Ukraine Hits 12 Russian Oil Tankers; Trump Licenses Patriot Production

Swipe for next article

Liveupdated

Ukraine-Russia war latest: Kyiv hits 12 Russian oil tankers in new wave of overnight attacks

Kyiv has amped up its attacks on Russian tankers in recent days

Ukraine has hit 12 Russian tankers in the Sea of Azov, the general staff of the armed forces has said.

"The affected vessels were used, among other, to supply fuel and oil materials to the grouping of troops of the Russian Federation, as well as to transport oil and petroleum products in the absence of international sanctions," read a statement on Telegram.

"They provide the export of energy carriers, which is one of the key sources of financing the war against Ukraine."

One tugboat and one dry loader were also among the vessels struck.

Meanwhile, president Donald Trump has said the US will allow Ukraine to manufacture Patriot missile interceptors by giving the war-hit nation a license to built a defence against incoming Russian missiles.

"We're going to give a license to you to make Patriots. That's pretty cool. This way, you can't complain that we're not giving 'em enough," Trump said at a meeting with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky at the Nato summit in Ankara.

However, Trump’s announcement triggered condemnation from Moscow, with foreign ministry spokesperson saying Nato's decisions at the Turkey summit could have catastrophic consequences.

Russia-appointed Crimea governor says fuel shortages are set to last

Russian-appointed governor of occupied Crimea, Sergey Aksyonov has warned that fuel shortages are likely to last as Ukrainian attacks on Russian energy continue.

“The fuel supply situation remains tense and will continue for some time,” Aksyonov wrote on Telegram, according to Reuters.

“On certain days there will be no fuel available to be freely sold.”

Aksyonov has said that he has discussed the crisis with the energy minister Sergey Tsivilyov and said possible solutions had been identified but did not share further details.

Maira Butt9 July 2026 10:50

Ukraine's Kostyuk extends Wimbledon run as attacks hit Kyiv and slams IOC decision on Russia

As Marta Kostyuk played on Centre Court at Wimbledon on Wednesday, her compatriots in Ukraine were dealing with another deadly attack by Russia on Kyiv.

It's been the same for much of Kostyuk’s run to the semifinals.

On Monday, after Russian missiles struck residential buildings close to where Kostyuk's parents live, she had to block that out to play her fourth-round match at the Grand Slam tournament. Last week, Russia hammered the Ukrainian capital with an 11-hour drone and missile attack that killed at least 21 civilians.

For Kostyuk, every day is about finding a way to focus on tennis while not shutting her eyes to what is going on at home.

Ukraine's Kostyuk extends Wimbledon run as attacks hit Kyiv. She slams IOC decision on Russia

As Marta Kostyuk played her first Wimbledon quarterfinal on Centre Court, her compatriots back home in Ukraine were dealing with another deadly attack by Russia on Kyiv

Maira Butt9 July 2026 10:20

In pictures: Aftermath of Russian drone and missile strikes on Kharkiv, Ukraine

Maira Butt9 July 2026 09:50

Watch:

Maira Butt9 July 2026 09:20

I have visited Russia every year since the Ukraine war began. The mood has changed

The mood regarding the war in Ukraine has changed in recent months. Ukrainian drones have struck Russian oil infrastructure, causing fuel shortages across Russia. And the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelensky, is exuberant about finishing the war from a “position of strength”.

The hope is that an economic crisis in Russia leads to social unrest and political instability, possibly resulting in the collapse of the ruling regime. This would not be an unprecedented event in Russian history. The Soviet Union rapidly unravelled amid economic and political crisis in 1991. But how likely is this scenario for Russia today?

I have visited Russia every year since the Ukraine war began. The mood has changed

Fuel shortages are starting to bite across Russia – but is Putin heading for a Soviet-esque regime collapse?

Maira Butt9 July 2026 08:50

Two tankers attacked by drones in Sea of Azov in Russia's Rostov

Two tankers have been attacked by Ukrainian drones in the Sea of Azov, Russia's Rostov region governor said on Thursday.

