War in Ukraine

July 18 (UPI) — Ukrainian drones hit two Russian warehouses, one near Moscow, and killed at least 8 people Saturday.

President Volodymyr Zelinsky said on X that, “two major logistics facilities were hit — in the Moscow and Tambov regions, more than [311 miles] and nearly [435 miles] from the front line. The aggressor used them to supply sanctioned components for drone production and navigation equipment. An oil facility was also struck. In addition, Ukrainian mid-range strikes engaged targets in the waters of the Sea of Azov and the Black Sea, and in our temporarily occupied Crimea.”

Of those killed, seven were working at a distribution center at Kotovsk in the Tambov region and another was at a similar facility in Elektrostal in the Moscow region, CNN reported. Both facilities were owned by Russian retail company Wildberries. But Ukraine alleges that the warehouses were used in the manufacturing of drones.

Wildberries has been described as the Russian version of Amazon, the BBC reported.

There were 25 people injured, and seven of them were in critical condition in Tambov, said Yevgeniy Pervyshov, governor of the region. He said 28 of the drones were shot down. At Elektrostal, 37 people were injured with eight suffering serious injuries, said Andrey Vorbiev, governor of the Moscow region.

A Ukrainian drone also hit an oil depot in the city of Noginsk, just north of Elektrostal in the Moscow region, setting a fire and wounding two people.

A nearby maternity hospital and residential building were forced to evacuate, Vorobiev said. Drone debris also hit a kindergarten building. The building caught fire, but it has been extinguished, he said.

A drone hit a residential building, which caught fire, in the city of Vladimir, about 110 miles east of Moscow, Vladimir Gov. Alexander Avdeyev said. There were no casualties.

Serhii Kuzan, chair of the Ukrainian Security and Cooperation Center, told the BBC that Wildberries is a “vital component” of Russian logistics. He said Russian volunteers use the site to buy military equipment such as walkie-talkies, body armor and drone parts.

“The primary rationale for striking Wildberries’ warehouses is to disrupt Russian logistics and the supply of dual-use goods, critical electronics, sanctioned goods and the like to the Russian army and Russian arms manufacturers,” he said.

“The collateral damage from such strikes could also have a serious impact on the Russian economy, as well as a psychological effect on Russian society and, likely, on continued support for the war,” Kuzan said.

July 16 (UPI) — Thousands of Ukrainians rallied in central Kyiv and other cities on Thursday demanding the reinstatement of sacked Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov ahead of a vote in parliament to approve his replacement.

The mostly young protestors, waving Ukrainian flags and holding up signs condemning the removal of the popular political figure, shouted “reappoint” and “shame.”

“Hands off Fedorov” and “Stop sabotaging victory!” read some of the placards hours after President Volodymyr Zelensky dismissed Fedorov after just six months in the job as part of a major reshuffle of his cabinet.

The demonstrations come amid widespread opposition by lawmakers, the military and civil society demanding to know the reason for the ejection of one of the government’s most capable officials.

Among other achievements, Fedorov has been credited with breathing new life into the Defense Ministry, spearheading an anti-corruption drive, using data analysis to try to boost battlefield capabilities and opening a new front targeting critical Russian infrastructure in occupied Crimea and the Asov Sea.

In his previous government role in charge of digital transformation, he is credited with successfully lobbying SpaceX‘s Elon Musk to block the guidance systems of Russian drones from utilizing the firm’s Starlink satellite arrays. He also persuaded Musk to supply Starlink terminals to keep the country online amid sabotage of Ukraine‘s terrestrial internet networks.

Protesters said Fedorov’s dismissal would make people doubt the reforms he had embarked on.

A number of lawmakers from the ruling party have indicated they will not back the appointment of Ihor Klymenko, who currently serves as the minister of the interior, with at least one threatening to quit.

“Klymenko might not have enough votes. It’s not even about Fedorov. People have accumulated frustration and fatigue, and Fedorov’s resignation may cause unexpected social turmoil,” an unnamed lawmaker from the ruling party told The Kyiv Independent.

Tatiana Bohdanovska, 29, who lost her younger brother in battle in Kharkiv province four years ago, said it was a slap in the face to those killed defending Ukraine.

“My brother died believing this country would become different. If the government had invested earlier in technology and supported the army the way it should have, maybe he would still be alive,” she said.

Oleksandr, a serving soldier, told the BBC it was “the worst mistake Zelensky has made during his entire presidency.”

Fedorov’s dismissal — part of a shakeup that saw state-run Naftogaz CEO Serhiy Koretsky replace Yuliia Svyrydenko as prime minister — has been attributed to personal friction between him and Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi.

Speaking at a press conference on Thursday, Fedorov accused Syrskyi of sowing division among Ukrainians.

He said he tried to work with Syrskyi and his Chief of the General Staff Andrii Hnatov after Zelensky declined to replace them but every improvement he tried to initiate was rebuffed.

“Instead of finding a way of defeating Russia asymmetrically — which is the job of the commander-in-chief [Syrskyi] — he’s found a way of splitting our country,” said Fedorov.

However, Fedorov said he was 100% confident it would turn out for the best, stressing that Zelensky “hears the Ukrainian people, knows what to do.”

“I don’t believe he has yet chosen a side in the Syrskyi matter. I spoke with him today and said that I am acting according to my conscience,” he said.

July 13 (UPI) — Yulia Svyrydenko has resigned as prime minister of Ukraine, as President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that she would be assuming a new position amid a shift in the war-torn country’s political strategy.

Svyrydenko stepped down on Sunday, five days short of serving a full year as prime minister. No reason was given.

