{"id":747426,"date":"2026-08-23T18:56:16","date_gmt":"2026-08-23T18:56:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/747426\/"},"modified":"2026-08-23T18:56:16","modified_gmt":"2026-08-23T18:56:16","slug":"ukraine-russia-war-latest-macron-to-deliver-missile-interceptors-to-kyiv-as-putin-pulls-ambassador-from-uk","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/747426\/","title":{"rendered":"Ukraine-Russia war latest: Macron to deliver missile interceptors to Kyiv as Putin pulls ambassador from UK"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/a>Moscow withdraws UK ambassador as tensions between Britain and Russia mount<\/p>\n

The Russian embassy in London has denied Russia intends to downgrade diplomatic relations between Moscow and Britain, but said ties have \u201cdeteriorated to an unprecedentedly low level entirely on London’s initiative\u201d.<\/p>\n

\"AmbassadorAmbassador of the Russian Federation to the UK Andrei Kelin (PA)<\/p>\n

Sam Rkaina23 August 2026 19:45<\/p>\n

<\/a>Zelensky says Ukraine not behind Nord Stream blasts and are cooperating with probe<\/p>\n

Ukraine played no role in blowing up the Nord \u2060Stream gas pipelines and is cooperating with an investigation \u2060into the \u200bmatter, \u2060President Volodymyr Zelenksky said on \u2060Sunday.<\/p>\n

“Ukraine has never \u200bofficially \u2060taken part \u200cin any operations regarding the blowing up \u200cof the Nord \u200cStream 2 pipeline,” he told reporters in \u2060Kyiv.<\/p>\n

The Nord Stream 1 and 2 natural gas pipelines between Russia and Germany were damaged \u200cin explosions in \u200bSeptember 2022, \u200cand two Ukrainian \u2060suspects are currently \u2060in custody on \u200csuspicion \u200bof involvement.<\/p>\n

Nicole Wootton-Cane23 August 2026 18:45<\/p>\n

<\/a>Ukraine braces for new wave of energy strikes <\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Sam Rkaina23 August 2026 17:43<\/p>\n

<\/a>Minister pays tribute to \u2018courage\u2019 of Ukrainians ahead of independence day event<\/p>\n

A Scottish Government minister has paid tribute to the \u201cextraordinary courage, determination and resilience\u201d of the people of Ukraine, ahead of the country\u2019s independence day on Monday.<\/p>\n

Minister for Europe and external affairs Stephen Gethin made the comments ahead of an appearance at an Association of Ukrainians in Great Britain event in Glasgow on Sunday, where he will address Ukrainians and supporters.<\/p>\n

He is expected to pay tribute to the resilience of the Ukrainian people, recognising their contribution to communities across Scotland, and reiterating the Scottish Government\u2019s unwavering support for Ukraine.<\/p>\n

Speaking ahead of the event, Mr Gethin said: \u201cAs Ukraine continues to defend its freedom, and the freedoms of everyone in democratic Europe, its people continue to demonstrate extraordinary courage, determination and resilience.<\/p>\n

\u201cTheir strength in the face of Russia\u2019s aggression, violence and oppression remains an inspiration to people around the world.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sam Rkaina23 August 2026 16:41<\/p>\n

<\/a>Ukraine marks Day of the National Flag\"\"(Reuters)\"\"(Reuters)\"\"(AFP\/Getty)<\/p>\n

Sam Rkaina23 August 2026 15:49<\/p>\n

<\/a>Ukraine elections now would be ‘tsunami for the state’ <\/p>\n

Zelensky’s approval rating has remained generally stable at about 60%, but pollsters have said that while Ukrainians want fresh faces in politics, many have little appetite for voting now.<\/p>\n

An August 5 poll by the \u200bKyiv International Institute of Sociology found that 57% of Ukrainians want elections only after fighting ends.<\/p>\n

Echoing his previous comments on the matter, Zelensky said a wartime election might be possible if Kyiv’s partners could guarantee security, but that no one has proposed such a plan.<\/p>\n

