Is the war entering a new phase? It was, perhaps, Ukraine's quietest victory over Russia's oldest and closest ally. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged neighbouring Belarus to shut down four Moscow-installed relay stations that help guide Russian drone attacks on Ukraine. The stations - originally cellular communication towers - relay signals for Russian drone operators and allow their unmanned aircraft to exchange information with each other and fly deep into western Ukraine, which has few drone interceptors and NATO-supplied air defence systems. The relayers did "make the signal stronger" and the Russian attacks "more precise", Andriy Pronin, one of the pioneers of drone warfare in Ukraine, told Al Jazeera.

Is the war entering a new phase? Russia has reported that it downed 660 drones overnight, as Ukraine maintains a barrage that is straining Russian air defences and energy infrastructure. The number of drones shot down marks one of Kyiv's biggest launches of long-range strikes, Russia's Ministry of Defence stated on Friday. That has stoked concern that Moscow may try to pull ally Belarus into the conflict, launched when it invaded Ukraine in February 2022. The latest wave of Ukrainian drones saw Russia intercept unmanned aircraft over 13 regions, including the capital, Moscow, and the illegally annexed Crimean peninsula, as well as the Black and Azov seas.

Recent weeks have seen a significant escalation of military tensions in and around the Baltics. Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, which are all NATO members, now experience regular incursions into their airspace by Ukrainian drones. According to both Kyiv and the Baltic capitals, those drones, en route to hit targets in western Russia, get diverted by Russian electronic jamming and end up entering these countries' territories. In early May, several stray unmanned aircraft crashed in Latvia, one of them damaging an oil storage facility. Those developments triggered a political crisis in Latvia and led to the collapse of its government.

What is in the 28-point US plan for Ukraine? 'Ukraine is running out of men, money and time' Can the US get all sides to end the war? Why is Europe opposing Trump's peace plan? Two people were killed in a Ukrainian drone strike on the Russian city of Saratov, regional Governor Roman Busargin said in a statement on Telegram. An unspecified number of people were also injured in the attack.

Trump-Xi meeting: Who has the upper hand? Could Trump go for a third term? Is the US eyeing its next Latin American target? Why is Trump tearing down parts of the White House? Russia's Ministry of Defence said its forces took control of the villages of Krasnohirske in Ukraine's Zaporizhia region and Sadove in the Kharkiv region, Russian state news agencies reported.

Is Chicago the violent crime capital of the US? How did India-US relations decline so fast? A Ukrainian drone attack killed two women in the village of Golovchino in Russia's Belgorod region, Russia's state TASS news agency reports. A man who was seriously injured in a Ukrainian drone attack in Russia's Belgorod region in April has died in hospital, TASS reports. TASS also reported that Russian forces shot down 82 Ukrainian drones in a 24-hour period.

Belarus and Russia's show of firepower appears to be a message to Europe In a large field 45 miles (72km) from Belarus' capital Minsk, a battle is raging. There are giant explosions as Sukhoi-34 bombers drop guided bombs. Helicopter gunships join the attack, while surveillance drones sweep overhead to view the damage. Together with other international media we've been brought to the Borisovsky training ground where Belarusian and Russian forces are taking part in joint manoeuvres. Military attachés, too, from a variety of embassies are observing the drill from a viewing platform.

Dozens of political prisoners have been freed from Belarusian prisons as part of a deal between authoritarian leader Alexander Lukashenko and US President Donald Trump. Fifty-two prisoners have been released, including trade union leaders, journalists and activists, but more than 1,000 political prisoners remain in jail. In exchange, the US has said it will relieve some sanctions on Belarusian airline Belavia, allowing it to buy parts for its airlines. The prisoner release came on the eve of joint military exercises involving Belarus and close ally Russia, and after what neighbouring Poland called an unprecedented Russian drone incursion into its airspace. Poland is closing its borders with Belarus because of the Zapad-2025 drills, which last until Tuesday.

How is Russia replenishing its military? What is a'coalition of the willing'? How China forgot promises and'debts' to Ukraine How are Europe, the US pulling apart on Ukraine? Poland shoots down Russian drones: Will NATO enter war in Ukraine? Polish and NATO forces scrambled to intercept Russian drones which entered Poland's airspace early on Tuesday night and early on Wednesday, marking their first direct military engagement with Moscow since the Kremlin's full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in 2022.

How is Russia replenishing its military? What is a'coalition of the willing'? How China forgot promises and'debts' to Ukraine How are Europe, the US pulling apart on Ukraine? A Russian air strike killed 24 elderly Ukrainians who were collecting pensions in eastern Ukraine's Yarova village, about 24km (15 miles) from the city of Sloviansk. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged Kyiv's allies to quickly boost supplies of air defence weapons to Ukraine and emphasised that Moscow interpreted a lack of stronger international sanctions on Russia as permission to continue its war.