Kiev Ukraine

Ukrainian Prez risks rupture with Trump as US midterms pressure mounts

After Trump posted on social media about the ceasefire, Zelenskyy said he is willing to accept it, but only if Russia does too

Ukraine steps up strikes on Russia's tech infra, damages third data centre

A Ukrainian drone attack shut down a data center run by Russian technology giant Yandex, the company said Sunday, the third strike on its facilities in four days as Kyiv widens its campaign against infrastructure deep inside Russia. The attack on the data center in the city of Vladimir, east of Moscow, caused outages across Yandex's services, leaving users in dozens of Russian cities and in Kazakhstan, Belarus and Armenia unable to order taxis or access banking services, according to Russian independent news outlet Astra. Russia and Ukraine are locked in a long-range aerial war while their armies remain largely deadlocked on the front line, more than 4 1/2 years since Moscow's full-scale invasion. Ukraine's strikes on data centers follow Russian attacks on data hubs in Ukraine. "As a result of the drone attack, the infrastructure of Yandex's data center in Vladimir was damaged. Operations at the data center have been completely halted. There were no injuries," said the Yandex Cloud

Germany's Merz visits Kyiv as Russia steps up attacks on Ukrainian cities

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz arrived in Kyiv Sunday in a show of support as Russia intensifies its attacks on Ukrainian cities. The aerial war has intensified, with Moscow menacing cities across Ukraine with hard-to-intercept ballistic missiles and jet-powered drones, while Kyiv has been striking Russia's oil industry and businesses. Merz said he travelled to Kyiv, his second trip as chancellor, to demonstrate Germany's support for Ukraine. "If Russia is not stopped, its war machine will sooner or later turn against us," he said in a statement Sunday, adding that he told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, "You can continue to count on our help." Merz said the partnership between the two countries was "not a one-way street," pointing to German and Ukrainian companies jointly developing technologies that benefit both sides. "This makes us safer and stronger," he said. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said the agenda would focus on "strengthening Ukraine, our defenc

Ukraine lost $1.2 billion to defence procurement fraud, waste in 2024

Secret military audits reveal a military procurement system riddled with mismanagement. In 2024 alone, Ukraine lost $1.2 billion to fraud and waste

4 things that secret audits reveal about Ukraine's military spending

The documents amount to an autopsy of the weapons-contracting process

Ukraine's new military chief forged his reputation fighting Russia in 2014

The new commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian military forged his reputation as a daring and determined fighter in the early days of the country's battle against Russia, then spent a decade in combat assignments while steadily rising through the ranks. Maj Gen Mykhailo Drapatyi was named to the post Tuesday after President Volodymyr Zelenskyy fired Gen Oleksandr Syrskyi following days of mass protests in Kyiv and other cities demanding his removal. In a Facebook post, he thanked Syrskyi for his work strengthening the military. "I grew up in it," he said, referring to the army. "I will work responsibly, with focus and with respect for the people defending our state today." Drapatyi, 43, represents a new generation of Ukrainian generals forged in the crucible of the country's fight against Russia. He has spent nearly his entire career in combat postings, including leading Ukraine's Joint Forces, which direct day-to-day combat operations across branches of the army. He is known as ...

Zelenskyy fires Ukraine's military chief after protests, names replacement

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Tuesday fired Gen Oleksandr Syrskyi as commander-in-chief of Ukraine's armed forces and named his replacement, following days of mass protests in Kyiv, the country's capital, and other cities across the nation demanding his removal. It was the second major change Zelenskyy has made under street pressure, after protests last summer forced him to undo a law weakening Ukraine's anti-corruption watchdogs. Zelenskyy appointed Mykhailo Drapatyi as the new army chief, according to a statement on social media. "Our shared wish is one - victory over the enemy and conditions at the front and in pressure on Russia that would force Russia toward peace," Zelenskyy said. The Ukrainian leader said he made the decision after a series of meetings with military commanders. They began shortly after protests broke out demanding the reinstatement of former Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, seen by demonstrators as a driver of military modernisation, and the removal of .

9 killed, 80 injured as Ukraine strikes warehouses, oil depot in Russia

Ukrainian drones struck two sprawling warehouses, one of them just east of Moscow, as part of attacks overnight and on Saturday afternoon that killed nine people and wounded more than 80, Russian officials said. Kyiv's forces have pressed their relentless aerial campaign against energy infrastructure and military targets inside Russia, aiming to undermine Moscow's war effort and make Russians feel the consequences of the Kremlin's all-out invasion of Ukraine that is well into its fifth year. Two sprawling warehouses of Russia's major online retailer, Wildberries, were hit by Ukrainian drones overnight, according to Russian officials - one in the town of Kotovsk in the Tambov region, some 360 kilometers (220 miles) from the border with Ukraine, and another in the city of Elektrostal, about 50 kilometers (30 miles) east of Moscow. A Ukrainian drone also hit an oil depot in the city of Noginsk, just north of Elektrostal, sparking a fire and prompting evacuations of a nearby maternity .

