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Arrest of deputy defence minister Timur Ivanov comes weeks after Vladimir Putin urged FSB to step up efforts to root out corruptionA well-connected Russian deputy defence minister has been charged with bribe-taking, in the highest-profile corruption scandal in the country in years, triggering speculation about a possible purge within Moscow’s elites.Timur Ivanov, 47, who was responsible for Russia’s military infrastructure projects, was detained by...

Ukraine’s SBU security service drones struck two oil depots in Russia’s Smolensk overnight, according to a Ukrainian intelligence source. It came as the US Senate approved wartime foreign aid for UkraineHere are some of the latest images on the newswires:Ukraine’s SBU security service drones struck two Rosneft-owned oil depots in Russia’s Smolensk region in an overnight attack, according to a source in Ukrainian intelligence...

Andrzej Duda says country could host arms if Nato decides to deploy the weapons in the face of Russia reinforcing its armaments in Belarus and KaliningradEurope “cannot relax” its support for Ukraine following US lawmakers’ approval of a $61bn (€57bn, £49bn) aid package, Kyiv’s most vocal allies in the region have said.Baiba Braže, Latvia’s new foreign minister, warned against slackening the EU’s efforts to...

Poland’s national prosecutor says man was preparing to share security details of airport used by Ukrainian presidentA Polish man has been arrested on allegations that he aided a plot by Russian intelligence services to assassinate the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, according to Polish and Ukrainian prosecutors.The office of Poland’s national prosecutor said in a statement that the man, identified only as Pawel K, was...

European leaders to focus on future of European economy as Donald Tusk says if words were bullets, Europe would have the world’s strongest powerCharles Michel, the European Council president, opened today’s session.He welcomed Enrico Letta, who prepared a report on the future of Europe’s single market for the leaders’ consideration. Continue reading...

Prosecutors accuse suspects of working with Russian secret service in attempt to undermine support for UkraineEurope live – latest news updatesTwo Russian nationals have been arrested in southern Germany suspected of plotting sabotage attacks on US military facilities, German prosecutors announced on Thursday.The men, named as Dieter S and Alexander J, are suspected of operating as Russian spies on behalf of the Kremlin, according...

Led by prime minister Andrej Plenković, the Croatian Democratic Union won 60 seats out of 151 but face tough talks to gather a majorityCroatia’s ruling conservative party won the most seats in parliamentary elections, but not enough to form a government, according to almost complete official results.The prime minister, Andrej Plenković’s Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) has won 60 seats in the 151-member assembly, results...

Three missile strikes launched on Chernihiv, killing and wounding civilians, says governor Vyacheslav ChausPresumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump is scheduled to meet with Polish president Andrzej Duda on Wednesday in New York, reports the Asssociated Press (AP). The planned dinner meeting, confirmed by a person familiar with the matter according to the AP, comes as European leaders prepare for the possibility that Trump...

In today’s newsletter: As the crisis in the Middle East shifts resources away from the Russian invasion, Zelenskiy is calling for more money, weapons and attention• Sign up here for our daily newsletter, First EditionGood morning.As soon as Iran launched its aerial attack on Israel, western allies coordinated a rapid, united military and diplomatic response. The US, Britain, France and others intercepted more than...

Head of IAEA issues warning as Ukraine and Russia trade accusations over Europe’s biggest nuclear plantThousands of people in Ukraine were left without power on Tuesday after strong winds and heavy rain damaged electrical infrastructure, authorities said.“Due to the bad weather, 173 settlements in four regions are without power supply,” Ukraine’s energy ministry said. Continue reading...

Andriy Kobolyev calls for more weapons after Russia destroys one of Ukraine’s largest power plantsA dramatic rise in European energy prices is inevitable if the Russian destruction of Ukrainian energy infrastructure continues unabated, the former chief executive of Ukraine’s state-owned oil company has warned.Andriy Kobolyev, a former head of Naftogaz, said in an interview with the Guardian: “Russia is trying to wage a global...

Speaker Mike Johnson has delayed aid for Ukraine for months in effort to include Republican demands in packageHere are some of the latest images coming through from photo agencies:Russian forces fired 54 missiles and 126 air strikes, and carried out 95 shellings on Ukrainian troops and settlements yesterday, engaging Ukrainian forces in 78 combat clashes, the general staff of the Ukraine Armed Forces said...

