Kyiv’s air raid alerts have reached their highest level since the war began in February 2022, as Russia ramps up its targeting of the Ukrainian capital, according to a report.
Moscow’s new strategy of increasing daytime attacks on the city has forced it to drive up the frequency of its daily air raid alerts, BBC Verify reported in an analysis of Ukrainian government figures.
Residents have been forced to head to the shelters as often as 13 times a day, the analysis said.
Moscow has heavily targeted Kyiv in recent weeks as both sides look to push through a stalemate which has seen the war drag on, nearing the four-and-a-half year mark.
Volodymyr Zelensky has suggested that Ukraine is preparing for another winter at war with Russia despite hosting president Donald Trump’s peace envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner in Kyiv yesterday.
Lauding their “very substantive” conversation, Zelensky said Ukraine was ready for trilateral talks involving Russia, the US and Ukraine.
Trump’s son-in-law Kushner and Witkoff met with Zelensky in Kyiv on Sunday, after holding three hours of talks with Russian president Vladimir Putin on Saturday in Moscow.
The US president is expected to speak to Putin and Zelensky over the phone on Monday.
Read MorePutin has no interest in peace – and Trump is falling into his trap
‘Overnight we all became war correspondents’: Ukraine’s local newspapers face battle to stay alive
US envoys meet Zelensky in Kyiv after Putin talks as frontline battles rage on
Putin meets with US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner for Ukraine talks
Key Points
- US peace envoys' visit to Ukraine sparks cautious optimism on the streets of Kyiv
- Trump to speak with Putin and Zelensky on Monday
- US envoy Witkoff says he ‘feels good’ about Ukraine peace talks
- Zelensky says window of opportunity for peace exists before 2028 US election
- One killed and three injured in Russia-held Sevastopol
Kyiv air raid alerts hit record high - report
11:03 , Alex CroftAir raid alerts in the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv are at their highest levels of the war so far, as Russia ramps up attacks on the Ukrainian capital, according to a report.
Moscow’s new strategy of increasing daytime attacks on the city has forced it to drive up the frequency of its daily air raid alerts, BBC Verify reported in an analysis of Ukrainian government figures.
Residents have been forced to head to the shelters as often as 13 times a day, the analysis said.
‘Overnight we all became war correspondents’: Ukraine’s local newspapers face battle to stay alive
10:53 , Alex CroftIn the weeks leading up to Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, the headlines in a Kyiv newspaper looked much like they would anywhere else.
There was some debate over whether Russia would actually attack its neighbour. But then, outside of politics, there was everything else: the tourists stuck abroad, changes to school meals and the spread of the Omicron variant of Covid.
On 24 February 2022, everything changed as Russian tanks rolled across the border. Businesses closed or relocated, martial law saw hundreds of thousands of working-age men recruited for military service, and around one million people fled the country in the first week.
A brave few stayed behind to keep a record of what happened as the missiles rained down. Local journalists observed and asked questions as their communities were torn apart by the war.
Industrial facility damaged in Ukrainian drone attack on Russia's Tatarstan region
10:52 , Alex CroftAn industrial facility sustained minor damage in a Ukrainian drone attack on Russia's Tatarstan region on the Volga river, the state-run TASS news agency reported on Monday, citing the regional governor's press service.
The news agency has not identified the facility or specified its location.
Eleven dead and six missing after avalanche in Russian mountains
09:53 , Alex CroftAt least 11 people have been killed and six others injured after an avalanche in Russia.
The avalanche hit a group of climbers in the Kabardino-Balkaria region in the North Caucasus on Sunday.
It swept down Mount Mizhirgi, one of the area’s highest peaks, around 5pm local time (2pm GMT), hitting a group of 33 climbers, emergency services said.
Ten climbers had made their own way down the mountain as of 9am local time on Monday.
Read more here:
Eleven dead and six missing after avalanche in Russian mountains
Russia launches 92 drones at Ukraine, says Kyiv's air force
09:31 , Alex CroftRussian forces have attacked Ukraine with 92 drones overnight into Monday, the Ukrainian air force has said in its daily update.
Kyiv’s air force shot down or jammed 71 of the drones, while 12 locations were struck, it said.
Aircraft, anti-aircraft missile units, and electronic warfare was used to down the drones, the force said in the Telegram update.
As of 7am BST it said the attack was ongoing.
