Ukraine Russia war latest: Kyiv ‘controls 100 settlements in Kursk’ amid reports of new cross-border attack

Ukraine has taken control of 100 Russian settlements as Kyiv’s troops continued their offensive into Russia’s Kursk region, a top military commander claimed.

Ukrainian general Oleksandr Syrskyi said Ukrainian troops control 1,294 sq km (500 sq miles) of Russian territory and has taken 594 prisoners of war.

It comes as Moscow’s officials claimed Ukrainian troops had also attempted another cross-border attack into Belgorod, a region of Russia that borders Kursk.

Belgorod’s regional governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said the situation on the border with Ukraine was “difficult but under control” after claiming 500 Ukrainian troops attacked two checkpoints.

The claim has not been independently verified and Kyiv has not commented. A Russian military blog said there had been no major attempts to pierce the border.

Three weeks ago, Russia was caught by surprise in neighbouring Kursk region when thousands of Ukrainian soldiers punched through the border.

It comes as Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky vowed to take revenge on Russia after massive strikes by Putin’s forces killed at least four people.

Key Points

• Kyiv ‘takes control of 100 Russian settlements’

• Clear risk of ‘nuclear incident’ at Russia’s Kursk power plant

• Ukraine trying to break into Belgorod, Moscow claims

• Zelensky vows revenge for Russia’s attacks

• Russia pounds Ukraine with missiles, drones for second day in row, says Kyiv

Zelensky confirms use of Western-supplied jets to down Russian drones

23:00 , Athena Stavrou

Volodymyr Zelensky has confirmed Ukraine used Western-supplied F-16 fighter jets to down Russian drones and missiles during recent attacks.

Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, the Ukrainian prime minister urged Ukraine’s allies to send more of the jets. Kyiv received the first batch earlier this month.

“Nobody talked about it, but we destroyed already, in this huge attack of Russians, we destroyed already some missiles and drones using F-16,” he said.

“I will not share how many, but we did it thanks to partners who gave us F-16, provided to us. But again it’s not enough, we have a small number of F-16.”

Sixth Ukrainian dead after overnight attack

21:30 , Athena Stavrou

A sixth person has now died in Ukraine after Russia launched an overnight attack for the second night in a row.

Three people were killed when a hotel was “wiped out” by a missile in the central city of Kryvyi Rih, regional officials said. Five people were injured and one person was still missing after the strike, Serhiy Lysak, governor of the Dnipropetrovsk region that includes Kryvyi Rih, said on Telegram.

Separately, three people were killed in drone attacks on the southeastern Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia.

Volodymyr Zelensky has vowed Ukraine will respond after Russian launched 10 missiles and 81 drones during the assault.

New solutions needed for energy security, CEO of Ukraine’s state energy company says

20:30 , Athena Stavrou

The CEO of Ukraine’s largest state energy company has said that that new solutions are needed for the energy security of Ukraine and Slovakia.

Oleksiy Chernyshov, CEO of Naftogaz, made the remarks on Tuesday at a meeting with Slovak officials.

“For now, a priority is to implement new solutions for the energy security of our countries. It is about new suppliers and, in the future, about exports of Ukrainian fuel,” Naftogaz cited Chernyshov as saying at a meeting with Slovak officials in Bratislava.

Slovakia and Hungary said last month they had stopped receiving oil from key Russian supplier Lukoil, whose exports via Ukrainian territory were banned by Kyiv.

Slovak oil transporter Transpetrol said at the time that supplies from other Russian exporters were continuing to arrive in Slovakia via Ukraine.

Ukraine’s Naftogaz says new solutions needed to secure energy supplies

Latest pictures from Ukraine

19:30 , Athena Stavrou

Zelensky to present plan to Biden to end war with Russia

18:30 , Athena Stavrou

Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky said on Tuesday that the war with Russia would eventually end in dialogue, but that Kyiv had to be in a strong position and that he would present a plan to U.S. President Joe Biden and his two potential successors.

The Ukrainian leader, addressing a news conference, said Kyiv’s three-week-old incursion into Russia’s Kursk region was part of that plan, but that it also comprised other steps on the economic and diplomatic fronts.

“The main point of this plan is to force Russia to end the war. And I want that very much - (that it would be) fair for Ukraine,” he told reporters in Kyiv of the war launched by Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022.

He did not elaborate further on the next steps, but said he would also discuss the plan with Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris and probably also with Republican Donald Trump, the two nominees for the U.S. presidential election

Zelenskiy said he hoped to go to the United States in September to attend the U.N. General Assembly in New York and that he was preparing to meet Biden.

UN watchdog says Russian nuclear plant 'extremely exposed' if attacked

17:30 , Athena Stavrou

The head of the international nuclear watchdog has said Russia’s Kursk power plant is especially vulnerable to a serious accident after visiting on Tuesday.

The UN nuclear agency chief Rafael Grossi told reporters at the site, which Vladimir Putin claimed Ukraine tried to attack last week, lacks a protective dome that could shield it from missiles, drones or artillery.

“This means that the core of the reactor containing nuclear material is protected just by a normal roof. This makes it extremely exposed and fragile, for example, to an artillery impact or a drone or a missile,” he said.

“So this is why we believe that a nuclear power plant of this type, so close to a point of contact or a military front, is an extremely serious fact that we take very seriously.”

