Russia claims troops reach Dnipropetrovsk region

Russia claims it has reached the Dnipropetrovsk region in Ukraine, according to reports.

Dnipropetrovsk is located on the western border of the Donetsk region and northern border of the Zaporizhzhia region.

The Russian defence ministry said a tank division had advanced to the western border of Donetsk and was continuing its advance into Dnipropetrovsk, Interfax news agency reported.

Last month, the head of the Dnipropetrovsk regional military administration Serhiy Lysak said Russia was spreading disinformation about entering the region to sow panic.

Sky News cannot independently verify these battlefield reports.

On Friday, the Institute for the Study of War assessed the control zones to be as follows…

Russia claims troops reach Dnipropetrovsk region

Russia claims it has reached the Dnipropetrovsk region in Ukraine, according to reports.

Dnipropetrovsk is located on the western border of the Donetsk region and northern border of the Zaporizhzhia region.

The Russian defence ministry said a tank division had advanced to the western border of Donetsk and was continuing its advance into Dnipropetrovsk, Interfax news agency reported.

Last month, the head of the Dnipropetrovsk regional military administration Serhiy Lysak said Russia was spreading disinformation about entering the region to sow panic.

Sky News cannot independently verify these battlefield reports.

On Friday, the Institute for the Study of War assessed the control zones to be as follows…

Russia launched a renewed, devastating offensive against Ukraine in the early hours of Friday that killed three and injured as many as 49 people, Ukrainian officials said. The three killed were said to be members of Ukraine’s Emergency Service.

ALSO READ | NATO ignores CRUCIAL Russian peace demand, invites Ukraine to next Summit

This comes after Russian President Vladimir Putin warned of Russia’s response to Operation Spider Web, a daring Ukrainian operation that destroyed 15 airplanes located deep inside the country. Putin’s warning had been relayed by Trump in a Truth Social post following his telephone conversation with Putin.

According to an X post from Kyiv’s Ministry of Defence, 407 drones had attacked the nation, in addition to 45 missiles of various types: one of the largest single barrages launched by Moscow since the escalation of the conflict in February 2022.

Overnight, russian invaders launched a massive missile attack on Ukraine, using 45 missiles of various types and 407 UAVs.

🇺🇦 air defense shot down 235 aerial targets:

– 30 Kh-101 cruise missiles

– 4 Iskander-M ballistic missiles

– 2 Iskander-K cruise missiles

– 199 Shahed-type… pic.twitter.com/GLL4SFess9 — Defense of Ukraine (@DefenceU) June 6, 2025

Kyiv also claimed that their air defence systems had intercepted 199 drones and 36 missiles, and that another 169 drones and 2 missiles had failed to hit their targets.

The strikes targeted the capital Kyiv, as well as other cities in the vicinity, explained Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha in an X post on Friday that criticised how Russia chose to take revenge for its destroyed aircraft “by attacking civilians in Ukraine”.

Overnight, Russia “responded” to its destroyed aircraft… by attacking civilians in Ukraine.

Kyiv, Lutsk, Lviv, Ternopil, Chernihiv, Kremenchuk, and others. Multi-storey buildings hit. Energy infrastructure damaged. There are killed and wounded people throughout the country.… pic.twitter.com/KXu1MxZA2X — Andrii Sybiha 🇺🇦 (@andrii_sybiha) June 6, 2025

“The difference between Ukraine and Russia is that Ukraine hits legitimate military targets—such as aircraft equipped to bomb our children. Russia targets residential areas, civilians, and critical infrastructure,” he added, calling for stronger sanctions on Moscow.

ALSO READ | After Vladimir Putin’s call with Trump, Kremlin aide says India-Pakistan conflict was stopped with US president’s ‘personal participation’

Russia’s Foreign Ministry, on the other hand, have justified their drone strikes by calling Operation Spider Web—as well as the SBU’s subsequent weakening of the Crimean Bridge with underwater explosions—“terror attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure” on Russian soil.

⚡️ The Kiev regime is relentless in its terror attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure in numerous Russian regions, including Moscow.

Russia will deliver a matching response to barrages of terrorist attacks carried out by the Kiev regime.

👉… pic.twitter.com/wmx3SxFrmN — MFA Russia 🇷🇺 (@mfa_russia) May 23, 2025

Deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council Dmitry Medvedev had also declared in a Telegram post on Tuesday that retribution was “inevitable”.

Zelenskyy echoed the defence ministry’s statement calling for stronger, consistent pressure on Russia, saying that if someone “is not applying pressure and is giving the war more time to take lives—that is complicity and accountability”. “We must act decisively,” he added.

Ukraine-Russia war latest: Putin to send top negotiator to Washington as US anger grows over peace deal talks

Vladimir Putin is set to send his top negotiator to Washington in a bid to win back the favour of Donald Trump, who is reportedly angry at the Russian autocrat.

Washington officials have acknowledged that Putin is resisting attempts to strike a ceasefire, and discussed what economic or diplomatic punishments could push Russia closer to a deal, the sources said.

It comes following Mr Trump’s explosive reveal that he was “p***** off” with Putin and would look to unleash oil tariffs on Russia if they did not take peace talks seriously.

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Kirill Dmitriev, Putin’s Kyiv-born and US-educated envoy, will meet with Mr Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff this week, Reuters reported.

