Ukraine war latest: Ukraine building secret 'robot army'; Kremlin responds to Trump assassination attempt (2024)

We're pausing our live coverage of the Ukraine war today. You can check the Sky News website and app for any breaking news on the war before we return with live updates.

But here's what you need to know and the latest developments on Monday.

Ukraine preparing peace plan for summit and will work with Trump

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says he will work with Donald Trump if the presidential nominee returns to the White House.

He also promised to have a peace plan ready for a summit in November - a follow-up to one Ukraine's president hosted in Switzerland on 15-16 June, the aim of which was to bring together heads of state and government to try to chart a course for a lasting peace in Ukraine.

Although 92 countries attended, Russia did not, which prompted criticism of its realism.

Ukraine's 'secret robot army'

Ukraine is hoping to assemble swathes of cheap, unmanned drones that it hopes will kill Russian troops and save its own wounded soldiers and civilians.

An ecosystem of laboratories in hundreds of secret workshops across Ukraine are building this robot army at a fraction of the cost it takes to import similar models.

Estimates believe around 250 defence startups across the country are creating the killing machines at secret locations that typically look like rural car repair shops.

See our 7.30am post or the key points for more.

Russia and China start joint military exercises

Russia and China's naval forces have kicked off a joint exercise in southern China, days after NATO allies called Beijing a "decisive enabler" of the war in Ukraine.

The two naval forces will take part in exercises in the southern city of Zhanjiang that are expected to last until mid-July.

Ukrainian drones target Crimea - after Russian 'double tap' strike

Ukrainian drones have targeted a coastal area of Sevastopol in occupied Crimea and struck an electrical substation in Russia's Lipetsk region, according to reports.

Mikhail Razvozhayev, the Russian-installed head of Sevastopol, claimed that Russian defences shot down at least one drone over Cape Fiolent on Crimea's southern coast. The target was said to be a military base equipped with air defence systems.

Elsewhere, pictures emerged of a Russian strike which killed two people and injured 23 more in an attack that targeted the railway station in Budy, officials said. After rescue teams arrived, a second missile hit the area.

Ukraine's interior minister Ihor Klymenko said the head of the Kharkiv district emergency services Artem Kostyria was killed, along with a police officer from a rapid reaction unit.

'There will always be Ukraine'

Volodymyr Zelenskyy released a statement rallying Ukraine's citizens on Statehood Day.

The national holiday was established by decree of Mr Zelenskyy in 2021 during the celebration of the 30th anniversary of Ukrainian independence.

The day commemorates the baptism of Kyiv, which occurred under the rule of Volodymyr the Great in 988.

He said: "There will always be Ukraine here: our history, our people, our state."

"We are fighting against a terrible enemy, one that cannot be called human and is infinitely far from true Christianity."

Trump assassination attempt reactions

Kyiv and Moscow have given differing reactions to the attempted assassination of Donald Trump.

The former president suffered a bullet wound to his ear in the shooting, which happened early on Saturday evening as he was giving a speech to supporters in Butler, Pennsylvania.

Mr Zelenskyy said he was "relieved" to learn that Trump was safe and wished him a "speedy recovery". He added that such violence had "no justification and no place" in the world.

The Kremlin said yesterday it felt the current US administration had created an "atmosphere around candidate Trump" that had "provoked what America is confronting today".

A deal to split the assets of Russian technology company Yandex was finalised today.

A consortium of Russian investors have bought the bulk of Yandex's businesses in a cash and shares deal worth around $5.4bn (£4bn).

Often referred to as "Russia's Google", Yandex is now fully under Russian control, potentially tightening the Kremlin's control of the internet space within the country.

The firm has previously been accused of hiding information about the war in Ukraine from the Russian public.

Yandex's Dutch parent company Yandex NV said it had sold its remaining minority 28% stake as part of the deal's second closing, receiving a total of $2.8bn (£2.1bn) in cash and 162.5 million YNV class A shares.

The deal is believed to be significantly lower than Yandex's market value, which was worth around $30bn (£23.1bn) in 2021.

In 2022, the European Union said Yandex is "responsible for promoting state media and narratives in its search results, and deranking and removing content critical of the Kremlin, such as content related to Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine".

Despite its nickname, Yandex has no ties to Google.

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says he will work with Donald Trump if the presidential nominee returns to the White House.

Mr Trump - who survived an assassination attempt at the weekend in Butler, Pennsylvania - is up against incumbent US President Joe Biden in the upcoming election.

Mr Biden has shown himself to be a firm ally of Kyiv since Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022, pledging more financial aid to Ukraine than any other country.

There is concern that Mr Trump, who is leading in the polls, would not replicate that support if he were to return to the White House.

