Ukraine's drone industry is rapidly expanding, with hidden factories near Lviv producing kamikaze drones and interceptor systems to counter Iranian-designed Shahed drones.

Zelenskyy says'time is right' for Ukraine to start process of joining EU Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has told European Union leaders that now is the time to begin the process of Ukraine's accession to the bloc, describing a proposal for associate membership as "unfair". Zelenskyy said in a letter to EU leaders on Friday that associate membership would leave Ukraine "voiceless" because it would not have voting rights, which would prevent Kyiv from advancing its interests, the Reuters news agency reported. Under Orban, who maintained close ties with Russia, Budapest repeatedly used its veto power to block Ukraine's accession bid and stalled approval of aid for Kyiv. Zelenskyy's push for EU membership comes as both Kyiv and Moscow seek to advance their interests on the battlefield. The head of the Russian-occupied Luhansk region in eastern Ukraine said on Saturday the death toll from a drone attack a day earlier had risen to 10. Vladimir Putin has ordered his forces to respond to the attack, which allegedly hit a student dormitory in the town of Starobilsk.

Russia's Putin vows retaliation after accusing Ukraine of hitting student dormitory Russian President Vladimir Putin has promised retaliation after accusing Ukraine of carrying out a deadly attack on a student dormitory in an occupied part of eastern Ukraine. Six people were killed and 39 injured in the overnight strike in the town of Starobilsk, Luhansk region, Putin said. Another 15 people were missing. Ukraine's military said it hit the headquarters of Russia's elite Rubicon drone military unit in Starobilsk. It did not say whether it was the same building as the one identified by Russia.

This week, with air raid warnings wailing in the distance, Kyiv held a funeral for two sisters. They had already lost their father who had been fighting on the front line. Their grieving mother is now the family's sole survivor. This is the human cost of the largest sustained Russian aerial assault so far - with 1,500 drones and 56 missiles fired at Ukraine within 48 hours. But the loss of life could have been even higher.

Ukrainian mid-range strikes deal double blow to Russia's war effort KYIV/LONDON - From burning oil refineries to a stalling ground offensive, Russia is suffering problems in its war against Ukraine that partly stem from a growing Ukrainian military strength: the use of medium-range drone attacks. By targeting Russian air defenses and logistics dozens of kilometers behind front lines, Ukraine is disrupting Russia's battlefield advances and opening the way for long-range strikes on Russian oil and military facilities, said two Ukrainian commanders, two drone specialists and three military analysts. Ukrainian officials say more resources have in recent months been poured into "middle strikes," typically ranging between 30 kilometers and 180 km behind front lines. In a time of both misinformation and too much information, quality journalism is more crucial than ever. By subscribing, you can help us get the story right.

U.S. seeking transfer of intellectual property rights in drone deal, Kyiv says Through a combination of new technology and tactics, Kyiv's forces have been able to strike deep into Russian territory, to slow and in some cases even reverse battlefield gains by Moscow's bigger army and inflict significant damage on oil facilities that help finance the Kremlin's war machine. Kyiv has said that the U.S. is seeking the transfer of technology and access to intellectual property rights from Ukraine as part of a drone deal that is awaiting approval at the highest political level, a person familiar with the matter has said. The U.S. Department of Defense has asked to test a range of Ukrainian defense products, including drones and electronic warfare systems, as Washington is considering their potential purchase for military use, the official said. The agreement has not been finalized, the person added, speaking on condition of anonymity because the discussions are private. Growing interest from the U.S. shows how the world's largest military is looking to tap into the drone expertise Ukraine has acquired over four years fighting against the Russian invasion.

What are Russia's gains from the Iran war? 'We are not losers; we are winners' More than 15,800 people killed in Russia's all-out war on Ukraine: UN The United Nations has said 15,850 people, including 791 children, have been killed in Ukraine since Russia's full-scale invasion of the neighbouring country in February 2022. The "actual figures are likely significantly higher", Kayoko Gotoh, Europe and Central Asia director of the UN's Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs (DPPA), told the UN Security Council on Tuesday. US President Donald Trump has attempted to mediate and announced the most recent three-day ceasefire earlier this month, but fighting has resumed. Tuesday's Russian attacks on Ukraine killed at least six people. A 15-year-old boy was among three people killed in a Russian ballistic missile attack on the city of Pryluky in north-central Ukraine's Chernihiv region on Tuesday morning, according to the State Emergency Service of Ukraine.

What are Russia's gains from the Iran war? 'We are not losers; we are winners' A Russian attack has damaged port infrastructure in Ukraine's Danube River port city of Izmail, a vital grain-export hub, while Russian authorities said they had downed four Ukrainian drones headed towards Moscow, as peace efforts remain stalled and both sides continue reciprocal attacks. Izmail, in the Odesa region, is a frequently targeted logistical centre and was hit in the early hours of Tuesday. It is Ukraine's largest port on the Danube. The attack lasted from about 1am to 3am (22:00 to 00:00 GMT), with firefighters battling a blaze in a building with blown-out windows. This followed another Russian attack on port infrastructure in Izmail on the night of May 2. In Kharkiv, two people were rescued, and one may remain trapped under the rubble after a Russian drone attack, Mayor Ihor Terekhov said on Telegram.

What are Russia's gains from the Iran war? 'We are not losers; we are winners' Russian drones have hit two ships in the Black Sea approaching ports in Ukraine's Odesa region, including a Chinese-owned cargo vessel, one day before Russian President Vladimir Putin heads to Beijing to meet Xi Jinping. Ukraine's seaports authority said the strikes hit two civilian vessels on Monday, one under a Marshall Islands flag and the other under Guinea-Bissau's flag, both of which were heading to ports in the region. It posted a photograph of the ship showing its name with one of its sides partially charred. Russia has regularly attacked civilian vessels in the port area of Odesa, a vital maritime hub for Ukrainian agricultural exports, since it invaded Ukraine four years ago . Monday's attack comes just before Putin's two-day trip to Beijing, where he is to have talks with Chinese President Xi.

Inside the'kill-zone' on Ukraine's front line, where new weapons have transformed war After 225 days stuck in a front-line foxhole, the Ukrainian infantryman's muscles were so weak he could barely walk. His commanders had tried five times to swap him with another soldier - but they could never reach him. Rotating soldiers on the front line in eastern Ukraine is extremely difficult because of the constant threat of drones. This area near Kostyantynivka is currently one of the most dangerous hotspots and the Ukrainian military admits that Russian forces have reached its outskirts. Known as Kenya, the infantryman took two days to walk 11km (6.8 miles) to get back to his brigade, avoiding mines and hiding from drones to get out.