Moscow

Germany's foreign minister met with Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov, saying the talks were driven by security concerns linked to Russia. The meeting signals continued diplomatic contact between Berlin and Moscow despite broader tensions, and Reuters reported the minister framed the engagement as a response to the security challenges Russia poses.

EU member states are discussing collective, Nato-style responses to Russian hybrid attacks, such as sabotage, disinformation and cyber operations targeting European infrastructure. The proposal would allow countries to invoke joint backing when a member faces such aggression, mirroring the alliance's mutual-defence principle and deepening EU coordination on security against Moscow.

The EU is finding it increasingly difficult to expand its sanctions regime against Russia, according to reporting by Euractiv. After multiple sanctions packages, the bloc is running out of obvious targets, making further measures harder to design without hitting unintended sectors or facing resistance from member states. The report highlights the growing complexity of keeping pressure on Moscow through economic restrictions.

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said on Sunday his decision to meet Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov was driven by security concerns and the need to address a growing food-export crisis. The rare high-level contact between Berlin and Moscow is drawing attention as Europe weighs diplomacy with Russia against continued support for Ukraine.

Russia has begun rationing fuel following a massive Ukrainian drone strike that reportedly damaged key energy infrastructure. Reports say Ukraine's drone technology has outmatched Russia's jet-powered drones, hitting refineries and supply facilities. The shortages are forcing regional authorities to limit fuel distribution, a significant blow to Moscow as the war grinds on and its oil-export and domestic supply chains come under sustained attack.

Ukraine launched strikes targeting Moscow on the first day of Russia's presidential election, in which Vladimir Putin is seeking another term. The timing is widely seen as a symbolic message aimed at undermining the vote's legitimacy, which Western governments and Kyiv have dismissed as staged. The attack follows months of Ukrainian drone strikes deep into Russian territory, and it comes as Russian authorities report attempts to disrupt polling.

Ukraine has carried out what is described as its largest attack on Moscow to date, marking a significant escalation in the conflict's reach into the Russian capital. A military expert has reacted to the strike, weighing in on its scale, strategic significance, and what it signals about Ukraine's evolving capabilities deep inside Russian territory.

Attention is on the actual number of Russian soldiers killed in the war in Ukraine, a figure that remains difficult to verify as official Russian reporting is widely considered incomplete. Independent researchers, journalists and Western officials have offered estimates far above Moscow's acknowledged losses, and debate continues over the true scale of casualties as the fighting goes on.

Russian forces carried out large-scale strikes on Kyiv, with reports claiming hits on Ukrainian military hubs and what Moscow describes as NATO specialists present in the country. The claims of foreign casualties have not been independently verified, and Ukrainian officials have not confirmed the extent of the damage. The strikes mark a further escalation in Russia's sustained bombardment of the Ukrainian capital.

Russia says its forces have taken control of three more settlements in Ukraine, according to news reports. Ukraine has not confirmed the claims, and frontline statements from both sides frequently differ. The announcement comes as fighting continues along the eastern front, where Moscow has been pressing incremental territorial gains despite heavy losses.

German international broadcaster DW reports that Russia is expected to step up hybrid warfare against Europe, a term covering sabotage, disinformation, cyberattacks and other deniable pressure tactics short of open conflict. The report adds to growing warnings from European governments and security services about Russian covert activity targeting infrastructure, elections and public opinion across the continent, as the war in Ukraine continues to strain relations between Moscow and the West.

Vladimir Putin said Ukraine's provocations are fuelling tensions, according to a report carried by China Daily's global edition. The accusation comes as the war between Russia and Ukraine continues to drive friction between Moscow and Kyiv and their international partners. No further details about the alleged provocations or responses from Ukraine were included in the available report.

Germany has moved against Berlin's 'Russian House', a Russian state-linked cultural centre that remained open throughout Russia's war in Ukraine despite EU sanctions. Its survival was shielded by a reciprocal arrangement protecting Moscow's Goethe-Institut. The final trigger was Germany's accusation of sabotage ties, prompting Berlin to end the arrangement and move to shut the centre down.

Ukraine's foreign intelligence service (SZRU) reports that Russia's arms exports have fallen to a historic low, despite Moscow's continued claims to be the world's second-largest arms exporter. The assessment suggests sanctions, battlefield losses and domestic demand for weapons in the war against Ukraine are undermining Russia's position in the global arms market.

Russian forces are urgently redeploying thousands of troops toward the Lyman frontline in eastern Ukraine, as Ukraine's 3rd Corps continues advancing in the area. War monitoring reports describe a degree of panic within the Russian command over the situation there, with Moscow scrambling reinforcements to slow Ukrainian gains around the contested frontline town.

Two Algerian military transport aircraft flew through Polish airspace on their way to Russia, drawing attention because of the EU's sanctions regime against Moscow over the war in Ukraine. Observers are questioning why the flights were allowed and what cargo or purpose lay behind the unusual routing, with some accusing European authorities of turning a blind eye.