Trump to speak with Putin and Zelensky on Monday
09:12 , Alex CroftDonald Trump is set to hold phone calls with Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday, according to a report.
The US president will first speak with the Russian president before speaking to Mr Zelensky, after he is briefed by his envoys on their latest talks with Russian and Ukrainian negotiators, a report in The Kyiv Independent said.
The US envoys arrived in Kyiv by train on 6 September where they were met by Mr Zelensky at Sofiiska Square, before they engaged in negotiations.
Russia and North Korea open new bridge over Tumen river
08:54 , Alex CroftNorth Korea and Russia opened their first road bridge on Monday, Russia's TASS state news agency reported.
The structure spans the Tumen river and is located near the “Friendship Bridge”, a rail bridge commissioned in 1959 after the Korean war.
There are already direct air and rail links between Moscow and Pyongyang, who have described the new bridge as yet another milestone in their growing strategic partnership.
Russian prime minister Mikhail Mishustin said the bridge should spur development between the two countries in various spheres - including tourism - and create new jobs.
"I am convinced that the expansion of cross-border transport infrastructure will provide a powerful impetus for the further development of trade, economic, scientific, technological and cultural cooperation," TASS cited Mishustin as saying at the bridge's opening ceremony via video link.
Construction of the new bridge, which had been under discussion for years, began in April last year after its construction was agreed during a visit by President Vladimir Putin to North Korea in 2024.
The two countries' ties have grown stronger since the start of the war in Ukraine in 2022 with Pyongyang sending thousands of troops to Russia's Kursk region to help repel a 2024 Ukrainian incursion there.
One killed and one injured in Ukrainian drone attack on Russia's Belgorod region
08:28 , Arpan RaiOne person was killed and another injured in a Ukrainian drone attack on Russia's Belgorod region, which borders Ukraine, local authorities said this morning.
Watch: Zelensky predicts another winter at war despite ‘substantive talks’ with Trump envoys
08:14 , Arpan RaiGermany’s far-right AfD hails unprecedented election win: What happens next for Ukraine
08:01 , Arpan RaiThe results from Germany’s Saxony-Anhalt regional election are likely to be a major political headache for Chancellor Friedrich Merz, whose centre-right Christian Democrats (CDU) have governed the eastern state for more than 20 years.
AfD has been clear about what it would do if it were to take power. It seeks to restrict immigration, quit the Euro and restore ties with Russia as most of Europe rallies around Ukraine.
It would also advocate for removing war refugee status for Ukrainians in Germany as long as the conflict remains concentrated in eastern Ukraine, arguing they should seek refuge in western Ukraine.
There will no doubt be a greater push from AfD to try and move the needle on national policy, while their pro-Russia stance could be an issue when it comes to European support for Ukraine, given the nation has previously been accused of moving cautiously when it comes to handing Ukraine weapons to fight off Russia's invasion.
One killed in Russia as drones attack Perm region
07:29 , Arpan RaiAt least one person was killed and four others were injured in Russia's Perm region after a Ukrainian drone attack caused damage to a residential building, Dmitry Makhonin, the regional governor said this morning.
He said local air defence units had shot down 27 drones.
Trump's envoys see no breakthroughs in Moscow talks
07:28 , Arpan RaiA meeting in Moscow on Saturday involving US envoys lasted more than three hours behind closed doors and ended without announcements of any breakthroughs.
This is one of several visits to the Russian capital made by Donald Trump’s special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.
Putin’s foreign policy adviser, Yuri Ushakov, described them afterward as constructive, frank, and useful but didn’t discuss specific outcomes.
While Moscow offered its “comprehensive assessment” of the battlefield situation in Ukraine, Ushakov said, the talks were not purely focused on the war in Ukraine.
“Economic issues and potentially large, mutually beneficial joint projects for Russia and America were discussed in considerable detail,” he said.
More than 1,500 Russian soldiers killed in past 24 hours, says Ukraine
06:49 , Arpan RaiAt least 1,540 Russian troops have been killed or wounded in the past 24 hours, the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces said.
The total combat losses for Russia have now crossed approximately 1,497,980 personnel, it added.
According to the Institute for the Study of War, Russia is “failing to achieve its battlefield objectives in reality... and is specifically failing in its priority objective of seizing the remainder of Donetsk Oblast by the end of 2026”.
Russia hits Ukrainian ports of Chornomorsk and Izmail
06:26 , Arpan RaiThe Russian military hit a vessel in the Ukrainian port of Chornomorsk on Sunday evening, its defence ministry said.
