The first Mirage 2000 fighter jet supplied to Ukraine from France crashed on Tuesday after an equipment failure, with the pilot ejecting safely, the Ukrainian military said. The incident occurred in the Volyn oblast of north-western Ukraine. The pilot reported the failure to the flight controller, then ejected successfully and was found in a stable condition. There were no casualties on the ground.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has approved a contentious bill that weakens Ukraine's anti-corruption bodies, hours after protests in Kyiv. About 1,500 protesters gathered outside his administration shouting "Shame" and "Veto the law". Protests also took place in Dnipro, Lviv and Odesa. Critics say the bill allows political interference.
Ukraine has offered to hold talks with Russia on Wednesday in Istanbul, with former defence minister Rustem Umerov heading Kyiv's delegation. The Kremlin said it hoped talks could be held "this week". Meanwhile, a Russian drone and missile salvo killed a 10-year-old boy in Kramatorsk and wounded more than a dozen people. A Ukrainian drone strike on a bus in occupied Kherson killed three people.
An investigation by the exiled Russian outlet the Insider found that Russian authorities have systematically involved children in drone design and testing through nationwide competitions. The competitions begin with video games and end with talented students being headhunted by defence companies. Three teenage finalists said they were aware of military applications but encouraged to hide them.
The US energy secretary, Chris Wright, said sanctioning Russian oil to end the war is a "very real possibility". Donald Trump has spoken of 100% tariffs on buyers of Russian oil if Moscow does not agree to a peace deal, with a 50-day deadline.
In the UK, Howard Phillips, 65, was found guilty of assisting a foreign intelligence service after handing over personal details of the then defence secretary Grant Shapps to undercover officers posing as Russian agents. He was arrested in May 2024 and charged under the National Security Act.