Responding to the reports on X, Mr Dmitriev said: “The resistance to US–Russia dialogue is real—driven by entrenched interests and old narratives. But what if improved relations are exactly what the world needs for lasting global security and peace?”

On Tuesday, two senior Washington sources told Reuters that a peace deal does not seem imminent, despite US efforts.

Meanwhile, half of the US Senate – including 25 Republicans and 25 Democrats – has united to propose sanctions on Russia if it refuses to engage in good faith negotiations with Ukraine.

Key Points

Russia violating ceasefire – Ukraine hands dossier of evidence to US

In pictures: Aftermath of Russian missile strike on Kryvyi Rih that killed 4

Putin envoy to visit Washington for Witkoff meeting

Who is Putin’s negotiator and what will he discuss?

Russia violating ceasefire – Ukraine hands dossier of evidence to US

23:31 , Barney Davis

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Deputy Head of the Ukrainian President’s Office, Ihor Brusylo, spoke on national television to say they have handed evidence to the US about Russia violating a

“The energy ceasefire… which Ukraine and the United States agreed upon, was violated by the Russian side. All the necessary information was transferred to the American side. I think the reaction will not be long in coming, because even American partners who were diplomatically disposed towards the possibility of ensuring such a ceasefire are running out of patience,” he said.

According to the official, all evidence confirms that Russia is not interested in a ceasefire or in bringing the war to an end.

“I hope international partners will not delay anything, and more resolute measures will still be taken against the aggressor state, which pursues its insidious policy despite the agreements reached during the negotiations,” Brusylo stressed.

Zelensky says Ukraine’s Nato membership never included in minerals deal

23:01 , Alex Croft

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Volodymyr Zelensky has said that a minerals deal that Ukraine and the US are negotiating doesn’t mention his country’s Nato membership in the future.

“As for this agreement and the Nato question, there is no mention of Nato in this agreement, and there never was,” Mr Zelensky said, confirming earlier reports.

“A decision (regarding the deal) will be made in the coming days.”

His remarks come a few days after a source in the presidential office told the Kyiv Independent that Ukraine is “not tying” the minerals deal to Nato.

In pictures: Aftermath of Russian missile strike on Kryvyi Rih that killed 4

22:26 , Barney Davis

(via REUTERS)

(via REUTERS)

(EPA)

Trump now objects to European push to buy weapons locally

22:00 , Alex Croft

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Officials from the Trump administration are now urging their European allies to keep buying American-made arms – just weeks after Donald Trump asked the EU to take responsibility for its own defence and security.

Five US sources familiar with the matter told Reuters that the US has made outreach to its EU allies amid recent moves by the European Union to limit US manufacturers’ participation in weapons tenders.

According to two of the sources, US secretary of state Marco Rubio said any exclusion of US companies from European tenders would be seen negatively by Washington, which those two sources interpreted as a reference to the proposed EU rules.

One northern European diplomat, who was not part of the Baltic meeting, said they had also been recently told by US officials that any exclusion from EU weapons procurements would be seen as inappropriate.

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Shortly after taking office, Mr Trump urged European allies to spend more on defence and take greater responsibility for their own security, and suggesting that his commitment to Nato is not absolute.

President Donald Trump is reportedly “p***** off” with Putin (AP)

Watch: Trump ‘p***** off’ at Putin over disparaging Zelensky comments

21:01 , Alex Croft

Two arrested in Russian plot to blow up Lviv police station

20:29 , Alex Croft

Two people have been arrested after allegedly plotting to blow up a police station in the western city of Lviv on Russian instructions, Ukrainian authorities said.

The suspects were carrying out the “instructions of a Russian representative in exchange for a monetary reward”, Ukrainian prosecutors said on Telegram.

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They “arrived in Lviv and retrieved explosives hidden in a bag at specific coordinates”, authorities said. “The defendants were set to plant the concealed explosives in an administrative building at a Lviv police station as part of their prearranged plan.”

One of the perpetrators was a 22-year-old woman and resident of Kyiv who had been looking to ear “easy money” through Telegram channels.

After recruitment by Russian intelligence she was tasked with a “test” assignment, posting Russian propaganda leaflets around Kyiv, Ukrainska Pravda reported.

Trump must see through Putin’s stalling tactics over Ukraine ceasefire, Germany says

20:00 , Alex Croft

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Donald Trump must not be misled by Vladimir Putin’s “stalling tactics” to delay peace in Ukraine, outgoing German foreign minister Annalena Baerbock said during a visit to Kyiv.

“At the upcoming meeting of Nato foreign ministers, we will make it clear to the American side that we should not engage with Putin’s stalling tactics,” the 44-year-old Greens leader said in a statement released after her arrival in the Ukrainian capital.

Mr Putin is “feigning readiness to negotiate but is not moving one millimetre from his position”, she added.

Only international pressure can stop Putin’s terror – Zelensky

19:35 , Barney Davis

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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said Russian terror can only be stopped with pressure from international partners after a missile strike on Kryvyi Rih killed four civilians.

“A targeted Russian missile strike on Kryvyi Rih. All necessary services are on site, working to mitigate the consequences of the shelling and to help people. Some people are wounded, and they are receiving medical assistance. As of now, it is known that, tragically, four lives were claimed by this strike, all of them civilians. My condolences to their families and loved ones,” he said on Telegram.

Zelensky stressed that everywhere in the world, such strikes are called by the same name – terror.