The Republican nominee has previously said he would "have that war settled" before he potentially took office on 20 January, though he has not supported that claim with any details of a potential peace plan.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy says he aims to have all elements of a peace plan ready for a second summit in November.

Ukraine's president hosted a peace summit in Switzerland on 15-16 June, the aim of which was to bring together heads of state and government to try to chart a course for a lasting peace in Ukraine.

Representatives of 92 countries attended, but Russia was not invited, leading to questions about what the summit could realistically achieve.

In response, Vladimir Putin offered his own terms for a ceasefire, which included Ukraine giving up four regions partially occupied by Russia - Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia.

Now, Ukraine's leader says he is aiming to have a peace plan ready for a second summit.

Speaking at a news conference in Kyiv, Mr Zelenskyy said Kyiv could invite representatives from Russia, although Moscow has already said it will not attend.

Video footage released by the Russian defence ministry press service today shows Russian and Chinese military sailors attending a welcome ceremony for their joint naval force exercises.

The two naval forces will take part in exercises in the southern city of Zhanjiang that are expected to last until mid-July.

According to state broadcaster CCTV, the exercises will include anti-missile drills, sea strikes and air defence.

This comes after NATO leaders labelled China a "decisive enabler" of Russia's war in Ukraine last week.

Beijing’s mission to the EU said the latest NATO summit was "filled with Cold War mentality and belligerent rhetoric".

More than 45 European leaders will converge on Oxfordshire this week to discuss pressing issues, including the Ukraine-Russia war.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer will welcome leaders from across the continent to Blenheim Palace on Thursday.

The PM is expected to use the meeting as a platform to push for continued international military and financial support for Ukraine, ahead of what is expected to be a difficult winter.

"Europe is at the forefront of some of the greatest challenges of our time," said Mr Starmer.

"Russia's barbaric war continues to reverberate across our continent, while vile smuggling gangs traffic innocent people on perilous journeys that too often end in tragedy.

"We cannot be spectators in this chapter of history. We must do more and go further, not just for the courageous Ukrainians on the frontlines, or those being trafficked from country-to-country, but so our future generations look back with pride at what our continent achieved together."

Almost 44% of Ukrainians think that it is time for official peace negotiations with Russia to begin, according to a survey published by a major Ukrainian newspaper.

ZN.UA used the Razumkov Centre to conduct the survey, which also found that 35% were opposed to peace negotiations, and 21% said they were undecided.

At the same time, an overwhelming majority of respondents (83%) said they were opposed to the current ceasefire conditions offered by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Mr Putin said he would order a ceasefire "literally at the same minute" if Ukraine agreed to give up four regions partially occupied by Russia - Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia.

He also said Ukraine would need to give up its effort to join NATO.

There was some regional disparity in response to whether Ukraine should begin peace negotiations with Russia.

In western Ukraine, 35% said they supported peace talks, a similar figure to those from eastern Ukraine (33%), where the majority of heavy fighting is ongoing.

In the south of Ukraine, 60% of respondents said they were in favour of negotiations. Roughly half (49%) of residents in the centre of Ukraine were in favour.

A slim majority (61%) were not ready to give any concessions to Russia in order to obtain a peace deal, and 66% of respondents said they still believed in military victory over Russia.

The survey was conducted from 20-28 June 2024, with 2,007 respondents aged 18 and over interviewed.

Ministers from the European Union could snub Hungary by organising their own foreign affairs summit in August instead of travelling to Budapest for Prime Minister Viktor Orban's event.

That's according to Politico, who say foreign affairs ministers have been hunting for a way to avoid becoming props in Mr Orban's "propaganda show".

The Hungarian leader has received criticism for his self-styled peace missions to Moscow and Beijing, with EU leaders feeling he is undermining their interests of unity with Ukraine.

Hungary holds the rotating presidency of the Council of the EU and plans to host a foreign affairs summit on August 28-29.

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell will, according to three EU diplomats speaking to Politico, summon ministers to a formal foreign affairs council at the same time as Orban's summit.

One of the diplomats said that by boycotting the Budapest meeting, foreign minsters wanted to "send a clear signal that Hungary does not speak for the EU".

Pictures show the aftermath of Russia's "double tap" missile attack on a small town near Ukraine's second largest city of Kharkiv.

Two people died and 23 more were injured in the mid-afternoon attack that targeted the railway station in Budy, officials said. After rescue teams arrived, a second missile hit the area.

Ukraine's interior minister Ihor Klymenko said the head of the Kharkivdistrict emergency services Artem Kostyria was killed, along with a policeofficer from a rapid reaction unit.