Vladimir Putin has admitted his forces have faced problems in the full-scale invasion of Ukraine as he warned of fuel shortages due to Ukraine’s growing attacks.
“Yes, we see the problems, we are aware of them and are responding to them, but we will certainly ensure the security of both the country and our citizens, as well as the inviolability of Russia’s borders,” Putin said in his address to party members at the congress of United Russia.
Putin said fuel supply problems have created shortages in Russia as Volodymyr Zelensky vowed to continue strikes after Ukrainian drones struck two oil refineries overnight on Saturday.
Fire erupted at an oil refinery in the southern Krasnodar region and in the Yaroslavl region on Sunday, as Kyiv continued energy infrastructure attacks that have caused acute fuel shortages in parts of Russia.
“We continue our operations that weaken Russia’s ability to wage this war. Each of our long-range sanctions means fewer resources serving Russia’s war machine, and another step toward peace,” Zelensky said.
The attacks come as Zelensky told Putin to “get out of Ukraine” and “take that step toward peace” after approving a 40-day offensive to “influence” Russia to end the war.
14:00 , Daniel Keane
13:30 , Daniel Keane
Polish security services have deported nine Ukrainians and two Belarusians on suspicion of using Russian money to recruit Ukrainian refugees to demonstrate against the Kyiv government in Poland, the Internal Security Agency (ABW) said.
“The organisers aimed to gradually influence the Ukrainian refugee community in Poland and use this group to promote political slogans,” the ABW said in a statement.
It added that emotive topics including corruption scandals that have hit the government of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and other developments in domestic politics had been used to trigger protests.
According to the agency, the individuals had links to Russia and Belarus and had been carrying out their activities since autumn 2025.
“This is an example of operations that fall outside of classic aggression, aimed at undermining public trust, fuelling tensions and exploiting people fleeing war as instruments of Russian influence,” the ABW said.
13:00 , Maira Butt
he explosion was so powerful that it sent the huge disc-shaped lid of an oil storage tank flying high above the city on a cushion of black smoke and flame.
Ukrainian drones cut through the Russian air defences last week to strike an oil refinery in Moscow for the second time in three days, amid Kyiv’s largest ever attack on the capital.
The footage quickly travelled around the world as proof of Kyiv’s poise and ability to bring the war in Ukraine back to Vladimir Putin’s doorstep. On Sunday, the Russian president admitted that Moscow is experiencing “problems” in the war and warned of fuel shortages due to Ukrainian attacks.
James C Reynolds reports:
How Ukraine and Russia’s drone war spread to Europe as Putin ‘hijacks’ Kyiv’s weapons
12:30 , Maira Butt
12:00 , Maira Butt
Russian troops have taken control of the village of Bohodarivka in the Donetsk region in eastern Ukraine, the RIA state news agency reported on Monday, citing the Defence Ministry.
11:30 , Maira Butt
Russia is pushing towards Kostiantynivka, a vital stronghold in Ukraine‘s eastern “fortress belt” long sought after by the Kremlin, even as its gains across the rest of the 1,200-km front line have largely stalled.
Fighting has begun to seep into the city itself. Small groups of Russian soldiers are attempting to infiltrate its outskirts, senior Ukrainian commanders said last week, suggesting close-quarters assaults could follow.
Kostiantynivka is the southernmost of four key settlements forming a defensive line central to Ukraine’s effort to hold the heavily industrialised Donetsk region.
Kostiantynivka: Why Russia is so desperate to take Ukraine’s eastern ‘fortress belt’
11:00 , Arpan Rai
10:40 , Arpan Rai
The explosion was so powerful that it sent the huge disc-shaped lid of an oil storage tank flying high above the city on a cushion of black smoke and flame.
Ukrainian drones cut through the Russian air defences last week to strike an oil refinery in Moscow for the second time in three days, amid Kyiv’s largest ever attack on the capital.
The footage quickly travelled around the world as proof of Kyiv’s poise and ability to bring the war in Ukraine back to Vladimir Putin’s doorstep.
How Ukraine’s drone campaign sparked a fuel crisis 3,500km behind enemy lines
10:20 , Arpan Rai
Vladimir Putin gave a rare acknowledgement of the impacts of Ukraine’s medium- and long-range drone campaign, as he spoke about several issues plaguing his invasion of Ukraine.
