Ukraine-Russia latest: Kyiv’s ‘audacious’ Kursk incursion has Moscow elites questioning war, CIA chief says

Ukraine’s incursion into Kursk has caused Russian elites to question Vladimir Putin’s war, CIA director William Burns has said.

Speaking in London alongside MI6 chief Sir Richard Moore, who praised the “audacious” incursion, the CIA chief said he did not see any evidence that Mr Putin's grip on power was weakening as a result, but that “it did raise questions on the part of people we could see across the Russian elite about where is this all headed”.

Warning that Britain and the US face “an unprecedented array of threats”, the spymasters warned that staying the course in resisting Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine “is more vital than ever”.

And CIA director William Burns warned of the growing and “troubling” defence relationship between Russia, Iran, China and North Korea, as reports claim the US has warned allies that it believes Tehran has sent ballistic missiles to Russia, in what the White House said would mark a “dramatic escalation” in their relationship.

Moscow launched a fresh round of drone attacks on Kyiv in the early hours of Monday.

Key Points

• Ukraine’s Kursk incursion has left Russian elites questioning war, CIA chief says

• Iran sending Russia ballistic missiles would mark ‘dramatic escalation’, warns White House

• Russia lost 6,000 troops in Kursk, claims Volodymyr Zelensky

• Zelensky presses for long-range strike support

• UK to send 650 air defence missiles worth £162m to Ukraine

Russian forces ‘advancing’ in Donetsk, analysts say

15:41 , Andy Gregory

An update published on Saturday evening by DeepState, a Ukrainian battlefield analysis site, said Russian forces had “advanced” in the Donetsk town of Novohrodivka and captured Nevelske, a village in the south-east of the Pokrovsk district.

Pokrovsk, which had a pre-war population of about 60,000, is one of Ukraine’s main defensive strongholds and a key logistics hub in the Donetsk region.

Its capture would compromise Ukraine’s defence and supply routes, and bring Russia closer to its stated aim of capturing the entire Donetsk region.

Trump’s ideas on Ukraine are ‘very dangerous’, warns former UK-US ambassador

15:06 , Andy Gregory

A former British ambassador to the US has warned that he worries “more about a Trump second term than his first term”, labelling the former president’s foreign policy “dangerous”.

Speaking on Sky News’ Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips programme, Lord Kim Darroch – who was forced to quit his stateside role in 2019 after cables in which he called the Trump administration “dysfunctional” were leaked – said he thought Britain would find it “difficult” to deal with Donald Trump.

Asked whether his views had changed since then, Lord Darroch said: “I worry more about a Trump second term than his first term because first of all, he will be better prepared. He will have a greater understanding of how to get his agenda through.

“Second, foreign policy, which is my area, his ideas on Ukraine, his comments on Nato, his threats of imposing tariffs on the rest of the world. This is all very dangerous stuff.”

Nato condemns ‘irresponsible’ Russian attacks as Romania searches for drone debris

14:37 , Andy Gregory

Mircea Geoana, Nato’s outgoing deputy secretary-general and Romania’s former top diplomat, has condemned Russia’s “irresponsible and potentially dangerous” actions after Romania reported that a Russian drone had violated its airspace.

The incident occurred as Russia carried out attacks on "civilian targets and port infrastructure" across the Danube River in Ukraine, Romania's Ministry of National Defence said.

Romania deployed F-16 warplanes to monitor its airspace, and Nato allies were kept informed, the ministry said. Romanian emergency authorities also issued text alerts to residents of two eastern regions.

Preliminary data indicates there may be an “impact zone” in an uninhabited area near the Romanian village of Periprava, the ministry said. It added that an investigation is underway.

Writing on X, Mr Geoana said: “While we have no information indicating an intentional attack by Russia against Allies, these acts are irresponsible and potentially dangerous.”

RT will continue to work around Western sanctions, editor claims

14:10 , Andy Gregory

Russian state media outlet RT will continue to work in the West by seeking to work around any limits or sanctions, its editor-in-chief Margarita Simonyan has claimed.

The United States this week announced sanctions targeting RT and Ms Simonyan as it filed money-laundering charges against two employees of RT for an alleged scheme to hire an American company to produce online content to influence the 2024 election.

Ms Simonyan, whom Washington dubbed “a central figure in Russian government malign influence efforts”, said on RT that the West had been cracking down on the network since 2014, when Russia unilaterally annexed Crimea, and more strongly since the start of Russia’s invasion in 2022.

“We stayed in those countries, we worked there, and we shall work there – just not now in a straight line,” Ms Simonyan said. “We will continue to do that as far as we can – so far it is working out – it’s almost like an exquisite gambling thrill.”

“They close entry to us, and we will go through the window, close the window and we will go through the vents and we will see what holes there are in the organism of the United States of America.”

