Mayor Vitali Klitschko says fires and powerful explosions reported in two districts
Arpan Rai, Maryam Zakir-Hussain & James C. Reynolds
Russian president Vladimir Putin could order an attack on a NATO country within weeks to test the alliance’s resolve, a new intelligence report from the US has warned.
Russia could attempt to escalate tensions by launching a small land incursion or firing cyber attacks across eastern Europe starting this autumn to 2029, the Wall Street Journal reported.
US officials have warned that Putin can attack the alliance in ways other than military and the goal in attacking Nato while raging its war in Ukraine would be to break the alliance, the report added.
This marks a major shift from intelligence reports that have earlier indicated Putin would not target Nato while fighting his war in Ukraine.
This comes as at least three people, including a child, were among those killed in Russian strikes in the region surrounding capital Kyiv in the early hours today, officials said.
The Russian strikes were recorded at three locations in the Boryspil district, near the capital. Three more people were injured in the attack, said Tymur Tkachenko, head of the Kyiv military administration.
Ukraine strikes Russian oil refinery over 1,300km behind frontline, says Zelensky
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on Thursday that Kyiv had struck further oil facilities deep inside Russia during nighttime attacks, intensifying its strategy to cripple Moscow’s wartime economy and embarrass the Kremlin.
These persistent strikes have caused fuel shortages and rattled Russians, while heartening Ukrainians who face regular Russian barrages that Kyiv’s weakened air defences struggle to counter.
Zelenskyy, speaking on social media, specified two targets: a refinery in Bashkortostan, over 1,300 kilometres (800 miles) behind the eastern front line, and another in the Yaroslavl region, nearly 700 kilometres (400 miles) from the Ukrainian border.
Ukraine strikes Russian oil refinery over 1,300km behind frontline, says Zelensky
Ukrainian President says Ukraine has hit two more oil facilities deep inside Russia.
Paperwork holds up missile production licenses, Zelensky says
Serbian president Aleksandar Vucic, who has maintained close ties with Moscow and refused to sanction Russia over the invasion reiterated that Serbia respects Ukraine’s territorial integrity and said that position would not change.
“The situation in Ukraine is difficult,” Volodymyr Zelensky said at the press conference.
“There was another missile strike last night — ballistic missiles targeting our infrastructure. There were also attack drones.”
Zelensky said that deliveries of Patriot air defense interceptors — the sole air defense weapon in Ukraine’s arsenal able to shoot down ballistic missiles — have slowed compared with a year ago.
“There are fewer of these missiles in 2026. In 2025 there were more, I’ll tell you honestly, in terms of monthly supplies,” he said.
Zelensky said Washington has agreed to let Ukraine manufacture its own Patriot air defense interceptors, but that they are “stuck dealing with paperwork.”
“The process for some of these licenses is also taking a long time,” he said.
