Russian air defenses destroyed 73 Ukrainian drones overnight, including three heading for Moscow, Russia's defence ministry said on Friday.

A group of Ukrainian teenagers, particularly several 17-year-old boys who survived Russian interrogations and searches, has been brought back to Ukraine from the occupied territory. Source: Bring Kids Back to Ukraine initiative Details: They are now in territory controlled by Ukraine.

The Kremlin said on Friday that it did not believe that a tougher stance U.S. President Donald Trump has adopted towards Russia over its war in Ukraine means the end of U.S-Russia talks aimed at reviving their battered ties.

The U.K. has sanctioned Russian military intelligence officers and units linked to a deadly 2022 theater bombing in Ukraine

The Russia-Ukraine war, launched by Russian President Vladimir Putin in February 2022, has fueled nuclear concerns across the globe. The invasion of Ukraine strained already-frayed relations between Russia and the U.S., as well as the North Atlantic Treaty Organization ( NATO ), a military alliance of the U.S., Canada and European allies.

US President Donald Trump’s 50-day pause ahead of possible secondary sanctions on Russia gifts the Kremlin a window to exploit the incremental gains of recent weeks in Ukraine’s east.

By mid-July, deliberate shutdowns spread to most of the country, according to Na Svyazi — Russian for “staying connected” — an activist group tracking internet availability. On Thursday, the group said 61 of Russia's more than 80 regions suffered cellphone internet shutdowns. In 42 regions, there were reports of broadband network outages.

U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to ramp up arms shipments to Ukraine is a signal to Kyiv to abandon peace efforts, Russia said on Thursday, vowing it would not accept the "blackmail" of Washington's new sanctions ultimatum.