Three women killed by Russian shelling in Donetsk village, governor says

13:46 , Andy Gregory

Russian shelling has killed three women in the Donetsk village of Cherkaske, the region’s governor has said, urging residents to flee.

Vadym Filashkin said Russian forces hit the village with cluster munitions in the morning, killing the women, aged 43, 45, and 53, wounding a man, and damaging at least nine private houses and cars.

Russian artillery, bombs and missiles have been hitting settlements in the Donetsk region for months, with Ukraine’s military reporting around 100 clashes in the Donetsk region over the past 24 hours in its daily frontline update.

Romania looking for possible drone fragments after Russian attack on Ukraine

13:25 , Andy Gregory

Romania was looking for possible drone fragments after its national airspace was breached during an overnight Russian attack on neighbouring Ukraine, its defence ministry has said.

Ukraine’s air defence units destroyed 15 of 23 attack drones and one guided air missile launched by Russia overnight, Ukraine’s air force said on Sunday.

During the strike, “the radar supervision system identified and tracked the path of a drone which entered national airspace and then exited towards Ukraine”, Romania’s defence ministry said, condemning the attack.

Romania scrambled two F-16 fighter jets to monitor the attack. Residents of the southeastern Romanian counties of Tulcea and Constanta were warned to take cover.

“From existing data, the possibility of an impact zone on national territory was identified, in an uninhabited area near the village of Periprava,” the ministry added.

Zelensky continues reset of his team after announcing largest reshuffle of Russian war

12:58 , Andy Gregory

Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky has continued to reset his team after ordering the largest government reshuffle since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

After declaring that Kyiv’s government needs “new energy”, Mr Zelensky published several decrees on new appointments in his office on Sunday, including that of former arms production minister Oleksandr Kamyshin as an external adviser for strategic issues.

“I will continue to work for our defence industry,” Mr Kamyshin said shortly after his appointment.

Mr Kamyshin oversaw a significant increase in Ukraine’s domestic arms production in recent years and was a driving force in efforts to bring more Western financing, experience, and technologies into the Ukrainian weapon production industry.

Mr Zelensky also appointed Viktor Mykyta, the governor of the western Zakarpattia region, as a new deputy head of his office to oversee the regions.

Mr Mykyta said that one of his key tasks would be to ensure the efficient work of military administrations in the regions and develop communication and trust between authorities, local communities and businesses.

Russian hackers charged over cyberattacks in US

12:30 , Andy Gregory

US prosecutors have brought new charges against members of Russia’s military intelligence service and an alleged conspirator, accusing them of engaging in a hacking campaign to “sow concern among Ukrainian citizens” regarding their government’s cybersecurity.

Myriam Page has more in this report:

Russian hackers charged over cyberattacks in US

Coming weeks ‘critically important’ for Ukraine, says Starmer

11:34 , Andy Gregory

Sir Keir Starmer has warned that the coming weeks and months “are critically important” for Ukraine.

Asked about the US presidential election, he told the BBC: “As the prime minister of the United Kingdom, I will deal with whoever the American people elect as their president. But I think it’s very important to remember particularly for Ukraine and the Middle East, the next few weeks and months are critically important.

“And therefore it’s important for me to speak to President Biden about our shared response, the response of our allies, to the pressing immediate issues, but also the more strategic long-term issues.”

Pressed that it sounds as though he is gearing up to announce either more funding or support for Kyiv to use Western weapons inside Russia, Sir Keir continued: “We’ve put more support in in terms of capabilities.

“In relation to specific capabilities, then you’ll understand I’m not going to get into a discussion about that on live television. But of course I want to make sure that we give Ukraine the support it needs – for as long as it needs it.”

Starmer says his US visit is ‘because situation in Ukraine is becoming ever more pressing’

10:41 , Andy Gregory

Sir Keir Starmer has said that he is visiting the United States next week “because the situation in Ukraine is becoming ever more pressing, as is the situation in the Middle East”.

Speaking to the BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg, the prime minister said he had been talking to Nato allies “about the tactical decision we have to make in relation to Ukraine and the Middle East, and we’ve coordinated a lot of our messaging and action, as you’d expect”.

“But I also want to have the opporunity for is a more strategic discussion about the next few months in relation to Ukraine and the Middle East. So it’s that more strategic discussion that will be the central focus of the visit next week,” Sir Keir said.

Russia claims to seize Donetsk town eight miles from Pokrovsk

10:12 , Andy Gregory

Russian forces have taken control of the Donetsk town of Novohrodivka, the RIA news agency reported, citing Russia's defence ministry.

Novohrodivka lies some 8 miles from Pokrovsk, the key supply hub upon which Vladimir Putin’s forces have been intent on seizing in recent months.

Portugal calls on EU to begin preparations for Ukraine to join

09:45 , Andy Gregory

Portugal is advocating for the European Union to begin preparations for Ukraine’s entry into the bloc, Bloomberg reports.