Here’s what he said:
On Russia facing problems in war with Ukraine:
“Yes, we see the problems, we are aware of them and are responding to them, but we will certainly ensure the security of both the country and our citizens, as well as the inviolability of Russia’s borders,” Putin said.
“We will undoubtedly overcome all the challenges facing us today, including terrorist attacks on our territory and infrastructure facilities.”
On Ukraine’s drone campaign:
“The first task is to quickly and significantly ramp up production of those air defence systems that are most needed.”
“All the strikes, wherever they hit our infrastructure, absolutely do not affect the situation on the front, on the line of combat contact,” he said.
On peace talks with Ukraine:
Putin said Russia was expecting a resumption of US-led diplomatic efforts to end the war and a new visit to Moscow by US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner once the “hot phase” of the US-Israeli conflict with Iran was resolved.
On continuing attacks on the war’s frontline:
Vladimir Putin said he was rejecting what he said was a new proposal by Kyiv to rein in hostilities in the conflict and Russia would press ahead with its battlefield aim of fully capturing four Ukrainian regions.
He said Moscow saw it as a means to relieve pressure on Kyiv’s forces along the two sides’ 1,250km (775mile) front line and would not be distracted by it.
“It is clear why this proposal is being made, because our counter-strikes deep into Ukrainian territory are much stronger, have greater impact and are, frankly, more destructive,” Putin claimed.
“Given their catastrophic shortage of personnel, the Ukrainian Armed Forces apparently believe this could be their salvation. But saving the Kyiv regime is not part of our plans,” he claimed.
On fuel supply shortages amid attacks on oil refineries:
Putin, addressing a meeting of senior officials on fuel supply and distribution, said Russia had to minimise the effects of Ukrainian drone strikes on oil installations linked to the shortages.
He called for measures to ensure supplies for the farm sector and said a ban on diesel exports was under consideration.
“You are well aware that problems for drivers and for businesses persist,” Putin told the meeting, according to accounts published by Russian news agencies. “Unfortunately, there are still queues at gas stations too.”
He added: “We have to reduce to a minimum the impact of terrorist attacks on our civilian targets and infrastructure.”
Putin said gasoline reserves were being used and now stood at 1.7 million metric tons and that July production levels should exceed those recorded in June. He said a ban on diesel exports, under discussion for some time, was being considered.
“The need to introduce a complete ban on the export of diesel fuel is being considered,” he told participants.
10:20 , Arpan Rai
Vladimir Putin gave a rare acknowledgement of the impacts of Ukraine’s medium- and long-range drone campaign, as he spoke about several issues plaguing his invasion of Ukraine.
Here’s what he said:
On Russia facing problems in war with Ukraine:
“Yes, we see the problems, we are aware of them and are responding to them, but we will certainly ensure the security of both the country and our citizens, as well as the inviolability of Russia’s borders,” Putin said.
“We will undoubtedly overcome all the challenges facing us today, including terrorist attacks on our territory and infrastructure facilities.”
On Ukraine’s drone campaign:
“The first task is to quickly and significantly ramp up production of those air defence systems that are most needed.”
“All the strikes, wherever they hit our infrastructure, absolutely do not affect the situation on the front, on the line of combat contact,” he said.
On peace talks with Ukraine:
Putin said Russia was expecting a resumption of US-led diplomatic efforts to end the war and a new visit to Moscow by US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner once the “hot phase” of the US-Israeli conflict with Iran was resolved.
On continuing attacks on the war’s frontline:
Vladimir Putin said he was rejecting what he said was a new proposal by Kyiv to rein in hostilities in the conflict and Russia would press ahead with its battlefield aim of fully capturing four Ukrainian regions.
He said Moscow saw it as a means to relieve pressure on Kyiv’s forces along the two sides’ 1,250km (775mile) front line and would not be distracted by it.
“It is clear why this proposal is being made, because our counter-strikes deep into Ukrainian territory are much stronger, have greater impact and are, frankly, more destructive,” Putin claimed.
“Given their catastrophic shortage of personnel, the Ukrainian Armed Forces apparently believe this could be their salvation. But saving the Kyiv regime is not part of our plans,” he claimed.
On fuel supply shortages amid attacks on oil refineries:
Putin, addressing a meeting of senior officials on fuel supply and distribution, said Russia had to minimise the effects of Ukrainian drone strikes on oil installations linked to the shortages.
