PROTECT YOURSELF with Orgo-Life® QUANTUM TECHNOLOGY
Orgo-Life the new way to the future Advertising by AdpathwayUkraine heeded a special request from the Donald Trump administration not to attack major Russian cities during a visit by CIA director John Ratcliffe.
The US contacted Kyiv last week to request that it not strike Moscow, St Petersburg and a stretch of northern Russia while a plane carrying the senior US official was flying in and out of the Russian capital, sources told Reuters.
The request covered Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday and was only revealed hours after Ratcliffe left Russia late on Tuesday.
Subsequently, a large US military aircraft was confirmed to have travelled to Russia from the US via Latvia on Tuesday, flight tracking data confirmed.
The purpose of Ratcliffe’s visit and the nature of his meetings in Russia were not immediately clear. It was the first known trip to Moscow by a US spy chief since his predecessor, William Burns, held talks with Vladimir Putin in November 2021.
Ukraine resumed strikes on Russia early on Wednesday after Ratcliffe's departure, with Russia saying it downed at least 426 drones overnight.
Recap: Russia launches doomsday submarine for trials
Russia launched its 10,000 ton doomsday submarine for the first time last week, according to reports.
Moscow sent the Khabarovsk nuclear submarine, designed to carry nuclear torpedoes, into trials in the White Sea, according to the Telegraph.
Russian media reports have said the submarines can carry up to six Poseidon torpedos which can be detonated underwater to create tsunamis.
James Reynolds26 August 2026 11:30
Energy secretary says 'I can't control wars' in defending Ofgem 4% price cap rise
James Reynolds26 August 2026 11:00
CIA director met with Russian intelligence during Moscow visit - Kremlin
CIA Director John Ratcliffe held talks with Russian intelligence officials during his visit to Moscow on Tuesday but did not meet President Vladimir Putin, the Kremlin said on Wednesday.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that Putin had been briefed on the outcome of Ratcliffe's talks, but declined to provide further details.
Peskov said it was also too early to say whether such contacts between the two countries' intelligence agencies could help pull U.S.-Russia relations out of what he described as a "deep crisis".
James Reynolds26 August 2026 10:47
Russia summons Romania's charge d'affaires
Russia's Foreign Ministry has summoned Romania's charge d'affaires in Moscow, the Interfax news agency reported on Wednesday.
It did not give a reason for the summons.
James Reynolds26 August 2026 10:30
Russia and Ukraine exchange 10 POWs
Russia and Ukraine have each exchanged 10 prisoners of war in the latest such trade, according to Interfax.
James Reynolds26 August 2026 10:01
In pictures: Zelensky meets with former US boxer Terence Crawford
James Reynolds26 August 2026 10:00
Repairs at Russia's Novorossiysk grain terminal may take up to four months, company says
It could take up to four months to restore damaged facilities at NKHP, one of the largest grain terminals at Russia's port of Novorossiysk, where operations have been halted since August, the company said on Wednesday in its financial report.
Local officials said earlier in August that a Ukrainian drone and missile strike on the port damaged two major grain export terminals and hit the last big Russian naval base on the Black Sea.
James Reynolds26 August 2026 09:22
Burnham warned Russia plotting retaliation against Britain over support for Ukraine - report
Andy Burnham was reportedly warned that Russia is plotting retaliation against Britain for its continued support for Ukraine.
Security experts were said to have told the prime minister to be ready for a ‘direct response’, according to the Daily Mail.
Mr Burnham travelled to Kyiv on Monday for his first overseas trip since taking office last month and said London and Paris would provide long-range missile technology to Ukraine.
A unnamed senior security source told the Mail: “An attack on the UK’s defence and security infrastructure is inevitable, based on our high profile support for Ukraine.
“Ourselves and the French are front and centre, and Burnham's visit to Kyiv and his forthright stance will have been noticed at the Kremlin,” they assessed.
“There had been some optimism in Moscow that he would be softer than Starmer on Ukraine. That was not the case.”
James Reynolds26 August 2026 08:36
Release of Marine veteran from Russian custody turns focus to other detainees with health concerns
Robert Gilman’s release from Russian custody this month heralded a long-awaited homecoming for the Marine veteran after more than four years behind bars.
But as Harold Jezler followed the media coverage from the United States, he couldn’t help but notice Gilman’s gaunt and sickly appearance and think of the implications for his wife, Olga, who has been detained in Russia since 2022 and faces her own health problems.
“You just look at the pictures and the guy is not in good shape. It’s concerning for me and for all the families, I would imagine," Jezler said in an interview with The Associated Press. "Is this what it takes for the government to really make a move and prioritize this — that the person is basically in dire straits? It was a very bittersweet thing to see that."
Maira Butt26 August 2026 08:14
Russia downs 426 drones overnight, says Russian media citing defence ministry
Russia downed 426 drones overnight, Russian news agencies quoted the defence ministry as saying. The figure includes Russia-controlled parts of Ukraine.
Maira Butt26 August 2026 07:37
English (US) · 
French (CA) · 
French (FR) ·