Ukraine updates: ‘Coalition of the willing’ meeting in Paris

Russia‘s domestic intelligence agency, the FSB, said that it had scuppered a series of attempted Ukrainian drone strikes against two military airbases deep inside Russia.

Russian state news agency TASS reported that Ukraine’s secret services had tried hitting the Shagol and Ukrainka air bases located in the Ural mountains and Russia’s far east and cited the FSB with that information.

TASS reported that “perpetrators and accomplices of the planned terrorist attacks have been detained.”

The report goes on to say that balloons and drones were used to deliver containers laden with drones into Russia’s Bryansk region, which were then transported to the target areas.

It wouldn’t have been the first time Ukraine has managed to strike deep inside Russian territory.

In 2025 Ukraine managed to launch strikes on Russian military air bases, including Ukrainka, and managed to destroy a number of Russian aircraft.

Foreign ministers from the European Union are meeting in Brussels to discuss Russia’s continued invasion of Ukraine.

Ahead of the talks, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas ssaid that there wasn’t yet agreement on the 21st package of sanctions against Russia.

“We are hoping ​that ‌we get 250 listings agreed .. this is the biggest number of listings we ‌have done so far,” Kallas ‌said.

“When it comes to the 21st ​package, there are still some open questions,” she added.

Kallas also said there would also be discussions about prisoners of war, child abductions and civilians who are being held in occupied terriroties.

“These are teachers, these are journalists. We have the NGOs here from Ukraine who are dealing with this, and we are also discussing what more can we do,” Kallas said upon arrival in Brussels.

The Coalition of the Willing, the Western allies who support Ukraine amid Russia‘s ongoing invasion, are meeting in Paris.

The summit — launched by France and the United Kingdom to provide military support — will push for a ceasefire and renewed peace talks, the French presidency said Friday.

At least 25 heads of state are attending the talks that take place a day before France’s Bastille Day national holiday, among them Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

The talks come at a “powerful moment of renewed transatlantic convergence and unity”, but also of “more favorable developments on the ground” for Kyiv, the Elysee said.

Coalition leaders are also expected to focus on air and missile defense cooperation and its been reported that the Multinational Force for Ukraine, which would be deployed after fighting ends, is to be declared ready, officials have been cited as saying.

Ukraine strengthens defenses along its border with Belarus, warning President Alexander Lukashenko against deeper involvement in Russia’s war. Belarus remains a key source of logistic support for Moscow. Could that role expand?

At least three people have been rported killed Ukrainian drone strikes near Moscow, according to local authorities.

Regional governor Andrei Vorobyov said  three people were killed whe a drone crashed in the village of Pionersky, west of Moscow.

“Fires broke out in five private homes,” Vorobyov said in a post on Telegram.

Vorobyov also said that a drone also struck an apartment building in the Moscow region town of Solnechnogorsk, injuring two people.

He said that 81 Ukrainian drones were shot down in the region overnight.

Russia’s Defense Ministry meanwhile said that 342 Ukrainian drones were downed in several regions overnight.

Ukraine has been striking increasingly deeper inside Russia as it continues to defend itself from a full-scale invasion from its neighbor.

Thank you for joining us as we bring you the latest developments in Russia’s war against Ukraine.

Monday will see Ukraine’s allies gather to reaffirm support for Kyiv and ratchet up pressure on Russia to end ongoing invasion. 

At least 25 heads of state will be joining the summit — which takes place a day before Bastille Day — including Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy who will stay on for the military parade down the Champs Elysees.

We’re also tracking a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels. The bloc’s top diplomat Kaja Kallas said there’s still work to be done on the 21st sanctions package on Russia.

Stay tuned as we bring you the details on those incidents and plenty more.