Officials said the attack struck a vessel which had military cargo onboard.
At the port of Izmail, the Russian military hit loading facilities this morning, the ministry said.
Zelensky says Trump's envoys in Kyiv protected city better than Patriot air defences
06:04 , Arpan RaiVolodymy Zelensky thanked the US envoys for visiting the Ukrainian capital Kyiv yesterday, joking that their visit ensured a brief window of safety from Russian strikes – more efficiently than US-made Patriot missile interceptors.
“Thank you for coming and we are grateful to the president of the United States that you are here in Kyiv today. Today, you worked even better than the Patriot systems for our citizens here in the capital. Please come visit more often, and our people will have a chance – a chance to live a little,” Zelensky said, speaking at a public briefing alongside Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.
Kyiv has not disclosed details yet of the outcomes of the visit or the terms for ensuring the two envoys' safety, but it is likely to have involved a request to Russia to halt attacks on the capital during their stay.
Today, we had three rounds of negotiations. All of them were very substantive. I want to thank Steve and Jared for coming. And we are grateful to the President of the United States. We had good discussions. Thank you for devoting sufficient attention today to the winter period… pic.twitter.com/Jq8ClgzvHi
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) September 6, 2026
‘Overnight we all became war correspondents’: Ukraine’s local newspapers face battle to stay alive
05:38 , Arpan RaiIn the weeks leading up to Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, the headlines in a Kyiv newspaper looked much like they would anywhere else.
There was some debate over whether Russia would actually attack its neighbour. But then, outside of politics, there was everything else: the tourists stuck abroad, changes to school meals and the spread of the Omicron variant of Covid.
On 24 February 2022, everything changed as Russian tanks rolled across the border. Businesses closed or relocated, martial law saw hundreds of thousands of working-age men recruited for military service, and around one million people fled the country in the first week.
A brave few stayed behind to keep a record of what happened as the missiles rained down. Local journalists observed and asked questions as their communities were torn apart by the war.
Watch: Trump envoys arrive in Kyiv for peace talks after meeting Putin
05:19 , Arpan RaiUS peace envoys' visit to Ukraine sparks cautious optimism on the streets of Kyiv
04:45 , Arpan RaiUS envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner have visited Moscow several times in their roles as peace envoys. But Sunday marked their first visit to Kyiv in their capacity as US negotiators.
Their visit has long been sought by Ukraine's leadership, and on the streets of Kyiv, which has been bombarded heavily in recent weeks, some residents were hopeful.
“The issue can be solved in the blink of an eye. We want peace. I've fought myself, so I know what war is like. We need peace, because there's no other way,” said military veteran Stepan Yermak.
In previous talks, the sides have remained far apart on key issues, including the future of the eastern Ukrainian region of Donbas.
Russia has demanded Ukraine's withdrawal from a belt of towns that it still controls there, but Kyiv has refused, reasoning that it can still hold on.
“The question of Donbas... I believe, is the question of this war,” Zelensky told reporters on Sunday.
US envoy Witkoff says he ‘feels good’ about Ukraine peace talks
04:20 , Arpan RaiUS envoy Steve Witkoff said on Sunday that he felt good about peace talks in both Moscow and Kyiv.
The senior envoy from the Trump administration who held talks with Ukraine yesterday said that the US hoped to find a diplomatic solution to the war.
Hours earlier, president Volodymyr Zelensky said his talks with US peace negotiators were “very substantial”.
The two sides discussed security and economic guarantees for Ukraine and also supplies of air-defence missiles and a winter support package.
He also hoped that trilateral talks, including Ukraine, Russia and the US would restart soon.
One killed and three injured in Russia-held Sevastopol
03:59 , Arpan RaiA girl was killed and three other people were wounded in a Ukraine drone attack on the Russia-held Black Sea port city of Sevastopol late on Sunday, officials said.
The attack was confirmed by Moscow-appointed governor Mikhail Razvozhayev on his Telegram channel.
Zelensky says window of opportunity for peace exists before 2028 US election
03:00 , Holly EvansThe Ukrainian president, who believes Washington will be key to any peace deal, has said a window of opportunity to make peace exists before the US begins focusing on its next presidential election in 2028.
The US envoys held several hours of talks with Ukrainian officials. British, French and German national security advisers, who were also in Kyiv, joined for the final hour. The US-Ukrainian discussions were due to continue on Sunday evening.
