Trump offers to ‘settle’ invasion as Biden calls Putin ‘war criminal’ at debate

Donald Trump has offered to “settle the war” in Ukraine started by Vladimir Putin as he suggested Russia would have never attacked its smaller neighbour if the US had a “real president” in the office.

“Before I take office on 20 January, I’ll have that war settled,” he said at the first presidential debate with Joe Biden.

However, Mr Biden called Mr Putin a “war criminal” and warned that if Russia is allowed to succeed, the Russian president would not stop at Kyiv. “He wants all of Ukraine. That’s what he wants,” Mr Biden said. “He’s killed thousands and thousands of people,” the US president said.

Mr Putin was repeatedly referenced by both US presidential candidates during Thursday’s election debate as they vied to show who was tougher on foreign policy. “Go ahead, let Putin go in and control Ukraine, and then move on to Poland and other places. See what happens then. He has no idea what the hell he’s talking about,” Mr Biden said of Mr Trump.

This comes as Ukraine’s military said its forces had forced Russian troops out of a district in the town of Chasiv Yar on the war’s eastern front seen as Moscow’s next target in its slow advance through the area.

Key points

• Trump, Biden fight it out on Ukraine war at presidential debate

• Russia mulling downgrading ties with ‘hostile’ West, Kremlin says

• Putin’s troops pushed out of part of key eastern town, says Ukraine

• Ukrainian drone strikes fuel depot in Russia’s Tambov

A look at Yekaterinburg, the Russian city where US reporter has gone on trial

17:30 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

A look at Yekaterinburg, the Russian city where US reporter has gone on trial

Russia warns it can take unspecified measures in response to US drone flights over Black Sea

16:30 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Russia‘s Defense Minister ordered officials to prepare a “response” to U.S. drone flights over the Black Sea, the ministry said Friday, in an apparent warning that Moscow may take forceful action to ward off the American reconnaissance aircraft.

The Russian Defense Ministry noted a recent “increased intensity” of U.S. drones over the Black Sea, saying they “conduct intelligence and targeting for precision weapons supplied to the Ukrainian military by Western countries for strikes on Russian facilities.”

“It shows an increased involvement of the U.S. and other NATO countries in the conflict in Ukraine on the side of the Kyiv regime,” the ministry said in a statement.

Russia warns it can take unspecified measures in response to US drone flights over Black Sea

EU imposes measures against two businessmen over Russia’s war in Ukraine

15:49 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

The European Union has imposed restrictive measures against the businessmen Dmitry Beloglazov and Mikhail Kontserev for trying to circumvent EU sanctions and for their roles in aiding Russia‘s war in Ukraine, said the EU Council on Friday.

The EU said the two businessmen were now subject to an asset freeze and would be banned from entering or transiting through EU territories.

Ukraine says it destroyed Russian space communication centre in Crimea

15:30 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

The Ukrainian defence ministry said on Friday the Ukrainian military destroyed the Russian space communication centre in Moscow-occupied Crimea in an attack this week.

In a statement on Telegram, the ministry described the target as a valuable military component in satellite communication and navigation system for Russian troops.

Reuters could not independently verify the statement. On Monday, local social media chats reported explosions near the village of Vitino on the Crimean Peninsula where the centre is located.

What to know from the first day of US journalist Evan Gershkovich’s trial in Russia

15:10 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Here’s a look at what we know about the first day of the trial for Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, who has been charged in Russia with espionage — charges that he, his employer and the U.S. government deny.

What to know from the first day of US journalist Evan Gershkovich’s trial in Russia

Annual allied military aid $60 billion for next four years, says Ukraine PM

14:38 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said on Friday that military pledges outlined in 20 security agreements Kyiv has signed with its partners total $60 billion annually for the next four years.

Kyiv relies heavily on military support from partners while it repels a 28-month-old Russian full-scale invasion.

The 10-year agreements, including with the EU and the U.S., set out commitments on long-term military and other assistance and pledge to hold immediate consultations to decide on the next steps in the event of a future Russian attack after the current conflict has ended.

“According to these agreements, in the next four years, our partners plan to provide Ukraine with total military support worth $60 billion annually,” Shmyhal said during a governmental meeting. He did not provide breakdown of funding sources.

The agreements are struck bilaterally and are all different.

For instance, the text of the first deal signed with Britain says the country will provide Ukraine with a further 2.5 billion pounds ($3.16 billion) of support.

Estonia, according to its agreement, “has set the target” to allocate at least 0.25% of GDP annually for military support in 2024-27.

