Ukraine-Russia war latest: Zelensky says Moscow plans to strike his office and state residence

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has accused Russia of planning to target his office and state residence Koncha Zaspa, citing a report by Kyiv's intelligence services.

Russia is planning to target around two dozen "decision-making centres”, including government buildings and military command posts, Zelensky said.

"They have been nursing this plan for a long time, and now, after Iran, have become active again – trying to locate us and track our movements," he said in a post on X.

Meanwhile, a huge fire has broken out at another Russian oil refinery following a wave of Ukrainian drone attacks.

Ukrainian drones struck the refinery in Russia’s central city of Ryazan, some 120 miles southeast of Moscow, on Friday, according to the commander of Ukraine’s drone forces.

Commander Robert Brovdi said that his troops also hit 23 military targets and facilities in Russia and Ukraine overnight.

Russia’s defence ministry claimed on Friday to have downed 355 Ukrainian drones over Russian regions through the night.

This comes after Russia launched more than 1,500 drones and dozens of missiles in attacks across Ukraine this week, over two consecutive days, killing dozens of people, Ukrainian officials said.

Key Points

Kyiv marks day of mourning after 21 killed in brutal Russian strikes
Putin 'betting on escalation, not negotiations', German chancellor Merz says after deadly assault
Defence secretary condemns Putin's 'shocking' attack on Kyiv
Finland shuts air traffic after drone activity in Helsinki
Zelensky accuses Moscow of planning to target Ukrainian government officials

Zelensky accuses Moscow of planning to target Ukrainian government officials

06:24 , Vishwam Sankaran

The Ukrainian president accused Russia of planning to target political and military facilities where army leadership and government officials were located.

"We have Russian documents outlining targets for strikes in Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities," Zelensky said.

We have Russian documents outlining targets for strikes in Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities – political and military facilities where army leadership and government officials may be located, including here on Bankova Street. They have been nursing this plan for a long time, and… pic.twitter.com/vPzdS01u1t
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) May 15, 2026

"They have been nursing this plan for a long time, and now, after Iran, have become active again – trying to locate us and track our movements," he said in a post on X.

UN accuses Russia of striking its vehicles with drones

07:00 , Vishwam Sankaran

Andrea De Domenico, head of the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Ukraine (UNOCHA), said two UN vehicles were damaged by Russian drone strikes in Ukraine.

A clearly marked UN vehicle was struck by a drone in Kherson while delivering aid to people, the UNOCHA said.

Today, delivering aid to people in severe need of assistance and under constant attack in #Kherson, a clearly marked @UN vehicle was struck by a drone.
Over 200 civilians, mostly older people, remain there.

More from the Head of @UNOCHA in Ukraine, who accompanied the convoy⬇️ pic.twitter.com/Yp4vlwWVXK
— OCHA Ukraine (@OCHA_Ukraine) May 14, 2026

"Over 200 civilians, mostly older people, remain there," the UN agency said.

US and UAE mediate exchange of 250 prisoners between Ukraine and Russia

06:00 , Vishwam Sankaran

Moscow and Kyiv exchanged 250 prisoners yesterday, including Russian PoWs in detention since the Russian invasion of Ukraine began in 2022.

The prisoner exchange was mediated by the US and the UAE.

It was as part of a larger 1000-for-1000 prisoner exchange that the two sides agreed to as part of the Victory Day ceasefire.

Released Ukrainian POWs ranged from as young as 21 to 62, according to Ukraine's president, Volodymyr Zelensky.

"Let's continue to fight for each and every one who still remains in captivity," Zelensky said in a post on Telegram.

Ukraine war is putting military snipers out of job - report

05:30 , Vishwam Sankaran

The widespread use of military drones in the Ukraine war by both Kyiv and Moscow is putting once glorified military roles like snipers out of a job, a new Wall Street Journal report suggests.

Drones are reportedly taking snipers’ roles of reconnaissance and targeted killing in the war as they provide more visual range and manoeuvrability, can carry explosives, and instantly kill targets.

One celebrated Ukrainian special forces sniper, Vyacheslav Kovalskiy, with a world-record shot in late 2023, hitting a Russian target from 2.5 miles away, has not gone on a shooting mission for over a year and a half.

“I used to be the sniper, and everyone was dancing around me. Now the drone pilot, everyone dances around him, including me,” the sniper Vyacheslav Kovalskiy said.

The sniper now helps drone teams transport equipment, attach explosives to drones, and assist with drone navigation, he says.

