Vladimir Putin is looking to bring an additional 30,000 North Korean troops in Russia’s war on Ukraine, claimed Volodymyr Zelensky.
"Since June, preparations have been under way in Russia’s Voronezh region to receive them,” the Ukrainian president said in a nightly address on Saturday without offering evidence.
This comes as Kyiv came under attack on Sunday. According to Ukraine’s Air Force, Russia is targeting the city with ballistic missiles.
Kazakhstan's president Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine might be reached if the sides froze the conflict and resumed negotiations.
Speaking alongside Russian president Vladimir Putin at a Russia-Kazakhstan forum in the Siberian city of Omsk, Tokayev praised Putin's "utmost diplomatic flexibility”.
Earlier, twelve people were killed, including five children, in an overnight drone attack on a holiday camp in a Russian-held part of Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia region, Russian-installed local authorities said on Saturday, accusing Ukraine of deliberately attacking civilians.
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Key Points
- Russian missile strike kills 10 at Ukrainian defence event
- White House says Trump, Zelensky to meet in Washington next week
- Zelensky says US and Ukraine moving forward on joint drone production
- Russian aerial bomb kills five in eastern Ukraine
Fire reported overnight at Russia's Engels air base – report
07:00 , Namita SinghA fire was from reported Russia's Engels-2 military airfield in Saratov Oblast overnight, according to the Kyiv Independent.
Eyewitnesses reported a large fire at the air base and published footage of smoke and flames at the site, which is home to Russia's strategic aircraft, including the Tu-95 long-range bomber, the news outlet said.
Putin preparing to send more Russians to war, says Zelensky
06:30 , Namita SinghVolodymyr Zelensky warned, citing intelligence reports, Vladimir Putin is "preparing the conditions for expanding mobilisation" as Russian losses mount on the battlefield.
The Ukrainian president said in his evening address Moscow enlisted 221,000 people into the Russian military thus far in 2026, while sustaining nearly 225,500 losses among Russian soldiers, including 131,000 killed and almost 93,000 wounded this year alone, the Kyiv Independent reported.
"A significant share of those wounds are severe, as frontline medical care in Russia is catastrophically poor," Zelensky said.
12 dead in drone attack on holiday camp in Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia
06:00 , Namita SinghTwelve people were killed, including five children, in an overnight drone attack on a holiday camp in a Russian-held part of Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia region, Russian-installed local authorities said on Saturday, accusing Ukraine of deliberately attacking civilians.
Kyiv did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Both Russia and Ukraine deny targeting civilians in the war launched by Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022.
Nineteen people were wounded in the attack on the resort area of Kyrylivka, located on the coast of the Sea of Azov near the town of Melitopol, said Russian-appointed governor Yevgeny Balitsky.
Russian foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said Ukrainian drones carried out the attack on "sleeping people" at the camp. She denounced "inhuman crimes", also referring to an attack on a factory in Russia's Kirov region on Thursday which killed six people.
A video posted online of the holiday camp showed shattered buildings, burned-out cars and a pile of rubble next to a swimming pool.
Balitsky said crews from Russia's Emergencies Ministry had extracted two survivors, including a child, and recovered another body from the rubble. He added that rescue operations had been completed.
"The enemy saw and understood who it was targeting," he said on the Telegram messaging app.
Tehran summons Ukraine diplomats over Caspian Sea attack
05:26 , Namita SinghIran's foreign ministry condemned on Saturday a Ukrainian attack on an Iranian commercial vessel in the Caspian Sea, saying it resulted in an explosion that killed one sailor and injured another.
Throughout the war, Kyiv has had to counter Iranian-designed drones deployed by Moscow. Kyiv has offered its drone interception expertise to countries in the Middle East that have suffered strikes from Iran.
Tehran described the attack on its vessel as an act of aggression and said it would defend its national interests and security, while accusing Kyiv of seeking to expand the war in Ukraine.
The Iranian foreign ministry summoned Ukraine's chargé d'affaires in Tehran to convey its protest over what it described as a "hostile and criminal" attack, Iran's state news agency IRNA reported.
