Ukraine-Russia war latest: Huge blast at key airbase for Russian nuclear bombers after Ukrainian drone strike

Ukrainian soldiers are not encircled in Kursk, intelligence officials have said, despite claims to the contrary by presidents Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin.

It comes after intelligence assessments were shared with the White House, according to three US and European officials familiar with their government’s intelligence.

The assessments show that Ukrainian troops have faced intense pressure from Russian forces but are not “completely surrounded”, as Mr Trump said following a meeting between his special envoy Steve Witkoff and Putin.

Military chiefs will gather in the UK today as Sir Keir Starmer continues efforts to form the so-called coalition of the willing.

Sir Keir is expected to address the meeting of around 30 military officials, two days after Vladimir Putin demanded that all Western military aid to Ukraine be ended as a condition to end the fighting.

Mr Starmer and his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron have been scrambling to build a coalition of countries willing to put troops onn the ground and be directly involved in peacekeeping efforts in Ukraine in any postwar settlement.

Ukraine has struck a strategic nuclear bomber base 700km deep inside Russia, Kyiv confirmed on Thursday.

The attack was carried out on the Soviet-era Engels airbase, which hosts Russian strategic bombers, cruise missiles and glide bombs, an official at the Security Service of Ukraine said.

Unverified video on Russian Telegram channels showed a major blast spreading out from the airfield and wrecking nearby cottages. Russia’s defence ministry said air defences had shot down 132 Ukrainian drones over Russian regions.

A state of emergency was declared by local authorities, and Saratov governor Roman Busargin said nearby residents had been evacuated after a fire in the airfield.

Taking to X following a major Russian attack overnight, Volodymyr Zelensky has accused Vladimir Putin of showing his “true attitude” towards peace.

“Russian strikes on Ukraine do not stop, despite their propaganda claims,” the Ukrainian president said in a post accompanied by pictures of Ukrainian rescuers working on the sites of the attacks.

“Every day and every night, nearly a hundred or more drones are launched, along with ongoing missile attacks. With each such launch, the Russians expose to the world their true attitude towards peace.

“Last night, the Russians launched nearly 200 ‘Shahed’ drones and decoy UAVs. A massive attack on the Kirovohrad region left 10 people wounded, including four children, and caused damage to homes, a church, and infrastructure.

“I thank everyone who works on the ground and helps to eliminate the consequences of Russian terror.”

While speaking with journalists following another busy day of diplomacy on Wednesday, Volodymyr Zelensky was interrupted by a world leader.

The Ukrainian president had spent the day in Helsinki with his Finnish counterpart, Alexander Stubb, before holding a one-hour long phone call with Donald Trump to discuss next steps in bringing about a ceasefire in Ukraine.

But as he debriefed journalists on Zoom, a call came in from one of his closest allies – French president Emmanuel Macron.

“Sorry, Emmanuel! I’m just having a conversation with a journalist. Can I be back in 15-20 minutes?” the Ukrainian president replied in English, according to Ukrainska Pravda.

“Yes, I just spoke to President Macron. We often talk a lot. Once a day, I would say, on average,” he confirmed, stressing that Mr Macron “helps a lot”.

Exactly 11 years ago, on March 18, 2014, Russia’s seizure of the Crimean Peninsula from Ukraine, was quick and bloodless.

It also marked a turning point in Moscow’s relations with the West, triggering a downward spiral unseen since the Cold War and setting the stage for Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, during which it annexed more land from the war-torn country.

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Russia has imposed a state of emergency after a Ukrainian drone attack on a military airfield, local officials said.

The airfield near a strategic bomber base in Engels, around 850 kilometres southeast of Moscow, was set on fire on Thursday following the Ukrainian drone attack, officials added.

Volodymyr Zelensky will address a summit of EU leaders as they convene in Brussels to discuss Ukraine, the Middle East, and European defence.

Later this morning, European leaders will hear the Ukrainian president’s take on his phone call with Donald Trump yesterday, which saw difficult relations with Washington take a positive turn.

In his invitation to fellow world leaders, European Council president António Costa wrote: “Our continued support to Ukraine, the need to invest in our defence and our competitiveness are closely interlinked. A more competitive Union will be a stronger Union, better able to protect its citizens, its interests and its values on the global stage.”

Mr Zelensky is set to address his European counterparts over video conference at 11:30 Brussels time (10:30 GMT).