Ukraine’s president urges EU leaders to make good on their arms promises

14:15 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Ukraine’s president called on European Union leaders on Thursday to make good on their pledges to provide military equipment to his war-ravaged country, just days after the bloc launched membership talks with his government.

“We have to work on next steps,” President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told reporters in Brussels as he arrived to attend a summit of EU leaders. He said he and the leaders would discuss “the urgent things -– air defense, that is one.”

Zelenskyy thanked countries that have promised equipment, weapons and ammunition, but underlined that “we need them urgently on the battlefield.”

Ukraine’s president urges EU leaders to make good on their arms promises

Bulgarian president declines government proposal to lead delegation to NATO summit

13:50 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Bulgarian President Rumen Radev has turned down a government proposal to lead the country’s delegation to NATO’s July summit in Washington, D.C., saying he was not consulted while it worked out the official position of the country and its commitments regarding the war in Ukraine, his press office said Thursday.

The decision comes on the heels of heated debates between pro-Russian and pro-Western parties in Bulgaria about whether Radev, as the commander-in-chief of the military, should represent the country at the NATO summit.

Radev has often been criticized by political opponents for his Kremlin-friendly position in the aftermath of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and for his public remarks that sending military aid to Kyiv would extend the conflict. He has referred to those favoring military aid to Ukraine as “warmongers.”

Bulgarian president declines government proposal to lead delegation to NATO summit

Russian military says it took control of settlement of Rozdolivka in eastern Ukraine

13:28 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Russian forces have taken control of the settlement of Rozdolivka in eastern Ukraine, Russia‘s Ministry of Defence said on Friday.

The ministry said in a statement that Russia‘s “Southern” military grouping had taken up what it called more favourable positions after pushing Ukrainian forces out of the settlement, which is located in the Donetsk region.

Reuters could not verify the battlefield report and there was no immediate comment from Ukraine.

12:47 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Rescuers pull injured passengers from train after derailment in northern Russia

In pictures: Zelensky visits memorial wall in Ukraine

12:29 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Slovenian President Natasa Pirc Musar visit the Memory Wall of Fallen Defenders of Ukraine today.

Ukrainian PM: Allies pledge $60 bln of annual military support for next four years

12:15 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Ukrainian Prime Minister said on Friday that military pledges outlined in 20 security agreements Kyiv has signed with its partners total $60 billion annually for the next four years.

“According to these agreements, in the next four years, our partners plan to provide Ukraine with total military support worth $60 billion annually,” Denys Shmyhal said during a governmental meeting.

Russia warns it can take unspecified measures in response to US drone flights over Black Sea

11:40 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Russia‘s Defense Minister ordered officials to prepare a “response” to U.S. drone flights over the Black Sea, the ministry said Friday, in an apparent warning that Moscow may take forceful action to ward off the American reconnaissance aircraft.

The Russian Defense Ministry noted a recent “increased intensity” of U.S. drones over the Black Sea, saying they “conduct intelligence and targeting for precision weapons supplied to the Ukrainian military by Western countries for strikes on Russian facilities.”

“It shows an increased involvement of the U.S. and other NATO countries in the conflict in Ukraine on the side of the Kyiv regime,” the ministry said in a statement.

Russia warns it can take unspecified measures in response to US drone flights over Black Sea

-Kremlin says outlook for EU-Russia ties is bad after von der Leyen and Kallas nominations

11:06 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

The Kremlin said on Friday that the outlook for EU-Russia ties was bad after EU leaders nominated Ursula von der Leyen for another term as European Commission president and picked Estonia’s Kaja Kallas as the next EU foreign policy chief.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that the bloc’s decision to nominate Germany’s von der Leyen for a second five-year term would not change anything.

“Mrs von der Leyen is not in favour of normalising relations between the EU and Russia. That’s how we know her, that’s how we remember her. Nothing changes in this respect,” said Peskov.

Commenting on the choice of Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas for EU foreign policy chief, Peskov said she was known for her anti-Russian rhetoric.

“Mrs Kallas has not demonstrated any diplomatic inclinations so far either, and is well known in our country for her absolutely intransigent and sometimes even openly anti-Russian statements,” he said.

“Therefore, we do not think that European diplomacy will contribute in any way to the normalisation of relations. The prospects, in terms of relations between Moscow and Brussels, are bad.”

Kremlin declines to comment on Biden-Trump debate

10:41 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Russia has no comment on the U.S. presidential debate between Joe Biden and Donald Trump as it is an internal U.S. matter, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Friday.

Biden stumbled frequently in the encounter with Trump, which revived discussion about his age. Russia loomed large in the debate as both men tried to show who was tougher on foreign policy.