During a break, Volodymyr Zelensky said officials discussed the possibility of security and economic guarantees for Kyiv, as well as a post-war "prosperity plan."
"In the last 10 to 12 months, I believe we have got stronger," Mr Zelensky said, adding that the U.S. and Europe had noted this.
Read the full story: US envoys meet Zelensky in Kyiv after Putin talks
02:00 , Holly EvansUS special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner arrived in Kyiv on Sunday for high-stakes negotiations with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky, capping a high-wire weekend of shuttle diplomacy aimed at breaking a long-standing stalemate in the war.
The diplomatic mission follows a three-hour meeting with Russian president Vladimir Putin in Moscow a day earlier, and represents Washington’s most direct effort to revive peace talks since the outbreak of the US-Iran war in February.
The trip marks the American envoys' first official visit to the Ukrainian capital after traveling by train from Poland, having previously made eight visits to Moscow.
Read the full article here:
US envoys meet Zelensky in Kyiv after Putin talks as frontline battles rage on
‘Overnight we all became war correspondents’: Ukraine’s local newspapers face battle to stay alive
01:00 , Holly EvansIn the weeks leading up to Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, the headlines in a Kyiv newspaper looked much like they would anywhere else.
There was some debate over whether Russia would actually attack its neighbour. But then, outside of politics, there was everything else: the tourists stuck abroad, changes to school meals and the spread of the Omicron variant of Covid.
On 24 February 2022, everything changed as Russian tanks rolled across the border. Businesses closed or relocated, martial law saw hundreds of thousands of working-age men recruited for military service, and around one million people fled the country in the first week.
Read the full article here:
‘We were local journalists in Ukraine. Then overnight we became war correspondents’
Putin has no interest in peace – and Trump is falling into his trap
Monday 7 September 2026 00:00 , Holly EvansSteve Witkoff is the real estate guy with zero diplomatic experience who Donald Trump appointed in 2024 as his personal “peace emissary”.
Jared Kushner is the president’s son-in-law, but did at least play some role in one of President Trump’s few foreign policy achievements – the Abraham Accords process that promised to deliver some stability to the Middle East during the first Trump term. As a team, they have enjoyed little success in securing the “settlement” to the war in Ukraine that Mr Trump so desires.
There is little reason to suppose that their latest exercise in shuttle diplomacy will succeed where their previous efforts failed. Indeed, the prospects for an end to the war, let alone one that will prove just and lasting, are as dismal as at any time since Vladimir Putin launched his ill-fated “special military operation” more than four and a half years ago – its duration now longer than the Soviet Union’s four-year “great patriotic war” against Adolf Hitler.
Just as in that epoch-defining conflict, it is the civilian population of Ukraine that will face some of the harshest consequences as winter approaches.
Read the full editorial here:
Putin has no interest in peace - and Trump is falling into his trap
Watch: Trump envoys arrive in Kyiv for peace talks
Sunday 6 September 2026 23:00 , Holly EvansUS envoy says he 'feels good' about peace talks
Sunday 6 September 2026 22:00 , Holly EvansUS envoy Steve Witkoff said on Sunday that he felt good about peace talks in both Moscow and Kyiv, adding that the US hoped to find a diplomatic solution to the war, which is now in its fifth year.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky told reporters that they discussed security and economic guarantees for Ukraine and also supplies of air-defence missiles and a winter support package.
He also hoped that trilateral talks, including Ukraine, Russia and the U.S. would restart soon.
Russian casualties approach 1.5 million since 2022, Kyiv reports
Sunday 6 September 2026 21:00 , Suha KidwaiRussia has lost approximately 1,496,440 troops in Ukraine since the start of its full-scale invasion on Feb. 24, 2022, according to the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine’s latest tally.
The updated figure includes 1,390 casualties suffered by Russian forces over the past 24 hours.
Alongside personnel losses, Ukrainian military reports state Russia has lost 12,331 tanks, 25,278 armored combat vehicles, 49,260 artillery systems, and over 500,000 tactical operational drones since the war began.
Ukraine continues to keep its own military casualty figures strictly confidential, citing operational security during ongoing wartime operations.
Ukraine intercepted over 4,600 aerial targets in August, latest data shows
Sunday 6 September 2026 20:00 , Suha KidwaiUkrainian air defense forces intercepted more than 4,600 missiles and long-range drones in August, according to defence officials.
