Inside the bitter historical feud between Ukraine and Poland amid war against Russia
A deep historical rift is now challenging the strong alliance between Poland and Ukraine, despite their shared war against Russia.
The dispute centres on Kyiv’s renaming of an army unit after a nationalist force, responsible for Second World War massacres of Poles, which has soured relations and exposed rival historical interpretations.
Here’s how their rival interpretations of history have soured relations:
Alex Croft22 June 2026 16:15
Kremlin accuses Ukraine of threatening sovereignty of ally Belarus
The Kremlin has accused Ukraine of threatening the sovereignty of close Russian ally Belarus – but said it had no doubts that Minsk was in a position to defend itself.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday threatened to take action against Belarus if it did not quickly remove equipment which Mr Zelensky said was being used by Russia to help coordinate its own attacks on Ukraine.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russian president Vladimir Putin and Belarusian president Alexander Lukashenko would discuss Zelensky’s remarks.
(Reuters)
Alex Croft22 June 2026 15:28
Ukraine strikes satellite communications centre in Russia
We’re hearing that Ukraine’s military has struck Russia’s Dubna satellite communications centre, as reported by the Ukrainian military’s General Staff.
The centre is in Russia’s western Moscow region.
Heavy smoke was observed at the site and the extent of damage was being assessed, it added.
Alex Croft22 June 2026 14:45
Russia downs 301 drones, 60 of which were headed for Moscow
Russia downed 301 drones overnight, Russian news agencies are saying, quoting the defence ministry.
Nearly 60 of these downed drones were headed for Moscow, Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said on Telegram.
He said emergency services had been dispatched to the areas where drones were downed but gave no further information.
Alex Croft22 June 2026 14:01
In pictures: Blaze in Sumy after Russian drone strike kills family
A 13-year-old boy was killed in the attack, Ukraine said (Reuters)Two members of the boy’s family were also killed in the attack on Sumy (Reuters)
Alex Croft22 June 2026 13:16
Starmer’s exit unlikely to change UK’s hostile approach to Russia – Kremlin
The departure of British prime minister Keir Starmer, a strong supporter of Ukraine, is unlikely to change London’s hostile attitude towards Russia, the Kremlin said on Monday.
Starmer announced his resignation on Monday, promising to ensure an orderly transfer of power to a new leader by September at the latest to try to avoid political instability as Britain prepares for its seventh leader in 10 years.
“Starmer has not done anything to distinguish himself on the issue of British-Russian relations,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.
“He has always been in favour of keeping relations at a zero level. It is unlikely that anyone on the British political scene will hold a position on our country that differs from Starmer’s,” said Peskov.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer reacts as he announces the timeline for his resignation, outside 10 Downing Street (Reuters)
Alex Croft22 June 2026 12:39
Ukraine’s battlefield shift has not solved its humanitarian crisis, IRC says
Ukraine’s stronger position in the war with Russia has yet to relieve the humanitarian crisis felt by millions of displaced Ukrainians and worsened by a plunge in aid spending, the head of the International Rescue Committee said.
Ukraine has slowed Russia’s advances on the battlefield to a virtual halt in recent months, prompting G7 leaders to recognise at a summit last week that momentum in the war has shifted.
Speaking during a visit to Ukraine, David Miliband, the IRC’s president and CEO, said it was still vital to recognise the impact of aid cuts, led by the US, that have halved the IRC’s budget in the country to a current estimate of $20m in 2027 from $40m last year.
“It feels particularly important at a time when there is this new sense of a different geopolitical narrative to recognise the brutality and strain that’s being faced by millions of Ukrainians,” Miliband said on Saturday, World Refugee Day.
The UN calculates roughly 118 million people are displaced globally, often as a result of conflict, violence and persecution. Ukraine accounts for around 10 million, with nearly four million of those internally displaced inside the country.
Namita Singh22 June 2026 12:29
Russian drone attack kills three members of family including boy, 13
A Russian drone attack has killed three members of one family, including a 13-year-old boy, in Ukraine’s northern Sumy region, regional prosecutors have said.
The boy’s 36-year-old father and 73-year-old grandmother were killed, while his mother and two siblings were injured in the attack, which occurred close to 4:50 a.m. (0150 GMT) local time, the prosecutors said.
We’re working to bring you more on this attack.
Alex Croft22 June 2026 11:00
Egyptian sailor killed in Russian attack on Turkish-owned cargo vessel
We’re hearing news that a Turkish dry cargo vessel, called Victress, has been struck in a Russian drone attack, causing a major fire aboard.
An Egyptian cook was killed in the attack, deputy prime minister Oleksii Kuleba said.
The ship was sailing under the Panamanian flag, the Ukrainian navy said in a Telegram post on Monday.
There were casualties among the nine crew members who are nationals of Egypt, Turkey and India, it said.
The post did not provide details on the casualties.
Alex Croft22 June 2026 10:38
Pictures: Aftermath of Russian missile strike in Odesa region
A woman walks at a compound of an agricultural enterprise hit by a Russian missile strike on Sunday evening, amid Russia’s attack on Ukraine, in Odesa region (Reuters)Employees remove debris at a compound of an agricultural enterprise hit by a Russian missile strike on Sunday evening, amid Russia’s attack on Ukraine, in Odesa region (Reuters)Firefighters work at the site of a Russian strike, amid Russia’s attack on Ukraine, at a location given as Odesa Region (Reuters)
Namita Singh22 June 2026 10:15