Trump said if the U.S. had a “real president” who was respected by Putin, he would never have invaded Ukraine on Biden’s watch.

Biden responded: “Go ahead, let Putin go in and control Ukraine, and then move on to Poland and other places. See what happens then. He has no idea what the hell he’s talking about.”

Putin said earlier this month he did not believe the outcome of the election would make much difference for Russia.

Belarus to reinforce its border with Ukraine after security incident

10:23 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

The border service of Belarus and the country’s Ministry of Defence are taking measures to further reinforce the Belarusian border with Ukraine after a security incident, the Belarusian border service said in a statement.

The border service said its staff had brought down a quadrocopter on Wednesday after it had illegally crossed the border from Ukraine to collect information about Belarusian border infrastructure.

Earlier in the week, it said materials for a homemade bomb had been found concealed in the same area and that it was aware that a unit of pro-Ukrainian Russian fighters was present in a Ukrainian region bordering Belarus.

Ukraine’s Zelensky scolds officials who shirk their duties in the country’s war effort

09:47 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky signaled Wednesday that he is getting tough on officials he suspects are shirking their duties in the war with Russia that is now in its third year.

Zelensky and Commander in Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi visited troops in the eastern Donetsk region who have weathered fierce Russian ground and air assaults in recent months. They also discussed with local officials the drinking water supply, social issues, evacuation plans and the rebuilding of local homes, Zelenskyy said.

He added that back in Kyiv he would speak to “officials who must be here and in other areas near the front line — in difficult communities where people need immediate solutions.”

Ukraine’s Zelenskyy scolds officials who shirk their duties in the country’s war effort

US to confront Russia at UN over North Korean weapons

09:31 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

The United States will confront Russia at the United Nations Security Council on Friday over violating a North Korea arms embargo, and will push for China’s view on growing ties between Moscow and Pyongyang, said deputy U.S. Ambassador Robert Wood.

The meeting of the 15-member council comes after Russian President Vladimir Putin traveled to Pyongyang last week to sign a pact with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in which they agreed to provide military assistance if either faces armed aggression.

“This should be of great concern to the entire global community,” Mr Wood told Reuters ahead of the meeting, accusing Russia of “in essence siding with a rogue state to violate countless U.N. Security Council resolutions.”

“This is unprecedented, and we need to call it out for what it is,” he said. “We also want to see what China has to say about this growing military cooperation between DPRK and Russia. They cannot view this as a positive development.”

What to know from the first day of US journalist Evan Gershkovich’s trial in Russia

09:04 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Here’s a look at what we know about the first day of the trial for Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, who has been charged in Russia with espionage — charges that he, his employer and the US government deny.

Where was the trial held?

It was held on Wednesday in the Sverdlovsky Regional Court in the city of Yekaterinburg, about 880 miles (1,416km) east of Moscow. Gershkovich was arrested in the city in March 2023 while on a reporting trip.

What to know from the first day of US journalist Evan Gershkovich’s trial in Russia

Russian defence minister wants action to counter ‘provocations’ from US drones in Black Sea

08:30 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Russian Defence Minister Andrei Belousov has ordered the army’s General Staff to come up with proposals on how to promptly deal with “provocations” by U.S. strategic drones operating over the Black Sea, the defence ministry said on Friday.

The ministry said in a statement that it had noted increased activity in the area from U.S. drones which it said were carrying out reconaissance and gathering targeting information for high-precision Western weapons used by Ukraine to strike Russian facilities.

“This demonstrates the increasing involvement of the United States and NATO countries in the conflict in Ukraine on the side of the Kyiv regime,” the defence ministry said.

“Such flights multiply the likelihood of airspace incidents with Russian aircraft, which increases the risk of a direct confrontation between the (NATO) alliance and the Russian Federation.”

It said that NATO countries would be responsible for any such incidents.

The statement did not mention Crimea, the Black Sea region which Moscow annexed from Ukraine in 2014. But Russian military facilities in Crimea have been repeatedly targeted by Ukrainian forces, including with Western missiles.

Ukraine is battling to preserve democratic progress during wartime. It’s not easy

07:29 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

As an investigative journalist, then an activist, and later a lawmaker, Yehor Soboliev sought to expose corruption in business and government as a way to defend Ukraine’s budding democracy.

Now, as a soldier battling Russia, he’s had to put those aims on hold as he fights alongside some of the people he once tried to bring down.“Till the victory, we are on the same side,” said Soboliev, a lieutenant in a front-line drone unit.