The Iranian denunciation coincided with comments by Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy that Kyiv had noted Russia was passing on its satellite observations in the Middle East to Iran to enable it to direct strikes in the region.
Recap: Eleven people killed in attacks on holiday camps
03:00 , Rebecca WhittakerEleven people have been killed in attacks on holiday camps in the partly Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia region, the Russian-installed local authorities said on Saturday.
The strikes followed a major Russian attack on Friday near Kyiv that killed at least 10 people and wounded around 100 others.
Four children were among 11 people killed in the attack on the resorts in Zaporizhzhia, Yevgeny Balitsky, the Kremlin-installed regional head, said, adding that 16 others were wounded.
Romania shoots down suspected Shahed drone in its airspace for first time
02:00 , Rebecca WhittakerRomania shot down a foreign drone in its airspace on Friday in the first interception of its kind, amid growing concern over UAVs straying into Nato territory.
An F-16 fighter jet shot down the drone near the town of Padina, in the east, at around 11am after it entered the country’s airspace, officials said, adding that an investigation was underway.
Read more here:
Romania shoots down suspected Shahed drone in its airspace for first time
Watch: Wildberries: Huge fires as Zelensky launches new attacks on Russian warehouses
01:00 , Rebecca WhittakerUkraine’s petrol stations are the latest target for Putin’s drones: ‘When I see something... I run for my life’
Sunday 26 July 2026 00:00 , Rebecca WhittakerWith Ukraine’s petrol stations a key target for Russian drones, customers are advised to spend no more than 10 minutes filling up. Those working on these deadly forecourts tell Harry Stourton in Pavlohrad, eastern Ukraine, how they take their lives in their hands every day they go to work.
Read more here:
Ukraine’s petrol stations are the latest target for Putin’s drones
Recap: Romania shoots down second drone in two days
Saturday 25 July 2026 23:00 , Rebecca WhittakerRomania’s defense ministry said its forces had “safely shot down” a drone that breached its airspace in an “unpopulated area” near the Ukrainian border.
The drone was “shot down by a Romanian pilot from an F-16 aircraft,” President Nicușor Dan said in a post on Facebook.
It came after a drone was shot down around Padina, northeast of the Romanian capital, Bucharest, on Friday.
Watch: Firefighters tackle blaze after Russian troops strike petrol station in Ukraine's Sumy region
Saturday 25 July 2026 22:00 , Rebecca WhittakerPictured: Attack on Russia’s Wildberries warehouses
Saturday 25 July 2026 21:01 , Rebecca WhittakerThree people were injured during a fire at a warehouse operated by Russian online retail giant Wildberries in the Leningrad region, near St. Petersburg on Friday.
Governor Alexander Drozdenko attributed the fire to a Ukrainian drone attack.
Wildberries confirmed it had ceased operations at two regional logistics sites and evacuated staff from its Crimea warehouse.
Watch: Zelensky reveals relationship with Trump was saved in 20 minute conversation at Vatican
Saturday 25 July 2026 20:30 , Rebecca WhittakerRussia's biggest online retailer is the latest target of Ukraine's attacks
Saturday 25 July 2026 20:00 , Rebecca WhittakerThe Ukrainian attacks on the sprawling Russian warehouses produced stark images, with massive pillars of black smoke rising above fires that raged at facilities for Wildberries, the country’s biggest online retailer and its equivalent of Amazon.
Kyiv’s drones first hit the sites over the weekend in Elektrostal, just east of Moscow, and in the Tambov region, killing eight people and injuring scores more. Two more Wildberries warehouses -– in the southern Krasnodar and Stavropol regions -– were attacked and set ablaze early Wednesday. One person was killed, and 14 others were hurt.
Read more here:
Russia's biggest online retailer is the latest target of Ukraine's attacks
Recap: Italy defence minister offers ousted Ukraine counterpart Fedorov adviser role
Saturday 25 July 2026 19:30 , Rebecca WhittakerItalian Defence Minister Guido Crosetto said he has offered Mykhailo Fedorov, recently sacked as Ukraine's defence minister, a role as an adviser in Italy.
