Volodymyr Zelensky has urged Belarus to dismantle relay stations he says are crucial in allowing Russian drone attacks on Ukraine - warning that Kyiv will otherwise do it by force.
Kyiv knows of four relay stations assisting Russian military activity, the Ukrainian president said, as he demanded the Belarusian government take action.
Belarus has been one of Moscow’s closest allies throughout the war, and its president, Aleksandr Lukashenko, is a close ally of Vladimir Putin.
"Belarus still has time to dismantle this equipment. We also know about every factory in Belarus that works for Russia and supports the war," Mr Zelensky said.
"If he doesn't do it, we'll do it," Mr Zelensky said on Friday, without elaborating.
It comes after Ukraine launched another attack on a Russian oil refinery in Siberia, more than 2,500km (1,550 miles) east of the Ukrainian border.
The Tyumen refinery, one of the country's most modern and complex, has a nominal capacity of around 8 million metric tons per year.
Meanwhile, Mr Zelensky said on Saturday that Russian forces were preparing an impending massive attack and warned residents to take special care as Russian strikes in different regions killed at least six people.
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Key Points
- Zelensky again urges Belarus to dismantle relay stations
- Ukraine launches attack on oil refinery in Siberia more than 2,500 km away
- Russian strikes on Zaporizhzhia kill four and injured six
- EU extends sanctions against Russia for 12 months
- Zelensky says he wants years-long war to end before winter
Russian-held Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant says external power link restored
17:02 , Alex CroftThe Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in southeastern Ukraine said yesterday that external power had been restored after the station had been obliged to rely on diesel generation for a time.
Russia seized the plant in the first weeks of the war and each side has since regularly accused the other of military action that compromises nuclear safety.
A statement issued by the plant's Russian management on Telegram said the plant was operating normally after the transition back to external power. Radiation levels were normal.
The UN nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, also reported the restoration of the external line after a break of four and a half hours.
Ukraine's energy ministry said Russian military activity was responsible for the disconnection, the 20th such occurrence since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
The plant, Europe's largest with six reactors, produces no electricity, but needs power supplied by two external links to keep nuclear fuel at the plant cool.
How Ukraine’s new drone tactics are causing chaos in Russia after largest-ever attack on Moscow
16:01 , Alex CroftUkraine launched a powerful barrage of drones on Moscow on Thursday, triggering a huge explosion in one of the Russian capital’s key oil refineries.
Kyiv’s strategic deployment of medium-range drones is inflicting significant damage on Russia's struggling war effort, experts have said as Moscow’s ground offensive stalls.
Kyiv has scaled up its targeting of Russia’s critical oil infrastructure, the lifeblood of the Kremlin’s wartime economy, as part of a wider campaign to weaken its capacity to continue its war on Ukraine.
"One of the most popular questions asked by Muscovites this morning is 'What is going on?' I can answer. Your country started a war of aggression against ours. For years, it has been killing our people. Now that you know what's going on, ask Putin when he is planning to end it," Ukraine's foreign minister Andrii Sybiha posted on X. on Thursday.
Take a look at how Ukraine’s new drone tactics are causing major problems for Russia:
How Ukraine’s new drone tactics are causing chaos in Russia
Watch: Kherson emergency services put out fires as Ukraine reports Russian attack
15:02 , Alex CroftIAEA says Zaporizhzhia NPP loses power for 20th time
14:00 , Alex CroftThe International Atomic Energy Agency said on Saturday Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant lost off-site power for the 20th time during the conflict with Russia due to an issue with the site's internal power lines affecting its only remaining 330 kV connection, Ferosplavna-1.
Emergency diesel generators were activated to maintain reactor cooling and other essential nuclear safety functions, the agency said in a post on X.
Ukraine's strengthening position in war has not relieved humanitarian crisis - IRC
13:01 , Alex CroftUkraine's stronger position in the war with Russia has yet to relieve the humanitarian crisis felt by millions of displaced Ukrainians and worsened by a plunge in aid spending, the head of the International Rescue Committee said.
Ukraine has slowed Russia's advances on the battlefield to a virtual halt in recent months, prompting G7 leaders to recognise at a summit last week that momentum in the war has shifted.
Speaking during a visit to Ukraine, David Miliband, the IRC's president and CEO, said it was still vital to recognise the impact of aid cuts, led by the U.S., that has halved the IRC's budget in the country to a current estimate of $20 million in 2027 from $40 million last year.
