What are Russia's gains from the Iran war? 'We are not losers; we are winners' Russia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs says it has warned diplomatic missions to promptly evacuate their staff from the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, in case Moscow launches a mass strike on the city in response to potential Ukrainian attempts to disrupt Russia's May 9 Victory Day commemorations. In a video posted on Telegram on Wednesday, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova urged diplomats to heed the Defence Ministry's warning of a strike, issued on Monday, in the event of a Ukrainian attack during the commemorations of the Soviet Union's victory against Nazi Germany in World War II and a military parade in Red Square. Zakharova said that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had made "aggressive and threatening statements" about disrupting the commemorations at a meeting of the European Political Community in Armenia on Monday. "Several EU countries were present," she said. In his remarks in Armenia, Zelenskyy noted a Russian announcement that the commemorations were being scaled down and taking place without military hardware for security reasons.

What are Russia's gains from the Iran war? 'We are not losers; we are winners' Ukrainian officials say Russian drones have again attacked the southern port city of Odesa, injuring at least 11 people, including two children, and damaging homes and important infrastructure. Odesa Governor Oleh Kiper said the attack affected three districts, hitting residential buildings, vehicles and civilian facilities, including a hotel, warehouses and funicular railway. Windows shattered in many buildings and the port area sustained damage. Law enforcement agencies are documenting the latest war crimes committed by Russia against the peaceful population of [the] Odesa region," Kiper said. Russian attacks killed one person in the southeastern Zaporizhzhia region, according to Governor Ivan Fedorov. "A 59-year-old man died as a result of an enemy attack on the Zaporizhzhia region," Fedorov wrote on Telegram. A Ukrainian drone attack killed an employee at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, which was captured by Russian forces and is shut down. "A driver was killed today when a Ukrainian Armed Forces drone struck the transport department at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant," said a statement from plant managers who were installed by Russia. Regional governor Fedorov said Russian forces launched 629 strikes across 45 settlements in the region in a single day, with at least 50 reports of damage to homes and infrastructure. Russian officials reported Ukrainian drone attacks in the Belgorod border region, where at least one person was killed and four women injured, alongside damage to buildings and vehicles. The attacks come as diplomatic efforts to end the war remain stalled. Donald Trump said on Sunday that he has had "good conversations" with Presidents Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelenskyy. "We're working on the Russia situation, Russia and Ukraine, and hopefully we're going to get it," Trump said on Fox News. "I do have conversations with him, and I do have conversations with President Zelenskyy, and good conversations," he said. "The hatred between President Putin and President Zelenskyy is ridiculous.

Over 200 Ukrainian military experts in Gulf region to counter Iran's drones More than 200 Ukrainian military experts are in the Gulf region and wider Middle East helping governments in their defence against Iran's drone attacks, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said. In an address to dozens of members of the United Kingdom Parliament in London on Tuesday, the Ukrainian leader said 201 Ukrainian anti-drone experts are in the region and another 34 "are ready to deploy". "Our teams are already in the Emirates, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and on the way to Kuwait," the Ukrainian leader said. "We are working with several other countries - agreements are already in place. We do not want this terror of the Iranian regime against its neighbours to succeed," he said.

How the US left Ukraine exposed to Russia's winter war Will Europe use frozen Russian assets to fund war? How can Ukraine rebuild China ties? Starmer, Zelenskyy urge'focus' on Ukraine as Iran war diverts attention Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has met British Prime Minister Keir Starmer in London to sign a new defence pact as the unfolding US-Israeli war on Iran threatened to divert international attention away from Russia's attacks on Ukraine. Starmer welcomed Zelenskyy at his official Downing Street residence on Tuesday, reassuring the Ukrainian leader that "the focus must remain on Ukraine", days after the US partially rolled back sanctions against Moscow to cool oil prices sent soaring by its attacks on Iran. "There is obviously a conflict in Iran going on, in the Middle East, but we can't lose focus on what's going on in Ukraine and the need for our support there," said Starmer, who was meeting Zelenskyy to sign a defence partnership aimed at boosting "global defensive capability against the proliferation of low-cost, high-tech military hardware".

