General Mark Rutte

Ukraine strikes St Petersburg, overshadowing Putin forum

Ukraine drones hit St Petersburg, while NATO chief makes unannounced Kyiv visit Wed 3 Jun 2026 at 7:44pm In short: Ukraine has struck an oil export terminal in St Petersburg hours before Russian President Vladimir Putin's annual economic forum got underway. The governor of the wider Leningrad region said air defences had shot down 59 drones overnight. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has arrived in Kyiv for an unannounced trip.

Ukraine strikes St. Petersburg with drones ahead of 'Russian Davos'

Ukraine strikes St. Petersburg with drones ahead of 'Russian Davos' Ukrainian drone attacks in St. Petersburg targeted military and energy infrastructure overnight into Wednesday, setting ablaze a Russian warship and oil depots on the Baltic coast. This attack deep in Russian territory came on the opening day of Putin's three-day economic forum held in the city and as NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte arrived in Kyiv for an unannounced visit. Ukrainian long-range drones struck an oil...

Romania says Russian drone hit apartment block, NATO vows to defend alliance territory

The article reports that a Russian drone hit an apartment block in Romania, causing damage and injuring several people. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte condemned the attack, stating that Russia's reckless behavior poses a danger to all nations. The incident highlights the ongoing tensions between Russia and NATO, with the latter vowing to defend its territory.

NATO chief Rutte arrives in Kyiv on unannounced visit, Ukrainian officials say

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who is expected to meet with Rutte, has been appealing to members of the defence bloc for help protecting Ukraine from Russian ballistic missile attacks. NATO chief Mark Rutte arrived in Kyiv on Wednesday for an unannounced trip, Ukraine's national railway operator said in a later deleted social media post. It comes after a series of large-scale fatal Russian attacks on the Ukrainian capital in recent weeks.

NATO ready to defend Romania and ‘every inch’ of allied territory, Rutte says

Explained: How drone incursions in Europe went from rarity to reality

A drone strike in Romania has reignited fears that Russia’s war in Ukraine is spilling into Europe. As incursions multiply across NATO and EU member states, leaders are racing to strengthen defences against a growing threat that blends military pressure, disruption and psychological warfare. On Friday, a drone crashed into the top floor of an apartment complex in Galați, a port city in eastern Romania near the Danube River and the Ukrainian border.

First Thing: Nato ready to defend ‘every inch’ of territory as Russian drone hits Romania

Ukraine war briefing: Russia preparing ‘massive new strike’, Zelenskyy says

Ukrainian president calls on country to ‘protect your lives’; Nato fury as drone hits Romanian apartment block. What we know on day 1,557Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Russia is preparing a “massive new strike” on the country, calling on the population to take action to “protect your lives”. Kyiv was hit particularly hard last weekend by a huge Russian bombardment attack – one of the largest since the Kremlin’s full-scale invasion in 2022.

Zelenskyy presses allies for missiles as NATO arms funding lags

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Wednesday urged European countries to step up deliveries of critical air defenses, as funding pledges from a key NATO-backed program fall behind schedule. “Ballistic missiles are Russia’s last argument in this war against Ukraine, and we must find a sufficient response to them,” Zelenskyy told reporters in Kyiv, so it “would help greatly for our partners to focus particularly on protection against ballistic missiles.” Kyiv has repeatedly asked...

Ukraine-Russia war latest: Putin’s UK envoy admits war has ‘cost a lot’ as drone strike overshadows ‘Russian Davos’

Ukraine-Russia war latest: Putin’s UK envoy admits war has ‘cost a lot’ as drone strike overshadows ‘Russian Davos’ Russian diplomat says ‘we cannot lose this war’ as he admits Ukrainian forces have caused major damage to Russian oil infrastructure - Bookmark - CommentsGo to comments Ukraine war cost us a lot, says Russian envoy to the UK The Russian ambassador to the UK has said the war in Ukraine is taking a toll on Moscow and the stakes are now too high for Russian forces to “lose this...