Her resignation came as Zelensky said in a statement that “Ukraine is changing its political strategy.”

Though he did not detail specifically how or why the change was necessary, he indicated the new strategy would prioritize implementing the agreement with the United States for Ukraine to manufacture Patriot missile systems, advancing Europe’s anti-ballistic missile defense project, progressing Kyiv’s European Union membership, improving relations with Poland and Hungary and creating ties with the Middle East for security and economic cooperation and with China to help Russia’s War.

“Accordingly, personnel changes will begin in Ukraine to ensure the implementation of the updated political strategy,” Zelensky said in a statement.

He said he discussed the details with Svyrydenko and together, “we determined that these changes require a renewal of the Cabinet of Ministers.”

“I am grateful to Yulia for her clear, steady and effective work as prime minister, for her years of productive service on Ukraine’s team, and I have offered her the opportunity to lead a new and important area of relations with a key partner,” he said.

“I expect that, together with MPs, we will make the corresponding changes in the government of Ukraine. There will also be changes among the heads of law enforcement agencies.”

Svyrydenko said in a separate statement that she was grateful to Zelensky and was proud to have led the government as the country defended itself against Russia’s invasion.

“At this moment, it is critically important to unite all our strength and resources to make Ukraine stronger,” she said.

“I remain ready to serve the Ukrainian state and carry out every task aimed at strengthening Ukraine’s position, defending our national interests and bringing a just peace closer.”

The announcement also came about seven months after Zelensky’s administration underwent a major reshuffle after 11 officials quit following a mass corruption scandal that rocked the government.

Zelensky separately said Sunday that he met with Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko, Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, Energy Minister Denys Shmyhal and Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov, among other officials.

July 12 (UPI) — Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham died suddenly on Saturday night, two days after his 71st birthday, his office announced.

Graham had just returned from a trip to Ukraine, where he toured a drone factory and met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, CBS News and The Washington Post reported.

“On the evening of Saturday, July 11, U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham passed away from a brief and sudden illness,” his office said in a statement posted to X.

“Senator Graham’s family appreciates prayers at this time and asks for privacy during this incredibly difficult period,” the statement said.

Graham had been scheduled to appear on NBC’s “Meet The Press” on Sunday morning, which instead featured an interview with President Donald Trump, who said that he’d spoken with the senator on Saturday after he’d returned from Ukraine.

“Other than being tired, he was fine,” Trump said.

Graham, who was first elected to the Senate in 2002, had already won South Carolina’s Republican Senate primary and now will have to be replaced on the ticket.

The state is expected to hold a special primary in the next few weeks so that voters can choose a new candidate.

July 10 (UPI) — A bipartisan group of senators on Friday reached an agreement with the Trump administration on a long-stalled effort to sanction buyers of Russian energy resources.

First introduced in 2025, the Sanctioning Russia Act would have imposed 500% tariffs on countries purchasing petroleum and natural gas from Russia.

But the legislation — spearheaded by Sens. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., and Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn. — has repeatedly failed to pass muster.

The senators now believe they finally have a version of the bill that could be approved in both chambers and signed into law by the president.

“As Russia intensifies its slaughter of civilians, it is imperative that the legislative and executive branches work together to create tools to exact a heavy price on those who buy Russian oil and natural gas, fueling the Putin war machine,” the senators said in a statement.

Senate Armed Services Chairman Roger Wicker, R-M.S., and Senate Foreign Relations Ranking Member Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., also signed into the statement.

The senators did not provide details on the updated text of the legislation.

Speaking to reporters in Kyiv on Friday, however, Graham said he’s “never been more optimistic than I am today that we have the formula to end this war.”

He added he hopes the sanctions will “help Ukraine be more lethal [and] let those supporting Russia to know it’s going to be a price to be paid if you keep doing it,” Ukrinform reported.

July 7 (UPI) — Leaders of the Western world’s premier military alliance will gather in Ankara on Tuesday for the start of this year’s NATO summit, with support for Ukraine and questions over U.S. President Donald Trump‘s commitment to the pact expected to dominate the two-day meeting.

The summit in Turkey’s capital is formally focused on reviewing progress made since last year, when the leaders of NATO’s 32 members agreed to raise their annual defense-related spending from the previous 2% target to 5% of gross domestic product by 2035 amid growing global security concerns.

Major new policy pronouncements are not expected, though several large arms deals are. The focus of the two-day summit will be on progress toward that defense-investment plan and how allies intend to spend the money to increase weapons production, cooperation and joint procurement.

Attention will also be on Trump and the U.S. commitment to NATO after his administration announced earlier this year that it would withdraw some American troops from Germany.

Long a demand of Trump’s, the increase in defense spending has done little to curb the American president’s long-held criticism of the alliance, which has intensified since NATO allies offered limited support for the U.S. war against Iran.

Trump departed Maryland’s Joint Base Andrews aboard Air Force One for Turkey a little after 9:40 EDT Monday, with State Secretary Marco Rubio, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and a number of aides with him.

Trump is expected to meet with Zelensky during the summit.

The two spoke Saturday, according to the Ukrainian leader, who said he called the U.S. president to congratulate him on the United States’ Independence Day.

“We are grateful to the United States for all the assistance we have received — from Javelins and Patriots to political support — and we deeply value that America stands by us in defending our independence,” he said online, adding that they had discussed the situation in the Ukraine-Russia war.

“We have agreed to continue these discussions during the NATO Summit in Ankara,” he said.

