Volodymyr Zelensky has accused Russia of trying to “cause as much harm to life as possible”, in its latest missile and drone attack on Kyiv that has killed at least two.
“It was a complex attack that the Russians tried to plan to cause as much harm to life as possible – ballistic missiles, cruise and anti-ship missiles, and jet-powered ‘shaheds’,” the Ukrainian president wrote on X.
“There is significant damage to residential buildings and other civilian infrastructure in the capital.”
Kyiv’s mayor Vitali Klitschko said 10 more had been injured in the city, while falling debris in one district caused fires at a five-storey apartment building and a three-storey residential block.
The attack damaged at least 14 high-rise buildings, a dorm, a school, a clinic, warehouses and other sites, officials said.
It came just a day after US peace envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner held peace talks with Volodymyr Zelensky and left the Ukrainian capital.
During their visit to Kyiv, Donald Trump’s peace envoys were confronted over their talks with “war criminal” Russian president Vladimir Putin.
Read MoreUkraine’s prosecutor general resigns citing political conflict
Burnham issues statement on Ukraine after holding fresh Trump talks
Why the AfD’s German triumph is a win for Putin – and leaves Ukraine exposed
Putin has no interest in peace – and Trump is falling into his trap
Key Points
- Two killed and seven injured in Russian missile attack on Kyiv
- Burnham and Trump discuss working towards Ukraine-Russia ceasefire
- Ukraine's prosecutor general resigns citing political conflict
- Drones hit civilian infrastructure in Russia's Saratov
Moscow confident that victory over Ukraine is 'very near', says Kremlin
10:47 , Alex CroftRussia is confident that victory in the conflict with Ukraine is "very near," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday while speaking to Indian journalists.
"Yes, we are confident, and we are sure that victory is very near," Peskov said.
Analysis | Why the AfD’s German triumph is a win for Putin – and leaves Ukraine exposed
10:25 , Alex CroftThe success of Germany’s far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) in state elections could herald a disaster for Ukraine, a European victory for Vladimir Putin, and a stampede of greed over democracy orchestrated by one man.
Kirill Dmitriev is to Donald Trump’s envoys, Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, what Putin is to the 47th president – their favourite and much favoured Russian.
What Putin gives Trump – the thrill of proximity to unlimited power – Dmitriev offers to America: unlimited potential wealth. He is the head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund, Moscow’s sovereign wealth government slush pot, and he has close links to the AfD.
There was unbridled delight in Moscow with the success of the AfD over the weekend.
Dmitriev called the result a win that “humiliates the arrogance, narrow-mindedness, warmongering, ineptitude and hypocrisy” of German chancellor Friedrich Merz’s governing coalition.
The AfD, seen by German intelligence as an extremist organisation, has enjoyed (among other things) Russian support for its social media campaigns to win the elections in Saxony-Anhalt, according to German and other European intelligence sources.
Read the full analysis by our world affairs editor Sam Kiley.
Poland activates aircraft and suspends flights amid Russian missile attacks on Ukraine
10:01 , Alex CroftPoland has launched preventive operations against Russian missile attacks on Ukraine, the Polish army has said.
The NATO and European Union member temporarily suspended flights at Lublin airport because of the military operations.
It has suffered repeated drone and plane incursions by Russia over the past year.
In pictures: Kyiv building in flames after Russian missile attack
09:38 , Alex Croft
UK commits £100mil air defence package for Ukraine, including Patriot missiles
09:16 , Alex CroftThe UK is set to provide a £100 million air defence package for Ukraine ahead of the winter, including Patriot missiles, the government has announced.
Weapons will be provided through the PURL initiative, in which European countries buy American weapons and provide them to Ukraine
"Both the Prime Minister and I heard loud and clear on our first visits to Kyiv the importance of supporting Ukraine through this winter, as Putin prepares to use winter as a weapon by continuing barbaric attacks against civilian and energy targets. We promised to mobilise allies and provide more support wherever we can," defence secretary Wes Streeting said.
