Ukraine heeded a special request from the Donald Trump administration not to attack major Russian cities during a visit by CIA director John Ratcliffe.
The US contacted Kyiv last week to request that it not strike Moscow, St Petersburg and a stretch of northern Russia while a plane carrying the senior US official was flying in and out of the Russian capital, sources told Reuters.
The request covered Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday and was only revealed hours after Ratcliffe left Russia late on Tuesday.
Subsequently, a large US military aircraft was confirmed to have travelled to Russia from the US via Latvia on Tuesday, flight tracking data confirmed.
The purpose of Ratcliffe’s visit and the nature of his meetings in Russia were not immediately clear. It was the first known trip to Moscow by a US spy chief since his predecessor, William Burns, held talks with Vladimir Putin in November 2021.
Ukraine resumed strikes on Russia early on Wednesday after Ratcliffe’s departure, with Russia saying it downed at least 426 drones overnight.
Release of Marine veteran from Russian custody turns focus to other detainees with health concerns
Robert Gilman’s release from Russian custody this month heralded a long-awaited homecoming for the Marine veteran after more than four years behind bars.
But as Harold Jezler followed the media coverage from the United States, he couldn’t help but notice Gilman’s gaunt and sickly appearance and think of the implications for his wife, Olga, who has been detained in Russia since 2022 and faces her own health problems.
“You just look at the pictures and the guy is not in good shape. It’s concerning for me and for all the families, I would imagine,” Jezler said in an interview with The Associated Press. “Is this what it takes for the government to really make a move and prioritize this — that the person is basically in dire straits? It was a very bittersweet thing to see that.”
Release of Marine veteran from Russian custody turns focus to other detainees with health concerns
Robert Gilman is the latest in a succession of high-profile prisoners freed by Russia going back years, but his release hardly cleared the decks of Americans behind bars thereMaira Butt26 August 2026 08:14
Russia downs 426 drones overnight, says Russian media citing defence ministry
Russia downed 426 drones overnight, Russian news agencies quoted the defence ministry as saying. The figure includes Russia-controlled parts of Ukraine.
Maira Butt26 August 2026 07:37
Russia says it struck five vessels in Ukraine’s Black Sea ports
The Russian defence ministry said that its forces had struck three cargo vessels carrying supplies for the Ukrainian military and a tanker at the Black Sea port of Pivdennyi yesterday.
The ministry also said it had hit another cargo vessel in the nearby port of Odesa, as well as port infrastructure in Pivdennyi and Odesa and fuel storage facilities at the port of Chornomorsk.
Wildberries warehouse in Russia’s Tambov region on fire after drone attack
A warehouse of Russian e-commerce giant Wildberries in Russia’s Tambov region caught fire after a drone attack, local governor Evgeniy Pervyshov said on the Telegram messaging app.
Pervyshov said one person was injured in the incident.
Ex-US special envoy for Ukraine calls for mobilisation of women
Ukraine should mobilise women in its fight against Russia as they “fight no worse than men,” a former US special envoy has urged.
Keith Kellogg told the Naspravdi MAX YouTube channel: “Do I believe women should be mobilised into the army?
“My answer is yes, because they fight no worse than men.”
This comes just days after former defence minister Oleksii Reznikov also said that the government should consider a universal conscription model.
Pointing to Israel as an example where women serve alongside men, he said: “That immediately would double our mobilisation resource.
“Then you can clearly see which military positions and specialties can easily be filled by women – they don’t have to go to the battlefield.
“They fill many rear positions, logistics and support, and men can be moved from rear positions closer to the front.
“The question is whether society is ready to say, like Israel, that we can survive only if everyone accepts that they must defend Ukraine.”
Burnham says he is planning US trip in September to lobby for Ukraine’s defence
Prime Minister Andy Burnham said he is planning on travelling to the US in September to join European leaders in lobbying President Donald Trump on support for Ukraine’s defence.
In an interview with Bloomberg, Mr Burnham said he was “looking forward to going to New York” next month, which is when the UN General Assembly will meet.
He said details of the trip are not yet “fully confirmed” but it is “likely” to go ahead. The trip would mark Mr Burnham’s first US visit since becoming Prime Minister in July.
Burnham says he is planning US trip in September to lobby for Ukraine’s defence
The trip would mark Mr Burnham’s first US visit since becoming prime minister in July.Maryam Zakir-Hussain26 August 2026 06:00
Two employees of Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant injured in drone attack
At least two employees at the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant were injured in a Ukrainian drone attack, the plant’s Russian-installed management said.
The strike occurred near the plant’s hydraulic structures and wounded two maintenance and construction workers.
Management did not provide details on any damage caused by the attack.
Ukraine hands Britain ‘goldmine’ of secret battlefield intelligence to protect bases from Russian spies
Ukraine has handed Britain a “goldmine” of secret battlefield intelligence to help the UK protect its bases from Russian spies.
The agreement was signed as prime minister Andy Burnham made his first visit to Kyiv on Monday to chair his first meeting of the so-called “coalition of the willing” and pledge “continuity” in the UK’s approach to Ukraine.
Volodymyr Zelensky handed the Ministry of Defence (MoD) access to Ukraine’s “Avengers” AI database, which is expected to help the UK learn from Ukraine’s experience on the battlefield and develop AI-powered solutions to national security challenges in both countries, making it the first outside of Ukraine to receive the intelligence, Downing Street said.
Ukraine hands Britain ‘goldmine’ of secret battlefield intelligence to protect bases
The UK is the first country outside of Ukraine to get access to Kyiv’s ‘Avengers’ databaseArpan Rai26 August 2026 05:21
Ousted defence minister says Ukraine needs changes to avoid losing war
Ukraine appears to be slowly losing the war against Russia and has a window of only a few months to make key decisions needed to turn the tide in its facour, ousted defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov said.
Fedorov said Ukraine lacked any overall vision for how to win the four-year-old conflict, and was hobbled by its failure to innovate.
Ukraine still had “every chance” to win but urgently needed a plan to end the war, he added.
Ukraine’s presidential office said in response to Fedorov’s comments that he had been positive about the conduct of the war when he was at the ministry and the only thing that had changed was his personal status.
Why is the CIA director in Russia?
Mystery is mounting as to why the CIA director has made a visit to Moscow – in secret – on Tuesday.
It appears to be John Ratcliffe’s first known trip to Russia since taking the post in 2025, and it comes at a time when the peace negotiations remain stalled.
Neither the US nor Russian governments has commented on the identity of the official in Russia or the purpose of the visit.
“No, there are no plans for US envoys {travelling to Moscow, ” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters during a press briefing.
So far, CBS News and Axios are reporting that Ratcliffe flew to the Russian capital for meetings, citing unnamed sources.
He personally negotiated the release of a US-Russian dual national Ksenia Karelina in April 2025, and the agency has been involved in exchanges of detainees between the two governments.
The CIA was also involved in the 2024 prisoner exchange that led to the release of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, who had spent a year and four months in a tsarist-era prison.
Maryam Zakir-Hussain26 August 2026 05:00NewerOlder