Intercepts included 71 cruise and ballistic missiles, 101 S8000 Banderol loitering munitions, and 3,336 Shahed-series attack drones.
In August, Ukraine's air defense intercepted more than 4,600 Russian drones and missiles.
— Defense of Ukraine (@DefenceU) September 6, 2026
Another 50,000+ tactical-level UAVs were neutralized.
Ballistic missiles remain the primary challenge. But the enemy is also scaling jet-powered drones. During some massive attacks they…
Defence officials have noted a growing tactical challenge from high-speed, jet-powered drones. Models like the Shahed-238 and S8000 Banderol reach speeds between 400 km/h and 600 km/h, making them significantly harder for mobile fire groups and standard interceptors to shoot down.
To counter the threat, Kyiv has renewed calls for international support to fund domestic interceptor drone production and speed up missile deliveries.
Ukrainian delegation protests UN world map resolution over Crimean border
Sunday 6 September 2026 19:00 , Suha KidwaiUkraine has refused to support a UN General Assembly resolution adopting a new global map projection after the proposed model depicted Russian-occupied Crimea as distinct from the rest of Ukrainian territory.
Ukraine could not support the UN resolution on a new world map because it depicts occupied Crimea in a way that separates it from Ukraine.
— Kira Rudik (@kiraincongress) September 5, 2026
In 2026, the UN should not need a reminder: Crimea is Ukraine.
Shame. pic.twitter.com/wcFMKGVnse
"In 2026, the U.N. should not need a reminder: Crimea is Ukraine. Shame," Ukrainian lawmaker Kira Rudik said in a post on X following the vote.
Ukraine's delegation formally registered its objection, calling the Equal Earth projection's depiction of the country "wholly unacceptable" for undermining territorial integrity and violating prior UN resolutions on Russia's illegal annexation.
The "Correct the Map" resolution — spearheaded by Togo and the African Union to replace the Mercator projection with one preserving accurate landmass proportions — passed with 164 votes.
Cautious optimism on the streets of Kyiv as residents weigh peace prospects
Sunday 6 September 2026 18:00 , Suha KidwaiResidents across Kyiv are expressing cautious hope as US special envoys meet with Zelensky following a series of diplomatic stops in Moscow.
The visit comes after weeks of intense aerial bombardment on Kyiv, leaving many weary locals eager for a durable diplomatic resolution.
"The issue can be solved in the blink of an eye. We want peace. I've fought myself, so I know what war is like. We need peace, because there's no other way," said military veteran Stepan Yermak.
Despite local optimism, obstacles remain.
Previous talks stalled over the future of the Donbas region, where Russia demands a full Ukrainian pullout from fortified positions — a condition Kyiv firmly rejects, citing its ability to maintain control indefinitely.
For many citizens, any potential resolution hinges on binding international security guarantees to prevent future aggression. "We need an agreement that will never be broken," said Svitlana Kurylenko, a 19-year-old cafe worker. "Just leave Ukraine alone and let people live in peace."
Frontline combat continues amid peace Talks
Sunday 6 September 2026 17:00 , Suha KidwaiDespite a temporary halt in strikes on Moscow and Kyiv while US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner hold peace talks in the capitals, active combat continues along the 1,200-kilometre front line.
The temporary capital strike halt, running through Monday, was agreed upon by both sides to allow safe passage for the US delegation following weeks of heavy aerial bombardment, including a Russian strike Friday on Ukraine’s SBU security service headquarters in Kyiv.
However, operations outside the capitals remain intense. Russia bombarded several Ukrainian regional centers over the weekend, while Ukrainian forces launched deep strikes targeting the Ryazan oil refinery — roughly 300 miles inside Russia — hitting an isomerisation unit and triggering a major fire.
Ground combat across the Donbas continues unabated, underscoring that broader military action persists uninterrupted.
US-Ukraine talks to focus on winter ahead, reports local media
Sunday 6 September 2026 16:00 , Suha KidwaiA significant portion of Sunday's high-level talks between president Zelensky and US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are set to centre on Ukraine’s winter energy needs, according to reports made by The Kyiv Independent.
Ukraine is bracing for a fresh wave of Russian strikes against its critical infrastructure as cold weather approaches.
Previous Russian aerial campaigns severely crippled Ukrainian energy production, where Russian strikes destroyed 9 gigawatts of power generation capacity last winter.