The RBMK-type facility - the same model as the Chornobyl plant in Ukraine that witnessed the world’s worst civilian nuclear disaster in 1986 -

Although the facility is the same model as the Chornobyl plant - which witnessed the world’s worst civilian nuclear disaster in 1986 -, Grossi said it would be an exaggeration to equate Kursk with Chornobyl.

“But this is the same type of reactor and there is no specific protection. And this is very, very important. If there is an impact on the core, the material is there and the consequences could be extremely serious.”

Whereas a typical containment dome could resist an impact as powerful as that of a falling aircraft, Grossi said, the Kursk design was “completely different”.

“This is like the building across the street, all right? With all this nuclear material. So this is why I’m drawing this comparison, because I think it’s relevant.”

NATO-Ukraine council to meet tomorrow

16:33 , Athena Stavrou

The NATO-Ukraine council will meet on Wednesday at Kyiv’s request, a spokesperson has confirmed.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg will convene the meeting which will brief allies on the frontline situation, spokesperson for the Western military alliance said on Tuesday.

“The meeting will be held at ambassadorial level,” said the spokesperson, Farah Dakhlallah. “Ukrainian Defence Minister Rustem Umerov is expected to brief Allies via video-link on the battlefield situation and priority capability needs,” she added.

The NATO-Ukraine Council was established last year to enable closer coordination between the alliance and Kyiv. Ambassadors from NATO’s member countries and Ukrainian officials normally attend meetings of the council.

“Tomorrow’s meeting comes after recent waves of heavy Russian strikes against Ukrainian civilians and infrastructure,” Dakhlallah said in an emailed statement seen by Reuters.

Slovakia cancels protection for man accused of running pro-Russia website

15:50 , Athena Stavrou

Slovakia has withdrawn protection it had given a Ukrainian-Israeli citizen who is accused of running a pro-Russian influence campaign, the Slovak Interior Ministry said on Tuesday.

Artem Marchevskyi was granted temporary protection in Slovakia earlier this year, after losing that same status in the Czech Republic which he had received following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 as part of European Union efforts to help those fleeing the fighting.

Czech intelligence services say Marchevskyi ran the Czech-registered Voice of Europe news website, used for spreading anti-Ukrainian propaganda and disinformation.

After a review, Slovak authorities cancelled his protection in July, according to a report in Czech daily Denik N.

“Cancelling of the temporary refuge was preceded by an examination of facts that fulfilled conditions for its cancellation,” the Slovak ministry said in an emailed statement to Reuters, without giving further details.

Russia warns the United States of the risks of World War Three

15:07 , Athena Stavrou

Russia has warned the US about the risks of World War Three after accusing the country of helping Ukraine launch its attack on the Kursk border region on 6 August.

Russia’s foreign minister said that the west was “asking for trouble” by allowing Ukraine to strike deep into Russia with Western missiles

Sergei Lavrov cautioned the US that a third world war “would not be confined to Euroupe”.

“We are now confirming once again that playing with fire - and they are like small children playing with matches - is a very dangerous thing for grown-up uncles and aunts who are entrusted with nuclear weapons in one or another Western country,” Lavrov told reporters in Moscow on Tuesday..

“Americans unequivocally associate conversations about Third World War as something that, God forbid, if it happens, will affect Europe exclusively,” Lavrov said.

White House condemns strike that killed Reuters safety adviser in Ukraine

14:28 , Athena Stavrou

The White House has condemned a missile attack in Ukraine that injured Reuters journalists and killed a safety adviser for the news agency.

A National Security spokesperson offered the White House’s condolences following the attack over the weekend.

“We condemn this attack in the strongest of terms and extend our deepest condolences to @Reuters on the loss of one of their own,” NSC spokesperson Sean Savett wrote.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Sunday that the Hotel Sapphire in Kramatorsk had been hit by a Russian Iskander, a ballistic missile that can strike at distances up to 500 km.

Reuters was not able to independently verify if the missile that hit the hotel was fired by Russia, or if the strike on that building was deliberate.

Ryan Evans, a member of the Reuters team covering the war in Ukraine, was killed and two Reuters journalists were injured in a strike on a hotel in the eastern Ukrainian city, the news agency said on Sunday.

Evans was working as a safety adviser for the agency.

Fifth Ukrainian dead after overnight attack

14:03 , Athena Stavrou

A fifth person has now died in Ukraine after Russia launched an overnight attack for the second night in a row.

Ivan Fedorov the regional administration head of Zaporizhzhia, said an elderly woman has now died in hospital after suffering “severe burns”. The Ukrainian authorities earlier said four people had died and 16 were injured.

Volodymyr Zelensky has vowed Ukraine will respond after Russian launched 10 missiles and 81 drones during the assault.

Clear risk of ‘nuclear incident’ at Russia’s Kursk power plant

13:32 , Athena Stavrou

The head of the international nuclear watchdog has said there was a risk of a “nuclear incident” after visiting Russia’s Kursk power plant on Tuesday.

The UN nuclear agency chief Rafael Grossi told reporters that the situation was serious after he “independently assessed” the site, which Vladimir Putin claimed Ukraine tried to attack last week.

Kyiv takes control of 100 Russian settlements, commander claims

13:16 , Alexander Butler

Kyiv has taken control of 100 Russian settlements as troops continued its offensive into Russia’s Kursk region, a top military commander claimed.

Gen Oleksandr Syrskyi said Ukrainian troops control 1,294 sq km (500 sq miles) of Russian territory and has taken 594 prisoners of war.

Last week, President Zelensky said Ukraine controlled more than 1,250 sq km of Russian territory.

