Ukraine-Russia war latest: Ukrainian ‘drone strike’ damages luxury high-rise just 7km from Kremlin in Moscow
A suspected Ukrainian drone strike has damaged a luxury high-rise building in central Moscow, just days before the city is due to host a major military parade marking the end of WWII.
Images and videos from the scene showed damage across multiple floors of the residential Mosfilm Tower due to the overnight strike, as well as likely drone debris on the street below.
It is rare for a Ukrainian drone to strike a target in the heart of the well-defended Russian capital.
Mosfilm Tower is about 3km from the Russian defence ministry building and 7km from the Kremlin and Red Square, where the 9 May parade is due to take place.
The incident came as Sir Keir Starmer and European leaders arrived in the Armenian capital for the European Political Community summit.
The UK is set to announce plans to join the major £78bn loan scheme approved by the EU for Ukraine, as well as another tranche of "stinging sanctions" on Russian companies.
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World affairs editor Sam Kiley meets the founder of Ukraine’s ultranationalist Azov movement, Andrii Biletskyi, now a decorated military brigadier general holding Russia back on its most aggressive line of attack in Donetsk provinceShweta Sharma4 May 2026 09:00How many American troops are in Europe and where are they?
The United States had approximately 68,000 active-duty military personnel assigned permanently in its overseas bases in Europe as of December 2025, data from the US Defence Manpower Data Centre (DMDC) shows. These do not include rotational forces sent on deployment and exercise missions.
The U.S. military is spread over 31 permanent bases and a further 19 military sites to which the Department of Defence has access as of March 2024, a Congress report shows.
How many American troops are in Europe and where are they?
From Spain to RomaniaShweta Sharma4 May 2026 08:30In photos: Keir Starmer, Macron and top leaders arrive for key EU summit in Armenia
The European Political Community summit in Yerevan opened on Monday with leaders from across Europe to discuss security, defence, and political cooperation at a time of heightened tensions driven by the war in Ukraine.
The forum – created after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine – offers a platform for EU and non-EU countries to coordinate responses on key issues such as military support for Kyiv, energy security, and regional stability.
Attendees included Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky, Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni, Poland’s premier Donald Tusk, Norwegian prime minister Jonas Gahr Store, Nato chief Mark Rutte, European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen and vice president Kaja Kallas, and European Council president Antonio Costa.
During the summit, the UK will announce that it is entering talks to join the European Union’s €90bn (£78bn) loan scheme for Ukraine.
Canadian prime minister Mark Carney, the first leader of a non-European country to attend the EPC, also participated.
Russia says it rejects US citizenship imposed on Russian diplomats’ children
Russia will not recognise US citizenship granted to children of its diplomats born in the United States, insisting they remain under Russian jurisdiction, the foreign ministry said.
Maria Zakharova, the spokesperson for the ministry, said that Moscow will demand case-by-case confirmation from Washington that such children are exempt from US jurisdiction and retain full diplomatic immunity under international conventions.
"The Russian side does not recognize the imposition of US citizenship on Russian citizens born into the families of our diplomatic, administrative-technical, and consular personnel in the United States," she wrote in an article for Vedomosti, a Russian-language business daily newspaper.
It comes as a new bill in America aims to ensure that being born on US soil no longer guarantees an American passport unless your parents are already elite permanent residents.
Shweta Sharma4 May 2026 08:00Joining EU’s loan for Ukraine will boost UK jobs and ties with bloc, Starmer says
Keir Starmer has said joining the European Union’s €90bn (£78bn) loan scheme for Ukraine would be “very good” for UK–EU ties and for job creation in Britain, as he prepares to formally announce the UK’s bid at the European Political Community summit in Yerevan.
Speaking on arrival, Starmer said participation would boost Ukraine’s military capability in the fifth year of the war, while also supporting jobs in the UK and strengthening relations with the EU ahead of further negotiations.
He is set to co-chair a Ukraine-focused meeting with France, urging closer coordination to ensure Kyiv receives the military equipment it needs to continue resisting Russia.