Following initial bilateral discussions with Zelensky, the talks are expected to include national security advisers from the UK, France, and Germany to coordinate joint Western security guarantees and energy defence strategies.
Moscow suffered 42,000 Casualties for 5km of territory in August, says foreign minister
Sunday 6 September 2026 15:15 , Suha KidwaiRussian forces suffered over 42,000 casualties killed and wounded for a net gain of just roughly five square kilometers of territory in August 2026, according to shared released by Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha.
In a post on X, Sybiha said open-source data showed Russian territorial advances over the first eight months of 2026 were 3.5 times slower than the previous year, with Moscow occupying less than 0.2% of additional Ukrainian land during that period.
Here are a few independently verified figures about the frontline dynamics, showing that Russia is not winning and will not win this war:
— Andrii Sybiha 🇺🇦 (@andrii_sybiha) September 6, 2026
- According to open sources, the net balance between areas occupied by Russia and those liberated by Ukraine in August 2026 was roughly +5…
The minister added that Russian forces still control less than 80 per cent of the Donetsk region, calculating that it would take more than two years at the current pace to capture the remaining territory.
The figures come as both sides escalate long-range strikes targeting critical infrastructure.
Moscow 'not in a position to dictate terms,' says Kyiv
Sunday 6 September 2026 14:30 , Suha KidwaiRussia is in “no position” to dictate conditions for ending the war, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha has said.
In a post on X, Sybiha shared that Russian forces have occupied less than 0.2 per cent of additional Ukrainian territory over the first eight months of 2026 — progress 3.5 times slower than the previous year.
While the minister acknowledged the war is taking its toll on Ukraine, he said “Moscow is not in a strong position either. And certainly not in a position to dictate terms,” warning that Moscow’s economic strain and mounting military losses will only deepen as the war enters its fifth year.
Moscow open to Trump-Putin-Xi summit, but says clear agenda needed
Sunday 6 September 2026 13:45 , Suha KidwaiRussia has not ruled out a potential three-way meeting between Vladimir Putin, Donald Trump, and Xi Jinping, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov has said.
According to state news agency TASS, Ryabkov emphasised that formal preparations depend on establishing a concrete framework.
"Here, the main question boils down to how the substance of the meeting will be formulated, and what we can expect as a result," the minister said.
The proposal follows statements made earlier this month by Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov, who revealed that Putin and Xi discussed the potential three-way meeting during talks in Bishkek.
Moscow warns German allegations mark 'start of real war'
Sunday 6 September 2026 13:00 , Suha KidwaiRussian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov declared Sunday that German accusations attributing an attempted airport drone strike to Moscow mark "by and large the start of a real war," according to state news agency TASS.
Lashing out at German chancellor Friedrich Merz, Lavrov claimed Berlin’s response to the allegations demonstrates an active step toward direct military confrontation. "All these statements by Merz about making Germany the leading military power in Europe once again — they are being put into practice," Lavrov said. "He is, in effect, declaring war on us."
The sharp rhetoric follows Berlin's formal announcement blaming Russian intelligence for placing an explosive-laden drone near a Ukrainian cargo plane at Leipzig/Halle Airport in August.
US envoys arrive in Kyiv for peace talks after meeting Putin
Sunday 6 September 2026 12:57 , Suha KidwaiNegotiations between Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy and US special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner have officially begun in Kyiv.
We began talks.
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) September 6, 2026
Почали перемовини.
🇺🇦 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/UkJV6CzOag
Zelensky posted video footage showing him greeting and embracing both U.S. representatives upon their arrival in the capital, captioning the update: "Negotiations have begun."
The envoys arrived in Kyiv by train following a three-hour meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Saturday.
All the ways Putin could attack the UK with devastating consequences
Sunday 6 September 2026 12:30 , Shahana YasminAs Europe directly calls Russia out over an attempted drone attack on a German airport, defence expert Francis Tusa explains how a Russian hybrid warfare campaign could easily cause widespread disruption and panic at home
All the ways Putin could attack UK with devastating consequences
Kyiv faces tougher winter as Russian drone attacks intensify
Sunday 6 September 2026 11:45 , Shahana YasminKyiv is facing a more difficult winter after Russia moved towards sustained, round-the-clock drone attacks, with faster jet-powered drones increasingly striking infrastructure and disrupting electricity, transport, and food supplies.