UK lawmakers slam Eurovision for not ruling out Russian participation

05:00 , Vishwam Sankaran

Lawmakers in the UK slammed the director of the Eurovision song contest for failing to rule out Russian participation.

"The Eurovision Song Contest brings nations together through creative competition, underpinned by the principle of international cooperation," British Shadow Culture Secretary Nigel Huddleston said.

"Russia stands completely against that principle. It would be outrageous to allow Russia to participate," Mr Huddleston said.

Eurovision has been criticised in the past for allowing Israel to participate despite its invasion of Gaza.

"For four years, the EBU has hidden behind the language of values and democratic process. We now know that when it mattered, the decision to ban Russia had nothing to do with values or principle at all," British MP Josh Newbury said.

Explosions heard at Russia’s Stavropol and Tatarstan - report

04:30 , Vishwam Sankaran

Explosions and fires were reported in Russia’s Stavropol and Tatarstan today, according to local media sources.

A blaze broke out at the Nevinnomyssky Azot chemical plant with multiple explosions heard overnight, Ukrainian Telegram channel Exilenova Plus reported.

The chemical plant is one of Russia's leading producers of nitrogen fertilisers and ammonia.

Another major fire was also reported in Russia’s Tatarstan Republic in the Volga-Ural region, where a drone threat was declared earlier.

It remains to be seen if the two incidents are related.

Russia planning to strike president's office in Kyiv, Zelensky says

04:00 , Vishwam Sankaran

Russia is plotting to strike the Ukrainian president's state residence Koncha Zaspa, president Volodymyr Zelensky said yesterday after a briefing with Kyiv's intelligence services.

Moscow was planning to target around two dozen "decision-making centers", including government buildings and military command posts, as well as three underground shelters in Kyiv, Zelensky said, citing Ukraine's military intelligence agency (HUR).

"Russia must end its war and negotiate a dignified peace, rather than searching for new ways to intimidate Ukraine," the Ukrainian president said.

Russia persuading college students to ditch studies and fly drones – report

03:30 , Vishwam Sankaran

Russia is pressing students of leading colleges in the country to ditch studies for a year and fly drones instead for the military.

Students are reportedly being persuaded with offers to earn over 5 million rubles ($68,275) in pay, along with free tuition upon their return.

Pamphlets of the offer were distributed at the Bauman Moscow State Technical University, according to Bloomberg.

More than 250 Russian academic institutions are promoting military contracts to their students, the independent magazine Groza first reported.

The Russian defence ministry has also called for drone pilot recruits with expertise in flying drones, model aircraft, electronics, and radio engineering.

These moves seem to be in line with the Kremlin's stated goal of having 168,000 drone operators by the end of 2026.

Trump told he and Putin are rare visitors to Beijing’s secretive compound

03:00 , Holly Evans

Image from: Ukraine-Russia war latest: Zelensky says Moscow plans to strike his office and state residence

Trump told he and Putin are rare visitors to Beijing’s secretive compound

Kyiv survivor saw 'flames and an abyss'

02:00 , Holly Evans

Zelenskiy had earlier laid flowers and spoken to rescue workers at the site of the attack in Kyiv's Darnytskyi district, on the left bank ‌of the Dnipro River.

Russia, which began its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February ‌2022, had launched more than 1,500 drones and dozens of missiles at targets in Ukraine over two consecutive days, according to Ukrainian officials. Six people were also killed in western Ukraine, far from the front line.

Moscow's Defence Ministry said its forces had carried out massive strikes on Ukraine on 12-15 May, the Russian state ⁠news agency RIA reported.

"When we opened the front door, we saw flames and an abyss. Half the staircase and the apartment across the hall were completely gone," Oksana Honcharenko, 57, told Reuters. "We survived, but this pain is indescribable - it's heartbreaking."

She added: "We didn't do anything to deserve this - why are our little children dying? We all pray and ask so much for this horror to end."

Suspected Ukrainian sea drone crashed on Greek island ‘after malfunction’

01:00 , Holly Evans

A military sea drone, laden with explosives, discovered last week on a Greek island is believed by investigators to have veered off course due to a technical malfunction, sources indicated on Friday.

The unmanned vessel, found by fishermen on the shores of Lefkada on 7 May, has sparked diplomatic tensions between Athens and Kyiv, with Greece asserting a Ukrainian origin, a claim officially denied by Ukraine.

Greek intelligence and military units are currently engaged in a detailed analysis of the drone, involving its dismantling and reverse engineering to ascertain its precise characteristics.