“What separates us all from at least a complete and unconditional cessation of strikes is the lack of Russia’s consent to end the war, and only the world’s pressure can ensure such consent,” Zelensky said.

(Telegram)

Mapped: Russia advance slows in Donetsk as Ukraine launches counterattacks

19:31 , Alex Croft

Watch ‘key’ fighter pilot shoot down drones

19:20 , Barney Davis

Nighttime combat in the skies: Fighter pilot with call sign Denfix took down two Shaheds.

Denfix, a MiG-29 pilot, intercepts russian cruise missiles and attack drones. With over 20 aerial kills, he’s a key player in Ukraine’s air defense. Watch him in action. pic.twitter.com/J6lOviTwkW — Defense of Ukraine (@DefenceU) April 2, 2025

‘Russia wants to continue fighting’ – Putin biographer

19:00 , Alex Croft

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Rebekah Koffler, a former DIA intelligence officer who specializes in Russia’s war strategy, told Fox New that Putin’s goal with his latest conscription drive is to prolong the war.

“There’s no ceasefire and no peace plan between Russia and Ukraine to be had,” said Koffler, the author of a best-selling book ” Putin’s Playbook .”

“What President Trump seeks is regretfully, unachievable. Putin’s goal is to keep fighting, in order to compel Ukraine to capitulate.

“Now that Germany and France are considering to deploy reassurance forces into Ukraine, Putin is factoring in those numbers, so he is increasing his force’s posture, to deter such a deployment or failing to prevent it by force.”

(AP)

Russia has initiated its largest military draft in 14 years ahead of possible spring offensive

18:29 , Alex Croft

Putin has called up 160,000 men as part of the country’s bi-annual conscription drive as Russia seeks to beef up its military ranks.

According to the legislation, citizens aged 18 to 30 will be called up for mandatory military service through June 15.

The spring draft marks the largest conscription campaign since spring 2011, when 200,000 men were called up for service. Last year, 150,000 men were called, following 134,500 in 2022.

Ukrainian secret service arrest two alleged spies

18:26 , Barney Davis

The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) say they have detained a man and a woman acting as spies for Russia on suspicion of attempting to carry out a bombing on a local police station office.

The SBU reported that the device, disguised as a fire extinguisher, was taken from a hidden cache based on coordinates provided by Russian handlers from the GRU.

According to SBU, a 22-year-old woman from Kyiv, was recruited via Telegram looking for “easy money” and initially tasked with distributing Russian propaganda leaflets in the Ukrainian capital.

After completing her first “test” assignment, she was allegedly told to travel to Lviv to carry out the attack. She also recruited an acquaintance to assist her in blowing up the administrative building of the local district police department, said the SBU.

Security services say the attackers also planned to install a hidden camera to broadcast the explosion’s impact to their Russian handlers.

The SBU said it “exposed both agents in advance, documented their crimes, and detained them ‘red-handed’ as they approached the police unit with explosives.”

Both suspects have been charged with high treason under martial law, a crime punishable by life imprisonment with property confiscation.

(Telegram/SBU)

Fighting increases despite ceasefire talks

17:58 , Alex Croft

Despite negotiations for a ceasefire, March saw a sharp increase in combat clashes along the frontline.

The number of clashes rose from 3,274 in February to 4,270 in March, bringing the total for 2025 to 12,631 so far, according to the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine.

Russian forces have also significantly escalated their use of guided aerial bombs against Ukrainian positions.

In March, approximately 4,800 such munitions were deployed, an increase from 3,370 in February.

Four dead after Russian missile strike on Kryvyi Rih

17:53 , Barney Davis

The death toll from a Russian missile strike on Kryvyi Rih has risen to four, with three others injured.

Oleksandr Vilkul, head of the Kryvyi Rih Defense Council, reported the attack on Telegram.

“Rescue operations are ongoing. A massive fire has broken out,” Vilkul wrote.

“Unfortunately, as of now, the death toll has risen to four,” Vilkul updated on Telegram.

A support center for affected residents will be set up in front of a store near the World War II military equipment monument.

Earlier reports indicated that Russia had targeted one of the city’s industrial facilities with a ballistic missile.

News analysis | Trump’s ‘anger’ at Putin over Ukraine peace deal delay is just play acting

17:23 , Alex Croft

World affairs editor Sam Kiley writes:

Donald Trump is peeved. His officials are starting to spin that his plans for almost instant peace in Ukraine may take a lot longer, while Vladimir Putin’s business envoy heads for the White House, supposedly to make amends.

Yet what it truly reveals is that the 47th president continues to be played by the Kremlin.

Trump has unleashed a trade war, expressed colonial designs on two Nato members, scrambled Ukraine’s defensive war plans, shown public contempt for Europe and set about the pillars of American democracy with a sledgehammer.

Trump has shown a remarkable ability to interpret Moscow’s deepest desires and to deliver on them.

That the US president is now saying he is “pissed off” with Putin and is considering – considering – increasing tariffs and sanctions on Russia, is play acting.

Trump’s ‘anger’ at Putin over Ukraine peace deal delay is just play acting

Russia and Ukraine trade accusations of energy facility attacks

16:49 , Alex Croft

Russia and Ukraine accused each other of launching new attacks against each other’s energy facilities on Wednesday, in violation of a US-brokered halt on such strikes.

Both sides said they were providing details of the alleged violations to the US, which persuaded Moscow and Kyiv to agree to the limited truce last month as a potential stepping stone towards a full ceasefire.