“But maybe — definitely — after the victory, we should separate ourselves from each other. And we should continue that fight in making our country more honest, more responsible, more serving to its citizens.”

Ukraine has spent years trying to build a Western-style democracy, although not without some bumps along the way as it shed habits from its Soviet past.

To beat back Russia and remain a democracy it has felt compelled to temporarily suspend or restrict some democratic ideals.

Elections have been postponed, a once-robust media has been restrained, corruption-fighting has slipped down the agenda, and freedom of movement and assembly have been curbed by martial law.

And as Russia pounds Ukraine’s cities and makes battlefield gains, the unity sparked by the invasion — and the sense of common purpose crucial to defending democracy — have come under growing strain.

Russia lost 1,170 soldiers in the past 24 hours, says Ukraine

07:10 , Arpan Rai

At least 1,170 Russian forces have been killed and wounded in invasion in Ukraine in the past day, officials of the Ukrainian military said this morning. This comes as the battlefield clashes in the war-hit nation surged.

In the past 24 hours, the frontline saw 119 combat clashes, the General Staff of the Ukraine Armed Forces said, naming Toretsk, Pokrovsk and Kurakhove as the hottest sections of the front throughout the day.

“During the day, the enemy launched six missile strikes on Ukrainian territory (a total of eight missiles), 43 airstrikes (56 guided aerial bombs dropped), and 458 kamikaze drones. They also fired 2,863 times on our troops’ positions and settlements using a variety of weapons,” the statement update this morning read.

Russian navy missile cruiser carries out drills in the Mediterranean Sea

07:00 , Alexander Butler

The Russian navy missile cruiser Varyag has carried out drills in the Mediterranean Sea, the state-owned TASS news agency reported on Thursday, citing the navy command.

The drills focused on repelling a mass sea drone attack, the navy command said.

It also involved simulated engagements with an enemy vessel and a submarine.

Earlier this month a Russian naval frigate conducted drills in the Atlantic Ocean searching for submarines while on its way to Cuba.

Russia orders measures taken over US drones in Black Sea

06:31 , Arpan Rai

Russian defence minister Andrei Belousov has ordered the general staff to take measures to address increased activity of United States drones over the Black Sea, the RIA news agency cited the ministry as saying today.

The ministry said such activity increased the risk of incidents involving Russian aircraft and could cause direct confrontation between Russia and Nato.

Kremlin considering downgrading of diplomatic relations with the West

06:00 , Alexander Butler

The Kremlin said that Russia is considering a possible downgrading of diplomatic relations with the West due to the deeper involvement of the United States and its allies in the Ukraine war, though no decision has yet been made.

“The issue of lowering the level of diplomatic relations is a standard practice for states that face unfriendly or hostile manifestations,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters when asked about the possibility of such a move.

“Due to the growing involvement of the West in the conflict over Ukraine, the Russian Federation cannot but consider various options for responding to such hostile Western intervention in the Ukrainian crisis.”

Mr Peskov said that no decision had yet been made on the matter and that Russia was considering different ways to respond to the West.

Trump, Biden fight it out on Ukraine war at presidential debate

05:17 , Arpan Rai

Donald Trump has suggested Russia never would have attacked Ukraine if the US had a “real president” been in office.

“If we had a real president, a president that knew that was respected by Putin, he would have never he would have never invaded Ukraine,” he said as the former president squared off with Joe Biden at the first presidential debate on CNN.

“He knew not to play games with me,” Mr Trump said referring to the Russian president Vladimir Putin.

The former president said that he will have the war settled between Mr Putin and Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky if he is the president-elect. “Before I take office on 20 January, I’ll have that war settled,” he said.

However, Mr Biden called Mr Putin a “war criminal” and warned that if Russia is allowed to succeed in its war, Putin would not stop at Kyiv. “He wants all of Ukraine. That’s what he wants,” Mr Biden said.

“He’s killed thousands and thousands of people,” the US president said.

Mr Biden also shot back at him for claims of pushing European allies to spend more money intro defence. “This is a guy who wants to pull out of Nato,” Mr Biden said, adding that he “got 50 other nations” to support Ukraine against Russia’s invasion.

However, the Republican face Mr Trump denied his acceptance of Mr Putin’s conditions to end the war in Ukraine.“Look, this is a war that never should have started if we had a leader,” Mr Trump said.

Russia claims it has carried out missile strikes on Ukrainian airfields hosting Western aircraft

05:00 , Alexander Butler

Russia claims it has carried out missile strikes on Ukrainian airfields which it believes have been designated to host Western military aircraft, Russia’s Defence Ministry said on Thursday.