Read the full article here:

Suspected Ukrainian drone crashed on island ‘after malfunction’

Zelensky vows retribution after Russian strike on housing block kills 24

Saturday 16 May 2026 00:00 , Holly Evans

President Volodymyr Zelensky promised retribution against Russia on Friday after laying red roses at the rubble of a Kyiv apartment building where a Russian missile strike killed 24 people, including three ⁠children.

Aboard Air Force One on his way back from China, US President Donald Trump told reporters that the strikes on the Ukrainian capital, launched hours after a three-day U.S.-brokered ceasefire expired, could disrupt efforts to find a diplomatic resolution to the war.

Search operations were called off at the building, struck on Thursday during Russia's heaviest bombardment of the Ukrainian capital this year.

"Ukraine will not allow any of the aggressor's strikes that take the lives ⁠of our people to go unpunished," Zelensky said after meeting top military and intelligence ⁠officials to discuss retaliatory long-range strikes.

Zelensky said later in his nightly video address that retaliatory actions had already been approved. He pointed to an overnight strike on an oil refinery that the military said triggered a large fire ⁠in the central Russian city of Ryazan.

"Last night, the enemy already saw hits, including on their oil facilities and military facilities," Zelensky ⁠said. "We are continuing the operations."

We have Russian documents outlining targets for strikes in Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities – political and military facilities where army leadership and government officials may be located, including here on Bankova Street. They have been nursing this plan for a long time, and… pic.twitter.com/vPzdS01u1t
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) May 15, 2026

Starmer expected to approve $24 billion increase in UK defence spending, The Times reports

Friday 15 May 2026 23:13 , Holly Evans

Keir Starmer is expected to approve an increase of 18 billion pounds ($24 billion) in defence spending as he ⁠faces a battle for political survival, The Times reported on Friday.

The government is still finalising a defence spending plan and will publish it as soon as ⁠possible, a spokesperson told Reuters.

The British ⁠government's defence investment plan will aim to deliver new equipment and technology to frontline ⁠forces quickly while supporting economic growth, the spokesperson added.

Starmer is expected to approve the spending boost as soon as next week, The Times said, bringing an end to months of ‌delays and internal rows, amid concerns in the Treasury that it would be unaffordable.

It ‌is unclear how the ⁠increase in spending will be funded. However, ⁠an unnamed source told The Times it would be "fully affordable."

Trump suggests deadly Russian strike on Kyiv could set back peace efforts

Friday 15 May 2026 22:00 , Daniel Keane

President Donald Trump on Friday suggested a Russian missile strike on a Kyiv apartment building that killed 24 people, including three children, could set back efforts to ⁠find a peaceful settlement to Moscow's war in Ukraine.

Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on his way back from China, Trump said he had discussed the conflict with President Xi Jinping and ⁠that both leaders had agreed that they wanted the fighting to ⁠end.

"It's one that we'd ‌like to see settled. Until last night, it was looking good, but they (the Ukrainians) took a big hit last ‌night. So it's gonna happen (the end ‌of the war). But it's a shame," Trump said, in a reference to the Russian attack.

Sam Kiley: Putin let his desperation show with unexpected claim his war with Ukraine is ending

Friday 15 May 2026 21:00 , Daniel Keane

Russia’s leader is showing increasing signs of weakness, while Ukraine is growing in confidence as the war turns Kyiv’s way, writes world affairs editor Sam Kiley

Putin let his desperation show with unexpected claim his war with Ukraine is ending

Pentagon ‘blindsided’ as Hegseth scraps deployment of 4,000 US troops to Poland

Friday 15 May 2026 20:00 , Daniel Keane

Pentagon staff were blindsided by Pete Hegseth’s sudden U-turn on sending troops to Poland this week, in the latest humiliation for European allies.

The decision would affect the temporary redeployment of some 4,000 U.S.-based troops, just two weeks after the defense department said it was pulling 5,000 troops from Germany amid a widening rift over the Iran war between president Donald Trump and Europe.

A US official told POLITICO they “had no idea it was coming”, and said they had spent the last 24 hours speaking with Europe to try to make sense of the decision and whether more surprises could follow.

Read our full story below.