\u201cElections right now are a tsunami for the state, which will split Ukraine,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat’s why my strategy is to steer the country toward an ending of the war and to preserve an independent and sovereign state.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sam Rkaina23 August 2026 14:35<\/p>\n

<\/a>Putin says Ukrainian strikes cause losses but won’t turn tide of war Putin says Ukrainian strikes cause losses but won’t turn tide of war<\/p>\n

Sam Rkaina23 August 2026 13:00<\/p>\n

<\/a>Wartime election would ‘destroy’ Ukraine, Zelensky says<\/p>\n

Holding a wartime election in Ukraine while active fighting with Russia continues would \u201cdestroy\u201d the country by splitting Ukrainians, President Volodymyr Zelensky said.<\/p>\n

His comments, released to reporters on Sunday, were Zelensky’s first on the subject since ousted former Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov called for a wartime poll in an address<\/a> last week.<\/p>\n

Fedorov’s surprise dismissal last month sparked widespread protests, but supporters calling for his reinstatement later baulked<\/a> at his call for an election – the first such demand by a major Ukrainian political figure since Russia launched its full-scale invasion<\/a> in 2022.<\/p>\n

\u201cI believe that if we want to destroy the country, then we can move towards elections during this kind of war,\u201d Zelensky said.<\/p>\n

\"MykhailoMykhailo Fedorov (Reuters)<\/p>\n

Sam Rkaina23 August 2026 12:56<\/p>\n

<\/a>Ukraine facing shortage of Patriot interceptors<\/p>\n

Russia is bolstering its battlefield offensive with an escalating air war on Ukrainian cities made worse by a critical shortage of U.S.-designed Patriot interceptors.<\/p>\n

Zelensky said the 264 interceptors Ukraine is expecting to have received in 2026 represent a significant drop from 2025, when Ukraine received 364, and 2023, when it received 675.<\/p>\n

He added that Russia was aiming to develop a capacity to produce up to 1,300 ballistic missiles per year.<\/p>\n

Over the summer, Ukraine has escalated a campaign of drone strikes targeting Russian \u200beconomic infrastructure, including oil refineries and online retailers’ warehouses, \u200bseeking to destroy infrastructure it says is central to \u2060Russia’s war effort.<\/p>\n

Russian President Vladimir Putin said in comments on Saturday \u200bthat Kyiv had opened “Pandora’s box” by striking \u200ceconomic targets, saying Russia would hit back at Ukraine’s “most sensitive economic sectors”.<\/p>\n

\"\"(Reuters)<\/p>\n

Sam Rkaina23 August 2026 12:01<\/p>\n

<\/a>Norway to give over $9 billion to Ukraine in 2027<\/p>\n

Norway plans to give another 85 billion Norwegian crowns ($9.2 billion) in financial support to Ukraine in the 2027 fiscal year, in line with the amount given in 2026, the Nordic country’s government said in a statement on Sunday.<\/p>\n

Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere and leaders from across the Nordic and Baltic region are visiting Kyiv on Sunday in a show of support for Ukraine in the war with Russia.<\/p>\n

Norway\u2019s donation will be for both military and humanitarian spending, Stoere was quoted as saying in the text of a speech released by the government in Oslo.<\/p>\n

\u201cSupporting and rebuilding Ukraine is not assistance alone. It is an investment in Europe’s own security,\u201d Stoere said.<\/p>\n

Sam Rkaina23 August 2026 11:15<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Moscow withdraws UK ambassador as tensions between Britain and Russia mount The Russian embassy in London has denied…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":747427,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[19413,49,61018,50,51,47,52,48],"class_list":["post-747426","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-headlines","tag-anniversaries","tag-headlines","tag-international-relations","tag-news","tag-top-news","tag-top-stories","tag-topnews","tag-topstories"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/747426","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=747426"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/747426\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/747427"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=747426"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=747426"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=747426"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}