Volodymyr Zelensky claimed the US agreed with Ukraine’s assessment of what was happening on the battlefield and that Vladimir Putin lived in a “different reality”.
The Ukrainian leader said Russia had claimed at the peace talks in Abu Dhabi, which resumed for the second day on Wednesday, that it held half of the Donbas region in Ukraine’s east.
“Putin lives in a different reality,” Zelensky said. “I can draw a picture for him too where I fully occupy Russia. But it’s not true.”
Zelensky’s comments came as his forces launched drones at Ust-Luga in Russia's northwest, regional governor Aleksandr Drozdenko said, adding that the strikes caused a fire and cut off a power station.
Ukrainian attacks on refineries since October have reportedly cut Russia's oil refining capacity by 30 per cent. In the last week alone, the strikes have disrupted operations at nine of the nation’s 35 major refineries, Reuters reported, citing unnamed sources.
After the first day of talks, US secretary of state Marco Rubio said there was “a lot” of work still to be done.
President Donald Trump told CBS that Ukraine was likely to “end up with a different shape” after a deal.
Read MoreRubio pushes for UK and European allies to have seat at Ukraine peace talks
Ukraine strikes elite Russian ‘Rubicon’ drone unit in occupied territory
Attack drones are becoming the new AK-47s and reshaping global warfare
Streeting wants more direct contact with Russia to avoid war 'miscalculation'
UK military chief issues stark warning over Russian threat
Key Points
- Ukrainian attacks have reduced Russia's oil processing capacity by 30%
- Ukrainian strike sets Russia's Baltic Sea port ablaze
- Latvia and Lithuania warned people of drone threats
- Talks to continue Wednesday
- Russia shoots down 92 drones over Leningrad region
Ukrainian attacks have reduced Russia's oil processing capacity by 30%
11:00 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarRenewed Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian oil refineries since late October have reduced Russia's oil refining capacity by about 30 per cent, Reuters reported, citing two industry sources.
Ukraine's attacks on Russian oil refineries add to Moscow's difficulties in addressing domestic fuel shortages as it ships diesel to international markets under an export deal with US president Donald Trump.
Ukraine has stepped up strikes on Russian refineries since the end of October.
Ukrainian attacks disrupted operations and caused emergency situations at nine of Russia's 35 major refineries over the past week, sources said.
The combined daily nameplate capacity of Russian refineries affected by drone attacks since late October, including three major plants in central Russia, stands at around 300,000 metric tons, or 2.2 million barrels, compared with Russia's total primary refining capacity of about 930,000 tons per day.
At the end of October, Russian refineries were processing about 700,000 tons, or 5 million barrels, of crude per day, according to the sources.
Past talks involving Russia and Ukraine have yielded little progress toward peace
10:00 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarNegotiators from Russia, Ukraine and the US are to meet today in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, in the latest bid to end the war.
More here.
Past talks involving Russia and Ukraine have yielded little progress toward peace
Russia and Ukraine to hold second day of talks today
09:00 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarRussia and Ukraine will hold the second day of trilateral talks with the US in Abu Dhabi today.
Kyiv and Moscow held their first US-mediated talks in nine months yesterday to end the war, which has lasted 4.5 years.
US secretary of state Marco Rubio called the meeting “very productive” and Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said the session was “constructive and quite substantive".
Delegations from Moscow and Kyiv met as Washington, represented by president Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner and envoy Steve Witkoff, renewed its push to stop the fighting. The talks lasted four hours.
Watch: Rubio admits ‘a lot of work to be done’ for peace after first day of Kyiv-Moscow talks
08:00 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarRussia says it arrested two Polish spies in Kaliningrad
07:30 , MehrajRussia's Federal Security Service said on Wednesday that two people it described as agents of the Polish secret services were arrested for gathering information on military facilities in the western Kaliningrad region, Interfax reported.