He called for measures to ensure supplies for the farm sector and said a ban on diesel exports was under consideration.
“You are well aware that problems for drivers and for businesses persist,” Putin told the meeting, according to accounts published by Russian news agencies. “Unfortunately, there are still queues at gas stations too.”
He added: “We have to reduce to a minimum the impact of terrorist attacks on our civilian targets and infrastructure.”
Putin said gasoline reserves were being used and now stood at 1.7 million metric tons and that July production levels should exceed those recorded in June. He said a ban on diesel exports, under discussion for some time, was being considered.
“The need to introduce a complete ban on the export of diesel fuel is being considered,” he told participants.
10:00 , Arpan Rai
Vladimir Putin appeared to agree with comments last week by US secretary of state Marco Rubio that no formal agreement had been reached at US-Russia talks in Alaska last year, although he said American peace proposals had been discussed.
“Nobody signed anything, but we talked about certain possibilities for ending the conflict in Ukraine,” Putin said.
Russia has been insisting in recent days that it wants to stick to the terms of a peace deal discussed between Trump and Putin in Anchorage in August last year.
The US side, he said, had asked for compromises which he said were contained in proposals put forward by the Americans in the talks.
In his comments, Putin also suggested that Belarusian president Alexander Lukashenko, with whom he held two days of talks this week, could assist with peace talks.
09:35 , Arpan Rai
German foreign minister Johann Wadephul and his US counterpart Marco Rubio will discuss a new burden-sharing arrangement within Nato at a meeting in Washington this week, Wadephul said this morning.
Wadephul and Rubio will discuss “how we can achieve a new burden-sharing arrangement within the alliance and secure stable, long-term support for Ukraine at next week’s Nato summit in Ankara”.
“Support that will make Moscow realise that it is finally time to end the killing in Ukraine and come to the negotiating table,” Wadephul added in a statement.
09:20 , Arpan Rai
Belarusian president Alexander Lukashenko said China-Belarus ties are at their “historic peak” as he met Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Beijing for talks this morning.
“This is exactly what we talked with you before,” Lukashenko replied, according to the Telegram post.
“And perhaps, to some extent, what we had dreamed of on the eve of this global cooperation between Belarus and… China.”
Lukashenko’s visit to China comes after he held talks with Russian president Vladimir Putin last week.
09:00 , Arpan Rai
Vladimir Putin has admitted his forces have faced problems in the full-scale invasion of Ukraine as he warned of fuel shortages due to Ukraine’s growing attacks.
“Yes, we see the problems, we are aware of them and are responding to them, but we will certainly ensure the security of both the country and our citizens, as well as the inviolability of Russia’s borders,” Putin said yesterday, speaking at the congress of his ruling party, United Russia.
“We will undoubtedly overcome all the challenges facing us today, including terrorist attacks on our territory and infrastructure facilities,” the Russian president added.
Putin acknowledged at the meeting in the Kremlin with government ministers and other officials that the strikes had triggered fuel shortages in various Russian regions but that Russia was dealing with them.
In a separate conversation with Russian state television interviewer, Putin said Russia needed to boost its air defence capacity to counter intensified Ukrainian drone attacks aimed mainly at its oil industry.
08:30 , Arpan Rai
A senior military commander of Ukraine army was found dead yesterday, officials said.
Colonel Volodymyr Konnikov, the commander of Ukraine’s 154th Separate Mechanised Brigade, was reportedly found dead, Ukraine’s Operational Command South said, adding that circumstances were under investigation.
“On Sunday, 28 June, the commander of the 154th Separate Mechanised Brigade, Colonel Volodymyr Oleksandrovych Konnikov, was found dead. The circumstances of the officer’s death are being investigated,” the command said in a statement.
“Colonel Volodymyr Kononnikov was an officer devoted to Ukraine and the military, a responsible commander who cared about the personnel and needs of his unit,” it added.
However, Zaporizhzhia regional police later said that a commander of a military unit had been found dead with a gunshot wound, but did not name Konnikov.
The circumstances surrounding the death have not been disclosed but officials have launched an investigation.
A criminal case under Article 115 of Ukraine’s Criminal Code, which covers intentional homicide has been opened.
“Police are establishing the circumstances surrounding the death of the military officer,” the Zaporizhzhia regional police said in a statement.
“The commander of one of the military units was found dead with a gunshot wound,” it said.