On the eve of the Fourth of July, Trump also spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin for nearly 90 minutes, according to the Kremlin, which said in a statement that they discussed “the Ukrainian settlement, including in light of Donald Trump’s upcoming participation in the NATO Summit.”

The Kremlin said Putin framed the current situation of the war as Russia “steadily advancing” despite Ukraine making recent gains and expanding its long-range attacks.

However, Russia has been targeting Kyiv with massive attacks leading up to the summit. Zelensky has been calling on allies for additional long-range weaponry, or the ability to produce the arms themselves, arguing that if Ukraine can batter Moscow how the Kremlin has been hitting Kyiv, an end to the war could be rapidly secured.

“We have proven to all our partners both the need, and more importantly, the possibility of providing greater protection of lives,” Zelensky said in a Monday statement.

“It is simply nonsensical that, in today’s world, production has still not been scaled up to the level that is actually needed to protect people from ballistic terror. We have long made the case that we are capable of producing such defensive weapons ourselves. If Ukraine were granted U.S. licenses to produce Patriots, our own production would be sufficient both to protect Ukraine and to help partners in need.”

The U.S.-based Institute for the Study of War said Monday night that Russian forces were likely timing these large-scale strikes to send a political message ahead of the summit.

July 2 (UPI) — A Ukrainian national has been charged in Germany in connection with the 2022 bombing of the Nord Stream pipelines bringing natural gas 760 miles via the Baltic Sea from northwestern Russia to Lubmin in northeastern Germany.

Authorities allege the suspect, named only as Serhii K, led and coordinated an operation with seven others to sabotage the $17 billion gas projects on Sept. 26, 2022, according to reports in German media Wednesday. He is also charged with attacking and destroying civilian energy infrastructure and causing an explosion.

Prosecutors said he is the same individual who was detained by Italian authorities in August and extradited to Germany in November.

He denies all wrongdoing.

German prosecutors further allege he was a serving Ukrainian officer and that he and the others, who were also members of the Ukraine military, were “acting on behalf of state bodies in Ukraine” to deprive Moscow of energy revenues from the pipelines to fund its war against Ukraine.

The finger has variously been pointed at Ukraine, along with Britain and the United States, and even Russian itself, but the Federal Public Prosecutor General’s claim the attack was ordered by Kyiv was highly significant because Germany is one of Ukraine’s staunchest allies, providing military aid and political support.

Kyiv , which has always denied involvement, did not immediately respond to the accusation.

Three of the four pipelines were ruptured east of the Danish island of Bornholm in the attack. Nord Stream 1 was shut down at the time due to technical problems.

Nord Stream 2, a subsidiary of the Russian state-run energy giant Gazprom, was completed in September 2021 after being plagued problems including legal wrangles and U.S. sanctions targeting companies party to the project.

However, it never opened because Germany cancelled its certification process shortly before Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 as it moved to wean itself from its reliance on Russian gas.

The project, which would have doubled Nord Stream’s gas capacity to 110 billion cubic meters annually — said by the company to be sufficient to supply to 26 million homes in Europe and critical to efforts to guarantee the European Union’s “security of supply of natural gas.”

June 28 (UPI) — Ukrainian long-range weapons struck two major Russian oil refineries on Sunday as President Vladimir Putin promised to ramp up security against Kyiv’s attacks in an address to United Russia party members.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced in a social media post that the Slavyansk oil refinery in the Krasnodar region and another facility in the Yaroslavl region were hit, accompanying those claims were video showing buildings ablaze with thick smoke pouring into the sky.

The Slavyansk refinery is about 186 miles from the front lines of the Russian invasion in eastern Ukraine, while the Yaroslavl facility significantly farther away, at approximately at 434 miles.

Zelensky said Ukrainian forces celebrated the nation’s Constitution Day with the attacks, which continued Kyiv’s recent ramping up of its strikes on Russian infrastructure located far behind the front lines through the use of sophisticated long-range weaponry.

“We continue our operations that weaken Russia’s ability to wage this war,” Zelensky said. “Each of our long-range sanctions means fewer resources serving Russia’s war machine, and another step toward peace.”

Sunday’s strikes appeared to be a continuation of Zelensky’s newly announced 40-day “influence campaign” of using intermediate- and long-range weapons against Russia’s oil infrastructure in a bid to bring Putin to the negotiating table.

The Russian-installed occupation authorities in the Crimean Peninsula announced a regional state of emergency on Friday amid gas shortages shortly after the initiation of campaign.

In Moscow, meanwhile, Putin on Sunday obliquely admitted Ukraine’s long-range strike campaign was affecting Russians’ lives, but then quickly dismissed those concerns.

In a speech to the 23rd congress of his United Russia Party, Putin vowed to improve security and defenses against Ukrainian attacks.

“The congress of United Russia, our leading political party, is taking place at a difficult time — it would be safe to say that it is a pivotal moment for our country and a period of radical and systemic transformation of the entire world,” the president said, while pointing the finger at “Western elites.”

“Once again, Russia is confidently repelling any attempts to deter our progress. We have sufficient resources, means, and political will, and nobody should doubt that,” he declared.

Putin did not mention the wide-scale gasoline shortages being felt around the country but vowed to ensure the security of Russia.

June 25 (UPI) — The European Union released $3.6 billion in funds of the Ukraine Support Loan for budget and defense needs, the bloc said Thursday.

The funds were released at the Ukraine Recovery Conference, where European Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen announced the funding, which is the first instalment of the new macro-financial assistance. The MFA is a segment of the Ukraine Support Loan, under which $102 billion will be offered to Ukraine in 2026 and 2027.