11 killed, several injured as Russia launches missile, drone attack on Kyiv

Russia launched waves of missiles and drones targeting Kyiv early Monday that killed at least 10 people, authorities said, hours after Ukraine's president warned that another large-scale attack was imminent. Another 46 were injured, according to local officials, as emergency workers combed through rubble looking for survivors at residential high-rise buildings in two locations that suffered direct hits. "These are residential buildings. Places where people slept and lived their ordinary lives," said Tymur Tkachenko, head of Kyiv's City Military Administration in a post on Telegram. A residential building in the Podilskyi district partially collapsed, he said. In the Darnytsia district, several multistory buildings were damaged and people were believed to be trapped under the rubble. The attack involved waves of ballistic and cruise missiles as well as drones. Explosions echoed across the city as civilians sought shelter in metro stations. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy ha

Ukraine hits another Russian oil refinery as Putin admits fuel shortage

Ukraine kept up its heavy drone assault on Russia, setting fire to a major oil refinery in the south, as President Vladimir Putin acknowledged for the first time on Sunday that the country was facing a "certain deficit" of fuel and vowed to strengthen protection of oil facilities and boost fuel output. Ukraine has markedly stepped up its long-range attacks on Russian military industries and energy facilities in recent months, aiming to cut Moscow's revenue for its invasion - now in its fifth year - and make Russians feel the consequences. "Our long-range sanctions' reached two oil refineries in Russia," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wrote on the Telegram messaging app on Sunday. "Each (strike) means a reduction in the resources that fuel the Russian war machine, and another step toward peace." The campaign has choked Russian fuel supplies, causing widespread shortages and long lines at gas stations across the country and prompting authorities in many regions to introduce .

Large-scale Ukraine drone attack hits Moscow refinery, Russia fires back

The attack is the second in just a few days after a drone strike on Tuesday halted operations at the refinery

9 killed, historic monastery on fire as Ukraine faces major Russian attacks

A large-scale Russian attack on Ukraine killed five rescuers in Kharkiv and wounded at least 13 people in the capital Kyiv on Monday as strikes set apartment buildings ablaze and sparked a fire at one of the country's most significant religious landmarks. The rescuers were killed in Kharkiv by a second Russian strike as they fought a blaze caused by an earlier attack, Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said. At least five other emergency workers were wounded. A series of powerful explosions echoed across Kyiv, with a wave of ballistic missiles followed by Shahed drones as many people sought shelter underground and officials urged residents to take cover. "Kyiv is under the main strike. There is significant destruction of civilian infrastructure," Klymenko said. Thirteen people, including a child, sought medical help in the capital, said Tymur Tkachenko, head of the Kyiv City Military Administration. Five strikes hit civilian sites in the city's Shevchenkivskyi district in less than 3

Ukraine conflict will quickly end if Kiev accepts compromises, says Putin

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday said that the Ukraine conflict will quickly end if Kiev accepts compromises based on the Anchorage agreements. Putin made the remarks during an interaction with heads of leading global news agencies, including PTI, where he also said that Russia will strengthen its air defences to repel drone attacks from Ukraine. Recalling his discussions with US President Donald Trump in Anchorage, Alaska, in August last year, Putin said Russia is open to the compromises on Ukraine to end the conflict. "The Ukrainian side also must agree to these compromises," Putin said. "The conflict will quickly come to an end." Putin also dismissed the idea that European Union countries could act as mediators in peace talks with Ukraine. "How can Russia trust people who have been harping about the need to inflict a strategic defeat on Russia for years?" he asked. He suggested that the EU could help resolve the conflict by persuading Ukraine to compromise instead

Ukraine links Kyiv attack to Xi-Trump summit, seeks pressure on Russia

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha tied an overnight attack on Kyiv to the Xi-Trump summit, saying the assault proved Russia was a threat to international security. "At the very time when leaders of the most powerful countries are meeting in Beijing, and the world hopes for peace, predictability and cooperation, Putin launched hundreds of drones, ballistic and cruise missiles at the capital of Ukraine," Sybiha said on Telegram. He said there should be "no illusions" about ending the Russian war on Ukraine. "Only pressure on Moscow can make him stop," Sybiha said of Putin, adding that US and Chinese leaders had sufficient leverage to compel Russia to end the conflict.