08:15 , Arpan Rai
08:05 , Arpan Rai
Russian attacks killed at least four people on Sunday in Ukraine’s southeastand northeast and one in Sumy, regional officials said.
Strikes on the southeastern city of Zaporizhzhia killed two people and injured 16, regional governor Ivan Fedorov said on Telegram.
Pictures posted online by the governor showed a building ablaze and parts of a neighborhood reduced to rubble.
In the northeastern border region of Kharkiv, a frequent Russian target, a missile strike on the town of Zmiiv killed one person and injured eight, including two children, regional governor Oleh Syniehubov said.
Police in the Kharkiv region also said an officer was killed as he was trying to organise the evacuation of residents in another community further north.
In the Sumy region, also on the Russian border, the regional governor said an elderly woman was killed during the day in an area near the border.
07:57 , Arpan Rai
Russia is grinding its way into Kostiantynivka, a key stronghold in Ukraine’s eastern “fortress belt” long coveted by the Kremlin, even as its gains across the rest of the 1,200-km front line have largely stalled.
Fighting has begun to seep into the city itself.
Small groups of Russian soldiers are attempting to infiltrate its outskirts, senior Ukrainian commanders said last week, suggesting close-quarters assaults could follow.
Kostiantynivka is the southernmost of four key settlements forming a defensive line central to Ukraine’s effort to hold the heavily industrialised Donetsk region.
The push towards it underscores Moscow’s enduring manpower advantage, even as Ukrainian mid-range drone strikes on logistics have weakened its fighting capabilities, analysts said.
“The effect (of mid-range strikes) hasn’t been so great that it would have forced the Russians to suspend their offensive,” said Emil Kastehelmi of the Black Bird conflict analysis team in Finland.
“So even though Russia has been taking increasingly heavy losses in the rear, they are still able to continue their offensives, at least in certain sectors,” he said.
Occupying Kostiantynivka would provide Russian forces a foothold from which to move north along the belt, now the central axis of their campaign.
But any advance would likely be long and bloody for its forces, in a possible echo of other costly sieges of eastern cities like Pokrovsk and Avdiivka.
07:46 , Arpan Rai
Vladimir Putin yesterday acknowledged Russia is facing “a certain shortage” of fuel, coinciding with Ukraine’s increased attacks on oil refineries in several parts of the country.
In an interview published by the Kremlin yesterday, Putin said: “As for strikes against critical infrastructure in general, and energy infrastructure in particular, of course these attacks on our infrastructure facilities create problems, that’s obvious”.
“Right now we’re observing a certain shortage, but it’s not critical,” he claimed.
Putin said officials now face the main task now of increasing Russian anti-aircraft defence capacity and to ensure fuel supplies, particularly to Crimea.
07:25 , Arpan Rai
Vladimir Putin appeared to agree with comments last week by US secretary of state Marco Rubio that no formal agreement had been reached at US-Russia talks in Alaska last year, although he said American peace proposals had been discussed.
“Nobody signed anything, but we talked about certain possibilities for ending the conflict in Ukraine,” Putin said.
Russia has been insisting in recent days that it wants to stick to the terms of a peace deal discussed between Trump and Putin in Anchorage in August last year.
The US side, he said, had asked for compromises which he said were contained in proposals put forward by the Americans in the talks.
In his comments, Putin also suggested that Belarusian president Alexander Lukashenko, with whom he held two days of talks this week, could assist with peace talks.
07:10 , Arpan Rai
Vladimir Putin gave a rare acknowledgement of the impacts of Ukraine’s medium- and long-range drone campaign, as he spoke about several issues plaguing his invasion of Ukraine.
Here’s what he said:
On Russia facing problems in war with Ukraine:
“Yes, we see the problems, we are aware of them and are responding to them, but we will certainly ensure the security of both the country and our citizens, as well as the inviolability of Russia’s borders,” Putin said.“We will undoubtedly overcome all the challenges facing us today, including terrorist attacks on our territory and infrastructure facilities.”
On Ukraine’s drone campaign:
“The first task is to quickly and significantly ramp up production of those air defence systems that are most needed.”
“All the strikes, wherever they hit our infrastructure, absolutely do not affect the situation on the front, on the line of combat contact,” he said.
On peace talks with Ukraine:
Putin said Russia was expecting a resumption of US-led diplomatic efforts to end the war and a new visit to Moscow by US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner once the “hot phase” of the US-Israeli conflict with Iran was resolved.