During an interview at a conference at Lake Como, the country’s foreign minister Paulo Rangel told the outlet that Portugal is very engaged in the EU enlargement process, adding: “We need to prepare to receive Ukraine in the EU when that’s possible,” he added.

That process “will require a financial and institutional reform that we should take care of immediately”, Mr Rangel said.

He added that Ukraine’s incursion into Russia’s Kursk region “has clearly changed the perception of the balance of the war”, while calling for negotiations toward a peace process, Bloomberg reported.

Ukraine’s Kursk incursion left Moscow elites questioning war, CIA chief says

09:17 , Andy Gregory

Ukraine’s incursion into Kursk has caused Russian elites to question Vladimir Putin’s war, CIA director William Burns has said.

Speaking in London alongside MI6 chief Sir Richard Moore, who praised the “audacious” incursion, Mr Burns said he did not see any evidence that Mr Putin's grip on power was weakening as a result, but that “it did raise questions on the part of people we could see across the Russian elite about where is this all headed”.

You can read more on the spymasters’ remarks here:

World order under threat ‘not seen since Cold War’, say MI6 and CIA chiefs

MI6 and CIA chiefs accuse Russia of ‘reckless campaign of sabotage across Europe'

09:17 , Andy Gregory

The international world order is under threat in a way not seen since the Cold War, the heads of MI6 and the CIA have warned.

In the first joint op-ed penned by the leaders of the British and American intelligence services in their shared 77-year history, the MI6 chief Sir Richard Moore and CIA director William Burns warned that both countries now “face an unprecedented array of threats”.

Writing in the Financial Times, the intelligence leaders warned that staying the course in resisting Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine “is more vital than ever”, saying that Russia “will not succeed in extinguishing Ukraine’s sovereignty and independence”.

The spymasters criticised the “reckless campaign of sabotage across Europe being waged by Russian intelligence, and its cynical use of technology to spread lies and disinformation designed to drive wedges between us”.

World order under threat ‘not seen since Cold War’, say MI6 and CIA chiefs

US ‘tells allies Iran has sent missiles to Moscow'

08:50 , Andy Gregory

The United States has informed allies that it believes Iran has transferred short-range ballistic missiles to Russia for its war in Ukraine, the Associated Press reports, citing sources.

It is the latest such report in recent days to suggest Tehran has sent missiles to Moscow.

The White House has not confirmed the claims, but spokesperson Sean Savett said in a statement: “Any transfer of Iranian ballistic missiles to Russia would represent a dramatic escalation in Iran’s support for Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine and lead to the killing of more Ukrainian civilians.”

US secretary of state Anthony Blinken to discuss Ukraine on trip to Britain

08:22 , Andy Gregory

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken plans to travel to the UK on Monday to open the US-UK Strategic Dialogue, “reaffirming our special relationship,, his department has said.

Mr Blinken will discuss collective efforts to support Ukraine in Russia’s war, as well as the Indo-Pacific and the Aukus defence pact, the US State Department said.

Two killed in overnight Russian air strike on Sumy, officials say

07:55 , Andy Gregory

Two people died and four were injured as a result of an overnight Russian air strike on Sumy, local officials in the Ukrainian border region have said.

Two children were among the injured, and several residential houses and cars were damaged in the strike, Sumy’s military administration said.

Sumy has been subject to frequent attacks by Russian forces, and has been cited as a reason for Ukraine’s incursion into the neighbouring Russian Kursk region in order to hamper the Russians’ ability to launch such attacks on Sumy.

Russia uses 23 drones and four missiles in overnight attack on Ukraine

07:26 , Andy Gregory

Ukraine’s air defence units destroyed 15 of 23 attack drones and one guided air missile launched by Russia overnight, Kyiv’s air force has said.

Two of the drones and three other missiles did not reach their targets, the air force said. Those drones likely were intercepted by Ukraine’s electronic warfare systems, it added

Italy’s Meloni vows unwavering support for Ukraine

07:00 , Holly Evans

Italian premier Giorgia Meloni has pledged unwavering support for Ukraine after a meeting with president Volodymyr Zelensky, warning that the conflict cannot be resolved by abandoning Kyiv.

The hard-right prime minister met the Ukrainian leader on the sidelines of the annual TEHA business forum on Lake Como, as Italy prepares to host next year’s conference on Ukraine’s reconstruction.

Ms Meloni told the forum Italy would never backtrack on its support for Ukraine. “It’s a choice that won’t change,” she said, adding that China and India also had a “role to play” in resolving the conflict. “The only thing that cannot happen is to think that the conflict can be solved by abandoning Ukraine.”

Putin has two secret sons with gymnast who live life of luxury isolated from world

06:00 , Holly Evans

Russian president Vladimir Putin has two secret sons who live an isolated life of luxury in a heavily-guarded mansion, according to a Russian investigative journalism website.

The Dossier Centre reported that Ivan, nine, and Vladimir Jr, five, spend most of the year at their father’s vast mansion near Lake Valdai, northwest of Moscow.