Interfax also cited the FSB as saying that seven Polish citizens had been issued warnings and barred from Russia due to what it said were their contacts with the Polish security services.
UK military chief issues stark warning over Russian threat
07:00 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarBritain is falling behind its European allies in confronting the “very real” threat posed by Russia, the head of the UK military has warned.
Air Chief Marshal Sir Richard Knighton told the FT that the UK needs to “catch up with our European allies” who, he said, are more awake to the Kremlin’s mounting appetite for risk.
“This is the most dangerous period I’ve known in my adult life,” the chief of the defence staff, 57, said, adding: “That threat - principally from Russia, but more broadly globally - is rising.”
More here.
UK military chief issues stark warning over Russian threat
Zelensky says Putin lives in a ‘different reality’
06:30 , MehrajThe US agreed with Ukraine’s assessment of what was happening on the battlefield, Volodymyr Zelensky said, adding that Vladimir Putin lived in a “different reality”.
The Ukrainian president said Russia had claimed at the ongoing talks in Abu Dhabi that they occupied half of the Donbas in Ukraine’s east.
“This is the problem. Putin lives in a different reality,” he said on social media. “I can draw a picture for him too where I fully occupy Russia. But it’s not true. What was good is that the American side confirmed the Ukrainian assessment of what’s happening on the battlefield.”
Drone strike kills two in Russia
06:00 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarDrone debris killed two people after hitting an apartment building in Russia's Smolensk region bordering Belarus, the TASS news agency reported this morning.
The attack comes on the second day of the trilateral talks between Russia, Ukraine and the US in Abu Dhabi.
Ukrainian strike sets Russia's Baltic Sea port ablaze
05:00 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarA drone attack has caused a fire in the port area of Ust-Luga by the Baltic Sea in Russia's northwest, regional governor Aleksandr Drozdenko said this morning, citing preliminary data.
He said that a power station was also cut off as a result of the attack, during which 146 drones were shot down over the Leningrad region , which is also home to a major oil refinery and the city of St. Petersburg, the hometown of president Vladimir Putin.
The airstrike comes as Russian and Ukrainian officials are meeting in Abu Dhabi today in a new US push to end the war in Ukraine.
President Donald Trump has said the war was close to being settled and that ending it might involve all of Europe.
Ukrainian attacks have reduced Russia's oil processing capacity by 30%
04:35 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarRenewed Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian oil refineries since late October have reduced Russia's oil refining capacity by about 30 per cent, Reuters reported, citing two industry sources.
Ukraine's attacks on Russian oil refineries add to Moscow's difficulties in addressing domestic fuel shortages as it ships diesel to international markets under an export deal with US president Donald Trump.
Ukraine has stepped up strikes on Russian refineries since the end of October.
Ukrainian attacks disrupted operations and caused emergency situations at nine of Russia's 35 major refineries over the past week, sources said.
The combined daily nameplate capacity of Russian refineries affected by drone attacks since late October, including three major plants in central Russia, stands at around 300,000 metric tons, or 2.2 million barrels, compared with Russia's total primary refining capacity of about 930,000 tons per day.
At the end of October, Russian refineries were processing about 700,000 tons, or 5 million barrels, of crude per day, according to the sources.
Latvia and Lithuania warned people of drone threats
04:20 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarLatvia and Lithuania warned people to seek shelter today across several regions against threats from unidentified drones entering their airspace via neighbouring Russia or Belarus.
It added that Nato air defence fighter jets were activated.
There were no reports of injuries, while Lithuania's crisis management authorities said their warning covered the second most populous city of Kaunas, home to about 300,000.
Russia has accused Ukraine of using Nato airspace as cover for attacks, while Kyiv says some of its drones have been steered off course by Russian signal jamming.
Finland imposes airspace and maritime curbs
03:50 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarFinland has adopted temporary airspace and maritime curbs in the eastern Gulf of Finland for today, its defence forces said on X.