Vitaliia Poliakova, who was injured when a drone struck near her car, told Reuters: “We were just driving along, talking about our own things. There was a sudden hit, the airbags deployed and we had to climb out the window.”
The attacks have repeatedly halted Kyiv’s metro, disrupted shopping, and forced schools to move lessons underground during air-raid alerts. The city of about three million people has also seen power outages and damage to warehouses and other infrastructure as the attacks intensify.
“To be honest, this winter we’re planning to move away from Kyiv,” a resident named Bohdan said. “After this, as you can see, it will probably be even harder, so we’re moving away.”
Ukraine is trying to strengthen its defences and prepare its energy system for another winter of Russian strikes, but shortages of interceptors remain a major concern. Russia has increasingly used jet-powered drones that are faster and harder to intercept, while Ukraine says US-made Patriot systems remain its only effective defence against Russian ballistic missiles.
Zelensky says Russia deliberately targeted Kyiv airports ahead of US visit
Sunday 6 September 2026 11:00 , Shahana YasminRussia struck Kyiv’s Zhuliany and Boryspil airports overnight on Friday and Saturday, in what president Volodymyr Zelensky said was a deliberate response to preparations for US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner potentially flying into Ukraine.
“Clearly, these Russian strikes on the airports are a reaction to the discussions and preparations for the possibility of the US side using an aircraft to travel to Ukraine and land at Kyiv Airport or Boryspil Airport,” Zelensky said. He said Ukraine had recorded the move and would adjust its operations concerning Russian airspace the following week.
The overnight attacks also damaged a nine-storey residential building in Boryspil, where two women were injured, while fires were reported in the Kyiv region. The strikes came hours before Witkoff and Kushner met Putin in Moscow; the pair are due to travel to Kyiv on Sunday.
India ready to help end Russia-Ukraine war, says foreign minister on visit to Kyiv
Sunday 6 September 2026 10:15 , Shahana YasminIndia is ready to help bring an end to the Russia-Ukraine war, the country’s external affairs minister S Jaishankar said on Thursday during his visit to Kyiv.
“If India can be of any help, in any manner, we are there,” he said, standing alongside his Ukrainian counterpart Andrii Sybiha, Reuters reported.
The foreign minister’s visit to Kyiv comes just days after Indian prime minister Narendra Modi met Russian president Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit at Bishkek in Kyrgyzstan on Monday.
During the meeting, Mr Modi told Mr Putin that “India supports all efforts towards peace, and will continue to do so”.
Russia’s wartime budget deficit reaches 2.8 per cent of GDP
Sunday 6 September 2026 09:30 , Shahana YasminRussia’s budget deficit increased by 40 per cent between January and July to 2.8 per cent of GDP, as the cost of its war in Ukraine continues to weigh on government finances, Vladimir Putin said on Thursday.
The official target for the full year is 1.6 per cent of GDP, with Moscow relying on higher taxes and borrowing to help finance spending.
Putin dismissed concerns over the widening deficit, saying: “Considering that we have one of the lowest levels of national debt in the world, there is nothing critical here.” He said Russia would manage the shortfall despite the deterioration in its finances.
Russia shifts tactics with round-the-clock attacks on Kyiv, disrupting daily life
Sunday 6 September 2026 09:10 , Shahana Yasmin
Russia shifts tactics with round-the-clock attacks on Kyiv, disrupting daily life
G7 and IMF assess Ukraine’s finances as war strains economy
Sunday 6 September 2026 08:50 , Shahana YasminG7 ambassadors in Kyiv have met an International Monetary Fund mission led by Gavin Gray to discuss Ukraine’s economic outlook, with the G7 saying reforms aligned with EU standards remain a priority.
The IMF mission began meetings on 31 August and is examining Ukraine’s macroeconomic policies and reforms under its four-year, $8.1bn Extended Fund Facility, as well as the draft 2027 budget.
Ukraine’s $8.1bn four-year IMF programme remains a key source of international financing. The IMF approved a $690m disbursement in July, taking total payments under the programme to about $2.2bn, but said the economic outlook had weakened because of intensified Russian attacks on critical infrastructure and spillovers from the Middle East war.
ICYMI: Putin meets Trump envoys as limited truce takes effect
Sunday 6 September 2026 08:30 , Shahana YasminRussian president Vladimir Putin held more than three hours of talks with Donald Trump’s envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner in Moscow on Saturday, with Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov describing the meeting as “substantive, very frank, and constructive”.