On continuing attacks on the war’s frontline:
Vladimir Putin said he was rejecting what he said was a new proposal by Kyiv to rein in hostilities in the conflict and Russia would press ahead with its battlefield aim of fully capturing four Ukrainian regions.
He said Moscow saw it as a means to relieve pressure on Kyiv’s forces along the two sides’ 1,250km (775mile) front line and would not be distracted by it.
“It is clear why this proposal is being made, because our counter-strikes deep into Ukrainian territory are much stronger, have greater impact and are, frankly, more destructive,” Putin claimed.
“Given their catastrophic shortage of personnel, the Ukrainian Armed Forces apparently believe this could be their salvation. But saving the Kyiv regime is not part of our plans,” he claimed.
On fuel supply shortages amid attacks on oil refineries:
Putin, addressing a meeting of senior officials on fuel supply and distribution, said Russia had to minimise the effects of Ukrainian drone strikes on oil installations linked to the shortages.
He called for measures to ensure supplies for the farm sector and said a ban on diesel exports was under consideration.
“You are well aware that problems for drivers and for businesses persist,” Putin told the meeting, according to accounts published by Russian news agencies. “Unfortunately, there are still queues at gas stations too.”
He added: “We have to reduce to a minimum the impact of terrorist attacks on our civilian targets and infrastructure.”
Putin said gasoline reserves were being used and now stood at 1.7 million metric tons and that July production levels should exceed those recorded in June. He said a ban on diesel exports, under discussion for some time, was being considered.
“The need to introduce a complete ban on the export of diesel fuel is being considered,” he told participants.
06:47 , Arpan Rai
German foreign minister Johann Wadephul and his US counterpart Marco Rubio will discuss a new burden-sharing arrangement within Nato at a meeting in Washington this week, Wadephul said this morning.
Wadephul and Rubio will discuss “how we can achieve a new burden-sharing arrangement within the alliance and secure stable, long-term support for Ukraine at next week’s Nato summit in Ankara”.
“Support that will make Moscow realise that it is finally time to end the killing in Ukraine and come to the negotiating table,” Wadephul added in a statement.
06:16 , Arpan Rai
Joe Biden accused Donald Trump of “destroying Nato” and “choosing [Vladimir] Putin over American allies.”
Speaking from a Democratic Party fundraising gala in Maryland on Saturday, the former US president took several jabs at Trump.
He said: “It’s not just his deliberate distortion and destruction of Nato and his choosing Putin over American allies or the fact that he’s diminished our standing in the eyes of the world more than any president in history has,” Kyiv Independent reported.
President Trump has heavily criticised Nato and threatened to pull out of the alliance over European members’ lack of support in the Iran war.
05:58 , Arpan Rai
Belarusian president Alexander Lukashenko said China-Belarus ties are at their “historic peak” as he met Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Beijing for talks this morning.
“This is exactly what we talked with you before,” Lukashenko replied, according to the Telegram post.
“And perhaps, to some extent, what we had dreamed of on the eve of this global cooperation between Belarus and… China.”
Lukashenko’s visit to China comes after he held talks with Russian president Vladimir Putin last week.
05:33 , Arpan Rai
Vladimir Putin has admitted his forces have faced problems in the full-scale invasion of Ukraine as he warned of fuel shortages due to Ukraine’s growing attacks.
“Yes, we see the problems, we are aware of them and are responding to them, but we will certainly ensure the security of both the country and our citizens, as well as the inviolability of Russia’s borders,” Putin said yesterday, speaking at the congress of his ruling party, United Russia.
“We will undoubtedly overcome all the challenges facing us today, including terrorist attacks on our territory and infrastructure facilities,” the Russian president added.
Putin acknowledged at the meeting in the Kremlin with government ministers and other officials that the strikes had triggered fuel shortages in various Russian regions but that Russia was dealing with them.
In a separate conversation with Russian state television interviewer, Putin said Russia needed to boost its air defence capacity to counter intensified Ukrainian drone attacks aimed mainly at its oil industry.
05:14 , Arpan Rai
Chinese president Xi Jinping has met with his Belarusian counterpart Alexander Lukashenko in Beijing this morning, reported China’s state news agency CCTV.
04:52 , Arpan Rai
Vladimir Putin acknowledged on Sunday that fuel supply problems had created shortages in Russian regions and a task force was working on ensuring sufficient quantities were provided throughout the country.