Russia used sea-based long-range precision weapons, the Kinzhal hypersonic missile and drones in the attack, it said.

All designated targets were hit, the ministry added, without naming the list of targets.

Russia mulling downgrading ties with ‘hostile’ West, Kremlin says

04:33 , Arpan Rai

Russia is considering a possible downgrading of relations with the West due to the deeper involvement of the United States and its allies in the Ukraine war, but no decision had yet been taken, the Kremlin said yesterday.

Russian deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov told the Izvestia newspaper that ambassadors fulfilled a difficult but important job that allowed a channel of communication to operate in troubled times.

But Mr Ryabkov also said that a possible downgrading of ties with the West was being studied.

When asked about the possibility of such a move, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said that given the West’s current approach to Russia it was one of several options that was being considered, though no decision had yet been made.

“The issue of lowering the level of diplomatic relations is a standard practice for states that face unfriendly or hostile manifestations,” Peskov said.

“Due to the growing involvement of the West in the conflict over Ukraine, the Russian Federation cannot but consider various options for responding to such hostile Western intervention in the Ukrainian crisis.”

A downgrading of relations – or even breaking them off – would illustrate the gravity of the confrontation between Russia and the West over Ukraine after an escalation in tensions over the war in recent months.

Even during the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis, when the Cold War is thought to have come closest to nuclear war, Russia did not sever relations with the United States, though Moscow did break off ties with Israel over the 1967 Middle East war.

Putin’s troops pushed out of part of key eastern town, says Ukraine military

04:21 , Arpan Rai

Ukraine’s military said its forces had forced Russian troops out of a district in the town of Chasiv Yar on the war’s eastern front seen as Moscow’s next target in its slow advance through the area.

Russian forces are slowly pushing their way across parts of eastern Ukraine, capturing several villages since seizing the key city of Avdiivka in February.

Chasiv Yar stands on high ground 20km (12 miles) to the west of Bakhmut, a town Russian forces captured a year ago after months of battles. Both sides see Chasiv Yar as a potential staging point for Russia to advance on the key cities of the eastern Donetsk region, including Kramatorsk and Sloviansk.

Nazar Voloshyn, a spokesman for Ukraine’s southern group of forces, told the Ukrinform news agency that Russian forces had moved out of Chasiv Yar’s “Kanal” district along the Siverskyi Donets-Donbas canal that runs along the town’s eastern edge.

“Ukrainian defenders have indeed squeezed Russian forces out of the Kanal district in Chasiv Yar in Donetsk region,” Ukrinform quoted Voloshyn as saying. “The enemy army is no longer there.”

Voloshyn told other Ukrainian media outlets that Russian troops were shelling Kyiv’s forces in more than 200 incidents over 24 hours, mostly on the town’s southern approaches.

The Ukrainian military’s General Staff, in a late evening report yesterday, said Russian troops had tried to push back Ukrainian forces six times near Chasiv Yar. Three attacks were repelled and fighting still gripped the area.

An unverified Russian report said Moscow’s forces had destroyed a communications tower near the town and made further headway.

Ukrainian drone strikes fuel depot in Russia’s Tambov

04:15 , Arpan Rai

A fire broke out at a fuel depot in the Tambov region in central Russia this morning because of a drone attack, regional Governor Maksim Yegorov wrote on the Telegram messaging app.

No one was hurt in the incident, he said, and firefighters were working at the site.

Zelensky urges EU leaders to make good on their arms promises

04:07 , Arpan Rai

Ukraine’s president called on European Union leaders to make good on their pledges to provide military equipment to his war-ravaged country, just days after the bloc launched membership talks with his government.

“We have to work on next steps,” president Volodymyr Zelensky told reporters in Brussels as he arrived to attend a summit of EU leaders. He said he and the leaders would discuss “the urgent things – air defence, that is one.”

Mr Zelensky thanked countries that have promised equipment, weapons and ammunition, but underlined that “we need them urgently on the battlefield.”

Ukraine’s president urges EU leaders to make good on their arms promises

Has Russia just dropped a deadly new 3,000kg glide bomb in Ukraine?

04:00 , Alexander Butler

Has Russia just dropped a deadly new 3,000kg glide bomb in Ukraine?

Top international court issues arrest warrants for senior Russian officials over alleged war crimes

03:00 , Alexander Butler

Top international court issues arrest warrants for senior Russian officials

Zelenskyy attends EU summit in Brussels

02:00 , Alexander Butler

The Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky signed three defence agreements — two individual deals with Lithuania and Estonia, plus one with the EU.

The agreement with the EU confirms commitments to help Ukraine in areas of security and defence policy.