Downing Street also confirmed that the UK will unveil fresh sanctions on Russian companies later this week to disrupt military supply chains.
Speaking to the media as he arrived at the European Political Community (EPC) summit, he said: “In relation to the EU loan that we are discussing participating in, that is very good for Ukraine, because it will give Ukraine capability that is desperately needs in year five of this conflict.
“It’s very good for the UK, because of the capability that leads to jobs in the United Kingdom.
“And it’s very good for UK-EU relations, which is very important as we go on to the various discussions.”
Shweta Sharma4 May 2026 07:24Picture show damage to Moscow building
Images emerging from Moscow show visible damage after a drone strike, offering a rare glimpse into the impact of the war inside the Russian capital.
Photos and social media footage capture debris hanging from the upper floors of a residential building on Mosfilmovskaya Street, with sections of the façade torn open and rubble scattered across the ground below.
Emergency personnel can be seen working at the site, cordoning off the area and assessing the damage.
The strike, reportedly carried out by Ukraine, appears to have hit a high-rise apartment block in one of Moscow’s more upscale districts, not far from diplomatic residences.
Sir Keir Starmer meets Zelensky as he pledges more support to Ukraine
Volodymyr Zelensky said he met British prime minister Keir Starmer and thanked King Charles for his “strong words” on the defence of Ukraine during his state visit to the US.
Meeting Mr Starmer in Armenia, he said: “Best regards and thanks to His Majesty for strong words in the United States supporting our people.”
Zelensky said he appreciates all the steps the United Kingdom has taken to support our people and weaken the aggressor, including efforts to counter Russia’s shadow fleet.
Britain will begin talks to join the EU’s Ukraine loan scheme, the UK government said.
Starmer is expected to announce the move at the European Political Community summit in Yerevan, signalling closer UK–EU coordination on military support for Kyiv. The EU-approved loan will cover about two-thirds of Ukraine’s needs over the next two years, largely for defence.
Shweta Sharma4 May 2026 06:30IAEA says a drone targeted Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant's external radiation control laboratory
The Russian-held Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in southeastern Ukraine informed the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on Sunday that a drone had targeted its external radiation control laboratory.
There were no reported injuries and it was not yet known if the strike damaged the lab, which is located outside the nuclear power plant's perimeter, according to the IAEA.
An IAEA team at the site has requested access to the lab, Director General Rafael Grossi said, reiterating that any attacks near nuclear sites can pose nuclear safety risks.
Shweta Sharma4 May 2026 06:22Moscow building attack could be one deepest Ukrainian strike inside Russia
The Ukrainian attack on a luxury apartment building could be one of the deepest strikes into central Moscow.
The drone strike inside a residential complex in the Russian capital happened about 7km from Red Square. The targeted tower is located in an upscale district near embassies and diplomatic residences.
Videos on social media appear to show a low-flying drone heading towards Moscow shortly before 1am, with residents reporting loud explosions soon after.
Images suggest damage to the upper floors of the Mosfilm Tower, a luxury high-rise west of the city centre, with drone debris scattered on the street as emergency crews responded.
Ukraine has yet to confirm the drone strike.
Ukrainian drones hit Russia's Primorsk port, oil tankers and military ships
Ukraine launched a volley of missiles and drone strikes across Russia, striking the Baltic Sea port of Primorsk and three ships allegedly being used to transport Russian crude.
The strike caused a fire at Primorsk, a major oil-exporting outlet, the Russian regional governor confirmed.
Alexander Drozdenko, governor of the northwest region which hosts the port, said more than 60 drones were downed overnight. He said the fire at Primorsk was quickly extinguished and there had been no oil spill following the attack.
Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelensky said the strikes had caused significant damage to the oil terminal port.
They also hit an oil tanker, a small Russian Karakurt-class missile ship and a patrol boat in the Baltic Sea, he said on Telegram.
"Each such result further limits Russia’s war potential," he wrote.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said global oil prices may rise further if Ukraine continues to hit Russia's oil infrastructure, Russian TV reported.
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