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Russia's parliamentary election is for the first time including residents of four Ukrainian regions that Moscow claims to have annexed since launching its full-scale invasion more than 4 1/2 years ago, in a move aimed at strengthening its control over the areas. Ukraine strongly condemned the voting as illegal, while a human rights activist said residents in Russian-held areas were being pressured to take part. Voting across Russia began Friday and will continue through Sunday in an effort to boost turnout. However, balloting in the Russia-controlled parts of Ukraine and some Russian border areas began at the end of last month. Russian officials said the extended voting period was necessary for security reasons. Russian authorities say more than 3.5 million voters live in Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia, which Moscow calls the "new regions." Russia declared the territories annexed in September 2022, although it did not fully control them. The annexations have not been internationally recognized. At a polling station in the Russian-held part of Donetsk, voters cast ballots while an armed Russian soldier stood nearby. Putin highlights importance of vote Russian President Vladimir Putin said Wednesday that voting in the regions was important, as residents would elect members of the State Duma, the lower house of parliament, for the first time since what he called their "reunification with Russia." Russian soldiers fighting in the war also will be allowed to vote, Putin said. Voting is also taking place in Crimea, the Black Sea peninsula that Russia annexed in 2014. The election is the first wartime parliamentary vote in Russia and is intended to reinforce the Kremlin's political control and demonstrate public support for the war. "Your choice and resolve will once again demonstrate that millions of people stand behind our fighters," Putin said, adding that Russians were united by shared values, historical memory and love for their homeland. Ukraine calls for rejection of vote Ukrainian authorities described the voting in the occupied territories as illegal and urged foreign governments and international organizations not to recognize the election or its results. Kyiv also warned Ukrainians that helping organize the vote could result in criminal charges. A coalition of nine Ukrainian human rights organizations urged residents in Russian-held territories to avoid the polls, saying the election was an attempt to legitimize Russia's occupation and attempted annexation of Ukrainian territory. European Commission spokesperson Christian Wigand said holding the vote in the occupied regions was "another blatant violation of international law." "The European Union does not, and will never recognize" the elections or their results, Wigand said. Activists allege pressure on residents Violeta Artemchuk, coordinator of the Donbas SOS human rights group and one of the signatories of the statement, said local election officials were visiting homes with Russian soldiers and security agents to pressure people into voting. She said Moscow-backed authorities were also threatening public-sector workers with dismissal if they did not vote and making pensions and other social benefits conditional on participation. People receiving social assistance, including pensioners and people with disabilities, could be placed on lists of those considered "disloyal" and risk losing benefits or humanitarian aid if they refused to vote, Artemchuk said. Volodymyr Fesenko, a political analyst at the Kyiv-based Penta Center, said elections held under such conditions could not be considered genuine. "The very fact that voting takes place amid endless shelling and bombing reflects the Kremlin's attitude toward the people and the electoral process in the occupied territories," Fesenko told The Associated Press. He said electoral procedures conducted by Russian occupation authorities "have nothing to do with democracy."Make the wire copy more conciseImprove the lead’s clarity and flow

Russians who have fought in Ukraine are playing a prominent role in this week's parliamentary election, appearing on party tickets, in campaign videos and in televised debates. Election officials say nearly 200 candidates have served in Ukraine. The Kremlin has promoted the veterans as part of what it calls Russia's “true elite,” seeking to portray them as people who will receive an honored place in civilian life after the war. However, analysts say few of the veterans are likely to gain significant influence among Russia's ruling elite. They view the campaign as partly an effort to encourage more men to join the military. Independent Russian media have frequently reported cases involving returning veterans in assaults, drunken fights and killings. Some of those involved were recruited into the military from prison. The election for the State Duma, the lower house of parliament, begins Friday. It is the first parliamentary vote since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine and will also include areas of Ukraine that Russia seized and illegally annexed. The Kremlin is closely controlling the election as it seeks to demonstrate public support for the war and strengthen the legitimacy of its actions. Most Kremlin-aligned parties allowed to participate have candidates identified as participants in the so-called “special military operation” in Ukraine. One of the prominent candidates is Vladislav Golovin, 29, of the ruling United Russia party. He fought in the battle for the Ukrainian port city of Mariupol and lost part of his leg. President Vladimir Putin has appeared with Golovin at events and awarded him the Hero of Russia title, the country's highest honor. Golovin participated in Putin's “Time of Heroes” program in 2024, which prepares war