A Ukrainian drone attack has hit 600 miles deep inside Russia on Monday, according to local authorities.
The strikes hit both industrial and civilian infrastructure in the city of Nizhnekamsk that is around 680 miles from the Ukrainian border and the Taneco oil refinery in the Tatarstan region, which is 497 miles east of Moscow.
Ukraine’s military confirmed the attack on the refinery but is yet to comment on the reported strikes in Nizhnekamsk.
At least 13 people have been killed in the attack including one child with over 75 injured, according to Russian authorities.
A period of mourning has been declared in the region, according to the mayor of Nizhnekamsk, Radmir Belayev, in a post on Telegram.
It comes as Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky claimed North Korea was preparing to deploy as many as 50,000 soldiers to support Russia's war effort.
Zelensky said North Korea would benefit from "experience in modern warfare" as well as receiving licences to produce more advanced Russian technology.
Earlier, UK defence secretary Wes Streeting urged allies to strengthen Ukraine’s air defences ahead of winter, warning that Vladimir Putin will seek to use the colder months as a “weapon” against Kyiv.
Inside Putin’s aggressive army recruitment drive
Moscow appears to be adopting increasingly aggressive strategies to recruit fresh troops for its war of attrition in Ukraine, as Vladimir Putin looks to make up for heavy battlefield losses.
Men are reportedly being snatched off Russian streets and students offered significant financial incentives to join drone units as Moscow looks to avoid another forced mobilisation.
Local officials have been issued recruitment quotas by the Kremlin and Moscow’s defence ministry as it looks to meet this year’s 409,000 target, sources familiar with the matter told the Financial Times.
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Ukrainian attacks 'cut power' in Russian-held part of Zaporizhzhia
The Russian-held part of Zaporizhzhia region in south-east Ukraine was largely without electricity on Monday after Ukrainian attacks destroyed key power facilities, the Russian-appointed local authorities said.
On Russia's Black Sea coast, power outages were also recorded in parts of Novorossiysk, a major export port, and in the holiday resort of Gelendzhik, the regional authorities said on the Telegram messaging app.
Kyiv has stepped up attacks on Russian energy and power infrastructure this year, saying it wants to bring the price of Russia's war home to ordinary Russians. Ukraine's own cities have been under repeated attack since Russia sent tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine in 2022.
Russia's top court bars anti-war party from parliamentary vote
Russia's Supreme Court on Monday barred the liberal Yabloko party from contesting September's parliamentary elections, sidelining the only officially registered party that opposes Moscow's war in Ukraine.
More than four years after Russia launched its full-scale war in Ukraine, the decision highlights the authorities' intolerance of anti-war views and further narrows the already limited space for dissent in Russian politics.
"Excluding Yabloko from the election means refusing dialogue with people who ask questions that are uncomfortable for the authorities," Nikolai Rybakov, the party's leader, said, vowing to appeal the decision.
The court ruled in favour of a lawsuit filed by the small pro-Kremlin nationalist party Rodina, which sought Yabloko's exclusion from the election. Rodina alleged that Yabloko had received undeclared campaign support, including from Western sources, among other accusations.
During a day-long hearing, Rybakov said there was no evidence to support the allegations and described the case as an unconstitutional attack on freedom of thought by political opponents seeking to clear the field of rivals.
Where have peace talks been left?
Peace talks between Russia and Ukraine have been on hold since February, when the United States shifted focus to its new war in the Middle East.
Moscow and Kyiv walked away from talks in Geneva no closer to a deal, as Ukraine suggested the US was unfairly demanding Kyiv alone make concessions to end the war.
Volodymyr Zelensky, the Ukrainian president, said the last round of direct talks had been “difficult” and accused Russia of deliberately stalling, with the issue of territory still in dispute.
What does either side want?
Russia insists on its demands for Ukrainian territory and the withdrawal of forces from its borders.
Ukraine insists it needs clear security guarantees from allies to stop Russia reopening the conflict and says it cannot and will not give up territory sought by Russia.
The lands in the east include industry heavy regions and Ukraine’s belt of ‘fortress cities’ to protect against invasion.
