Ukraine-Russia war latest: Zelensky demands ‘strong decisions’ at Nato summit after ballistic missiles strike Kyiv

Ukraine-Russia war latest: Zelensky demands ‘strong decisions’ at Nato summit after ballistic missiles strike Kyiv

Deadly attack comes hours after White House confirms Zelensky-Trump meeting at Nato summit in Turkey

Volodymyr Zelensky urged Nato allies to make “strong decisions” to stop Russia’s blitz of Ukraine after at least 12 people were killed in heavy strikes in Kyiv on Monday.

Ahead of Tuesday’s summit in Ankara, the Ukrainian president said it was “critically important” that the US and Europe come out of the summit with “strong decisions in support of our air defence, and thus the protection of ordinary people’s lives”.

“As long as Patriot missiles remain in our allies' stockpiles, Russia is only encouraged to keep ‘vanquishing’ residential buildings. The United States and Europe have enough strength to stop this terror,” he said, as shortages of the US-made interceptors left the Ukrainian capital struggling to defend itself, just days after the deadliest attack this year.

Ukraine's air force data showed it was unable to down any of the 23 ballistic missiles fired by Russia overnight. Russia launched 68 missiles and 351 drones in total, the air force said.

The heavy overnight bombardment came ahead of a NATO summit in Turkey this week, where U.S. President Donald Trump is due to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to make a renewed push to end the war, now in its fifth year.

Recap: Ukraine's military strikes oil refineries in Russia

Ukraine's military said on Monday it struck oil refineries in Russia's Yaroslavl and Leningrad regions overnight.

Explosions were recorded near the Slavneft-YANOS oil refinery in Yaroslavl region, and smoke was seen rising from the premises, the Ukrainian military's General Staff said on Telegram.

The General Staff added that NOVATEK-Ust Luga refinery was hit in the Leningrad region.

James Reynolds6 July 2026 12:30

Recap: Suspect in Monaco blast is Ukrainian woman disguised as man

The main suspect behind ⁠a bomb attack in Monaco ​is ⁠a Ukrainian woman who disguised herself as a man and has been spotted in Germany, prosecutors have said.

Three people, including 58-year-old Ukrainian business tycoon Vadym Iermolaiev, a woman and a 13-year-old teenager, were wounded on Monday evening when an explosive was remotely detonated in what authorities believe was a targeted attack.

The two adults were rushed to hospital in a critical condition, with the woman having both her legs amputated.

Suspect in Monaco blast is Ukrainian woman who was disguised as man

An Interpol arrest warrant has been issued for Anastasiia Berezovska, the chief suspect behind the parcel bombing

James Reynolds6 July 2026 12:00

Ukraine hits back: Military claims strikes on refineries in Russia

Ukraine’s military says that it has struck oil refineries in Russia’s Yaroslavl and Leningrad regions.

That comes as part of a mounting campaign against energy infrastructure across Russia as Ukraine ramps up its long-range attacks.

How Ukraine’s drone campaign sparked a fuel crisis 3,500km behind enemy lines

Drones, once auxiliary to the war on the ground, have grown into a giant-slaying weapon in Ukraine’s arsenal over four years of ingenuity, writes James C. Reynolds

James Reynolds6 July 2026 11:30

Recap: UK jets scrambled to intercept Russian aircraft near Britain’s flagship carrier

UK fighter jets were scrambled to intercept a Russian aircraft after it came “unnecessarily close” to Britain’s flagship carrier in Arctic.

A Russian ‘Bear F’ aircraft dropped a “large number” of tracking devices near the HMS Prince of Wales in the Arctic Circle, the Ministry of Defence said.

The MoD warned the activity of the Russian maritime patrol aircraft was “unsafe and unprofessional”, and said it was intercepted and escorted by two UK F-35 jets until it left the area.