Pentagon ‘blindsided’ as Hegseth scraps deployment of 4,000 US troops to Poland

Watch: Rescuers search for survivors after deadly Russian strike in Kyiv

Friday 15 May 2026 19:00 , Daniel Keane

Russia strikes grain terminal at Ukrainian port, ministry says

Friday 15 May 2026 18:00 , Daniel Keane

A Russian attack struck ⁠a grain terminal at a ⁠Ukrainian port, ⁠injuring seven ⁠people, Ukraine's development ministry ⁠said.

A ‌grain warehouse with cargo, ‌trucks and ‌handling equipment were ⁠damaged, the ministry said in a post on ‌X without specifying ‌which ⁠port was ⁠attacked.

Russia and Ukraine swap 205 prisoners of war each

Friday 15 May 2026 17:00 , Daniel Keane

Russia and Ukraine swapped 205 prisoners of war each on Friday, part of an agreement linked to a three-day ceasefire earlier this month brokered by U.S. President ⁠Donald Trump.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said it was the first step in a bigger prisoner of war swap, after Kyiv and Moscow had agreed to swap 1,000 POWs each under the terms of the agreement.

"205 Ukrainians are home. Most of them had been in Russian captivity since 2022," Zelensky said on the Telegram ⁠app, posting pictures of smiling servicemen, many wrapped in Ukrainian ⁠flags.

Germany says Ukrainian national arrested on suspicion of spying for Russia

Friday 15 May 2026 16:00 , Daniel Keane

German prosecutors said on Friday ⁠a German judge had enforced ⁠an arrest ⁠warrant against a ⁠Ukrainian national suspected of ⁠spying ‌for Russia.

The defendant, identified ‌only as ‌Sergey N., had ⁠been detained in Spain at the end of March and ‌extradited to ‌Germany on ⁠Thursday, the ⁠prosecutors added.

Watch: Moment apartment building in Russia explodes after strike

Friday 15 May 2026 15:01 , Daniel Keane

Watch: Rescuers search for survivors after deadly Russian strike in Kyiv's Darnytskyi

Friday 15 May 2026 12:00 , Arpan Rai

Russia says prison population falls as convicts sent to fight Putin's war in Ukraine

Friday 15 May 2026 11:45 , Arpan Rai

Russia is witnessing a decrease in its population inside prison, with a drop of more than 180,000 people, in the past five years, the country’s prison chief said.

"If at the end of 2021 there were 465,000 (prisoners), then now there are 282,000," said Arkady Gostev, the head of Russia's penitentiary service.

Around 85,000 of the current prison population is held in pre-trial detention, he told TASS state news agency.

Gostev said the major decline in the prison population was partly driven by the army's recruitment drive, but also due to more suspended sentences and other forms of punishment handed out.

Moscow has regularly relied on recruiting its prisoners in exchange for buying out their sentences and sent them on the Ukraine frontline, but experts flagged that their lack of military and battlefield knowledge made them vulnerable to killings.

Army recruitment posters are stuck to a blackboard in an underground shelter that doubles as classroom in a school in Chernihiv, Ukraine November 25, 2025 (Reuters)

Zelensky says 24 killed and 48 injured in 'savage strike' as rescuers complete operations

Friday 15 May 2026 11:25 , Arpan Rai

Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky said at least 24 people were killed and 48 left wounded in the “savage” Russian strikes yesterday.

“The Russians practically demolished an entire section of the building with their missile. Twenty-four people were killed by this strike, including three children. My condolences to their families and loved ones. Everyone who was wounded or lost their home must receive the necessary assistance,” Zelensky said, adding that the rescue operations took more than a day.

“In total, 48 people were wounded in Kyiv as a result of yesterday’s attack, including two children,” he added.

“A Russia like this can never be normalised – a Russia that deliberately destroys lives and hopes to remain unpunished. Pressure is needed,” he said.

The Ukrainian leader added that the war-hit nation facing Moscow’s aggression is defending Europe and the rest of the world so that the strikes don’t spread further.

“I am grateful to everyone who did not remain silent and condemned this savage strike,” he said.

The search and rescue operation at the site of Russia’s strike on a residential building in Kyiv has been completed. Our first responders from the State Emergency Service of Ukraine worked continuously for more than a day. The Russians practically demolished an entire section of… pic.twitter.com/PjbSSomhWu

— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) May 15, 2026

Russia says it has downed 355 Ukrainian drones overnight

Friday 15 May 2026 11:05 , Arpan Rai

Russian forces have intercepted and destroyed at least 355 Ukrainian drones in the country’s airspace, the defence ministry said this morning.