"I called him the day after his dismissal and said: When do you want to come to Rome and work with me as an adviser?" Crosetto told Italian daily la Repubblica in an interview published on Saturday.
Asked how Fedorov had responded, Crosetto said the former minister was "moved" and saw the offer as "a demonstration of esteem and friendship".
Crosetto praised Fedorov as a driver of military innovation, saying he was "one of those people who completely rewrote the rules of the game on the battlefield". Fedorov had helped Ukraine first resist Russia's invasion and then regain the initiative by reshaping battlefield practices through new technologies, Crossetto said.
Fedorov, a 35-year-old tech-savvy reformer credited by supporters with boosting Ukraine's drone capabilities and pushing defence-sector reforms, was ousted as defence minister this month, a move that sparked rare wartime protests in Ukraine.
He was offered alternative roles by President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, but said he would not accept any other government role besides his former job.
Russian attack kills 3 in Ukraine’s Sumy region as Romania downs second drone in 2 days
Saturday 25 July 2026 19:00 , Rebecca WhittakerA Russian drone strike killed three people in Ukraine’s northeastern Sumy region, local officials said Saturday, while Romania shot down a drone over its airspace for the second time in two days.
Sumy regional head Oleh Hryhorov said Saturday that a large fire broke out when a drone struck a “civilian facility,” adding that the victims were drivers for private Ukrainian postal and courier service Nova Poshta.
Read more here:
Russian attack kills 3 in Ukraine’s Sumy region as Romania downs second drone in 2 days
Pictured: Rescuers work following Russian airstrike
Saturday 25 July 2026 18:30 , Rebecca Whittaker
Laura Loomer will ask Trump to ship signed MAGA hats ‘via delivery drone’ to Zelensky’s palace in Ukraine
Saturday 25 July 2026 18:00 , Rebecca WhittakerHardline right-wing activist Laura Loomer has said she will personally ask President Donald Trump to send a shipment of signed “Make America Great Again” (MAGA) hats to President Volodymyr Zelensky’s presidential palace via a “high-tech delivery drone”.
Loomer has backtracked on her position as one of Ukraine’s biggest critics, who has pushed a string of Kremlin-friendly narratives, and declared her support for the country’s cause against invasion by Russia – having conducted an interview with Zelensky for her social media channels that is yet to be released.
Read more here:
Laura Loomer to ask Trump to ship signed MAGA hats ‘via high-tech drone’ to Zelensky
Recap: Eleven people killed in attacks on holiday camps
Saturday 25 July 2026 17:30 , Rebecca WhittakerEleven people have been killed in attacks on holiday camps in the partly Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia region, the Russian-installed local authorities said on Saturday.
The strikes followed a major Russian attack on Friday near Kyiv that killed at least 10 people and wounded around 100 others.
Four children were among 11 people killed in the attack on the resorts in Zaporizhzhia, Yevgeny Balitsky, the Kremlin-installed regional head, said, adding that 16 others were wounded.
Russia still hot with fuel supply problems
Saturday 25 July 2026 17:00 , Rebecca WhittakerSome Russian regions are still experiencing fuel supply problems, with parts of Siberia the worst hit, news agencies cited Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak as saying on Saturday.
Kazakhstan exported a first cargo of gasoline to Russia in July, supplying about 1,000 metric tons to one central Russian region, industry sources said this month.
Authorities have introduced a raft of measures to support the domestic fuel market after repeated Ukrainian drone attacks on oil refineries triggered gasoline shortages and price spikes.
Novak, Russia's lead energy official, said conditions were gradually stabilising, but the situation remained "quite difficult" in some regions, particularly in Siberia.
A ban on gasoline exports will be extended until the end of the year, while a ban on diesel exports will be lifted "as the market recovers", Interfax news agency quoted Novak as saying.
If needed, Kazakhstan may supply surplus petroleum products to Russia, Novak said, according to the Vesti news channel.
Romania shoots down second drone in two days
Saturday 25 July 2026 16:30 , Rebecca WhittakerRomania’s defense ministry said its forces had “safely shot down” a drone that breached its airspace in an “unpopulated area” near the Ukrainian border.