"This is a precautionary measure aimed at ensuring the safety of bystanders and enabling the authorities to counter potential drones," it added.
The step came as Ukrainian drones were attacking Russia's northwest, home to major Baltic Sea export facilities and a big oil refinery.
Russia shoots down 92 drones over Leningrad region
03:30 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarRussia shot down 92 drones during today's early hours in an attack over the Leningrad region northwest of Moscow, governor Aleksandr Drozdenko said.
The region is home to the ports of Ust-Luga, Primorsk and Vysotsk, key for Russia's oil and grain exports on the Baltic Sea, as well as the Kirishi oil refinery, Russia's second-largest.
On Monday, a drone struck the Kirishi refinery, run by Surgutneftegaz, setting the plant on fire, and killing a woman in the region where St. Petersburg, the hometown of president Vladimir Putin, is located.
Drone strike causes fire in Russia's Baltic Sea port
03:17 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarA drone attack has caused fire in the port area of Ust-Luga by the Baltic Sea in Russia's northwest, regional governor Aleksandr Drozdenko said this morning.
Royal Navy to deploy autonomous boats to tackle Russian interference
03:00 , James ReynoldsThe Royal Navy will deploy a fleet autonomous drone boats to intercept Russian warships and spy vessels around British shores for the first time, the head of its fleet has confirmed.
The squadron of autonomous Kraken 3 boats, which are unmanned and remotely controlled, will be used to help the Ryoal Navy’s fleet of vessels to tackle Russian interference in UK waters.
Vice-Admiral Steve Moorhouse told The Times the boats will begin operations “as soon as possible”, meaning they could be deployed before the end of the year.
Royal Navy to deploy autonomous boats to tackle Russian interference in UK waters
Streeting wants more direct contact with Russia to avoid war 'miscalculation'
01:30 , Alex CroftBritain would like more channels for talking to Russia, Defence Minister Wes Streeting has said, with military-to-military contact singled out as a way to lower the "risk of miscalculation".
The remarks came in a Financial Times interview published on Tuesday.
"We have our embassy in Moscow. That is an important channel ... I would much prefer there to be additional channels too, particularly military-to-military level," Mr Streeting told the FT.
"There is always a risk of miscalculation and that's why having that direct communication is important," he said.
Read more here:
Streeting wants more direct contact with Russia to avoid war 'miscalculation'
Merz urges EU to fast-track talks on €45bn Ukraine funding for 2027
00:00 , Alex CroftGerman chancellor Friedrich Merz has urged the EU to prioritise discussions on closing Ukraine’s €70bn budget shortfall for 2027, warning that around €45bn of the funding burden will fall on European member states.
In a letter to European Council president Antonio Costa, Merz called for the issue to be discussed at the EU’s informal meeting on 13 November.
Merz said supporting Ukraine was a shared responsibility, arguing that financial assistance was currently unevenly distributed among EU countries.
The letter says “we must then find a solution supported by all Member States that ensures a sound and multiannual financing perspective for Ukraine from 2028 onwards, including the interest liabilities that have already accrued”.
His push comes as the bloc prepares to discuss its long-term budget for 2028-2034.
“Providing this support is an indivisible responsibility shared by us all,” Merz said. But “bilateral assistance to Ukraine is distributed unevenly and carried mostly by only a few Member States”, he added.
Nine Zimbabweans arrested in South Africa over alleged Ukraine war recruitment
Tuesday 10 November 2026 23:01 , Maroosha MuzaffarNine Zimbabwean nationals have been arrested in South Africa for allegedly attempting to travel abroad to fight in the Russia-Ukraine war, according to police.
The suspects, aged between 20 and 26, were detained on Sunday evening in Johannesburg while they were “preparing to board flights out of the country”.
Five were arrested at OR Tambo international airport and another four at a hotel in Bruma, east of Johannesburg, during an operation involving Interpol.
They have been charged under South Africa’s regulation of foreign military assistance act, which prohibits mercenary activity without government authorisation.