veterans for careers in government. He now leads the Young Army, a military and patriotic youth organization. He has also been placed on Western sanctions lists. United Russia has several dozen candidates with backgrounds in the Ukraine war. Another prominent candidate is Yevgeny Poddubny, a state television war correspondent with close ties to the authorities who was wounded by a Ukrainian drone. The ultranationalist Liberal Democratic Party's leading candidate, Alexei Vereshchagin, is described as having joined Moscow-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine in 2014 and later led a volunteer brigade. “We are the ones our homeland has called upon to fight for the ‘Russian World,’ and we will fight,” Vereshchagin, who was born in Kyiv, says in a campaign video, referring to a term promoted by Putin, particularly since Russia's 2014 annexation of Crimea. Ukrainian police said in March that they were investigating Vereshchagin over alleged home invasions and threats against civilians in the Kyiv region in 2022, before Ukrainian forces regained control of the area. Police said he had fought against Ukraine for more than a decade. Vereshchagin has not publicly commented on the allegations. Kremlin seeks to encourage more enlistmentBy giving veterans a prominent role in the election campaign, the Kremlin wants to demonstrate to potential recruits that fighting in Ukraine can lead to future career opportunities, said Nikolay Petrov, a senior research fellow at the NEST Centre, founded by exiled Russian businessman and opposition figure Mikhail Khodorkovsky. Petrov said Russia also appears uncertain about how to reintegrate soldiers returning from the battlefield. He said many are offered positions with limited influence, while greater attention is given to people who already held government positions. Former Putin speechwriter and political analyst Abbas Gallyamov described the approach as “empty talk.” He said the government needs to offer potential recruits promises of financial rewards and praise about their importance and contribution to building a “new Russia.” Many veterans face difficult return to civilian lifeReturning to civilian life can be difficult for many veterans. Most soldiers who signed military contracts cannot end their service under Putin's 2022 “partial mobilization” decree. Those drafted under the decree have also not yet been demobilized. Some soldiers can leave the military because of serious injuries or age, while certain special units reportedly provide limited periods of service. Presidential administration official Sergei Novikov said in December that about 167,000 servicemen had returned from Ukraine. Russian media reports and experts, however, say the actual figure is likely higher. Competition for the Time of Heroes program is also intense. Applicants must have higher education and management experience. Of more than 65,000 applicants in 2024-25, only 168 were accepted, according to the program's website. About 80 were subsequently appointed to positions at national, regional or municipal levels. Independent Russian news outlet Meduza reported in June that at least 1,300 veterans had been appointed to government positions, elected to local legislatures or councils, or hired by state-backed companies and institutions. About 850 of those veterans had previous government or related experience before serving in Ukraine, Meduza reported, suggesting that many of the beneficiaries were already connected to the ruling establishment. The Associated Press could not independently verify the findings. However, reports of government officials and lawmakers serving in Ukraine and later returning to their civilian positions are common. Duma deputy Alexei Zhuravlyov, who leads the Rodina, or “Homeland,” party, has said he served at the front while retaining his parliamentary seat, as have some of his colleagues. Zhuravlyov recently criticized a YouTube blogger who questioned why he was not serving full time in Ukraine. He later said he spends “more time on the front line than in the Duma.” Tambov regional Gov. Yevgeny Pervyshov, a United Russia candidate and former mayor of Krasnodar and Duma lawmaker, served in Ukraine in a special military unit in 2022. The British government said in 2024 that the unit had “an unusually high number of United Russia party members and sons of Kremlin VIPs.” Britain's Defense Ministry said on X that the unit was mainly involved in drone operations away from the front, allowing prominent political figures to avoid the usual requirements of military service while remaining relatively safe. After serving for less than a year, Pervyshov entered the Time of Heroes program. He was later appointed acting governor of Tambov and elected governor in September 2025. Enthusiasm over Putin's “new elite” promise fadesIvan Filippov, who studies propaganda and monitors military and pro-war bloggers, said such cases have contributed to growing disappointment among supporters of the war. He said many initially welcomed Putin's promise that veterans would form a new elite, but soon concluded that the policy did not primarily benefit ordinary veterans. Some, he said, served briefly, obtained veteran status and then returned to government positions. Filippov said supporters of the war now recognize that many returning soldiers could face difficult lives at home. “They understand clearly that no one will let them into power,” he said. Novikov, the Kremlin official, said in December that “tens of thousands” of returning veterans remained unemployed, describing the situation as a potentially dangerous risk. Petrov said the Kremlin is more likely to favor experienced bureaucrats who have served in the military when selecting veterans for positions of influence. “The authorities don't at all need bandits that come back from there,” he said.