Meanwhile, Lithuania and Estonia declared their commitments to allocate around 0.25 per cent of their GDP for military aid for Ukraine.

Pictured: Zelensky meets EU leaders

01:00 , Alexander Butler

US ambassador calls China’s tech support for Russia during Ukraine invasion a ‘major mistake’

Friday 28 June 2024 00:01 , Alexander Butler

US ambassador calls China’s tech support for Russia during Ukraine invasion a ‘major mistake’

A Ukrainian author turned soldier has a stark warning for the West: ‘Be prepared for war with Russia’

Thursday 27 June 2024 23:00 , Alexander Butler

Ukrainian author and soldier warns the West: ‘War is coming to you’

Russia accused of flashing violent Ukraine war images on children’s TV channels

Thursday 27 June 2024 22:00 , Alexander Butler

Russia accused of flashing violent Ukraine war images on children’s TV channels

Zelensky and Orban in animated exchange

Thursday 27 June 2024 21:00 , Alexander Butler

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky and Hungarian prime minister Victor Orban were seen having an animated exchange at an EU summit in Brussels.

Russian navy to be boosted by over 40 new ships

Thursday 27 June 2024 19:00 , Alexander Butler

Vladimir Putin says Russia’s navy will be boosted by at least 40 new ships in 2024.

In a report by state-run news agency TASS, the Russian leader is quoted as saying that one of the country’s main objectives is to “comprehensively upgrade” its naval capabilities.

This includes “ship, aircraft and coastal components”, while there are also plans to improve the infrastructure of naval bases to “strengthen its positions in the strategically crucial areas of the world ocean, and to drastically improve its combat potential”.

EU signs security agreement with Ukraine

Thursday 27 June 2024 18:00 , Alexander Butler

The European Union has signed a security agreement with Ukraine in Brussels.

The pact, confirmed today, is intended to complement similar agreements sealed between Ukraine and its allies as it continues its defence against Russia’s invasion.

The agreement entrenches the EU’s commitment to help Ukraine in nine areas of security and defence policy – including arms deliveries, military training, defence industry cooperation and demining,

George Galloway says he trusts Vladimir Putin more than Keir Starmer

Thursday 27 June 2024 17:13 , Alexander Butler

George Galloway says he trusts Vladimir Putin more than Keir Starmer

Ukraine’s president urges EU leaders to make good on their arms promises

Thursday 27 June 2024 16:00 , Alexander Butler

Ukraine’s president urges EU leaders to make good on their arms promises

Poland’s Tusk and Ukraine’s Zelenskiy to hold talks in Warsaw

Thursday 27 June 2024 15:01 , Joe Middleton

Polish prime minister Donald Tusk will hold talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in Warsaw before a NATO summit that starts on July 9 in Washington.

“We agreed with President Zelenskiy to talk in Warsaw before the NATO summit,” Tusk said in a post on social media platform X.

Zelensky calls on EU to make good on their pledges to provide military equipment

Thursday 27 June 2024 13:45 , Joe Middleton

Ukraine‘s president has called on European Union leaders to make good on their pledges to provide military equipment to his war-ravaged country, just days after the bloc launched membership talks with his government.

“We have to work on next steps,” Volodymyr Zelensky told reporters in Brussels as he arrived to attend a summit of EU leaders.

He said he and the leaders would discuss “the urgent things – air defence, that is one”.

Mr Zelensky thanked countries that have promised equipment, weapons and ammunition, but underlined that “we need them urgently on the battlefield”.

Russian forces are seeking to press their advantage in troop numbers and weaponry before Ukraine‘s armed forces are bulked up by promised new western military aid, some of which is trickling to the front line, analysts say.

The EU launched membership talks with Ukraine on Tuesday, a decade after Russian troops seized the Crimean Peninsula to deter the country from moving closer to the West, part of a chain of events that set the two neighbours on the path to war.

Volodymyr Zelensky arrives in Brussels to sign security agreements

Thursday 27 June 2024 12:20 , Joe Middleton

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in Brussels today where he plans to sign three security agreements, including one with the European Union.

“For the first time, this agreement will enshrine the commitment of all 27 member states to provide Ukraine with extensive support, regardless of any internal institutional changes,” he said on X.

Russia claims it has carried out missile strikes on Ukrainian airfields hosting Western aircraft

Thursday 27 June 2024 11:47 , Joe Middleton

Russia claims it has carried out missile strikes on Ukrainian airfields which it believes have been designated to host Western military aircraft, Russia’s Defence Ministry said on Thursday.