Authorities have not disclosed whether the group intended to fight for Russia or Ukraine, or identified the organisations allegedly arranging their travel.
The arrests come amid growing concerns about the recruitment of African nationals into the conflict. A Ukrainian intelligence assessment earlier this year estimated that more than 1,700 people from 36 African countries had been recruited to fight for Russia.
Zimbabwe said in March that 15 of its citizens had been killed after being recruited to fight for Russia, while more than 60 others remained trapped on the front lines. South Africa also secured the return of 17 citizens who were allegedly tricked into joining the war.
Europe’s irrelevance means lame duck Trump will only serve Putin again in new Ukraine peace talks
Tuesday 10 November 2026 22:00 , Alex CroftOur world affairs editor Sam Kiley writes:
Brokered by American businessmen, Ukrainian and Russian securocrats are meeting in Abu Dhabi to agree on a ceasefire that Donald Trump says will leave Ukraine “with a different shape”.
The redrawing of Europe’s map that he believes is inevitable will emerge after talks about Europe, without Europe.
The limping English of the lame-duck American president’s pre-talks conclusion states what he has said for nearly two years – that Kyiv has to give up territory because the Russians have already won it.
Trump sees this as inevitable, as his negotiators, his son-in-law Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, a real-estate buddy, may see a pro-Russian outcome like this as lucrative.
Kirill Dmitriev, head of Russia’s sovereign wealth fund, has told them there’s $12 trillion (or more) in deals to be struck if Moscow can return to business with America.
Lame duck Trump will only serve Putin again in new Ukraine peace talks
Lavrov: Russia will not agree to immediate ceasefire without knowing what is next
Tuesday 10 November 2026 21:02 , Alex CroftWe hears from Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov earlier, who said on Tuesday that Russia would not agree to an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine without knowing what would happen next.
It would be wiser to discuss the outlines of the future security architecture in Europe first, and then a ceasefire in Ukraine, he added.
Lavrov referred to the trilateral talks between Russia, Ukraine and the US in Abu Dhabi.
Slovak prime minister accuses German chancellor of 'blackmail'
Tuesday 10 November 2026 20:01 , ReutersSlovak prime minister Robert Fico accused German Chancellor Friedrich Merz of "blackmail" on Tuesday after Berlin pushed to link a deal on funding for Ukraine to talks on the European Union's next long-term budget.
Merz, in a letter to European Council President Antonio Costa seen by Reuters, said all of the EU must contribute to funding Ukraine as it defends itself against Russia's invasion.
He said a commitment that all EU members would help Ukraine fill a projected €70 billion funding gap for 2027 — with an expected EU contribution of €45 billion — was a prerequisite for "discussing any further matters, particularly those with financial implications".
Addressing that, Fico said: "We must respond to blackmail."
"We have the same veto as the German Federal Chancellor," he added.
Talks to continue Wednesday
Tuesday 10 November 2026 19:00 , Alex CroftKyiv has confirmed that talks are due to continue in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday.
We’ll be bringing you all the latest developments from the negotiations.
In pictures: Ukraine, Russia and US sit down for peace talks
Tuesday 10 November 2026 18:00 , Alex Croft
Rubio says any security guarantees for Ukraine must be acceptable to Russia
Tuesday 10 November 2026 17:01 , Maroosha MuzaffarUS secretary of state Marco Rubio has said that any post-war security guarantees for Ukraine must be acceptable to both Kyiv and Moscow, arguing that such arrangements will be essential to securing a peace deal.
He said Washington had not yet settled on a concrete plan but stressed that Ukraine must feel secure after the war.
Asked whether the guarantees could be formalised through a treaty, Rubio said: “I mean, potentially, but I don’t know if that’s, we’ve discussed it at that level of detail yet.”
Before today;s US-mediated peace talks in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday and Wednesday, Rubio acknowledged that Washington could help facilitate negotiations but could not guarantee a breakthrough.