The package will include patriot missiles, which are used to stoop aircraft, and cruise and ballistic missiles, along with other air defence equipment.
Two killed in Ukrainian strikes on Russian-occupied Crimea
08:54 , Alex CroftWe’re getting more reports of overnight attacks coming in, this time Ukrainian strikes on the Russian-occupied Crimean peninsula.
Two people have been killed and one has been wounded in the attack, which was annexed by Russia in 2014, according to Moscow-appointed regional governor Sergei Aksyonov.
Full report: Burnham issues statement on Ukraine after holding fresh Trump talks
08:31 , Alex CroftPrime Minister Andy Burnham and US President Donald Trump agreed on the need to "continue working towards a ceasefire that prevented more loss of life" following a fresh wave of talks, Downing Street said.
Mr Burnham spoke with Mr Trump on Monday afternoon.
It follows a visit to Kyiv on Sunday by US envoys, who held talks in an effort to end the conflict with Russia.
A Downing Street spokesperson said: “On Ukraine, the two leaders agreed on the need to continue working towards a ceasefire that prevented more loss of life.
“The Prime Minister reiterated the UK’s support for Ukraine and for recent US-led peace negotiations.
“On the Middle East, the Prime Minister set out the UK’s commitment to working towards peace and security in the region, stressing the importance of the Two-State Solution, the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, and ensuring that Iran never acquires a nuclear weapon.”
Read the full report here:
Burnham issues statement on Ukraine after holding fresh Trump talks
Two killed and seven injured in Russian missile attack on Kyiv
08:10 , Arpan RaiRussian air strikes have killed at least two people and injured seven others in Ukraine’s capital Kyiv this morning, officials said.
The attacks came just a day after US peace envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner held peace talks with Volodymyr Zelensky and left the Ukrainian capital.
People were also trapped in a residential building and there were fires across Kyiv, mayor Vitali Klitschko said, after what he said were Russian ballistic missile strikes.
Polish armed forces conclude air operation as no airspace violations recorded
08:01 , Arpan RaiPolish Air Force has ended operations related to Russian strikes on Ukraine, Polish army said on X.
“We inform you that no violations of airspace were recorded," the army said.
Hours earlier, Polish airport in Lublin resumed air operations after temporary closure due to operations of military aviation, the Polish Air Navigation Services Agency (PANSA) said.
One killed in Ukrainian attack in Russia's Bryansk region
07:36 , Arpan RaiAt least one person has been killed in a Ukrainian attack in the Russian town of Starodub in the border area of Bryansk region, the region's acting governor, Yegor Kovalchuk, said this morning.
Russia and Ukraine have exchanged attacks on each other after a brief period of truce observed due to the visit of the US peace envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.
Russia to strip contract soldiers of one-off payment if laws violated at home
07:31 , Arpan RaiRussia's defence ministry wants to claim back part of a one-off payout from contract service personnel found guilty of criminal offences at home, a document showed, amid increasing cases of domestic violence among those fighting Russia's war on Ukraine.
Russia does not disclose official statistics on domestic violence committed by its service personnel but independent media, citing military courts data, reported hundreds of such cases, including murders, since the start of the 2022 invasion.
Russia provides a minimum one-off payment of 400,000 roubles (£3,418) for soldiers signing at least a one-year contract to fight in the war with Ukraine that Moscow calls "a special military operation".
In practice, one-off payouts may reach a few million roubles per soldier, depending on the region, in addition to a monthly salary.
Russia is also reducing sentences for those serving time in prison in exchange for signing up for the war, among other benefits, as it seeks to bolster army numbers.
Russia has seen a rise in domestic violence as fighters return home for leave, and the defence ministry wants to claim part of the one-off payments "in order to increase the motivation of military personnel to comply with the law", in case of a criminal offence, a draft law published on Monday showed.
If active contract service members are found guilty of a criminal offence which does not imply a prison sentence, they should pay back a portion of the one-off payout based on the months of the service left, the document showed.