Nuclear watchdog chief to visit Kursk power plant

13:00 , Alexander Butler

The head of the international nuclear watchdog will visit a nuclear power plant in Kursk on Tuesday, which Vladimir Putin claimed Ukraine tried to attack last week.

Rafael Grossi, chief of the International Atomic Energy Agency, said he will “independently assess what is happening” at the Russian power plant.

Russia's Lavrov says Ukraine blackmailing West by asking to strike deep inside Russia

12:30 , Alexander Butler

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Tuesday that Ukraine’s demands to the West to allow it to strike deep into Russia with Western weapons amounted to blackmail.

Lavrov also said that Russia was “adjusting” its nuclear weapons doctrine, and that it was dangerous for Western nuclear powers to be “playing with fire”.

Russia accuses US of helping Kyiv launch Kursk attack

11:48 , Alexander Butler

Russia has accused the US of helping Ukraine launch its attack on the Kursk border region on 6 August.

Around a thousand Ukrainian troops pushed into several miles of the Kursk region, which sits on Russia’s western border, in an attack that largely appeared to take the Kremlin by surprise.

Russian foreign intelligence chief Sergei Naryshkin has now said that Moscow does not believe the incursion was planned alone, the TASS state news agency is reporting.

Russia says it has captured another village near Pokrovsk

10:45 , Alexander Butler

Russian forces claimed on Tuesday it had captured the village of Orlivka near the city of Pokrovsk, a key target for Moscow.

“Units of the Centre group of forces as a result of active warfare liberated the settlement of Orlovka,” the defence ministry said.

Russian forces have been advancing towards Pokrovsk for months, a central logistics hub in the Donetsk region.

Ukraine trying to break into Belgorod, Moscow claims

10:02 , Alexander Butler

Ukrainian forces have attempted to push into Russia’s southern Belgorod region, according to Russian Telegram channels.

Reports said 500 Ukrainian troops attacked two checkpoints at Nekhoteyevka and Shebekino.

The Belgorod regions border the Kursk region, where Ukrainian troops have seized territory after launching an invasion on 6 August.

Belgorod governor says situation ‘difficult but under control’

10:00 , Alexander Butler

The governor of Russia’s Belgorod region, Vyacheslav Gladkov, said that the situation on the border with Ukraine was “difficult, but under control”.

“There is information that the enemy is trying to break through the border of the Belgorod region,” Gladkov said on Tuesday.

“Our military is carrying out planned work. Please remain calm and trust only official sources of information.”

Zelensky promises response to Russian attacks

08:49 , Alexander Butler

Volodymyr Zelensky has vowed Ukraine will respond after it was targeted by Russian missile attacks for a second night in a row.

The Ukrainian president said rescue operations were ongoing after the most recent overnight attacks, which he said killed four people and injured 16 more.

“We will undoubtedly respond to Russia for this and all other attacks. Crimes against humanity cannot go unpunished,” he said.

Ukraine says it downs 5 missiles, 60 drones during Russia's overnight attack

08:39 , Alexander Butler

Ukraine shot down five missiles and 60 drones launched by Russia during an overnight attack, the Ukrainian air force said on Tuesday.

Russia launched 10 missiles and 81 drones during the assault, the air force added in a statement on the Telegram messaging app.

Foreign secretary condemns 'cowardly' killing of ex-British soldier

07:43 , Alexander Butler

The foreign secretary has said he was “deeply saddened” by the death of a former British soldier in Ukraine.

Ryan Evans, 38, had been working as a safety advisor for the Reuters news agency and died after a missile strike on a hotel in Ukraine.

Mr Lammy offered his condolences to Mr Evans’s family and condemned the “cowardly” tactics used by Vladimir Putin’s Russia against Ukraine.

Russian lawmaker says US behind arrest of Telegram CEO

07:30 , Namita Singh

A senior ally of Russian president Vladimir Putin said that Washington was behind the French arrest of Pavel Durov, the founder and CEO of the Telegram messaging platform that plays a key role communicating the war in Ukraine.

Mr Durov, a Russian-born entrepreneur, was arrested in France over the weekend as part of an investigation into crimes related to child pornography, drug trafficking and fraudulent transactions on the platform, French prosecutors said on Monday.

Without providing evidence, Vyacheslav Volodin, the chairman of Russia’s State Duma lower house of parliament, said that the United States, through France, attempted to exert control over Telegram.

“Telegram is one of the few and at the same time the largest internet platforms over which the United States has no influence,” Mr Volodin said in a post.

“On the eve of the US presidential election, it is important for (president Joe) Biden to take Telegram under control.”

The White House has not commented on Mr Durov’s arrest. French president Emmanuel Macron has said that the arrest was “in no way a political decision”.

The Kremlin on Monday said it had yet to see any official French accusations against Mr Durov.

The encrypted Telegram app, based in Dubai, has close to 1 billion users and is particularly influential in Russia, Ukraine and the republics of the former Soviet Union.

Children among scores injured in Russian airstrikes on Monday

07:06 , Namita Singh

Russia attacked Ukraine with more than 200 missiles and drones on Monday, killing seven people and striking energy facilities nationwide, Kyiv said.

Those strikes have been followed by another wave on Tuesday morning, killing at least four people.

At least 47 people were injured, including four children, in the Monday attacks, emergency services said.