"It feels particularly important at a time when there is this new sense of a different geopolitical narrative to recognise the brutality and strain that's being faced by millions of Ukrainians," Mr Miliband said on Saturday, World Refugee Day.
In pictures: Ukrainians celebrate summer solstice on Black Sea beach in Odesa
12:35 , Alex Croft
Post office and apartments damaged as 8 injured in attack on Sumy
11:57 , Alex CroftWe’re seeing confirmation of a fresh Russian attack on Sumy on Sunday, with several buildings damaged.
Eight people were injured in the overnight attacks, according to Serhii Kryvosheienko, head of Sumy City Military Administration.
A post office, petrol station, apartment blocks and houses were damaged in the attack, he said.
Russian strikes on Zaporizhzhia kill four and injured six
11:25 , Alex CroftRussian forces struck the southeastern Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia with glide bombs on Saturday, killing four people and injuring six, Regional Governor Ivan Fedorov said on Telegram.
Fedorov said there had been nine strikes in the city. He said residents could well be trapped in the rubble of damaged buildings.
Polish president strips Zelenskyy of honor over naming of army unit after notorious WWII group
10:52 , Alex CroftPolish President Karol Nawrocki said Friday he will strip Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Poland's highest state honor over the Ukraine leader's decision to name a military unit after a Ukrainian paramilitary organization accused of massacring Poles during World War II.
Zelenskyy was awarded the Order of the White Eagle in 2023 by Poland's then President Andrzej Duda for his services to security, resilience and the defence of human rights.
But it will now be revoked after Zelenskyy issued a decree on May 26 naming a military unit of Ukraine's Special Operations Forces after the UPA — the Ukrainian Insurgent Army — which operated during the 1940s and 1950s and which is accused in Poland of mass killings.
Polish president strips Zelenskyy of honor over naming of army unit after notorious WWII group
Zelensky confirms Ukrainian attacks on Russian-occupied Crimea and Krasnodar
10:20 , Alex CroftUkrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said on Sunday that the Ukrainian military had hit an oil depot in the Russia-occupied Crimean city of Kerch and an oil transport facility in Russia's Krasnodar region overnight.
The Russian-installed governor earlier said that at least four people were killed and 28 wounded in a Ukrainian drone attack on the peninsula.
Separately, local authorities in Russia's Krasnodar region said a Ukrainian drone attack killed one person on a passenger ferry and set an oil terminal ablaze.
The ferry service across the Kerch Strait, separating Crimea from the Krasnodar region, has been temporarily suspended, the authorities said.
Watch: Zelensky warns Ukrainians of ‘massive attack’ from Russia as strikes kill at least six people
09:45 , Alex CroftUkraine sends Moscow oil refinery up in flames with largest drone attack on city in two years
09:18 , Alex CroftUkraine hit a major Moscow oil refinery for a second time in a week, sending thick black clouds of smoke into the sky, and disrupted commercial flights at the city’s airports in one of its biggest drone attacks of the war.
Russian air defences shot down at least 194 drones headed for the city, according to Moscow mayor Sergei Sobyanin. It was part of a major, long-range attack across parts of Russia, with air defences intercepting 555 drones overall, according to the Russian ministry of defence.
“Air defence forces are continuing to repel a large-scale attack. Several drones managed to reach the [Moscow oil refinery],” said Mr Sobyanin. At least seven of Ukraine’s drones appear to have beaten Russia’s air defences to strike targets in the city.
Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky said the attack was in response.
Full report here:
Ukraine sends Moscow oil refinery up in flames with largest drone attack in two years
Crimea halts public fuel sales, Russian-installed governor says
08:36 , Arpan RaiFuel stations in the Russian-controlled peninsula of Crimea halted all fuel sales to individuals and businesses from 9am local time on Sunday, including cash, non-cash and voucher purchases, the Russian-installed governor said.
Fuel will only be supplied to government agencies that ensure the functioning and security of the peninsula, Sergei Aksyonov, the governor, wrote on the Telegram messaging app.
Ukraine drone attacks kill five in Crimea and Krasnodar region
08:25 , Arpan RaiAt least four people were killed and 28 wounded in a Ukrainian drone attack on the Russian-controlled peninsula of Crimea, the Russian-installed governor said.