Watch: At least two people killed and dozens injured in Russian overnight attack on Kyiv
07:26 , Arpan RaiRussia hits critical infrastructure in Kyiv region, says Zelensky
07:17 , Arpan RaiRussia struck critical infrastructure in Ukraine's Kyiv region in an overnight attack, president Volodymyr Zelensky said on Tuesday.
“It was a complex attack that the Russians tried to plan to cause as much harm to life as possible – ballistic missiles, cruise and anti-ship missiles, and jet-powered 'shaheds',” Zelensky said on X.
Russia slams US dispatch of missile system to Norway
07:10 , Arpan RaiRussia has criticised the deployment of an advanced US missile system to Nato member state Norway, saying on Monday it dealt a further blow to the prospects for US-Russia talks on strategic nuclear stability.
US media reports said Washington had in August delivered to Norway a missile system that used Mk-41-style launchers capable of firing Tomahawk cruise missiles.
Russia's Foreign Ministry said the deployment posed a threat because the launchers could be used to fire missiles capable of reaching a substantial part of European Russia, including Moscow.
“Steps such as the deployment in Europe of US ground-based intermediate-range missiles that pose a threat to the Russian Federation 'reset to zero', to put it mildly, the conditions for constructive dialogue with the US on strategic issues," the ministry said in a statement.
It added that Russia would pay "particular attention" to the deployment sites and command-and-control centres of US missile systems and that they would become targets in the event of a military conflict.
Watch: Trump is determined to end Ukraine war and secure lasting peace, says Kushner
07:05 , Arpan RaiIn photos: Russian ballistic missiles spark explosions across Kyiv
06:53 , Arpan Rai
Russian attacks force Polish military to activate aircraft
06:41 , Arpan RaiThe Polish Air Force is conducting preventive operations related to Russian missile attacks on Ukraine, the Polish army said in a post on Tuesday morning.
Due to the military operations, Lublin Airport has temporarily suspended flights, the Polish Air Navigation Services Agency (PANSA) said.
Britain to commit £100m to air defence package for Ukraine
06:18 , Arpan RaiBritain will commit £100m ($135m) to an air defence package, including Patriot missiles to help Ukraine, the government announced this morning.
This is part of the defence support UK is pledging to Ukraine for its winter air defence package to boost its protection against incoming Russian missiles.
Burnham and Trump discuss working towards Ukraine-Russia ceasefire
05:40 , Arpan RaiPrime minister Andy Burnham spoke with US president Donald Trump yesterday, with the two leaders agreeing on "the need to continue working towards a ceasefire" to end Russia's war in Ukraine, Downing Street said.
"The Prime Minister reiterated the UK's support for Ukraine and for recent US-led peace negotiations," a Downing Street spokesperson said.
Burnham and Trump also discussed the Middle East, with Burnham "stressing the importance of the two-state solution, the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, and ensuring that Iran never acquires a nuclear weapon", the spokesperson added.
Monday's call comes after US peace envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff met the Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv on Sunday, having spoken with Russian president Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Saturday.
Two killed and seven injured in Russian missile attack on Kyiv
05:00 , Arpan RaiRussian air strikes have killed at least two people and injured seven others in Ukraine’s capital Kyiv this morning, officials said.
The attacks came just a day after US peace envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner held peace talks with Volodymyr Zelensky and left the Ukrainian capital.
Russia says external power at Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant restored
04:49 , Arpan RaiOff-site power at the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in southeastern Ukraine has been restored via the Ferosplavna power line, Russia's Rosatom state nuclear corporation said.
The plant has been without external power since 20 August and has relied on emergency diesel generators to cool its vital safety systems.
A local ceasefire brokered by the International Atomic Energy Agency took effect on Saturday to allow repairs to restore external power.
The IAEA later confirmed the restoration in a post on X, citing its chief Rafael Grossi.
The plant is operating as normal, Rosatom chief Alexei Likhachev said in a statement.
