Ukraine

NATO allies foiled a plot where Russian subs trained to unleash a secret weapon designed to disable critical undersea cables without leaving any fingerprints, it has been reported.

A joint operation involving Britain, Norway and the United States tracked and confronted the Russian vessels at sea, officials told Reuters after a clandestine Russian operation was carried out by Moscow's GUGI undersea warfare directorate.

Deep-sea submersibles were used to simulate the deployment of the sophisticated and destructive technology capable of disrupting deep sea cables vital for global internet connectivity and financial transactions. The vessels were prevented from completing their exercise and eventually left the area.

The discovery of the new weapon, location of the operation and US involvement come months after Britain and Norway disclosed that they had uncovered a covert Russian operation in Arctic waters.

The deep-sea face-off comes at a time when some Western intelligence officials fear the Kremlin is ramping up sabotage operations in Europe and preparing for a conflict with NATO.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky's flight from Moldova to Norway was delayed after it was almost hit by a Russian drone, Norwegian prime minister Jonas Gahr Store said.

Watch: Russian drone strike on Sumy shopping mall kills two, injures 14

Russian attack on Ukraine kills two Azerbaijani tugboat crew, Kyiv says

Two Azerbaijani tugboat crew members ⁠were killed and two others ⁠injured ​as ⁠a result ⁠of Russian attack ​on ⁠civilian shipping ‌in Ukraine's southern Odesa region, ‌Ukraine's infrastructure ‌ministry said on ⁠Thursday.

The tug TEDY came under a strike, it added ‌on X. ​Six ‌other crew ⁠members received ⁠medical assistance ‌on ​the ‌spot.

Putin sends bones of medieval prince to Ukraine in morale bid

Streeting says UK ‘won’t flinch’ in support for Kyiv as £100m pledged for winter

Defence secretary Wes Streeting said Moscow must understand that the UK “won’t flinch” in its support to Ukraine, as he co-chaired his first meeting of a group of allies providing military kit to Kyiv.

The virtual meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group of some 50 nations comes after the UK committed £100 million to boost Ukraine’s air defences over winter.

Mr Streeting said he had seen the consequences of Russian aggression and the Ukrainian people’s “resilience and strength” firsthand during a visit to Ukraine.

“In that spirit, I think we owe it to them to make sure we are giving them every bit of support we can to see through what is inevitably a challenging winter.

“And at the same time to demonstrate to the aggressors in Moscow that our collective commitment to Ukraine remains, that it is strong, that it is unwavering, and I think that’s really important for demonstrating that alongside the diplomatic track that’s under way.

“We know that this war will only end through a negotiated peace.

“It’s really important that Russia understands that we won’t flinch in terms of our support for Ukraine as they continue to fight for their freedom and, for that matter, for ours.”

Watch: Rubio says substantive talks could pave way for Ukraine peace deal

Russian strikes on Kyiv fail to cancel Ukrainian soldier’s wedding

Russia says it will continue attacks on Ukrainian ships carrying ammunition

The Kremlin, asked about a potential moratorium ⁠on attacks on ships in the Black Sea, ⁠said on ​Thursday ⁠that its armed forces ⁠would continue to ​destroy vessels ⁠carrying ammunition ‌for the Ukrainian army.

Both Ukraine ‌and Russia ‌have stepped up attacks in ⁠recent weeks against commercial ships, sending world grain prices higher. Russia has previously rejected the ‌idea of ​a ceasefire in ‌the Black ⁠Sea as ⁠a "half-measure".

Pictured: Bearers carry a case with relics of a medieval Russian prince Dmitry Donskoy during a citywide procession in Moscow

Russian attacks on Ukraine's Dnipro hits enterprise owned by Bunge, mayor says

Russian attacks on Ukraine's southeastern city ⁠of Dnipro hit a business ⁠owned ​by ⁠global agribusiness and food ⁠company ​Bunge, Mayor ⁠Borys ‌Filatov said on Thursday.

Regional governor ‌Oleksandr Hanzha ‌said earlier that ⁠two people had been killed and five injured in attacks that ‌damaged a ​food business ‌in ⁠the city.

Two Azerbaijani citizens killed in drone attack on Black Sea cargo ship, Baku says

Two ​Azerbaijani crew members were killed in a drone attack on ⁠a cargo ship in the Black Sea on Wednesday, Baku's foreign ministry said.

Two ⁠more ​crew members ⁠were brought to a hospital ⁠in the Ukrainian city of ​Chornomorsk, ⁠the ministry said ‌in a statement on Thursday, offering condolences to ‌the victims' families.

Both ‌Russia and Ukraine have been pounding each other's export ⁠terminals and grain-carrying vessels in an escalation that has created the biggest risks to Black Sea trade in the four and a half ‌years of the ​war. The Azerbaijani ‌statement did ⁠not say which side ⁠had carried out the attack ‌on ​Wednesday.