Russia’s defence ministry said Ukraine had conducted drone and shelling attacks in the western Kursk region that cut off power to over 1,500 households.

In the Russian-held part of Ukraine’s Luhansk region, the state gas company said that a Ukraine drone strike on a gas distribution station had left more than 11,000 customers around the town of Svatove with limited access to gas.

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy said a Russian drone hit an energy substation in Sumy region and artillery fire damaged a power line in Dnipropetrovsk, cutting off electricity to nearly 4,000 consumers.

The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump is impatient with both sides to move faster towards ending the three-year war.

A Ukrainian drone attack on Kharkiv injured three children (EPA)

Russian missile fired at ‘civilian infrastructure’: city official

16:43 , Steffie Banatvala

A Russian missile attack on the central Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih on Wednesday killed at least three people, local officials reported.

The head of the city military administration said Russia has fired a ballistic missile at a “civilian infrastructure facility”.

In pictures: Putin meets regional chief in Moscow

16:17 , Alex Croft

Russian president Vladimir Putin meets with Head of the Republic of Buryatia Alexei Tsydenov at the Kremlin in Moscow (AP)

Putin is set to send an envoy to Washington for talks with the Trump administration (AP)

Russian missile kills three in Kryvyi Rih

15:53 , Alex Croft

Three people have been killed after a Russian missile hit an enterprise in the Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih, the regional governor said.

At least one person was injured, he added on Telegram, while the attack sparked fire.

‘Russia’s position holding up ceasefire’ – Zelensky

15:46 , Alex Croft

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said that he had been sharing information with the United States. He posted on X on Tuesday: “We have shared all information regarding Russia’s violations in the energy sector — there were strikes, and today again in Kherson, a Russian drone targeted an energy facility and equipment — deliberately and purposefully.

“Part of the city was left without electricity. We insist that every such violation must be documented and receive a response from our partners. It is precisely these small details that add up to Russia’s major delays in the diplomatic process.

“The unconditional cessation of strikes proposed by the United States is not being implemented solely because of Russia’s position.”

Nato countries pledge more than £16 billion military support to Ukraine since start of 2025

15:16 , Alex Croft

Nato countries allies have pledged more than 20 billion euros (£16.73 billion) in military support for Ukraine in the first three months of the year, secretary-general Mark Rutte said on Wednesday.

Foreign ministers from the alliance meet in Brussels on Thursday and Friday to discuss further support for Ukraine against Russia’s three-year-old invasion.

All you need to know so far on Wednesday

14:54 , Alex Croft

If you’re just joining us now, here’s everything you need to know so far on Wednesday:

Senior Russian official Kirill Dmitriev is set to visit Washington this week, where he will likely discuss peace in Ukraine, the return of US companies to Russia, rare earths, energy prices, prisoner swaps and other topics with Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff.

The Kremlin did not confirm the visit but said it was “possible”, adding that contacts between Moscow and Washington are continuing.

Russia killed one person and injured at least 10, including three children, in an overnight drone attack on Ukraine. Around 74 drones were launched including 14 at the northeastern Kharkiv region, where most of the injuries were recorded. 41 drones were shot down.

Volodymyr Zelensky accused Russia of damaging energy facilities in the Sumy and Dnipropetrovsk regions, cutting power to 4,000 people. Both countries had agreed to a halt on energy infrastructure strikes – but they have both accused each other of breaching this deal.

Russia shot down 93 Ukrainian drones, 87 of which were destroyed over the Kursk region, Moscow said. Dozens of people were evacuated from an apartment building in the Russian city of Kursk after it was hit by falling drone debris, the regional governor said.

Donald Trump’s pick to become America’s most senior military officer has emphasised the importance of military support for Ukraine. During his senate confirmation hearing, Lieutenant General Dan Caines said US assistance “improves Ukraine’s position at the negotiating table and deters Russia from further aggression”.

Elsewhere in the senate, 25 Republicans and 25 Democrats – making up half of the senate – banded together to propose sanctions on Russia which would be imposed if it refuses to engage in good faith negotiations with Ukraine.

Two people were arrested in an alleged Russian plot to blow up a police station in Lviv. The suspects had been offered money to carry out the act.

Trump must see through Putin’s stalling tactics over Ukraine ceasefire, Germany says

14:31 , Alex Croft

Donald Trump must not be misled by Vladimir Putin’s “stalling tactics” to delay peace in Ukraine, outgoing German minister Annalena Baerbock said during a visit to Kyiv.

The US president showed the first signs of frustration with his Russian counterpart over the weekend, telling NBC News he was “p***** off” and “very angry” with Putin over the failure to reach an agreement with a ceasefire – before threatening to unleash oil tariffs on Moscow.

Paying a final visit to Kyiv as Germany’s foreign minister – before a new government takes office with CDU leader Friedrich Merz at the helm – Ms Baerbock said she would raise the issue with US secretary of state Marco Rubio during a meeting of Nato foreign ministers this week.

“At the upcoming meeting of NATO foreign ministers, we will make it clear to the American side that we should not engage with Putin’s stalling tactics,” the 44-year-old Greens leader said in a statement released after her arrival in the Ukrainian capital.

Read the full report:

Trump must see through Putin’s stalling tactics over Ukraine ceasefire, Germany says

Corruption officers expose $18million embezzlement scheme in Ukraine’s defence ministry

14:13 , Alex Croft

Anti-corruption officers in Ukraine have exposed a $17.8 million embezzlement scheme in the defence ministry, Ukraine’s National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) has said.