Ukraine's prosecutor general resigns citing political conflict
04:28 , Arpan RaiUkraine's prosecutor general on Monday announced that he has offered his resignation citing political reasons, in the latest sign of disunity in the senior ranks of the Ukrainian ruling elite.
“This is a political decision, and I have made it consciously. I do not want the position of Prosecutor General to be used as an instrument of political confrontation,” Ruslan Kravchenko said in a statement on Telegram late on Monday, without elaborating.
Kravchenko thanked president Volodymyr Zelensky and Ukraine's parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, and asked them to accept his resignation.
Ukraine's anti-graft agencies, the NABU and SAPO, said last week they had uncovered a criminal organisation dealing with fraudulent call centres which was allegedly arranged by an official within the Prosecutor General's Office.
Kravchenko has denied he was involved in the alleged scheme.
“My position regarding the accusations remains unchanged,” he said in his Telegram post.
Kravchenko's resignation offer follows other changes among top officials in Ukraine as it continues to battle Russia, which launched a full-scale invasion in February 2022.
Russian ballistic missiles hit Kyiv as Trump's envoys leave
04:22 , Arpan RaiRussia resumed airstrikes on the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv in the early hours today, shortly after the departure of US peace negotiators, attacking the city with ballistic missiles and injuring six people, mayor Vitali Klitschko said.
People were also trapped in a residential building and there were fires across Kyiv, Klitschko said, after what he said were Russian ballistic missile strikes.
A five-storey apartment building and a three-storey residential block were damaged by falling debris, the Kyiv Military Administration said on Telegram separately, asking people to seek shelter.
As explosions were heard in Kyiv, neighbouring Poland, a Nato and European Union member, began military aviation operations to protect its airspace against a risk of violation, its armed forces said on X.
Russia resumed attacks on its smaller neighbour after US peace envoys Steve Witkoff and Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner left following a meeting with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky on Sunday.
Drones hit civilian infrastructure in Russia's Saratov
04:05 , Arpan RaiA Ukraine drone attack has hit civilian infrastructure in the Russian city of Saratov on the Volga river and injured some people, regional governor Roman Busargin said this morning.
The Saratov region is home to a large oil refinery run by state oil company Rosneft, as well as a number of other industrial and military facilities.
Russia to strip contract soldiers of one-off payment if laws violated at home
03:53 , Arpan RaiRussia's defence ministry wants to claim back part of a one-off payout from contract service personnel found guilty of criminal offences at home, a document showed, amid increasing cases of domestic violence among those fighting Russia's war on Ukraine.
Russia does not disclose official statistics on domestic violence committed by its service personnel but independent media, citing military courts data, reported hundreds of such cases, including murders, since the start of the 2022 invasion.
Russia provides a minimum one-off payment of 400,000 roubles (£3,418) for soldiers signing at least a one-year contract to fight in the war with Ukraine that Moscow calls "a special military operation".
In practice, one-off payouts may reach a few million roubles per soldier, depending on the region, in addition to a monthly salary.
Russia is also reducing sentences for those serving time in prison in exchange for signing up for the war, among other benefits, as it seeks to bolster army numbers.
Russia has seen a rise in domestic violence as fighters return home for leave, and the defence ministry wants to claim part of the one-off payments "in order to increase the motivation of military personnel to comply with the law", in case of a criminal offence, a draft law published on Monday showed.
If active contract service members are found guilty of a criminal offence which does not imply a prison sentence, they should pay back a portion of the one-off payout based on the months of the service left, the document showed.
Moscow criticises deployment of US missile system to Norway
03:00 , Alex CroftMoscow has lashed out at the deployment of an advanced US missile system to Nato member state Norway, saying on Monday it dealt a further blow to the prospects for US-Russia talks on strategic nuclear stability.
Reports in the US said Washington had delivered a missile system to Norway that used Mk-41-style launchers capable of firing Tomahawk cruise missiles.
Russia's Foreign Ministry said the deployment posed a threat because the launchers could be used to fire missiles capable of reaching a substantial part of European Russia, including Moscow.
