Zelensky orders 40-day offensive, urges Putin to 'take a step towards peace'

Swipe for next article

Liveupdated

Ukraine-Russia war latest: Zelensky tells Putin to ‘take a step towards peace’ after ordering 40-day offensive

Zelensky ordered the 40-day offensive after consulting the head of the Ukrainian security service

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has told Vladimir Putin to “get out of Ukraine” and “take that step toward peace” after approving a 40-day offensive to “influence” Russia to end the war.

In a post on X Zelensky wrote: “Russia must get out of Ukraine with its war – we want no war.

“Ukraine has put forward proposals to our key partners, and Putin’s friends have also heard from us that a meeting is possible and that ending this war is possible. Russia must now take that step toward peace.”

Zelensky said he made the decision of ordering a 40-day offensive after consulting the head of the Ukrainian security service.

It comes after he confirmed that Kyiv's forces had attacked two more Russian oil refineries in Ufa, 1,500km from the frontline, and an oil depot in the Krasnodar region, 300km from Ukraine, in the latest blow to the rival's infrastructure.

Meanwhile, France claimed on Thursday that its forces had intercepted a Russian ‘shadow fleet’ oil tanker, just days after the British Royal Marines stormed a ship in the English Channel.

Recap: Russia attacks Ukraine with 7 ballistic missiles and 189 drones

Russia attacked Ukraine with seven ballistic missiles and 189 drones overnight going into Friday, the Ukrainian Air Force said.

Three of the missiles and 174 drones were shot down, it added.

The air attack was launched from Russia’s Bryansk and Kursk regions, targeting largely the Kyiv and Poltava regions of Ukraine.

"As of 09:00, air defence had shot down or jammed 177 aerial assets – three Iskander-M ballistic missiles and 174 enemy UAVs, including Shahed, Gerbera and Italmas drones, as well as drones of other types, over the north, south, centre and east of the country,” the Air Force said.

Strikes were recorded by four ballistic missiles and 11 attack drones at 12 locations.

Alex Croft26 June 2026 23:01

Ukraine launches one of its biggest drone attacks on Russia and Crimea

Ukrainian forces launched one of their largest drone attacks on Russian territory and illegally annexed Crimea, with Russian air defences claiming to intercept 660 unmanned aerial vehicles across 12 regions, the Black Sea, and the Azov Sea during a major overnight assault on Friday.

This significant barrage marks one of the most extensive drone operations targeting Russian regions and the occupied peninsula since Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine over four years ago.

Kyiv has increasingly deployed long-range drones to strike deep inside Russia, focusing on critical oil production and energy facilities.

Western officials and analysts suggest this strategy aims to cripple Russian fuel and military supplies, thereby hindering Moscow's battlefield operations and intensifying pressure on President Vladimir Putin.

The extensive drone assault followed remarks from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on X, where he announced an order for a "40-day influence operation."

Read the full report here:

Ukraine launches one of its biggest drone attacks on Russia and Crimea

The Russian Defense Ministry says it intercepted 660 Ukrainian drones overnight

Alex Croft26 June 2026 22:01

European Commission president to visit Armenia as it faces pressure from Russia

European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen will go to Armenia next week, said the EU on Friday, in a move aimed at highlighting Brussels' support for Armenia as it faces political pressure from Russia.

The EU said von der Leyen would also go to Azerbaijan.

Armenian prime minister Nikol Pashinyan, who is working towards the goal of European Union membership, won re-election this month despite what international monitors said was blatant interference and pressure from Russia.

In turn, Moscow accused Western countries of interfering in the vote in favour of Pashinyan.

Alex Croft26 June 2026 21:01

Pictured: Firefighters shelter during an air raid alert as they work at the site of a Russian military strike

Rebecca Whittaker26 June 2026 20:47

'We want no war' Zelensky says in a call for Russia to take 'step towards peace'

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has told Putin to “get out of Ukraine” adding that “we want no war”, in a video posted to X., as he called for Russia to make a step towards peace.

In the caption he wrote: “Russia must get out of Ukraine with its war – we want no war.

“Ukraine has put forward proposals to our key partners, and Putin’s friends have also heard from us that a meeting is possible and that ending this war is possible. Russia must now take that step toward peace.”

Rebecca Whittaker26 June 2026 20:42

Ukraine strikes Russian chemical plant for second time in two weeks

Ukraine struck a chemical plant in Russia's Tula region for the second time in two weeks as part of a massive wave of overnight drone attacks, according to Russian and Ukrainian Telegram channels.

Regional governor Dmitry Milyayev said an industrial facility in Novomoskovsk, 200 km (125 miles) south of Moscow, had been damaged.

Multiple news reports named it as the Azot plant, which has been described by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy as critical to Russia's production of explosives.

Azot, which describes itself as Russia's largest producer of ammonia and nitrogen fertilisers, was previously hit on June 14, according to Zelenskiy.

Ukraine has intensified drone strikes deep inside Russia this year as part of a strategy to inflict economic pain and undermine Moscow's ability to sustain the war. Its targets have included oil refineries, terminals and ports as well as industrial facilities.

Milyayev, the governor, said electricity lines in the Tula region were also damaged and one woman was injured.

Alex Croft26 June 2026 20:02

In pictures: Ukrainian prisoners of war return home

Alex Croft26 June 2026 19:00

Oil tanker seized by French navy

An oil tanker suspected of being part of Russia's "shadow fleet" was taken to waters near Marseille today after it was seized by France's navy near Sicily.

The vessel, the Deliver, is one of nine ships that have ⁠been seized across Europe since ​the ⁠start of 2026. The ships are thought to be used by Russia ⁠to evade Western sanctions on its ​oil trade.

It was taken to the Gulf of Fos, the Bouches-du-Rhone Prefecture said: "It will be anchored and held at ‌the disposal of the Marseille ‌public prosecutor as part of the investigation into the alleged offense of sailing under a ⁠false flag.”

The Russian embassy in France on Thursday called the seizure "another case of piracy" and "illegal and unacceptable from the point of view of international law", the TASS news agency reported.

A military ‌source has said its was operating ​under a Cameroonian flag, despite having ‌been formally struck ⁠off Cameroon's registry weeks earlier, meaning ⁠it was navigating without nationality and breaching international maritime ‌law.

Rebecca Whittaker26 June 2026 18:29

Russian human rights commissioner works with Ukrainian counterpart to visit PoWs

Russian Human Rights Commissioner Yana Lantratova said on Friday that she and her Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Lubinets had agreed to jointly visit prisoners of war and had exchanged lists of soldiers being held by both countries, the state RIA news agency reported.

She was speaking after Russia and Ukraine exchanged 160 people each. Lantratova was cited as saying that another "humanitarian exchange" would take place in the coming days.

Alex Croft26 June 2026 18:01

Watch: Macron says France intercepted a Russian tanker off coast of Sicily

Alex Croft26 June 2026 16:59