“As a country at war, Ukraine’s capaicty to defend its territory depends on the rapid availability of critical products in the required quantities and within very short timeframes,” a press release said. “The first instalment of the [$6.8] billion defense package to support drone procurement will be disbursed in the coming days.”

“This is indeed solidarity in action,” Von der Leyen said. “It shows Europe’s support for Ukraine is here to stay.”

The original plan in December was to use Russia’s frozen assets to fund the loan, but the Russian Central Bank sued a Belgian bank over the plan, so the EU had to find a new way to finance the loan.

Instead, they agreed to create the loan through joint debt. Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic negotiated an exemption.

The payments are conditional on Kyiv’s reforms. If Ukraine reverses its ongoing fight against corruption, the EU could suspend the funds, Euro News reported.

The loan also requires Ukraine to buy weapons and ammunition made in Europe, with some exceptions depending on availability.

“Ukraine has the opportunity to analyze the situation on the battlefield and identify the range of products that they need, and then they have to inform us in the form of product schedules,” a Commission spokesperson told Euro News. “The priority remains to make purchases within the EU and Ukraine.”

“We continue to call on all our partners to maintain their support, because a strong and independent Ukraine is in all our interests,” Von der Leyen said Thursday. “Our ambition is not only to help Ukraine endure, it is also to help Ukraine grow and prosper as a free and European country.”

The United States is not expected to contribute funds to the loan.

Published on
22/06/2026 – 13:32 GMT+2

The German government announced on Monday that it intends to acquire 40% of the defence contractor KNDS, a move designed to bolster European arms production in partnership with its NATO and EU ally France.

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The decision deepens state involvement in a company whose hardware has become central to Europe’s rearmament efforts.

KNDS was created in 2015 through the merger of Germany’s Krauss-Maffei Wegmann and France’s Nexter. The French state holds a 50% stake, while the other half belongs to the German family behind Krauss-Maffei Wegmann, whose planned exit has opened the door for Berlin to step in.

Based in Amsterdam, the group reported revenue of €4.4 billion last year and employs more than 11,000 people.

The timing reflects a broader scramble across Europe to expand military spending and manufacturing capacity, as governments weigh the continued threat from Russia’s war in Ukraine against growing doubts about the reliability of the US as a security guarantor.

Berlin framed the investment in explicitly strategic terms, saying it would secure lasting influence over a business it considers vital to European security and defence.

The German government added that the stake would reinforce domestic industrial output, technological independence and the safeguarding of key national security interests and technologies.

In a joint statement, Germany and France said they had agreed on the future strategy and governance of KNDS, which they intend to co-own through arrangements aimed at giving both countries equal shareholdings.

Clearing the path to a stock market listing

Neither government specified a timeline or the final level at which their holdings would settle, but they stated the agreement opens the way for a possible flotation of KNDS in the near future.

According to people familiar with the matter cited by the Associated Press, the two states plan to trim their stakes to around 30% within two to three years of any listing, while retaining equal voting rights regardless of the size of each holding.

The two governments cast the deal as a joint commitment to building up Europe’s defence industry and armed forces, and to securing the continent’s strategic independence well into the future.

State participation in the firm was first floated by German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius in 2025 as a way to protect strategic expertise and jobs.

Beyond its tanks, KNDS also manufactures the Puma infantry fighting vehicle and the Boxer and Dingo armoured personnel carriers, equipment which is in growing demand as European armies replenish stocks depleted by years of underinvestment and donations to Ukraine’s defence.

Additional sources • AP

June 21 (UPI) — The Russian government on Sunday halted fuel sales to civilians and businesses not considered vital to functioning and security in Crimea.

Sergey Aksyonov, the governor of Crimea, announced people would be turned away from gas stations amid a fuel shortage and logistical difficulties related to the war with Ukraine, the BBC reported.

“Further decisions regarding the current situation in the republic’s fuel market will be announced at a later date,” he said in a post on Telegram.

The announcement came amid new attacks by Ukraine on energy and transportation infrastructure on the Crimean Peninsula, Politico reported. Russia illegally annexed the peninsula from Ukraine in 2014, and it has been at the center of fighting between the two countries ever since.

Ukraine has repeatedly targeted Russia’s energy supply in an effort to hobble its defenses and ability to transport troops and machinery. Fuel facilities in the Kerch Strait in Russia’s Krasnodar region have also been attacked.

Aksyonov said a Ukrainian drone attack on an oil depot in Kerch killed four people and injured 28.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the attack was a “just response to Russia’s brutal attacks.”

“Russia understands only strength, and our long-range strength is certainly working for peace,” he wrote in a post on X.

June 17 (UPI) — U.S President Donald Trump signed an agreement with Iran at the Palace of Versailles on Wednesday night while in France for the G7 Summit,

The United States sent an image of the signed agreement to the Iranians, officials said. Dan Scavino, White House deputy chief of staff, later posted a video of the signing on social media.

Earlier, the United States government released the text of the agreement, several days after the agreement was reached. The agreement was expected to be signed Friday in Switzerland.

It includes 14 points, including “the immediate and permanent termination of military operation on all fronts” — including Lebanon, where Israel continued to carry out strikes as of earlier Wednesday — provisions for reopening the Strait of Hormuz and measures for easing financial restrictions on Iran. It also offers expectations for addressing Iran’s nuclear program in future talks. CNN reported the text of the agreement, which was read out loud by an official.

Earlier Wednesday at a press conference in France, Trump had said that if Iran doesn’t abide by the memorandum of understanding, the United States may bomb the country.