The regions that reported strikes on power or critical infrastructure included Volyn and Rivne in the northwest, Khmelnytskyi, Lviv and Ivano-Frankivsk in the west, Zhytomyr in the north, Dnipropetrovsk, Kirovohrad and Vinnytsia in central Ukraine, Zaporizhzhia in the southeast and Odesa in the south.

Volodymyr Zelensky said some civilian facilities were attacked with cluster munitions.

Neighbouring Moldova, whose grid is linked to that of Ukraine, reported small disruptions to its power network.

Ukraine’s foreign ministry official said a hydropower plant in the Kyiv region had been targeted. A video posted on social media and verified by Reuters showed a damaged dam and a fire after an apparent strike at a plant. A separate clip, also verified, showed a missile hitting a water reservoir.

In the northeastern Sumy region, from where Ukraine launched its incursion into Russia on 6 August, authorities said a railway infrastructure facility had been struck, but did not say which one or give further details.

A 69-year-old man in the Dnipropetrovsk region and a farmer in the Zaporizhzhia region were among at least seven people confirmed dead, local officials said. The others were in the regions of Kharkiv, Zhytomyr and Volyn.

In Lutsk, an apartment block was damaged, the mayor said after reporting explosions.

Blasts also shook central Kyiv and air defences engaged incoming targets on the outskirts.

At least 11 TU-95 strategic bombers were used during the attack, the air force said.

Both Russia and Ukraine deny deliberately targeting civilians. Each says its attacks are aimed at destroying infrastructure critical to the other’s war effort.

Full report: Russia launches hundreds of missiles and drones in ‘biggest attack of war’

06:59 , Andy Gregory

Russia has launched a major barrage of missiles and drones across Ukraine, killing four people, injuring more than a dozen and damaging energy facilities in what has been called its biggest attack of the war.

The bombardment, condemned as “vile” by Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky, involved the firing of more than 100 missiles and a similar number of drones at more than half the country on Monday, with Ukraine’s air force commander describing it as Moscow’s biggest air assault of the war so far.

In attacks that began at around midnight and continued through daybreak, Ukraine’s air force said swarms of Russian drones fired at eastern, northern, southern and central regions were followed by volleys of cruise and ballistic missiles.

“Like most previous Russian strikes, this one was just as vile, targeting critical civilian infrastructure,” Mr Zelensky said, adding that most of the country was targeted, from the Kharkiv region and Kyiv to Odesa and the west.

My colleague Tara Cobham reports:

Russia fires barrage of missiles at Ukraine in ‘biggest attack of war’

Zelensky urges allies to help shoot down missiles in Ukrainian airspace

06:31 , Namita Singh

Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday also redoubled his call for allies to join the country in shooting down missiles and drones over Ukrainian airspace.

Top Kyiv officials again urged their allies and arms suppliers to allow long-range strikes into Russia.

Ukraine had no powerful long-range weapons at the start of the invasion, but has since developed many models of long-range attack drone and used them to hit targets deep inside Russia, ranging from oil refineries to military airfields.

Over the weekend, Mr Zelensky said Ukraine had developed a new “drone missile” that had been used to attack Russia and was more powerful and faster than other hardware in Kyiv’s arsenal.

Watch: Kyiv residents break into song in bomb shelter

06:18 , Namita Singh

Biden condemns Russian airstrikes on Ukraine

06:01 , Namita Singh

ICYMI: Moscow and Kyiv swap prisoners of war as Ukraine marks Independence Day

06:00 , Andy Gregory

Russia and Ukraine have each exchanged more than 100 prisoners of war as Kyiv marked its third Independence Day since Moscow’s full-scale invasion.

Ukraine said the 115 Ukrainian servicemen who were freed were conscripts, many of whom were taken prisoner in the first months of Russia’s invasion. Among them were nearly 50 soldiers captured by Russian forces from the Azovstal steelworks in Mariupol.

The Russian defence ministry said the released 115 Russian soldiers had been captured in the Kursk region, where Ukrainian forces launched their surprise offensive into Russia two weeks ago.

Our foreign affairs reporter Tom Watling has more details here:

Moscow and Kyiv swap prisoners of war as Ukraine marks Independence Day

Lammy ‘saddened’ by death of Briton working as Reuters safety adviser in Ukraine

05:54 , Namita Singh

Foreign secretary David Lammy said he was “deeply saddened” by the death in Ukraine of a former British soldier who had been working as a safety adviser for the Reuters news agency.

Ryan Evans, 38, died after a missile strike on a hotel in Ukraine, where he was helping the news organisation cover the war.

Mr Lammy offered his condolences to Mr Evans’s family and condemned the “cowardly” tactics used by Vladimir Putin’s Russia against Ukraine.

Mr Evans was part of the reporting crew staying at the Hotel Sapphire, in Kramatorsk, eastern Ukraine, which was hit by a strike on Saturday.

He had been working with Reuters since 2022.

The agency said it was “devastated” by the incident which also injured two of its journalists.

The Reuters statement added: “We are urgently seeking more information about the attack, including by working with the authorities in Kramatorsk, and we are supporting our colleagues and their families.

“We send our deepest condolences and thoughts to Ryan’s family and loved ones.

“Ryan has helped so many of our journalists cover events around the world; we will miss him terribly.”

Nato denounces 'irresponsible' acts by Russia as Poland searches for drone

05:52 , Namita Singh

Nato strongly condemned Russia’s ongoing attacks against Ukrainian civilians and civilian infrastructure after Poland said a drone likely entered its airspace during a Russian attack on Ukraine early on Monday.

“Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Russian drone fragments and missiles have been found on allied territory on several occasions,” Nato spokesperson Farah Dakhlallah said.

“While we have no information indicating an intentional attack by Russia against allies, these acts are irresponsible and potentially dangerous.”

Russia's attack on Kryvyi Rih kills at least one, Ukrainian officials say

05:51 , Namita Singh

At least one person died and five could still be under the rubble after a Russian missile struck a civilian infrastructure building in the central Ukraine city of Kryvyi Rih, regional officials said on Tuesday.

Four people were injured in the attack and were hospitalised, Oleksandr Vilkul, head of Kryvyi Rih’s military administration said on the Telegram messaging app.

Serhiy Lisak, the governor of the Dnipropetrovsk region where Kryvyi Rih is located, said on Telegram the civilian building was “wiped out.”

The Kremlin did not issue any immediate comment on the attack.

Biden commends Modi for his message of peace for Ukraine

05:47 , Namita Singh

US president Joe Biden “commended” Indian prime minister Narendra Modi for his “message of peace and ongoing humanitarian support” for Ukraine, he wrote on X.

The comments came days after Mr Modi visited Kyiv on 23 August where he urged Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky to engage in direct talks with Russia to end the war, offering India’s readiness to play an “active role” in restoring peace.

“We welcome any other country that wants to help President (Volodymyr) Zelensky work towards this just peace, and any country that’s willing to come at that discussion by starting with President Zelensky’s perspective, by hearing him out,” White House national security spokesperson John Kirby told reporters.

Mr Zelensky and Mr Modi during their meeting last week discussed at length Ukraine’s peace formula, which prioritises territorial integrity and the withdrawal of Russian troops, according to the Indian foreign ministry.

“We say it very loudly and clearly that we support the respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity,” Mr Modi said during the meeting. “It’s our highest priority.”

The Kyiv visit came after Mr Modi met with Vladimir Putin a month earlier in Moscow.

Mr Zelensky had criticised Mr Modi for that visit, which came on the same day Russian missiles struck across Ukraine, killing scores of people. During the visit, Mr Modi was photographed giving Mr Putin a warm embrace.

“I spoke with Prime Minister Modi to discuss his recent trip to Poland and Ukraine and commended him for his message of peace and ongoing humanitarian support for Ukraine,” wrote Mr Biden.

“We also affirmed our commitment to work together to contribute to peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific.”

In pictures: Children play in dark after blackout in Ukraine from Russian attack

05:01 , Namita Singh

Biden and Modi discuss route to peace in Ukraine

05:00 , Andy Gregory

US president Joe Biden has spoken with Indian prime minister Narendra Modi about Ukraine days after the latter visited Kyiv.

Mr Modi said that he spoke to Mr Biden about “India’s full support for early return of peace and stability” in Ukraine. He said they also discussed India’s concern about the safety of Hindus and other religious minorities in Bangladesh after this month’s ouster of the country’s long-serving prime minister.

White House national security spokesperson John Kirby told reporters: “We welcome any other country that wants to help President Zelensky work towards this just peace, and any country that’s willing to come at that discussion by starting with President Zelensky’s perspective, by hearing him out.”

Mr Zelensky and Mr Modi discussed at length Ukraine’s peace formula during their meeting last week, which prioritises territorial integrity and the withdrawal of Russian troops, according to the Indian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Russia’s attack on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure outrageous, says Biden

04:50 , Namita Singh

US president Joe Biden called the Russian attack on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure “outrageous” and said he had “re-prioritised US air defence exports so they are sent to Ukraine first”.

He also said the US was “surging energy equipment to Ukraine to repair its systems and strengthen the resilience of Ukraine’s energy grid.”

Russia battered much of Ukraine on Monday, firing scores of missiles and drones that killed four people, injured more than a dozen and damaged energy facilities in attacks that president Volodymyr Zelensky described as “vile.”

The Russian defence ministry said the attacks used “long-range precision air- and sea-based weapons and strike drones against critical energy infrastructure facilities that support the operation of Ukraine’s military-industrial complex. All designated targets were hit.”

Russia attack hit ‘all designated targets’ in Ukraine

04:44 , Namita Singh

The Russian defence ministry said that its strikes on Monday hit “all designated targets” in Ukraine’s critical energy infrastructure.

Kryvyi Rih, Kyiv and central and eastern regions of Ukraine were under air raid alerts for most of the night, starting at around 8pm GMT on Monday.

Five civilians may be still under the rubble and four were injured as a result of the Russian attack, Oleksandr Vilkul, head of Kryvyi Rih’s military administration, said on Telegram.

“The news is bad,” Mr Vilkul said.

Russia pounds Ukraine with missiles, drones for second day in row, says Kyiv

04:12 , Namita Singh

Russia launched several waves of missile and drone attacks overnight targeting Kyiv and other regions, Ukraine’s military said early on Tuesday, a day after Moscow’s biggest such attack of the war.

At least one person was killed when a civilian object was “wiped out” in the central Ukraine city of Kryvyi Rih, regional officials said.

Kyiv region’s air defence systems were deployed several times overnight to repel missiles and drones targeting the Ukrainian capital, the region’s military administration said on Telegram.

Reuters’ witnesses reported at least three rounds of explosions overnight in Kyiv.

The size of the Tuesday attacks was not immediately known, but Ukraine’s air force said it recorded the launch of several groups of drones and the take-off from Russian airfields of strategic Tu-85 strategic bombers and MiG-31 supersonic interceptor aircraft.