Russians are continuing to leave the country or prepare to move abroad amid fears of a new military mobilization, tighter internet restrictions, economic problems and declining personal freedoms. This summer, a 28-year-old digital content marketer packed his belongings and left Russia, leaving his family and friends behind and uncertain when he could return. “It is very sad to leave Russia,” he said in the southern city of Krasnodar before heading toward the Georgian border. He cited Russia’s political situation and growing restrictions on internet access as reasons for leaving, saying he otherwise would not have stayed abroad for more than a few months. He is among Russians who have recently left or are considering leaving as Ukraine continues drone attacks inside Russia and rumors persist of a new military mobilization after more than four years of war. The attacks this summer triggered an unprecedented fuel shortage and badly affected Russia’s fast-growing e-commerce sector. Authorities have also used security concerns linked to the attacks to justify tighter internet restrictions. The latest departures are far smaller than the mass exodus of 2022, when hundreds of thousands left after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. However, Kovcheg, a group that helps Russians moving abroad, said it received nearly eight times more inquiries last month than in May. Anastasia Burakova, the group’s founder, said the rise did not mean large numbers were currently gathering at the borders. Instead, she said, more people were preparing to leave and exploring their options. Fears of mobilization grow Unlike 2022, there are currently no long lines at border crossings or major shortages of flights to visa-free destinations such as Armenia, Georgia, Kazakhstan and Turkey. Still, AP found numerous social media posts from across Russia in which people said they had decided to leave because of the war, economic uncertainty and shrinking freedoms. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and other officials have claimed Russia is preparing another mobilization after Sunday's State Duma election. The Kremlin has repeatedly rejected those claims. Yan Slovitsky, an emergency assistance coordinator for Kovcheg, described a “panicked wave” of emigration since mid-July linked to fears of mobilization, fuel shortages and internet restrictions. A Moscow-based diplomat also told AP there had been a noticeable increase in public anxiety this summer, along with reports of more Russians than usual appearing in neighboring Georgia and Armenia. The diplomat suggested some may be worried about another mobilization after the Duma election. Alen Simonyan, secretary of Armenia's Security Council, told independent Russian television channel Dozhd last month that Armenia would not interfere with Russians moving there to avoid military service and would help them if necessary. The Russian Foreign Ministry criticized his comments as “provocative.” Russian lawmaker Viktor Sobolev, meanwhile, told RTVI that the country did not need people who left because of rumors, saying, “Let them leave.” Some leave to avoid military service The 28-year-old digital marketer, who describes himself as a pacifist, said this was his second attempt to leave Russia. He first left in 2022 to avoid the mobilization of 300,000 troops announced by President Vladimir Putin, which shocked the country. He said he is not technically eligible for military service during peacetime because of a hip condition, but decided it was safer to leave because he did not know what authorities might do. Russian officials and rights groups gave conflicting views in 2022 over whether men in such circumstances could legally be mobilized. Some said they could be drafted, while others argued that martial law would have to be declared. Russia has not formally declared war on Ukraine, although the Kremlin imposed martial law in four Ukrainian regions it claimed to annex in 2022 but does not fully control. The marketer returned to his hometown of Ulyanovsk in 2025 and worked remotely for foreign clients. But he said Russia's restrictions on thousands of websites, platforms and online services made his work increasingly difficult. He often had to change VPN servers to bypass the restrictions. The possibility of another mobilization added to his concerns. “You never know what will happen tomorrow,” he said from an apartment in Tbilisi, Georgia, where he has settled. A 23-year-old woman from Moscow who left Russia last month also cited mobilization fears and concerns that her husband could be sent to the military. She said her father narrowly avoided