Russia

• A new book titled "Regime Change: Inside the Imperial Presidency of Donald Trump" reveals that a former cabinet member referred to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as a "special needs child for the Europeans." • The comments reportedly surfaced during a meeting focused on discussing a proposed minerals deal between the United States and Ukraine. • This disclosure highlights the contentious nature of the Trump administration's internal views toward Ukrainian leadership and its allies in Europe.

Russia intercepted 300 Ukrainian drones across the country and temporarily suspended operations from Moscow airportNearly 60 Ukrainian drones were intercepted heading for Moscow last night, forcing the capital’s airports to briefly suspend its operations during the attack.In total, Russia reportedly downed just over 300 drones across the country.“The Russians are attacking us every day – and we will strike back every day. Our response will grow stronger with each passing day.” Continue reading...

• Recent strikes in the Russia-Ukraine conflict have resulted in five deaths, signaling an intensification of hostilities. • Authorities in Crimea have suspended public fuel sales to prioritize supplies for medical services, emergency responders, and critical infrastructure. • These measures underscore the severe logistical and humanitarian challenges currently facing the region as attacks continue.

• Western allies, including Germany, the United Kingdom, Sweden, and Belgium, are accelerating military assistance to Ukraine to counter potential Russian escalation. • The new support packages prioritize strengthening air defenses, expanding drone production, and sustaining critical battlefield operations. • This surge in aid comes as European nations express growing concern that Russia may employ its full military capabilities to annihilate Ukraine following recent long-range strikes.

• NASA recently directed astronauts to secure themselves in the Dragon capsule and prepare for a potential emergency evacuation due to a leak in a Russian ISS module. • The incident highlights the critical vulnerability of the station's pressurized environment and the potential for sudden decompression if a module fails. • This event underscores the growing tension and operational risks associated with the interdependence of NASA and Roscosmos as the ISS nears the end of its lifespan.

Exclusive: European Commission planning to rewrite key law to allow water-intensive mines in regions suffering from droughtThe European Commission plans to rewrite the EU’s flagship water protection law to speed up the development of critical minerals mines, despite many being located in drying and water-stressed regions, analysis has found.Mining is a water-intensive industry, requiring large volumes of water for ore processing, dust suppression, waste management and mine dewatering. While modern projects recycle water, they still require significant amounts, and in water-stressed regions those demands can add to pressure on already stretched rivers, aquifers and water supplies. Continue reading...

Two payments of $50m will boost Ukraine’s air defence and munitions supply. Follow today’s news live• Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastGood morning and welcome to our live news blog. I’m Martin Farrer with the top overnight stories and then it’ll be Nick Visser with the main action.Jim Chalmers has defended the government’s changes to its controversial capital gains tax reforms and rejected claims it amounted to a backflip forced by business interests. More follows soon. Continue reading...

Prime minister says country needs to resist those who seek to ‘exploit division’ and ‘destabilise democracy’The trial of two Russian-linked arsonists who targeted property connected to Keir Starmer shows that the UK is under attack from bad actors who want to “exploit division” and “destabilise our democracy”, the prime minister has said.Roman Lavrynovych, 22, from Ukraine, and Stanislav Carpiuc, 27, from Romania, were found guilty on Monday of conspiring to carry out arson attacks on property linked to the prime minister, and appear to have operated under the instruction of an online handler with links to Russia. Continue reading...

• Finland employs a "whole of society" approach to national security, a strategy developed over a century of preparing for potential Russian aggression. • The Finnish model integrates civilian readiness, military planning, and government coordination to ensure the entire population can withstand and respond to an invasion. • Experts suggest the UK should adopt similar comprehensive preparedness measures to strengthen its own resilience against evolving geopolitical threats.

Jane and Alan Kelvey know what happened when their small holiday yacht met a warship in the Channel – but Moscow tells a different story“We actually had right of way,” said Jane Kelvey, a little crossly, though keeping it civil. “But we weren’t going to argue with a warship.”The dramatic stand-off in the Channel on Tuesday morning between Admiral Grigorovich, a 125-metre (409ft) battle-hardened Russian frigate, and Bright Future, a 12-metre (40ft) pleasure yacht owned and helmed by Jane, 69 and her husband Alan, 71, has rather caught the nation’s imagination. Continue reading...