Their mother is Alina Kabaeva, the former Olympic rhythmic gymnast whose relationship with Putin has been an open secret in Russia for more than a decade, the Dossier Centre claim.

Read the full article here:

Putin has two secret sons with gymnast who live life of luxury isolated from world

Kyiv continues strikes against Russia

05:00 , Holly Evans

Kyiv has continued to launch its own strikes against Russia. In the Russian border region of Voronezh Saturday, Gov. Aleksandr Gusev said that a drone strike had sparked a fire and the detonation of “explosive objects.”

Writing on social media, he said that a state of emergency had been declared for the region’s Ostrogozhsky district and that several villages had been evacuated.

He did not provide the names of the villages affected and urged followers not to share photos or videos of the fire that could be geolocated.

US and UK spy chiefs praise Ukraine's 'audacious' Russia incursion

04:12 , Namita Singh

The heads of the British and American foreign intelligence agencies said on Saturday that Ukraine’s surprise incursion into Russia is a significant achievement that could change the narrative of the grinding war, as they urged Kyiv’s allies not to be held back by Russian threats of escalation.

Richard Moore, the head of MI6, said Kyiv’s surprise August offensive to seize territory in Russia’s Kursk region was “typically audacious and bold on the part of the Ukrainians, to try and change the game”.

He said the offensive — which Ukraine said has captured about 1,300sq km of Russian territory — had “brought the war home to ordinary Russians”.

Speaking alongside Mr Moore at an unprecedented joint public event in London, CIA Director William Burns said the offensive was a “significant tactical achievement” that had exposed vulnerabilities in the Russian military.

It has yet to be seen whether Ukraine can turn the gains into a long-term advantage.

Iran denies sending ballistic missiles to Russia

04:02 , Namita Singh

Iran has denied providing Russia with weapons for its war in Ukraine.

“Iran considers the provision of military assistance to the parties engaged in the conflict — which leads to increased human casualties, destruction of infrastructure, and a distancing from ceasefire negotiations — to be inhumane,” according to a statement from Iran’s mission to the United Nations.

“Thus, not only does Iran abstain from engaging in such actions itself, but it also calls upon other countries to cease the supply of weapons to the sides involved in the conflict.”

‘I could die any moment’: Indians forced to fight for Russia in Ukraine say they feel abandoned by Delhi

04:00 , Holly Evans

“I want to see the clear blue sky that is not raining drones and missiles if I make it out of Russia alive,” says Hardeep Gill*, a 24-year-old Indian man caught in the middle of the first major European conflict since the Second World War, fighting for a country that isn’t his own.

Gill, from a city in Punjab, is one of nearly 100 Indian nationals who have found themselves fighting alongside the Russian army in Ukraine, many of them ensnared by human traffickers tasked with recruiting foreign fighters to bolster the ranks of Vladimir Putin’s army.

Gill speaks to The Independent from a frontline location in southern Ukraine, talking in Hindi via WhatsApp voice notes for fear of being caught by his Russian superiors.

“I could die any moment. I am in a dangerous place where we are being attacked by drones constantly,” Gill says.

Read the full article here:

‘I could die any moment’: The Indians forced to fight in another country’s war

‘Audacious’ Kursk incursion has ‘raised questions among Russian elite’, MI6 chief says

Saturday 7 September 2024 18:49 , Andy Gregory

Richard Moore, the head of MI6, has praised Kyiv’s surprise incursion into Russia’s Kursk region as “typically audacious and bold on the part of the Ukrainians, to try and change the game.”

Speaking alongside CIA director William Burns at an unprecedented joint public event in London, Sir Richard said the offensive had “brought the war home to ordinary Russians” and had raised “questions on the part of people we could see across the Russian elite about where is this all headed”.

Zelensky meets Netherlands politician Geert Wilders

Saturday 7 September 2024 17:07 , Andy Gregory

Volodymyr Zelensky has met Dutch politician Geert Wilders, the leader of the largest Dutch parliamentary party, at the Ambrosetti forum in Italy.

The Ukrainian president “thanked the Netherlands and the entire Dutch people for their comprehensive support of Ukraine: defence, financial and humanitarian”, a statement on Mr Zelensky’s website said.

The two men discussed Ukraine’s peace plan for ending the war with Russia, the statement added.

Iran appears to deny reports it has sent ballistic missiles to Russia

Saturday 7 September 2024 16:34 , Andy Gregory

Iran has appeared to deny reports carrying claims from senior Western officials that it has supplied hundreds of ballistic missiles to Russia.

Following reporting by CNN and the Wall Street Journal, Iran’s mission to the United Nations in New York said on Friday that Tehran’s position on the Ukraine conflict was unchanged.

“Iran considers the provision of military assistance to the parties engaged in the conflict - which leads to increased human casualties, destruction of infrastructure, and a distancing from ceasefire negotiations - to be inhumane,” it said.

