Ukrainian president tells press conference with Ursula von der Leyen that Ukraine plans to use EU loan for air defence, energy and weapons purchases. Russia charges soldiers with killing pro-Moscow US fighter 15:37 Russia has charged four of its soldiers serving in occupied Ukraine with torturing a US citizen living in Russian-held Donetsk who had fought with pro-Moscow forces since 2014.

Russia warned the West and Ukraine on Friday of "disastrous consequences" if Kyiv moved against close Russian ally Belarus, making clear it would intervene to defend a country where it has deployed tactical nuclear weapons.

The capture of Ukrainsk underscored Russia’s steady advances in the Donetsk region. Ukraine is trying to counter with strikes on Russian military infrastructure.

Russia said it was working to repel a Ukrainian drone attack on Toropets, where there's a major military depot, as explosions lit up the night.

Ukraine's air force said on Thursday it had shot down all 42 drones and one of four missiles used by Russia during overnight attacks. Air defences went into operation in nine Ukrainian regions, the air force said in a statement on the Telegram messaging app nearly 31 months after Russia's full-scale invasion.