Separately, local authorities in Russia's Krasnodar region said a Ukrainian drone attack killed one person on a passenger ferry and set an oil terminal ablaze.
The ferry service across the Kerch Strait, separating Crimea from the Krasnodar region, has been temporarily suspended, the authorities said.
New UK strike weapons can hit targets up to 500km away
08:05 , Arpan RaiBritain has tested new long-range strike weapons, with the government hoping for delivery to Ukraine within months.
The initiative aims to produce munitions more quickly and affordably than existing systems like Storm Shadow missiles.
New systems, capable of hitting targets at least 500km away and carrying a 225kg warhead, have been fired at a range in the Hebrides, with further UK trials planned.
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) challenged firms to develop weapons exceeding 600km per hour, costing around £400,000 per unit, and producing at least 20 a month within months of an order.
Some 27 industry bids were received, with "Dragon's Den"-style pitches held last February. Six companies were then awarded contracts worth around £5m each to design and test the weapons in just seven months.
New UK long-range strike weapons could be sent to Ukraine within a year
Zelensky again urges Belarus to dismantle relay stations
07:44 , Arpan RaiUkrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky urged authorities in neighbouring Belarus for the second day running to dismantle relay stations he said were playing a role in staging Russian drone attacks on Ukrainian regions.
Belarus, under longtime president Alexander Lukashenko, has been one of Moscow's closest allies in the more than four-year-old war against Ukraine and allowed the Kremlin to use its territory to launch the February 2022 invasion.
Lukashenko, in power since 1994, has repeatedly said he wants no further involvement in the conflict, but Zelensky has urged Belarus to prove that it will not provide direct support for Moscow's war effort.
Zelensky did not refer directly to Lukashenko in his nightly video address and alluded to his contested re-election to new terms in office. But he said Ukraine knows of four relay stations in Belarus assisting Russian military activity.
“Belarus still has time to dismantle this equipment. We also know about every factory in Belarus that works for Russia and supports the war," he said.
“Ukraine does not want this and we have warned the de facto leadership of Belarus which has influence over these developments,” he said.
Russian-held Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant says external power link restored
07:38 , Arpan RaiThe Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in southeastern Ukraine said yesterday that external power had been restored after the station had been obliged to rely on diesel generation for a time.
Russia seized the plant in the first weeks of the war and each side has since regularly accused the other of military action that compromises nuclear safety.
A statement issued by the plant's Russian management on Telegram said the plant was operating normally after the transition back to external power. Radiation levels were normal.
The UN nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, also reported the restoration of the external line after a break of four and a half hours.
Ukraine's energy ministry said Russian military activity was responsible for the disconnection, the 20th such occurrence since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
The plant, Europe's largest with six reactors, produces no electricity, but needs power supplied by two external links to keep nuclear fuel at the plant cool.
Russia frees 24 Filipinos after Marcos talks with Putin
07:31 , Arpan RaiRussia has freed 24 Filipinos who were detained for months without charges in a Siberian city, after Philippine president Ferdinand Marcos Jr. raised concern for them in a meeting with president Vladimir Putin, Philippine officials said on Saturday.
The 24 arrived in Manila aboard two flights early Sunday, and the first batch was welcomed by Philippine foreign secretary Theresa Lazaro, who accompanied Marcos in his talks with Putin on Wednesday in the Russian city of Kazan, the department of foreign affairs in Manila said.
Migrant Workers secretary Hans Cacdac welcomed the final batch of freed workers before dawn. His agency provided unspecified aid to the workers, who were detained in a Russian region known for its extreme winter temperatures.
Russia strikes an apartment block in Ukraine's Kharkiv city, killing 1
02:00 , Alex CroftRussian guided bombs struck an apartment block in Ukraine’s second-largest city of Kharkiv on Saturday, killing at least one person and injuring nine, including a 6-year-old, authorities said Saturday.
A body was pulled from the rubble hours after the attack, Mayor Ihor Terekhov said on Telegram.
He said bombs slammed into the low-rise block in Kharkiv's Kholodnohirskiy district in the early hours of Saturday. The head of the regional administration, Oleh Syniehubov, said at least nine people were injured, five of whom hospitalized.
Elsewhere in Kharkiv, a Russian drone struck a civilian car on Friday evening, killing a man and injuring the woman driving, Syniehubov said.