Russia used sea-based long-range precision weapons, the Kinzhal hypersonic missile and drones in the attack, it said.

All designated targets were hit, the ministry added, without naming the list of targets.

Kremlin considering downgrading of diplomatic relations with the West

Thursday 27 June 2024 10:43 , Joe Middleton

The Kremlin said that Russia is considering a possible downgrading of diplomatic relations with the West due to the deeper involvement of the United States and its allies in the Ukraine war, though no decision has yet been made.

“The issue of lowering the level of diplomatic relations is a standard practice for states that face unfriendly or hostile manifestations,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters when asked about the possibility of such a move.

“Due to the growing involvement of the West in the conflict over Ukraine, the Russian Federation cannot but consider various options for responding to such hostile Western intervention in the Ukrainian crisis.”

Mr Peskov said that no decision had yet been made on the matter and that Russia was considering different ways to respond to the West.

Two dead and one missing after train derails in northern Russia

Thursday 27 June 2024 09:47 , Joe Middleton

A passenger train derailment in northern Russia has killed at least two people and left one other missing, a state-run railway company said.

The 14-carriage train derailed in Russia’s northern republic of Komi on Wednesday night, Russian Railways said, with nine carriages coming off the tracks.

Up to 50 people were injured, Russia’s news agency Interfax reported, citing emergency officials.

The train, carrying 232 passengers, was headed to the southern city of Novorossiysk from Vorkuta, a coal mining town in the north of Komi, Russian Railways said.

Authorities said that heavy rainfall, which washed out parts of the track, was the likely cause of the derailment.

Russian navy missile cruiser carries out drills in the Mediterranean Sea

Thursday 27 June 2024 08:58 , Joe Middleton

The Russian navy missile cruiser Varyag has carried out drills in the Mediterranean Sea, the state-owned TASS news agency reported on Thursday, citing the navy command.

The drills focused on repelling a mass sea drone attack, the navy command said.

It also involved simulated engagements with an enemy vessel and a submarine.

Earlier this month a Russian naval frigate conducted drills in the Atlantic Ocean searching for submarines while on its way to Cuba.

Ukraine downs 23 drones overnight

Thursday 27 June 2024 08:41 , Joe Middleton

Ukrainian air force said it shot down all 23 drones and five out of six missiles launched by Russia in the early hours of Thursday.

Khmelnytskyi regional governor Serhii Tiurin said the air defence shot down nine aerial targets over his region. Local authorities have not received any reports of casualties or property damage, he added.

Governor Vitaliy Kim said the military destroyed six drones and three cruise missiles over the southern region of Mykolaiv.

Two drones were shot down over the southern region of Kherson and one more was short down over Dnipropetrovsk region, local authorities said.

China says it firmly opposes EU sanctions against its firms over Russian links

Thursday 27 June 2024 07:00 , Alexander Butler

China firmly opposes the European Union’s inclusion of some Chinese firms in a 14th package of sanctions on Russia, its commerce ministry said on Wednesday.

The move has a negative impact on China-EU economic and trade relations, the ministry said, adding it urges the bloc to “unconditionally” stop sanctioning Chinese firms.

EU countries agree sanctions on Belarus to plug ‘biggest loophole’ in Russian measure

Thursday 27 June 2024 06:00 , Alexander Butler

European Union countries agreed a sanctions package against Belarus on Wednesday, EU diplomats and Belgium said, to try to close off a route to avoiding restrictions on Russia.

The EU adopted this week its 14th package of sanctions to punish Russia for its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, which included clauses that increased responsibility on EU companies exporting via non-EU countries.

“This package will strengthen our measures in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, including combating circumvention of sanctions,” Belgium, which holds the EU presidency until the end of June, said on X.

Closed-door trial of US journalist Evan Gershkovich begins in Russia as case denounced as sham

Thursday 27 June 2024 05:00 , Alexander Butler

Closed-door trial of US journalist begins in Russia as case denounced as sham

Watch from court as US reporter Evan Gershkovich goes on trial in Russia for spying

Thursday 27 June 2024 04:00 , Alexander Butler

Watch live from court as US reporter Evan Gershkovich goes on trial in Russia

US ambassador calls China’s tech support for Russia during Ukraine invasion a ‘major mistake’

Thursday 27 June 2024 03:00 , Alexander Butler

US ambassador calls China’s tech support for Russia during Ukraine invasion a ‘major mistake’

Russian glide bombs are obliterating front-line Ukraine towns

Thursday 27 June 2024 02:00 , Alexander Butler

Russian glide bombs are obliterating front-line Ukraine towns. There’s more to come

Has Russia just dropped a deadly new 3,000kg glide bomb in Ukraine?