The press conference lasted more than an hour, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick standing behind him.

Trump made the remark in his opening statement.

“If they don’t honor that, we’ll probably go back to bombing them until they honor it, you know?” he said. “It’s amazing what bombs can do.”

The president called the MOU the “Trump deal,” and said that the deal says Iran will never have a nuclear weapon, and the Strait of Hormuz will reopen.

He also said that if an agreement hadn’t been reached with Iran, the United States could have continued the war.

“If we didn’t do this deal, we could have dropped more bombs for another three weeks, two weeks, four weeks, two years,” Trump said.

The president also defended releasing Iranian frozen assets.

“We have taken a lot of their money,” Trump said. “We have taken their money; it’s not our money, it’s their money, and we froze it at a certain point in time. I guess we’re going to have to give it back.

“As far as sanctions are concerned, at some point, you know, we have sanctions, which will never let them rebuild. They would have no money. They would be in poverty.”

Trump has said the United States won’t give any money to Iran, but he defended allowing Iran access to its own frozen funds.

“We’re not doing anything; we’re not putting up money, only if they’re doing things right. If they’re doing things right, if people want to invest, they can invest, but they had this $300 million fund. It’s only $300 million fund; it’s only if they’re doing things right,” CNN reported Trump said.

A reporter asked if the president would hold anyone in the administration responsible for the bombing of an elementary school for girls in Iran in late February, and he replied that it was under investigation. The strike killed more than 170 people, mostly children.

Trump responded that it was a “strange question” and said, “You’re talking about a long time ago.”

“But nobody did that on purpose,” Trump said. “I guess you’d have to say about them, what about the thousands of soldiers that they blew up when they opened their car door? What about the thousands of people that were killed by Iran? No, mistakes are made, war is nasty, but I know it’s under investigation.”

Trump also offered a rare criticism of Israel, saying it could do better in its conflict with Lebanon.

“I think they could do better with respect to Hezbollah. I am not saying they should not protect themselves. I am saying when two drones are shot into the desert and dropped harmlessly, you do not have to knock down buildings in Beirut,” Trump said.

“They could behave better and, frankly, they could do a better job.”

“On that, I don’t think they’re doing well, and I feel very bad for Lebanon,” he said. “Lebanon’s been, you know, it was a great culture. It was a great, they had the professors, the doctors, the lawyers, it was an incredible culture, maybe the highest in the Middle East for years and years, centuries. And for the last 50 [to] 60 years, they have been just trashed. They have been, they have been living in hell.”

June 16 (UPI) — A Russian warship, the Admiral Grigorovich, allegedly fired warning shots toward a British pleasure yacht Tuesday morning in the English Channel.

The shots came within about 500 yards of the yacht, BBC News reported. The incident took place in international waters between the Isle of Wight, a British island, and Normandy, part of France. Those on the yacht have not reported any damage or injuries.

“We are investigating reports of an incident in the channel,” a U.K. Ministry of Defense spokesperson said.

BBC News said the yacht apparently drifted toward the Russian frigate in foggy conditions. The bigger ship sounded an audible warning — with no immediate response from the yacht — before it fired the shots.

This incident comes after U.K. forces seized a Russian-linked tanker, the Smyrtos, on Sunday in the same area. The tanker was carrying sanctioned oil. However, British authorities said Tuesday’s incident is not linked to that seizure.

It’s not unusual for Russian ships to pass through the channel while being monitored by Royal Navy ships. The Admiral Grigorovich was shadowed Tuesday by the HMS Mersey, BBC News said.

The Russian frigate has regularly escorted shadow fleet vessels — the ships Russia uses to avoid sanctions on oil imposed after its invasion of Ukraine.

James MacClearly, Liberal Democrat defense spokesman, said in The Guardian that reports of a Russian ship firing shots in the English Channel are “deeply concerning.”

“Russian is quite literally on our doorstep,” he said. “Aggression and intimidation in our waters must not be tolerated.”

After the seizure of the Smyrtos on Sunday, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said it was “yet another blow to Russian and reminds those fueling Putin’s war in Ukraine that they cannot hide.”

June 9 (UPI) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and First Lady Olena Zelenska traveled to Talinn, Estonia, Tuesday to take part in the Ukraine-Nordic-Baltic Eight summit and meet with other regional leaders.

Zelensky is boosting diplomatic efforts as he pushes for more support for Ukraine’s war against Russia.

The Ukrainian president met Tuesday with Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo, Latvian Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs and Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, his spokesperson Sherhii Nykyforov told the Kyiv Independent. The meetings covered issues like strengthening Ukraine’s air defense and advancing the Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List program, which allows NATO allies to finance buying of U.S. weapons.

Zelensky also met with Estonian President Alar Karis and thanked the country and others in the region for their continued support.

Zelensky also emphasized the need to coordinate positions ahead of upcoming summits this summer, including the European Union, G7 and NATO summits.

“June and July this year may determine a lot,” he told reporters at a press conference.

“For a cease-fire to take place, in my view, it would be better to have a meeting at the leadership level. Who? Certainly Ukraine, Russia and definitely Europe,” the Ukrainian state news service Ukrinform reported Zelensky said. “It would be desirable for the United States of America to be there as well. Why Europe? Because we are in Europe — that is the answer. Because this is our land, this is our continent, and we must be certain that life will be safe tomorrow, no matter what.”

He added that Ukraine has the political will to negotiate, but Russia hasn’t shown that.

“The 21st package of EU sanctions is necessary. And today we also discussed that the Baltic Sea and the North Sea must not be a free zone for the Russian shadow fleet. And all decisions that curtail the activity of Russian tankers are decisions that benefit not only Ukraine but all of Europe,” the Ukrainian president said.

