A port city in Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine, at the Sea of Azov
Ukraine has intensified drone and mid-range strikes on Crimea and nearby Russian oil facilities, hitting an oil depot in Kerch and an oil transport site in Krasnodar. Russian-appointed officials have suspended civilian fuel sales across Crimea, reported casualties and imposed travel and event restrictions as power outages and transport disruptions leave tourists and residents stranded.
Poland has revoked President Volodymyr Zelensky’s Order of the White Eagle after he has signed a decree naming a Ukrainian Special Operations unit for the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA), a WWII-era formation accused in Poland of mass killings. Ukrainian officials have returned Polish awards and Polish and Ukrainian leaders are urging calm before a major reconstruction conference.
U.S. President Donald Trump has offered to help end the Russia-Ukraine war in a nearly 90-minute call with Vladimir Putin and has agreed with Volodymyr Zelenskyy to continue negotiations at next week’s NATO summit in Ankara. Ukraine has struck oil and naval facilities near St. Petersburg, and Russia has responded with heavy missile and drone strikes on Kyiv.
Ukraine’s mid-range, Starlink-enabled drones have expanded the front’s reach, pressuring Russia’s supply lines and Crimea’s energy hubs. Russia is countering with camouflage, jamming, and new tactics, while Ukraine trains fighters and pursues domestically produced drones to sustain the push.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has appointed Maj. Gen. Mykhailo Drapatyi as Ukraine’s commander-in-chief after mass protests over the dismissal of reform-minded ex-defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov. Drapatyi, 43, is being welcomed as a moderniser; Fedorov has refused offered alternatives and his supporters are continuing street demonstrations while Russia keeps striking Ukrainian cities.
Ukrainian club were in fourth tier in 2021 but, despite war with Russia, will contest European qualifiers for first time
UN rights monitors document a sharp rise in civilian deaths and injuries in the first half of 2026 as Russia and Ukraine widen strikes. FPV drones are reshaping daily life near front lines, while attacks on shipping and oil depots widen the conflict’s reach.
Zelensky has appointed Mykhailo Drapatyi, 43, as commander-in-chief of Ukraine's armed forces, replacing Oleksandr Syrskyi amid protests and calls for reform. Supporters describe Drapatyi as a reform-minded leader with frontline experience who can modernise the military and empower field commanders. Critics note his track record in drone warfare and accountability.
Russia's Supreme Court has removed the liberal Yabloko party from the nationwide party-list for September's State Duma elections after upholding a suit by the pro‑Kremlin Rodina party, citing alleged foreign funding, copyright breaches and promotion of extremism. Yabloko says it will appeal and pursue legal options but faces a far harder path to win single-mandate seats.