The drone was “shot down by a Romanian pilot from an F-16 aircraft,” President Nicușor Dan said in a post on Facebook.
It came after a drone was shot down around Padina, northeast of the Romanian capital, Bucharest, on Friday.
Russia's central bank gingerly cuts rates, caught between business complaints and inflation
Saturday 25 July 2026 16:00 , Rebecca WhittakerRussia's central bank made a smaller than usual interest rate cut on Friday, a compromise move to support stagnating economic growth even as inflation fueled by war spending remains higher than the bank's target.
The quarter-point cut to 14% shows the bank slowing its pace of rate cuts from a peak of 21% last year. The bank had been cutting by at least a half-percentage point until a quarter-point cut on June 19.
Read more here:
Russia's central bank gingerly cuts rates, caught between business complaints and inflation
Ukrainian drone attack caused fire at oil refinary
Saturday 25 July 2026 15:30 , Rebecca WhittakerA Ukrainian drone attack caused a fire in the grounds of the Tyumen Oil Refinery, in western Siberia.
Writing on X Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed the hit on the Tyumen plant, along with a logistics facility in Yekaterinburg and a fuel and lubricants warehouse in Rostov-on-Don.
Ukraine’s long-range drone technology has evolved during the war, posing a problem for Russia, whose huge land mass is hard to protect fully.
Kyiv’s forces have targeted Russian oil facilities, causing fuel shortages and embarrassing President Vladimir Putin.
Ukraine continues applying long‑range sanctions in response to Russian strikes. Last night, the warriors of our Defense Forces hit targets across different regions of Russia that are fueling this war.
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) July 25, 2026
Once again, a plant in Kirov was struck – the one supplying components for the… pic.twitter.com/D0Z6bFRiww
Watch: Zelensky reveals relationship with Trump was saved in 20 minute conversation at Vatican
Saturday 25 July 2026 15:00 , Maira ButtUkraine says it hit Russian warship and ships used for Iran-linked military cargoes in Caspian
Saturday 25 July 2026 14:30 , Maira ButtUkraine's forces struck a Russian warship and vessels used for transporting Iran-linked military cargo in the Caspian Sea, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Saturday.
"We also achieved very strong results with long‑range strikes in the Caspian Sea – including vessels used in military cargo shipments involving Iran," he said on X.
Zelensky did not provide additional details.
Death toll from holiday camp attack rises to 11 including four children, says Russia
Saturday 25 July 2026 14:12 , Maira ButtThe death toll from a Ukrainian attack on a holiday camp has risen to 11 people including four children, the Russia-installed governor said on Saturday.
Ukraine’s petrol stations are the latest target for Putin’s drones: ‘When I see something... I run for my life’
Saturday 25 July 2026 13:54 , Maira ButtGet off the forecourt now,” shouts Dima, 65, an attendant at a petrol station on the main road into Pavlohrad, in Ukraine’s eastern Dnipropetrovsk region.
As the air raid siren wails, he points to an app on his phone tracking Russian drones — now an essential tool for those working on the country’s increasingly dangerous petrol station forecourts. An arrow is moving across the screen.
“It’s a Russian Geran-3 drone heading in our direction,” he says. “They missed us yesterday, but they are coming back for another try. You must leave immediately.”
Russia has intensified its assault on Ukraine’s retail fuel network over the past month, striking ordinary roadside stations across the east and south of the country.
Ukraine’s petrol stations are the latest target for Putin’s drones
Ukraine is still fortifying its border with Belarus years after Russia invaded from there
Saturday 25 July 2026 13:15 , Maira ButtMore than four years after Russia launched its assault on Kyiv from Belarus, Ukraine is still fortifying the border it shares with Moscow's ally. What was once a busy crossing between the two countries is now a quiet, mine-laden stretch of land closed off to civilians.
Roads near the 1,084-kilometer-long (673-mile-long) border are covered for long distances by anti-drone netting. The surrounding landscape is dominated by rows of razor wire and concrete anti-tank barriers known as “dragon’s teeth.”