Zelensky recently sent a letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin asking to meet face to face for peace talks, but Putin declined.

June 8 (UPI) — Ukrainian forces struck oil depots in Russian-occupied Crimea as well as other command and ammunition locations in Russia, the Ukrainian military said.

The strikes took place late Sunday, the general staff of Ukraine‘s military said in a Facebook post Monday, according to a translation by Ukrinform.

The Grushevaya oil depot in Krasnodar Krai and the Feodosia and Semikolodezyanskaya oil depots in Crimea were among the targets hit during the attacks, The Kyiv Independent and Ukrinform reported. Ukraine also struck the Krasny Line Production Dispatch Station in Volgograd oblast, which supplies oil to the Volgograd refinery and the Sheskharis export terminal.

Ukrainska Pravda reported that the Grushevaya oil depot is one of the largest oil storage facilities in the Caucasus, holding between 1.3 tons to 1.5 tons of petroleum. The site is used to store and transport oil for maritime export and generates a large amount of revenue for Russia.

There were large fires and billowing smoke reported at the oil depots said to be hit.

The strikes hit Russian drone command posts in various locations in Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk and Kursk oblasts. The military also said it hit areas with concentrations of Russian personnel in Donetsk, Zaporizhizhia and Sumy oblasts.

The Russian military said it struck down 310 Ukrainian drones overnight throughout Russia, Crimea, and the Black and Azov Seas.

June 6 (UPI) — A drone attack launched by Ukraine hit St. Petersburg, Russia, overnight as Russian President Vladimir Putin wraps up an economic forum there.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelinsky had asked Putin to meet face to face and discuss peace talks, but Putin responded that there was no point.

“It is time to end this war. But Russia’s ruler wants to keep fighting,” Zelensky wrote on X early Saturday. “That is why Ukrainian sanctions against this aggression are working. Last night, our drones covered a distance of about 1,000 kilometers to the St. Petersburg region — to the enemy navy’s arsenals and a base in Kronstadt. Our long-range sanctions also reached about 500 kilometers into the Krasnodar region — and hit an oil depot.”

Kronstadt is home to a naval academy and is the main base, repair and supply hub for the Russian navy in the Eastern Baltic.

Leningrad Governor Aleksandr Drozdenko said more than 140 drones were shot down in his region. St. Petersburg Governor Alexander Beglov told residents to stay indoors, CNN reported. He also said three people were injured.

Drozdenko said more than 600 people were evacuated from Bolshaya Izhora, a village on the Gulf of Finland near St. Petersburg, as efforts continued to put out a fire. The area is also home to a Russian naval arsenal, CNN reported.

St. Petersburg is Russia’s second-largest city, behind Moscow.

The New York Times reported that St. Petersburg’s main airport, Pulkovo, suspended operations for almost five hours, according to Rosaviatsia, the Russian aviation authority. Residents reported smoke in the sky and roaring noises and bangs, according to Fontanka, a local news website.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said on X Saturday that “Things will only get worse for Russia. Battlefield losses will continue to grow. Failures will get more humiliating. … “The international pressure will not ease. It will only get stronger. Including the use of frozen assets, travel bans and inevitable accountability for crimes,” Sybiha said.

Zelensky is scheduled to meet with leaders of France, Germany and Great Britain in London Sunday to discuss support for Ukraine and peace talks, Politico reported.

June 5 (UPI) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky challenged Russian President Vladimir Putin to meet him face-to-face to try to bring the four-year-long war between their two countries to an end.

In an open letter to Putin late Thursday, Zelensky said Ukraine wanted to end the conflict through “direct engagement,” adding that it was incumbent on the sides to act, rather than waiting for Washington to take the lead — but other agreed participants such as the United States and European nations “could join the bilateral track” once it was established.

“We see that the United States is fully focused on the issue of Iran, and it would be wrong to simply wait until the war in Europe returns to the center of its attention. Ukraine proposes ending this war through direct engagement between us — and you. This must be done honestly, with dignity, and with guarantees that the war will not be reignited. I am proposing a meeting,” wrote Zelensky.

Russia was on the back foot, on the front and from daily Ukrainian drone and missile strikes, and Putin was running out of time and resources while fuel shortages and constantly rising prices from his endless war were testing the patience of the Russian people, Zelensky said.

“Life without war is infinitely better. And we want to achieve that. I am convinced that the majority of Russians would respond positively to this as well — and you know it. Do not be afraid to take the path out of this war,” he added.

Zelensky rejected suggestions made by Russian officials that he was welcome in Moscow any time, saying any meeting should be held in a country with a track record of mediating in conflicts such as Switzerland, Turkey or nations in the Arab world.

In a wind-ranging 1,800-word missive, the bulk of which was a critique of Putin’s 26-year rule, Zelensky said he wanted to set a clear date for the meeting and that there should be a cease-fire for the duration of the negotiations.

Putin, responding before he had seen the letter, said he was “certainly prepared and willing to reach an agreement with Ukraine,” provided there were compromises, but rejected the idea of a cease-fire.

That was in line with his long-standing position that Russia would only sign up to a fully-formed peace agreement and that it would not stop the fighting until such time as it came into force.

At the same time, Putin reiterated doubts regarding Zelensky’s legitimacy, due to the fact he remains in office two years after his presidential term expired in May 2024.

Elections cannot be held in Ukraine due to martial law, which was declared on the day Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022.

Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office on Thursday, U.S. President Donald Trump endorsed the possibility of a Zelensky-Putin summit but didn’t address Zelensky’s claim he was too busy with Iran.

“I’m glad they’re maybe talking about meeting. I think we had a lot to do with it. I think it would be great if they met. They should get it done,” said Trump.

June 3 (UPI) — CBS News fired veteran journalist Scott Pelley from 60 Minutes after an argument with its new executive producer two days before.

Pelley, 68, is a former anchor of the CBS Evening News and joined the network in 1989. Pelley is a familiar face on Sunday evenings as a correspondent for 60 Minutes.

On Monday, Pelley took issue with the recent firing of two correspondents and the show’s leadership team. He told his new producer Nick Bilton, a tech journalist hired last week, that CBS News editor-in-chief Bari Weiss was “murdering 60 Minutes.”

“She was brought in to kill it, and she’s been doing exactly that,” The Hill reported Pelley told Bilton.

In a memo to staff Tuesday evening, Bilton said, “We have parted ways with Scott Pelley,” The New York Times reported. The network chose not to comment.

Bilton wrote a formal letter to Pelley explaining his termination, which was shared with The Times. He told Pelley he was “terminated for cause effective immediately.”

“I have been in combat in Afghanistan,” Pelley told The Times in an interview. “I have been in combat in Iraq. I have been in the war zone in Ukraine multiple times, risking my life and the happiness of my family because of my devotion to the broadcast.”

He said he still cares deeply about the show.

The program is CBS News’ most successful show, and its ratings were up 9% over last year. It’s often among the highest-rated weekly broadcasts in the country, according to Nielson.

In the letter from Bilton, he said Pelley “hijacked” the meeting Monday

“Yesterday’s performative display of hostility enacted in front of the staff instead of in a civil, private conversation, demonstrated that you have no interest in contributing to the future success of the show, or approaching my new tenure with a mind open to collaboration and progress,” Bilton wrote. “I am here to deliver first-in-class news programming, not to make headlines about newsroom drama. I am eager to work alongside those who share this goal.”

Pelley, in The Times interview, said the letter “betrays a complete misunderstanding of what we work for and what we live for at 60 Minutes.”

He also told The Times on Tuesday that “incompetence and unprofessionalism in the new management have wreaked havoc” at the network. “The collapse of values at the top has become untenable.”

He alleged that management had pressured him to insert bias into his stories over the past season, though he didn’t give details.

Now the show is down four of its correspondents: Sharyn Alfonsi and Cecilia Vega were fired last week, and Anderson Cooper left the show in May at the end of the season.

Weiss was hired last year by David Ellison, CBS owner and son of tech mogul Larry Ellison. She was given the order to revamp the news for the digital era. Weiss is an opinion writer with little broadcast experience. Bilton is a tech journalist with no experience in broadcasting.

CBS management had a meeting with Pelley on Tuesday to discuss the situation and find a way to move forward, but it turned contentious, some people with knowledge told The Times. Pelley said in the interview with The Times that Weiss wouldn’t answer his questions about why Simon, Alfonsi and Vega were fired.

Pelley said Weiss’ behavior “was cold and callous and beneath the dignity of CBS News.”

Weiss told staff Wednesday morning that “despite our attempts to engage with Scott Pelley and to find a way back, unfortunately we weren’t able to do so, and so we had to part ways.”

But Pelley said it wasn’t true. “At no point did anyone at the Tuesday meeting suggest that there could be steps taken by either side that would lead to a resolution,” he said.

June 1 (UPI) — French President Emmanuel Macron said the country’s navy intercepted a sanctioned crude oil tanker that departed from a Russian port.

Macron wrote on X that a ship called the Tagor was seized Sunday by the French navy “in international waters, with the support of several partners including the United Kingdom, in strict compliance with the law of the sea.”

The Tagor, registered in Madagascar, departed from the Russian port of Umba and appeared on ship tracking sites in the North Atlantic last week, CNN reported.

The European Union, Britain and the United States have all sanctioned the Tagor.

“It is unacceptable for ships to circumvent international sanctions, violate the law of the sea, and fund the war that Russia has been waging against Ukraine for more than four years,” Macron wrote. “These vessels, which fail to adhere to the most basic rules of maritime navigation, also pose a threat to the environment and to everyone’s safety.”

The Tagor is the third ship to be seized on suspicion of being part of a Russian shadow fleet. An oil tanker was intercepted by France between the southern coast of Spain and the northern coast of Morocco in Morocco. Another was intercepted by Belgium with French assistance in March.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov released a statement that Sunday’s seizure was “illegal, bordering on international piracy.”

“We absolutely disagree that they are being carried out in full compliance with international law,” Peskov said of the seizures.

The Russian embassy in Paris told Russian state-run news agency TASS that the captain of the Tagor is believed to be a Russian citizen, and the embassy has requested information from French officials about whether other Russian citizens were present on the vessel.

May 29 (UPI) — Ukraine on Friday evening said that it expects Russia to launch ‘big attacks’ against it sometime on Friday or Saturday, and warned its citizens to take cover.

Ukrainian President Volodymir Zelynsky told CBS News on Friday evening that it expects Russia to launch new attacks at the country in the next 24 to 48 hours, and advised his citizens to take cover.

“Our people have to be very, very careful, cautious and children – they have to use bomb shelters,” he told the news organization.

“Today, at night or tomorrow night, high percent – of course, nobody knows 100% – but there is high percent,” he said.

Russia on Friday evening already launched missiles toward Ukraine, with explosions reported in Kyiv and nearby regions, among other parts of the country, The Kyiv Post reported.

