Ukraine LIVE: Putin rains hell on eastern city in retribution for 'Russia's Pearl harbour'

3 mins ago08:34 Ciaran McGrath

Ukraine's audacious attack on Russian airbases has undermined a key defence assumption, according to a security expert.

The Kremlin was left reeling after Ukrainian drones launched from lorries attacked airbases deep inside Russia.

Some of the bases were located thousands of kilometres from the Ukraine border, in the Arctic and Siberia.

Political commentators in the state media have already referred to the devastating attack as Russia's "Pearl Harbour".

27 mins ago08:10 Ciaran McGrath

Russian forces are using new tactics to hide drone activity by modifying civilian buildings near the border, cutting holes in rooftops to launch UAVs discreetly, according to Ukraine’s military.

The 15th Mobile Border Detachment “Steel Border” said it had identified and destroyed several of these launch points using FPV drones.

Footage shared by the unit appears to show strikes on concealed Russian drone sites, though the video has not been independently verified.

Ukraine’s SBU chief Vasyl Malyuk recently revealed similar covert tactics were used in the Spiderweb operation, which saw drones hidden in mobile wooden houses and launched through remotely opening roofs.

The operation, targeting multiple Russian airbases, highlighted Ukraine’s ability to strike deep inside enemy territory and avoid early detection.

49 mins ago07:48 Ciaran McGrath

Footage circulating on social media has shown thick smoke billowing into the sky over Moscow.

A clip was shared on X by blogger MAKS25, who commented: "In Kolomna, Russia, something exploded and burned on the territory of a military unit."

1 hour ago07:35 Ciaran McGrath

Volodymyr Zelensky has branded Russia 'sleazebags' after the latest attacks in Sumy on Tuesday.

The Ukrainian President, posted on X, said: "Right now in Sumy region, doctors are providing all necessary assistance to those wounded by a Russian strike. The Russians struck right on the street, hitting ordinary residential buildings. Sleazebags.

"There have been virtually no days without killings during this whole time, while the United States, Europe, and other global actors have been urging Russia to agree to a ceasefire and negotiations to end the war."

Russia remained "fully committed to war", and had proved it with both their strikes and their statements, Mr Zelensky claimed.

He added: "All of this is the argument for new, tougher sanctions against Russia. I’m grateful to all Americans and Europeans who support this approach of pressuring Russia into peace, it’s extremely important. Russia must feel what war truly means."

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy holds meeting with Ukrainian Ministers in Kyiv (Image: Getty)

1 hour ago07:14 Ciaran McGrath

Governor Syniehubov confirmed that Russian forces used 22 unguided aircraft missiles, 11 Shahed drones, and multiple types of kamikaze UAVs in their latest attacks on the Kharkiv region.

Private homes, service stations, power grids, and even a tractor were among the assets destroyed or damaged, with multiple towns—including Kup’yansk, Izyum, and Chuhuiv—suffering hits.

The violence came amid 178 recorded combat clashes in the past day, including heavy fighting around Vovchansk and Stepova Novoselivka.

Ukrainian defenders repelled Russian assaults in at least five areas as the frontline remains volatile.

2 hours ago07:05 Ciaran McGrath

Two civilians have been killed and five others injured across multiple locations in Kharkiv overnight, according to Governor Oleh Syniehubov.

The dead include a 31-year-old man and a 53-year-old woman in the village of Chystovodivka, while a 30-year-old man was wounded in Kharkiv city and others hurt in Zolochiv and Chystovodivka.

Russia launched a barrage involving two missiles and nine drones on Kharkiv’s Novobavarskyi district, as part of a broader assault using over 50 aerial weapons and FPV drones.

Civilian infrastructure was heavily damaged, including homes, businesses, and power lines across at least six districts.

2 hours ago06:53 Ciaran McGrath

Pete Hegseth has previously warned Ukraine to abandon its NATO ambitions and stop trying to retake Russian-occupied territory.

His absence has stoked fears among European allies that Washington is pivoting too sharply towards the Indo-Pacific, amid speculation that US troops could be pulled out of Europe.

French President Emmanuel Macron warned at the weekend that abandoning Ukraine would shred US credibility in any future confrontation with China.

Meanwhile, a top Ukrainian delegation is in Washington for meetings with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and other senior officials, discussing the war, sanctions, and postwar recovery.

2 hours ago06:43 Ciaran McGrath

Ukraine’s Western backers will meet in Brussels without America’s defence secretary for the first time since the military support group was created in 2022.

Pete Hegseth will not join the Ukraine Defense Contact Group on Wednesday, either in person or via video, marking a sharp break from past US leadership under his predecessor, Lloyd Austin.

While more than 50 defence ministers are expected to attend, Mr Hegseth will only arrive after the meeting has ended.

A senior US official confirmed the move and acknowledged privately that no new American weapons packages would be announced.

2 hours ago06:17 Ciaran McGrath

Ukraine has been hit by a fresh wave of Russian missile and drone strikes, with Kharkiv suffering multiple attacks overnight.

In Kharkiv, nine Shahed drones and two missiles struck the city, injuring a 30-year-old man and sparking fires across the Novobavarskyi district, including at a private house, an auto repair shop, and several industrial facilities, according to Mayor Ihor Terekhov and regional head Oleh Syniehubov.

A postal terminal on the outskirts of the city was also hit, triggering a massive fire that engulfed two warehouses and surrounding containers.

Meanwhile, in Sumy, authorities reported several strikes on June 3, including drone and artillery attacks that damaged civilian infrastructure and heightened fears of further escalation. Emergency services continue working at multiple sites as officials assess the full scale of the damage.