The funds were embezzled during food procurement for the Armed Forces between 2022 and 2023, and have led to charges being brought against a former head of department within the Ministry of Defence.

Food supplies for the army were arranged through pre-assembled “food kits” taken from a selection of 409 items – but only 10 per cent of those products were regularly ordered, NABU said according to Ukrainska Pravda.

Other items such as spices and berries, were very rarely due to their seasonal nature.

“This system allowed suppliers to manipulate prices – artificially inflating the cost of high-demand products while lowering prices for unpopular or seasonal products (such as cherries or apricots in winter).

“At first glance, there were no violations, as the total price of the kit remained unchanged. However, potatoes, supplied in thousands of tonnes, cost a fortune, while seasonal berries and fruits, which were rarely ordered, were priced at mere pennies.”

Ukraine $10billion short in funding needed for recovery efforts – PM

13:46 , Alex Croft

Ukraine is has come up $10 billion short in what is needed for recovery efforts in 2025, Kyiv’s prime minister Denuys Shmyhal said on Wednesday.

Kyiv needs $39.3 billion in international support this year and its partners have confirmed their commitment to covering this amount, Mr Shmyhal said.

But so far the overall shortfall is nearly $10 billion, he said after the 13th meeting of the Steering Committee of the Ukraine Donor Platform.

“This year, we consider the key areas of joint work of the Ukraine Donor Platform to be budget support, sustainable financing for infrastructure, housing and energy recovery, as well as economic development and investment attraction on the path to the EU,” he said.

In pictures: Zelensky visits wounded troops in Dnipro

13:40 , Alex Croft

Volodymyr Zelensky met with Ukrainian troops at a hospital in Dnipro on Wednesday (UKRAINIAN PRESIDENTIAL PRESS SER)

The Ukrainian president said earlier on Wednesday that the international community must place “new and tangible pressure” on Moscow to force it to end the war (UKRAINIAN PRESIDENTIAL PRESS SER)

Ukrainian records 176 clashes with Russian troops, 64 near Pokrovsk

13:26 , Alex Croft

The Ukrainian military recorded 176 clashes with Russian forces over the past day, 64 of which took place on the eastern Pokrovsk front.

Vladimir Putin’s forces have been steadily advancing near Pokrovsk, a strategic Ukrainian town which serves as a supply hub for other areas of the frontline. Russia has aimed to cut supply lines to and from Pokrovsk to other Ukrainian-controlled areas.

Clashes were also recorded on the fronts in Kharkiv, Kupiansk, Lyman, Toretsk, Kursk and others.

The grinding war of attrition in eastern Ukraine has seen Russia send large masses of troops charging towards stretched Ukrainian defences, claiming incremental territorial gains at the cost of large manpower losses.

Watch: Sam Kiley visits Kherson where Ukrainian civilians are being targeted by Russian drones in near-daily attacks

13:12 , Alex Croft

Dozens of people evacuated from Kursk building struck by drone debris, official says

12:59 , Alex Croft

Dozens of people were evacuated from an apartment building in the Russian city of Kursk following a Ukrainian drone attack, a regional official said on Wednesday.

“As a result of the attack of enemy drones on Kursk, there is damage to an apartment building in the city centre,” the acting governor of the Kursk region, Alexander Khinshtein, said on Telegram.

At least 60 people were evacuated from the building which was hit with drone debris, he said. “Fortunately, there are no casualties.”

Ukraine has not yet commented on the attack, the size of which remains unclear.

In pictures: Abandoned town in Russian-occupied eastern Ukraine

12:44 , Alex Croft

The ruined and abandoned town of Maryinka (Mariinka) in the Donetsk region, Russian-controlled Ukraine (AFP via Getty Images)

The abandoned town was home to more than 9,000 people in 2022 (AFP via Getty Images)

The city was largely destroyed during the Russian invasion, and has been abandoned since November 2022. It was reported as fully captured by Russian forces in 2023 (AFP via Getty Images)

Comment | Putin has been playing Trump like a cheap violin

12:29 , Alex Croft

Such is the Trump Tower-sized self-conceit of Donald J Trump that for weeks – if not months – he could not see what virtually the whole of the rest of the world could: Vladimir Putin was playing him like a cheap violin.

Trump, seemingly mesmerised by the Russian leader, gave his friend everything he wanted: dominance in Ukraine, aside from a carve-out for US mineral interests; a Russian zone of influence in Europe; the abandonment of Nato and other allies. All of that in return for the Russians scaling back their nuclear arsenal and giving the Americans a free run at acquiring Greenland and Canada (even if they are not Russia’s to give away and won’t ever happen).

That looked to be the kind of grand bargain Trump was looking for, but Putin overplayed his hand.

Associate editor Sean O’Grady writes:

Putin has been playing Trump like a cheap violin

US Senators push for sanctions on Russia if peace efforts delayed

12:00 , Alex Croft

Half of the US Senate, including 25 Republicans and 25 Democrats, banded together to introduce prospective sanctions on Russia which would be imposed if it refuses to engage in good faith negotiations with Ukraine.

Led by Republican Senator Lindsey Graham and Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal, the group said it would impose primary and secondary sanctions against Russia if Moscow does not engage in talks or initiated another attempt to undermine Ukraine’s sovereignty.

