorities said.
The National Guard commander and President Volodymyr Zelensky's chief of staff visited the site.
State investigators and the military ombudsman's office said they were trying to determine how the 22 men, four of whom required medical attention, had been drafted or detained after taking the unauthorised leave.
Ukraine's draft has been marred by reports of abuse and corruption — frequently amplified by Russian social media and state outlets. Conscription officers and centres have also been attacked.
The deputy head of Ukraine's domestic security service said the incident had been engineered to free one of the men and spark a public outcry, news agency Interfax Ukraine reported.
Investigators have opened a criminal case on charges of mass riots and impeding the work of the military, Ukraine's national police chief said.
At the same briefing, Ukraine's interior minister said the allegations of torture at the military dormitory were fake, Interfax reported.
Russia must be serious about peace, Merz says
Tuesday 3 November 2026 21:00 , Jane DaltonRussia must show it is serious about a ceasefire and peace agreement with Ukraine at talks scheduled for next week in Abu Dhabi, German chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Tuesday as he hosted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Berlin.
Mr Merz said a new round of talks between negotiators from Ukraine, the United States and Russia was the right step to help bring fighting to an end and that it was essential that Europe be part of the process.
"But I would also say it is important for Russia to finally engage in serious negotiations on a ceasefire and a subsequent peace agreement. I have not seen any sign of this so far," he said.
The meeting in Abu Dhabi, on November 10 and 11 — the first direct Ukraine-Russia talks since February — is expected to discuss security guarantees, an "energy ceasefire" and a truce in the Black Sea to guarantee food exports, Mr Zelensky said.
Watch: Death toll rises to 26 after Russian strike on Ukraine humanitarian aid centre
Tuesday 3 November 2026 20:01 , Maira ButtRussia bombards Ukraine power grid, day after killing 33 people
Tuesday 3 November 2026 19:00 , Jane DaltonRussia has bombarded Ukraine's energy infrastructure in waves, knocking out power to swathes of the country with dozens of missiles and hundreds of drones, a week before US-brokered peace talks are due to resume.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said at least 33 people had been killed on Monday when Russia twice bombed a school now being used for aid distribution in the village of Komyshuvakha, near the front line in Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia region. About 50 people were still believed to be buried under the rubble, he said.
Russian officials said Ukraine, for its part, had set fire overnight to a major oil refinery in the city of Yaroslavl.
The attacks, less than two days after the end of a brief humanitarian truce in the Russian-controlled town of Oleshky agreed with the help of US first lady Melania Trump, did not bode well for the talks that the US has scheduled for Abu Dhabi on November 10-11.
Moscow said its forces had targeted Ukrainian military units in areas around Komyshuvakha and two other settlements in the Zaporizhzhia region.
It said that up to 25 Ukrainian servicemen had been killed, while 15 vehicles and an electronic warfare station were also destroyed.
Mr Zelensky said the attack showed Moscow was intent on killing people instead of building on the humanitarian ceasefire in Oleshky.
In pictures: Zelensky and his team in Berlin
Tuesday 3 November 2026 18:00 , Alex Croft
Full story: Russian strike on school kills at least 31 in Ukraine village
Tuesday 3 November 2026 17:00 , Maira ButtRussian forces struck a school being used as an aid distribution point in Ukraine, killing at least 31 people in the village, according to a regional official.
Russia bombed the village, located near the frontline in Ukraine’s southeastern region of Zaporizhzhia on Monday.
Acting head of the Regional Military Administration of Zaporizhzhia, Mykhailo Semikin said that five people were injured in the strikes and almost 50 people were still to be found in the village of Komyshuvakha.
Russian strike on school kills at least 31 in Ukraine village
Watch: Zelensky warns Russia is banking on US midterms to launch major attack on Ukraine
Tuesday 3 November 2026 16:30 , Maira ButtRussia must show it is serious about ceasefire in Abu Dhabi, says Merz
Tuesday 3 November 2026 16:01 , Alex CroftRussia must show it is serious about a ceasefire and peace agreement at talks in Abu Dhabi next week, Friedrich Merz said in Berlin on Tuesday.
The German chancellor was speaking during a joint press conference with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky, who he was hosting.
EU to host talks on Ukraine with United States and others on Wednesday
Tuesday 3 November 2026 15:00 , Maira ButtThe European Commission is to host a meeting on Ukraine with representatives from the United States, Ukraine and its key European allies on Wednesday, Commission spokesperson Paula Pinho said on Tuesday.
“So tomorrow the European Commission will host a meeting with representatives from Ukraine, from the United States, France, Germany, the UK, Nato and the World Bank and this meeting will build on earlier talks that took place in Miami,” Pinho told reporters in Brussels.
A source familiar with the plan told Reuters that representatives of Ukraine, US and European allies will discuss a prosperity plan and security guarantees.
American special envoy Steve Witkoff had earlier said that the meeting was to take place in Brussels.
The United States will then bring together delegations from Ukraine and Russia in Abu Dhabi on November 10-11 to discuss ending Moscow's war against Ukraine, post-war security agreements and de-escalation, Witkoff added.
Russia has no current advantage on the frontline in its war in Ukraine, says Zelensky
Tuesday 3 November 2026 14:28 , Alex CroftAs we’ve been reporting, Volodymyr Zelensky has just finished speaking in a press conference alongside German chancellor Friedrich Merz.
Mr Zelensky said that the situation on the front lines was complicated but under control.
He reiterated his call for more air defence supplies to protect Ukrainian cities far from the front lines.
Melania Trump to host officials from Moscow and Kyiv at White House
Tuesday 3 November 2026 14:10 , Maira ButtMelania Trump is to bring together Russian and Ukrainian representatives in order to initiate “engagement between the two warring nations”, according to the White House.
“First Lady Melania Trump will personally bring representatives of Russia and Ukraine, two nations actively at war, together at the White House,” read a statement on the White House website on Tuesday.
“This event represents an extraordinary moment in American history.
“Mrs. Trump independently initiated engagement between the two warring nations and successfully secured a ceasefire in Oleshky and the surrounding Kherson region. This achievement marks an unprecedented diplomatic initiative by an American First Lady.
“First Lady Melania Trump will deliver remarks on the ceasefire in Oleshky at 11:00 am ET on Thursday, November 5, 2026, at the White House.”
Ukraine-Russia-US talks to be held on 10 and 11 November
Tuesday 3 November 2026 14:13 , Alex CroftNegotiators from Ukraine, Russia and the US will meet in Abu Dhabi on November 10 and 11,
President Volodymyr Zelensky has confirmed that negotiators from Ukraine, Russia and the US will meet in Abu Dhabi on 10 and 11 November.
Security guarantees, an "energy ceasefire" and a truce in the Black Sea to guarantee food exports will be discussed, Mr Zelensky told a joint press conference with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in Berlin.
The meeting in Abu Dhabi will be the first direct, three-way talks since February.