"Steps such as the deployment in Europe of U.S. ground-based intermediate-range missiles that pose a threat to the Russian Federation 'reset to zero', to put it mildly, the conditions for constructive dialogue with the US on strategic issues," the ministry said in a statement.
It added that Russia would pay "particular attention" to the deployment sites and command-and-control centres of US missile systems and that they would become targets in the event of a military conflict.
Watch: Trump Just Doesn’t Understand He Is Now In A Forever War With Iran - And Russia
01:30 , Alex CroftEditorial: Putin has no interest in peace – and Trump is falling into his trap
Tuesday 8 September 2026 00:00 , Alex CroftSteve 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.
Before the Witkoff-Kushner double act set out for Moscow and Kyiv, Mr Trump expressed his usual confidence in the pair – he could hardly do otherwise – and declared that “we have an idea for peace”. This idea remains opaque. Yet, for a change, this may be more than the usual self-flattering bluster. After a period when, easily bored, Mr Trump lost interest in the region (the situation in Iran didn’t help), this unexpected flexing of US power comes as a surprise.
Which airlines are still flying in Russian airspace?
Monday 7 September 2026 23:00 , Alex CroftAirlines and passengers that still fly over Russia have been warned that the skies are “completely unsafe” by the president of Ukraine.
Volodymyr Zelensky deemed Russian airspace to be unsafe in a warning to airlines ahead of Ukrainian drone attacks last Tuesday.
“We want to warn every airline that uses Russian airspace, every insurer, and everyone who still uses Russia’s key airports: Russian airspace is becoming completely unsafe,” he said.
Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in spring 2022, most major Western carriers have suspended operations over Russia, rerouting journeys around its airspace.
The airspace is currently closed to around 35 countries and territories in retaliation for banning all Russian aircraft from using EU airspace, among other international restrictions.
Travel writer Natalie Wilson reports:
Which airlines are still flying in Russian airspace?
Zelensky: We must keep diplomacy going
Monday 7 September 2026 22:00 , Alex CroftWe’ve heard earlier from president Volodymyr Zelensky on X, who has urged all sides to “keep diplomacy going” after a fresh round of talks between US envoys and negotiators in Kyiv and Moscow.
"Our partners know what can bear fruit and what must bear fruit ahead of winter. We are coordinating our next steps. We are preparing the next meetings and communications," he said on X.
He said there were three rounds of negotiations held, with representatives from France, the UK and Germany also joining.
“Yesterday, I also had a separate tête-à-tête with [US envoys] Steve [Witkoff] and Jared [Kushner] to discuss the day’s outcomes,” he added.
Zelensky says oil refinery hit in Ryazan region
Monday 7 September 2026 21:01 , Alex CroftVolodymyr Zelensky has said a Russian oil refinery in the Ryazan region was struck by Ukrainian drones in a fresh long-range attack.
“Our warriors continue responding justly to Russian strikes on Ukraine. An oil refinery was hit in the Ryazan region,” the Ukrainian president said, sharing footage which he said was of the strike.
“Our long-range capabilities were used against oil-processing facilities in the Perm region and Tatarstan, and against a site used to store and launch attack drones in the Kursk region,” he added.
“A target was also hit in the Black Sea. I thank every one of our units for their precision!”
Our warriors continue responding justly to Russian strikes on Ukraine. An oil refinery was hit in the Ryazan region. Our long-range capabilities were used against oil-processing facilities in the Perm region and Tatarstan, and against a site used to store and launch attack drones… pic.twitter.com/GRgFZtdOzh
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) September 7, 2026
One killed in Russia as drones attack Perm region
Monday 7 September 2026 20:02 , Alex CroftAt 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.
Russia launches 92 drones at Ukraine, says Kyiv's air force
Monday 7 September 2026 19:01 , 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.
Russia and North Korea open new bridge over Tumen river
Monday 7 September 2026 18:00 , 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.