“The sanctions against Russia require tariffs on countries who purchase Russian oil, gas, uranium and other products. They are hard hitting for a reason,” the two senators said in a statement, a rare moment of bipartisanship in a divided Congress.

“The dominating view in the United States Senate is that Russia is the aggressor, and that this horrific war and Putin’s aggression must end now and be deterred in the future,” they said.

Ukraine marks three years since Russian forces pushed out of Kyiv region

11:51 , Alex Croft

Three years ago, the Defense Forces drove the enemy out of Kyiv region. The russians attempted to swiftly capture the capital but shattered their ambitions against the resilience of the Ukrainian soldiers and the unity of Ukrainian society.

At the same time, with the liberation… pic.twitter.com/0vQ21xjIRG — Defense of Ukraine (@DefenceU) April 2, 2025

Watch: Ukraine’s firefighters battle blaze after Russian drone strike in Kharkiv

11:45 , Alex Croft

Trump’s pick for top US general stresses need to arm Ukraine

11:32 , Alex Croft

Donald Trump’s nominee to become America’s most senior military general has voiced his support for military assistance to Ukraine to “deter Russia from further aggression”.

Retired Lieutenant General Dan Caine is Mr Trump’s pick to become the chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff – the highest-ranking officer in the US armed forces and the main military advisor to the president.

Speaking at the Senate Armed Services Committee, Lt Gen Caine said US military assistance “improves Ukraine’s position at the negotiating table and deters Russia from further aggression”.

“From a military standpoint, Ukraine has the right to self-defense, and from that standpoint our security assistance helps Ukraine to defend itself,” he said according to the published transcript of his confirmation hearing.

But Washington should “focus on what unique capabilities only the US can provide” while Europe “increases its share of support”.

Lt Gen Caine believes Moscow will “continue to prosecute the war in 2025” because it “likely views the conflict is in its favour”.

Lt Gen Caine faced the Senate Armed Services Committee for his confirmation hearing on Monday (Getty Images)

Who is Putin’s negotiator and what will he discuss?

11:11 , Alex Croft

Kirill Dmitriev, the 49-year-old chief of Russia’s sovereign wealth fund, is reportedly set to visit Washington to meet Donald Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff.

But who is Kyiv-born Mr Dmitriev, and why is he being sent by Moscow on what would be Russia’s first diplomatic visit to the US since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022?

Mr Dmitriev, who holds regular meetings with Vladimir Putin, was appointed in February as Putin’s special envoy on international economic and investment cooperation.

Born in Kyiv in Soviet Ukraine, the envoy went on to study at Stanford University in California before being awarded an MBA with distinction at Harvard.

He speaks fluent English, worked at Goldman Sachs in New York alongside McKinsey & Company, before returning to Moscow where he worked in an US-Russian investment management company.

Kirill Dmitriev was present for previous Russia-US talks in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (REUTERS)

He has built strong relations with key members of the Trump team, having played a role in early Russia-US contacts when Mr Trump first took power in 2016. Mr Dmitriev also met US special envoy Steve Witkoff when he visited Moscow in March.

Having flattered Mr Trump, he may be seen as the perfect fit for a Washington visit. “Trump (is) driving tectonic shifts in geopolitics. False malign paradigms (are) collapsing, giving way to common sense and values-driven solutions,” Mr Dmitriev said.

Moscow has likely tasked him with discussing the return of US companies to Russia, rare earths, energy prices, prisoner swaps and peace in Ukraine, among other topics.

Mr Dmitriev was sanctioned by the US as a “a known Putin ally”, but has not been sanctioned by the European Union. According to CNN, Washington has temporarily lifted the sanctions for the visit.

Visit to Washington by Putin envoy is ‘possible’, says Kremlin

10:56 , Alex Croft

A US visit by Vladimir Putin’s envoy Kirill Dmitriev is “possible”, the Kremlin said on Wednesday.

Contacts between Moscow and Washington are continuing, a Kremlin spokesperson added.

Reuters reported that Dmitriev is expected in Washington this week for talks with Donald Trump’s administration.

Watch: Trump warns Zelensky of ‘big problems’ after accusing him of minerals deal u-turn

10:49 , Alex Croft

Two arrested in Russian plot to blow up Lviv police station

10:29 , Alex Croft

Two people have been arrested after allegedly plotting to blow up a police station in the western city of Lviv on Russian instructions, Ukrainian authorities said.

The suspects were carrying out the “instructions of a Russian representative in exchange for a monetary reward”, Ukrainian prosecutors said on Telegram.

They “arrived in Lviv and retrieved explosives hidden in a bag at specific coordinates”, authorities said. “The defendants were set to plant the concealed explosives in an administrative building at a Lviv police station as part of their prearranged plan.”

One of the perpetrators was a 22-year-old woman and resident of Kyiv who had been looking to ear “easy money” through Telegram channels.

After recruitment by Russian intelligence she was tasked with a “test” assignment, posting Russian propaganda leaflets around Kyiv, Ukrainska Pravda reported.

Black Sea ceasefire: Why crucial Ukraine-Russia deal may never work despite concessions made to Putin

10:15 , Alex Croft

Russia and Ukraine have agreed to stop attacking ships in the Black Sea after intense negotiations with the US in Saudi Arabia.

It is not the full ceasefire Donald Trump is continuing to push for three years into Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, but the move is seen as progress by the White House.