being drafted in 2022 by leaving the country. This year, her husband learned that he would no longer receive a military deferment after completing his master's degree. “A person can figure anything out, but we were really afraid that (my husband) could end up in the army, because at this point it is a one-way ticket,” she said. Ivan Nazarov, a recent university graduate who moved to Yerevan, Armenia, expressed similar concerns. He said he had seen reports that Russian conscripts serving mandatory military duty, who are not supposed to be sent to Ukraine, were being pressured to sign contracts that could send them to the battlefield. “For me, it is a question of survival,” Nazarov said at a Kovcheg gathering in Yerevan for new immigrants. Shrinking freedoms also drive departures Some Russians are leaving because of growing restrictions on political and personal freedoms. Queer activist Daniil Neonov left Russia this summer after several detentions and a 10-day jail sentence for allegedly displaying extremist symbols. The case involved a photograph he posted online showing him wearing a T-shirt with a rainbow-colored design. Russian authorities have designated what they call the “international LGBT movement” as extremist. People can face misdemeanor charges for possessing or displaying items featuring rainbow colors. Neonov told AP in Yerevan that he feared authorities could bring a criminal case against him. He said he also knows several people who left Russia after being detained while gathering outside the Supreme Court to support the opposition Yabloko party. The court had removed Yabloko from the parliamentary election ballot. It was the only party on the ballot that openly opposed the war. “The police came to them and filed reports. I know several people who, after they were held in detention, also left. I mean, I'm not the only one,” Neonov said. A 35-year-old Russian man told AP he was preparing to leave because he did not want to live in a country without free speech, amid a weakening economy and growing school propaganda that promotes war, normalizes violence and encourages isolation from the rest of the world. The man, who spoke anonymously for security reasons, said he had considered leaving Russia for more than a decade but had continued to hope that “everything would work out.” Now, he said, Russians “live in a huge digital jail,” where “you can't say anything, you can't do anything. You have absolutely no rights.”

Russian President Vladimir Putin held more than three hours of talks with US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner at the Kremlin on Saturday as Washington renewed efforts to broker an end to the war in Ukraine. The closed-door meeting ended without any immediate announcement of a breakthrough. Putin's foreign policy adviser Yuri Ushakov later described the talks as constructive, frank and useful, but did not disclose specific outcomes. Witkoff and Kushner, US President Donald Trump's son-in-law, are scheduled to travel to Kyiv on Sunday for talks with Ukrainian officials. It will be their first visit to the Ukrainian capital as part of the current peace process. The meeting took place amid an escalation in Russian and Ukrainian aerial attacks. Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy agreed to temporarily suspend strikes on each other's capitals while the US delegation conducted its talks. At the start of the Kremlin meeting, Putin asked the US envoys to convey his greetings and gratitude to Trump, while acknowledging that the situation surrounding Ukraine remained difficult. Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Putin had ordered a three-day halt to strikes on Kyiv beginning at midnight Saturday. Zelenskyy separately said Ukraine was prepared to refrain from attacking Moscow through Monday and expected Russia to reciprocate. Ushakov said Moscow provided the US delegation with a detailed assessment of the battlefield situation in Ukraine. He added that the discussions also covered economic issues and possible large-scale projects that could benefit both Russia and the United States. The latest talks come after the US-led peace process lost momentum amid Washington's focus on the war involving Iran over the past six months. Witkoff and Kushner last visited Moscow in January, when they also met Putin. Meanwhile, fighting has continued along the roughly 1,250-kilometre front line, with both sides stepping up long-range attacks. Zelenskyy said Russia carried out overnight strikes on Kyiv and Boryspil international airports, suggesting the attacks were linked to preparations for the US delegation's planned trip to