Ukraine's largest drone attack as Zelenskyy warns 'Moscow will burn'

HEADLINES IN BRIEF

● "Moscow will burn" warned Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy, after retaliatory attacks by Kyiv set Kapotnya oil refinery ablaze. Situated just ten miles from the Kremlin, the offensive comes days after heavy fire on Ukraine's capital set a historic monastery on fire. READ MORE BELOW.

● Russia has returned the remains of 522 people it identified as killed soldiers to Ukraine, officials said on Thursday. Russia also said they had received the bodies of 33 of its own soldiers in return, with Ukraine yet to issue a comment.

● Kyiv came under missile fire in the early hours of Thursday, with a series of explosions heard at around 01:30am local time. Explosions were also reported in Poltava, a city in central Ukraine, and authorities reported one person killed and nine others wounded in a ballistic attack on the city of Dnipro.

● The EU has signaled that it could be changing its rules surrounding Ukrainian refugees, with restrictions for men of military age likely to be implemented. READ MORE BELOW.

● NATO allies have come under fire from US Pentagon Chief Pete Hegseth over their defense spending, with the Secretary of War pushing for countries to allocate five percent of their total GDP expenditure. Hegseth told allies that the US was putting them each under a six-month review so the U.S. could analyze each ally's commitment to defense spending. The public lambasting comes at a tense time for many leaders, including the United Kingdom’s prime minister Keir Starmer, who last week had to appoint a new Defence Secretary after John Healey quit over funding plans for the armed forces. 

● Speaking on Thursday at a ​Nato meeting ‌of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group in Brussels, the UK’s new Defence Secretary Dan Jarvis said Britain ​will ⁠provide 150,000 ​drones to Ukraine by the ​end ‌of 2026 as part ⁠of a £752 million ($996 million) ⁠funding package. READ MORE BELOW.

Smoke hangs heavy around Moscow as Zelenskyy promises the city "will burn"

On Thursday, Ukraine launched its largest drone attack on Moscow in years, targeting a major oil refinery and causing fires and evacuations around the city. Dramatic columns of smoke filled the sky after footage circulated online of a fuel tank detonating; the city’s southern skyline was masked as the dark clouds spread out. 

The refinery is one of Moscow's most important energy facilities, supplying around 40 percent of the capital’s petrol and around half of its diesel fuel. Authorities reported that at least 17 people were wounded in the strikes, which also set a shopping centre and apartment building ablaze. 

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy described the 200-drone strikes as "absolutely justified", as Ukraine's capital Kyiv recovers from deadly strikes earlier this week that left 11 civilians and emergency workers dead, 53 injured, and heavily damaged a landmark cathedral and a UNESCO-protected 11th-century monastery.  He also emphasised that he wanted Russia's population to consider Putin as responsible for the consequences of the Ukraine conflict, saying to reporters “it is one man, Putin, who is waging this war, while ordinary people pay the price for everything.” 

Russia has denied responsibility for the attack on a monastery earlier this week, saying damage to the city was instead caused by "a missile from a US-made Patriot" missile system, which Ukraine uses for air defense.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has yet to comment on the scenes in Moscow, as he continues to host Southeast Asian leaders at a summit in the central city of Kazan, about 700 kilometres east of the capital. 

EU protection surrounding Ukrainian refugees could see changes in the near future, European Commission announces

The European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has revealed plans to curb the European Union's rules on admitting refugees fleeing Russia's conflict with Ukraine. 

In a letter to EU leaders ahead of Thursday’s Ukraine summit in Brussels, von der Leyen said the Commission would propose the extension of the EU's Temporary Protection Directive (TPD) for Ukrainian refugees, but the scope of such protections would be narrowed. 

The TPD is currently active until March 4th 2027, and grants applicable persons automatic, swift temporary residence status, including the right to work, access to public health, education, and suitable accommodation.

While details on the planned changes remain unclear, EU interior ministers have already discussed the possibility of making it harder for men of military age from Ukraine to be admitted to the Union, under concerns of whether such protections make it harder for Ukraine to defend itself.  

Ukraine currently operates under martial law, and military service is mandatory for men between the ages of 25 and 60. Hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian men are estimated to have gone into hiding or fled abroad to avoid military service on the brutal front lines, since the conflict began with Russia four years ago. 

UK announces 150,000 ​drones to Ukraine by the ​end ‌of 2026 amid Hegseth criticism

The UK’s new Defence Secretary Dan Jarvis has announced plans to provide 150,000 drones to Ukraine as part of a £752 million ($996 million) package, “to help Ukraine defend their freedom and sovereignty”.

The package, which is funded by Britain's £2.26 ​billion loan to ​Ukraine and backed by proceeds from immobilised ​Russian sovereign ​assets, includes 350 air defence missiles ‌and ⁠ground-based radar systems.

Speaking on Thursday at the Ukraine Defense Contact Group in Brussels, Jarvis said that the UK would “stand with Ukraine today, tomorrow, for as long as it takes.”

The plans come amid heavy criticism from the US Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth on how Europe defends itself. On Thursday, Hegseth announced a review of US forces in Europe as his department continues to push for Nato members to contribute 5% of national economic output to defence spending.