Read more:
Russia strikes an apartment block in Ukraine's Kharkiv city, killing 1
IAEA says Zaporizhzhia NPP loses power for 20th time
01:00 , Alex CroftThe International Atomic Energy Agency said on Saturday Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant lost off-site power for the 20th time during the conflict with Russia due to an issue with the site's internal power lines affecting its only remaining 330 kV connection, Ferosplavna-1.
Emergency diesel generators were activated to maintain reactor cooling and other essential nuclear safety functions, the agency said in a post on X.
EU not seeking mediating role in Ukraine war, Costa says
Saturday 20 June 2026 23:01 , Alex CroftThe European Union does not intend to be mediators in case of peace talks to end the war in Ukraine, as it sides with Kyiv, European Council president Antonio Costa said on Friday.
A diplomatic overture to the Kremlin by European Council president Antonio Costa has exposed divisions at a summit of EU leaders over how to handle relations with Russia.
Costa at a press conference after the summit said there were "no credible signs" that Russia wanted to engage in serious negotiations.
"What I'm doing through my office is to establish a diplomatic channel, because we cannot depend only on others to interpret Russian messages and we must be able to convey to Russia our own messages," Costa said.
Watch: Russian forces hit energy facilities in Ukraine's Sumy region
Saturday 20 June 2026 22:00 , Alex CroftLavrov says Nato and Russia escalation could lead to nuclear strikes
Saturday 20 June 2026 21:01 , Alex CroftRussian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov has warned that an escalation between Russia and Nato could lead to a nuclear strikes exchange with catastrophic consequences.
“A direct confrontation between Nato and Russia could rapidly escalate into an exchange of nuclear strikes, with catastrophic consequences,” he wrote in an article posted on the Russian foreign ministry’s website.
“Under the banner of ‘strategic autonomy,’ Europe is witnessing a significant build-up of its military capabilities, including in the nuclear sphere.
“Paris's intention to extend its ‘nuclear umbrella’ to several EU and NATO member states is a source of deep concern.
“This will do nothing to strengthen the security of France itself or the recipients of its so-called protection.”
Recap: Ukraine accepts proposal from Brazil's Lula to work for peace, Kyiv adviser says
Saturday 20 June 2026 20:00 , Alex CroftPresident Volodymyr Zelensky has accepted an offer from Brazilian leader Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva to help work for a peace deal in Russia's war in Ukraine, a Ukrainian presidential adviser said on Friday.
Zelensky and Lula met on the sidelines of the Group of Seven summit in the French resort of Evian-les-Bains on Wednesday, where the Ukrainian leader urged allies to increase pressure on Russia to end the more than four-year-old war.
The two presidents discussed what could reactivate diplomacy and Lula proposed several ideas, including contacts with permanent members of the U.N. Security Council, presidential communications adviser Dmytro Lytvyn told reporters.
"They agreed that, in particular, based on such ideas and contacts, they would try to achieve something and later they would discuss it based on the results," Lytvyn said.
New UK strike weapons can hit targets up to 500km away – and they could be sent to Ukraine within a year
Saturday 20 June 2026 19:02 , Alex CroftBritain has tested new long-range strike weapons, with the government hoping for delivery to Ukraine within months.
The initiative aims to produce munitions more quickly and affordably than existing systems like Storm Shadow missiles.
New systems, capable of hitting targets at least 500km away and carrying a 225kg warhead, have been fired at a range in the Hebrides, with further UK trials planned.
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) challenged firms to develop weapons exceeding 600km per hour, costing around £400,000 per unit, and producing at least 20 a month within months of an order.
Some 27 industry bids were received, with "Dragon's Den"-style pitches held last February. Six companies were then awarded contracts worth around £5 million each to design and test the weapons in just seven months.
By last December, only three suppliers remained – MBDA UK, which makes Storm Shadow; MGI Engineering, a UK SME with a background in Formula 1 technology; and Rotron Aerospace, another UK SME with a history of working with the MoD.
Zelensky chief of staff renounces Polish state medal
Saturday 20 June 2026 18:00 , Alex CroftPresident Volodymyr Zelensky's chief of staff said on Saturday he was renouncing a Polish state medal after President Karol Nawrocki stripped Zelensky of Poland's top honour over a historical dispute.