Putin, addressing a meeting of senior officials on fuel supply and distribution, said Russia had to minimise the effects of Ukrainian drone strikes on oil installations linked to the shortages.
He called for measures to ensure supplies for the farm sector and said a ban on diesel exports was under consideration.
“You are well aware that problems for drivers and for businesses persist,” Putin told the meeting, according to accounts published by Russian news agencies. “Unfortunately, there are still queues at gas stations too.”
He added: “We have to reduce to a minimum the impact of terrorist attacks on our civilian targets and infrastructure.”
Ukraine has stepped up medium and long-range attacks on industrial targets in Russia and Russian-controlled territories inside Ukraine, focusing mainly on the oil sector.
Putin said gasoline reserves were being used and now stood at 1.7 million metric tons and that July production levels should exceed those recorded in June. He said a ban on diesel exports, under discussion for some time, was being considered.
“The need to introduce a complete ban on the export of diesel fuel is being considered,” he told participants.
Russian deputy prime minister Alexander Novak had earlier said there was no need for Russia to ban diesel exports, Interfax news agency reported.
A task force on fuel supplies was working round the clock, Putin said, adding the situation required “systemic measures that match the scale of current challenges” to increase supply and keep prices at a reasonable level.
Supplying agriculture, he said, was particularly important.
“We need to make every effort to ensure that all seasonal fuel supply schedules are maintained for agro-industrial enterprises, because the harvest depends on it,” Putin said.
04:26 , Arpan Rai
A senior military commander of Ukraine army was found dead yesterday, officials said.
Colonel Volodymyr Konnikov, the commander of Ukraine’s 154th Separate Mechanised Brigade, was reportedly found dead, Ukraine’s Operational Command South said, adding that circumstances were under investigation.
“On Sunday, 28 June, the commander of the 154th Separate Mechanised Brigade, Colonel Volodymyr Oleksandrovych Konnikov, was found dead. The circumstances of the officer’s death are being investigated,” the command said in a statement.
“Colonel Volodymyr Kononnikov was an officer devoted to Ukraine and the military, a responsible commander who cared about the personnel and needs of his unit,” it added.
However, Zaporizhzhia regional police later said that a commander of a military unit had been found dead with a gunshot wound, but did not name Konnikov.
The circumstances surrounding the death have not been disclosed but officials have launched an investigation.
A criminal case under Article 115 of Ukraine’s Criminal Code, which covers intentional homicide has been opened.
“Police are establishing the circumstances surrounding the death of the military officer,” the Zaporizhzhia regional police said in a statement.
“The commander of one of the military units was found dead with a gunshot wound,” it said.
03:56 , Arpan Rai
Vladimir Putin said Russia will press ahead with its battlefield aim of fully capturing four Ukrainian regions, rejecting what he said was a new proposal by Kyiv to rein in hostilities in Russia’s more than four-year-old war on Ukraine.
In his television interview, the Russian president said Ukraine had proposed a mutual halt to long-range strikes as a step towards peace.
But Moscow saw it as a means to relieve pressure on Kyiv’s forces along the two sides’ 1,250km (775mile) front line and would not be distracted by it.
“It is clear why this proposal is being made, because our counter-strikes deep into Ukrainian territory are much stronger, have greater impact and are, frankly, more destructive,” Putin claimed.
“Given their catastrophic shortage of personnel, the Ukrainian Armed Forces apparently believe this could be their salvation. But saving the Kyiv regime is not part of our plans,” he claimed.
The office of Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has not immediately issued a comment on Putin’s remarks.
03:47 , Arpan Rai
Russian attacks killed at least four people on Sunday in Ukraine’s southeastand northeast and one in Sumy, regional officials said.
Strikes on the southeastern city of Zaporizhzhia killed two people and injured 16, regional governor Ivan Fedorov said on Telegram.
Pictures posted online by the governor showed a building ablaze and parts of a neighborhood reduced to rubble.
In the northeastern border region of Kharkiv, a frequent Russian target, a missile strike on the town of Zmiiv killed one person and injured eight, including two children, regional governor Oleh Syniehubov said.
Police in the Kharkiv region also said an officer was killed as he was trying to organise the evacuation of residents in another community further north.
In the Sumy region, also on the Russian border, the regional governor said an elderly woman was killed during the day in an area near the border.
