Pictured: Smoke rises from a train on fire after Russian drone attack in Odesa region
(Telegram)
Daniel Keane14 August 2026 12:10
Russia jails man for 23 years for spying for Poland
A Moscow court sentenced a Russian citizen to 23 years in prison after finding him guilty of spying for Poland, state news agency TASS reported.
According to the court, the man supplied Poland with information on advanced Russian weapons systems and missile systems used in the war in Ukraine.
Daniel Keane14 August 2026 11:40
Ukraine could restore grain export volumes within a month if a moratorium on attacks introduced
Ukraine could restore its grain export volumes through its Black Sea ports within a month if a moratorium on attacks on civilian cargo vessels is introduced, Ukrainian agriculture minister Taras Vysotskyi said on Friday.
Ukraine has sent Russia an offer suggesting they both halt attacks on civilian targets in the Black Sea, a source said on Thursday.
It coms after mounting strikes on vessels and ports there raised fears over global food supplies.
Daniel Keane14 August 2026 11:10
Watch: Ukrainian firefighters run for their lives as Russian drones attack trucksUkrainian firefighters run for their lives as Russian drones attack trucks
Daniel Keane14 August 2026 10:40
Russian drone strike kills mother and son in Sumy oblast
A Russian drone attack killed a 29-year-old woman and her 9-year-old son in Sumy oblast early today morning, according to Ukrainska Pravda.
Russian forces reportedly struck the same house twice with two jet-powered UAVs, a tactic often described as a “double-tap” attack.
Oleh Hryhorov, head of Sumy oblast military administration, wrote on Telegram: “Widespread devastation and a fire have been reported. Sadly, a 29-year-old woman and her 9-year-old son have been killed. Four other people have been injured. Two of them – the boy’s father and grandmother – are in hospital with severe burns.”
Maroosha Muzaffar14 August 2026 10:10
Ukraine strikes Baltic Sea Port of Ust-Luga in Russia’s Leningrad
Ukraine struck the Ust-Luga port in Russia’s Leningrad Oblast overnight on 13 August, damaging port infrastructure and sparking a fire, according to regional governor Alexander Drozdenko.
Russian officials said 51 Ukrainian drones were shot down over the region, according to The Kyiv Independent.
Ust-Luga is a major Baltic Sea port and oil-export hub, handling crude oil and petroleum products and generating significant revenue for the Russian state.
The port has been repeatedly targeted by Ukraine in recent months as Kyiv intensifies attacks on Russian energy infrastructure.
Maroosha Muzaffar14 August 2026 09:50
Russian plot to assassinate Ukrainian-American in Warsaw foiled, Polish PM says
A suspected Russian plot to assassinate a Ukrainian-American in Warsaw was foiled by Polish authorities, according to Polish prime minister Donald Tusk.
The suspect, allegedly recruited by Russia’s secret services, was arrested on 7 August.
Police said that he will be in custody for an initial three months.
Tusk said it was the first known attempt by “someone on the orders of Russia” to target a US citizen on the territory of another Nato country.
The target was reportedly a US citizen of Ukrainian origin who was considered “uncomfortable for Putin’s regime”, Tusk said during a press conference.
The operation involved US and Polish intelligence cooperation, Tomasz Siemoniak, Poland’s minister overseeing intelligence services, said.
Maroosha Muzaffar14 August 2026 09:31
US backs Japan over Putin’s visit to disputed islands
The US has backed Japan in its territorial dispute with Russia after Vladimir Putin visited a group of disputed islands on Thursday.
US Ambassador to Tokyo George Glass said Washington recognises Japanese sovereignty over the islands and remains “unwavering” in its support for Japan.
“The United States remains unwavering in its support of its most important ally and in its recognition of Japanese sovereignty over the Northern Territories,” Glass said on X, using the Japanese name for the Kuril islands visited for the first time by Putin on Thursday.
“At a time when the US-Japan Alliance is dedicated to cultivating prosperity across the Indo-Pacific, we strongly oppose any action that undermines its peace and stability,” Glass added.
Maroosha Muzaffar14 August 2026 09:10
Zelensky struggling to find former US envoy’s replacement – report
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky is reportedly struggling to find a replacement for former envoy to the US Olga Stefanishyna, with prospective candidates being reluctant to take up the job at a critical point in the war, according to two former senior Ukrainian officials and four lawmakers cited by Politico.
Stefanishyna was formally dismissed on 3 August over impending embezzlement charges.
Zelensky had wanted to offer the ambassadorship to Yulia Svyrydenko, the outgoing prime minister, according to a former senior Ukrainian official, but she has declined.
“Framing it as if nobody wants the job would be a kind of oversimplification,” a former unidentified Ukrainian diplomat was quoted as saying by the outlet.
“Of course, there are people who want the job, but there’s no one who really measures up to it. Zelensky is having a hard time filling the position.”
Maroosha Muzaffar14 August 2026 08:50
North Korea’s latest missile tests are unusual. Ukraine should be wary
Kim Jong Un’s silence over missile tests earlier this month raises possibility that Pyongyang is refining weapons for use by its ally Russia. Shweta Sharma reports
Maroosha Muzaffar14 August 2026 08:30