“Thus, not only does Iran abstain from engaging in such actions itself, but it also calls upon other countries to cease the supply of weapons to the sides involved in the conflict.”

Iran sending Russia ballistic missiles would be ‘dramatic escalation’, warns CIA chief

Saturday 7 September 2024 15:50 , Andy Gregory

CIA director William Burns has warned of the growing and “troubling” defence relationship between Russia, China, Iran and North Korea

Speaking at an FT event following reports in the Wall Street Journal that Tehran had defied G7 threats of further sanctions by supplying Russia with hundreds of short-range ballistic missiles, Mr Burns warned that such a move would be a “dramatic escalation” of the relationship.

His comments echoed those of White House national security council spokesperson Sean Savett, who told reporters: “Any transfer of Iranian ballistic missiles to Russia would represent a dramatic escalation in Iran’s support for Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine.”

North Korea has sent ammunition and missiles to Russia to use against Ukraine, while Iran supplies Moscow with attack drones. Mr Burns said the CIA had yet to see evidence of China sending weapons to Russia, “but we see lot of things short of that.”

‘Too early’ to say how long Ukraine can hang on in Kursk, says MI6 chief

Saturday 7 September 2024 13:36 , Andy Gregory

The head of MI6, Richard Moore, has said it is “too early” to say how long Ukrainian forces would be able to hang on in Russia’s Kursk region.

Speaking at an FT event which Mr Moore also attended in London, CIA director William Burns called Ukraine’s Kursk offensive in Russia “a significant tactical achievement”.

Ukraine expresses concerns over reports of Iran sending ballistic missiles to Russia

Saturday 7 September 2024 13:08 , Andy Gregory

Ukraine’s foreign ministry has expressed its deep concerned over reports about a possible impending transfer of Iranian ballistic missiles to Russia.

The ministry said the deepening military co-operation between Tehran and Moscow was a threat to Ukraine, Europe and the Middle East, and called on the international community to increase pressure on Iran and Russia, after CNN and the Wall Street Journal reported that Iran had transferred short-range ballistic missiles to Russia.

Reuters reported in August that Russia was expecting the imminent delivery of hundreds of Fath-360 close-range ballistic missiles from Iran and that dozens of Russian military personnel were being trained in Iran on the satellite-guided weapons for eventual use in the war in Ukraine.

On Friday, the United States, a key ally of Ukraine, also voiced concern about the potential transfer of missiles.

“Any transfer of Iranian ballistic missiles to Russia would represent a dramatic escalation in Iran’s support for Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine,” White House national security council spokesperson Sean Savett said.

Air raid sirens sound as funerals held for victims of Poltava attack

Saturday 7 September 2024 12:21 , Andy Gregory

Funeral services have been held for victims of one of the deadliest Russian airstrikes since the war in Ukraine began, which president Volodymyr Zelensky said left 55 people dead and 328 injured in the city of Poltava.

Hundreds of mourners, including grieving families, local residents, and officials, gathered at the Cathedral of the Assumption in the city, some 200 miles southeast of Kyiv, for the solemn ceremony.

Relatives, many holding red carnations, stood over caskets placed outside the church, draped in yellow-and-blue Ukrainian flags. An air raid siren sounded during the service.

Local residents knelt in silent tribute as hearses carrying the victims passed by on their way to a military cemetery outside the city for burial.

Zelensky ‘discusses peace plan' with Italy’s Meloni

Saturday 7 September 2024 11:50 , Andy Gregory

Volodymyr Zelensky has discussed his peace plan to end the war with Russia and reconstruction with a focus on Ukraine’s energy system in a meeting with Italy’s premier Giorgia Meloni, the Ukrainian president said.

The two leaders met on the sidelines of the Ambrosetti Forum in Italy.

Russia claims to seize Donetsk village 20 miles east of Povrosk

Saturday 7 September 2024 10:47 , Andy Gregory

Russia’s defence ministry claims its troops have seized the Donetsk village of Kalynove.

Kalynove lies some 20 miles east of Povrosk, the key supply hub which Vladimir Putin’s forces are desperately seeking to seize in their current push on the eastern Ukrainian front line.

Three killed by Russian shelling in Donetsk town, governor says

Saturday 7 September 2024 10:01 , Andy Gregory

Three people have been killed and three others wounded by Russian artillery shelling of the eastern Ukrainian town of Kostyantynivka, Donetsk’s regional governor has said.

Three men aged between 24 and 69 were killed and a multi-storey block, administrative building and a shop were damaged, governor Vadym Filashkin said on Telegram.

Analysis | Ukraine’s attack on Russia started as a triumph – but could into a tragedy

Saturday 7 September 2024 09:22 , Andy Gregory

Ukraine’s counter-invasion of Russia saw it take more than 300 square miles of the Kursk region in its first month, raised morale at home and challenged a growing sense in the West that stalemate was the best Kyiv could hope for. Yet as a daring incursion looks set to become an open-ended occupation, doubts are growing about its long-term wisdom.