03:00 , Harriette Boucher
Joe Biden accused Donald Trump of “destroying Nato” and “choosing [Vladimir] Putin over American allies.”
Speaking from a Democratic Party fundraising gala in Maryland on Saturday, the former US president took several jabs at Mr Trump.
He said: “It’s not just his deliberate distortion and destruction of NATO and his choosing Putin over American allies or the fact that he’s diminished our standing in the eyes of the world more than any president in history has,” Kyiv Independent reported.
President Trump has heavily criticised Nato and threatened to pull out of the alliance over European members’ lack of support in the Iran war.
02:00 , Harriette Boucher
Ukrainian forces launched one of their largest drone attacks on Russian territory and illegally annexed Crimea, with Russian air defences claiming to intercept 660 unmanned aerial vehicles across 12 regions, the Black Sea, and the Azov Sea during a major overnight assault on Friday.
Read more:
Ukraine launches one of its biggest drone attacks on Russia and Crimea
01:00 , Harriette Boucher
Monday 29 June 2026 00:00 , Harriette Boucher
James C. Reynolds reports:
The explosion was so powerful that it sent the huge disc-shaped lid of an oil storage tank flying high above the city on a cushion of black smoke and flame.
Ukrainian drones cut through the Russian air defences last week to strike an oil refinery in Moscow for the second time in three days, amid Kyiv’s largest ever attack on the capital.
The footage quickly travelled around the world as proof of Kyiv’s poise and ability to bring the war in Ukraine back to Vladimir Putin’s doorstep.
The Ukrainians have intensified strikes on refineries, depots and supply routes in recent months, having learned to overwhelm Russia’s defences with a growing arsenal of cutting-edge long-range drones.
Their successes have created debilitating shortages across Russia, from occupied Crimea to the eastern expanses of Siberia, giving Kyiv the upper hand as both sides weigh restarting peace talks.
The Independent looks at how Ukraine has mastered its long-range capabilities to devastating effect:
How Ukraine’s drone campaign sparked a fuel crisis 3,500km behind enemy lines
Sunday 28 June 2026 23:00 , Harriette Boucher
Sunday 28 June 2026 22:00 , Harriette Boucher
Putin is rattled and Trump needs a win – this is the chance for Ukraine and her allies to force the collapse of Russia’s army and push back against its land grab, writes world affairs editor Sam Kiley:
Why is Putin asking for Ukraine-Russia peace talks now?
Sunday 28 June 2026 21:26 , Dan Haygarth
Vladimir Putin said on Sunday that Ukraine had proposed a mutual halt to long-range strikes as a step towards peace but Moscow saw them as a means to distract from Russia’s aim of fully capturing four regions in its military campaign.
“It is clear why this proposal is being made, because our counter-strikes deep into Ukrainian territory are much stronger, have greater impact and are, frankly, more destructive,” Putin told a Russian television interviewer.
Russia, he said, had no intention of “salvaging the Kyiv regime”.
Ukrainian attacks were “aimed at diverting our attention and forces from achieving the main objectives – the complete liberation of Donbas and Novorossiya,” a reference to the two regions of the Donbas and the Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions.
Sunday 28 June 2026 21:00 , Dan Haygarth
Vladimir Putin acknowledged on Sunday that fuel supply problems had created shortages in Russian regions and a task force was working on ensuring sufficient quantities were provided throughout the country.
Putin, addressing a meeting of senior officials on fuel supply and distribution, said Russia had to minimise the effects of Ukrainian drone strikes on oil installations linked to the shortages.
He called for measures to ensure supplies for the farm sector and said a ban on diesel exports was under consideration.
“You are well aware that problems for drivers and for businesses persist,” Putin told the meeting, according to accounts published by Russian news agencies. “Unfortunately, there are still queues at gas stations too.”
He added: “We have to reduce to a minimum the impact of terrorist attacks on our civilian targets and infrastructure.”
Ukraine has stepped up medium and long-range attacks on industrial targets in Russia and Russian-controlled territories inside Ukraine, focusing mainly on the oil sector.
Putin said gasoline reserves were being used and now stood at 1.7 million metric tons and that July production levels should exceed those recorded in June. He said a ban on diesel exports, under discussion for some time, was being considered.
“The need to introduce a complete ban on the export of diesel fuel is being considered,” he told participants.
