Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky has warned that Vladimir Putin intends to draft 300,000 new troops to join the war from next month in a bid to seize territory.
Zelensky said that the Russian leader would start the drive after elections in September, for Moscow’s key goal of capturing the rest of Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region.
In other comments on Sunday, the Ukrainian leader claimed that holding a wartime election would “destroy” the country by splitting its citizens.
He was responding to calls from his former Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov for the country to go to the polls despite the ongoing conflict with Russia.
Meanwhile, Putin has pulled Russia’s ambassador from London, accusing Britain of taking the “path of confrontation”, as relations between the two countries continue to deteriorate.
Andrey Kelin, who served as the Russian ambassador to the UK for over seven years, vacated his post last month.
UK prime minister Andy Burnham said the country is continuing to “support Ukraine 100 per cent” after Moscow threatened consequences for the reported use of British drones for strikes deep into Russia.
Watch: Putin says Ukrainian strikes cause losses but won't turn tide of war
Russia expanding secret bases that can launch drones deep inside Nato territory: report
Russia has built secret bases from which it will be able to launch long-range suicide drones deep into Nato territory, according to a report.
The Kremlin has built and expanded at least 10 new bases with at least 59 new launch rails, according to an investigation by The Telegraph using satellite imagery and leaked documents.
The bases are designed to fire large numbers of jet-powered drones that can overload Ukrainian air defences as Moscow bombards military and civilian targets across the country.
But situated along its borders with Ukraine and Belarus, the hi-tech drones will also be able to reach Kyiv’s allies in Nato, the report said.
You can read the full report below:
Analysis: Putin is threatening Britain again – this time he could be cornered enough to do something reckless
It isn’t the first time the Kremlin has warned of consequences for the UK over its support for Ukraine. From arson to sabotage, Russia has been testing Britain’s defences for years. But desperation could lead to a real attack, and it is something we are in no way prepared for, writes Owen Matthews.
Recap: Ukrainian arrested over Nord Stream blast ‘detained on Hollywood movie set’
One of the main suspects in the 2022 Nord Stream explosions was arrested while reportedly acting as a consultant on a Hollywood film which dramatises the gas pipeline attack, according to German media.
Volodymyr Zhuravlev was arrested by police in Pula, Croatia, under a European arrest warrant put out by Germany, which is seeking his extradition.
German prosecutors accuse him of being a member of a team of Ukrainian divers that allegedly planted explosives on the Baltic Sea energy link between Russia and Germany which destroyed three of the four pipelines in 2022. They describe Zhuravlev as a professional and experienced scuba diver.
You can read the full report below:
Ukraine and Norway sign defence pact
Ukraine and Norway signed a new defence pact on Sunday as Norway pledged around $9 billion for Ukraine in 2027.
“Together with Prime Minister of Norway Jonas Gahr Støre @jonasgahrstore, we signed an Agreement on defence and security cooperation under the Drone Deal format and a Declaration on a Strategic Partnership – the Ellisiv Accord, named after the daughter of Prince Yaroslav the Wise, who became Queen of Norway.,” Volodymyr Zelensky said in a post on X.
“These documents strengthen the foundation of the long-term partnership between our countries in defense, energy, and the resilience of our people.
“I am especially grateful for the decision to maintain a high level of support and allocate around $9 billion for 2027. I thank Jonas Gahr Støre, the government, and the entire Norwegian people for their support since the first days of Russia’s full-scale invasion.”
Zelensky asked US for 5% of its remaining Patriots, former VP says
Ukraine’s president Zelensky asked the US for 5 percent of its remaining Patriot missiles, former vice president Mike Pence has claimed.
During a visit to Kyiv, Donald Trump’s former VP told CNN the request was made to “get them through the winter”.
“One of the things President Zelensky made clear to me is that he fully expects that as winter approaches, sooner than later, that Putin will start to strike not just children’s schools and hospitals as he did this week, not just a shopping mall taking more than a dozen lives, but that he’ll start to strike that energy infrastructure to try and essentially impose the deep winter cold on the people of Ukraine,” Pence said.
Putin facing domestic pressure over fuel shortages
Earlier this week, we reported on the domestic pressure Vladimir Putin is facing over the war on Ukraine.
Russian police have arrested citizens complaining of fuel shortages at the pump, as Ukraine’s drone campaign sparked fighting at petrol stations and rationing.
Moscow and its surrounding regions have been forced to reimpose purchase limits on fuel, capping sales at between 50 and 60 litres per vehicle.
As Ukraine intensifies its “deep strike” campaign, hitting another major oil refinery on Wednesday, the strain on Russia’s domestic energy grid continues to grow.
Across at least 12 regions, miles of gridlocked traffic now stall forecourts, with motorists waiting up to 30 hours only to find the pumps empty.
Moscow withdraws UK ambassador as tensions between Britain and Russia mount
The Russian embassy in London has denied Russia intends to downgrade diplomatic relations between Moscow and Britain, but said ties have “deteriorated to an unprecedentedly low level entirely on London's initiative”.
The comments come after reports Moscow has withdrawn its UK ambassador as relations between Britain and Russia continue to deteriorate amid Vladimir Putin’s war on Ukraine.
Former Russian ambassador to the UK Andrey Kelin left his post on July 21, having been in the role for over seven years.
Zelensky says Ukraine not behind Nord Stream blasts and are cooperating with probe
Ukraine played no role in blowing up the Nord Stream gas pipelines and is cooperating with an investigation into the matter, President Volodymyr Zelenksky said on Sunday.
"Ukraine has never officially taken part in any operations regarding the blowing up of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline," he told reporters in Kyiv.
The Nord Stream 1 and 2 natural gas pipelines between Russia and Germany were damaged in explosions in September 2022, and two Ukrainian suspects are currently in custody on suspicion of involvement.
Ukraine braces for new wave of energy strikes
Ukraine is facing another difficult winter of Russian strikes on its energy grid, President Zelensky has warned, a prospect that had prompted Kyiv's air force to ask for 360 missile interceptors for the season.
He also said he had reached an agreement with France on at least one SAMP/T air-defence system this year, and with Germany on the supply of about 600 PAC-2 and PAC-3 interceptors through 2028.
Ukraine's war effort is further complicated by a $27 billion defence funding gap this year, Zelensky added, a result of higher-than-expected spending in the first half of the year.
At least $8 billion is needed for "a normal start" to 2027, plus about $20 billion more for military salaries, payments to families of the dead, as well as other financing, the president said.