When Ukrainian forces crossed the Russian border on 6 August, Kyiv was tight-lipped about its objectives, both to keep Moscow guessing and also because it did not want to set itself up for a fall. It needed a victory for both foreign and domestic audiences.

Since then, though, the goals seem to have changed – and gaps opened between the military and political leadership.

Historian and author Mark Galeotti has more analysis on the incursion here:

Ukraine’s attack on Russia started as a triumph – but could yet turn into a tragedy

Drone debris found next to Ukraine’s parliament after overnight Russian attack

Saturday 7 September 2024 08:55 , Andy Gregory

Debris from a drone shot down in an overnight Russian attack was found next to Ukraine’s parliament building, Kyiv’s parliament said in a statement on Telegram.

Ukraine’s air force said earlier that Russia had launched 67 drones in a nationwide overnight attack.

Chair of Ukrainian parliament meets with House of Commons speaker

Saturday 7 September 2024 08:28 , Andy Gregory

The chair of the Ukrainian parliament has met with the speaker of the House of Commons Lindsay Hoyle at the sidelines of a G7 summit in Italy for parliamentary leaders.

Ruslan Stefanchuk thanked the UK for its support for Ukraine and stressed the importance that this remains unchanged, as he highlighted the need for Ukraine to be granted permission to strike military targets in russia with Western weapons, according to a statement issued by Ukrainian officials.

MI6 and CIA warn ‘staying the course’ in Ukraine is more vital than ever

Saturday 7 September 2024 08:03 , Andy Gregory

In their first ever joint statement, the heads of MI6 and the CIA have warned that “staying the course” in backing Ukraine’s fight against Russia was more important than ever and vowed to further their cooperation.

Writing in the Financial Times, CIA Director William Burns and Richard Moore, chief of the Secret Intelligence Service, said: “The partnership lies at the beating heart of the special relationship between our countries.”

The agencies “stand together in resisting an assertive Russia and Putin’s war of aggression against Ukraine,” they said, noting that their services marked 75 years of partnership two years ago.

“Staying the course is more vital than ever. Putin will not succeed in extinguishing Ukraine’s sovereignty and independence,” they said, adding that their agencies would continue aiding Ukrainian intelligence.

The spy chiefs said their agencies would keep working to thwart a “reckless campaign of sabotage across Europe by Russian intelligence” and its “cynical use of technology” to spread disinformation “to drive wedges between us.”

Russia launches 67 long-range drones in overnight attack on Ukraine

Saturday 7 September 2024 07:36 , Andy Gregory

Ukraine’s air force has said that Russia launched a total of 67 long-range drones in a mass overnight attack, 58 of which it was able to shoot down.

The air force said in a statement on the Telegram app that air defence units were scrambled into action in 11 regions across Ukraine.

The Ukraine invasion has made the Russians more ferocious

Saturday 7 September 2024 07:00 , Tom Watling

It feels like the Ukraine invasion has made the Russian invasion more ferocious

In Ukraine, a city grieves for a family killed in a deadly Russia missile attack

Saturday 7 September 2024 06:00 , Tom Watling

In Ukraine, a city grieves for a family killed in a deadly Russia missile attack

Behind enemy lines with Ukraine’s troops in Russia

Saturday 7 September 2024 05:00 , Tom Watling

Behind enemy lines with Ukraine’s troops in Russia

How it felt to cross the Russian border on a Ukrainian tank

Saturday 7 September 2024 04:00 , Tom Watling

How it felt to cross the Russian border on a Ukrainian tank

Poland ‘has duty’ to shoot down Russian missiles over Ukraine

Saturday 7 September 2024 03:00 , Tom Watling

Poland has duty to shoot down Russian missiles over Ukraine, minister says

Watch: Drone rains down molten thermite on Ukrainian battlefield

Saturday 7 September 2024 02:00 , Tom Watling

Watch: Drone rains down molten thermite on Ukrainian battlefield

Wearing prosthetics, Ukraine war veterans take to the runway as fashion week returns

Saturday 7 September 2024 01:00 , Tom Watling

Wearing prosthetics, Ukraine war veterans take to the runway as fashion week returns

BBC Two’s The Zelensky Story is gripping and immensely moving

Saturday 7 September 2024 00:00 , Tom Watling

The Zelensky Story: Meticulous study of Ukraine’s president is immensely moving

Zelensky’s latest reshuffle of his top team has one major aim

Friday 6 September 2024 23:00 , Tom Watling

Zelensky’s latest cabinet reshuffle seeks to project strength before a tough winter

Russian hackers charged over cyberattacks in US

Friday 6 September 2024 22:00 , Tom Watling

Russian hackers charged over cyberattacks in US

Zelensky says Ukraine has to be in a strong position for any negotiations

Friday 6 September 2024 21:00 , Tom Watling

President Volodymyr Zelensky has said that Ukraine needs the full support of its allies to be in a strong position for any future negotiations with Russia, and called on the West to help Ukraine conduct long-range strikes into Russia.