Ukraine. “Clearly, these Russian strikes on the airports are a reaction to the discussions and preparations for the possibility of the US side using an aircraft to travel to Ukraine,” he said in a social media post. The latest Russian attacks also caused civilian casualties in several parts of Ukraine. In the southern Dnipropetrovsk region, Russian strikes killed five workers and wounded others at an industrial facility, according to regional officials. Separate attacks in the region's Nikopol district and around Dnipro also killed one person and injured several others while damaging residential and commercial buildings. In the eastern Kharkiv region, a Russian drone struck a house in Chuhuiv, killing three people, including an 11-year-old boy, and injuring a woman, regional officials said. Two people were also killed and another wounded in a Russian drone attack in the Bucha district of the Kyiv region. Officials said dozens of facilities across five districts were damaged, including homes, warehouses, railway infrastructure and vehicles. In the southern Mykolaiv region, Russian drones repeatedly struck a shopping center, damaging shops and triggering fires. A 72-year-old man and a 17-year-old girl were wounded, according to Ukraine's emergency services. Ukraine's air force said Russia launched ballistic missiles and 167 attack drones overnight, including Shahed-type drones, many of them jet-powered. Ukrainian air defenses said they shot down or otherwise neutralised 128 drones. Ukraine also continued attacks inside Russia. Authorities in Russia's Belgorod region, which borders Ukraine, said two people were killed and three wounded in Ukrainian attacks on Saturday. Russia's Defense Ministry said its forces had intercepted 53 Ukrainian drones overnight. Despite the renewed diplomatic push, the continued attacks underscore the difficulty of securing a lasting ceasefire, with both sides still seeking military and political leverage on the battlefield.

Russia said Thursday it will close several German cultural centers after Berlin accused Moscow of being behind an attempted drone attack at Leipzig/Halle Airport and announced the closure of Russian diplomatic and cultural facilities in Germany. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said centers operated by Germany's Goethe-Institut would be shut down in Moscow, St. Petersburg and Yekaterinburg. Speaking at the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok, Lavrov said Germany should have understood that closing the Russian House cultural center in Berlin would bring an end to Germany's cultural presence in Russia. The move came after German authorities blamed Russia for an alleged plot involving a drone carrying explosives that was found near a Ukrainian aircraft at Leipzig/Halle Airport on Aug. 4. The device was later defused. The airport is a major international cargo hub and has been used to provide support and supplies to Ukraine. Western officials have repeatedly accused Russia of carrying out sabotage and other disruptive activities across Europe in an effort to weaken support for Ukraine and destabilize European countries. Russian President Vladimir Putin rejected the accusations, claiming that Germany was trying to divert attention from its own domestic problems and growing voter dissatisfaction. He also said any evidence presented against Russia had been fabricated. EU considers response European Union foreign ministers discussed possible responses to the alleged drone attack on Wednesday but faced difficulties in finding new measures that would address the threat without military action. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said the incident appeared to have the characteristics of state-sponsored terrorism. Possible measures discussed included additional sanctions, visa restrictions and the closure of Russian consulates. The EU has already imposed nearly two dozen rounds of sanctions on Russia since the start of the war in Ukraine, targeting more than 3,000 Russian officials, business figures and organisations, including banks, energy companies and drone manufacturers. Kallas said the bloc was also preparing additional travel bans and asset freezes against around 1,600 more individuals. Germany said it was “not at war” with Russia but had become a regular target of what it described as the Kremlin's hybrid campaign. German Foreign Minister Johan Wadephul said Berlin had carefully prepared its response and that Moscow would now have to face the consequences. He also called on Russia to demonstrate its willingness to engage in meaningful talks and negotiations, particularly over the war in Ukraine.

