Russia Ukraine war latest news: Putin ‘deploys new type of drone’ in fifth attack on Kyiv in just two weeks

The PM is keen to maintain Britain’s position as one of the world’s most vocal supporters of Ukraine – a role that will become even more important as backing from other powers begins to waver, writes Mary Dejevsky.

Volodymyr Zelensky has urged European leaders to channel Winston Churchill’s “bravery” in the fight against Russian aggression.

The Ukrainian leader made his call as he spoke in the former prime minister’s birthplace, Blenheim Palace, during only his third visit to the UK since Russia’s full-scale invasion.

It is his first trip to the UK since Sir Keir Starmer entered Downing Street. Mr Zelensky is also due to meet with King Charles during the visit.

The Ukrainian leader told a summit of European leaders: “Bravery made Churchill Churchill. Bravery won the greatest battle of his life. It was the battle for Britain.

Prime minister Keir Starmer’s review of Britain’s defences comes as the West faces a “dangerous quartet” of Russia, China, North Korea and Iran, according to Nato chief Lord Robertson.

Russia remains the key threat, as it is continuing to wage war in Ukraine, including a deadly missile strike on a children’s hospital in Kyiv last week. Relations with Russia are at their worst since the Cold War period, and military experts believe that European countries need to be prepared for conflict.

But how do Britain’s armed forces compare now to 40 years ago, in 1984, when the UK was engaged in a stand-off with Russia?

Read the full article by The Independent’s data correspondent Alicja Hagopian here:

Brazil has reached an agreement for consensus documents to be approved at the G20 finance meetings scheduled for next week in Rio de Janeiro, Mauricio Lyrio, Brazil’s ambassador at the G20, said on Friday.

Finance leaders from the world’s largest economies failed in February to issue a joint statement amid a lack of consensus on geopolitical issues, despite Brazil’s efforts to focus on a short text aligning with its priorities of addressing inequality, poverty and climate change.

“We will no longer require the inclusion of geopolitical language in ministerial documents,” said Mr Lyrio, emphasizing that the agreement was endorsed by all G20 members.

According to Mr Lyrio, for each consensus statement produced by the G20 countries, the Brazilian G20 presidency will issue a separate document that will deal with geopolitical issues.

Mr Lyrio, Brazil’s sherpa at the G20, had said this month that G20 diplomats had agreed to avoid prickly geopolitical issues during their ministerial meetings, preparing for a summit in November.

Three pro-Russian hackers have been arrested for alleged cyberattacks against Spain and other Nato countries for terrorist purposes, Spanish police said on Saturday.

The suspects were detained for their alleged participation in distributed denial of service (DDoS) cyber-attacks against public institutions and strategic sectors, the Civil Guard said.

It did not say if the three suspects, who have not been named, have been charged or detained

The cyberattacks were allegedly carried out against web pages of public and private organisations in the government sectors, critical infrastructures and essential services in countries which support Ukraine in the conflict with Russia, it said.

Police released a video on social media platform X of a raid at the home of one of the suspects in which a Soviet-era hammer and sickle flag was mounted on a wall.

“These computer attacks have been organized by the hacktivist group NoName057(16), (which started) after the invasion of Ukraine by Russia and (which has been) one of the most active,” the Civil Guard said in a statement.

“In their own founding manifesto, this group acknowledges that they ‘will respond proportionately in response to the hostile and openly anti-Russian actions of Western Russophobes’.”