The move by Kyrylo Budanov threatens to deepen a diplomatic rift between the close strategic partners as Kyiv rallies allies to push Russia to end its war on Ukraine.
Nawrocki said on Friday he was revoking the Order of the White Eagle from Zelensky after he renamed a military unit in honour of World War Two-era Ukrainian insurgents blamed for massacring Poles.
Budanov said he was renouncing the Golden Officer's Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland, awarded to him last year, to protest against a move he described as "a gift" for Russia.
"Our nations have long-standing relations and different pages of history - both heroic and tragic," he posted on social media. "However, this should be an occasion for deep reflection, not crude political speculation."
Ukrainian foreign minister Andrii Sybiha had earlier called Nawrocki's decision a "strategic error", and Polish prime minister Donald Tusk, a Nawrocki opponent, urged both leaders to remain calm.
Ukraine launches attack on oil refinery in Siberia
Saturday 20 June 2026 16:30 , Alex CroftRussian air defences repelled a drone attack on an oil refinery in the Western Siberian region of Tyumen, the regional governor said on Saturday.
"A drone attack on the Tyumen oil refinery has been repelled. Emergency services are working at the site where the debris fell. According to preliminary information, the refinery has not been damaged and staff have been evacuated," governor Alexander Moor wrote on Telegram.
Tyumen, more than 2,500 km (1,550 miles) east of the Ukrainian border, is one of Russia's most important oil and gas producing regions.
The Tyumen refinery, one of the country's most modern and complex, has a nominal capacity of around 8 million metric tons per year. It processes roughly 6 million tons of crude annually, producing about 0.5 million tons of gasoline and 2.5 million tons of diesel, according to industry estimates.
Watch: Kherson emergency services put out fires as Ukraine reports Russian attack
Saturday 20 June 2026 16:01 , Alex CroftIAEA says Zaporizhzhia NPP loses power for 20th time
Saturday 20 June 2026 15:16 , Alex CroftThe International Atomic Energy Agency said on Saturday Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant lost off-site power for the 20th time during the conflict with Russia due to an issue with the site's internal power lines affecting its only remaining 330 kV connection, Ferosplavna-1.
Emergency diesel generators were activated to maintain reactor cooling and other essential nuclear safety functions, the agency said in a post on X.
UK testing long-range missiles as part of military aid for Ukraine
Saturday 20 June 2026 12:30 , Arpan RaiBritain has tested new long-range weapons system that it could soon offer to Ukraine to hit Russian targets, The Telegraph reported.
These systems can hit targets situated more than 300 miles away and have been tested at a range in the Scottish archipelago Herbrides.
The weapons system have experimental platforms, each carrying a 250kg warhead, and the range allows it to potentially reach Moscow.
Further trials for the new systems are expected to take place in the UK over the coming months.
EU not seeking mediating role in Ukraine war, Costa says
Saturday 20 June 2026 11:00 , Arpan RaiThe European Union does not intend to be mediators in case of peace talks to end the war in Ukraine, as it sides with Kyiv, European Council president Antonio Costa said on Friday.
A diplomatic overture to the Kremlin by European Council president Antonio Costa has exposed divisions at a summit of EU leaders over how to handle relations with Russia.
Costa at a press conference after the summit said there were "no credible signs" that Russia wanted to engage in serious negotiations.
"What I'm doing through my office is to establish a diplomatic channel, because we cannot depend only on others to interpret Russian messages and we must be able to convey to Russia our own messages," Costa said.
Zelensky stripped of Poland's top honour over Second World War conflict
Saturday 20 June 2026 10:00 , Arpan RaiPoland's president has decided to strip Volodymyr Zelensky of the country's top honour after the Ukrainian president caused outrage by renaming an army unit after the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA), nationalists who massacred Poles during the Second World War.
President Karol Nawrocki's decision looked likely to unleash a severe diplomatic crisis between the neighbours just days ahead of a conference on Ukraine's reconstruction in the Polish city of Gdansk.
"In light of President Volodymyr Zelensky's consent to name one of the units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Heroes of the UPA,... I have decided to revoke the Order of the White Eagle from the President of Ukraine," Nawrocki said in a statement.
"At this point, I would like to emphasize: this decision is not directed against the Ukrainian people. It does not signify a change in the strategic direction of Polish security policy."
