Nato jets were summoned to Latvia after two drones entered from Russian territory and crashed into an oil storage facility, the country’s army said on Thursday morning. The drones were probably launched by Ukraine against targets in Russia, Latvia's defence minister Andris Spruds told national broadcaster LSM.Four empty oil tanks were damaged at a storage facility in Rezekne, about 40km (25 miles) from the Russian border, and possible debris of a crashed drone was found at the site, police and firefighters said.Military jets of the multinational Nato Baltic air police mission have been summoned to the site, he added.It comes after Russia threatened to strike foreign embassies in Kyiv if Ukrainian forces try to disrupt Moscow’s Victory Day commemorations in the coming days.The Russian military had earlier vowed to carry out mass attacks on Kyiv if it did not adhere to Russia's unilateral ceasefire covering 8 and 9 May, when Moscow is planning to stage a military parade through Red Square.Zelensky said Russia's continued attacks were an "obvious spurning" of a chance at peace offered by Kyiv.PinnedOur coverage has endedFollow latest updates on Russia-Ukraine warArpan Rai8 May 2026 04:17Briefing: What we know on the 1,533rd day of Ukraine warUkraine accused Russia of flouting a Kyiv-proposed ceasefire on Wednesday by carrying out dozens of battlefield assaults, air strikes and drone attacks. Russia has said it faces an increased threat of Ukrainian attacks and will hold a slimmed-down version of its annual Victory Day parade in Moscow this week without military hardware on display. Russia is warning diplomatic missions to evacuate staff promptly from Kyiv in the event of a mass strike by Moscow in response to any attempt by Ukraine to disrupt Victory Day commemorations. Arpan Rai7 May 2026 04:33Zelensky accuses Russia of spurning ceasefire proposed by KyivUkraine accused Russia of flouting a Kyiv-proposed ceasefire on Wednesday by carrying out dozens of battlefield assaults, air strikes and drone attacks.Zelensky had floated the cessation, starting on 6 May, in response to Russian leader Vladimir Putin's own proposed ceasefire from 8 to 9 May to coincide with its Second World War victory commemorations.In a statement, Zelensky said Russia – which did not confirm its adherence to Ukraine's proposal – had committed 1,820 violations by late morning on Wednesday.“Russia's choice is an obvious spurning of a ceasefire and of saving lives," he said. Speaking later in his nightly video address, Zelensky said Russia "has responded to the proposal ⁠only with new strikes and new attacks" and Ukraine would determine "our entirely justified responses".He said Ukraine was ready to work for peace but that "if the one person in Moscow who cannot live without war is interested only in a parade and nothing else, that is another matter".“Russia has fought to the point where even ⁠their main parade now depends on us," he said.Arpan Rai7 May 2026 04:37Arpan Rai7 May 2026 04:46Russia warns embassies to evacuate staff from KyivRussia is warning diplomatic missions to evacuate staff promptly from Kyiv, saying Moscow will carry out a mass strike on the Ukrainian capital if Ukraine tries to disrupt its Victory Day commemorations.Foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said in a video posted on Telegram that her ministry "strongly urges the authorities of your country... to treat this statement with the utmost responsibility".On Monday, Russia's defence ministry had warned that it would respond to Ukrainian attacks during the Victory Day celebrations with a "massive missile attack" on the Ukrainian capital Kyiv.Arpan Rai7 May 2026 04:59Pussy Riot stage protest blocking access to Russian pavilion at Venice BiennaleRussian punk group Pussy Riot joined members of Ukrainian feminist organization FEMEN on Wednesday in a protest at the Venice Biennale against the opening of the Russian pavilion.Yelling “Russia’s art is blood” and “Disobey” under a cloud of pink, blue and yellow smoke, the anti-Putin feminist groups covered their faces with pink balaclavas before rushing the venue in the Giardini exhibition area.Italian police blocked the entrance to the site as the protest effectively blockaded Russia’s return for about 30 minutes.Arpan Rai7 May 2026 05:09‘Rockets flew over our heads’: Ukrainian sailor who fled war trapped on ship in Strait of HormuzThe sailor told Ukrainian public broadcaster Suspilne on condition of anonymity how they could only watch on as three missiles “literally flew over our heads” as Iran opened fire on its neighbours on the afternoon of 28 February.“We saw two downings and one ‘arrival’ near the airport in Dubai,” the captain said, adding that he was unmoved by the shelling after three years living through the Russian invasion of Ukraine.Arpan Rai7 May 2026 05:34Russia drones crash in Latvia as schools ordered shutAt least two drones entered Nato member Latvia from Russia and crashed, the Latvian army said this morning.One of the drones crashed into an oil storage facility in Rezekne, about 40km (25 ⁠miles) from the ​Russian ⁠border, said national broadcaster LSM, quoting the police.A fire at the site was `no longer burning by the time firefighters arrived, it said.The Latvian authorities ‌have issued drone alerts to residents along the Russian border at 4.09am local ‌time (0109 GMT) today, asking them ‌to stay indoors.All schools will be closed in Rezekne on Thursday, the municipality said.The incident comes months after several stray Ukrainian drones ⁠hit Latvia and its Nato neighbours Estonia and Lithuania in late March, one of which slammed into a chimney at a local power station while another crash-landed in a frozen lake and exploded.The Ukrainian drones were believed to have been launched to strike military targets in Russia. The three Baltic ‌countries have never allowed ⁠their territories and airspace to be used ⁠for drone attacks against targets in Russia, their foreign ‌ministers said ​in April.Arpan Rai7 May 2026 05:52Ukrainian officials set to meet Trump’s peace envoys – reportUkraine is likely sending its national security and defence council secretary Rustem Umerov to Miami this week for a meeting with US president Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff, reported Bloomberg.The meeting between the two sides is a new development in negotiations to end the war in Ukraine.While the US has sent its diplomats Mr Witkoff and Mr Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner to Moscow multiple times to meet the Russian side, it is yet to send them to Kyiv to hold peace talks.Russia and Ukraine are yet to reach any conclusion in talks as they debate several key points, including control over part of the Donbas region in eastern Ukraine and the status of the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.(UAE Presidential Court)Arpan Rai7 May 2026 06:03Sweden detains sanctioned oil tanker believed to be linked to Russia's shadow fleetSweden is investigating a sanctioned tanker that is suspected of being part of the Russian “shadow fleet,” according to the Scandinavian country's civil defence minister.The Swedish Coast Guard said it boarded and detained the Jin Hui on Sunday on suspicion of flying a false flag while transiting Swedish waters.The vessel was sailing through the Baltic Sea under a Syrian flag, the coast guard said in a statement. There are also concerns about the vessel’s seaworthiness.The Jin Hui – which remained anchored off Trelleborg on Monday – is currently on European Union, UK and Ukraine sanctions lists, Sweden's civil defence minister Carl-Oskar Bohlin said.The ship’s captain, a Chinese citizen, was arrested on suspicion of using a false document and other offences, Swedish prosecutors said Monday.It is the fifth vessel seizure by Sweden's coast guard in recent weeks.Arpan Rai7 May 2026 06:29