Russia launched a major overnight attack on Ukraine, firing missiles and drones at cities across the country. The strikes continued into Thursday morning, with explosions heard in Kyiv. Ukraine is facing a shortage of US-made Patriot air defense missiles, which are among its main weapons against Russian ballistic missiles. Russia has also introduced fast, jet-powered drones, adding another challenge for Ukrainian defenses. Ukrainian officials say Russia has been building up its missile stockpiles and launching large-scale attacks every few days in an apparent attempt to overwhelm Ukraine's air defenses. Ukraine, meanwhile, has carried out long-range drone attacks on targets inside Russia. Russia says strikes targeted military facilitiesThe Russian Defense Ministry said its forces carried out a "massive" attack on nine Ukrainian cities from Wednesday night, targeting military-related facilities including industrial plants, oil refineries, logistics centers and port infrastructure. However, civilian areas were also damaged. A 78-year-old woman was killed in the southern Zaporizhzhia region and another person died in the northern Kharkiv region, Ukrainian officials said. At least 14 others were wounded in different areas. "Russia continues to invest in missiles and in expanding its war, and that means more countermeasures are needed," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on social media. He welcomed promises made by European countries earlier this week to provide additional air defense support, but said Ukraine also needs more systems capable of intercepting ballistic missiles through European purchases of US weapons. The strikes also damaged businesses and other economic infrastructure. Russian drones hit three major distribution centers, destroying warehouses belonging to a toy retailer and a confectionery company and damaging another facility operated by an electronics retailer, the companies said. Russia also continued attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure ahead of the winter. Four powerful glide bombs destroyed generating equipment at a combined heat and power plant in the southern Kherson region, forcing the facility to shut down, its operator Naftogaz said. Zelenskyy to visit MoldovaZelenskyy was scheduled to visit neighboring Moldova on Thursday to attend celebrations marking the country's independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. Ukraine also declared independence that year. Moldova's Defense Ministry said five drones entered its airspace overnight, though it did not say who launched them. Russia's invasion of Ukraine has raised concerns among neighboring Eastern European countries about the possibility of the conflict spreading. Drone incursions into their airspace have added to those concerns. Ukraine's air force said it shot down or disrupted seven Russian ballistic missiles but did not provide details on how they were intercepted. Four districts of Kyiv were hit during the night, damaging apartment buildings, a school and a medical facility, city police said. No casualties were reported in the capital. Russian forces also targeted industrial and energy facilities in the central Poltava region, regional military administration chief Vitalii Diakivnych said. The southern Odesa region faced more than seven hours of Russian attacks, regional governor Oleh Kiper said. A 16-story residential building, two educational facilities and a grain elevator were damaged. Odesa is a major port for Ukraine's exports of grain and other agricultural products. The attacks also caused major disruption to rail services, with some trains delayed by more than 17 hours, state railway operator Ukrzaliznytsia said. Ukraine targets Russian businessesUkraine has also been carrying out near-daily long-range drone attacks against targets inside Russia. Ukraine's General Staff said air-launched missiles struck Russia's main and backup command posts near the eastern city of Donetsk, where Ukrainian troops are facing pressure from a Russian offensive. The Russian Defense Ministry said its air defenses shot down 267 Ukrainian drones over 14 Russian regions, the illegally annexed Crimean Peninsula, the Sea of Azov and the Black Sea. Ukrainian drones have recently targeted major Russian online retailers. After attacks destroyed large warehouses belonging to Wildberries, Russia's biggest online retailer, drones have now targeted Ozon, the country's second-largest e-commerce company. Ozon initially said logistics facilities in Orenburg and Ufa were attacked, although neither caught fire. The company later revised its statement, saying only the Ufa facility was attacked while the Orenburg site was evacuated following an alert and later resumed normal operations.