Thursday 27 June 2024 01:00 , Alexander Butler

Has Russia just dropped a deadly new 3,000kg glide bomb in Ukraine?

A Ukrainian author turned soldier has a stark warning for the West: ‘Be prepared for war with Russia’

Thursday 27 June 2024 00:01 , Alexander Butler

Ukrainian author and soldier warns the West: ‘War is coming to you’

Trump military aides say they’ve given him detailed plan to pressure Ukraine into peace talks with Putin

Wednesday 26 June 2024 23:00 , Alexander Butler

Trump military aides give him plan to pressure Ukraine into peace talks with Putin

Top international court issues arrest warrants for senior Russian officials over alleged war crimes

Wednesday 26 June 2024 22:00 , Alexander Butler

Top international court issues arrest warrants for senior Russian officials

North Korean troops will become ‘cannon fodder’ if they help Russian forces in Ukraine

Wednesday 26 June 2024 21:00 , Alexander Butler

If North Korean troops were sent to Ukraine to help the Russian army they would become “cannon fodder”, Pentagon spokesperson Pat Ryder said.

In a briefing yesterday evening, Mr Ryder was asked about the possibility of North Korean forces being sent to Ukraine as the country advances its military partnerships with Russia.

Mr Ryder did not say there was any indication of North Korean troops actually being sent into combat, but he cautioned the North against that potential development.

‘Give them 20 lashes’: Kremlin official suggests whipping disobedient Russians

Wednesday 26 June 2024 20:00 , Alexander Butler

A Russian official has suggested publicly whipping disobedient Russians.

In a translated clip shared by columnist at The Daily Beast Julia Davis, State Duma deputy Andrey Svintsov discussed his thoughts on those who spoke out against the Kremlin.

“Those who repent should publicly apologise and publicly receive 20 lashes with a whip in Red Square,” he said.

Zelenskyy visits troops in Donetsk region

Wednesday 26 June 2024 19:00 , Alexander Butler

Volodymyr Zelenskyy has visited troops in the eastern frontline Donetsk region today with his top military leadership.

In a statement on Telegram, Mr Zelenskyy said he held a detailed meeting on security with military leaders and addressed many issues.

“There will be a separate conversation in Kyiv, particularly with officials who must be here and in other areas near the frontline – in difficult communities where people need immediate solutions. Solutions that simply cannot be seen from Kyiv,” he said.

‘No evidence’ behind Gershkovich charges, US embassy says

Wednesday 26 June 2024 18:00 , Alexander Butler

The US embassy in Russia has said that Moscow has failed to provide any evidence to support espionage charges against Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich.

In a statement on the first day of Mr Gershkovich’s closed trial on spying charges, the embassy said the case was about the Kremlin using US citizens to achieve its political objectives.

“Russian authorities have failed to provide any evidence supporting the charges against him, failed to justify his continued detention, and failed to explain why Evan’s work as a journalist constitutes a crime,” the embassy said.

Russia ‘working on a big treaty with Iran’

Wednesday 26 June 2024 17:00 , Alexander Butler

Moscow is working on a “big treaty” with Iran, Russia’s foreign ministry spokesman Maria Zakharova has said.

Ms Zakharova’s comment appeared to be a reference to a comprehensive bilateral cooperation agreement that is being negotiated between Tehran and Moscow.

Earlier this year, it was reported that Iran had supplied Russia with ballistic missiles.

Rishi Sunak congratulations new Nato chief

Wednesday 26 June 2024 16:00 , Alexander Butler

EU countries agree sanctions on Belarus to plug ‘biggest loophole’ in Russian measure

Wednesday 26 June 2024 15:00 , Alexander Butler

European Union countries agreed a sanctions package against Belarus on Wednesday, EU diplomats and Belgium said, to try to close off a route to avoiding restrictions on Russia.

The EU adopted this week its 14th package of sanctions to punish Russia for its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, which included clauses that increased responsibility on EU companies exporting via non-EU countries.

“This package will strengthen our measures in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, including combating circumvention of sanctions,” Belgium, which holds the EU presidency until the end of June, said on X.

China says it firmly opposes EU sanctions against its firms over Russian links

Wednesday 26 June 2024 14:27 , Alexander Butler

China firmly opposes the European Union’s inclusion of some Chinese firms in a 14th package of sanctions on Russia, its commerce ministry said on Wednesday.

The move has a negative impact on China-EU economic and trade relations, the ministry said, adding it urges the bloc to “unconditionally” stop sanctioning Chinese firms.