Ukraine parliament passes controversial mobilisation bill to boost troop numbers; Japan’s prime minister calls on US to continue supporting Ukraine. What we know on day 779See all our Ukraine war coverage Continue reading...

Air force commander says 14 of 17 attack drones and two guided missiles targeting Odesa and Mykolaiv region were destroyedAn EU court has removed war-related sanctions against prominent billionaires Petr Aven and Mikhail Fridman, in a surprise victory for the Russian oligarchs in their fight against western sanctions.The European court ruled that the European council did not present enough evidence to establish that the...

British foreign secretary talked with Republican presidential candidate following Trump’s repeated questioning of US aid to UkraineChina’s foreign minister Wang Yi met his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov in China on Tuesday, underlining the ever-friendly relationship between Moscow and Beijing.Wang said that China and Russia would continue to strengthen international cooperation and work together to maintain the stability of supply chains. The two sides agreed...

Watchdog condemns ‘reckless’ attack after inspectors find damage at Russian-controlled power stationRussia and Ukraine have each accused the other of launching kamikaze drones at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in an incident condemned by the International Atomic Energy Agency for recklessly endangering safety.The nuclear watchdog said onsite inspectors had seen the damage caused by drone detonations at three locations, including “superficial scorching” at the...

Rafael Grossi says three direct hits against the main reactor containment structures ‘significantly increase the risk of a major nuclear accident’See all our Ukraine war coverageThe head of the UN’s atomic watchdog agency has condemned a drone strike on one of six nuclear reactors at the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant (ZNPP) in Ukraine, saying such attacks “significantly increase the risk of a major...

International Atomic Energy Agency warns about safety after Russia says Ukrainian drone detonated at nuclear power plantSee all our Ukraine war coverageThe International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) was informed on Sunday by authorities at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant that a drone detonated on site today.“IAEA experts have been informed by ZNPP that a drone detonated on site today. Such detonation is consistent with...

Ukraine led attack on to military airfield near town of Morozovsk in Rostov region in RussiaA Ukrainian intelligence source has described the operation targeting the Morozovsk air base as an important one.The source did not say how the attack was conducted but that six Russian warplanes were destroyed, and eight more were damaged, in a joint operation by the SBU security service and the...

Volodymyr Zelenskiy signs bills lowering age for combat duty from 27 to 25 and requiring those given disability waivers to undergo a fresh assessmentSee all our Ukraine war coveragePresident Volodymyr Zelenskiy has signed a bill to lower the mobilisation age for combat duty from 27 to 25, a move that should help Ukraine generate more fighting power in its war with Russia.The move expands...

‘We are convinced there will be no lasting peace if it is not negotiated with the Ukrainians,’ says France’s foreign minister Stéphane SéjournéUkrainian attacks on Russian oil refineries are pushing up the cost of crude oil, Reuters reports.Brent crude was 25 cents, or 0.3%, higher at $87.25 a barrel this morning, after rising 2.4% last week. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude was at $83.44...

Online footage show jet on fire as Ukrainian security expert claims it was shot downNato member Romania said it had found fragments of what appeared to be a drone on a farm near the river Danube and the border with Ukraine late on Thursday.Russia has been striking targets in western and central Ukraine with missile and drone attacks conducted at night. Continue reading...

Kyiv’s forces shoot down 26 drones overnight as Russian president says suggestion of attacks on nearby Nato states is ‘drivel’Russian president Vladimir Putin’s foreign intelligence chief paid a visit to North Korea this week to deepen bilateral cooperation between Moscow and Pyongyang and discuss broader regional security, Russia’s spy service said on Thursday according to Reuters.Sergei Naryshkin, the head the SVR, Russia’s foreign intelligence...

Head of Ukrainian air force says they were able to shoot down 10 out of 13 drones launched overnight by Moscow’s forcesKyrgyzstan’s foreign ministry has urged citizens of the central Asian nation to put off unnecessary travel to Russia following the Crocus City Hall terror attack, Reuters reports.The massacre has increased existing anti-immigrant sentiment in Russia, especially towards migrant labourers from the predominantly Muslim...