While Warsaw is a strong supporter of Kyiv's war effort, public sentiment towards Ukraine has become more and more negative in recent years due to weariness with refugees, disputes over grain imports and the legacy of the Second World War massacres.
Zelensky says Ukraine is 'Nato's de facto second army'
Saturday 20 June 2026 09:27 , Arpan RaiUkrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has said Nato needs Ukraine as Russian leader Vladimir Putin wants the restoration of the Soviet Union.
“Today, Ukraine is de facto the second army of Nato – one that is not inferior to the second army in the world. And that is why Nato needs us – specifically us – de jure. This is already a fact recognised by all leaders,” Zelensky said yesterday.
“Putin will remain in the Kremlin until his death, and he has one goal: the restoration of the Soviet Union. Without Ukraine, this is impossible, and that is why things are so difficult for us,” Zelensky said, underlining Kyiv’s proximity to Russia as a key threat.
Zelensky also said that Putin “fears the return of his army home”.
“That is why he is so afraid of the war ending without victory. And there will be no victory. He is physically afraid of his own army. That is why, if there is no ceasefire backed by specific security guarantees, he will return to war. And this time, others may be the ones under attack,” Zelensky said.
One killed in drone attack on Panama-flagged ship in Black Sea
Saturday 20 June 2026 09:24 , Arpan RaiOne crew member was killed and two more injured after a drone attack on a Panama-flagged ship in the Black Sea, Panama's Maritime Authority (AMP) said late on Friday.
The AMP said the incident occurred on Thursday and that one of the injured sailors was in serious condition. The ship was able to continue on its course, it added.
The authority added that it has "activated the relevant protocols to gather official information on the incident and maintains communication with the parties involved."
The AMP did not say where the drone attack came from, but advised ships to avoid traveling through Ukrainian and Russian waters in the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov, to the north.
Panama operates the world's largest ship registry with roughly 16 per cent of the global merchant fleet sailing under its flag.
Lavrov says Nato and Russia escalation could lead to nuclear strikes
Saturday 20 June 2026 09:02 , Arpan RaiRussian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov has warned that an escalation between Russia and Nato could lead to a nuclear strikes exchange with catastrophic consequences.
“A direct confrontation between Nato and Russia could rapidly escalate into an exchange of nuclear strikes, with catastrophic consequences,” he wrote in an article posted on the Russian foreign ministry’s website.
“Under the banner of ‘strategic autonomy,’ Europe is witnessing a significant build-up of its military capabilities, including in the nuclear sphere.
“Paris's intention to extend its ‘nuclear umbrella’ to several EU and NATO member states is a source of deep concern.
“This will do nothing to strengthen the security of France itself or the recipients of its so-called protection.”
UK testing long-range missiles as part of military aid for Ukraine
Saturday 20 June 2026 08:37 , Arpan RaiBritain has tested new long-range weapons system that it could soon offer to Ukraine to hit Russian targets, The Telegraph reported.
These systems can hit targets situated more than 300 miles away and have been tested at a range in the Scottish archipelago Herbrides.
The weapons system have experimental platforms, each carrying a 250kg warhead, and the range allows it to potentially reach Moscow.
Further trials for the new systems are expected to take place in the UK over the coming months.
EU extends sanctions against Russia for 12 months
Friday 19 June 2026 12:40 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarThe EU leaders have agreed to extend sanctions against Russia over its war against Ukraine for another 12 months.
The decision was taken during a European Council summit in Brussels, which saw the participation of Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky.
The decision marked the first time such sanctions, which target certain sectors of the Russian economy, have been renewed for a year. They had previously been rolled over every six months.
Latvian PM says no point in having diplomatic channel with Russia
Friday 19 June 2026 12:10 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarLatvian prime minister Andris Kulbergs has said there is no point in having diplomatic channels with Russia if Moscow doesn't want to engage in diplomacy.
Kulbergs previously told Bloomberg that the EU needs to appoint an envoy for peace talks with Russia when the time is right as the bloc seeks to play a role in ending the war in Ukraine.
“Europe has to be at the table,” Kulbergs said, adding: “There should be one person if the peace talks are in place who has the political mandate to do that."
Employees work at a mall previously destroyed in Russian strike
Friday 19 June 2026 11:40 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Recap: Zelenskyy says G7 leaders pledge more vital help for Ukraine
Friday 19 June 2026 11:10 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarUkraine has won key pledges of further support for its fight against Russia from world leaders attending the Group of Seven summit in France, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Wednesday.