No formal warning issued to captains or ship owners, but industry body says they are exercising greater vigilanceBritish officials believe Russia will try to retaliate for the Royal Marines’ seizure of the oil tanker Smyrtos, prompting UK ship owners to exercise greater vigilance until tensions with Moscow ease.Military sources said the UK had considered possible responses to a seizure of the vessel carrying Russian crude worth $40m (£30m) to India, and anticipate that the Kremlin will want to hit back. Continue reading...

Keir Starmer has called the firing of warning shots by a Russian warship at a British yacht sailing across the Channel on Tuesday ‘deeply concerning and reckless’.Russia’s defence ministry said the yacht was on a ‘dangerous course’ and several attempts were made to contact it – a claim disputed by the retired couple onboard the 40ft yacht.Nosheen Iqbal speaks to the Guardian’s defence and security editor, Dan Sabbagh – watch on YouTube Continue reading...

British retirees Jane and Alan Kelvey say they do not want incident in Channel to stop them enjoying their sailing tripUK politics live – latest updatesA British woman on a yacht in the Channel near which a Russian warship fired warning shots has told how she does not want the incident to be blown out of proportion, saying: “We don’t want world war three to start because of this.”Jane Kelvey, 69, and her husband, Alan, 70, were on their yacht, Bright Future, travelling from the south coast of England towards France on Tuesday when they came into close contact with the Admiral Grigorovich, a 409ft Russian frigate. Continue reading...

PM says firing of warning shots at yacht was reckless and UK is dealing with proxy attacks from Russia ‘every day’Warning shots fired by a Russian warship sailing across the Channel on Tuesday morning were “deeply concerning and reckless”, Keir Starmer said from the G7 summit on Wednesday as he warned that the UK was dealing with proxy attacks from Russia “every single day”.The prime minister said the Ministry of Defence had assessed that the Russian vessel was drifting and fired the shots within a few hundred metres of a British pleasure yacht. Continue reading...

• A Russian frigate, the Admiral Grigorovich, reportedly fired a warning shot at a yacht in the English Channel between Normandy and the Isle of Wight. • This naval escalation follows a recent incident involving the seizure of a Russian tanker, heightening tensions in the region. • Separately, Donald Trump announced on Monday that a preliminary agreement to end the conflict between the US and Iran has been signed.

• Russia launched a large-scale wave of missile and drone attacks overnight targeting Kyiv, Kharkiv, and various cultural heritage sites across Ukraine. • UN Humanitarian Coordinator Matthias Schmale reported that several civilians were killed and dozens injured, with children among the casualties and residential buildings catching fire. • The attacks are significant for targeting both civilian populations and the country's history and cultural landmarks, drawing strong condemnation from the United Nations.

Ajay Pant charged with sanctions breach over shadow fleet ship carrying 98,000 tonnes of oil boarded by British troops The captain of a Russian shadow fleet vessel containing 98,000 tonnes of oil, which was intercepted by British troops in the Channel, has been remanded in custody after appearing in court charged with breaching sanctions.Ajay Pant, 38, has been charged with directly or indirectly supplying or delivering by ship prohibited oil or oil products from Russia to a third country in June 2026, in contravention of Regulation 46Z9B of the Russia (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019. Continue reading...

Ministry of Defence investigates after shots apparently fired within 500 metres of vessel near Isle of WightThe Ministry of Defence is investigating reports that a Russian frigate, the Admiral Grigorovich, fired warning shots within 500 metres of a British yacht sailing a little over 20 miles south of the Isle of Wight.No injuries or damage have been reported by the yacht, which is continuing its journey. A boat from HMS Tyne has visited the yacht to gather details and check the crew are safe. Continue reading...

Two Belarusians ⁠detained over attack on Robert ⁠Kuzovkov, who is also known as Semyon SkrepetskyA Russian artist critical of Vladimir Putin was shot and killed in ⁠the eastern Polish town of Biała Podlaska, a Polish prosecutor has said.Five shots were fired at the ⁠victim, including one ⁠to the head, in the attack on Monday, ​said Marcin Kozak, a spokesperson for the district prosecutor in Lublin. Continue reading...

