Ukraine-Russia war latest: Poland asks Nato to impose no-fly zone over Ukraine to stop Putin’s drone incursions

The intrusion of a significant number of Russian drones over Poland last week was already focusing minds in Nato, not least on the thorny question of where it draws its “red lines”, when another such incursion took place at the weekend.

Only a few days later, on Saturday, another drone violated airspace over Romania, dispelling any lingering doubt that Vladimir Putin was testing Europe’s resolve.

The Trump administration will not impose additional tariffs on Chinese goods to halt China’s purchases of Russian oil unless European countries hit China and India with steep duties of their own, US treasury secretary Scott Bessent said.

Bessent told Reuters and Bloomberg in a joint interview that European countries needed to play a stronger role in cutting off Russian oil revenues and bringing its war in Ukraine to an end.

“We expect the Europeans to do their share now, and we are not moving forward without the Europeans,” Bessent said, when asked whether the US would impose Russian oil-related tariffs on Chinese goods after Trump slapped an additional 25 per cent duties on Indian imports.

At least three Russian soldiers have died after Ukrainian special forces blew up a railway line and caused two trains to derail in separate attacks deep behind enemy lines.

Authorities said a diesel locomotive derailed close to St Petersburg, shortly after a freight train carrying empty fuel tanks came off its tracks in a similar area.

It followed an explosion on railway lines in Oryol, some 120 miles from the Ukrainian border, which killed three members of the Russian guard who were deployed to de-mine a bomb. The unidentified mines, found along the Maloarkhangelsk-Glazunovka section, exploded during the de-mining process.

My colleague Bryony Gooch reports:

The Kremlin is looking to seize billions in assets from a Siberian tycoon over his ties with Ukraine.

The Russian government has ordered prosecutors to take control of assets belonging to Denis Shtengelov, who controls the snack food empire KDV Group.

The prosecutors have accused the billionaire of “extremism” over his support for Ukraine, reported Russia’s Interfax news agency.

Shtenglov’s food company is worth at least 500bn roubles (£4.4bn) and is known for its range of products including biscuits, wafers, chewing gum and chocolate bars.

He is also accused by the authorities of shifting corporate funds out of Russia without approval.

According to Russian media reports, KDV’s assets are already being seized. A case is due to be heard later this month.

Prosecutors have said that the tycoon’s father, Ukraine-based entrepreneur Nikolai Shtengelov, has close ties to the Ukrainian military. He has been accused of donating money to Ukraine’s defence fund and forming his own paramilitary unit.

The Kremlin was testing Nato’s response by sending Russian drones into Polish airspace, the country’s foreign minister has said.

Poland’s foreign minister Radosław Sikorski said that the drones that entered Poland last week were capable of carrying ammunition but were not loaded with explosives.

“Interestingly, they were all duds, which suggests to me that Russia tried to test us without starting a war,” he told the Guardian in Kyiv.

Sikorski also rejected the suggestion that Polish air defences were not prepared for a Russian drone incursion.

“The drones didn’t reach their targets and there was minor damage to property, nobody was hurt. If it happened in Ukraine, by Ukrainian definitions, that would be regarded as a 100 per cent success,” he said.

British fighter jets will fly air defence missions over Poland to counter aerial threats, including drones, from Russia as part of Nato’s Eastern Sentry mission, the British government said on Monday.

The announcement comes after Russian drone incursions into Polish airspace last week.

Royal Air Force Typhoons will join allied forces, including from Denmark, France, and Germany, to bolster NATO’s defence and deterrence along its eastern flank, the government statement said, adding that the jets were due to fly missions over Poland in the coming days.

At least one person was killed and seven others were injured after Russian forces staged a massive attack in Zaporizhzia this morning.

The attack on Ukraine’s southeastern city also sparked a large number of fires, regional governor Ivan Fedorov said.

One child was among the injured, he said. Pictures posted by the governor online showed firefighters battling blazes in private homes and other buildings.

At least 10 strikes were recorded on the city, public broadcaster Suspilne said.

Poland has called for a Nato-enforced no-fly zone over Ukraine, stating it would be the best way to protect the alliance from incursions into its own member states’ airspace.

Poland’s foreign minister Radoslaw Sikorski’s remarks come after 19 Russian drones violated his country’s airspace last week and another Russian drone entered Romanian airspace over the weekend.

“Protection for our population – for example, from falling debris – would naturally be greater if we could combat drones and other flying objects beyond our national territory,” Sikorski said.

“We as Nato and the EU could be capable of doing this, but it is not a decision that Poland can make alone; it can only be made with its allies,” he told German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine.

Poland would be able to shoot down Russian drones over Ukrainian territory, he said, calling it an “advantageous” move.

“If Ukraine were to ask us to shoot them down over its territory, that would be advantageous for us. If you ask me personally, we should consider it,” Sikorski said.

Canadian prime minister Mark Carney on Monday said he had spoken to US president Donald Trump over the weekend about the situation in Russia, Ukraine and China.

Carney, speaking in the House of Commons, made no mention of discussing US tariffs on some imports from Canada.