Ukraine-Russia war latest: At least three dead after bomb explodes near Moscow restaurant

Ukrainian drones struck two more warehouses belonging to Russian online retailer Wildberries overnight on Thursday, sparking fires at both sites, the company and a regional official said.

Ukraine has attacked about a dozen Wildberries sites since July 18 in a bid to disrupt the operations of the company, a linchpin of the consumer economy that is often described as Russia’s answer to Amazon. Kyiv accused the firm of helping to bolster Vladimir Putin’s war machine.

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Volodymyr Zelensky has called for anti-ballistic missiles to be given to Ukraine instead of sitting “in stockpiles”.

The Ukrainian president has issued his plea to Europe and the United States, as he requests further sanctions to stop Russia from producing ballistic weapons.

In a post on social media, he said: “The world has Patriot missiles. What matters now is for our partners to make the political decision to provide the necessary packages.

“The United States knows what we need. Europe knows what we need. Anti-ballistic missiles must protect people – not sit in stockpiles. And every day without this vital assistance gives Russia another chance to kill our people.

:And right now, the response must also include additional and real sanctions.”

“They took the 16-year-old girls to their place,” she recounts tearfully. “When the girls came back, their clothes were torn. Everything was torn. The Russians behaved badly with those girls.

“Everyone was panicking. We didn’t know what to do, where to go. The Russians came to my house. They checked my toys, my hairpins, and my clothes… They threatened my parents. They had weapons. If you say anything, they might kill you.”

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Ukrainian forces have attacked the Saratov ⁠oil refinery in southwestern Russia and ⁠the ​Engels military ⁠air base in ⁠the same ​region, ⁠Kyiv’s military ‌said on Sunday.

In a statement, ‌the General ‌Staff said the strikes ⁠had sparked fires at both facilities. It said its forces had ‌also struck an ​oil ‌depot in ⁠the western ⁠Kaluga region.

The explosion was caused by an IED which was detonated remotely, Russia’s National Anti-Terrorism Committee has said.

Three people were killed and 21 otheres were injured after an “improvised explosive device” exploded at a restaurant on Kudrinskaya Square, one of the seven skyscraper towers built by Stalin.

It said the three people who died were:

• A security guard who stopped the unidentified woman from entering the building with the explosive device
• the woman
• a visitor

The Russian newspaper Kommersant said it was likely the woman was unaware of the contents of the parcel.

Quoting its own sources, Kommersant said the targets were guests on the restaurant’s outdoor summer terrace.

But some are willing to take things further than others. For four years, one group has seen plenty of new sights – by driving into an active warzone.

Ukrainian Action, a charity set up after Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, has just sent its 500th vehicle full of aid and equipment across Europe to support Ukrainians in need on and off the front line. With Russian airstrikes actively targeting ordinary homes, civilian businesses, and infrastructure facilities with ballistic missiles and drones, killing at least 26 people, including four children, in separate attacks this week, Ukraine is a highly volatile place to be.

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Emergency services in Kyiv have completed rescue and recovery operations following Russia’s attack overnight into Saturday, with officials confirming that nine people were killed and 33 others injured.

A total of 206 emergency personnel and 42 pieces of equipment were deployed to respond to the aftermath of the strike.

Russia fired a record 376 missiles at Ukraine in July, according to an AFP analysis of Ukrainian air force data.

According to reports published by Kyiv’s air force, Russia has launched more than twice the number of missiles at Ukraine in July than in June.

A significant number of these attacks targeted Kyiv, which saw some of the deadliest strikes.

Russia also fired 4,956 long-range drones at Ukraine during the month, down 14 per cent on June.

Pictures showed emergency services and heavily armed security personnel surrounding the blast site outside the Balzi Rossi restaurant in central Moscow.

Three people were killed and at least 21 injured after a bomb exploded outside an upscale Italian restaurant on Saturday evening.

Ukraine struck a sanctioned Russian-flagged container ship in the Black Sea, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on X.

The vessel, Yanina, has a capacity of more than 100,000 metric tonnes and was targeted during Ukrainian operations in the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov using domestically produced “middle-strike” weapons, Zelensky said.

“Our targets are consistently defined facilities that sustain the war effort,” he wrote, adding: “Grateful to Ukrainian warriors who are bringing the war back to Russia and responding to its attacks against life.”

Russia’s state nuclear corporation Rosatom confirmed the strike, saying the ship was hit by two Ukrainian naval drones in international waters about 130 nautical miles from the Russian port of Novorossiysk.

Rosatom chief Alexey Likhachev said all 17 crew members were rescued.