France claimed on Thursday to have intercepted another Russian ‘shadow fleet’ oil tanker, just days after British Royal Marines stormed a ship in the Channel.
French president Emmanuel Macron said that his country’s navy had intercepted an oil tanker as it transited near the coast of Sicily, accusing Russia of using the ship to skirt Western sanctions.
“This new action against the shadow fleet, conducted days after a similar operation by Britain, shows Europeans’ determination,” Macron said, adding that the interception took place on Tuesday.
“We will not let the shadow fleet evade sanctions and finance the Russian war effort,” he said, sharing a video showing Marines descending from helicopters onto the Deliver.
France has intercepted at least five tankers it says are part of Russia’s shadow fleet, old vessels that Russia has relied on to ship oil and gas and to skirt Western sanctions.
Moscow has called such actions illegal.
Russia-controlled areas of Ukraine’s Kherson left with no power
Power was fully or partially cut off across the Russian-held part of Ukraine’s Kherson region bordering Crimea, the Russian-installed governor Vladimir Saldo said on Telegram early on Friday.
Saldo did not provide details.
In Sevastopol, the biggest city in Crimea which Russia annexed in 2014, power supply was restricted to avoid overloading the strained network, following Ukraine drone attacks which also triggered a fuel crisis.
The number of trains to Crimea, a popular summer destination for Russian tourists, will be gradually reduced, Crimea’s Russia-installed governor Sergei Aksyonov said on Thursday.
Earlier, he ordered the suspension of children’s summer camps there. Aksyonov also said one person was killed in a drone attack in Crimea near the crossing into the Russian-held part of the Kherson region on Thursday.
Zelenskyy says Russia is shifting air defenses to Moscow and other key sites after drone strikes
Russia is moving a significant part of its air defenses to protect a handful of prime targets, including Moscow, as Ukraine’s long-range drones continue to hammer sites deep inside the country, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says.
Ukraine has in recent months stepped up its aerial campaign against Russian military installations and energy facilities. Its success has caused fuel shortages and disrupted army supply lines, stalling Moscow’s invasion of its neighbor after more than four years of fighting and rattling Russian officials.
Read more here:
Zelenskyy says Russia is shifting air defenses to Moscow and other key sites after drone strikes
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Russia is moving air defenses to protect key targets like Moscow as Ukrainian drones hit deep inside the countryRebecca Whittaker26 June 2026 03:00
Watch: Ukraine releases footage claiming to show destruction of key Crimean rail bridge
Rebecca Whittaker26 June 2026 02:00
Recap: Russia considering legal options in case Britain sells seized oil
The Kremlin said on Thursday that it would look into its legal options and employ them to the fullest extent if Russian crude oil from a tanker seized by Britain this month is sold.
The Daily Telegraph newspaper said Britain could hold an auction to sell off the 100,000 tons of Russian crude oil on board the Smyrtos, a suspected Russian shadow fleet tanker intercepted by British forces in the Channel on June 14. The proceeds could be used to fund Ukraine, the paper added.
“There are certainly legal options for responding; they will be examined, and the situation will be analysed,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists on a conference call.
Rebecca Whittaker26 June 2026 01:00
EU investigates secret group chat between Zelensky and European leaders that ‘discussed how to deal with Trump’
The EU Commission is being investigated over a secret group chat involving Ursula von der Leyen, Volodymyr Zelensky and several European leaders that discussed how to deal with Donald Trump, according to reports.
The group is said to have included UK prime minister Sir Keir Starmer, French president Emmanuel Macron, German chancellor Friedrich Merz and Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni.
But the contents of the chat have remained private, after the commission rejected calls from a media company to provide access to the correspondence.
Read more here:
EU watchdog investigates secret group chat with Zelensky and European leaders
The EU Commission rejected a request to publish details of the chat that contained Emmanuel Macron and Keir StarmerRebecca Whittaker26 June 2026 00:00
Watch: Macron says France intercepted a Russian tanker off coast of Sicily
James Reynolds25 June 2026 23:00
Analysis: Putin is asking for peace talks. It’s time to kick him while he’s down
Putin is rattled and Trump needs a win – this is the chance for Ukraine and her allies to force the collapse of Russia’s army and push back against its land grab, writes world affairs editor Sam Kiley
Why is Putin asking for Ukraine-Russia peace talks now?
Putin is rattled and Trump needs a win – this is the chance for Ukraine and her allies to force the collapse of Russia’s army and push back against its land grab, writes world affairs editor Sam KileyJames Reynolds25 June 2026 22:00
Danish police say no proof Copenhagen airport objects last year were drones
Danish police said on Thursday they had no conclusive evidence to prove that flying objects that disrupted Copenhagen airport last year were drones.
Copenhagen Airport suspended flights on September 22 when flying objects thought to have been drones were observed in its airspace, followed by a string of shutdowns in the following days across Denmark, including at the main base of Denmark’s air force fighter jets.
The case was seen as being part of a growing pattern of suspected hybrid warfare targeting critical infrastructure across the Nordic and Baltic region, raising alarm among NATO allies.
James Reynolds25 June 2026 21:00
Watch: Secret group chat between Zelensky and European leaders ‘discussed how to deal with Trump’
James Reynolds25 June 2026 20:00
Ukraine’s Fire Point aims to produce ballistic missile interceptor by year-end
Ukraine’s Fire Point, maker of the Flamingo cruise missile, is accelerating plans to develop a European missile defence system after an agreement with German radar maker Hensoldt and hopes to have its first interceptors ready by the end of the year.
Fire Point, which is using its own FP-7X rocket as the interceptor missile, signed a memorandum of understanding with the Munich-based company last week, which will provide radar for the ballistic missile defence system, using its TRML-4D high-performance radar.
Denys Shtilierman, Fire Point’s co-founder and chief designer, said the company was in the process of signing an agreement with a European defence firm to provide the imaging infrared (IIR) homing device for the interceptor missile.
Talks are also underway with another European firm to furnish a radio frequency (RF) seeker, which allows an interceptor missile to track targets using electromagnetic signals, Shtilierman said. He did not give the companies’ names.
A global shortage of ballistic missile defences is one of Ukraine’s most pressing challenges in its four-year war with Russia. Demand for missile defences has increased from the U.S. and its allies following the Iran war, while production of U.S.-made Patriot missiles — the most effective system — has not kept pace with Russia’s output of ballistic missiles, which it uses to pound Ukrainian cities, infrastructure and military sites.
Reuters25 June 2026 19:00NewerOlder