Read the full story:

UK jets scrambled to intercept Russian aircraft near Britain’s flagship carrier

The Ministry of Defence confirmed the operation

James Reynolds6 July 2026 11:00

Recap: Trump ‘offers to be peacemaker during 90-minute call with Putin’

Donald Trump offered to help find a solution to the Ukraine war in a 90 minute call with Vladimir Putin, Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said on Sunday.

Ushakov said Trump made the offer during the call on Saturday, US Independence Day, in the context of his participation next week at the NATO summit in Turkey.

Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky said he also spoke to Trump.

"The American president once again confirmed his readiness to work towards a rapid end to the fighting and find solutions to overcome the crisis," Ushakov said of Trump's call with the Russian president.

Ushakov, who described the conversation as "business-like and quite constructive," said Russia sought "a political-diplomatic resolution of the conflict, with due account of Russia's fundamental approach."

Ushakov accused Kyiv and its European allies of "counting on extending and even escalating the conflict, and on terrorism against civilians."

James Reynolds6 July 2026 10:30

Russia claims 'massive' attack on 'military and energy facilities' in Kyiv

Russia said on Monday it had conducted a "massive" attack on Ukraine's capital of Kyiv and other locations using long-range, high-precision air-, land-, sea-launched weapons and drones.

The defence ministry also said it had hit military and energy facilities in Kyiv and the Kyiv region, as well as military airfields in several other Ukrainian regions.

At least 11 people died in strikes, according to Ukrainian officials. The Ukrainian air force said Russia launched 68 missiles and 351 drones overnight.

James Reynolds6 July 2026 10:00

UK jets scrambled to intercept Russian aircraft near Britain’s flagship carrier

UK fighter jets were scrambled to intercept a Russian aircraft after it came “unnecessarily close” to Britain’s flagship carrier in Arctic.

A Russian ‘Bear F’ aircraft dropped a “large number” of tracking devices near the HMS Prince of Wales in the Arctic Circle, the Ministry of Defence said.

The MoD warned the activity of the Russian maritime patrol aircraft was “unsafe and unprofessional”, and said it was intercepted and escorted by two UK F-35 jets until it left the area.

Read the full story:

UK jets scrambled to intercept Russian aircraft near Britain’s flagship carrier

The Ministry of Defence confirmed the operation

James Reynolds6 July 2026 09:43

Watch: Rescue operations continue in Kyiv after Putin's deadly attack

James Reynolds6 July 2026 09:30

Trump and Zelensky expected to meet on sidelines of Ankara summit

Donald Trump will meet Volodymyr Zelensky on the sidelines of this week’s Nato summit in Turkey as part of a renewed effort to end the war, according to reports.

The US president is set to arrive at the summit in Ankara on Tuesday and should meet with Zelensky on Wednesday morning, US officials told Reuters and the Kyiv Independent.

Another US official told Reuters that the leaders will discuss “how we can end the war”.

"The battlefield has clearly frozen over the last couple ​of months and neither side is making a lot of progress," the official said. "The president feels ​a real sense of urgency to try to bring this to a stop."

Zelensky said on Saturday he had spoken to Trump on the Fourth of July holiday and called for "American resolve" to help end the ​more than four-year-old war with Russia.

James Reynolds6 July 2026 09:01

The US and Europe can stop Russian 'terror', says Zelensky

Volodymyr Zelensky says on social media that rescue efforts are still underway following the massive Russian bombardment overnight.

At least 64 people have been rescued, including two children. Eleven people were killed and “around 60” more were injured, he says.

Zelensky says that Ukraine is struggling to intercept ballistic missiles due to a lack of interceptor missiles.

“It is critically important that the world – first and foremost the United States and our European partners – come out of the NATO Summit in Ankara with strong decisions in support of our air defense, and thus the protection of ordinary people’s lives.

“As long as Patriot missiles remain in our allies' stockpiles, Russia is only encouraged to keep “vanquishing” residential buildings. The United States and Europe have enough strength to stop this terror.”

James Reynolds6 July 2026 08:30