Ukraine-Russia war latest: Trump again blames Zelensky for ‘starting’ Ukraine war over Kyiv’s Patriot offer

For a showman given to overarching high-wire performances in every theatre at home and abroad, Donald Trump’s recent criticisms of Russia have been distinctly mumbled – showing he doesn’t have the courage of his lack of conviction.

“I was told they made a mistake,” he said.

One can only guess whether he made this claim after talking with Vladimir Putin’s officials. It seems more likely that he came up with the line to avoid further global condemnation of Russia for another war crime.

A Chinese national fighting in Ukraine alongside Russian forces has said Russia’s army took his conscription money and he never got to use the pay.

Zhang Renbo, captured in Donetsk region by Ukrainian Defense Forces, said that the bank card, on which he was receiving his military fee from the Russian army contract, was only used by Russian soldiers.

“I received a card with a deposit of 200,000 rubles (£1842), but I couldn’t use it. In fact, the money, along with the phone that had the app linked to the card, was periodically taken by Russians and spent under the pretense of fuel expenses or chargers. So I was unable to use that money myself,” Zhang said at a press conference with Ukrainian news agency Ukrinform.

A Ukrainian overnight drone attack killed an 85-year-old woman, injured nine people and sparked fires in several buildings in the Russian city of Kursk near the border with Ukraine, regional officials said this morning.

More than 20 blasts shook the Russian territory, according to preliminary reports from Russia’s Telegram channels Baza and SHOT, who cited sources in the security services and law enforcment.

“Kursk has been subjected to a massive enemy attack overnight,” the Kursk region administration said on its Telegram channel.

A multi-storey apartment building was damaged in result of the drone attack, with several flats catching fire, acting mayor of Kursk, Sergei Kotlyarov said on Telegram.

Residents have been evacuated to a nearby school, he added.

Drones also hit also an ambulance garage, damaging 11 cars, the region’s administration said.

A series of blasts shook the Russian city of Kursk near the border with Ukraine early this morning, reported Baza and SHOT Telegram channels, which often publish information from sources in the security services and law enforcement.

According to the preliminary reports, residential buildings have been damaged in the region facing Ukrainian incursion. Photos shared by the Telegram channels showed what looked like a multi-storey residential building on fire at night.

US President Donald Trump has defended Russia’s “terrible” missile attack on Sumy as a “mistake”.

Ukraine could be partitioned like Berlin after the Second World War as part of a peace deal, US President Donald Trump’s special envoy for Ukraine and Russia has suggested.

Retired lieutenant general Keith Kellogg said in an interview with The Times that UK and French troops could adopt zones of control in the west of the country, forming a “reassurance force”.

Russia’s army could remain in the occupied east, and between the two would be Ukrainian forces and a demilitarised zone, said Gen Kellogg, who was previously national security adviser to former vice-president Mike Pence.

Two ballistic weapons hit the city centre at about 10:15 am local time [GMT 07:15] on one of busiest church-going days of the year, destroying a bus and several cars.

Pictures from the scene showed lines of black body bags on the side of the road and bodies wrapped in foil blankets.

Donald Trump has once again falsely blamed Volodymyr Zelensky for “starting” the war in Ukraine without acknowledging Russia’s military invasion.

The US president was asked about Mr Zelensky’s recent offer to purchase more Patriot missiles from the Trump administration.

“I don’t know. He’s always looking to purchase missiles, you know, he’s against… listen. When you start a war, you got to know that you can win the war, right? You don’t start a war against somebody that’s 20 times your size. And then hope that people give you some missiles,” Mr Trump said.

He has previously also blamed Mr Zelensky for “starting” the Ukraine war, called the Ukrainian president a “dictator” and then refuted his own statement.

In February this year, the US president pointed fingers at Kyiv for Moscow’s 2022 invasion and claimed Ukraine had “started the war” in remarks that sent shockwaves around the world.

The UK has sent Ukraine £752m ($990m) to buy air defences and artillery as part of a broader $50bn international loan programme backed by frozen Russian assets, Britain’s government said.

“The world is changing before our eyes, reshaped by global instability, including Russian aggression in Ukraine,” finance minister Rachel Reeves said.

Defence secretary John Healey has said Britain would give Ukraine £4.5bn of support this year and that the funds would be used to purchase air defences, artillery and spare parts for vehicles and other equipment.

Other British aid includes help by its defence ministry to procure radar systems, anti-tank mines and hundreds of thousands of drones.