“The tanker crews have ⁠been evacuated. ​A ⁠fire broke out as a result of ⁠the drone strike. ​On ⁠one of the ‌vessels, the fire is still burning, on the ‌other, the fire ‌has been completely extinguished," governor Yury Slyusar said ⁠on Telegram.

Air defence units downed 73 Ukrainian drones overnight, the Russian defence ministry said.

In Russia's Tver region, an oil depot ‌caught fire as ​a result of ‌a drone ⁠attack, acting governor Vitaly ⁠Korolyov said, adding that the ‌fire ​has been ‌contained and no ​one was injured.

Arpan Rai9 July 2026 08:20

Russia bans diesel exports to protect domestic supply after Ukrainian drone attacks on oil facilities

Russia introduced a ban on diesel exports on Wednesday among a raft of measures to support the domestic fuel market after systematic Ukrainian drone attacks on oil refineries triggered gasoline shortages and price spikes.

Drivers in many regions are facing hours-long lines to refuel as intensifying Ukrainian strikes on energy infrastructure squeeze supplies of diesel and gasoline.

Deputy prime minister Alexander Novak told a televised government meeting, chaired by president Vladimir Putin, that the fuel situation remained complex and that "it is clear that the current situation at filling stations is causing concern among the public".

"Today, a ban on diesel fuel exports was introduced, and this will make it possible to increase supplies to the domestic market," he said, adding that Russia would start importing fuel in July.

The ban will stay in place till 31 July.

Industry sources said last week that Russia had started seaborne imports of gasoline from India.

Arpan Rai9 July 2026 08:00

Trump's big announcement on Patriot interceptors for Ukraine

President Donald Trump has said the US would grant Ukraine a license to manufacture Patriot missile interceptors, a huge boost for Kyiv, which has long sought permission to produce the defensive weapons.

Here’s what he has said:

"We're going to give a license to you to make Patriots. That's pretty cool. This way, you can't complain that we're not giving 'em enough," Trump said at a meeting with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky at the Nato summit in Ankara.

"It's a defensive weapon, which I like better than an offensive weapon.

"We have Patriots, but we don't have that many. We need them for ourselves too.

"I think they can produce it pretty quickly. Once we explain it, we'll bring the company here. You work with the company. They have a great ability to produce weapons, pretty complex weapons.

"We have great power over the companies, those companies that make the Patriot.

"We haven't informed the company of that yet, but that'll work out all right. I'm sure they will be thrilled," Trump said.

Lockheed Martin is the prime contractor for the interceptor missiles that go in the Patriot system.

Arpan Rai9 July 2026 07:45

Russia's FSB says it has foiled Western-backed Ukrainian attacks plot

Russia's FSB security service said that it had foiled a series of terrorist attacks in Moscow planned by the Ukrainian security services, “with the direct involvement of Western intelligence”.

The ‌targets of the attacks, ⁠which were to involve the use of drones, were to be high-ranking ‌officers in ​the ​Russian army, ⁠as well as ⁠one of ‌the ​leading ​defence industry ​enterprises.

Arpan Rai9 July 2026 07:18

Ukraine has two months to end war or face escalation from Putin, says Czech president

Ukraine has an optimal window of two months to restart peace talks or face an escalation from Russia, the Czech president said.

Petr Pavel told The Telegraph that Vladimir Putin could declare a general mobilisation after elections are held on 20 September.

“I believe that the window is there for us to keep pushing and giving Russia a clear message that we are willing to start negotiations,” said Pavel, the retired general and former head of Nato’s military committee.

“Russia will have parliamentary elections in September. President Putin will hardly declare mobilisation before, but once the elections are over, then the window will shrink,” he said.

He also called on Ukraine’s allies to use current pressure on Russia to force peace talks in the coming weeks.

“Russia has a lot of internal problems and challenges at this point,” Pavel said in Ankara.

“The Russian public is turning increasingly against the war. President Putin will have difficulties keeping calm at home, and if this pressure continues, if Ukraine continues to be capable and successful in hitting targets deep in Russian territory, it will create conditions where Russia will be more inclined to negotiate,” he told The Telegraph.

Arpan Rai9 July 2026 07:15