In the ⁠central ‌Russian city of Ryazan, ‌a drone ‌attack killed three people ⁠and injured 12, damaged high-rise apartment buildings and hit an industrial ‌enterprise, regional governor Pavel ‌Malkov ⁠said.

Russia typically reports only how many drones its air defences say they downed, not how many Ukraine launched, and rarely discloses the full extent of damage unless civilians are killed or civilian sites are hit.

Finland reopens airport after Helsinki drone threat ends

Friday 15 May 2026 10:50 , Arpan Rai

Finland has said the suspected drone activity in the early hours today in the skies above the country's capital region no longer posed a threat and that the situation was returning ⁠to normal as Helsinki's airport reopened.

Finland and the nearby Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania have seen a string of recent incidents where Ukrainian drones aimed at Russia have strayed into their ⁠airspace, but it was not immediately known ⁠if Friday's incident was similar.

The Finnish defence forces earlier scrambled fighter jets and other emergency services in response to the situation, but said in a statement that Finland was not facing a direct military threat.

"The danger is over. People can go to work and school safely," interior minister Mari Rantanen said in ‌a post on social media website X.

Traffic at Helsinki's airport also resumed after a three-hour suspension, according to a statement on its website. "Authorities are taking action. The Defence Forces have enhanced ⁠their own surveillance and response capabilities. I urge everyone to follow the authorities' bulletins," prime minister Petteri Orpo said in a statement on X.

US scraps deployment of 4,000 troops to Poland

Friday 15 May 2026 10:25 , Arpan Rai

The Pentagon has canceled plans to temporarily deploy 4,000 US-based troops to Poland, two US officials said as the surprise decision renews questions about president Donald Trump's expected troop cuts in Europe.

A Pentagon spokesperson declined comment, a lawmaker said the decision had not yet been notified to Congress, and no formal announcement has been made.

The decision, first reported by Army Times, came just two weeks after the Pentagon announced it was withdrawing 5,000 troops from Nato ally Germany, in part due to a widening rift over the Iran war between president Donald Trump and Europe.

One US official, who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity, suggested the Poland decision was part of a near-term solution to ultimately allow for the previously announced drawdown in Germany, which hosts 35,000 US forces.

That would suggest the troops that were meant to temporarily deploy to Poland might come from elsewhere.

Still, the US has been reviewing its troop presence in Europe and has long ⁠been expected to scale it back, following demands ‌from Trump that Nato take a larger role in the defence of Europe.

The Pentagon has not yet detailed how it envisions future troop laydowns across the continent.

Trump has also been angered that European ‌allies did not join the US war against Iran, and sparred with ‌German chancellor Friedrich Merz, who last month said Iranians were humiliating the US in negotiations.

Three killed in Ukrainian drone attack on Russia's Ryazan

Friday 15 May 2026 10:05 , Arpan Rai

A Ukrainian drone attack killed three people in the central Russian city of Ryazan, damaged high-rise apartment buildings and hit an industrial enterprise, regional governor Pavel Malkov said in the early hours today.

"To ⁠our great regret, three people have been killed and 12 injured, ‌including children," Malkov ‌wrote ⁠on the ⁠Telegram messaging app.

North Korea criticises UK sanctions over Ukrainian children – report

Friday 15 May 2026 09:50 , Arpan Rai

North Korea condemned sanctions imposed by Britain over a summer camp that London says was part of Kremlin-run youth programmes and entities involved in the deportation and indoctrination of Ukrainian children.

Britain imposed sanctions on dozens of Russian officials and organisations on Monday. The Songdowon International Children's Camp was also listed as part of the sanctions for its alleged involvement in Russia's forced deportation and reeducation of Ukrainian children.

Pyongyang's ⁠foreign ministry said in a statement ⁠carried by state media KCNA this morning that ⁠the sanctions on ‌the Songdowon camp were a malicious act that London ‌would pay a price ‌for.

It called them groundless and said they damaged ⁠the rights and interests of its children, who it said received the "most precious" treatment.

Russia claims it attacked Ukraine's military facilities but stays silent on 21 civilians killed

Friday 15 May 2026 09:25 , Arpan Rai

Russia’s defence ministry said its forces aimed at Ukraine’s military-industrial complex, including air bases and fuel and transport facilities, claiming it hit all its targets in the attacks yesterday.

Among the weapons deployed, it said, were Kinzhal missiles, which Moscow says can fly 10 times the speed of sound.

The attacks reported from Ukraine were mostly from neighbourhoods and civilian areas, in which a school, a veterinary clinic and several apartment buildings housing civilians were hit.