A series of Russian missile strikes hit Kyiv overnight Thursday, killing at least six people and leaving 33 others injured, Ukrainian officials said. The attacks struck 12 sites in the capital’s Darnytskyi, Sviatoshynskyi and Solomianskyi districts, damaging apartment buildings, a medical center and an educational facility. Rescue teams worked through the rubble to locate and free people who were trapped. In Solomianskyi district, the upper two floors of a nine-story residential building were destroyed, while fires erupted on several lower floors. Residents were also trapped inside two other apartment buildings and a school shelter. Ukraine’s Emergency Service said the air raid warning remained in place into the early hours of Thursday. The latest strikes come as Russia has increased its use of ballistic missiles against Kyiv, seeking to put further pressure on Ukraine’s already stretched air defense capabilities. Kyiv has only a limited number of systems able to intercept ballistic missiles, while supplies of ammunition for its U.S.-supplied Patriot systems remain tight. U.S. President Donald Trump had earlier approved Ukraine’s plans to secure licenses to manufacture Patriot air defense systems, but subsequently withdrew the authorization. Ukraine has responded by expanding its own long-range attacks on targets inside Russia, including weapons depots, military sites and other strategic facilities, in an effort to disrupt Moscow’s capacity to sustain its strikes on Ukrainian cities.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has asked US President Donald Trump to help secure approval from billionaire Elon Musk to allow Ukraine to use the Starlink satellite network for targeting military strikes inside Russia, according to people familiar with the discussions. The request came during Zelenskyy's meeting with Trump at the White House this week and was also raised in talks with US lawmakers on Capitol Hill. However, Trump did not commit to supporting the proposal, the sources said. Ukraine currently uses Starlink for communications within its own territory, including Russian-occupied areas. But Musk has not allowed the satellite system to be used for operations inside Russia. Zelenskyy has been pressing US officials for several weeks to expand Starlink's use, arguing that it would improve the accuracy of Ukraine's long-range and medium-range strikes. His request comes as Ukraine looks for alternatives to reduce its reliance on US-made Patriot air defence systems, which have become harder to obtain amid the ongoing US and Israeli military campaign against Iran. The White House, the Ukrainian Embassy in Washington and SpaceX, which owns Starlink, did not immediately comment on the matter. Allowing Starlink to be used inside Russia could also pose risks for Musk. Earlier this year, the Associated Press reported that intelligence agencies from two NATO countries believed Russia was developing an anti-satellite weapon that could target the Starlink network. The report could not be independently verified. Starlink has played a key role in supporting Ukraine's communications since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022. During his visit to Washington, Zelenskyy also urged US lawmakers to continue supporting Ukraine with more Patriot systems and to move forward with a proposed agreement that would allow Ukraine to produce the air defence system under licence. Republican Senator Mike Rounds, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said Zelenskyy stressed that wider access to Starlink would make Ukraine's longer-range weapons more accurate. "He made it clear they need Starlink for greater precision," Rounds said. Zelenskyy met lawmakers before the Senate voted to advance a new package of sanctions against Russia, with a final vote expected next week. Meanwhile, Trump appeared to step back from an earlier statement suggesting Ukraine would receive a licence to manufacture Patriot systems. Speaking to reporters at Camp David on Friday, Trump said the issue was still under discussion. "We're talking about it. But it's a hard thing to give away that kind of technology," he said. Relations between Trump and Zelenskyy have improved in recent months as Ukraine has gained ground on the battlefield. Zelenskyy has also argued that the war in Ukraine is linked to tensions involving Iran. He plans to share intelligence with the United States that he says shows Russia is helping Iran use satellite surveillance to target US military bases in the Middle East. He also told US lawmakers that Ukraine is ready to share its expertise in drone warfare with the United States, highlighting its experience in countering Russian attacks.