Russia fires 800 drones at Ukraine despite recent talk of possible peace

Russia fired at least 800 drones in a massive daytime barrage on about 20 regions of Ukraine on Wednesday, killing at least six people and wounding dozens, including children, in one of the longest attacks by Moscow in the 4-year-old war, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said. The attack began in midmorning and lasted for hours in the capital of Kyiv, the western city of Lviv near Poland, and the port of Odesa on the Black Sea, among other population centers, Zelanskyy said on the Telegram messaging app. "Our soldiers are defending Ukraine, but Russia's obvious goal is to overload air defences," Zelenskyy said, as the bombardment stretched into the late afternoon. He cautioned that a cruise and ballistic missile attack could follow the drone barrage. It was "one of the longest, massive Russian attacks against Ukraine," he said on social media. It also rattled neighbours. Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Magyar said his new government has summoned the Russian ambassador over a drone atta

Russia snubs Ukraine's unilateral ceasefire, fires dozens of drones

Russia fired dozens of drones at Ukraine in nighttime attacks, Ukrainian officials said Wednesday, disregarding a unilateral ceasefire announced by Kyiv that began at midnight. The Russian Defense Ministry claimed that Ukraine hadn't abided by its own ceasefire, saying that air defenses shot down 53 Ukrainian drones over Russian regions, the illegally annexed Crimean peninsula and the Black Sea between Tuesday evening and dawn Wednesday. There had been no official sign from Moscow that it would heed Kyiv's ceasefire, and there was little hope for a pause in hostilities as the war stretches into its fifth year following Russia's all-out invasion of its neighbor. US-led diplomatic efforts to stop the war over the past year have come to nothing. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had announced the move after Russia said it would hold its own unilateral ceasefire over two days later this week while it marks the 81st anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II. The ...

Ukraine hits Russia's Tuapse oil refinery again with drone strike

Russian officials said that a Ukrainian drone attack on Russia's Black Sea port of Tuapse sparked a fire and killed at least one person

Rubio denies US asked Ukraine to cede Donbas for security guarantees

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Friday rejected Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's assertion that the Trump administration is demanding Kyiv hand over its eastern Donbas region to Russia to receive American security guarantees in any ceasefire plan. Speaking to reporters following a Group of Seven meeting in France, Rubio disputed Zelenskyy's recent comments and said the US has made no such stipulation in its talks with Ukraine. "That's a lie," Rubio said. "And I saw him say that. And it's unfortunate he would say that because he knows that's not true and that's not what he was told." In an interview published this week, Zelenskyy told Reuters the US was making its offer of security guarantees for Ukraine contingent on the ceding of the Donbas region, the industrial heartland long coveted by Russian President Vladimir Putin. Moscow's forces occupy the bulk of the region, but have not seized a strip of land that is among the most heavily fortified parts of the front ...

Zelenskyy praises support but questions security guarantees for Ukraine

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked his international allies for their support but suggested there was still questions remaining over the future security guarantees for his country. Speaking at the Munich Security Conference in Germany on Saturday, Zelenskyy repeatedly thanked American and European allies for helping Ukraine by providing air defence systems that protect infrastructure like power plants and "save lives". Previous US-led efforts to find consensus on ending the war, most recently two rounds of talks in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, have failed to resolve difficult issues, such as the future of Ukraine's Donbas industrial heartland that is largely occupied by Russian forces. Later with reporters, Zelenskyy questioned how the concept of a free trade zone - proposed by the US - would work in the Donbas region which Russia insists Kyiv must give up in order to get peace. He also said the Americans want peace as quickly as possible and tha

Power cuts, uncertainty hit Ukraine businesses amid Russian attacks

It is pre-dawn in the historic Podil district of the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, and warm light from the Spelta bakery-bistro's window pierces the darkness outside. On a wooden surface dusted with flour, the baker Oleksandr Kutsenko skilfully divides and shapes soft, damp pieces of dough. As he shoves the first loaves into the oven, a sweet, delicate aroma of fresh bread fills the space. Seconds later, the lights go out, the ovens switch off, and darkness envelops the room. Kutsenko, 31, steps outside into the freezing night, switches on a large rectangular generator, and the power kicks back in. It's a pattern that will be repeated many times as the business struggles to keep working through the power outages caused by Russia's bombing campaign on Ukraine's energy grid. "It's now more than impossible to imagine a Ukrainian business operating without a generator," said Olha Hrynchuk, the co-founder and head baker of Spelta. The cost of purchasing and operating generators to overcome ..