Will talks start again?
Volodymyr Zelensky said late in April that he was keen to meet with Vladimir Putin, his Russian counterpart, in an effort to restart negotiations.
While Ukraine claimed a string of wins on the ground, Zelensky warned that US attention on the war with Iran was soaking up resources and leaving Ukraine with critical shortages of air defences.
But the Kremlin said Putin would only meet Zelensky in Moscow for the purpose of finalising agreements on the conflict.
Turkey said it was making efforts to restart talks and bring together the leaders, after hosting delegations in July 2025.
Moment Ukraine’s Black Forest Brigade destroys Russian air defence command centre
Explosive video footage purportedly shows the moment a Ukrainian drone destroyed a Russian military vehicle used to coordinate vital air defences.
Ukraine’s ‘Black Forest’ Reconnaissance Brigade claimed to have struck what it said was the command-and-staff vehicle for a Soviet-era S-300 surface-to-air missile system.
Video published on Sunday showed the moment of impact from above as a loitering drone hit the side of the truck with devastating effect, sending smoke billowing from the wreckage.
What are Patriot interceptors and why do they matter?
Ukraine is urgently seeking more Patriot interceptors to defend against a nightly barrage of Russian ballistic missile strikes.
But the Iran war has drained arsenals in the US and the Gulf, and some European countries are holding onto missiles they may need for their own defense.
So what are the Patriot interceptor missiles?
Patriot, short for Phased Array Tracking Radar for Intercept on Target, is a mobile surface-to-air missile defense system built by US weapons maker Raytheon Technologies that can be used in all kinds of weather and at long range.
A typical battery includes radar and control systems, a power unit, launchers, and support vehicles. The system can intercept aircraft, tactical ballistic missiles and cruise missiles, depending on the interceptor used.
Why do they matter?
Kyiv has repeatedly asked Western allies for more air defences to protect critical infrastructure and civilian areas from frequent Russian missile and drone attacks.
While effective at intercepting missiles and aircraft, Patriots are a costly way to shoot down low-budget drones. Patriot interceptors are estimated at around $4 million per missile, CSIS says, while Russia can send hundreds of cheap drones a day.
Although not originally designed to intercept hypersonic weapons, in May 2023 the US confirmed Ukraine had used the Patriot system to shoot down a Russian Kinzhal missile, which Moscow claims is hypersonic.
What are the obstacles?
Russia has long said that giving Ukraine interceptors would amount to a direct escalation. They said it would delay the chance of peace.
But Donald Trump’s main line of argument is that the US needs its weapons and cannot afford to give them away to Ukraine. Indeed, the Patriots have been in short supply since the US went to war with Iran in February.
Trump in July offered Ukraine the right to make its own Patriot interceptors, but later reneged, saying the US has “not agreed” to such an arrangement.
Kyiv under attack from Russian ballistic missiles, says mayor
The Ukrainian capital Kyiv came under attack from Russian ballistic missiles early on Tuesday, Mayor Vitali Klitschko said.
Witnesses reported explosions in the capital.
Watch: Ukraine drone commander says Crimea strikes could rise seven-fold if Western funds arrive faster
The World Health Organisation (WHO) said attacks on health care facilities “must stop” after a warehouse containing medical equipment and humanitarian supplies was destroyed in a Russian strike.
Despite efforts by UN workers to evacuate the Dnipro facility, over 170 pallets of essential supplies remained inside when it was hit last Friday.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus condemned the attack, stating that “attacks on health care MUST STOP” and that “Even wars have rules”.
Inside Putin’s aggressive army recruitment drive
Moscow appears to be adopting increasingly aggressive strategies to recruit fresh troops for its war of attrition in Ukraine, as Vladimir Putin looks to make up for heavy battlefield losses.
Men are reportedly being snatched off Russian streets and students offered significant financial incentives to join drone units as Moscow looks to avoid another forced mobilisation.
Local officials have been issued recruitment quotas by the Kremlin and Moscow’s defence ministry as it looks to meet this year’s 409,000 target, sources familiar with the matter told the Financial Times.
Read the full report: