Ukraine-Russia war live: Kyiv calls on Israel to detain Russian ship carrying stolen grain

Ukrainian forces are striking Russian military trucks with a “Hornet”-type suicide drone equipped with an automated targeting system, a Ukrainian government–run platform said, citing a video.

The video, circulating on social media since Monday, shows the drone locking onto and hitting the vehicles, reportedly without manual guidance in the final moments of the strike.

The system is believed to use onboard targeting assistance, allowing it to track and maintain its trajectory even in the face of battlefield interference.

The Independent could not verify the authenticity of the video.

“Hornet” drones are typically linked to Ukrainian-developed FPV and loitering munitions produced by volunteer-led initiatives such as the Wild Hornets group, the news website launched by the Ukrainian government in 2022 to support the war effort, reported.

These compact, high-speed platforms carry explosive payloads and are designed to hit targets directly, including moving vehicles.

Newer versions increasingly feature elements of automated targeting, reflecting a broader shift in Ukraine’s drone warfare strategy.

Kyiv has focused on scaling up production while improving precision and resilience, particularly in strikes aimed at disrupting Russian logistics and supply lines.

Russia launched a large-scale overnight attack on Ukraine, firing more than 300 drones and three ballistic missiles, Ukrainian officials said, with port infrastructure in the south among the targets.

Ukraine’s air force said 324 drones were launched from Tuesday evening, with 309 shot down or neutralised.

All three missiles and at least 13 drones struck targets in nine locations, it said.

In the southeastern city of Dnipro, three people were injured and a nine-storey apartment block was damaged, regional governor Oleksandr Hanzha said, a day after a missile strike there killed five and wounded nearly 30.

In Cherkasy, four people sought medical help following a separate drone attack, while in Zaporizhzhia a 74-year-old woman was killed in shelling that also damaged nearby buildings and businesses.

Further strikes hit port infrastructure in the southern Odesa region, damaging administrative and warehouse facilities, governor Oleh Kiper said.

Mr Orban, who enjoyed warm relations with Russian president Vladimir Putin and was a persistent thorn in Ukraine’s side as it sought financial backing for its war effort from a divided Europe, was swept aside by Peter Magyar and his centre-right Tisza party.

What the future holds for the Russia-Hungary relationship is unclear, but in light of Mr Orban’s collapse in public support, Moscow now appears to be distancing itself and playing down the loss of its most influential ally in the European Union.

“We were never friends with Orban,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters, according to The Guardian. Hungary’s official designation is as an “unfriendly country”, he added, explaining that Russia therefore did not congratulate Mr Magyar on his election win.

Chinese president Xi Jinping said Wednesday that the stability and certainty of China-Russia relations are particularly “precious” in the face of an international landscape intertwined with change and chaos.

During a meeting with Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov in Beijing, Xi said the strong vitality and exemplary significance of the friendship treaty between the two countries stand out even more under such a backdrop.

He said foreign ministries from both countries would need to fully implement the consensus reached between him and Russian president Vladimir Putin, calling for strengthening strategic communication and close diplomatic coordination.

He also urged them to promote the comprehensive strategic partnership between Beijing and Moscow to “stand higher, walk more steadily and go further.

“Xi touted the value of the two nations’ ties, but he did not specify what he referred to as chaos and changes in the international context, as uncertainty still lingers about how long the Iran war would last.

The Kremlin told Russians on Tuesday that mobile internet shutdowns that have disrupted the lives of millions are temporary and will eventually be lifted amid anger in Moscow’s elites.

Authorities shut down the mobile internet in Moscow for nearly three weeks in March and regularly block it elsewhere, citing the risk of Ukrainian drones using it to guide attacks. The Federal Security Service (FSB), the main successor agency to the Soviet KGB, is in charge of internal security.

Meta’s WhatsApp has been completely blocked and it has become extremely ⁠difficult to use the Telegram messenger service – which has long been ​Russians’ ⁠preferred digital ecosystem – after both messengers were accused of not complying with Russian law.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry ⁠Peskov said that “security considerations” dictated the need to take certain measures, but that they were temporary.

“It is ​clear that ⁠restrictions on internet access cause inconvenience for many ‌citizens, but… once the need for these measures has passed, internet access will, of course, be fully restored and returned to normal,” said Peskov.

It comes amid anger by businesses and bankers over losses because of the shutdown.

Several senior business-oriented ‌current and former officials and bankers had reportedly lobbied president Vladimir Putin to moderate the crackdown.

Ukraine has urged Israel to take action over a Russian vessel it alleges is carrying stolen Ukrainian grain.

Kyiv says the ship, ABINSK, was loaded via smaller vessels operating from ports in Russian-occupied territory, citing an investigation by a Ukrainian journalist.

Ukrainian officials argue the export of looted agricultural produce is helping to sustain Russia’s economy amid the war.

Foreign minister Andrii Sybiha raised the issue with his Israeli counterpart, calling for steps to prevent what Ukraine describes as illegal trade.

He stressed “that the illegal export of stolen Ukrainian agricultural products is part of Russia’s broader war effort. Such illegal trade with stolen goods must not be allowed.”

Ukrainian representatives had earlier appealed to Israeli authorities to block the vessel from docking, and have since asked that it be prevented from leaving port.

Israel has not publicly commented on the claims.

A fire at a gunpowder plant in Russia’s city of Kazan has left two people injured, according to local authorities cited by Russian news agencies.

The blaze caused part of the building to collapse, though officials said it was not the result of any external attack and that production at the facility has continued.

One of the injured is reported to be in serious condition and receiving intensive care.

Founded in the late 18th century, the Kazan gunpowder plant is among the oldest of its kind in Russia, producing gunpowder for small arms as well as ammunition for land, naval and air artillery.

The facility – along with its chief executive Alexander Livshits – was sanctioned by the EU and the US in 2023 over its role in supplying ammunition to the Russian military following the invasion of Ukraine.

At least one child has been killed and 12 others injured after a Russian drone strike on the central Ukrainian city of Cherkasy overnight, officials said.

Regional governor Ihor Taburets said debris from downed drones hit at least four residential buildings. Air defences reportedly shot down nine drones during the attack.

An eight-year-old boy later died from his injuries. Nine people, including a child, were taken to the hospital, while five others were treated at the scene as emergency crews continued their response.

In a subsequent wave of strikes early today, three more people were injured by falling debris, Taburets added.

Authorities have not yet provided details on the full extent of the damage or the condition of those injured.

Cherkasy, located in central Ukraine along the Dnieper River and far from the front line, has nonetheless been repeatedly targeted in Russian strikes on civilian infrastructure.

US defence secretary Pete Hegseth will again skip the Ukraine Defence Contact Group meeting this week, leaving Washington among a handful of countries without a senior civilian defence representative.

The Pentagon’s policy chief, Elbridge Colby, will attend virtually, as he did in February, according to US officials.

Hegseth’s patchy attendance reflects a broader shift in priorities, with the Trump administration increasingly urging European allies to take greater responsibility for arming Kyiv.

More than 50 defence ministers are due to join Wednesday’s virtual meeting, co-chaired by Germany’s Boris Pistorius and the UK’s John Healey, who took over coordination after Washington stepped back earlier this year.

Nato’s top commander, US General Alexus Grynkewich, will not attend, but his deputy, UK Air Chief Marshal Sir Johnny Stringer, and Germany’s Major General Ulf Häussler will participate.

“Nato continues to deliver crucial support,” Grynkewich’s spokesperson said, stressing continuity in leadership.

Norway and Ukraine will strengthen their bilateral defence cooperation, including by producing Ukrainian drones in the Nordic country, the ⁠Norwegian government said on Tuesday.

Under the agreement, Norway will support the production of drones in Ukraine, while the latter will share data, information and knowledge with ⁠Norway, Oslo said in ​a ⁠statement. Ukrainian drones will also be produced on Norwegian territory, it said.

“We can ⁠learn from the experiences that Ukraine is ​making ⁠in this hard-won fight ‌against the Russian aggression,” prime minister Jonas Gahr Stoere told a joint press conference with Ukrainian ‌president Volodymyr Zelensky.

“It is crucial ‌that we learn from these experiences,” he said.

Norway, along with the other Nordic and Baltic countries, has been a ⁠staunch supporter of Ukraine.