“We have intel that Russia is preparing a new massive attack,” Zelensky said in the post.

“Please pay attention to air raid alerts and stay safe,” he said.

The warnings follow an alleged drone hitting the roof of an apartment building in Romania, which was reportedly aimed at nearby location in Ukraine, which is neighbors the country.

May 29 (UPI) — A Russian drone carrying explosives struck the roof of an apartment building in NATO ally Romania overnight, risking a dangerous escalation in Moscow’s four-year-old war in Ukraine.

The drone had entered Romanian airspace during a Russian attack on neighboring Ukraine and struck the building in the eastern city of Galati, located near the Romania-Ukraine border, Romania’s Defense Ministry said in a statement Friday.

Two people were “slightly injured,” according to Romania’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The two victims were transported to the Galati County Emergency Clinical Hospital, officials said.

The drone sparked a fire on the 10th floor of the building, according to the Department for Emergency Situations, which said online that 70 people were evacuated from the building.

Video of the scene shared by Galati County emergency services officials shows firefighters responding and debris littering the residential street.

“This represents a serious and irresponsible escalation by the Russian Federation,” Romanian Foreign Minister Oana Toiu said online.

According to the Defense Ministry, radars had detected drones flying near Romanian airspace, prompting two F-16 fighter jets and an IAR-330 SOCAT helicopter to deploy at 1:19 a.m., with authorization to engage targets.

The aircraft followed the drone in Romanian airspace, but the decision was made to not engage over heightened risk to the safety of the civilian population, Romanian President Nicusor Dan said in a statement.

Dan said he convened a meeting of the Supreme Council of National Defense for 11 a.m. Friday to discuss what he called “the most serious incident to have affected national territory” since Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022, igniting the war.

“The unprecedented nature of the event requires a firm, coordinated and commensurate response — at the national, allied and international levels,” he said.

He said he holds the Kremlin wholly responsible.

“What happened today in Galati is the direct consequence of Russia’s war of aggression unleashed against Ukraine, of the irresponsible and indiscriminate manner in which Moscow operates these weapons systems in the immediate vicinity of NATO borders, as well as of its systematic disregard for international law,” he said.

“There is no ambiguity regarding the perpetrator and the cause of this aggression.”

All NATO and European Union allies have been informed of the incident, and the U.N. Security Council has been informed, he said, adding that Romania has formally requested that allies deploy additional anti-drone capabilities to NATO’s eastern flank.

Romania also summoned the Russian ambassador to officially communicate “the effects that this lack of responsibility on the part of the Russian Federation will have on the diplomatic relations between our countries and the next steps at the European level regarding packages of sanctions,” Toiu said.

Numerous heads of state and ministers of foreign affairs condemned the attack, including European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, who said he spoke with Dan and assured him that the alliance “stands ready to defend every inch of allied territory.”

“Russia’s reckless behavior is a danger to us all,” he said in a statement. “They continue to target civilians and civilian infrastructure across Ukraine. And last night showed yet again that the implications of their illegal war of aggression don’t stop at the border.”

Russian drones have repeatedly entered NATO airspace amid Russia’s war in Ukraine, but Friday’s incident appeared to be the most severe involving Romania.

May 25 (UPI) — Russia on Monday warned the United States it will continue targeting “decision-making centers” in Kyiv and advised Washington to evacuate its personnel from Ukrainian capital as it ratcheted up pressure in the conflict.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio in a phone conversation the Russian Armed Forces are now launching “systematic and consistent strikes against facilities in Kyiv used by the Ukrainian Armed Forces and against the relevant decision-making centers,” according to a readout supplied by the Kremlin.

The Russian assault is in response to “the Kyiv regime’s ongoing terrorist attacks against civilians and civilian objects on Russian territory,” the statement said.

Lavrov also warned Rubio that the United States, “along with other states with missions in Kyiv, ensure the evacuation of their diplomatic personnel and other citizens from the Ukrainian capital.”

Earlier Monday, Moscow decried what it called “a bloody drone attack” on a college dormitory on Friday in Luhansk, a part of Ukraine occupied by Russian forces and claimed as a “people’s republic.”

Twenty-one people, including children, were killed and 42 others injured in strike, Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed while calling it a deliberate “terrorist strike.”

Ukraine, however, described it as an attack on the headquarters of Russia’s Rubicon drone military unit in Starobilsk, Luhansk.

That incident was followed by Russia’s largest-ever drone and missile attack on Kyiv overnight from Saturday into Sunday, in which two were killed more than 80 injured.

Strikes were recorded in almost every district of the city, hitting cultural targets such as The National Art Museum, the Chornobyl Museum, the National Philharmonic, the Ukrainian National Academy of Music and the Kyiv Opera Theater, the Kyiv Independent reported.

Julie Davis, the chargé d’affaires at the U.S. embassy in Kyiv, condemned the overnight strikes on Monday, calling them “deliberate strikes on civilian populations and civilian infrastructure” which she deemed “unacceptable.

“As President Trump has stated before, this war must end. We extend our deepest condolences to all those affected by this horrific tragedy.”

Such strikes in the capital are set to continue, Russia warned Monday, although insisting they are aimed at military rather than civilian targets.

“All this has exhausted our patience In this situation,” the Foreign Ministry said. “The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation are beginning to launch consistent and systemic strikes at enterprises of the Ukrainian defense industry in Kiev, including specific facilities for designing, manufacturing and programming drones and preparing them for operation.”

The strikes “will target decision-making centers and command posts,” Moscow claimed.