Russian deputy prime minister Alexander Novak had earlier said there was no need for Russia to ban diesel exports, Interfax news agency reported.
A task force on fuel supplies was working round the clock, Putin said, adding the situation required “systemic measures that match the scale of current challenges” to increase supply and keep prices at a reasonable level.
Supplying agriculture, he said, was particularly important.
“We need to make every effort to ensure that all seasonal fuel supply schedules are maintained for agro-industrial enterprises, because the harvest depends on it,” Putin said.
Sunday 28 June 2026 20:55 , Dan Haygarth
Vladimir Putin said on Sunday that Russia needed greater anti-aircraft capacity to confront Ukrainian drone strikes on oil infrastructure, but added that the country was coping well with the problems the attacks had caused.
“The first task is to quickly and significantly ramp up production of those air defence systems that are most needed,” Putin said in a Russian television interview.
He said Russia would not allow the Ukrainian strikes to detract from Moscow’s plans to advance on the front lines of the more than four-year-old conflict.
“All the strikes, wherever they hit our infrastructure, absolutely do not affect the situation on the front, on the line of combat contact,” he said.
Sunday 28 June 2026 20:34 , Dan Haygarth
Russian attacks killed at least four people on Sunday in Ukraine’s southeast and northeast, regional officials said, Reuters reports.
Strikes on the southeastern city of Zaporizhzhia killed two people and injured 16, regional governor Ivan Fedorov said on Telegram.
Pictures posted online by the governor showed a building ablaze and parts of a neighborhood reduced to rubble.
In the northeastern border region of Kharkiv, a frequent Russian target, a missile strike on the town of Zmiiv killed one person and injured eight, including two children, regional governor Oleh Syniehubov said.
Police in the Kharkiv region also said an officer was killed as he was trying to organise the evacuation of residents in another community further north.
Reuters said it was unable to independently verify accounts from either side.
Both Russia and Ukraine deny deliberately targeting civilians in the more than four-year-old conflict.
Sunday 28 June 2026 20:00 , Harriette Boucher
Drones and artillery killed civilians on both sides of the Russia-Ukraine border yesterday, local officials said.
In the Russian border region of Bryansk, a Ukrainian drone strike killed two people in their car in a village near the border, the region’s acting governor Yegor Kovalchuk said on Telegram.
Moscow mayor Sergei Sobyanin issued a long series of statements about Ukrainian drones heading for the capital being intercepted. An informal tally kept by Russian news agencies put the number at 24 during the day.
In Ukraine, the governor of the southeastern Dnipropetrovsk Region, Oleksandr Ganzha, said a combined total of more than 40 drone strikes and artillery fire had killed one person and injured one near Nikopol.
The town, lying on the opposite bank of the Dnipro River from the Russian-held Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, is a frequent Russian target.
Sunday 28 June 2026 19:30 , Dan Haygarth
Russia’s ruling party on Sunday announced it would run an injured Ukraine war veteran and a television war correspondent, alongside the country’s foreign minister and the mayor of Moscow, as lead candidates in a parliamentary election due in September.
Speaking at United Russia’s pre-election congress, party chairman and former president Dmitry Medvedev said that Ukraine war veteran Vladislav Golovin and state television war correspondent Yevgeny Poddubny would head the party’s candidate list.
United Russia has won large majorities in every national Russian election it has contested, though polling shows it is significantly less popular than president Vladimir Putin.
Despite a difficult backdrop of an ongoing war and fuel shortages driven by Ukrainian drone strikes, United Russia is likely to secure a large majority, bolstered by Putin’s support and a tame parliamentary opposition that broadly supports the Kremlin’s line on Ukraine.
Putin himself won a fresh term as president in 2024, keeping him in office until at least 2030.
Golovin, 29, rose to prominence in state media in 2022 as a naval infantry platoon commander in the battle for the Ukrainian port of Mariupol, during which he was wounded. Reporter Poddubny was also wounded in 2024, during fighting in Russia’s Kursk region.
Also among the top five are foreign minister Sergei Lavrov and Moscow mayor Sergei Sobyanin, two of Russia’s most prominent and popular officials. Maria Lvova-Belova, Russia’s commissioner for children’s rights, is also included the list.
Though prominent national figures often feature among its candidates, they do not always take up seats in the lower house of parliament, the State Duma.
Putin has repeatedly said that he wants veterans of the Ukraine war to enter politics as Russia’s new elite.
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