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Russia has been accused of deliberately targeting a UN humanitarian convoy in Kherson as drones struck a clearly marked UN vehicle twice.
“The Russians could not have failed to know which vehicle they were targeting,” Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky wrote on Telegram.
UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher alleged that the strikes on the convoy were possibly a “targeted attack”.
Meanwhile, the Ukrainian president said Russia is planning to target around two dozen “decision-making centres”, including government buildings and military command posts.
“They have been nursing this plan for a long time, and now, after Iran, have become active again – trying to locate us and track our movements,” he said.
This comes after Russia launched more than 1,500 drones and dozens of missiles in attacks across Ukraine this week, over two consecutive days, killing dozens of people, Ukrainian officials said.
On the Russian side, a huge fire broke out at an oil refinery after strikes from Ukrainian drones in Russia’s central city of Ryazan, some 120 miles southeast of Moscow.
Russia’s defence ministry claimed on Friday to have downed 355 Ukrainian drones over Russian regions through the night.
The Ukrainian president accused Russia of planning to target political and military facilities where army leadership and government officials were located.
“We have Russian documents outlining targets for strikes in Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities,” Zelensky said.
“They have been nursing this plan for a long time, and now, after Iran, have become active again – trying to locate us and track our movements,” he said in a post on X.
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Vishwam Sankaran16 May 2026 06:24
A military sea drone, laden with explosives, discovered last week on a Greek island is believed by investigators to have veered off course due to a technical malfunction, sources indicated on Friday.
The unmanned vessel, found by fishermen on the shores of Lefkada on 7 May, has sparked diplomatic tensions between Athens and Kyiv, with Greece asserting a Ukrainian origin, a claim officially denied by Ukraine.
Greek intelligence and military units are currently engaged in a detailed analysis of the drone, involving its dismantling and reverse engineering to ascertain its precise characteristics.
Read the full article here:
Chris Stevenson16 May 2026 20:03
Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed the Iran conflict with his United Arab Emirates counterpart, Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Kremlin said in the statement on Saturday.
Both sides emphasised the importance of continuing the political and diplomatic process aimed at reaching compromise-based peace agreements,” it said.
Putin also thanked the UAE for support in humanitarian issues related to the conflict in Ukraine.
Rebecca Thomas16 May 2026 19:09
Russian President Vladimir Putin will meet with Chinese leader Xi Jinping on a two-day trip to Beijing next week, the Kremlin has said.
The announcement comes less than 24 hours after U.S. President Donald Trump finished his own state visit to China, where he also met Mr Xi to discuss trade and the U.S. and Israel’s war in Iran.
In a statement, the Kremlin said that Putin’s trip, planned for 19 May to 20 May, had been scheduled to coincide with the 25th anniversary of the 2001 Sino-Russian Treaty of Friendship.
It said that the two leaders would discuss bilateral relations as well as “key international and regional issues” and economic cooperation.
Relations between China and Russia have deepened in recent years, particularly since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in early 2022 left Moscow shunned on the global stage and heavily reliant on Beijing for trade due to Western sanctions.
When Putin visited China in September 2025, Xi welcomed his counterpart as an “old friend.” Putin also addressed Mr Xi as “dear friend.”
Chris Stevenson16 May 2026 18:05
France is prepared to cooperate with Ukraine on developing a ballistic missile defense system, President Volodymyr Zelensky has said, following a phone call with French President Emmanuel Macron.
The announcement comes as Kyiv seeks to unite international partners around the creation of an air defense shield within what Mr Zelensky has described as an “anti-ballistic coalition.”
“France is ready to work on anti-ballistic measures. This is a strong decision and an important step. We discussed strengthening our capabilities to repel Russian attacks right now,” Mr Zelensky said.
Chris Stevenson16 May 2026 17:05
Latvian President Edgars Rinkevics has proposed opposition legislator Andris Kulbergs as the next prime minister after Evika Silina resigned.
Ms Silina said on Thursday she was stepping down, triggering the collapse of her coalition just months before an election due in October.
Mr Kulbergs, from the United List of smaller parties – the largest opposition bloc in parliament – will take office if MPs approve him and his cabinet.
“Considering recent events, I think the new prime minister should come from opposition parties,” Mr Rinkevics told a press conference.
Ms Silina dismissed Defence Minister Andris Spruds last weekend after two Ukrainian drones strayed into Latvia from Russia and exploded at an oil storage facility, the latest in a series of such incidents in Nato members Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania. The Latvian army said it failed to detect the drones as they crossed from Russia. Ms Silina blamed MrSpruds for not developing anti-drone systems quickly enough.
In response, Mr Spruds’ Progressives party withdrew support from Ms Silina’s government on Wednesday, leaving her without a parliamentary majority and exposed to a no-confidence vote.
Chris Stevenson16 May 2026 16:10
Ukraine’s anti-corruption court on Thursday ordered the arrest of Andriy Yermak, a close ally of President Volodymyr Zelensky and former head of his administration, on money-laundering charges.
The court also set bail at 140 million hryvnias ($3.19 million), which would allow Yermak, who has denied the allegations against him, to be released pending a final ruling in his case.
“I don’t have that kind of money, and my lawyer will now work with friends and acquaintances (to raise the money for bail),” Yermak told reporters after the court’s decision.
“My legal team will file an appeal. We will use every legal avenue to seek justice and the truth.”
Ukrainian authorities on Monday named Yermak as a suspect in a major corruption probe. His arrest was the closest that anti-corruption officials have come to the president’s inner circle.
Rebecca Thomas16 May 2026 16:07
Vishwam Sankaran16 May 2026 15:00
Russian drones struck a clearly marked UN humanitarian convoy twice in Kherson, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Ukraine said.
The attack has prompted condemnation from both Kyiv and the UN.
“The Russians could not have failed to know which vehicle they were targeting,” Zelensky wrote on Telegram.
UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher said the incident could have been a possible “targeted attack”.
“Our people were very, very lucky to escape with their lives,” Fletcher said, demanding “full investigations and accountability”.
Vishwam Sankaran16 May 2026 14:00
At least 3 people were killed, and over 60 were injured in Russian attacks across Ukraine over the past day, Ukraine’s Air Force said today.
Russia launched about 300 drones overnight, according to Ukrainian local news.
Nearly 270 of them were shot down, but 20 drones caused direct hits at 15 locations, leading to 63 people getting injured.
In Zaporizhzhia Oblast, one person was killed, and 21 others were injured, the region’s governor said.
Another person was killed in the Donetsk Oblast, one in Kherson, reports say.
Vishwam Sankaran16 May 2026 13:00