Ukraine launched one of its largest drone attacks on Russia overnight, with Russian authorities claiming their air defenses shot down 660 drones across 12 regions, the Russia-controlled Crimean Peninsula, the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov on Friday. The attack appeared to be one of the biggest drone offensives by Ukraine since Russia launched its full-scale invasion more than four years ago. Russia previously reported intercepting 556 Ukrainian drones in its largest recorded attack on May 17 this year. Ukraine has increasingly used long-range drones to hit targets far inside Russian territory, including oil and energy facilities, in an effort to weaken Russia's military operations. Western officials and analysts say the strikes have disrupted fuel supplies and military logistics, putting additional pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin. Russian authorities released few details about the overnight attack. The Russian Defense Ministry did not say which sites were targeted or whether any major damage was caused. Meanwhile, Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) said its drones struck Russian navy vessels and air defense radar systems in Kerch, a key port city in Crimea. According to the agency, the targets included the reconnaissance and mine-laying ships Volga and Vyatka, as well as the cargo-passenger ferry Petropavlovsk. The SBU claimed the strikes triggered a large fire, although the claim could not be independently verified. The latest drone offensive came hours after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on X that he had ordered a "40-day influence operation," which is believed to involve stepping up attacks to pressure Russia into ending the war after months of stalled US-led peace efforts. Recent successful drone strikes, including attacks on targets in Moscow and St. Petersburg, have boosted morale in Ukraine. Zelenskyy also said he secured fresh promises of military support from leaders at the recent G7 summit, including US President Donald Trump. He said the additional assistance would strengthen Ukraine's efforts to push Russia toward peace negotiations. A NATO summit scheduled for next month is also expected to discuss further military support for Ukraine.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has claimed that Russia is redeploying a large portion of its air defense systems to protect key locations, including Moscow, as Ukrainian long-range drone attacks continue to strike targets deep inside Russian territory. In a video address late Wednesday, Zelenskyy said Russia has strengthened defenses around Moscow, the town of Valdai, where Russian President Vladimir Putin has a residence, and the Kerch Bridge, a crucial supply route linking mainland Russia with Crimea. According to Zelenskyy, hundreds of air defense missile launchers have been concentrated around Moscow, while nearly 90 launchers have reportedly been moved to Valdai from other regions. Ukraine has significantly increased drone strikes on Russian military and energy facilities in recent months. Kyiv says the attacks have disrupted fuel supplies and military logistics, creating additional challenges for Russian forces more than four years into the war. Ukrainian drones have recently targeted Moscow and St. Petersburg, while Kyiv is also seeking to weaken Russian control over Crimea, the Black Sea peninsula annexed by Russia in 2014. Zelenskyy suggested that the redeployment of air defense systems could leave other parts of Russia more exposed to Ukrainian drone attacks. He said Ukraine's latest generation of drones can travel more than 1,500 kilometers. "There are growing difficulties for Russia because Putin continues to reject proposals for meaningful talks and a peaceful settlement," Zelenskyy said. Trump praises Zelenskyy US President Donald Trump, who has previously criticized Zelenskyy, offered rare praise for the Ukrainian leader on Wednesday. Speaking at the White House, Trump described Zelenskyy as "courageous" and said he was "doing pretty well" in the conflict. Zelenskyy said he secured commitments for continued international support during the recent G7 summit and expressed hope that additional military assistance would strengthen Ukraine's campaign against Russia. He added that Ukraine's operations, including those targeting Crimea, had been carefully planned and could increase pressure on Moscow to pursue peace negotiations. Ukraine watching Belarus closely Zelenskyy also said Ukrainian intelligence believes Belarus has switched off signal relay equipment that Kyiv claims was used to help guide Russian drones toward targets in Ukraine. Last week, Ukraine demanded that Belarus remove the equipment and warned it could take action if the systems remained operational. Despite the reported shutdown, Zelenskyy said concerns remain about Belarus, which allowed Russian forces to use its territory during the initial invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Ukrainian authorities on Wednesday ordered mandatory evacuations from communities in the northern Chernihiv region near the Belarus border starting July 1. Meanwhile, the Washington-based think tank Institute for the Study of War said Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko continues to balance relations between Moscow and Kyiv, while avoiding direct involvement in the war. Ukraine's military chief, Oleksandr Syrskyi, recently said the country is strengthening defenses along its northern border and establishing new drone units in the area. Russian strikes hit gas stations in Ukraine Russia launched one ballistic missile and 90 attack drones overnight, according to Ukraine's air force. A Russian drone strike hit a gas station in the northeastern Sumy region on Thursday morning, injuring four people, including two employees, regional governor Oleh Hryhorov said. He added that Russian forces have targeted gas stations in the region 13 times this month. In the southern city of Zaporizhzhia, another overnight Russian attack injured a woman and damaged a gas station, according to regional governor Ivan Fedorov. Russia's Defense Ministry said its air defense systems shot down 269 Ukrainian drones between late Wednesday and early Thursday. Several Russian airports also temporarily restricted flights during the attacks.