Ushakov said the envoys “put forward a number of ideas on possible routes to a settlement” and would take Putin’s views to Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv.
A White House official said the sides had discussed “substantive plans for next steps”, to be announced in the coming weeks.
Putin told the envoys Russia was making “real progress” on the battlefield and insisted that “all the root causes of the conflict” had to be addressed. At the start of the meeting, he asked them to convey his “very best wishes and words of gratitude” to Trump, saying the US president was continuing efforts to resolve the conflict despite “a difficult situation”.
The talks took place during a limited pause in strikes on the two capitals. Putin said he had ordered Russian forces not to strike Kyiv for three days after receiving a request through diplomatic and intelligence channels, saying: “I issued the relevant order, and no strikes have been carried out on Kyiv since midnight.”
Zelensky said Ukraine would refrain from striking Moscow through Monday.
Germany once cosied up to Putin. Now they are Russia’s public enemy number one in Europe
Sunday 6 September 2026 08:10 , Shahana Yasmin
Germany once cosied up to Putin. Now they are Russia’s public enemy number one
Norway seizes Russian vessel over $4.2bn Ukraine claim
Sunday 6 September 2026 07:50 , Shahana YasminNorway seized a Russian research vessel in Svalbard on Wednesday at the request of Ukraine’s state-owned energy company Naftogaz, as part of efforts to enforce a $4.22bn arbitration award over Russia’s seizure of Ukrainian energy assets in Crimea.
An arbitration tribunal in The Hague ordered Russia to pay the sum in 2023, but Moscow has refused to do so.
The vessel, the Professor Molchanov, was seized after Naftogaz sought enforcement through Norwegian courts. The company has been pursuing Russian commercial assets in several countries as it tries to recover the award stemming from Russia’s 2014 annexation of Crimea.
US NATO envoy calls Leipzig drone attack ‘more concerning’
Sunday 6 September 2026 07:30 , Shahana YasminNATO’s US ambassador Matthew Whitaker has described an attempted Russian-linked drone attack at a German airport as a concerning example of Moscow’s alleged hybrid warfare against Europe.
A drone carrying explosives was found in a restricted area at Leipzig on 4 August, near a Ukrainian Antonov cargo aircraft. The device failed to detonate, but its discovery forced the closure of a runway and disrupted flights.
German authorities later found traces of military explosives and concluded that Russia was behind the attempted attack, saying individuals involved had acted on behalf of Russian state agencies.
“Then you have what I would call the more concerning hybrid actions, as we saw in Leipzig, as we have seen in Poland,” Whitaker said on Saturday. “If we can identify who's doing it – which Germany did – we make sure we express strongly that is unacceptable and we will not tolerate it.”
Russia has denied involvement. Germany has said it will close Russia’s consulate in Bonn and the Russian House cultural centre in Berlin in response to the incident.
Russian oil refinery hit as Ukraine launches overnight drone barrage
Sunday 6 September 2026 07:10 , Shahana YasminUkrainian drones targeted an oil refinery in Ryazan and several cities across Russia overnight, with explosions reported in Rostov-on-Don and a child injured in the southern city.
Rostov region governor Yuri Slyusar said air defences destroyed around 30 drones over the region. Two apartment buildings in Rostov-on-Don were damaged and a child was hospitalised, while damage was also reported to homes in other parts of the region, according to the Kyiv Independent.
An oil refinery in Ryazan was also targeted, with a fire reported at the site. The plant, which accounts for about 5 per cent of Russia's refining capacity, has previously been hit by Ukrainian drones and suffered an operational shutdown in July.
Kyiv urges Europe to unlock frozen Russian assets for war effort
Sunday 6 September 2026 06:50 , Shahana YasminUkraine is pushing European governments to revive plans to use some €210bn (£180.4bn) in frozen Russian central-bank assets to help finance its war effort, as Kyiv faces a €27bn (£23.2bn) defence funding gap for 2026.
The Netherlands, Poland, Spain and Sweden have backed reopening the debate, while Belgium, where most of the money is held through Euroclear, remains opposed because of legal and financial risks.
Ukraine’s finance minister Sergii Marchenko has proposed moving custody of the assets from Belgium to the EU level, saying this would spread the risks across all 27 member states. “It will help settle everything and mitigate the risk,” he told Euronews.