The reports could not be immediately verified, while Russia issued no comments.

Ukraine counts on new long-range weapon to bypass Western restrictions and hit deep into Russia

04:01 , AP

Ukraine says it has a new homegrown long-range weapon that will allow it to strike deep into Russia without asking permission from allies.

With the characteristics of a missile and a drone, the “Palianytsia” was created due to urgent necessity, Ukrainian officials said, as Russia has dominated the skies since the outbreak of the war in February 2022.

President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed on Saturday the existence of the Palianytsia, a type of Ukrainian bread and a word so notoriously difficult to pronounce correctly that it was used to unmask suspected spies early in the war. Mr Zelensky called it “a new class” of weapon.

Saturday, which marked Ukraine’s 33rd anniversary of independence from the former Soviet Union, also saw the first use of the new weapon, targeting a Russian military installation in the occupied territory, officials said without providing details.

A Ukrainian military video hinted that its range is up to 430 miles — on par with the US-supplied ATACMS. It showed a map with various airfields, including Russia’s Savasleyka air base, which lies within that range, adding that the Palianytsia can reach at least 20 Russian airfields.

Hanna Arhirova reports:

Ukraine counts on new long-range weapon to bypass Western restrictions and hit deep into Russia

Russia hits Ukraine with nationwide air strikes

Tuesday 27 August 2024 00:44 , Justin Rohrlich

Russia on Monday launched the Ukraine war’s “most massive air attack” against Kyiv and various other cities, striking the former Soviet satellite with what a Ukrainian Air Force commander deemed the “most massive air attack” since the conflict began.

The bombing, via at least 100 Iranian-made drones and at least as many cruise and hypersonic missiles, went after Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, knocking out power across the country. In the process, the Russian attack reportedly killed at least seven people.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the Russian strikes affected at least 15 regions, including Kyiv, the capital, Dnipro, and the southern port of Odessa.

David Lammy ‘deeply saddened’ by death of British ex-soldier in Ukraine

Tuesday 27 August 2024 00:02 , Andy Gregory

Foreign secretary David Lammy has said he is “deeply saddened” by the death of a former British soldier who had been working as a safety adviser for the Reuters news agency in Ukraine.

Ryan Evans, 38, died after a missile strike on the Hotel Sapphire in Kramatorsk, where he was helping the news organisation cover the war. Two journalists, Daniel Peleschuk and Ivan Lyubysh-Kirdey were injured, with the latter in a critical condition.

“I offer my sincere condolences to his family and loved ones,” said Mr Lammy, adding: “The UK utterly condemns Russia’s cowardly missile and drone attacks on civilian infrastructure across Ukraine today.

“These assaults are in flagrant violation of international law and those responsible must be brought to justice.”

Watch: Zelensky pays tribute to British ex-soldier killed in attack on hotel in Kramatorsk

Monday 26 August 2024 23:05 , Andy Gregory

Nato denounces ‘irresponsible’ acts by Russia as Poland searches for drone

Monday 26 August 2024 22:07 , Andy Gregory

Nato has strongly condemned what it called Russia's ongoing attacks against Ukrainian civilians and civilian infrastructure, after Poland said a drone likely entered its airspace during a Russian attack on Ukraine earlier today.

“Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Russian drone fragments and missiles have been found on allied territory on several occasions,” Nato spokesperson Farah Dakhlallah said.

“While we have no information indicating an intentional attack by Russia against allies, these acts are irresponsible and potentially dangerous.”

Norway warned of potential for Russian sabotage of critical national infrastructure

Monday 26 August 2024 21:10 , Andy Gregory

Security services from seven European countries have briefed Norwegian energy executives and officials, including from Equinor – Europe’s largest gas supplier – about what they see as Russian threats to critical infrastructure.

The closed-door meeting attended by national security services from Norway, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, Finland, Sweden and Iceland highlighted Norway’s role as the key energy supplier to Europe.

“We see a developing story which addresses not only Germany or Norwegian colleagues but all of us,” Sinan Selen, the vice president of Germany’s Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution, told Reuters after the meeting.

“This is a threat which comes from some counterparts like Russia, including not only espionage operations but also the risk of sabotage in some fields,” he added, declining to discuss specific cases.

Beate Gangaas, the head of Norway’s counterintelligence agency PST, which organised the meeting on the sidelines of the ONS energy conference, told Reuters: “When we are talking about sabotage today, we are talking about Russia.”

In the wake of Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Norway has become Europe’s largest supplier of natural gas, which is delivered via a vast subsea pipeline system.

Reuters journalist awarded order of merit by Zelensky critically injured in Kramatorsk strike

Monday 26 August 2024 20:00 , Andy Gregory

The two Reuters journalists who have been injured in a missile strike on a hotel in Kramatorsk were Ivan Lyubysh-Kirdey and Daniel Peleschuk, the news agency has said.

“Reuters video journalist Ivan Lyubysh-Kirdey remains in critical condition. Our other colleague, Ukraine correspondent Daniel Peleschuk, was treated and has left the hospital,” Reuters said in a statement.

Lyubysh-Kirdey and Peleschuk were part of a team of six people from Reuters covering the war in Ukraine who were staying at the Hotel Sapphire when it was hit by a missile. Ryan Evans, a safety adviser for the agency, was killed in the strike. The other three team members have been accounted for, Reuters said.