Could Iran be using China's BeiDou system? Ukraine wants money and technology as payback after sending specialists to the Middle East to help down Iranian drones during the ongoing Israel-United States war with Iran . President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told reporters on Sunday that three teams were sent to the region to undertake expert assessments and demonstrate how drone defences work as countries in the Middle East continue to be targeted by Iran over hosting US military bases. We are not at war with Iran," Zelenskyy said. Earlier this week, Ukraine's leader announced military teams were sent to Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and a US military base in Jordan. But he explained that more long-term drone deals could be negotiated with Gulf countries, and what Kyiv gets in return for its assistance still needs to be established. "For us today, both the technology and the funding are important," Zelenskyy said. Throughout the four-year Russia-Ukraine war, Moscow has widely used Iranian Shahed-136 "suicide" drones, giving Kyiv expertise in knowing how to down the unmanned aerial vehicles through cheap drone interceptors, electronic jamming tools, and anti-aircraft weaponry. However, US President Donald Trump has said he does not need Ukraine's help in taking down Iranian drones attacking American targets. Zelenskyy said he doesn't know why Washington hasn't signed a drone agreement with Kyiv, which it has pushed for months. "I wanted to sign a deal worth about $35bn-50bn," he said. Still, as the Russia-Ukraine conflict continues with no end in sight, Zelenskyy raised concerns that the ongoing war in the Middle East will impact Kyiv's supplies of air defence missiles. "We would very much not like the United States to step away from the issue of Ukraine because of the Middle East," he told reporters. But as interest has grown for Ukrainian drone interceptors in light of the war, Zelenskyy said Kyiv's rules to buy the drones must be tightened, with foreign countries and firms being unable to bypass the government and talk directly to manufacturers. "Unfortunately, representatives of certain governments or companies want to bypass the Ukrainian state to purchase specific equipment," Zelensky told reporters. "Even in some free countries, we do not initially receive contracts from the private sector.

How the US left Ukraine exposed to Russia's winter war Will Europe use frozen Russian assets to fund war? How can Ukraine rebuild China ties? The United States, which stopped providing military and financial assistance to Ukraine under President Donald Trump, has asked for Kyiv's assistance in protecting its bases from Iranian retaliatory strikes in the Gulf. Ukraine's head of the Center for Countering Disinformation, Andriy Kovalenko, made the request public on March 6. On March 9, Zelenskyy also dispatched chief negotiator Rustem Umerov to sell Ukrainian interceptor drones to Gulf states.

How the US left Ukraine exposed to Russia's winter war Will Europe use frozen Russian assets to fund war? How can Ukraine rebuild China ties? Russia-Ukraine talks resume in Geneva as US claims'meaningful' progress Day two of the third round of trilateral talks between Russia, Ukraine and the United States is under way in Geneva, Switzerland, as the four-year anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion of its neighbour looms next week, with vague references to "progress" but nothing tangible yet shared. Little has been made public about the talks' contents since negotiations kicked off on Tuesday behind closed doors and continued on Wednesday morning. The thorniest of issues, territory and the yielding of it, remains the key sticking point.

Could Ukraine hold a presidential election right now? Will Europe use frozen Russian assets to fund war? How can Ukraine rebuild China ties? 'Ukraine is running out of men, money and time' Ukrainian officials have left for Geneva, Switzerland, where another round of negotiations aimed at ending the war with Russia is set to take place. The next round of negotiations is ahead.

Could Ukraine hold a presidential election right now? Will Europe use frozen Russian assets to fund war? How can Ukraine rebuild China ties? 'Ukraine is running out of men, money and time' Russian forces launched a drone attack on the Ukrainian city of Odesa overnight on Saturday, killing an elderly woman and damaging residential buildings, Ukraine's State Emergency Service said. A Russian civilian was killed in a Ukrainian drone attack on Russia's border region of Bryansk on Saturday, according to Governor Alexander Bogomaz.

Could Ukraine hold a presidential election right now? Will Europe use frozen Russian assets to fund war? How can Ukraine rebuild China ties? 'Ukraine is running out of men, money and time' A deadly exchange of drone strikes has killed one person in Ukraine and one in Russia and cast doubts on the prospects of a ceasefire before another round of negotiations to end the war next week. News of the deaths comes as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio signalled hurdles to reaching an agreement in Geneva as the conflict is about to enter its fifth year.