A US delegation held separate talks with counterparts from Russia and Ukraine over three days into Tuesday.

The talks with Kyiv came on either side of a marathon 12-hour discussion with Kremlin representatives on Monday, which was described by a Russian official as “challenging” but “useful”.

Rachel Clun reports:

Black Sea ceasefire: Why crucial deal may never work despite concessions to Putin

More pictures from Russian drone attack on Kharkiv

10:03 , Alex Croft

At least eight people were injured, including three children, according to the State Emergency Service (EPA)

Volodymyr Zelensky said around 14 drones were fired at Kharkiv, of the 74 fired by Russia in total (EPA)

Ukrainian experts inspect a drone engine at the site of a shock drone strike in Kharkiv (EPA)

Mapped: Russia advance slows in Donetsk as Ukraine launches counterattacks

09:48 , Alex Croft

Action must be taken against Russia now, says Zelensky

09:35 , Alex Croft

More from Volodymyr Zelensky, who called for a global response following Russia’s overnight drone attack.

In a direct message to Western allies, Mr Zelensky says “new and tangible pressure” is needed on Moscow to bring the war to an end.

The US and European countries must not wait until April 11, when it will be a month since Russia rejected the US ceasefire proposal, he added.

“This systematic and constant nature of Russian strikes clearly indicates that Moscow despises the diplomatic efforts of partners,” Mr Zelensky wrote on X. “Putin does not even want to ensure a partial ceasefire.

“We should not wait until April 11, when it will be a month since Russia said ‘no’ to the American proposal for a ceasefire. Action must be taken as soon as possible.”

Kyiv is ready to work with partners from the US and Europe to achieve a “dignified and lasting peace”, he added.

Last night, the Russian army continued using attack drones against Ukraine. A total of 74 drones were launched, including 54 Shaheds. Kharkiv was deliberately targeted – at least 14 drones. Unfortunately, there were hits. There are wounded, including three children. All are… pic.twitter.com/PUk5tSlHMN — Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) April 2, 2025

Three children injured in overnight Russian attacks – Zelensky

09:22 , Alex Croft

Three children were injured during the 74-drone attack on Ukraine by Russian forces, Volodymyr Zelensky added in his X post.

Kharkiv was the most heavily targeted area in the attack, facing at least 14 drones. The attack involved 54 Iran-made Shahed drones in total, the Ukrainian president added.

All the wounded are receiving the “necessary assistance” he said.

Russian attacks damage multiple energy facilities – Zelensky

09:16 , Alex Croft

Russian attacks damaged multiple energy facilities in Ukraine, president Volodymyr Zelensky said on Wednesday.

Facilities in the Sumy and Dnipropetrovsk regions were damaged, with electricity cut to nearly 4,000 consumers, Mr Zelensky wrote on X.

A drone hit a substation in the northeastern Sumy region andn artillery fire damaged a power line in the central Dnipropetrovsk region, he said.

Kyiv and Moscow had agreed with the US to a pause on energy infrastructure attacks, but both side has accused the other of violating this truce.

Russia also launched a drone attack in Kharkiv (AFP via Getty Images)

Ukrainian records 176 clashes with Russian troops, 64 near Pokrovsk

08:49 , Alex Croft

The Ukrainian military recorded 176 clashes with Russian forces over the past day, 64 of which took place on the eastern Pokrovsk front.

Vladimir Putin’s forces have been steadily advancing near Pokrovsk, a strategic Ukrainian town which serves as a supply hub for other areas of the frontline. Russia has aimed to cut supply lines to and from Pokrovsk to other Ukrainian-controlled areas.

Clashes were also recorded on the fronts in Kharkiv, Kupiansk, Lyman, Toretsk, Kursk and others.

The grinding war of attrition in eastern Ukraine has seen Russia send large masses of troops charging towards stretched Ukrainian defences, claiming incremental territorial gains at the cost of large manpower losses.

ICYMI: Moscow can’t accept US peace proposals in current form – Russian diplomat

08:26 , Alex Croft

Moscow cannot accept the current US proposals on ending the war in Ukraine, a Russian diplomat said on Tuesday, as Washington expresses the first signs of anger over Vladimir Putin’s stalling of a peace settlement.

Russia is giving serious consideration to the proposals but Washington must take into account what the Kremlin regards as the root causes of the conflict, deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov said according to state media.

“We take the models and solutions proposed by the Americans very seriously, but we can’t accept it all in its current form,” he said.

“As far as we can see, there is no place in them today for our main demand, namely to solve the problems related to the root causes of this conflict,” he told Russia’s International Affairs magazine.

“It is completely absent, and that must be overcome,” he was quoted as saying.

Recap: Why is Trump ‘very angry’ with Putin?

08:20 , Alex Croft

After weeks of working with Vladimir Putin to reach a peace deal in Ukraine, Donald Trump has now said he is “p***** off” with the Russian leader.

In and NBC interview, the US president said he was “very angry” with Putin for attacking Volodymyr Zelensky’s governence.

“You could say that I was very angry, pissed off, when… Putin started getting into Zelensky’s credibility, because that’s not going in the right location,” Trump told NBC.

Last week, the Russian president said Ukraine should be put under external UN governance as part of the ceasefire process.

His suggestion that Zelensky’s leadership was illegitimate was met with condemnation from leaders around the world.