ICYMI - Putin meets with Kushner and Witkoff amid Ukraine war peace talks
Monday 7 September 2026 17:01 , Alex CroftRussia to close German consulate in St Petersburg amid growing spat
Monday 7 September 2026 16:31 , Alex CroftRussia will close down the German Consulate-General in St Petersburg in retaliation for Berlin's decision to close the Russian consulate in Bonn and a Russian cultural centre in Berlin, the foreign ministry has said.
Germany took its own measures after accusing Moscow of an attempted drone attack at Leipzig/Halle Airport, an allegation Russia called an absurd fabrication.
The Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement that the German consulate in St Petersburg must cease operations no later than 18 September.
It also confirmed that Germany's Goethe-Institut cultural centres in Russia must cease their activities, with staff ordered to leave the country by September 13 at the latest.
"It was the German authorities who, once again, provoked a new round of escalation in bilateral relations. The German government bears full and complete responsibility for the consequences," Russia's Foreign Ministry said.
Moscow criticises deployment of US missile system to Norway
Monday 7 September 2026 16:01 , Alex CroftMoscow has lashed out at the deployment of an advanced US missile system to Nato member state Norway, saying on Monday it dealt a further blow to the prospects for US-Russia talks on strategic nuclear stability.
Reports in the US said Washington had delivered a missile system to Norway that used Mk-41-style launchers capable of firing Tomahawk cruise missiles.
Russia's Foreign Ministry said the deployment posed a threat because the launchers could be used to fire missiles capable of reaching a substantial part of European Russia, including Moscow.
"Steps such as the deployment in Europe of U.S. ground-based intermediate-range missiles that pose a threat to the Russian Federation 'reset to zero', to put it mildly, the conditions for constructive dialogue with the US on strategic issues," the ministry said in a statement.
It added that Russia would pay "particular attention" to the deployment sites and command-and-control centres of US missile systems and that they would become targets in the event of a military conflict.
Russian attack damages British American Tobacco plant in Ukraine
Monday 7 September 2026 15:29 , Alex CroftA Russian attack has damaged a British American Tobacco plant in the town of Pryluky in Ukraine's northern Chernihiv region, the company said on Monday.
The company was examining the results of the strike and according to preliminary information, no one had been injured, BAT Ukraine's press office said in an emailed request for comment on the attack.
AfD state victory won't change support for Ukraine - Merz
Monday 7 September 2026 15:03 , Alex CroftThe state election victory by the pro-Russia AfD will not change the federal government's support for Ukraine, German chancellor Friedrich Merz has said.
Merz warned that there is a very concrete threat facing Germany's internal security.
"And I want to make this very clear: 2,500 kilometres east of here, people are especially delighted with this election result" in the eastern German state of Saxony-Anhalt, said Merz, in reference to Russia.
Editorial: Putin has no interest in peace – and Trump is falling into his trap
Monday 7 September 2026 14:35 , Alex CroftSteve 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.
Before the Witkoff-Kushner double act set out for Moscow and Kyiv, Mr Trump expressed his usual confidence in the pair – he could hardly do otherwise – and declared that “we have an idea for peace”. This idea remains opaque. Yet, for a change, this may be more than the usual self-flattering bluster. After a period when, easily bored, Mr Trump lost interest in the region (the situation in Iran didn’t help), this unexpected flexing of US power comes as a surprise.
Watch: Trump's energy secretary says he doesn't want to predict gas prices
Monday 7 September 2026 14:09 , Alex CroftRussia electric vehicle sales double in summer as motorists face fuel shortages
Monday 7 September 2026 13:46 , Gleb StolyarovNew electric vehicle sales in Russia more than doubled over the summer months as shortages caused by Ukrainian attacks on refineries boosted demand for alternatives to cars powered by combustion engines, data from analytical agency Autostat showed.
Sales of new passenger electric or plug-in hybrid cars, which are mainly produced in China, reached 26,543 units in June to August this year, up from 12,187 in the same period of 2025, the data provided to Reuters showed.