Lyubysh-Kirdey, 40, has worked for Reuters since 2022, and previously worked for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. The father-of-one is a Ukrainian national and was awarded an order of merit by president Volodymyr Zelensky in 2022 for his services to journalism.

Ukraine says it downed 102 of 127 Russian missiles and 99 of 109 Russian drones

Monday 26 August 2024 19:00 , Tara Cobham

The commander of Ukraine's air force said the country's forces had downed 102 out of 127 missiles and 99 out of 109 drones launched by Russia in a massive attack on Monday.

Mykola Oleshchuk called the combined strike "the biggest air attack" in a statement on Telegram.

In pictures: Russia’s launches major barrage of missiles and drones across Ukraine

Monday 26 August 2024 18:00 , Tara Cobham

Russia’s air attack on Ukraine on Monday was biggest of war, says Kyiv

Monday 26 August 2024 17:06 , Tara Cobham

Russia’s air attack on Ukraine on Monday was the biggest of the war, Ukraine’s air force commander has said.

Zelensky: Ukraine to ‘further strengthen’ eastern Pokrovsk direction

Monday 26 August 2024 17:00 , Tara Cobham

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Ukraine decided to "further strengthen" the direction of the eastern strategic hub of Pokrovsk that has seen an intensified Russian military push recently.

He said on Telegram on Monday that he was briefed by his army chief on the situation in the area.

Poland says drone likely entered its airspace during Russian attack on Ukraine

Monday 26 August 2024 16:30 , Tara Cobham

Poland said that a drone had likely entered its airspace early on Monday morning during a Russian bombardment of Ukraine, adding that the object may have landed on Polish territory and that searches were underway.

"Most likely it was a drone and we assume so, because the trajectory of the flight and the speed indicate that it was definitely not a missile," Jacek Goryszewski, spokesperson for the Polish army's operational command told Reuters.

"The object is being searched for by 100 soldiers on the ground and one helicopter."

He said it was impossible to say whether the object was Russian or Ukrainian as weather conditions had not allowed for visual identification.

In a later statement on social media platform X the army's operational command said the object had entered Polish airspace at 4.43am (GMT) and that radars had lost sight of it at 5.16am (GMT).

"From the moment it entered Polish airspace, attempts were made to visually verify the object in order to identify it before possible neutralisation," the statement said.

"Unfortunately, due to the prevailing weather conditions, it was not possible to clearly identify it, which prevented the decision to shoot it down."

Russia skips UN meeting pledging respect for humanitarian law

Monday 26 August 2024 16:00 , Tara Cobham

Switzerland hosted United Nations Security Council members at a meeting in Geneva on Monday to recommit to international humanitarian law, describing an "alarming" global context characterised by over 120 armed conflicts, with Russia the only member absent.

Switzerland, which is one of the 15 members, organised the informal meeting to commemorate the Geneva Conventions, signed 75 years ago after World War Two in the Swiss city to limit the barbarity of war.

"I call for us to raise respect of the Geneva Conventions to the level of a top political priority," Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis told the meeting attended by envoys from a range of countries, including 14 of the 15 UN Security Council members.

Asked about Russia's absence, he said that all members were invited to think about international humanitarian law collectively but said attendance was not compulsory.

Russia's envoy in New York described the meeting as a "waste of time".

"We believe that the Security Council should be focusing on more important matters than travelling around Europe," said Russia's Deputy Permanent Representative in New York Dmitry Polyanski in a message sent by the diplomatic mission in Geneva.

Russia is a 'P5' member which holds a permanent seat within the broader Security Council alongside the United States, France, Britain and China.

At the same meeting the president of the International Committee of the Red Cross Mirjana Spoljaric described the Geneva Conventions as "under strain", referring to the Gaza conflict as well as Ukraine. Russia launched more than 100 missiles and around 100 attack drones at Ukraine on Monday, killing at least five people and striking energy facilities.

Russia's Wagner says it is not fighting in Ukraine

Monday 26 August 2024 15:30 , Tara Cobham

Russia's Wagner mercenary group said on Monday that it only operated in Africa and in Russian ally Belarus, and its soldiers were no longer fighting in the Ukraine war.

Ukraine on Sunday called on Belarus to pull back what it described as significant forces deployed along their shared border. It said these included Belarus special forces and former Wagner mercenaries.

In a rare statement, the group said that its employees only worked in Africa and Belarus.

"There are no divisions of the company in the Russian National Guard, in the ranks of the Russian Ministry of Defense, or anywhere else," it said.

Wagner "is not participating in the Special Military Operation at this stage", it said, using the Kremlin's preferred term for the war in Ukraine. Reuters was not able to verify that assertion.

"In case of a change in the situation, it will be announced," Wagner said.

Wagner's role in Africa, for example in support of the military junta in Mali, is a source of concern to the West. In Ukraine, the group was heavily engaged in the earlier part of Russia's war effort, especially the long battle for the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut which it finally captured in May 2023.

The following month, its founder Yevgeny Prigozhin led a short-lived mutiny against Russia's defence establishment. He and other senior Wagner figures were killed in a plane crash on 23 August, 2023.

Monday 26 August 2024 15:00 , Tara Cobham

Russia said on Monday it had struck Ukrainian forces at more than a dozen places along the front in the Kursk region of western Russia where Ukraine has carved out a slice of territory after smashing through the Russian border 20 days ago.