“New leadership means you’re not gonna have a deal for a long time,” Trump added in his interview with NBC.

It is the first time Trump has appeared to express real anger towards Moscow since taking office in January (AFP/SPUTNIK/AFP via Getty Images)

Putin envoy responds to reports of Washington visit

08:14 , Alex Croft

Kirill Dmitriev, Putin’s international cooperation envoy, has responded to reports that he is set to visit Washington this week.

“Maybe. The resistance to US–Russia dialogue is real—driven by entrenched interests and old narratives,” he wrote on X.

“But what if improved relations are exactly what the world needs for lasting global security and peace?”

He later posted a poll, asking his followers: “Are good U.S.–Russia relations good for the world?”

Maybe.

The resistance to US–Russia dialogue is real—driven by entrenched interests and old narratives.

But what if improved relations are exactly what the world needs for lasting global security and peace 🕊️?#Geopolitics #USRussia #Peace #GlobalSecurity https://t.co/U3ungjB21Z — Kirill A. Dmitriev (@kadmitriev) April 1, 2025

Putin envoy to visit Washington for Witkoff meeting

08:03 , Alex Croft

Vladimir Putin’s envoy for international cooperation is reportedly set to visit Washington this week for a meeting with Trump envoy Steve Witkoff.

In what would be the first visit by a Russian official to Washington since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Moscow’s presidential envoy for international cooperation Kirill Dmitriev will meet with Mr Trump’s special envoy to the Middle East, two sources told Reuters.

A close advisor to Putin, Dmitriev has been involved in recent US-Russia talks in Saudi Arabia amid warming relations between Washington and Moscow.

He worked with Mr Witkoff to secure the release of American teacher Marc Fogel, who was arrested in Russia for trying to enter the country with a small amount of medical cannabis.

During the talks themselves, none of the officials responded to questions from the media, with Rubio and Waltz smiling for the cameras while their Ukrainian counterparts remained stone-faced.

A few hours earlier Yermak told reporters that “we are very open, very open” and that Ukraine wanted a “very constructive, deep, friendly partnership conversation with our American partners.”

The meeting was an attempt to salvage relations between Kyiv and Washington after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s high-profile Oval Office argument with President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance.

Zelenskyy traveled to Saudi Arabia on Monday to meet Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman but left before Rubio’s talks started.

“We hope for practical outcomes,” Zelenskyy said Monday of the upcoming summit. “Ukraine’s position in these talks will be fully constructive.”

Trump last week threatened Moscow with “large scale sanctions” to force it into negotiations. But his administration has received widespread criticism from leaders across Europe for demanding concessions from Ukraine while asking little from Russia in return.

Trump cut off military aid and intelligence after the Oval Office shouting match, which Rubio said Monday “broadly is something I hope we can resolve” in Tuesday’s talks.

Ukraine has tried to push Russia back militarily, both on the front-lines and in the air.

Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin called the drone strike on his city as the “largest” such attack on the Russian capital.

The Armed Forces of Ukraine said on Telegram that their drones successfully struck the Moscow Oil Refinery, on the southeastern edge of the capital, which it said provides up to half of the city’s gas and diesel needs.

It blamed Russian air defense for damage to civilian infrastructure facilities.

American podcaster Lex Fridman said Tuesday on X that he was in Moscow and that the “mass drone attack hit very close to where I am located.” He added that “when I traveled to Ukraine there were a few close calls. And same in Moscow now. These are not actions of two sides that are pushing for peace.”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaking in Brussels last week. Dursun Aydemir / Anadolu via Getty Images

Ukrainian officials had yet to respond to requests for comment on the Moscow strikes.

With peace on the agenda in Jeddah, Ukraine’s attack was most likely intended to show the Kremlin what will happen if it doesn’t agree to a ceasefire “while also sending the message that they still have such capacities despite the U.S. military and intel-sharing pause,” said Michael Horowitz, head of intelligence at Le Beck, a Bahrain-based security consultancy.

Ukraine had likewise hoped to score a similar bargaining chip by launching a counterinvasion into Russia’s Kursk region in November, analysts say.

But Russian forces have pared back some of Ukraine’s territorial gains “following several days of intensified Russian activity in the area,” the Institute for the Study of War, a Washington think tank that tracks the conflict daily, said Sunday.

Horowitz said, “Moscow knows they will be in a much better position to demand additional territories in Ukraine if the Kursk pocket is back under their control once talks start.”

A damaged apartment outside Moscow after Ukrainian drone strikes Tuesday. Moscow Region Governor Andrei Vorobyev Telegram via AP

In Kyiv, there was some hope that the Saudi talks might produce a resolution but also the informed realization that it will not be easy.

“In the last week, Europe and Ukraine have ceased to perceive the U.S. as a reliable ally,” said Slobodian Liliya, 29, who works for a nongovernmental organization. “These negotiations will show how much this perception corresponds to the position of the new U.S. administration.”

There is still much disbelief at why Washington, in skeptics’ view, appears to be rewarding the aggressor by favoring negotiations with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Serhiy Myroshnichenko, 35, a photographer from Kyiv, questioned why Washington and Moscow are “still making decisions about what will happen to Ukraine, considering Russia started this all and must bear responsibility for everything it has done.”

“This raises a lot of questions,” he added, “specifically for President Trump rather than for the country of the United States as a whole.”

Keir Simmons reported from Jeddah, Alexander Smith from London and Artem Grudinin from Kyiv.