The leaders of the world’s leading industrial economies promised to strengthen Ukraine’s air defenses and ensure its energy supply, as well as step up international economic pressure on Moscow, as Kyiv’s fight against Russia’s all-out invasion stretches into its fifth year with no end in sight.
“The G7 Summit in France delivered important results for Ukraine. Most importantly, we agreed on additional strengthening of Ukraine’s air defense,” Zelenskyy, who attended the gathering, said on X.
More here.
Zelenskyy says G7 leaders pledge more vital help for Ukraine against Russia
Russian gas returns to pre-war levels in Belgium
Friday 19 June 2026 10:40 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarBelgium imported more natural gas from Russia in 2025 than it did before Vladimir Putin's war in Ukraine, data from the Belgian economy ministry showed.
Russian gas made up more than 11 per cent of Belgium’s gas imports in 2025, climbing back to pre-war 2019 levels after dropping to around 5 per cent in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
While Belgium has phased out Russian pipeline gas, imports of Russian LNG have surged, offsetting much of the decline and driving a renewed rise in Russian gas imports.
Slovakia’s government faces confidence vote
Friday 19 June 2026 10:10 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarThe Slovak government is set to face a parliamentary confidence vote that was triggered by the country’s debt surpassing fiscal limits set by the Constitution.
The motion was called after the Constitutional Court, the country’s highest authority, ruled Wednesday that the government has to ask for such a vote without delay.
Populist Prime Minister Robert Fico said he respected the court's ruling and called for the vote.
His coalition government has a majority of 78 seats in the 150-seat parliament, known as the National Council, and is therefore expected to win the vote. Coalition lawmakers limited the time for the debate to 12 1/2 hours.
More here.
Slovakia’s government faces confidence vote as debt exceeds constitutional limit
Pope laments rising deaths in Ukraine
Friday 19 June 2026 09:40 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarPope Leo reportedly lamented the growing number of deaths in Ukraine due to intensified Russian attacks.
“There are many innocent victims, rescuers killed, churches, and places of cultural heritage devastated by flames,” he said, according to Vatican News.
“I am close to all those who mourn their loved ones, to the wounded, and to those who, amid violence, continue courageously to serve life.”
How Ukraine’s new drone tactics are causing chaos in Russia
Friday 19 June 2026 09:10 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarUkraine launched a powerful barrage of drones on Moscow on Thursday, triggering a huge explosion in one of the Russian capital’s key oil refineries.
Kyiv’s strategic deployment of medium-range drones is inflicting significant damage on Russia's struggling war effort, experts have said as Moscow’s ground offensive stalls.
Kyiv has scaled up its targeting of Russia’s critical oil infrastructure, the lifeblood of the Kremlin’s wartime economy, as part of a wider campaign to weaken its capacity to continue its war on Ukraine.
More here.
How Ukraine’s new drone tactics are causing chaos in Russia
Russian court hands Romanian citizen 15-year jail term for espionage
Friday 19 June 2026 08:40 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarA Romanian citizen has been sentenced to 15 years in prison by a Russian court for carrying out espionage on behalf of Ukraine, the Interfax news agency reported this morning, citing Russia's Federal Security Service.
Zelensky says EU membership for Ukraine will guarantee Europe's future
Friday 19 June 2026 08:10 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarUkrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky told an EU summit that the future of Europe was being shaped by the defence of Ukraine and the best security guarantee for the bloc's future would be to grant Kyiv fast-track membership.
Zelensky said he told member states that Ukraine wanted the war against Russia to be over by the end of the year and urged them to help Kyiv prepare for another winter with air defence missiles and fuel.
Every democratic nation in Europe deserved to be in the EU and "Ukraine merits this because it has paid more than any other country for its right to be free, independent and ... European", Zelensky said in excerpts of his address posted on X.
"The future of Europe – free, united and of course in peace – is being decided in our defence. That shows how unique our situation is.
"Hours earlier, Ukrainian air strikes struck targets deep inside Russia, including an oil refinery in Moscow, the latest long-range attacks in a campaign Zelensky highlighted as proof of Ukraine's capabilities in meetings with US president Donald Trump and other G7 leaders in France this week.
