A women’s shelter for refugees in Poland fights for survival as anti-Ukrainian sentiment rises
When Nastya Podorozhnya’s relatives fled the war in Ukraine for neighboring Poland, volunteers welcomed them with open arms.
Podorozhnya, 29, was already living in Poland when the war began. But days before Russia’s full-scale invasion on Feb. 24, 2022, she rushed back to Ukraine to help her sister and nieces get out.
As she returned to Poland alongside an influx of refugees in the war’s first days, she witnessed the outpouring of support from Polish volunteers. But she also spotted a risk: Ukrainian women accepting help from strangers could become vulnerable to human traffickers.
Maryam Zakir-Hussain26 August 2026 01:00
Ukraine hands Britain ‘goldmine’ of secret battlefield intelligence to protect bases from Russian spies
The agreement was signed as prime minister Andy Burnham made his first visit to Kyiv on Monday to chair his first meeting of the so-called “coalition of the willing” and pledge “continuity” in the UK’s approach to Ukraine.
Volodymyr Zelensky handed the Ministry of Defence (MoD) access to Ukraine’s “Avengers” AI database, which is expected to help the UK learn from Ukraine’s experience on the battlefield and develop AI-powered solutions to national security challenges in both countries, making it the first outside of Ukraine to receive the intelligence, Downing Street said.
Maryam Zakir-Hussain26 August 2026 00:00
One killed and 123 injured in major fire at Russian petrochemical plant
One person has been killed and 123 others wounded in a major fire at a petrochemical facility in Russia’s Far East.
Flames broke out at the Amur Gas Chemical Complex (AGCC), near the town of Svobodny, close to the border with China, earlier today.
AGCC said it began in an auxiliary processing area of the pyrolysis unit, while pro-war Telegram channels speculated Ukrainian sabotage.
In a statement on its website, the company confirmed that a Chinese national employed by a contractor has died.
As many as 19 people have been taken to hospital, with their injuries ranging from moderate to severe, AGCC said.
Maryam Zakir-Hussain25 August 2026 23:00
Ex-US special envoy for Ukraine calls for mobilisation of women
Ukraine should mobilise women in its fight against Russia as they “fight no worse than men,” a former US special envoy has urged.
Keith Kellogg told the Naspravdi MAX YouTube channel: “Do I believe women should be mobilised into the army?
“My answer is yes, because they fight no worse than men.”
This comes just days after former defence minister Oleksii Reznikov also said that the government should consider a universal conscription model.
Pointing to Israel as an example where women serve alongside men, he said: “That immediately would double our mobilisation resource.
“Then you can clearly see which military positions and specialties can easily be filled by women – they don’t have to go to the battlefield.
“They fill many rear positions, logistics and support, and men can be moved from rear positions closer to the front.
“The question is whether society is ready to say, like Israel, that we can survive only if everyone accepts that they must defend Ukraine.”
Maryam Zakir-Hussain25 August 2026 22:00
Two Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant workers injured in drone strike
Two workers at the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant were injured in a Ukrainian drone strike, management said.
Drones hit near the plant’s hydraulic structures and wounded two maintenance and construction workers.
Management did not provide details on any damage caused by the attack.
Maryam Zakir-Hussain25 August 2026 21:00
Putin adviser warns UK factories face attacks from ‘unknown sources’ for helping Ukraine
British factories manufacturing drones for Ukraine could face targeting by “unknown sources”, a Kremlin adviser has warned, after the UK agreed to share long-range missile blueprints with the nation.
Andrei Fedorov, a former deputy foreign minister for Russia, stated he could not “100% exclude” the possibility of “semi-military” operations directed at Britain, speaking as Andy Burnham undertook a trip to Kyiv.
The visit marked the Prime Minister’s inaugural overseas journey since taking office. While in the capital, the UK reaffirmed its “unwavering” commitment to Ukraine, which in turn provided what officials described as a “goldmine” of combat data to enhance British security.
Maryam Zakir-Hussain25 August 2026 20:15
‘Who started the fire?’ Burnham challenges Putin on first trip to Ukraine as UK-Russia tensions grow
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said that the move would add “fuel to the fire” and “prevent any progress in the peace process”.
Maryam Zakir-Hussain25 August 2026 19:45
Putin adviser warns UK factories face attacks from ‘unknown sources’ for helping Ukraine
British factories manufacturing drones for Ukraine could face targeting by “unknown sources”, a Kremlin adviser has warned, after the UK agreed to share long-range missile blueprints with the nation.
Andrei Fedorov, a former deputy foreign minister for Russia, stated he could not “100% exclude” the possibility of “semi-military” operations directed at Britain, speaking as Andy Burnham undertook a trip to Kyiv.
The visit marked the Prime Minister’s inaugural overseas journey since taking office. While in the capital, the UK reaffirmed its “unwavering” commitment to Ukraine, which in turn provided what officials described as a “goldmine” of combat data to enhance British security.
Maryam Zakir-Hussain25 August 2026 19:10
First British national killed fighting for Putin in Ukraine ‘dies in drone attack’
Maryam Zakir-Hussain25 August 2026 18:30
Russia says it struck five vessels in Ukraine’s Black Sea ports
The Russian Defence Ministry said on Tuesday that its forces had struck three cargo vessels carrying supplies for the Ukrainian military and a tanker at the Black Sea port of Pivdennyi.
The ministry also said it had hit another cargo vessel in the nearby port of Odesa, as well as port infrastructure in Pivdennyi and Odesa and fuel storage facilities at the port of Chornomorsk.
Reuters could not independently verify the ministry’s claims.
Maryam Zakir-Hussain25 August 2026 18:00