The Associated Press visited parts of the border in northern Ukraine earlier this month, following a rise in tensions between the two countries; Ukraine demanded that Belarus shut down communications relay stations Russia had installed to boost the range of its drones attacking Ukrainian cities.
Ukraine is still fortifying its border with Belarus years after Russia invaded from there
Eight killed in attack on holiday camps, says governor of Russian-held territory in Ukraine
Saturday 25 July 2026 12:45 , Maira ButtAn overnight attack on holiday camps in a Russian-held part of Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia region killed eight people, including two children, Russian-installed governor Yevgeny Balitsky said on the Telegram messaging app on Saturday.
Trump says ‘I trust’ Putin and Xi — contradicting Hegseth about Iran war allies
Saturday 25 July 2026 12:15 , Maira ButtPresident Donald Trump on Friday said he does not believe the Russian or Chinese governments are providing military or intelligence assistance to Iran — based solely on the denials of their leaders — contradicting the assessment of his own defense secretary during a Senate hearing just days ago.
Taking questions in the Oval Office during an appearance focused on nuclear energy, Trump was asked to defend a Truth Social post in which he claimed Chinese President Xi Jinping had said “he would not, under any circumstances, give or sell Weapons to the Islamic Republic of Iran” and said Russia’s Vladimir Putin had promised, “he would not sell Weapons to Iran.”
He also wrote that in his view, both countries were “not participating” in Iran’s ongoing conflict with the U.S. while warning that “it would be very bad for them” if they did.
Trump says ‘I trust’ Putin and Xi — contradicting Hegseth about Iran war allies
Drone damage to Kyiv monastery ‘assault on Ukrainian culture’ – Taoiseach
Saturday 25 July 2026 11:45 , Maira ButtIreland’s premier has said a Russian attack on a renowned religious site in Kyiv was “an assault on Ukraine’s culture”.
Micheál Martin was taken on a tour of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, also known as the Monastery of the Caves, as part of his trip to Kyiv on Thursday, where he met with Volodymyr Zelensky and reaffirmed Ireland’s support for Ukrainian sovereignty.
The Unesco-listed World Heritage Site is a sprawling complex of monasteries and gold-domed churches, including some underground, built between the 11th and 19th centuries.
Drone damage to Kyiv monastery ‘assault on Ukrainian culture’ – Taoiseach
Watch: Firefighters tackle blaze after Russian troops strike petrol station in Ukraine's Sumy region
Saturday 25 July 2026 11:15 , Maira ButtWildberries: Russian entrepreneurs watch stock burn as Ukraine targets answer to Amazon
Saturday 25 July 2026 10:45 , Maira ButtViktoria Terekhova shipped virtually her entire summer collection of children's clothes last week to the giant warehouse of online retailer Wildberries at Elektrostal, east of Moscow.
Within a couple of days, it was destroyed in a Ukrainian drone strike.
Fashion designer Terekhova says she lost 12,000 items, amounting to about 45% of her company's total inventory, and another 4,000 items in attacks on Wildberries hubs in southern Russia.
Eight Wildberries warehouses accounting for more than 10% of the company's storage capacity have been attacked since July 18 in a wave of strikes against Russia's leading online retail company.
They appear to be part of a wider Ukrainian campaign to make ordinary Russians feel the impact of a war which has raged on Ukrainian territory for more than four years.
Wildberries: Russia entrepreneurs watch stock burn as Ukraine hits answer to Amazon
In pictures: Protests against sacking of Ukrainian defence minister Fedorov continue
Saturday 25 July 2026 10:15 , Maira Butt
Italy defence minister offers ousted Ukraine counterpart Fedorov adviser role
Saturday 25 July 2026 09:45 , Maira ButtItalian Defence Minister Guido Crosetto said he has offered Mykhailo Fedorov, recently sacked as Ukraine's defence minister, a role as an adviser in Italy.
"I called him the day after his dismissal and said: When do you want to come to Rome and work with me as an adviser?" Crosetto told Italian daily la Repubblica in an interview published on Saturday.
Asked how Fedorov had responded, Crosetto said the former minister was "moved" and saw the offer as "a demonstration of esteem and friendship".
Crosetto praised Fedorov as a driver of military innovation, saying he was "one of those people who completely rewrote the rules of the game on the battlefield". Fedorov had helped Ukraine first resist Russia's invasion and then regain the initiative by reshaping battlefield practices through new technologies, Crossetto said.
Fedorov, a 35-year-old tech-savvy reformer credited by supporters with boosting Ukraine's drone capabilities and pushing defence-sector reforms, was ousted as defence minister this month, a move that sparked rare wartime protests in Ukraine.
He was offered alternative roles by President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, but said he would not accept any other government role besides his former job.
Russia's central bank gingerly cuts rates, caught between business complaints and inflation
Saturday 25 July 2026 09:21 , Maira ButtRussia's central bank made a smaller than usual interest rate cut on Friday, a compromise move to support stagnating economic growth even as inflation fueled by war spending remains higher than the bank's target.
The quarter-point cut to 14% shows the bank slowing its pace of rate cuts from a peak of 21% last year. The bank had been cutting by at least a half-percentage point until a quarter-point cut on June 19.
The slowing pace of cuts appears to be a compromise between complaints from Russia's business lobby about high rates and the central bank's aim of reducing inflation to its target of 4% annually. High rates combat inflation but make life more expensive for businesses that want to borrow to invest or cover expenses.
Russia's central bank gingerly cuts rates, caught between business complaints and inflation
Watch: Zelensky reveals relationship with Trump was saved in 20 minute conversation at Vatican
Saturday 25 July 2026 08:30 , Maira ButtIn pictures: Aftermath of overnight Russian drone strike in Zaporizhzhia
Saturday 25 July 2026 08:00 , Maira Butt
BREAKING: Romanian fighter jet shoots down second drone breaching airspace
Saturday 25 July 2026 07:29 , Maira ButtA Romanian F-16 fighter jet has shot down a second drone breaching the country’s airspace on Saturday, the defence ministry has said.
On Friday F-16s shot down a drone encroaching Romanian airspace, the country’s president said.
Ukraine is still fortifying its border with Belarus years after Russia invaded from there
Saturday 25 July 2026 07:25 , Maira ButtMore than four years after Russia launched its assault on Kyiv from Belarus, Ukraine is still fortifying the border it shares with Moscow's ally. What was once a busy crossing between the two countries is now a quiet, mine-laden stretch of land closed off to civilians.
Roads near the 1,084-kilometer-long (673-mile-long) border are covered for long distances by anti-drone netting. The surrounding landscape is dominated by rows of razor wire and concrete anti-tank barriers known as “dragon’s teeth.”
The Associated Press visited parts of the border in northern Ukraine earlier this month, following a rise in tensions between the two countries; Ukraine demanded that Belarus shut down communications relay stations Russia had installed to boost the range of its drones attacking Ukrainian cities.
Ukraine is still fortifying its border with Belarus years after Russia invaded from there
White House says Trump, Zelensky to meet in Washington next week
Saturday 25 July 2026 06:30 , Namita SinghA Ukrainian source said Zelenskiy was interested in travelling to the United States but his team was waiting for official confirmation of Trump's schedule from the White House.
The source added that Ukrainians and US officials had been discussing a proposal for an air ceasefire to take to Russian officials, as part of a new round of peace proposals to try to end the war that began in 2022 with Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
The source said Ukraine had approached Russian president Vladimir Putin in the past with offers of a ceasefire, which had been turned down. However, some officials believe that pressure on Russia's economy from ongoing Ukrainian drone and missile strikes may soften Putin's stance.
Zelensky spoke on Wednesday with US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner about the prospects for renewed peace talks with Russia, and said that Ukrainian and US officials could meet in the United States in the coming days.
Acting Ukrainian defence minister Yevhenii Khmara, writing on Telegram, said he and new Commander-in-Chief Mykhailo Drapatyi had met US ambassador to Nato Matthew Whitaker on Friday in Kyiv and discussed different factors in confronting Russia on the battlefield.