“The United States is not a combatant in that war,” he said.
“It’s the Russians that are fighting that war, and it’s Ukraine that was invaded and is being attacked and being fought against.”
He said the US would continue to “inject ideas into those discussions in the hopes of arriving at a solution that’s diplomatic in nature”.
More than 400,000 Russians killed in Ukraine-Russia war, leaked data reveals
Tuesday 10 November 2026 16:00 , Maroosha MuzaffarA leaked dataset from Russia’s state statistics agency, Rosstat suggests that 412,576 Russian soldiers have been killed in the war in Ukraine since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion.
The information, obtained by two hacking groups, reportedly comes from more than 11 million death certificates.
Rosstat confirmed the breach but denied that sensitive information had been accessed.
The figures are broadly in line with other estimates, but analysts believe the actual death toll could be closer to 500,000 because some deaths have not yet been officially recorded.
“The data looks authentic, and it’s very rich,” Janis Kluge, the head of the Russia and Eurasia division at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs, told the outlet.
“This is the biggest leak of data when it comes to Russian casualties.”
“We are probably at this time closer to 500,000 killed Russian soldiers than 400,000,” he added.
Ukraine strikes elite Russian ‘Rubicon’ drone unit in occupied territory
Tuesday 10 November 2026 15:29 , Alex CroftUkrainian forces have struck Russia’s elite Rubicon drone unit overnight, Kyiv’s military said hours before peace talks got underway with Moscow in Abu Dhabi.
The Rubicon Center for Advanced Unmanned Technologies was formed in August 2024 by the Russian ministry of defence and is a sprawling unit operating in the heart of occupied territory.
Its key aims include hunting down Ukrainian drone teams on the ground and intercepting reconnaissance and strike drones. It serves as the heart of Russian drone missions against Ukraine.
Maira Butt reports:
Ukraine strikes elite Russian ‘Rubicon’ drone unit in occupied territory
EU pledges €50 million for Black Sea security hub
Tuesday 10 November 2026 15:00 , Alex CroftEuropean Commission president Ursula von der Leyen pledged €50 million (£42 million) on Tuesday to help Bulgaria and Romania launch a Black Sea maritime security hub after several deadly drone attacks.
At least nine cargo ships were hit by naval drones near Nato members Romania and Bulgaria last month, killing several seafarers and leaving others missing, raising concerns over how the escalating maritime war between Russia and Ukraine is expanding into a major challenge for Nato in the Black Sea.
The US-led military alliance said it would deploy maritime patrol aircraft, radars and drones to bolster its eastern flank in the Black Sea.
Speaking from the Bulgarian port of Varna, von der Leyen said all sides have agreed to speed up the hub to restore freedom of navigation in the Black Sea.
"It is important to have it now up and running and therefore we want to have clear timelines for its completion and we want to offer a dedicated funding of 50 million euros to this Black Sea maritime security hub," von der Leyen said at a press conference alongside Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev.
With Reuters
German chancellor says EU has collective responsbility to back Ukraine
Tuesday 10 November 2026 14:31 , Alex CroftGerman chancellor Friedrich Merz has said it is the collective responsibility for the EU to back Ukraine
Support for Kyiv cannot be weakened, he said.
It comes after Slovak prime minister Robert Fico earlier accused Merz of "blackmail" after Berlin pushed to link a deal on funding for Ukraine to talks on the EU's next long-term budget.
Rubio: A lot of work to be done after first day of talks
Tuesday 10 November 2026 13:56 , Alex CroftWe’ve just heard from US secretary of state Marco Rubio, who has been speaking to reporters on Tuesday.
He says there is still a lot of work to be done after the conclusion of the first day of US-led talks with Russian and Ukrainian representatives in Abu Dhabi.
However, Mr Rubio said the talks were “very productive”.
He added that the ultimate goal is to expand trilateral talks on Ukraine to include Europe.