Zelensky, who was speaking at a forum in Italy, said Ukraine would like to strike specifically at Russian military airfields at a range of up to 300 km (186 miles).

In Ukraine, a city grieves for a family killed in a deadly Russia missile attack

Friday 6 September 2024 20:00 , Tom Watling

In Ukraine, a city grieves for a family killed in a deadly Russia missile attack

Zelensky thanks US for latest military package

Friday 6 September 2024 18:57 , Tom Watling

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has thanked the US for the latest military package, which includes much-needed artillery shells and fighting vehicles, in a statement on X, formerly Twitter.

Watch live as Zelensky addresses political leaders at business conference in Italy

Friday 6 September 2024 18:24 , Tom Watling

Watch live as Zelensky addresses political leaders at business conference in Italy

‘I could die any moment’: Indians forced to fight for Russia in Ukraine say they feel abandoned by Delhi

Friday 6 September 2024 17:55 , Tom Watling

‘I could die any moment’: The Indians forced to fight in another country’s war

It feels like the Ukraine invasion has made the Russian invasion more ferocious

Friday 6 September 2024 17:23 , Tom Watling

It feels like the Ukraine invasion has made the Russian invasion more ferocious

US announces £190 million military package to Ukraine

Friday 6 September 2024 16:49 , Tom Watling

The US has announced a £190 million military package to Ukraine, the sixty-fifth tranche of support.

Included in the latest package are artillery shells, infantry fighting vehicles and patrol boats.

You can see the full readout of the package here.

Ukraine investigates new alleged murders of POWs by Russian troops

Friday 6 September 2024 16:19 , Tom Watling

Ukrainian prosecutors said on Friday they had launched an investigation into the alleged Russian shooting of three surrendering Ukrainian servicemen on the eastern front near Pokrovsk, the main focus of Russia’s assault.

Describing the latest in scores of such incidents Ukraine has reported, the Prosecutor General’s office said on Telegram that it took place after Russian troops attacked a trench used by the Ukrainian military for cover on Aug. 27.

“The soldiers came out of the damaged shelter and knelt down, holding their hands behind their heads. At this time, Russians opened fire,” the statement said.

CNN obtained Ukrainian drone footage showing the supposed execution. Three kneeled men could be seen on the video, falling on the ground within seconds after the apparent shooting.

Reuters could not independently verify the video clip. There was no immediate comment from Russia.

Andriy Kostin, the prosecutor general, said on X that Kyiv was investigating alleged executions of 73 Ukrainian prisoners carried out by Russian troops.

He said an increasing number of such cases had been documented.

Zelensky says he discussed second peace summit with Scholz

Friday 6 September 2024 15:47 , Tom Watling

President Volodymyr Zelensky met German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Friday to discuss preparations for the second summit on peace in Ukraine.

“I greatly appreciate sharing our efforts to bring a just peace closer,” Zelensky said on X.

Ukrainian father attends the funeral of his family

Friday 6 September 2024 15:20 , Tom Watling

A Ukrainian father whose wife and three daughters were killed in a Russian missile strike on their house in the western city of Lviv has attended their funeral.

Yaroslav Bazylevych was pictured at the ceremony earlier on Friday.

Hundreds of Lviv residents paid their respects to Yaroslav’s wife, Evgenia, and the couple’s three daughters Yaryna, 21, Darina, 18 and Darina, 7.

Their story captured the attention of Ukrainians already well-used to tragedy at the hands of Russian aerial attacks.

Russia says it takes control of the village of Zhuravka in eastern Ukraine

Friday 6 September 2024 14:39 , Alexander Butler

Russian forces have taken control of the village of Zhuravka in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region, Russia’s Defence ministry said on Friday. The report could not be independently verified.

Ukraine presses for long-range strike support

Friday 6 September 2024 14:09 , Alexander Butler

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky urged Western allies on Friday to ignore Moscow’s “red lines” and allow Kyiv to use long-range weapons for strikes on Russian territory.

Zelensky made his first appearance at a regular US-hosted gathering of Ukraine’s allies at Ramstein Air Base in Germany on Friday.

“We need to have this long-range capability not only on the occupied territory of Ukraine, but also on Russian territory, yes, so that Russia is motivated to seek peace,” Zelensky said.

Kremlin says US pressure on Russian media is unacceptable after TV presenter charged

Friday 6 September 2024 13:55 , Alexander Butler

The Kremlin on Friday accused the United States of applying unacceptable pressure to Russian media after the US Justice Department charged Virginia-based Russian TV contributor Dimitri Simes and his wife with schemes to violate US sanctions.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that Washington was trying to ensure that Moscow’s own perspective on world affairs was not available to people.