Thousands of Ukrainian soldiers punched through the border on Aug. 6 in a surprise attack that Russian President Vladimir Putin said was aimed at improving Kyiv's negotiating position ahead of possible talks and slowing the advance of Russian forces along the front.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Sunday that his forces had advanced up to 3 kilometres (1.86 miles) in Russia's Kursk region, taking control of two more settlements there.

Russia said it had struck Ukraine's 22nd and 115th Mechanized Brigades, the 82nd Airborne Assault Brigade, and a Guard and Support Brigade in at least 12 different places with air strikes, artillery and infantry.

Moscow said it had also repelled attacks at seven additional places in Kursk and had struck Ukrainian forces at 16 other locations in Ukraine's neighbouring Sumy region.

"Units of the northern group of forces, with the support of army aviation and artillery fire, repelled attacks by enemy assault groups in the direction of the settlements of Kremyanoye, Malaya Loknya and Nechayev," Russia's defence ministry said in a statement.

It said Russian forces had also "thwarted attempts to attack in the direction of Komarovka, Spalnoye, Korenevo, Pogrebky and Olgovka."

The ministry said it was seeking to identify and destroy Ukrainian sabotage units which had hidden in the forests in an attempt to penetrate deeper into Russian sovereign territory.

While the Kursk incursion has grabbed headlines, Russian officials say the attack will fail to draw Russian forces away from the east of Ukraine where they are still advancing. They also say it will ensnare thousands of Ukrainian troops in a new front which has little strategic or tactical importance.

The Kremlin said on Monday that there would have to be a Russian response to Ukraine's incursion, and that the idea of ceasefire talks with Kyiv was no longer relevant.

Putin has said that Ukraine will receive a "worthy response" but has yet to set out in public what that response is.

Ukraine says Russian attack targeted hydropower plant in Kyiv region

Monday 26 August 2024 14:30 , Tara Cobham

A Ukraine foreign ministry official said that a Russian attack on Monday had targeted a hydropower plant in the Kyiv region.

"Today's Russian attack ... targeted Ukraine's civilian infrastructure, including Kyiv HPP," Andriy Sybiha said on X.

IAEA chief says to lead mission to Kursk nuclear plant in Russia

Monday 26 August 2024 14:00 , Tara Cobham

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)'s Director General Rafael Grossi said on Monday he will personally lead a mission to inspect the Kursk nuclear power plant in Russia during a visit on Tuesday.

"Given the serious situation, I'm personally leading tomorrow's IAEA mission to the Kursk Nuclear Power Plant in Russia," Grossi said in a post on X.

"I reiterate that the safety and security of nuclear facilities must, under no circumstances, be endangered."

Russia says it disrupted Ukraine's power network and arms supplies with massive strike

Monday 26 August 2024 13:29 , Tara Cobham

Russia said on Monday it had conducted a massive strike on Ukraine which it said had disrupted the electricity supply and the transport by rail of arms and ammunition to the front line.

Ukrainian officials said earlier on Monday that Russia had launched more than 100 missiles and around 100 attack drones at Ukraine during the morning rush hour, killing at least five people and striking energy facilities nationwide.

Russia's Defence Ministry said in a statement it had fired missiles from the air and sea and that it had struck electricity substations in nine Ukrainian regions and gas compressor stations in three regions.

"This morning the armed forces of the Russian Federation launched a massive strike with long-range air- and sea-based precision weapons, and with operational and tactical aviation and unmanned aerial vehicles against critical energy infrastructure facilities supporting the work of Ukraine's military-industrial complex," the ministry said.

In an apparent reference to F-16 jets supplied by the West, it said Russia had also struck storage facilities holding aircraft ammunition transferred to Kyiv by Western countries at two airfields.

"All designated targets were hit, resulting in disruption to the electricity supply and to the transport - by rail - of weapons and ammunition to the line of contact," the statement said.

Ukraine’s prime minister issues plea to allies

Monday 26 August 2024 12:53 , Tara Cobham

Ukraine's prime minister has called on Ukraine’s allies to provide Kyiv with long-range weapons and permission to use them on targets inside Russia, vowing to “make Russia pay”.

Denys Shmyhal said on Monday morning: “In order to stop the barbaric shelling of Ukrainian cities, it is necessary to destroy the place from which the Russian missiles are launched. We count on the support of our allies and will definitely make Russia pay.”

Alert at NATO base in Germany was due to drone threat, source says

Monday 26 August 2024 12:30 , Tara Cobham

Last week's alert at a NATO base in Germany housing the Western alliance's fleet of AWACS surveillance planes was due to a potential drone threat, a security source said on Monday.

Geilenkirchen air base in western Germany raised its security level to "Charlie" - the second highest of four - during most of Friday.

German news agency dpa, citing security sources, said there had been a tip-off from a foreign intelligence service about a possible Russian act of sabotage.

But the security source told Reuters no drones had been seen and could not confirm any evidence of a Russian role.

"The word Russia was never mentioned. We talked about a threat caused by drones," added a NATO spokesperson at Geilenkirchen.

The German government press office, the interior ministry and Moscow's embassy in Berlin did not immediately comment on the media report of a Russian threat.

Western forces are on high alert amid widespread reports from intelligence services and Western media of possible Russian acts of sabotage against nations supporting Ukraine in its war against Russia.

Russia, which invaded Ukraine in February 2022, has rejected the assertions and accuses the West of aggression towards it.

Last week, Geilenkirchen base also raised the security level after a nearby military base was temporarily sealed off as authorities investigated possible sabotage to the water supply.