Kyiv's strikes on major Russian refineries intensified from early June, forcing some to halt operations and contributing to fuel shortages. Russia's gasoline production had fallen to about 70% of domestic consumption levels by the end of August.
The shortages forced Russian motorists to spend hours searching for fuel and queuing at gasoline stations, prompting some consumers to consider electric vehicles as an alternative or convert their vehicles to natural gas.
Russia's EV market remains relatively small mainly due to a limited charging network, vast distances and harsh climate. EVs and plug-in hybrids accounted for just 4.3% of Russia's total car sales last year, Autostat said.
EV sales were constrained by supply as manufacturers and importers were caught by surprise by the gasoline shortages, Autostat added.
With Reuters
Which airlines are still flying in Russian airspace?
Monday 7 September 2026 13:19 , Alex CroftAirlines and passengers that still fly over Russia have been warned that the skies are “completely unsafe” by the president of Ukraine.
Volodymyr Zelensky deemed Russian airspace to be unsafe in a warning to airlines ahead of Ukrainian drone attacks last Tuesday.
“We want to warn every airline that uses Russian airspace, every insurer, and everyone who still uses Russia’s key airports: Russian airspace is becoming completely unsafe,” he said.
Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in spring 2022, most major Western carriers have suspended operations over Russia, rerouting journeys around its airspace.
The airspace is currently closed to around 35 countries and territories in retaliation for banning all Russian aircraft from using EU airspace, among other international restrictions.
Travel writer Natalie Wilson reports:
Which airlines are still flying in Russian airspace?
One killed in Ukrainian drone attack on car in Russia-occupied Luhansk region
Monday 7 September 2026 12:53 , Alex CroftA Ukrainian attack on a car in a Russian-controlled part of Ukraine’s eastern Luhansk region has killed one person, the region's Russian-installed governor Leonid Pasechnik said on Monday.
We’ll bring you more on the attack as it comes in.
Zelensky: We must keep diplomacy going
Monday 7 September 2026 12:35 , Alex CroftWe’ve just heard from President Volodymyr Zelensky on X, who has urged all sides to “keep diplomacy going” after a fresh round of talks between US envoys and negotiators in Kyiv and Moscow.
"Our partners know what can bear fruit and what must bear fruit ahead of winter. We are coordinating our next steps. We are preparing the next meetings and communications," he said on X.
He said there were three rounds of negotiations held, with representatives from France, the UK and Germany also joining.
“Yesterday, I also had a separate tête-à-tête with [US envoys] Steve [Witkoff] and Jared [Kushner] to discuss the day’s outcomes,” he added.
Putin meets with Kushner and Witkoff amid Ukraine war peace talks - ICYMI
Monday 7 September 2026 11:47 , Alex CroftZelensky says oil refinery hit in Ryazan region
Monday 7 September 2026 11:25 , Alex CroftVolodymyr Zelensky has said a Russian oil refinery in the Ryazan region was struck by Ukrainian drones in a fresh long-range attack.
“Our warriors continue responding justly to Russian strikes on Ukraine. An oil refinery was hit in the Ryazan region,” the Ukrainian president said, sharing footage which he said was of the strike.
“Our long-range capabilities were used against oil-processing facilities in the Perm region and Tatarstan, and against a site used to store and launch attack drones in the Kursk region,” he added.
“A target was also hit in the Black Sea. I thank every one of our units for their precision!”
Our warriors continue responding justly to Russian strikes on Ukraine. An oil refinery was hit in the Ryazan region. Our long-range capabilities were used against oil-processing facilities in the Perm region and Tatarstan, and against a site used to store and launch attack drones… pic.twitter.com/GRgFZtdOzh
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) September 7, 2026
Kyiv air raid alerts hit record high - report
Monday 7 September 2026 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
Monday 7 September 2026 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
Monday 7 September 2026 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
Monday 7 September 2026 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
Monday 7 September 2026 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
Monday 7 September 2026 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
Monday 7 September 2026 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
Monday 7 September 2026 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.