At least 21 people were killed and more than two dozen were reported injured in the attacks.

Russian drones also struck a vehicle carrying UN staff who were delivering aid to residents of Kherson in southern Ukraine, foreign minister Andrii Sybiha said.

The vehicle was marked and was attacked twice, in two different locations, but nobody was hurt, he said.

Aftermath of a Russian missile and drone attack in Kyiv (Reuters)

Defence secretary condemns Putin's 'shocking' attack on Kyiv

Friday 15 May 2026 09:05 , Arpan Rai

Defence secretary John Healey has called the attack on Ukraine yesterday “shocking” and said he had accelerated UK deliveries of air defences.

“Shocking Russian drone attacks on Ukraine over the last 24 hours. I’ve directed for UK deliveries of air defence and counter-drone systems to be accelerated as fast as possible,” he said in a post on X.

He added: “We stand with Ukraine in the face of Putin’s aggression. Our thoughts are with Ukrainian families.”

Shocking Russian drone attacks on Ukraine over the last 24 hours.

I’ve directed for UK deliveries of air defence and counter-drone systems to be accelerated as fast as possible.

We stand with Ukraine in the face of Putin’s aggression. Our thoughts are with Ukrainian families.
— John Healey (@JohnHealey_MP) May 14, 2026

Kyiv marks day of mourning after 21 killed in brutal Russian strikes

Friday 15 May 2026 08:50 , Arpan Rai

The Ukrainian capital will be observing a day of mourning for the victims of the latest Russian attack that killed at least 21 people yesterday, mayor Vitali Klitschko said.

Russia carried out its largest aerial attack over a two-day period since the start of its war in Ukraine, pounding the capital Kyiv and other cities with hundreds of drones, Ukrainian officials said.

Russia launched a total of 1,567 drones since the start of Wednesday, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said.

Kyiv was ⁠the main target of the overnight strikes, he added.

Ukraine's State Emergency Services said at least 21 people, including three children, ⁠were killed in the capital.

Emergency workers were seen moving carefully across piles of rubble and cutting through concrete at the site of a strike on a nine-storey residential building where an entire section had been destroyed.

“There were people there, children. What happened to them? You have to understand, an entire building collapsed," Alla Komisarova, 74, a pensioner, said on the site of the strike, holding back tears.

“I heard something flying, it's flying nearby... And then there was such a terrible sound, and our house, which is opposite (to the one hit) jumped and staggered,” she said.

Firefighters work at a site of the apartment building damaged during a Russian missile and drone strike in Kyiv (Reuters)

Putin 'betting on escalation, not negotiations', German chancellor Merz says after deadly assault

Friday 15 May 2026 08:25 , Arpan Rai

German chancellor Friedrich Merz has condemned Russia's aerial bombardment of Ukraine, saying it contradicts Vladimir Putin's claims to want an end to the war.

"The largest Russian attacks on Ukraine in recent times show that Moscow is betting on escalation of the conflict, not negotiations," he said on X yesterday.

"We continue to stand with Ukraine. Kyiv and its partners are ready for talks on a just peace. Russia, however, continues to wage war," Merz said.

Russia and Ukraine exchange more than 400 prisoners of war

Friday 15 May 2026 08:12 , Arpan Rai

Ukraine and Russia have swapped 205 prisoners of war each today, Russia's RIA state news agency reported.

Earlier this month, Moscow said it had ‌agreed to ‌carry out a prisoner ⁠exchange with Kyiv as part of a three-day ceasefire brokered ‌by USpresident ‌Donald ⁠Trump.

Latvia’s prime minister resigns over Ukraine-Russia drone incidents

Friday 15 May 2026 07:57 , Arpan Rai

Latvia's centre-right prime minister Evika Silina said she ⁠would resign, triggering the collapse of her coalition government just months before an election ⁠is due in ⁠October.

"I am resigning, but I am not ⁠giving up," she said in a televised ⁠statement.

Latvian president ‌Edgars Rinkevics, who is tasked by the constitution to select ‌a leader of ‌the government, will meet all parliamentary parties on Friday.

Silina, of the ⁠centre-right New Unity party, was left without a ruling majority in the parliament on Wednesday after the left-wing Progressives party said it was withdrawing ‌its support.

The decision followed the firing over the ‌weekend of Progressives' defence minister Andris Spruds over ⁠the handling of incidents involving stray ‌Ukrainian drones flying into ‌Latvia from Russia.