Russia lost 6,000 troops in Kursk, says Zelensky

Friday 6 September 2024 13:54 , Alexander Butler

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky claimed on Friday that Russia has lost 6,000 troops during Kyiv’s invasion of Kursk.

The Ukrainian president made the claim at the Ramstein Air Base in Germany, where he repeated calls for Western nations to expedite the delivery of air defence systems and long-range missiles.

Kremlin says people must judge for themselves if Putin was serious about backing Kamala Harris

Friday 6 September 2024 13:00 , Alexander Butler

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, asked if President Vladimir Putin’s stated support for U.S. presidential candidate Kamala Harris was serious or a joke, said people would have to figure it out for themselves.

Putin said on Thursday that Russia wants Harris to win the November election, in a teasing comment that cited her “infectious” laugh as a reason to prefer her over Donald Trump.

Canada to supply Ukraine with over 80,000 unarmed small rockets, some warheads

Friday 6 September 2024 12:30 , Alexander Butler

Canada plans to send 80,840 surplus small unarmed air-to-surface rockets to Ukraine as well as 1,300 warheads in the coming months, Defense Minister Bill Blair said in a statement on Friday.

Canada announced an initial shipment of 2,160 unarmed CRV7 rockets in June. Each CRV7 rocket can be equipped with warheads designed variously to hit buildings, tanks or soldiers.

Canada will also donate chassis assemblies from 29 M113 armored personnel carriers and 64 Coyote armored cars, which the Canadian armed forces are no longer using, Blair said.

Poland to charge three Belarusians for diverting Ryanair flight in 2021

Friday 6 September 2024 10:14 , Alexander Butler

Polish prosecutors have enough evidence to charge three Belarusian citizens over the forced landing in Minsk in 2021 of a civilian airliner carrying an opposition journalist, who was then arrested, Polish authorities said on Friday.

In what some EU leaders at the time called a hijacking, the Ryanair flight from Athens to Lithuania was diverted to the capital of Belarus escorted by a MiG-29 fighter jet.

On landing, dissident Belarusian journalist Roman Protasevich and his Russian girlfriend Sofia Sapega were taken into custody.

Zelensky visits Germany to discuss air defence

Friday 6 September 2024 09:19 , Alexander Butler

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has arrived in Germany to discuss air defence and weapons delivery.

Zelensky said Ukraine needed strong decisions on long-range strikes to bring a “just peace” closer as Vladimir Putin ramped up his aerial strikes.

He will travel to Italy after visiting Germany, according to the statement posted on the Telegram messaging app.

Ukraine shoots down just over half of 44 Russian missiles

Friday 6 September 2024 09:00 , Alexander Butler

Ukraine shot down just over half of 44 Russian drones launched at the country overnight, Kyiv’s air force said.

Two missiles were also used in the attack. It comes as Vladimir Putin continued to ramp up Russia’s aerial attacks on Ukraine following Kyiv’s cross-border incursion into Kursk one month ago.

Defence secretary John Healey, who is said to want to be known as the most pro-Ukrainian minister in the British government, will also send 650 Lightweight Multirole Missile (LMM) systems to Kyiv this year.

Putin has two secret sons with gymnast who live life of luxury

Friday 6 September 2024 08:00 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Russian president Vladimir Putin has two secret sons who live an isolated life of luxury in a heavily guarded mansion, according to a Russian investigative journalism website.

The Dossier Centre reported that Ivan, nine, and Vladimir Jr, five, spend most of the year at their father’s vast mansion near Lake Valdai, northwest of Moscow.

Their mother is Alina Kabaeva, the former Olympic rhythmic gymnast whose relationship with Putin has been an open secret in Russia for more than a decade, the Dossier Centre claims.

More here.

Putin has two secret sons with gymnast who live life of luxury isolated from world

Poland ‘has duty’ to shoot down Russian missiles over Ukraine

Friday 6 September 2024 07:30 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Poland has duty to shoot down Russian missiles over Ukraine, minister says

In pics: Rescuers dig through rubble to find survivors in Poltava

Friday 6 September 2024 07:00 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Ukraine military commander says Kursk offensive ‘working'

Friday 6 September 2024 06:33 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Ukraine’s top military commander defended Kyiv’s incursion into Russia’s Kursk region, claiming it deterred Russia from advancing on a key area of the eastern front in Ukraine.

Col Gen Oleksandr Syrski told CNN that the offensive has been effective and the strategy was working.

“Over the past six days, the enemy hasn’t advanced a single metre in the Pokrovsk direction,” he said. “In other words, our strategy is working.”

“We’ve taken away their ability to maneuver and to deploy their reinforcement forces from other directions … and this weakening has definitely been felt in other areas.”

Syrskyi said his forces control nearly 1,300sq km and about 100 settlements in the Kursk region after Ukraine launched a surprise offensive on 6 August.