"We have a strong synergy and shared vision of the war with Commander Drapatyi: technological superiority, asymmetric solutions, and more opportunities to destroy the enemy," Khmara said.
"We informed our partners about the situation on the front and Ukraine's steps to force Russia into a fair peace."
Earlier on Friday, right-wing activist and Trump ally Laura Loomer interviewed Zelensky and said he had told her he would likely be in the United States next week for a trip that would include a meeting with Trump.
Loomer, in a post on X, added that Zelensky said he would attend the funeral for US Senator Lindsey Graham, who died earlier this month.
Ukrainians back ousted defence minister as political crisis brews
Saturday 25 July 2026 06:00 , Namita SinghProtesters in Kyiv on Friday announced an open-ended rally demanding that pesident Volodymyr Zelensky reappoint ousted defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov after a badly explained government reshuffle escalated into a political crisis.
The protest peaked last week, when thousands of angry Ukrainians took to the streets to insist on Fedorov's reinstatement and dismissal of then commander-in-chief Oleksandr Syrskyi, whom some accused of disregarding servicemen's lives and stalling army modernisation.
But even as Zelensky replaced Syrskyi with respected commander Mykhailo Drapatyi, hundreds of people returned outside the presidential office on Friday to press on.
"We stood, `we stand, and we will stand," they chanted. Protest organiser Dmytro Koziatynskyi, a military veteran, told Reuters he believed people were ready to keep it on "as long as it takes".
Zelensky, who previously argued Fedorov's dismissal was due to irreparable conflict with Syrskyi, presented him with a choice of several roles, including vice prime minister for defence innovation. But a 35-year-old credited with cleaning up the defence ministry publicly dismissed the offer. Fedorov said none of the posts had actual authority to proceed with necessary reforms.
"We don't need Fedorov just as a figurehead. We need Fedorov as a young reformer. And unfortunately, the posts offered by the president do not carry sufficient influence or provide the necessary tools to press on with reform," Koziatynskyi added.
Zelensky says US and Ukraine moving forward on joint drone production
Saturday 25 July 2026 05:30 , Namita SinghPresident Volodymyr Zelensky said in an interview broadcast on Friday that cooperation between Kyiv and Washington on drones would include a US factory to produce the unmanned aerial vehicles using Ukraine's advanced technology.
Zelensky, interviewed by US right-wing blogger Laura Loomer, said Ukraine wanted to build quickly on an initial agreement on drones clinched with Washington.
The Ukrainian president said drone technology was undergoing constant change, with Ukrainian drones now able to operate over 3,000km with the prospect of even longer distances.
Ukraine has excelled at drone innovation as it has pursued asymmetrical warfare against Russia during their four-year-old conflict, and Kyiv has shared its advances with some allies.
"Important technology. This is what we have. And America has great technology. Our drone deal is win-win," he said in the interview made available on X.
"We will build a great factory in the United States. We want to (have) lines of production," he said.
In Washington, a source familiar with the matter said details of an agreement were still being worked out ahead of Zelensky's talks with US president Donald Trump, scheduled for Tuesday, according to a White House official.
Reuters, in a report from Kyiv quoting a source familiar with the matter, said Ukraine had agreed to export drones to the United States to participate in the Pentagon's Drone Dominance programme.
Six Ukrainian companies have received permission to export about 100 drones each, the source said,
Russian aerial bomb kills five in eastern Ukraine
Saturday 25 July 2026 05:00 , Namita SinghIn eastern Ukraine, a Russian aerial bomb attack killed five people and injured nine in the city of Sloviansk, Regional Governor Vadym Filashkin said on Friday.
He later said that a new Russian strike on the city in the evening injured 16 people and damaged residential buildings. In Sumy region, a frequent Russian target on Ukraine's northern border, a Russian drone strike killed two people, Regional governor Oleh Hryhorov said on Telegram.
And in the southeastern city of Zaporizhzhia, a Russian strike set fire to a shopping centre, injuring a number of people, the regional governor said. Both sides deny targeting civilians in the war launched by Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022.