World leaders will be joined by Volodymyr Zelenskyy as they try to keep Donald Trump on sideSo what we now have is the leaders of Canada, EU, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK waiting for Trump, Macron and Zelenskyy.It sounded as if someone, possibly Meloni, was telling some sort of story that involved the White House, but it’s impossible to make out what it was. Continue reading...

G7 told ‘we will stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes’, with Russia’s finance networks and shadow fleet targetedKeir Starmer has vowed to “choke off” Russian revenue with further sanctions and to provide hundreds of millions of pounds worth of energy support for Ukraine, as he met world leaders in France for the G7.After a torrid political week at home, the British prime minister sought to put himself on the front foot on the international stage at the meeting of the group of seven, which kicked off on Monday in the French spa town of Évian-les-Bains, on the shore of Lake Geneva. Continue reading...

• President Zelenskyy accused Russia of deliberately targeting the Pechersk Lavra monastery, a UNESCO World Heritage site in Kyiv, resulting in 11 confirmed deaths. • The Ukrainian leader dismissed Moscow's claims that the site was not targeted, highlighting the ongoing destruction of cultural landmarks. • This escalation occurs as G7 leaders prepare to meet in France to discuss international support and strategic responses to the conflict.

Dormition Cathedral of Kyiv Pechersk Lavra, one of Ukraine’s most significant religious sites, and residential buildings hit across capitalUkraine has come under a massive Russian missile and drone attack with waves of explosions echoing through the capital, Kyiv, in the early hours of Monday morning as air raids killed at least five people across the country.Among targets hit in the sustained wave of strikes were the city’s historic Dormition Cathedral within the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra, one of Ukraine’s most significant religious sites, as well as residential buildings across the city. Continue reading...

Met seizes far-right activist’s phones after he disembarks flight at Heathrow under counter-terrorism provisionsBritish police say they stopped the far-right activist Tommy Robinson and seized his phones as he returned from a trip to Russia.Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, met Elon Musk’s father in Moscow during his trip. Continue reading...

Keir Starmer says operation involving UK armed forces has delivered ‘yet another blow’ to Russia and PutinBritish armed forces intercepted and boarded a Russian shadow fleet oil tanker in the Channel in the early hours of Sunday, Keir Starmer has confirmed.In a six-hour operation, the first of its kind to be led by the UK, Royal Marine commandos and officers from the National Crime Agency boarded and took control of the vessel, Smyrtos, which was sailing under a Cameroonian flag. Continue reading...

Prime minister says British armed forces intercepted a Russian shadow fleet vessel in the early hours of Sunday morningIn an interview with the Sunday Telegraph, Dan Jarvis said he had a “big responsibility” towards soldiers who risk their lives for the country.Jarvis, himself a former soldier, said he was still working through the detail of the defence investment plan, which will lay out how much military equipment and infrastructure will be paid for over the next decade. The new defence secretary told the Sunday Telegraph:The defence of our nation is a shared endeavour… I have a big responsibility in that regard now, but so do all of those people who expose themselves to risk tonight, tomorrow, next week, and we owe them a debt of gratitude.I have a responsibility now to them to make sure that they get what they need, and people should be very clear about my determination to fulfil those duties, to make sure that they do (get) precisely what they need. Continue reading...

• President Volodymyr Zelensky warned that the outcome of the conflict with Russia will determine the future of Europe as he prepares for the upcoming G7 Summit. • Zelensky emphasized that Ukraine is fighting for its statehood, independence, and the fundamental right to choose its own sovereign path. • The statement underscores the geopolitical stakes of the war, framing Ukraine's struggle as a critical defense of European stability and democratic values.

• Ukraine has claimed a devastating strike on a bridge in Crimea, resulting in the destruction of approximately 50 Russian military vehicles. • The operation coincides with warnings from Kyiv's drone chief, who asserts that Vladimir Putin will lose access to the Crimean peninsula in the "near future." • This escalation highlights Ukraine's strategic focus on disrupting Russian logistics and supply lines essential for maintaining control over occupied territories.